by Reiter
Kethgeegan was flustered, throwing his hands up. “Then it’s-”
“Don’t say that word,” Valian warned. “That’s a blind word, and it should be reserved for only blind people to use. I know a blind man... and even he doesn’t use it.
“No,” Valian continued, looking at each wall. “We just have to think like a Games College Technician. How do you do a quick climb... without climbing?”
“We fly!” Annodia declared. “We jump from web to web, picking only the clean webs to jump on. The repulsion fields will send us away... and we use them to fly up and across to the next clean web!”
“That looks like five jumps,” Valian estimated, looking up. His head came down and he looked at the other two. “Okay... maybe seven.”
“Seven sounds more like it,” Kethgeegan judged, pressing his lips together. The fear and doubt on his face did not go unnoticed.
“You’re not a tumbler,” Valian concluded.
“What?” he asked, looking at the Duke’s ward. The impulse was to lie, but the boy just lowered his eyes and shook his head ‘no’. “H’Tanvor said it wouldn’t be necessary for us to know the basic skills... not for why he needed us to come along.”
“Okay... then Annodia will go first,” Valian directed. “You can watch her and just do what she does.
“Think you can keep it to just jumps?” he asked the girl.
“It’d be easier with flips, but I can try.”
“No, I can’t let you,” Kethgeegan argued.
“Yes you can,” she returned, cutting Valian off. “... because we’ve all caught the contagion. This isn’t my race, or your race... or even his race,” she said, pointing at the Duke’s ward. “This is our race. Which means you can’t impede our chances of finishing. So step back, watch carefully, and learn!” The girl turned to get her bearings and her best starting position.
Kethgeegan turned and looked at Valian for some sort of support. Valian just closed his eyes and shook his head, dismissing the entire matter. “My Dad used to say: ‘we must pick the battles we can win’. You can’t win this one. Pick another.”
Annodia ran and made her first jump as Kethgeegan watched. Her feet met with the repulsion field. The clicking started, along with the low musical tone.
“Apparently she registers more than a pinch of dust,” Valian amused himself as he watched the girl bound across the area, giving a whelp of surprise and delight as she arched over their heads. “That probably didn’t help matters, but it was still a good jump.”
Seven jumps she made, steadily climbing up the chamber. She hit the last repulsion field and arched over the top of the chamber, landing on the outside lip. Kethgeegan applauded and Valian only joined in after he heard the tone and clicking die down.
“Well done, Annodia!” Kethgeegan shouted with a bright smile. “She made that look easy!”
“Then relax yourself, and begin when you’re ready.” Kethgeegan walked around Valian before beginning his run. His first jump was a little high and he went up more than he carried over to the other side. Fortunately, he landed on the floor and Valian kept him from falling into a sticky web.
“Whoa! Maybe not easy after all,” the boy admitted, and Valian nodded in agreement.
“But you can still do it,” Valian asserted. “Now you know the strength of the repulsion field and the fact that you control how you come off the field by how and where you stick your jump.”
On his second attempt, Kethgeegan ran faster and landed his first jump perfectly. Again the timer started and Valian prepared himself for the worst. The second jump was nearly perfect. His approach was a little low, but he made up for it with the way he sailed over to the wall. The third jump was actually stronger than the first and Kethgeegan shouted in delight.
“Celebrate when you’re done!” Valian thought, gritting his teeth. He watched the boy fly to another and make a fourth bounding jump. It was far less than perfect and Valian broke into a run for the wall. “I have to go faster than him!”
“Keth!” Annodia cried as Kethgeegan came away from the wall. His knees had buckled under the weight and momentum. His body had next to no push-off and it was a miracle he actually ascended from the jump at all. His body slammed up against the framework and Kethgeegan grabbed it. His left and right hand had good holds... his left foot was also in a good position. His right foot, however, had landed on a sticky web and he could not pull it free.
“They don’t need a timer now,” Valian thought, hearing a buzzing sound coming from all sides of the chamber. His second jump took him up two levels and he had already eyed his third jump and landing point.
“Need a hanging hand if you can do it!” Valian huffed as he went into his third jump.
Annodia looked around... but there was no rope, no visible means of assistance. “And why would there be?” she thought. “I’ve never even heard of people from different Houses helping each other in a Test Tower.” Annodia shuddered back from the edge, seeing a giant metallic spider move out on the web. It appeared to look up at her, clicking its pincher jaws together. She took another step back and the spider started down for Kethgeegan.
“It’s too strong!” Kethgeegan cried out after giving his best effort. “I can’t get free!”
A spider entered out on to the web, one panel away from Kethgeegan and its pinchers clicked as arcs of electricity passed between them. Kethgeegan screamed in fright and the spider advanced toward him. It had moved one leg when Valian landed on its back. Allowing his body to drop down to a clean web, Valian jumped to another wall. The spider sparked and fell to the floor below.
“Leave the boot!” Valian yelled.
“What?” Kethgeegan panted, looking at his foot. “Right! The boot!” The orphan of two farmers might not have been a tumbler, but he was very flexible and he easily reached down and started unfastening his boot.
Two, three, four spiders suffered blitz attacks from a flying Valian. That was when they decided to changed their approach. It was clear the bounding boy was not going to let them get close to his hampered friend. The next logical approach was to contend with the bounding boy. One of the spiders jumped down and landed on a repulsion field. It arched across the chamber, demonstrating that it was better at jumping than Valian.
“That’s not fair!” Valian shouted, landing on the frame before dropping down to a lower repulsion field. The bounding spider just missed over his head and carried into a sticky web... which it did not stick to. “Really not fair!”
“Okay, my foot’s free,” Kethgeegan announced. “Now what?”
“I’m a little busy!” Valian snapped in-between jumps. He had six spiders chasing after him and knew it was only a matter of time before they would get tired of following directly behind him.
“Keth!” Annodia called from above. She was marshalling her fears and thought the least she could do was coach Kethgeegan while Valian dealt with the spiders. “One panel to your right and one panel down: that’s a clean web. If you can jump down to it, your next jump will be two panels further to the right and one up. Come off that one leaning to your left.”
Taking a deep breath before jumping over and down, Kethgeegan landed in the center of the repulsion field. He jumped as Annodia had directed him, landing another very good jump. He made something of a no-hand cartwheel in air and screamed as he landed on the field, climbing up another level... into the grasp of a spider. Annodia screamed along with Kethgeegan whose body carried into the repulsion field. He came up and out of the chamber, landing on the top where the spider sparked and ceased to function.
Annodia looked down and screamed again. There were too many spiders to count and they were jumping all over the place, clamoring after Valian. They jumped and snipped, but to no avail – and Valian flew between them, flipping, periodically landing on the frame to pause his ascension or change direction. After a triple flip he landed on the top of the chamber. He stumbled away from the hole and fell to his back, out of breath. His two friends r
an to his sides and laughed together when they saw he had not been hurt.
Having seven platforms was indeed an impressive number, but the designers were not people without souls. The seventh and last platform was indeed a challenge, but it was hardly more pressing than the first. The rings around the stone cylinder were armed with repulsion fields, but they were not perfect circles which made it simple for whoever was climbing to use it as an access way. Given his level of fatigue, it was still quite a climb, but something kept Valian in good spirits: the thought of someone with a broken hand making the climb. Valian could not wait to see H’Tanvor and ask him how he felt about the seventh platform.
Requesting time to rest, Valian sent Annodia and Kethgeegan ahead of him and in that order. He waited for the sound of elation to die down after Kethgeegan was teleported to the ground before he began his ascent.
“Just like you said, Uncle Travis,” the boy thought. “I would have to fall before I could rise... but if I fell the right way, I could rise up three times as well. This prediction stuff always makes more sense after the fact!”
Valian appeared with a black crystalline hoop in his hand, finishing last on the Test Tower and receiving the most applause. “And you will win... without winning,” the boy thought, recalling the advice he received from his Uncle Travis. It was the reception of that news that had made the boy late in leaving his room. But every time Valian tried to press the old blind man for time, he gave his standard response, which simply put was, ‘don’t worry’.
The spectators were still abuzz about what they had witnessed and how they all had known the Duke’s son was going to win. Even among the Finishing Masters there was open conversation about the prowess of Yorlson Jhormynn.
“Well, Seranos, it just doesn’t seem fair,” Klatha Rozo boldly stated, his arms waving out from his sides, giving him even greater presence. The man was rotund... but it was mostly muscle behind his massive frame, and he needed to appear bigger in the company of a Grandmaster Praeceptor. “You’ve already made a name for yourself... and here it is that the Duke’s son falls into your lap.”
“Perhaps he was in your lap, Klatha, and you couldn’t see him! And instead of being smothered, the boy simply seeks a mountain he can climb.”
The smile went away from Klatha’s face and he glared at the older man. He took one step toward Seranos and quickly stepped back as a smaller figure happened by. It was a slightly bent figure, slender and light of step.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” an old and scratchy voice uttered from underneath a hood of burlap and rags.
Klatha turned to say something, but he caught a glimpse of the man’s back and stammered himself into silence. “It... cannot be!” he mouthed. It was not so much what he saw as it was what he had felt that made the man stammer.
Seranos took a look at the old man and his eyes flared wide in shock.
“Not now,” a projected thought reached Seranos’ mind and he kept himself from reacting in the manner he had felt was appropriate. Instead he reached over and took hold of Klatha’s arm.
“And let us keep this between ourselves, eh?” Seranos asked and Klatha quickly nodded, still not speaking aloud. “And guard your thoughts and expressions, my gargantuan friend. Your eyes are more telling than a thousand voices at the moment.”
Klatha Rozo closed his eyes, lowered his head, and went into a practiced form of meditation. His nostrils flared with the ease at which he attained it... as if there was a more secured harmony about his person than in his own home.
Duchess Guysorla approached... her left hand in her right and front of her stomach. She smiled as she spoke... her voice was both warm and invigorated. “Will the Finishing Masters kindly assemble?” Without another word, everyone moved to their places; the Finishing Masters to a prepared platform and the spectators to the side, all eager to see what the successful racers were going to do.
Duke Vaiyorl was definitely feeling the joys of the day. It was his first Test Tower as a Duke, his son won the race, and his ward finished. On the surface of things, everything was perfect. After the racers were restored and cleansed, they reported back to the grounds, wearing gi-like clothes matching the shade of their winner’s hoop. With Yorlson’s brown skin, the white was even more striking, and the same could be said for Valian wearing black.
“This is your moment, son,” Vaiyorl said as the two of them walked, slowly approaching the platform where the Finishing Masters waited. “With the number of finishers in comparison to the number of Praeceptors, I should remind you that you are allowed to make up to three selections if you wish.”
“Why would I want to do that?” Yorlson asked.
“First impressions are a funny thing, son,” Vaiyorl replied. “Choosing more than one Finishing Master allows you to change-”
“Why would I choose anyone other than the man who trained my father?” Yorlson said, walking ahead of his father.
The Duke looked at his son, taking hold of his lapels. It was a very stately stance, but the man did not feel much like a successful diplomat. He delayed only for a moment though, joining Yorlson in time to hear the official word.
“I can’t believe you are here, sir,” Yorlson said, speaking only to Seranos who gave the boy a head bow as he smirked.
“If I may be so bold,” Seranos said, taking only one step forward. “Young Master Yorlson, do have a good look about. Your father has gathered the very finest of the Empire to stand in service for this occasion.”
With a fiery gleam in his eye, Yorlson replied, “Sir, I need not look for what my eyes have already found. Grandmaster Seranos Pruntrill, will you please approach?”
“It was an ambitious effort, Ran-Ran,” a projected thought entered Seranos’ mind and he closed his eyes for a moment, recalling when he had last heard that nickname. “You honor me.”
“Master, you must tell me why you are here!” Seranos projected.
“The only things I must do are stay brown and die,” the voice replied. “... and as far as the latter point, that remains an open argument. Let me simply say... I have been summoned, Student, and I am answering that call.”
“But what could summon him?!” Seranos thought.
“That, too, I will not tell you.”
Seranos smiled, reveling in the feeling of being a student again... in the presence of a true master again... feeling the warmth from a mentor who was proud and confident in his protégé.
Yorlson smiled brightly as Seranos stepped close to him. “You have called, Young Master Yorlson... and I have answered.”
“Grandmaster, you honored my House when you trained my father... I would choose you to be my Praeceptor as well.”
“The honor, Young Master Yorlson, has always been... and will always be mine. Address your family, Phytos, and then come stand at my side.”
Guysorla was pleased and proud to announce, “Our Test Tower Champion, Yorlson Jhormynn takes Grandmaster Seranos Pruntrill to be his Finishing Master!” Cheers and applause rose up as Yorlson stepped up on the platform to the left side of Seranos.
True Lord Kelsbi had not expected the arrival of Seranos Pruntrill when he had perused the field of Finishing Masters before the race. His son had used the given resources adequately and made his way through the Test Tower, finishing second of five from a field of eighteen hopefuls. It was a good showing for the House Herthane. He ignored the transmitted messages coming over his communications link. The small alliance of farmers had undoubtedly heard the news that one of theirs had finished the Test Tower, and they were looking for confirmation from the True Lord. He would make them wait until after the Choosing Ceremony. It was all too easy to give them a cost for a Finishing Master, of which his promised ‘scholarship’ would cover roughly two-fifths of the costs involved. They would either produce the credits he believed they did not possess or go quietly about their work.
“And H’Tanvor Herthane takes Praeceptor Klatha Ergan Rozo to be his Finishing Master.”
Vaiyorl
turned to walk past Kethgeegan and Annodia on his way to Valian. “So, this is the time he chooses to look like a child,” he thought, setting his eyes on his ward.
Valian was obviously excited. His eyes were ablaze and he was fidgeting, barely able to stand in one place.
“Indeed. Jumping from one platform to another... allowing oneself to be partially frozen in order to contend with a flame blast... leading a chase of mechanical jumping spiders...yes, that’s the easy work, isn’t it, Valian? Facing a crowd of well-dressed, wealthy fops... surely that is the bane of all existence!
“If I may have a quick word,” Vaiyorl spoke softly, stopping to stand beside Valian.
“And how do I not love this boy like a son?” Vaiyorl thought, watching Valian’s reaction to his request.
The excitement was completely suspended as eyes locked on the Duke, his mind ready to receive each word as if it might be the last he would hear. “Your Grace?” he said gently, at just above a whisper, but the tone is what touched Vaiyorl’s heart.
“He gives me too much,” Vaiyorl thought. “I do not deserve this dedication!”
“I can think of lesser creatures the boy could love, Phytos,” Seranos projected. The Duke was immediately reminded of the company he was in. “Imagine what that might lead him to. Accept his love and give him yours in return... but do so carefully. Hearts are like space-mines and must be treated with the same level of care and fear.”
“I trust you spoke to Travis about today?” Vaiyorl asked.
“I did. That’s why I was late coming out of the manor.”
“Ahh, of course. Travis and his sense of timing. Might I then ask what he told you to do?”
“He told me to wait for you to come to me, Your Grace.”
Vaiyorl chuckled, nodding his head and placing his hand on Valian’s shoulder. “I must thank Travis when I see him again. Crafty old relic of a man!”
“You still don’t think he’s blind, do you?” Valian smiled while posing the question.
