It had taken over an hour, but Adam had finally answered all the questions Caius and Finn had about seeing the Primordial and his knowledge of Atlas. Apparently, that wasn’t something that normally happened when absorbing a skill. Most of the time, the user was just left with an innate understanding of how to utilize the skill. Granted, there were always things to be discovered like how he could change the length of his new war hammer.
Adam was also happy to find that getting in and out of the War Regalia was easy. He just had to think of the armor cracking open and then it would. It was as if he was stepping out of a shell that responded to his every thought. He could then deposit it in his dimensional storage sack by merely giving a mental command for the armor to sink into his fanny pack. It worked as long as he had one hand on his armor and one hand on the pack.
After a few rounds of testing, he had found that he could have the entire Regalia out of the fanny pack and on in about ten seconds. Which seemed absurdly fast to Adam to have an entire suit of armor equipped in that time but when it literally opened for him to step in, things were expedited a bit.
When the excitement and adrenaline of the past day and a half finally left him, Adam realized that he had never been this tired before in his life, even after hell week in his military training. Caius had told him in no uncertain terms to get a good sleep as tomorrow the real training would begin bright and early. He had no doubts that Caius’s idea of training would be vastly different than what he was used to.
Finn had started another fire with his rings, which even with everything Adam had seen today, was still the coolest thing he could imagine. Ava, Finn, and he lay around it on some mats they had brought while Caius stood guard. He said he would come get Finn later in the night to switch, but Adam knew that was a lie. Caius struck him as the type of person who would sacrifice his own comfort for those around him.
“Hey, Ava.” Adam said. “What was that you said about Caius being a prince? He seemed to get a little uncomfortable at the mention.”
Ava let out a little laugh, turning to face Adam on her mat. “I’m not sure where to even begin with that boy.” She said. “But I shouldn’t have said that. It was a low blow.”
“Perhaps it would be best if you allowed Caius to explain his own family’s situation.” Finn said. “I don’t know how comfortable Caius would be with us talking bad about the royal family. Even after what they did to him.”
“Those bastards.” Ava spat. Her eyes narrowing as she looked into the fire. “I would normally agree with you, Finn, but he’s not from our world and Caius is too kind a person to tell the whole truth. If he’s to be one of us, he needs to know the kind of people he’s working with, and how we ended up here.”
“Did you not end up here because you were deemed the most capable?” Adam asked, growing more confused by the second.
“Ohh, we definitely are that.” Ava said. “But no. There’s more to it than that.”
“Humility never was her strong suit.” Finn said with a long-suffering sigh. Adam could tell he was long used to her personality.
She poked her tongue out at Finn but ignored the comment otherwise.
“Anyways,” she continued. “It’s much more complicated than that, especially when it comes to Caius. The royal family operates outside the bounds of the rest of our ‘high tiered’ society, mostly consisting of families with at least one Viscount or Duke. They train with only the most powerful, get the best resources, the highest tiered skill crystals, the most sought-after tutors. They are essentially spoon fed a path to power as long as they are willing to put in a little work along the way. And that path is generally safe guarded by the careful eye of the King’s advisors.”
“They’re called the Duke Guard. They are the most elite warriors of our faction sworn to keep the King’s family and Allaris safe.”
“But not the King?” Adam asked.
“Why would the King need protecting?” Ava asked. “He’s the most powerful person in the Kingdom. He’s the leader of the Duke Guard. It’s part of what makes him the King. Were you not paying attention when we explained the Tiers earlier? I swear if you end up being another Ellis that can’t remember anything after only a few hours I’m going to lose my mind.”
“No. No sorry. Just in my world, the rulers, or kings, are normally the ones that have a host of guards protecting them because they need it. The terminology is just messing with me a bit. I got it though.”
Ava looked like she wanted to ask a bunch of questions about that but let it drop. “Anyways. What ultimately led Caius Arconius to being here and not raised on the silver spoon fed energy diet was what he sacrificed for his cousin, Vys, the King’s son. The little shit is everything you would expect someone born into that situation would be. Entitled. Arrogant. Just all around insufferable.”
“Like Ellis, just without the skill to back it up.” Finn said absently. That got a chuckle from Ava.
“Long story short, Vys believed he was every bit the warrior that Caius actually is. He was tired of being outdone by his cousin. Tired of hearing of the prodigy that Caius Arconius was turning out to be. He was the Kings son, not Caius. If anyone would be the next to rise to the tier of King, it should be him. So, the fool snuck into the royal treasury and grabbed a Tier 4 Domain skill crystal. Not only did he not have any other skills unlocked, but he hadn’t even reached his sixteenth birthday yet.”
“Which is when it’s safe to use skill crystals.” Finn said. He had clearly seen the question forming on Adam’s lips. “It has to do with the body’s ability to properly circulate Primordial Energy in a safe and effective way.”
“And Domain skills are notoriously the most difficult skill to master. It requires constant concentration and exquisite control over your Primordial Energy. It is the last skill slot you should fill. Vys knew this, but thought he could manage it so absorbed it as his first.” Ava said.
“Not advisable under any circumstances.” Finn added. “Not only is it dangerous for everyone else, but the erratic fluctuation in Primordial Energy caused by Domain skills is already taxing enough on squires. Absorbing one as your first skill is testing death.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Regardless,” Ava said, shooting a glare at Finn for interrupting her. “The fool survived his foolish act. Instead of seeking help in understanding and controlling his new skill, he took to the streets of Allaris to visit a pub. Perhaps the rush of emotions flooded him with confidence or amplified his stupidity.”
Adam thought back to the flood of emotions and energy that filled him when he absorbed his skill. He almost felt like he wasn’t in control of his body. He just knew he had to move. He had to feel the power coursing through him as his armor surrounded him. He could imagine how it would impair your judgement. Especially for a young kid.
“Well, it definitely didn’t increase his intelligence.” Finn murmured.
“Can you two please stop interrupting me? My goodness.” Ava complained. Finn shrugged and returned to fidgeting with some contraption he had been working on.
“Anyways” Ava continued. “The prince ended up drinking quite a bit. And not only did he just absorb a domain skill with no training in how to control his Primordial Energy, but he got hammered on top of it.”
“Fortunately for Vys, one of the patrons happened to know Caius and realized what was happening. He didn’t want to be punished by the prince for turning him into the Duke guard, but also recognized the danger of an untrained domain skill flooding a pub with a bunch of squires.” Ava said. She trailed off for a second allowing Adam to think over what she said.
Adam could see where this story was going. “So, he sent for Caius who showed up to bring his cousin home.”
Ava nodded, her lips pressed together in a thin line. “By the time Caius got to the pub, Vys had fully unleashed his domain through his drunken stupor. With the skill being a Tier 4 from the royal treasury… Well, let’s just say it was not good for the people unfortunate enough to be there.”
Adam couldn’t help but be curious as to what the skill did. “What happened?” He asked.
“Domain skills are often a reflection of their user.” Finn said, his voice quiet, almost a whisper. “Much more so than other skills. And with Vys being a vile and jealous little brat, his Domain skill ended up creating a dense poisonous cloud around him. With the only outlet for his Primordial Energy being his Domain skill, he pushed every ounce of Primordial Energy in his body into it because he lacked the control necessary to stop it.”
“Caius arrived to find a pub filled with dead civilians and an unconscious Vys in the center, dense green smoke still rising from his skin. The Duke Guard arrived not long after and shut down the surroundings, tracking down any possible witnesses. It was too late though and there was no putting a stop to the stories that would spread.” Ava said, growing more somber the longer the story went. “Innocent people had died, and justice needed to be doled out. It was the scandal of the century and too many knew that a member of the royal family was at the center of a bunch of deaths for the King to sweep it under the rug.”
Ava paused and looked toward Finn as if asking him to finish the story. “Caius knew what would happen to Vys if he was the one who took the blame for the tragedy. He wouldn’t make it outside the confines of the royal halls. Caius knew he could. As much as I love how selfless and loyal he is, it’s also his biggest flaw.” Finn said.
“So, he took the blame.” Adam said. Not as a question but as a statement.
Ava nodded. “And as a result, he was exiled from his family and ordered into the custody of the Royal Academy where he would train to be a member of the Duke Guard. Sworn to protect the very family that he was no longer considered part of. Sworn to never tell anyone what had happened.”
“Then how did you two find out?” Adam asked. “If he was sworn to secrecy?” He added after they just stared at him for a second.
“Well…” Ava said, her cheeks flushing. “Caius and I have been fairly, familiar, for a while now, and I more or less pulled the truth out of him.”
Finn stifled a laugh which earned him a slap from Ava. The tension they had while telling the story dissipating a little.
“My mother is a Duke just like his father, so we’ve known each other since we were kids. It was more than natural for us to grow close.” She said defensively. “We met Finn at the Royal Academy and he became something of the odd best friend to Caius. No one else really understood him but Caius had a soft spot for him.”
Finn raised his hands at the comment and turned toward Ava. “I’m not some pet.”
“And Finn is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. You can’t honestly expect that he wouldn’t figure out the truth on his own. Not that it takes a genius to put two and two together for anyone who has spent time with Caius or even an hour with Vys.”
“And he just lets the rest of your Kingdom think he caused the death of all those people?”
They both nodded. “There are many who hate him for it. Think he should have been put to death as well.” Ava said. “He’s been in quite a few fights over the ordeal. People challenging him to bouts in an attempt to punish him if only by getting in a few solid hits. He’s required by law to agree as long as they are of the same Tier.”
“As for Ava and I,” Finn said, “we’re just the lucky two who got caught up with him at the Academy. We’re good, don’t get me wrong, but he’s the real talent of our team. Well, him and Ellis, but you’ve heard how we feel about that prick.”
“That still doesn’t explain why y’all are the ones who ended up here though.” Adam said. “All three of you have said what a great opportunity this is. Why would he still be sent here if he was essentially exiled?”
Finn and Ava both looked at Adam with downcast expressions. Finn was about to respond when they heard footfalls echo through the barn. Caius was illuminated by the fire light a second later.
“Because we were never expected to return.” Caius said. “This is an exceptional opportunity, but only if we survive. In the eyes of the Kingdom, we’re all massive problems. We may be extremely talented and some of the best young talents in the Kingdom, but that doesn’t outweigh the sins of families.”
Adam looked up at the stoic Caius standing over them. “So, the problem you pose is either solved by the trial, or you come back heroes for succeeding.” Adam said.
Caius nodded. “The Royal Academy is a nice euphemism for what it really is. We were all sent there for different reasons. Ava for her half elf heritage being exposed and Finn for his fathers unsanctioned experiments. Regardless, this is our only chance to get our lives back, and I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else.”
Adam thought over the information. It was a lot to process and only gave him more questions than answers, but he oddly felt even better about the people he was here with. “Wait, one question. What about Ellis? What did he do to be sent here?” Adam asked.
“Of everything you just heard, that’s your question?” Ava said, shock clear on her face. “Not the part about me being half elf or the fact that we’re all essentially being punished for things out of our control or for crimes we didn’t commit.”
Adam rubbed the back of his head. “Well, government being corrupt doesn’t come as a surprise to me and people have proven to be generally pretty shitty just in general. I’m not surprised being from a different world hasn’t changed that fact. But from the way y’all have spoken about Ellis, he seems like an annoying golden child that will do anything to gain the approval of his father. So, why would he be sent here?”
Finn let out a deep bellied laugh that was soon followed by Ava and even the stoic Caius. Adam couldn’t help but laugh as well after thinking about the ridiculousness of everything he had heard and that’s what he asked.
“He is that indeed.” Finn said between laughs.
A few moments later they calmed down again, and Caius answered. “He didn’t do anything wrong, and he wasn’t being punished for anything. Well not counting his father essentially brain washing him into going to the Academy.”
“Let’s just say that Ellis has a hero complex the size of the cosmos and wanted to be the savior of the Kingdom.” Finn said.
“Well, now you know,” Ava said. “With that, I’m all tapped out for the night. Keeping you idiots alive today took it out of me. Better get some sleep. Trust me, Adam. You’re going to need it.”
Caius nodded toward him, silent thanks for not digging deeper into all he had been told before turning back toward the opening of the barn. Adam was already impressed with Caius from the moment he met the man, but this put things into perspective. He handled himself well and was genuinely kind. He had seen it in the way he spoke with Finn and handled Ava. He counted himself lucky to have ended up with such a group especially with a leader like Caius.
Adam knew he should take Ava’s advice and get some sleep. His body begged him to let it relax. Whatever Caius had planned for him tomorrow, he would be ready. He wouldn’t let this team down, not like he had his last.
Before he closed his eyes, he pulled up his skill screen one last time. A smile spread across his face as he did.
Skills:
Soul Skill: [Essence of a Primordial] Blessed by providence, or perhaps luck, you are the first of a new generation. Regardless of circumstance, you have formed a pure connection to the Primordial Energy that makes up the universe. Your pure access to energy ensures that it cannot be affected by those around you.
Arm: -
Arm: -
Body: [War Regalia of the Primordial Titan]: Atlas held the weight of the world on his shoulders, and now, so must you.
Tier 1: Summon the war regalia of the Primordial Titan. Can only be summoned once every twenty-four hours for a large Primordial Energy cost. War Regalia cannot be repaired and must be dismissed before you can summon another set. The strength and constitution of the Regalia will increase with tier. The Regalia also has a taunting affect. Taunting affect is more potent against species of lesser intelligence and those with less Primordial Energy than you.
Leg: -
Leg: -
Domain: -
Primordial Energy 150/150
