The Adept Archives: Volumes 1-3

by Darren Hultberg Jr

  A smile finally formed on Leila’s face as she gave Roy a final look-over before turning to walk away. “So be it…. Welcome to the Sky Wolves, kid. You’ve got a week to prove your worth a damn. And if you happen to lose an arm in the process, then that’s on you.”

  “Well thanks,” Roy replied with sarcasm, giving the woman a quick look over as she disappeared through the doorway. There was no doubt that she was fiercely attractive, but her attitude made interacting with her a bit… coarse. Still, he couldn’t deny the fact that she and Remley had invited him into their home. Now, a single question remained. What the hell did he just sign up for?

  ****

  Mid-day, Atherune city

  After Roy’s little meet and greet with Leila, Remley followed through on his earlier promises. First, he gifted the officer a strange milky-looking potion that accelerated his natural healing nearly tenfold. Roy viewed the thing as a miracle concoction, but Remley went on to explain that hundreds of potions far greater than that existed through the brilliant use of alchemy.

  After his wounds self-healed, Remley fed him a meal comprised of strange, reddish roots and a clear slab of meat that reminded him of chicken. He then drew him a bath and replaced his rags with some proper adept attire, which Roy actually found to his liking. The outfit was both stylish and efficient; tall traveler’s boots, black pants, a long white shirt that felt like cotton, a navy-blue tunic and a thin, black belt that was long enough to wrap around his waist twice. He topped it all off with a pair of black gloves and a brown overcoat that fell to his knees.

  Feeling a bit like a new man, Roy followed Remley out of the simple little house and back into the city’s streets. He was feeling better than he had in days, and with that feeling came a sense of clarity. In order to thrive, he needed to gain a better understanding of the world and the potential role he played in it. He needed to develop control over these strange powers, he had to test their limitations… And most importantly, he needed to find some strong allies. He was hopeful that Remley and his crew would satisfy that need, but it was still too early to be certain.

  Really, the only thing that plagued Roy at the moment was the uncertainty surrounding his former life. Everything he had seen thus far indicated that there would be no return to his days as an officer on the streets of Phoenix City… to his days as a father and husband. Those thoughts threatened to tear his soul apart if he let them fester, so like so many times before, he forced those thoughts out of his mind.

  The only thing that remained of the old Roy Skyworth was the police badge hidden safely in his pocket. Though it didn’t have any applications in this new world, the item served as a memento, as a reminder of the code by which he lived by and the convictions that he held. He also kept his baton and taser for more practical uses.

  The two made their way out of the slum district and began heading towards a tall building near the city’s center. Remley’s chipper attitude had made a full return since his spat with Leila… perhaps even more so than before.

  “Now that we’ve got you cleaned up, I’d say it’s time we helped you develop some control over that spirit aura of yours. We can’t leave your spirit unrefined if you’re going to be a part of the Sky Wolves.”

  Roy smirked. “You never did elaborate…. Your crew, the Sky Wolves… what is it that they do exactly?”

  “That we do.” Remley corrected. “We’re primarily dungeon-divers. We find the dungeons that others don’t dare to explore, and we extract the loot. We keep what we need and sell what we don’t. There’s quite a bit of danger involved, but it’s all rather exciting! That is until we run out of money.”

  “Is it just you and Leila then?” Roy probed.

  “No, but you’ll meet the other two later. We’ve always ran as a band of five, at least until Rothus suffered an accident.” Remley’s tone seemed to sour as he finished his words, but that same smile remained. Roy almost wondered if that look of his was just a facade.

  “So,” Remley continued. “Seeing that you don’t have a specialization yet, what kind of basic skills do you have? Were you part of an apprenticeship or a laborer or,”

  “I was an officer of the law,” Roy interjected, his voice filled with pride that he hadn’t felt in a long time. “My job was to serve and protect, to keep the peace, protect the innocent and apprehended criminals when necessary.”

  “Ah, you sound like one of the Justicars of Dawnreach. So very noble and so very naive, those men.” Roy frowned, but Remley didn’t give him the chance to respond. “So, Roy, where is it that you said you were from? Earth?”

  Earlier, Roy had given Remley an explanation of the events leading up to their meeting, and to his surprise, the man hadn’t looked at him like he was crazy. Instead, Remley had embraced it, as if outrealmers were just some common occurrence. Hell, he practically acted like Roy was some sort of summoned hero delivered to combat the dark creatures of the veil. All of it made Roy wonder if the man was a bit crazy himself. However, he’d also seen him fight... so perhaps a little crazy wasn’t such a bad thing.

  “Yeah,” Roy replied. “A planet kind of like this one, but more laws, more dysfunction, and an overly complex, screwed up hierarchy of power.”

  Remley scoffed. “Sounds dreadful.... but no matter. With my guidance and your untapped potential, we’ll have your body and spirit aura combat ready in no time!”

  Roy gave Rem a sidelong glance. “You never really elaborated on what all that entails.”

  Remley’s eyes lit up. “Well, Roy boy... wait, is it alright if I call you Roy boy?”

  “Definitely not,” Roy replied dryly.

  Remley shrugged. “Well, Roy... like I was saying, what we need to do first is help you develop control of your spirit. Then after that, we’ll help you settle on a specialization. There are hundreds of different specs an adept can take, but choosing one will give your spirit focus, and eventually allow you access to some pretty powerful skills.”

  Roy nodded. “And... that’s it?”

  Remley chuckled as the pair shuffled through a group of idle merchants. “Hardly... You really are but an infant in this realm, aren’t you?”

  Roy shot him a quick glare. “I thought we’d established that.”

  Remley nodded. “I suppose we have. Well, let me start with the very basics then.” the man adjusted the collar on his red jacket as if he were preparing himself for a speech. “Every creature on Eon is born with a spirit, and every spirit manifests itself into a form of energy known as a spirit aura. Now, the type of spirit aura you possess is largely determined through lineage. For instance, my spirit is attuned to the element of flame, just like my father, grandfather, and both of my brothers.”

  Roy took a second to examine Remley’s aura. It was an alluring reddish-gold color, dancing through his channels like flames before coming to a sharp point at his palms.

  Remley paused and gave Roy a cheeky smile, as if he were posing for a picture before quickly moving on. “Anyways, those with the knowledge and willpower to manipulate their spirit auras are known as adepts.”

  Roy furrowed his brow. “So, what I did against the butcher, forcing energy into my fist... was that the technique of an adept?”

  “A sloppy, unrefined one,” Remley replied. “But yes.”

  Roy nodded as a slight grin formed on his face. The feeling he’d gotten when he defeated the butcher was a good one, a feeling he wanted more of. “So, how do I… refine myself?”

  Remley choked back a laugh. “That, my friend, is where your basic skills come into play. Through training and meditation, you can create a solid foundation for your aura to grow. Then, once you’ve chosen a spec, we can begin honing your skills and strengthening your mind, body, and spirit in a more specific direction!”

  Roy gave Remley a nod of affirmation, grateful for his assistance (no matter how unorthodox it seemed). Suddenly, Rem stopped as the pair reached the entrance of a multi-tiered structure that looked more like a castle than anything el
se. Its walls gleamed against the rays of the worldstar, shimmering a metallic green as if the building was made of jade.

  //////////

  Location discovered: The Adept’s Academy at Athreune

  //////////

  “The triple-A,” Roy muttered, wondering if a membership included fancy bumper stickers to stick on the back of your flying cloud.

  “Yes, lovely. Isn’t it?” Remley replied. “Now, Wait right here.”

  Roy immediately stiffened. “Wait... isn’t this our destination?”

  Remley grinned widely. “Gods, no. I’m just making a quick stop to grab some manuals and a few tools to aid in your training. You don’t really want to spend your years stuck in some droll academy learning the etiquette of an honorable adept the entire day, do you?”

  “Well, no... but what did you have in mind?”

  Rem tipped his hat to a large gate that lied just beyond the academy, a gate that led outside the safety of the city’s walls. “The fastest way to strengthen yourself is through absorbing the soul essence of living creatures.” Remley’s grin turned almost devious in nature. “Roy, my friend... we’re going to kill some things!”

  Chapter 8

  An Unruly Student

  The Academy, Atherune City

  A wave of nostalgia struck Remley Bonaduce as he walked through the doors of Atherune Academy. There had once been a time many moons ago when he called this place home, a time when he was adored by his instructors for his natural talent wielding aura and for his undeniable charm. Now that seemed like a lifetime ago.

  In his earlier days, Remley had been afforded a top spot in the academy due to some ongoing donations from his father, the guild leader of the Steel Brotherhood. Then one fateful day he received word during his training that his entire guild had been massacred in the dead of night and their guild hall ransacked for every last relic and gold coin. At that point, Remley had little choice but to relinquish his namesake to the brotherhood and hide his guild sigil or face an inevitable assassination.

  With donations no longer coming in, Remley was forced into the academy’s lower ranks, even despite his obvious talents. Having both his heart and his pride shattered, he eventually decided that the venomous political nature of the academy was too much to bare and set off on his own. As an act of kindness, he was granted continued access to some of the academy’s resources, though he suspected that decision was politically motivated as well. Still, that didn’t stop him from dropping by and pocketing an elixir every now and then. After all, his late father’s donations had covered their value a thousand times over.

  After making his way through the main hall (and catching a few glares from some of the more reputable students), Remley found himself in the building’s lower laboratory. As a student he’d never really cared for the lab, and the moment that he entered reminded him why. Long tables lined the simple room adorned with brass mechanisms used to refine pills and elixirs. Against the walls stood cases filled with bottled liquids of every shape and color, powders and indiscernible concoctions that sat in bottles and jars. The place felt so crowded and delicate, a far reach from the open air of battle.

  As Remley strolled a bit farther into the lab he noticed a trio of adepts, two students and and instructor, huddled around a large white circle on the floor near the back. “Always tinkering,” Remley muttered to himself as he adjusted the bag over his shoulder. The three adepts appeared to be spiritcrafting, a form of item creation that Rem had never been too good at. Spiritcrafting involved combining one’s spirit energy along with a number of components to create new, more powerful items. Often times, these creations had enhanced features that could be activated by channeling one’s aura into it, like a sword that could split flames or armor that could grow thorns. It was even possible to create items that rivaled the power of relics if your spirit was strong and your components rare enough.

  The group in the lab appeared to be working on a scythe infused with wind aura. Of course, it was a weapon, Remley thought. The only thing anyone ever worried about in this place was finding ways to get stronger, no matter the cost.

  As Remley crept past the white circle it lit up, collecting all of the excess essence that floated into the air as the men performed their spiritcrafting techniques. He was almost to his destination, a large cabinet at the far end of the room when a sudden voice brought him pause.

  “Remley Bonaduce, is that you?”

  Remley turned to see a man emerge from the spiritcrafting circle, his tunic glittering with some sort of residue from one of the components. He was an older man with wispy brown hair and a seemingly permanent scowl etched into his aging face. He was a man that Remley was less than fond of... Academy Instructor Jin.

  “Ah, Jin. Wonderful to see you today,” Remley replied, forcing a smile onto his face as he spoke. “Apologies if I’ve interrupted your spiritcrafting. I’m only dropping by to-“

  “It’s Instructor Jin,” the man interjected. “Or Master Jin if that’s more to your liking.”

  Remley twitched but was careful to retain his smile. “Terribly sorry about that instructor. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an elixir that needs to be concocted.” Remley strolled over to one of the brass refining stations and began tinkering with the device. He really didn’t have any intentions of using the station. No, his true target was the pills and elixirs stored in the far cabinet. However, he couldn’t reach them with Jin breathing down his neck.

  “Did you bring your own components?” Jin asked with a curt tone. “Just because the headmaster granted you access to our labs does not mean you can use our treasured components on a whim.”

  Remley sighed. He wanted to tell Jin that his father’s donations had been more than enough to pay for the man’s salary and every component in the room... Instead, he calmly replied, “Of course, instructor.”

  He had another plan in mind.

  Remley pretended to tinker with the device in front of him as Jin made his way back to the spiritcrafting circle. Then he waited for an opportunity to arise. Seconds later another student entered the room, a novice alchemist with a tired expression on her face. After setting in, the student began to head towards the long shelves of components, likely to gather supplies for her refining... This was perfect.

  Remley watched carefully as the girl fumbled through the various rows of components, opening jars and reading label after label. Then when she was in just the right spot, he set his plan into action. Summoning a wisp of flame aura onto his fingertips, Remley took aim at the shelves full of components just a few feet away from the girl. His eyes wandered for a moment until he found exactly what he was looking for, a jar filled with a greenish liquid that possessed a faint glow. The label on the jar read ‘Bog devil ichor. Highly flammable.’

  With a grin and a flick of his wrist, Remley sent the wisp of flame across the room and onto the jar’s lid. Then he waited for the fun to begin.

  A few seconds passed before the flame finally burned through the lid and reached its glowing contents, causing an explosion that engulfed the shelf almost instantly! The young student was quickly blown back, though it appeared she was just far enough away to not sustain any lasting damage.

  “What in the world?!” the instructor roared, leaping out of the spiritcrafting circle and shoving the girl out of the way as he tried to control the fire. The other two students followed behind, fumbling for something, anything to help put out the flames... Now was time for Remley to act.

  Channeling his spirit aura into his legs, he moved across the room like a blur, coming to a stop directly in front of the instructor’s cabinet. Without hesitating, he swung open the cabinet doors. Sitting in front of him were rows of completed pills and elixirs, each fully refined and ready for use.

  Immediately, Remley scooped up a half a dozen pills and a few choice elixirs and promptly shoved them into his bag. They were all lower grade items, but they would prove more than suitable for his needs. After all, if one of the high
-grade elixirs went missing, then it would surely bring suspicion.

  Having what he needed, Remley quietly shut the cabinet and turned to make sure the others were still dealing with his little diversion. He was pleased to see Jin scolding the young student, his face red and spit flying from his lips as he spoke.

  “What did I tell you about handling volatile components!” Jin went on.

  “But master Jin, I... I didn’t...” she was at a loss for words. Remley almost felt bad for pinning the ordeal on her. Ah well, if she planned on moving up in the academy then she’d be facing a lot worse. It’d be good to start developing a thick skin early on.

  Remley snuck past the group and made his way towards the door, content with everything that he’d come for tucked safely into his bag. He’d just about made it out the door when Jin yelled, “stop!”

  Remley turned and gave the man a curious look. “I’m sorry instructor, but I’d rather not practice alchemy in a room full of exploding shelves.”

  “And your too good to help clean up this mess? Why I should drag you over here and force you to scrub these floors with your damned ugly coat!”

  Remley shrugged. “Well, I guess it’s good that I’m not a student then.”

  Jin looked like his head was about to explode, but Rem merely smiled and headed out the door. He had a library hall to visit and some books to ‘borrow’.

  ****

  Moments later, instructor Jin found himself sitting at his old, wooden desk, surveying the damage done to his lab. The smell of fire still lingered in the room and char marks ran up the far side of the wall.

  “An accident...” he knew that was hardly the case. Even his youngest pupils were required to have a basic knowledge of components before performing alchemy. No, something else was clearly at play.

  With a sigh, Jin slid open one of his desk drawers and produced a large, circular orb of glass... a scrying orb. After setting the orb on the desk, Jin activated it by channeling a bit of spirit energy into its core. Seconds passed as the energy swirled inside of the device until finally a connection was made and the shadowy image of a man appeared behind the glass.