Iron Prince: A Progression Sci-Fi Epic (Warformed: Stormweaver Book 1)

by Bryce O'Connor

  “Arsenal Shift?!” he hissed, nearly walking right off the path as it bent again. A patrol melted out of the dark, at that moment, and he and Lennon both had to pause and salute the two lesser officers as they passed, receiving a mirrored acknowledgement.

  Only after the pair had vanished around the curve at their backs did the third year turn to look at Rei with an expression somewhere between impressed and surprised.

  “Gotta say, you’re a pretty well-informed guy, Ward…”

  Rei could only stare, registering nothing more than the fact that Lennon’s lack of disagreement likely meant this was exactly the direction his suspicions were taking him.

  But… No. No way. Arsenal Shift? As a C-Ranked User? That had to be unheard of…

  “That can’t be right,” Rei muttered. “Arsenal Shift is a high-level Ability. A- and S-Rank almost exclusively.”

  “Ordinarily, sure.” Lennon seemed unperturbed by Rei’s denial, motioning that they should get moving again. “But given you’re the only User I’ve ever heard of to climb two-and-half tiers in less than six months, Ward, I’m not willing to classify you as any sort of ‘ordinary’.”

  Rei didn’t miss the math.

  “You checked my baseline too.”

  “Too?” Lennon glanced at him with interest.

  “Aria did the same thing, apparently. I think she was the first to catch on.”

  “Laurent? I guess that makes sense. She noticed after your match at the first year Commencement Ceremony, I’m assuming?”

  Rei made a face. “You heard about that?”

  “Oh definitely. We might be in a different world of power than you all are right now, Ward, but hearing that an E-Ranked User had been accepted to Galens, only to challenge the reigning queen of the class? You bet the third years heard. The seconds, too, undoubtedly.”

  Rei sighed, but shoved back another pang of embarrassment at the thought. He’d gone into that fight knowing he was going to lose. There was no sense in dwelling on it nearly 4 months later.

  Not when Lennon was implying he might be on track to develop one of the most potent Abilities in the ISCM registry…

  Arsenal Shift. The physical manipulation of the weapon-manifestation of one’s CAD into a secondary form, maybe even a tertiary. It was true it was what high-ranking A-Types were best known for, but the reality was that structural Atypicals—like Lennon and Valera Dent—were significantly more common than Shift wielders. Rei recalled, suddenly, the day they’d met Catcher for the first time, how he and the Saber—newly acquainted—had bonded over excitedly discussing the Ability, and Rei’s hope he’d one day count himself among its owners. It wasn’t that he’d abandoned that desire. Not in the least.

  But how could hoping to develop it so early be anything but a pipe dream?

  “I see why you didn’t want to tell me,” he allowed as Kanes came into view, most of its smart-glass windows lit up while his classmates studied into the late hours of the evening. “That’s a hell of a carrot to snatch away if it doesn’t work out.”

  Lasher shrugged again. “According to what I’ve been able to find out, you’ve evolved four times since your assignment. Most User don’t evolve that many times in twelve months, much less six. Judging by the climb of your CAD-Rank, your specs are likely rocketing along just as well. So why should your Ability development be any less accelerated?”

  Rei had to admit, he’d never considered that particular point. Maybe it was the balls he was already juggling when it came to Shido, or maybe he’d always just been more focused on the CAD’s stats than anything else. Regardless of the reason, Lennon’s words had him halting mid-step, staring after the third year, who continued walking a second or two more before realizing Rei had stopped.

  “You’re serious?” Rei had to ask, the question fogging before him in the cold. “You think that’s the direction Shido is headed?”

  “I wouldn’t bet my credits on it or anything, but it doesn’t seem the likeliest course to you?” The Lasher half-turned to look Rei in the eye, sliding his gloved hands into the pockets of his black slacks. “You and your Device are moving on a trajectory unlike anything I’ve ever seen, Ward. Unlike anything I’ve ever heard of, actually, and I’m lucky enough to be privy to most of the information on high-level Users around our age. They’re my rivals.” He nodded down at Shido’s bands, glimmering blue diamonds across black-and-white steel around Rei’s wrists, asking the question again. “Why would your Ability development be any less accelerated?”

  Rei had no good answer for him, he discovered.

  “And… And you think it would happen soon?”

  “Manifesting Shift? No idea. But I ask again… Your last evolution was at D9, right?”

  Rei nodded.

  “You’re C2, now. Three ranks higher. How long between evolutions do you typically go?”

  Rei scowled. “You just admitted to asking around about me. You tell me.”

  Lennon gave him a lopsided smile. “Fair enough.” He drew out one hand again to hold up all four fingers. “Four evolutions. Twenty-one ranks—F8 to D9. You average just over five ranks between evolutions.” He pulled down a finger to leave a trio up. “You’re at three, now. Law of probability states you’re due for another sooner than later, doesn’t it?”

  “Maybe, but that also means I’ve had four evolutions with no manifestation of Abilities. Why would Arsenal Shift manifest now?”

  “Don’t know if it will. But the major sign is there: you’re an Atypical with no indication of structural variability, having reached the C-ranks. Dent had her first externals at this point in her career, did you know?”

  “I did… And?”

  “And my chains first manifested at C4. Ordinarily I’d actually assume you were more likely to develop something else. Another Ability, more common. But—I say it again—you’re anything by ‘ordinary’, aren’t you, Ward?”

  Again Rei didn’t respond, meeting the Lasher’s gaze evenly. It was a strange feeling, standing there before a User who could be ranked among the most powerful within the walls of the Institute. The boy’s eyes betrayed nothing, now, gave no hint of interest or amusement or even that dangerous acuity they sometimes held. It was eerie, like Lennon was deliberately keeping his thoughts to himself, seeing how Rei would answer.

  In the end, of course, there was no sense in denying that which was becoming a clear and obvious truth.

  “No,” Rei affirmed, putting his own hands in his pockets in an attempt to seem nonchalant. “I’m not ordinary.”

  There was a pause in which the third year took him in, then, that same, still blankness behind his gaze.

  And then the smile returned, lifting with it the sense of foreboding Rei hadn’t realized was starting to claw at his gut.

  “Nice to hear it out loud,” Lennon said, turning and starting to walk ahead. “It’s important to know your advantages as a User, Ward. On and off the field. You’re going to have to get used to it, if you want to be able to live any kind of normal life in the future.”

  Rei, shaking the last of that lingering chill, hurried to catch up, his boots thudding heavily over the frozen stone of the path.

  “I’m not fighting till Tuesday,” he breathed after he was side by side with Lennon again. “Three days. If I push it…”

  “Don’t,” Lennon warned, a little sharply even. “There’s a reason Dent gave you all those training days off, in your third week. The four of you were already exerting yourselves to the point of exhaustion, and then she threw me into the mix. If you force things, you’ll just end up hamstringing yourself.”

  Rei bit back his answer to that, his retort that he’d dealt with a lot worse than fatigue and a few strained muscles in his life. He knew the Lasher was right, but it was a hard thing to hear immediately after being given the hope of harnessing Arsenal Shift in his next rank or two…

  The comment, though, brought to mind another question he realized he
’d never had an opportunity to ask.

  “How did she get you ‘in the mix’? Not gonna lie, it’s been driving the four of us crazy for a month now. What the hell do you have to gain from working with us?”

  “The pleasure of your company,” Lennon answered dryly.

  Rei stared at him blankly as they walked until the third year sighed.

  “Dent makes it worth my time, Ward. Sparring with you all might not have a lick of value towards improving my own specs, but I’m compensated. No—” he cut the start of Rei’s question off with a sharp shake of his head as they made the dim glow of Kane’s myriad of lit windows “—I’m not going to tell you how. Another condition of our agreement. Besides, I’m of the opinion you have bigger things to worry about right now then whether or not I’m wasting my Friday nights on a bunch of first years.”

  “You just said I shouldn’t push myself more than—”

  “And I meant it, but Arsenal Shift—or whatever Ability I’m expecting you might develop in the next few weeks—isn’t what I’m talking about. You can’t depend on something like that happening.” Reaching the dorm, Lennon paused just before the double doors to the building would open for them, bringing Rei up short as the boy turned to look at him directly. “Who are you matched up with, this coming week?”

  “Ashley Renton,” Rei was able to answer at once. They’d gotten their pairing Wednesday afternoon, like they always did, and he was well into his due diligence or researching the girl’s skill and style. “She’s a Duelist from 1-C. Lost to Kay Sandree in her second week.”

  The Lasher gave him a flat look. “Am I supposed to know who ‘Kay Sandree’ is?”

  “Ha… I guess not, huh?”

  Lennon snorted. The gold detailing of his black uniform gleamed in the glow of the windows above them. Maybe due to the amount of time he’d spent trying and failing to land so much as a blow on the boy, Rei realized then that he could no longer see the slighter, softer figure the third year had cut when they’d first met, over a month past. He still looked the same, with his cheeks a little rounder and his shoulders a good bit narrower than most Users, but the deception was gone, now. Rei found himself unable to see anything other than “the Lasher” standing before him, eyes bright in the light, exuding an air of icy, steady confidence.

  “Is she strong?” Lennon asked.

  It took Rei a second to realize who he was referring to. “Renton?”

  A nod.

  “Strong enough. She’s fast, and she plays dirty. As far as I know she’s the only combatant in the tournament to have been handed a penalty for excessive flight.”

  Lennon’s lip curled in disappointment. “If that’s the kind of fighter she is, then I’m not worried about your match with her. What about the week after?”

  Rei had to stop himself from standing a little straighter, feeling a swell of pride at the Lasher’s subtle compliment.

  Even if his question made no sense.

  “The week after? We won’t get our pairings for that until—”

  Lennon waved his confusion away impatiently. “I’m aware how the Intra-School works, Ward. This is my third, I’ll remind you. What I meant was are you ready? Are you prepared?”

  Still Rei didn’t follow. “As best as I can be, if that’s what you’re—”

  “You’re probably going to be facing one of top students in your class,” Lennon interrupted. “You’re aware of that, aren’t you?”

  Rei stuttered to a stop, feeling an excited tingling in his hands as he did. Yes. He had realized that. He’d even been looking forward to it ever since his loss to Jiang in the first week. Of the original top sixteen students who’d attended the summer training course, only six—including Aria and Jiang herself—had qualified for Sectionals undefeated. Two others—the Mauler Aadhik Khatri and Xander Phillips from 1-B—had fallen off in the last 2 weeks, suffering defeats in their four and fifth matches respectively to get themselves dropped from the losers bracket. That still left eight in the running, including the likes of Benaly and Kay.

  Benaly, Kay… and Logan Grant.

  “I’m aware,” Rei eventually answered tightly, wondering if a User of Lennon’s ability could detect the quickening of his heartbeat in his chest.

  “And what are you doing to get ready?”

  “Taking things one step at a time? I’m not sure what answer you’re looking for, here. I can’t be stressing about the fight I might qualify for before I worry about getting through Renton and—”

  But Lennon cut him off again.

  “Wrong, Ward. You’re wrong. Setting aside the fact that it sounds like someone of Renton’s mettle should be target practice for a fighter with your ability, let’s pretend it’s going to be a tough fight. It doesn’t matter. You don’t train to strengthen yourself for the next fight. You train to strengthen yourself for every fight you’re ever going to have in your life, whether that’s on an SCT field or taking on the archons on the front lines. Prep work isn’t any different. Sure, educate yourself on Renton. Get to the point where you know her like the back of your hand. That’s all well and good. But your next match might not be against someone you can study up on in a week. What if it was Laurent you were fighting next, huh? Hell—” he took a quick step forward, bringing his face within inches of Rei’s “—what if it was me?”

  Despite his shorter stature compared to so many of his sizable peers, Christopher Lennon was still some 2 inches taller than Rei’s still-correcting height. Couple that with the fact that the danger had returned to his now-frozen gaze, and all of a sudden it was like that god of war had returned in a flash, only dressed in a fancier uniform.

  Rei, once again, had to fight not to take a step back from the third year.

  “Yeah…” Lennon said slowly. “That fear. That hesitation. Right there… That’s what you should be preparing for, Ward. Not some hack who’s too afraid to meet her enemy head-on in a real fight. Study Renton. That’s fine. But do yourself a favor and start looking into every possible opponent you might be faced with two weeks from now. When you’re done with them, you start looking into the top students from other schools you might go head to head with at Sectionals. I don’t know if you’ve realized this, Ward, but my time isn’t something to be wasted, much less that of Valera Dent. You think she set these nights up for you all because she wanted you to give it your best? Well she didn’t.” The ice in his still, iron gaze flashed. “She set these nights up because she expects you to qualify, Ward. Every single one of you. And she expects you to be doing everything in your power to make sure that happens.”

  Rei hadn’t noticed he’d gone rigid as the Lasher spoke, every muscle in his body tensing up like prey before a predator it knew it couldn’t outrun. As the words rang clear through the evening quite, however, he felt himself start to breathe again.

  Start to breathe, and start to think.

  “… I’ll get on researching the rest of the summer group that’s left in the tournament,” he promised quietly, not looking away from Lennon. “Benaly. Kay. All of them. I’ll start tonight.”

  “Not just them, Ward. Everyone. Everyone you might get matched up against. I don’t care if you already have your final pairing by this time next week. On Friday, when I give you a name, I want you to be able to tell me their greatest strengths, their biggest weaknesses, and three different ways you would take them down. That’s how you become king in this world, Ward. That’s how you rise to the top.” Slowly, a third and final smile crept onto the boy’s dark features. “That’s what you want, isn’t it? No one in the world works themselves like you do unless their goal is the very top.”

  “Yes, sir,” Rei said deliberately, allowing himself to stand straighter now.

  After a pause, Lennon nodded slowly, not bothering to comment on the formal address this time.

  “Good. Then you’ve got your homework, and don’t think for a second I won’t test you on it, no matter who you’re matched with.
”

  With that, the Lasher turned and started walking away, leaving Rei to stand half-at-attention in front of the first year dorms.

  Before the boy had slipped beyond the glow of the windows, though, Rei found himself calling after him.

  “Lennon!”

  The third year stopped and looked over his shoulder.

  “Arsenal Shift…” Rei started tentatively. “Do you really think I might…?”

  He couldn’t get the words out, though, so unbelievable were they to say out loud.

  In answer, Lennon shrugged. “We’ll know soon enough, won’t we?” Then he turned away, lifted a hand in farewell, and started walking away again. “Get inside, Ward. You’ve got studying to do.”

  CHAPTER 47

  Early November - Three Days Later

  “They always call promotions part of ‘the climb’, but that metaphor never made sense to me. I mean… If the brass are the ones who bear the weight—the weight of their responsibilities, of their choices, of their failures—then isn’t it more like digging down into the ground and shouldering all that unfortunate heaviness you’ve deliberately placed upon yourself…?”

  - Chief Warrant Officer Valera Dent

  after a few too many drinks

  c. 2460

  “Ma’am, you can’t expect me to—! These are cadets, ma’am! Not playthings of the military for us to shift around like pieces on a—! No, ma’am, I’m not refusing the directive, I’m just trying to make you understand that—!”

  It was no use, however. No matter what he did or said, Rama Guest couldn’t get more than a handful of words in edgewise before the woman on the other side of the call cut across him, making it infinitely clear his opinion was going to have little bearing on the outcome of the conversation no matter how heated he got about it. After another minute of back and forth, what patience had been held out in toleration of his defiance ran out, and the communication was ended abruptly following a very direct and explicit final instruction. As the line went dead, Rama found himself standing in his typical place in front of the large window behind his desk, looking at the sky. Whereas the pattern of traffic above usually tended to bring him a measure of solace—a sort of zen in the awareness of the world beyond the limiting walls of the Institute—this night the flashing lights bore with them nothing more than a building fury.