“In that case,” Weylin began, still staring bleakly. “Every crazy decision he makes from here on out is going to be your fault.
“I know!” Breena said plaintively. “He is going to break all the things now.” She hung her head and began muttering. “I should have tried to convince her he can’t read. Or hates those movie-things she likes.”
“Hi, guys,” I said as I walked up. “How did everyone sleep?”
“Really well, actually,” Karim said thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it.” He rolled his shoulder thoughtfully. “My body has gotten stronger, almost as if I had Risen overnight.”
“Yeah,” Eadric said with a nod. “We were just talking about that. It’s affected all of us. Even the crew and natives feel a little better.”
“Oh my gosh!” Breena said happily. “Via and I were just talking about the same thing! I felt like I could eat a dozen pastries when I woke up!”
That was a completely useless statement, because Breena could eat at least a dozen pastries for breakfast even on a bad morning. But once again, I had the good sense not to mention that fact out loud.
“So wait, everybody had some gains after last night?” I pressed.
The Testifiers all exchanged looks at my question.
“Icons damn it,” Eadric grumbled. Karim sighed, and took the conversation to the mindlink.
The gains of the crew and islanders were not as dramatic, but we all became healthier, wiser, and more proficient in something last night. We were debating whether or not to bring it up with you.
So, Weylin interjected. Not to sound impolite or ungrateful, Lord Challenger, but what in the hells and Lost Deeps did you do this time?
I Rose last night, I answered honestly. And my tattoo flared up right before I did. I’m not sure why, but I think it had something to do with purging the last of the Malus fire out of my body.
The Testifiers seemed to grumble with each other as they tried to figure out the correlation, then collectively shrugged and gave up.
Just so we’re clear, though, Weylin spoke up to the other two. We’re retiring when this is all done, right?
Nope, Eadric spoke up. Not good enough. Gonna get tenure as a brewery researcher. Make sure I get paid to sample beer until I die.
He has the right idea of it, Karim noted. We need to get everything we can out of this experience for all it’s worth, or we’ll never forgive ourselves.
Love you guys too, I interjected. You guys are my favorite assholes.
Somehow, that made them all feel better about the matter. I sighed and turned to Gabin.
“Are we still on course for Via’s island?
“Yes, my Lord Challenger,” the captain replied, seeming to have settled on that honorific for me. “It’s still some distance away, but the trip has been uneventful so far.”
“I’ll get some fresh air and leave you to your job, then,” I said, turning to Via. But she had already wandered off to stare at more of the glyphs along the ship, taking in everything with a massive smile on her face. So I walked over the side of the deck, letting the ocean breeze wash over my face and relaxing for just a moment.
Initial merging successful, the Well intoned. Trauma recovery has been sufficient to establish connection with Kingtree.
I had no idea what the magical computer-water was talking about. But when I checked my mindscreen, I realized that on some mysterious level, the Well had merged with my Woadtattoo, establishing a connection of its own with the Kingtree back home.
Explanation forthcoming, the computer-water said, forestalling my upcoming question. Connection was necessary to complete the next stage of recovery. Subject has been determined to possess the following characteristics: Challenger status, Planetary Lord status. Connection will enable subject to better recover by acknowledging the impact of recovery on said roles.
How? I asked the disturbingly autonomous liquid medicine. How exactly is that going to help? And who gave you permission to take that action?
I had recently decided to be more critical of the different voices I heard in my head. Especially after Teeth’s bout of unconsciousness yesterday.
Processing query, the Well answered me, sounding suspiciously like Avalon for a moment. Query identified. Subject, hereafter designated as the Lord Challenger, should be aware that recovery is collective, and not isolated. The subject’s family and community also share a portion of the subject’s condition, as their own wellbeing, mood, and responsibilities are all impacted to some degree, depending on their relationship with the subject. Submitting example: if a hero who has rescued others receives abuse or dishonor, those he rescues will feel some level of that pain and some level of that dishonor. But if said hero gains additional health or status, those he rescued will gain emotional health or honor as well. Submitting additional example: if a ruler suffers, the land and subjects will suffer with him. But if a ruler heals, the land and subjects will heal with him.
I’m not sure that’s entirely true, I replied cautiously.
Contention, the Well replied. Lord Challenger originates from Earth, a planet quarantined by the Stellar Council. Said planet and related societies suffered along with the Earthborn when they were genetically restricted and bound to said world. Further contention. Lord Challenger has already received evidence of collective healing via the results of last night’s Rise due to the noticeable progress of his retinue, subjects, and rescued natives.
Wait, what?
Well… I started to say, then realized I had no idea how to address the magical water. Should I keep calling it ‘Well’ like I just did a moment ago? Because that just sounded weird. Mister Weird Talking Water, I decided to say, Inform me on the proper way to address you during conversation. Is ‘Well’ your actual name?
Negative, the Well replied. Said title’s purpose is to differentiate portion of self from the larger portion of intelligence, that being the population center with identical true name. Proper designation is ‘Atlantis.’
I started at that.
Atlantis? You mean they named you after their city?
But that wasn’t right either, because the Well has said ‘other portion.’
Negative, the intelligence replied. Said population center refers to a much broader entity, currently known as the Sun-Jeweled Seas. Titles have changed over time, per the customs of local inhabitants.
So, I said as I took a breath. I’m talking to the planet right now. That’s what happening. You’re part of the planet I’m currently sailing on.
Affirmative, Atlantis replied. Current self is the portion used to communicate directly with the Solar High King of Avalon’s sister worlds, in a fashion similar to the mists of Avalon and Woadfathers of the Woadlands. Said self has been modified to provide recovery and improved cognitive abilities, per orders of the first Solar High King. Communication abilities have been replaced by other methods. Example method, Atlantis went quiet for a moment. Data not found. No other methods currently exist to facilitate direct contact with Solar High King and Atlantis. Recommend direct contact with planetary capitol to discern why. Until then, current title of Well will suffice until contact with primary body of intelligence is re-established.
That’s going to be a problem, I said grimly. But before we go off on another tangent, explain what you were saying about my last Rise.
Repeating earlier message: growth and damage cannot be isolated in an individual, but trickle out to affect the individual’s community. The Lord Challenger has recovered enough for the effect to be more noticeable. A portion of the power the Lord Challenger was unable to maintain after Rising will now be shared with his retinue or nearby inhabitants, allowing them to increase their own abilities. The effect has been further amplified by the Lord Challenger’s regalia.
That… was actually kind of awesome. I had been worried about my team’s ability to keep up with my explosive growth. I was also frustrated that I hadn’t been able to keep all of the growth, and by the limitations on how I could a
pply my newfound power. And, to be honest, my team had probably earned their share of benefits, given all of the chaos they’d had to put up with by being around me.
But the comment about growth and trauma not being exclusive to myself made me worry a little. It made me remember waking up in the hospital and seeing all the lines in my mother’s face. It made me remember her battle with alcohol following my dad’s death and my accident. It made me remember my sister’s anger over hearing the taunts and jeers she put up with on my behalf, and Davelon quitting the school football team because he refused to help them hurt me.
I had no idea how they were all doing now. And I knew that if I thought about it too hard, I’d go crazy. I chose to focus on the possibility that maybe, just maybe, my recovery here was somehow impacting them as well.
All is not lost, the familiar voice whispered in my mind.
I took the encouragement because I needed it, not because I fully trusted Invictus, and then I moved on. I opened up my mindscreen to see my new status.
Wes Malcolm
Origin: Earthborn (Dusk Era), Avalonian (Challenger), Woadfolk (Elder), Atlantean (True). Other bloodlines unknown
Rise Level: 26th Rise (Candle)
0 spare skill points
0 spare Rise points
Saga: Unconquered Hero
Act 2: Unbowed Bones. +5 Con, Will, Str. General resistance to crushing damage and pressure-based attacks
Strength:357
Dexterity:350
Constitution:359
Intelligence: 379
Wisdom:353
Charisma:354
Speed:406
Deftness:402
Wits: 399
Will:517
Paths: War, Kings, Archmage
Skills (averaged): Weapons (31), Ideal Magic (31), Saga Magic (31) Misc Skills (21)
Profession: Leader (Rank: Noble)
Art: War (Newly Gained)
Science: Forming
Craft: Forming
The Challenger has reached a limit in raising all Traits, leaving him unable to spend Rise points. Points will instead be distributed to the Challenger’s retinue. Each member will receive half the Rise points that the Challenger normally would, 4 points, as well as an additional point in two of their most favored Traits. Each member will also receive a free skill point to allocate as they wish. Non-retinue allies will instead receive one Rise point in their favored Trait and one free Rise point to allocate as they wish.
The Challenger has taken a new journey on the Path of War by engaging in combat at sea. The Challenger will gain an increased understanding of skills pertaining to naval combat.
The Challenger has begun a new journey on the Path of Archmastery by uncovering ancient artifacts and previously lost enchantments. The Challenger will have more success in artifice.
The Challenger has begun traveling down a newly uncovered road in the Path of Kings. Benefits unknown at this time.
The Challenger’s primary bloodline is awakening further, fully progressing beyond that of a Dusk Era Earthborn. Results unknown at this time.
The Challenger’s Well blessing and Woad tattoo have also gained further integration with the Keeper genes absorbed earlier. The Challenger has gained a further resistance to poison as well as new undiscovered properties in his blood.
The loss of bonus skill points would have been frustrating, if it hadn’t translated into over 30 points for the rest of the team. Possibly much more, if it included people I had mindlinked with that weren’t here, like Merada and Virtus. I didn’t know what to make of the messages about my Paths or Prodonti’s poison. It was certainly a convenient benefit though, given the fact that I was likely going to have to face down a poison-breathing nightmare monster at some point. Speaking of which, I realized that Via and I still needed to talk to Gabin about that thing.
I turned around and walked toward the captain, only to see that Via was already talking with him.
Please, he messaged me pitifully. Take her away.
“Hey, guys,” I said carefully. “I take it you two have been talking through the mindlink?”
“We’re trying to,” Via complained. “But this friend of yours is just too cautious!”
“It’s not caution,” the Atlantean captain said patiently. “It’s the fact that you’re talking so much through it, you’re making my head hurt. And you talk far too fast for me to enjoy keeping up with you.”
“But you are Atlantean!” The Satellite exclaimed. “Your people’s minds are legendary! How can you not handle the simple curiosity of a young woman?”
Via, I said gently. Do you remember my point about this being a relatively new method of communication? And how it probably wasn’t meant to handle the pressure you put on it?
But there is so much we must learn! She insisted. And there is so little time to learn it!
Did you already ask him about the Nuckelavee? I sent, hoping that maybe I could help by keeping her on track.
Yes! I asked him all kinds of questions about the Nuckelavee! And about whether his people had faced anything like it, or if Atlantis’ old libraries had any records of previous sightings, or if this ship had special glyphs designed for rare monsters, or if we could modify them to combat the monster’s cloud somehow, or if maybe we could build a ship that could handle the thing, or—
“No,” Gabin said slowly. “No to most of your questions. I already said that before you gave me a headache.”
“Well, I wasn’t speaking to you right then, ya?” Via said as she rounded back on him. “Or was I?” she asked while she was blinking. “Did I do that right, or did I accidentally talk to everyone?”
“No,” the captain sighed. “I couldn’t hear you. But you were talking with your hands.”
Via and I both looked down, and realized she was currently holding her hands out in front of her, almost like she was about to act a role in a play.
“Sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly, putting her hands behind her back, before getting animated again and waving them around the very next moment. “But I still need answers to all my questions!”
“Maybe we can take them one at a time,” I offered. “And then you can discuss the answer with me through the mindlink. Maybe that would be most efficient.”
Via cocked her head at that. She muttered to herself for a moment, then nodded.
“That. That works. I think. It had better.” She said firmly.
“Okay, then,” I said out loud. “Gabin, you already told me before that you’ve never heard of this monster. From what Via’s described of the creature, including the legends from my world, is there any feature of the thing that is familiar? I get that you’ve never seen the monster itself, but we have to grasp at straws right now. Have you ever seen anything that has at least a few of its features? Maybe the traveling across water? Its poisonous breath? Maybe the weird rhyme heralding its arrival?”
He had answered at least some of those questions already, so it was no surprise that he started to shake his head. But then, he stopped.
“The cloud,” he murmured. “Of course. I’ve been negligent.”
“Explain,” Via demanded. “I mean, explain, please. Honored Atlantean. From a lost age. That I respect.”
Gabin raised an eyebrow at her, but still answered her.
“The cloud poisons, corrupts, and takes.” He turned to look at me. “I didn’t want to make the connection earlier, because if I’m not careful, every threat will look like the one that stole my people away. And I’m not talking about the Tidefather,” he said firmly.
“The Flood,” I replied, and he nodded.
“The Flood does most of that, even if it’s not an exact match.” He turned back to Via. “You say this monster rose up one night, though you had never seen him before?”
“Ya,” the Satellite nodded. “I mean, yes.”
“Where did he first appear?” the captain asked quietly.
“Triton detected him rising straight out of the sea,�
�� Via replied. “He didn’t appear near any island. The closest ones were the Chamalan Chain, and they were over two hundred miles south.”
“The Chamalan Chain?” he asked.
This time, she smirked at him, closed her eyes, and sent a description of the islands to him through the mindlink. He grimaced, still upset over the fight he’d just had with her about using the thing, but nodded at her anyway.
“Fair enough,” he finally said. “We had a different name for those islands, and they looked a bit different as well. But I’m familiar with their location, so I know what you’re talking about. Now, go ahead and send me just the location of where the Nuckelavee emerged from the sea. Nothing else. I mean it.”
Still smirking confidently, Via tilted her head and apparently complied. Gabin sighed and covered his face.
“That’s it, then,” he said. “That’s near where Atlantis lies.”
“Wait,” Via said as she blinked. “What?”
“I said the Nuckelavee first emerged from the sea almost directly above the ruins of my race’s home,” Gabin said seriously.
“But no one today even knows where the fabled city is…” Via trailed off, realizing who she was talking to. “But you’re not from today… you know where Atlantis is.”
Her eyes widened with excitement. Gabin sighed again.
“There’s actually a reason no one living knows where it is. The Solar High King didn’t want people to free the Flood somehow, so he sealed the place so heavily, it was almost impossible to find. We retained knowledge of the place, thanks to our records, but we never shared the knowledge with anyone else. The books in the library that mentioned the location were kept under guard, not even seen by most of our own people.”
“Then how did you know where the city was?” Via asked, curious.
“Because I was one of the guards,” Gabin replied grimly.
“They made you read the very books you were supposed to keep people from reading?” I asked, curious as well.
“Of course they did,” Gabin said, baffled. “If we didn’t want anyone to know at all, we’d just burn the records. But if we guarded the books without reading, everyone would forget what they said, and forget why they needed to be guarded. Then the wrong people would learn the knowledge and kick off another Tumult. So we read them, learned why the knowledge should be guarded, and then protected them all the more diligently for it.”
Lighting Distant Shores (Challenger's Call Book 4) Page 42
