Starbreak (Rise to Omniscience Book 2)

by Aaron Oster

  “Where in the East would you like to go?” she asked.

  Before Morgan could give his answer, Sarah cut in.

  “Just over the border.”

  Morgan turned to give her a questioning look, but her expression gave nothing away.

  “Are you sure that’s where you want to go?” Katherine asked him.

  He wasn’t sure why Sarah had asked to only be transported over the border, but he trusted in her judgment enough not to question her.

  “Yeah. Just over the border would be fine,” he answered.

  “Very well,” Katherine said, rising from her seat.

  Then she thrust her arm out to the side. A small whirling portal appeared and her arm sank in up to the elbow.

  Before Morgan could ask what she was doing, her arm came out holding a bundle of clothing. She placed those on the table and stuck her arm back in, coming out this time with a small leather bag.

  He watched in fascination as she pulled one item after another from the portal and set each on a growing pile on the table. After another minute or so, the portal closed and Katherine turned her attention back to him.

  “I had a few new outfits made for you. I can’t very well let my future husband run around in those rags.”

  “I only said I’d think about it,” he immediately replied. “What’s wrong with my uniform?”

  He was a bit offended that she would call his very expensive combat uniform ‘rags.’

  “While those might have served you well in the academy, they’ll hardly do in the real world. Especially if you’re planning on going into a high ranked beast zone.”

  Morgan was about to object, when he remembered how easily a rank 6 frost-fox had penetrated the uniform just a few months ago.

  “I see your point.”

  Katherine patted his hand once more, making Sarah grit her teeth in annoyance.

  Had they completely forgotten she was here?

  “The new clothes are made of the same canvas material, but with a few alterations,” she continued.

  Picking up a shirt, Morgan could see that this was indeed different. It was the same dark blue as the one he was wearing now, but there was some metal plating on the chest and forearms, as well as the back. Additionally, there were no straps whatsoever, leaving him to wonder how it would adjust.

  “I’ve had it enchanted just for you,” she continued, handing him the shirt so he could feel it. “There’s no need for straps, as the entire uniform will size itself to fit you. Additionally, it will not have to be cleaned or maintained, and it will even repair itself, should it be damaged.”

  Morgan’s eyes went wide as she said this. The material was indeed soft and pliable and had the same light feeling like the one he was wearing now.

  A uniform like this must have cost a fortune. But she was a Princess, so it probably wasn’t a big deal to her.

  Next, she handed him a pair of pants. These were black, and had metal plating over the shins; and just like the shirt, did not have a single strap or buckle.

  “The uniforms are woven through with adamant as well. It’s a much stronger metal than steel, and will take a lot more punishment than what you’re wearing now.”

  Morgan had never felt like hugging anyone before, but right now, he could understand why people did it. He didn’t really know what to say to her, but he then noticed that Sarah was standing off to the side, glaring at them sullenly.

  “Did you make any for Sarah? I’d feel bad if she wasn’t as well protected as I was.”

  “Of course,” Katherine said, reaching into the pile and coming out with a set for her. “I figured you’d ask, so I had a few made for her as well.”

  “A few?” Morgan asked, his eyebrows going up. “How many did you have made?”

  “Five sets for each of you,” she replied, shaking the bundle at Sarah until she came over and took it from her.

  “I don’t really know what to say,” Morgan said, staring down at the new clothes.

  Five sets? The cost must have been astronomical.

  “You can thank me by putting them on,” she said with a laugh. “I want to see how you look in them.”

  Morgan nodded eagerly and began pulling at the straps holding his uniform shirt in place.

  “You’re going to change right here?” Katherine asked with a smirk.

  “Yeah, why not?” Morgan asked, loosening the last straps.

  “You can’t just change in front of people!” Sarah exclaimed, glaring at him.

  “Why not? I’ve changed in front of you plenty of times,” Morgan said, pulling his arms through the sleeves.

  “Don’t listen to her, Morgan. You go right ahead and change. I don’t mind,” Katherine said, “And apparently, neither does Sarah.” She gave Sarah a knowing look, which predictably, made her blush.

  Katherine watched as Morgan’s shirt came off, taking note of his lean and muscled body. A few noticeable scars traced across his chest and stomach, but that was to be expected. Life on the streets was hard, after all.

  She had to admit that he was really quite pleasing to look at, though a bit too scrawny for her tastes. She was sure that a few months of good food would fix that right up, though.

  She watched Sarah out of the corner of her eye and saw that she had her eyes glued to him as he loosened the straps on his pants.

  That girl really did have it bad for him.

  Morgan’s pants came off next, leaving him in only his underwear.

  If all I have to do to get him to strip was buy him new clothes, maybe getting him into bed wouldn’t be so difficult after all, Katherine mused.

  She debated asking him to take those off as well, if only to tease Sarah, but decided that she may very well have a heart attack, so just let it be.

  Besides, his total willingness to just strip in front of two women of nobility spoke of a serious underlying issue. She really hoped Vivian would have some answers for her once they left.

  Morgan pulled the new uniform on and was thrilled when it conformed perfectly to his body. The material felt both sturdy and flexible, far more so than his previous uniform had been.

  “It feels amazing!” he exclaimed, finally turning his attention back to the two women, one of which was smirking and the other, red-faced.

  Did he make her angry by not listening to her again? He might have to apologize once they left. Sarah didn’t seem to be too fond of Katherine for some reason. He wasn’t really sure why. He thought Katherine was wonderful.

  “I’m glad you like it,” she said, a smirk still playing around the corners of her mouth.

  “Sarah, you have to put yours on!” Morgan said excitedly.

  Sarah let out a long sigh.

  “Fine, but I’m not changing here,” she said, daring either of them to argue with her.

  “You can change back there,” Katherine said, gesturing to a door set into the far wall near her bed.

  Sarah shot her one last glare, then marched off to the room, opening the door and closing it behind her, with what Morgan thought was a little more force than necessary. As soon as the door was closed, Katherine turned her attention back to him.

  “There are a few items other items I’d like to give you as well,” she said, leading him back to the table.

  “More stuff?” Morgan excitedly asked.

  “Yes, more stuff,” she replied with a light chuckle.

  She picked up a small leather bag and pulled four gleaming cores from inside.

  “These cores are packed full of energy and should be helpful in boosting you at least a few ranks.” She placed the cores back in and handed him the bag.

  He gleefully took it and was about to tie it to his belt when he remembered that he no longer had one.

  “Here, let me help with that,” Katherine said, bending down and wrapping a belt around his waist. She pulled it tight, then buckled the two ends together for him.

  “There,” she said, straightening up, her face just a few inches from his ow
n. “How is that?”

  Morgan had been temporarily taken off guard by what Katherine had done, but when he felt the belt tighten itself snugly to his side, any discomfort he had vanished.

  “Much better,” he said with a smile, taking a step back and fastening the pouch to his new belt.

  “Now, one last thing. It is traditional for a man to buy his wife to be a ring. I’m guessing that you don’t really have any money for one, though.”

  “You’re not my wife to be.” Morgan shot her down once again.

  “The sort of ring people would expect you to get would cost somewhere in the three to five thousand platinum range,” Katherine continued, completely ignoring his comment.

  To say that Morgan was dumbfounded would have been the understatement of the century.

  A ring would cost him three to five million gold? Who in the world even had that kind of money? And why the hell would anyone spend that much on something so insignificant as a shiny rock?

  “I can see that you understand, so I’ll make you a deal. I’ll buy myself a ring and say it was from you, but in exchange, I would like a keepsake from you.”

  “I only said I’d think about it,” he said for what felt like the hundredth time.

  “Don’t be like that, Morgan,” she said with a pout. “Haven’t I given you a bunch of nice things?”

  Morgan blew out a breath but nodded, trying to think of something to give her.

  She did give him a bunch of expensive presents, so the least he could do was give her something in return.

  His mind finally alighted on something and he walked to where he’d discarded his old uniform pants. He quickly dug out the contents, making sure to pocket his coin purse before holding up a glittering blue and red core.

  “I took this from a rank 9 ice-bristle wolf. I fought it when I was only rank 7 and nearly died in the process. Would this be okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. It most certainly would,” she said, taking the proffered core and placing it on the table.

  She’d have a jeweler set it into a necklace for her.

  “Now I have something for you.” She picked up a small pendant from the table, then walked over to him, and slipped it over his neck.

  “This is a very special piece of jewelry,” she said, taking the end of it and tucking it under his shirt.

  “If you ever need me, simply press the small button on the right side and I will open a portal in your location. Or, we can use it for long-distance communication. Just press the button on the left side and call out to me with your mind. But you have to promise to keep this a secret. If the wrong person got ahold of it, they could use it against me.”

  Morgan nodded seriously, very aware of what kind of danger she was referring to.

  “What about Sarah? Can I tell her?”

  “Tell me what?” Sarah asked.

  Morgan looked past Katherine to see Sarah emerging from the room. She was wearing a similar uniform to his, but with a few key differences. For one, her top was sleeveless, leaving her arms completely bare and unprotected. Another difference was in the tightness of the cut. While Morgan’s uniform had fitted itself to be snug, Sarah’s clung to her like a second skin, accentuating every curve of her lithe body.

  “I gave him a way to contact me should he ever need to,” Katherine said, turning to her. “But I’ll have you keep that bit of information to yourself.”

  “I have to ask,” Morgan said, eyeing Sarah’s uniform. “Why is hers sleeveless? Doesn’t that sort of defeat the purpose of armor?”

  “I made it that way because Sarah is a mage. Anything that could punch through her shield wouldn’t be stopped by the armor. The other kingdoms tend to be on the hotter side as well, so I figured it would be more comfortable.”

  “But I have a shield too. Why didn’t you make mine sleeveless as well?”

  “I had no idea you had a shield of your own,” Katherine said, feigning surprise. “But what do you think of her uniform? Doesn’t she look good in it?”

  Sarah flushed a deep red as she said this.

  She was well aware of how the uniform clung to her body. Normally, she wouldn’t suffer the indignity, but the enchanted material was too valuable to pass up. She was also sick and tired of Princess Perfect flaunting her body. She had a nice figure as well and she wouldn’t be outdone, not even by Katherine.

  “Sure, I guess,” Morgan said with a shrug, remembering just a moment too late about his resolution to ask her what she wanted him to say.

  Oh, well. Maybe next time.

  “Just open the portal and let us go,” Sarah said, folding her arms under her chest. “It’s late and I’m tired.”

  “Oh, alright,” Katherine said, waving her hand in the air.

  A portal came into existence just a foot away from her face, making her jump.

  “Come on Morgan, we’re leaving!” Sarah said, marching straight through the portal.

  Morgan took a step toward the portal, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Turning back to Katherine, he gave her a questioning look.

  “Be careful out there, and don’t hesitate to call me if you need my help.”

  She pressed a small bag of coins into his hand, then did something that caught him completely off guard. Leaning down, she kissed him softly on the cheek, leaving a strange tingling sensation in its wake.

  “Something to remember me by,” she said in a soft voice, then gave him a light shove on the chest, sending him into the portal.

  ***

  As soon as it closed, the portal that had been standing open for the last hour suddenly flared to life and Arnold walked through, looking very disoriented and more than a little angry.

  “How long did you plan on keeping me trapped in there?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at her.

  Katherine’s mask had snapped into place as soon as Morgan was gone, and when she turned to face the mercenary, she was once again the ruthless and bloodthirsty princess of the North.

  “As long as felt like it. Now I have another mission for you.”

  Arnold glowered at her, but his grimace vanished when a heavy coin purse thudded into his chest. Opening the top, he could see a pile of glittering platinum coins shining back at him.

  “That was for you last mission,” Katherine said.

  When he gave her a look of surprise, she smirked at him.

  “What? Did you think I wouldn’t pay you? How could I expect to keep your loyalty if I didn’t?”

  Arnold nodded slowly, tucking the heavy purse into his pocket.

  He still wasn’t on board with serving this backstabbing witch, but as long as she continued paying him this well, he wouldn’t complain… Much.

  “Your next job will be a bit more complicated. I want you to tail Morgan and Sarah for the next six months. I know that the Assassins Guild is still after them and I can’t very well have my future husband die on me.”

  “So he’s agreed?”

  “Of course he has!” Katherine said with a snicker. “Who could resist me?”

  Arnold had to agree with her on that.

  Despite knowing what a psychotic bitch she was, even he couldn’t help but admire her figure. Especially now, with that ridiculously revealing dress she was wearing.

  “When do I leave?” he asked, face not betraying so much as a hint of what he was thinking.

  “Right now. I’ll be opening a portal a few miles away from their location. I’ve left a tracker in your coin purse so you don’t lose them again. Just make sure they don’t spot you,” she said, narrowing her eyes and letting a threatening tone enter her voice.

  “Can’t have them thinking that I don’t trust them.”

  Arnold nodded once as a portal opened before him. He took one last look at the princess, then stepped through.

  ***

  As soon as Arnold vanished, Katherine let the mask slip once more and walked back to the table where Morgan’s core still sat. Lifting it to eye level she e
xamined it for a few moments, as a small smile played around her lips.

  She could hardly believe it, but she was actually interested in Morgan. A commoner orphan from the streets of City Four. Who would have thought?

  She heard a light shuffling from behind her, and Vivian emerged from the secret door placed near the back of her room.

  “So, did you get a good look at him?” she asked, turning to examine the woman.

  Vivian was as plain looking as a person could be, brown eyes, brown hair and a very nondescript face. Her figure was average at best, and she walked with a slightly slumped posture. She was as forgettable as a person could be, which was the whole point.

  Vivian’s real talent came from her ability, an ability so unique that Katherine had never found anything like it anywhere else in the five kingdoms. Vivian was a healer, but her ability extended much further than that. Her ability was so potent, that she could read the brainwaves of her targets, and interpret their thoughts from them. In essence, she was a mind reader; but one that could diagnose any problem; whether physical or mental.

  “Yes,” she replied, waiting for Katherine to take a seat, before taking one of her own.

  “So what’s wrong with him?” Katherine asked, draping one leg over the other, and reclining back into the sofa.

  Vivian was silent for a few moments, as she tried to find the right words to explain what she’d found.

  “His mind is - for lack of a better term – strange,” she began.

  “How so?”

  “Well for one, he seems to be missing a large chunk of memory; about two year’s worth I’d say. But that isn’t even the strangest part.” Vivian’s brow furrowed as she continued.

  “Whoever messed with his memory did something else. They’ve modified his pituitary gland and in a way I’ve never seen before.”

  “I’m not a healer, so you’ll have to explain what this pituitary gland does,” Katherine said.

  “The pituitary gland is a small gland located at the base of the brain. Without getting too technical, it’s basically the master gland which produces hormones in the human body. Whoever messed with his mind did something to that gland, which caused a lot of changes to his brain chemistry; and the way he thinks and acts.”