by A F Kay
Ruwen stopped in amazement. Narrow paths led between tall beams holding the most complex shelving system Ruwen had ever seen. Giant shakers hung from the roof, and the entire building looked like midday.
Bliz leaned close and whispered. “You want to know true power? You could carry the contents of this entire building. Just you. Think about that.”
The statement shook Ruwen. This hadn’t been the type of power Ruwen had always dreamed of, but he couldn’t deny the truth of Bliz’s statement. The magnitude of what the Void Bands were capable of kept increasing.
Big D walked up to them and faced Bliz. “Three jitters if you would be so kind, crew chief.”
Bliz removed three glasses of steaming jitter juice. Big D handed one to Hamma and then Sift and kept the last one for herself.
“Thank you. Ahvy has the list. Take the Shooters and see if you can get loaded before I finish this.” She faced Ruwen. “If you get us back on schedule, I’ll be in your debt.”
Ting!
You have received the quest…
Shooting Stars
Pit Boss Durn has challenged you to load supplies from the main warehouse quickly enough to put the party back on schedule.
Reward: A favor from Pit Boss Durn.
Restriction: Must complete the load in under five minutes.
Accept or Decline
Bliz winked at Big D and patted Ruwen’s shoulder. “Not even going to be a challenge.”
Bliz and Ruwen walked toward the first aisle. The group of Workers that had been in the second ring were bunched up near the first aisle thirty feet away. Bliz raised his left arm, and Ruwen saw he’d opened his Void Band two hands wide.
“Ahvy!” Bliz yelled.
A small brown sack flew upward out of the group. Bliz kept his pace steady as the bag soared toward them. Ruwen ducked as the bag approached, but Bliz didn’t flinch. The bag disappeared into the middle of Bliz’s open Void Band.
“Nice shot!” Bliz yelled and shot the bag back out toward the group.
The Workers parted, and a blonde-haired woman snatched the bag out of the air.
“Inch high, old man, this isn’t bandball,” Ahvy said.
Bliz laughed. “I’m sober, and it hurts my aim.”
The Workers all laughed, and Ahvy ran over to Ruwen and Bliz.
Ahvy gripped Bliz’s extended arm. She tried to pull the big man off-balance, but he didn’t budge. They both laughed, and she let the crew chief go.
Turning to Ruwen, Ahvy extended her arm in greeting.
Ruwen grasped it. “Well met, Ahvy. I’m Ruwen.”
“Well met, Ruwen. I’m sorry for the company you have to suffer,” Ahvy said, nodding at Bliz. “If you need to remember what real work looks like, come by, and my team will show you.”
“Hey!” Bliz said. “We work.”
Ahvy rolled her eyes, and Ruwen smiled. He concentrated on the woman, and her public information appeared.
Name: Crew Lead Ahvy
Class: Worker
Sub Class: Laborer
Specialization: Handler
Class Rank: Apprentice
Level: 24
“Big D says you already have the list. Anything special?” Bliz asked.
“No. Is this the boy’s first time?” Ahvy asked.
Bliz nodded.
“We’ll be gentle,” Ahvy said with a grin. “But there are some important rules.”
“I’ve gotten used to rules lately,” Ruwen said.
Ahvy nodded. “Good. The most important one is no sudden movements. Everything you do should be slow and smooth. Once we’ve thrown something, we can change its direction a little, but if you suddenly jerk, we might not be able to correct the trajectory in time.”
Bliz held his hand to his mouth and said in a loud whisper. “She’s hit so many people in the face her nickname is Bloody Nose.”
Ahvy narrowed her eyes. “You better keep your eyes open now, Bliz.”
Bliz grinned at Ruwen.
“It might help to just stand in place and close your eyes. That’s what Bliz still does,” Ahvy said and winked at Ruwen. “But things will go a lot faster if you walk, even if it’s slowly.” Ahvy turned to Bliz. “How juiced is he?”
“He’ll have a one the whole time,” Bliz said.
“Well, in that case, you could sprint through here. It’s your call, though,” Ahvy said.
Ruwen looked at Bliz, but the crew chief’s face remained neutral. This really was Ruwen’s call. He had concerns about people throwing things at him. Without the skills to dodge, he was basically helpless. He pictured himself getting killed by a giant sack of beans. What a way to die. Pushing those thoughts away, he remembered the amazing throw he’d just seen Ahvy perform. She and her team were experts at what they did, and standing still would be insulting them.
“I want to walk,” Ruwen said.
Ahvy held out her arm, and Ruwen shook it again.
“Thank you for trusting us,” Ahvy said, and then faced Bliz. “Give us a few seconds to buff up and plan a route.”
Ahvy ran back to her team, and Bliz looked at Ruwen. “That was a good choice. Deepwell’s Shooters are some of the best, but nobody beats Ahvy’s crew. Big D brought them for a reason.”
“I feel bad, but I don’t know much about her Class Specialization. What’s a Handler?” Ruwen asked.
“They’re experts at loading and unloading items. All of them have high spatial awareness and can efficiently pack any cargo.”
“Why do you call them Shooters?”
“It’s an ability they’ve all invested in and practiced. They’re experts at throwing and catching.”
“When she asked how juiced I was, you said I could hold a one. What did all that mean?”
“She wanted to know what your Energy Regeneration was and how big your Void Band opening would be. A one is anything three feet or bigger. This is going to be fun for them because they just get to throw as fast as they can.”
Ruwen imagined two large sacks colliding and one crashing into him. He rubbed his brow. “Won’t their stuff hit each other?”
“No, they’ll all be aiming for different sections of your portal.”
A sing-song chant rose from the group of Shooters, quickly followed by another, and then another. All the songs were different, but they harmonized with each other, and Ruwen smiled at the sound. The group of Shooters swayed in rhythm, clapped, and grinned.
Buffs appeared at the top of Ruwen’s vision, and he scanned them all.
Sing: +10% Haste, +50% Endurance
Steady: +25% Balance
Juice (Sing): +5 Energy Regeneration
Toss (Sing): +10 Strength
Precision (Sing): +10 Dexterity
Tumble: Falls (max 50 feet) are slowed to that of a three-foot drop
Ahvy’s crew were all at least level twenty, and the buffs reflected that. Ruwen had never had so many at once.
“Why do some of the buffs reference Sing?” Ruwen asked.
“Once you get an ability or spell to level five, some Sub Classes and Specializations have additional ways to improve it,” Bliz said.
“Interesting,” Ruwen said.
He didn’t know much about higher-level abilities or spells because people rarely made it that high, and when they did, they were reluctant to discuss or share their spell and ability choices.
Ahvy ran over to them. “We have the route.”
“Call it out, and I’ll guide the target,” Bliz said.
Ruwen wished he’d used another word.
Ahvy looked at Ruwen. “I wasn’t kidding about the sprinting,” Ahvy said with a smile.
As Ahvy ran back to her crew, they split into two teams and dashed forward into the nearest aisle. Men and women leaped upward and onto the shelves. Small platforms allowed them to stand and wait for Ruwen to start moving.
Bliz stepped in front of Ruwen. “Since this will take more than a few minutes, you want to start with your arm in a comfortabl
e position. Near your side is best. We’ll get your Void Band open and positioned in front of you. Then you don’t have to worry about keeping your arm in a certain place.”
“That’s smart. I didn’t think about how tiring that might get.”
“Just don’t trip and fall in. Remember, the view isn’t worth it.”
Ruwen’s brain itched at that comment. But he pushed it away. Now wasn’t the time to spiral into his thoughts.
He moved his wrist to just in front of his body and pulled his Void Band open. Using the information Bliz had shown him at the Worker’s Lodge, he enlarged it. It took a few tries, but he ended up with a four-foot oval in front of his body, angled toward Ahvy’s crew.
Cheers and whistles came from the crew.
“Okay, here we go,” Bliz said. “Focus on rows thirty-six through forty. I’ll have my hand on your shoulder and guide you. Relax.”
Ruwen tried to relax, but he always had a lot of anxiety the first time he tried things, and usually, they were a lot safer than this. He took a few deep breaths.
“Ready?” Bliz asked.
Ruwen nodded and stepped forward. A timer appeared under his quests.
300
299
298
The Shooting Stars quest had activated.
On his fourth step, objects filled the air, all headed toward him. He tensed and slowed, but Bliz nudged Ruwen forward, and he kept moving.
“Close your eyes if you need to, no one cares,” Bliz said.
Ruwen thought about that, but the idea of doing this blind seemed even worse. And then the first bag disappeared through the upper corner of his Void Band’s portal immediately followed by a sack in the lower corner. So many items passed through his view that he grew dizzy and looked up. He gasped in shock.
Ahvy’s crew leaped from shelf to shelf. Some tossed items directly at Ruwen, others heaved larger items to Handlers on the ground who immediately threw them at Ruwen. It looked like some sort of bizarre snowstorm. And through it all, singing filled the air.
“Right-nine-steady,” Ahvy yelled.
Bliz’s spoke calmly behind him. “We’ll take a right in nine steps and keep the current pace. You’re doing great.”
Ruwen relaxed a little. Nothing had hit him, and the coordination between the Handlers was like nothing he had ever seen.
They turned right, and the crew gave a short cheer.
“Left-five-steady,” Ahvy yelled.
“Left turn in five,” Bliz said.
They turned down another long aisle, and items were already airborne, entering his Void Band as soon as his first step struck the aisle’s path. These Shooters really were terrific.
Ruwen glanced at the timer to see how many seconds remained: 237.
“I want to go a little faster,” Ruwen said.
“Okay,” Bliz said. “You notify the Shooters of your speed by giving a number from zero to four. Zero is standing still, one is walking, two a jog, three you’re running, and four is a sprint. Yell the number and then gradually move to the new speed to give them time to adjust,” Bliz said.
“Two!” Ruwen yelled and worked his way up to a jog. Cheering and whistling immediately erupted, and Ruwen smiled.
“They are really having a good time,” Ruwen said.
“They’re a fun group,” Bliz said.
Ruwen jogged, and after a bit, it felt almost normal. After another minute, it almost felt slow. He wished he’d asked about the route. He didn’t know how much he had left to load. He looked at the timer: 188.
“What do you think about a three?” Ruwen asked.
Bliz chuckled. “It’s your load. You make the call.”
“Three!” Ruwen shouted.
Again, as soon as he sped up, cheering, clapping, and whistling began. It seemed the faster he went, the more fun the Shooters had. After a few seconds, he’d transitioned to a run.
They kept that pace for over two minutes, Bliz turning Ruwen through the aisles as Ahvy called out directions. Finally, they turned and headed back toward the entrance.
“Line-line-smooth,” Ahvy yelled.
Bliz spoke behind Ruwen. “That means no more turns, and everyone is juiced. Basically, she’s telling you her people haven’t even broken a sweat.”
Bliz let go of his shoulder, and Ruwen smiled. This had turned out to be more fun then he’d thought. He could see the entrance in the distance.
He looked at the timer again to see how many seconds remained: 34. At his current pace, he didn’t think he would make it back in time.
“Four!” Ruwen shouted and worked his way into a sprint.
This time the Shooters screamed and laughed. It felt awkward to sprint with his arm locked to his side, but he still felt good about his speed. The number of items flying through the air sometimes blocked his vision, but he didn’t slow. He grinned.
The items suddenly stopped, and he realized he’d made it to the end of the aisle. He slowed to a stop and closed his Void Band with a thought. Hamma and Sift stared at the Shooters behind Ruwen, their mouths open.
Ruwen looked at the timer: 4. It blinked a few times, disappeared, and a notification appeared. Ruwen opened it.
Ting!
You have completed the Quest – Shooting Stars
See Pit Boss Durn for your reward.
Bliz patted him on the back. “You made yourself some new friends with that.”
A few seconds later, the Shooters all crowded around Ruwen. They laughed and cheered and shook his hand. They started a different song, all of them singing together, and Ruwen’s buffs disappeared. This song wasn’t an ability or spell, just happiness.
Ahvy pushed her way through and gripped Ruwen’s arm. “Thanks for that.”
“It was fun,” Ruwen said, and he meant it.
The singing faded as Big D approached, and the crowd split.
Big D looked at Bliz. “Why don’t you ever move that fast?”
“He only moves like that when he’s headed to the Dizzy Judge,” Ahvy said.
Everyone laughed, including Bliz.
Big D faced Ruwen. “Good job, young man. You put us back on schedule. I owe you one.” She looked around at all the Shooters. “Amazing, as always. A gift from Uru, truly. We are blessed to have such skill in our Lodge.”
The Shooters all stood up straight at the praise, and Ahvy winked at Ruwen.
Since waking from his Ascendancy, Ruwen had wrapped himself in bitterness and anger over being raised into a Worker. He realized now how ignorant and arrogant he’d been.
Ruwen let the bitterness and anger go.
Standing up straight, Ruwen smiled, and for the first time, felt happy to be a Worker. And even though he’d just accepted thousands of extra pounds, he’d never felt lighter.
Chapter 7
The other stops were not nearly as fun. All the Classes, except Worker, had an Academy an Ascendant could attend for specialized or advanced training. While the basic education everyone received was free, these schools cost money, and most people didn’t bother with them. Generally, the students fell into two camps: those that wanted status, and those seeking adventure who needed the skills to survive.
All the recently Ascended, whether they were in an Academy or not, were meeting outside the western gate that morning to start the expedition. At the Martial Academy, Sift joined the other Fighter Class staff that were coming on the trip, and at the Holy Academy, Hamma joined the Order Class representatives.
With Bliz’s help, Ruwen soon grew proficient in creating the desired shape with his Void Band. He wasn’t nearly as fast as Bliz, but the crew chief said Ruwen was doing great. The Shooters still sang while they worked, but not with the unrestrained joy they had at the warehouse. The only school even remotely as organized as the Workers’ warehouse was the Merchant Academy.
Their last stop, the Mage Academy, was the largest of the Academies and sprawled for many blocks in each direction. Parks and groves of maple and aspen surrounded buildings
, each specializing in one of the many branches of magic. Students here wore robes with patches denoting things like rank, Specialization, and guild memberships. Even though it encompassed the biggest area, it had the fewest students. The experience with Ahvy’s crew remained fresh in Ruwen’s memory and it helped to smother the resentment and bitterness that tried to surface.
Ruwen stepped onto the campus, opened his Void Band, and the Shooters started loading the Mages’ gear. Mages were the smallest percentage of the students, but it looked like they had the most baggage and items to transport.
“We’re almost done,” Bliz said.
Ruwen just nodded, his thoughts swirling about what might have been.
“I wanted to walk on the bottom of the sea,” Bliz said.
“What?” Ruwen asked.
Bliz looked out at the Mage Academy as he spoke. “I was born on a small farm south of Deepwell. My home was near a lake, well, now I know it was more like a pond, but when I was eight, it seemed huge.”
Ruwen looked at Bliz, but the crew chief continued to stare out at the campus.
Bliz sighed. “I was going to Sub Class as an Elementalist and Specialize in Water. Then I was going to swim to the bottom of the Sea of Tears.”
Ruwen stared at Bliz. Ruwen realized he’d been so self-absorbed in his misery that it hadn’t occurred to him he might not be alone. Bliz, after all, had to have at least a base fifteen Intelligence since he had a Void Band.
“What happened?” Ruwen asked.
“Three minutes!” Ahvy yelled.
“You doing okay?” Bliz asked.
“Yes,” Ruwen answered.
Bliz cupped his hands over his mouth so his voice would carry. “Three minutes seems long. But you’re probably tired. I know how soft you Shooters are.”
Two more songs filled the air, and Ruwen smiled as the buffs appeared. Bliz really loved to needle the Shooters.
The pace of the items entering his Void Band increased. Bliz watched the Shooters, a grin on his face. Ruwen wanted desperately to know what had happened to Bliz but didn’t want to pry.
Without looking at Ruwen, Bliz spoke up. “My family were farmers. Good ones. Proud ones. My father made it clear he had no use for a Mage. He needed help in the fields.”
