Book 2 | Chapter 36

Author's Note: Thank you for the continued support, it means the world to me. Mum remains in high spirits as she settles into the new drug regime and continued testing; heart monitors and whatnot. It is an odd feeling. In some ways, it feels like the worst of it is over since the immediate threat is behind us. In others, it feels like a reminder that the worst is yet to come.

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Exactly three interesting things happened on our journey to Sentrodah, assuming one was willing to be generous with their definition of ‘interesting’. On paper, an uneventful journey is a good journey– a safe journey. Sure, some unexpected ambush led by a dapper highwayman wearing a feathered cap might have made for an interesting tale, but more likely it would have ended in some flavour of bloodshed. So, yes, only three interesting things happened while we were on the road, but crushing boredom aside it was better than the alternatives. 

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On day three, Fudge wandered off while we were setting up camp. He returned dragging a log with the same excited gusto of a pup wanting to show off a stick they found. It was a particularly large stick in Fudge’s case, but still, we all had a good giggle at his unbridled enthusiasm. It was a small thing, but a thing all the same, and it was a thing I enjoyed, and so it was important. 

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Five days later, also known as the eighth day, we needed to cross a river and hired the services of a ferryman and his four sons, the youngest of which was already an adult. They all boasted the exaggerated physique that accompanied the Strength [Body] Skill; it was less of a ferry that we chartered and more of a large raft; the ferryman simply tied themselves to it and swam across the waters in spite of the current or any other sensible barriers to the task. 

Fudge and I opted to swim as well, the flexibility of my Movement Skill allowing me to hold my own despite my freestyle being a smidge rusty. Coupled with Recovery, the moment I hit the water every stroke brought with it a surge of confidence as I rapidly regained the skills that had laid dormant for well over a decade. It was an odd thing, to realize I hadn’t gone for a swim in that long– not a proper swim, at least. I didn’t count crouching in a creek to bathe. 

Out of curiosity, I asked the youngest son, who was introduced as Burk, about his situation when we got to the other side; I had some time while Blanca finalized payment with the ferryman senior. Burk boasted a shaved head, as did the rest of his family, presumably to reduce water resistance. He was breathing from exertion and looked annoyed when he saw my comparatively easy composure; Recovery was doing its job admirably. 

When Fudge ambled up to join us, freshly shaken but still wet, his presence broke any tension that might have been forming. Burk’s annoyance was well-founded, though, as I would soon learn. With the exception of their Core Skills, which varied as such things tended to do, the brothers all shared the same Build, having been coaxed into it when they were younger to support the family business.  

Alongside Strength [Body] they also had Swimming [Rivers] and a couple of other Skills he told me weren’t to be shared. Shoulders hunched. Fist clenched. I could tell the topic was a touchy one. The Builds worked well enough in their specific situation, albeit with some mana inefficiency issues due to the apparent disregard the family had for Core Skill compatibility, but putting myself in his shoes I imagined he must have felt utterly trapped. 

We didn’t have time to linger, and not all problems were mine to solve, but even so… I was once again reminded that despite the challenges I faced, everyone had their own trials as well– everyone was the main character in their own story. That afternoon was spent in sonder. 

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It would, perhaps, be incorrect to refer to the third interesting thing as such. In some ways, it was the first, but by that same token it was, technically, also the last. Again, my bias as the judge of what was interesting showed itself, but I lacked the inclination to look out for what others found interesting. Instead, I often turned my gaze inward as I ate up the ground one step at a time, the weight of the cart behind me soon becoming so familiar that I might have even referred to it as a friend. That may have been a symptom of travel, though, much like how ocean routes inspire the befriending of volleyballs. 

Inward was where my mana worked a steady thrum, even as I was gradually caked in dust, sweat, and the resulting grime. Movement was slow and deliberate as it guided my footfalls, helping them dig into the earth just so, all so that I might drag the cart with slightly less resistance; Recovery converted its vibrant mana into all the good things my body needed to keep muscle aches, fatigue, dehydration and countless other small things at bay; Perseverance bolstered my ephemeral spirit, a supportive hand holding me up, pushing me to take just one more step despite the unnecessary burden I had given myself, or perhaps because of it. 

The three Skills were united in purpose. My mana flowed freely, the resonance between the Skills feeding back into each other. It was kind of like the alternator in a car battery… kind of, if one squinted and, like me, didn’t know a whole lot about alternators. Either way, at the steady pace I set, I was quick to realize that I could maintain it almost indefinitely. The well of mana within my core felt deeper than it ever had, courtesy of my Advancement to the second Tier. Not even the errant thought that my Build basically turned me into the perfect human beast of burden was enough to bring me down. 

One foot in front of the other was how I travelled to Sentrodah, a brief spot of swimming aside, and for all that the days dragged on at times I did not hate them. Blanca and Alicia occasionally walked beside me, sharing anecdotes of their vacations or endeavours in Dorbe when I was not with them. Fudge had a great time, and it was hard not to find his joy contagious, even without the Tamer Bond he had a knack for leaving a wave of smiles in his wake. The sky was blue, the grass green– all that good stuff. It was a trip, one that rewarded me with my first glance of Sentrodah. 

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Massive stretches of farmland came first; even with a sprawling trade – and rapidly increasing number of laden carts we passed by suggest it was, indeed, sprawling – keeping a large populace fed took a lot of space. I knew Skilled farmers could work wonders regardless, but the city was not structured to depend on it. Sensible, really. One of the wagons that passed us was pulled by several dozen rabbits that looked like they abused steroids, each wearing a little harness. The driver was wearing a large hat, so I didn’t see their face, but I had so many questions.  

Towering walls peaked out over the horizon, my first real sight of the city proper. As we grew closer, they stretched further and further and it quickly became apparent that whether I looked left or right I could not see the end of them.

There is surely some calculator to work out how big that means the city is, I thought. If there was, I’d never had cause to learn it, so not even Recovery could help me and I wasn’t about to bother working it out myself. It made a certain amount of sense, though, seldom would the entirety of a city be visible without a great amount of height and distance separating it from an observer. Growth spurt or not, I wasn’t quite that tall. 

There was a line at the gates but it moved pleasantly fast. Each lane, for lack of a better word, was manned by a collection of guardsmen wearing tabards marked with the eyed shield of the Third Seat. Men and women armed with what could only be described as clipboards frantically recorded every exchange and the guards asked entry aspirants the usual gauntlet of questions regarding their intentions in the city. One line had a man seated behind an easel, his brush a blur while attendees delivered him fresh palettes of paint and collected his finished paintings, each featuring a snapshot of the gathered crowd; an analog CCTV.  

We passed through without incident, so far as I could tell. The city proper was familiar as it was strange, a veritable melting pot of people bustling about in business, leisure, or something else entirely. There were no skyscrapers, but most buildings were at least two stories tall. They looked to be built in stages, where the lower floors were added to by a builder who favoured different techniques, materials, and Skills. Stalls lined the streets as merchants hawked their wares. I watched a man yell at a loaf of bread while a group of hungry onlookers watched with rapt anticipation, but the flow of traffic took us out of reach before I could figure out why.

Lines criss-crossed between the buildings, whereupon lithe figures dressed in bright yellow outfits ran across them, passing over the crowds with acrobatic ease. 

“Couriers,” Blanca told me, having left the carriage to walk alongside me lest I get lost. Alicia opted to ride in their carriage.

“I thought the ducks did that.” 

“Drake’s Deliveries have a veritable monopoly on the long distance transportation of goods and information,” Blanca lectured. “In Sentrodah, a human touch is often considered more reliable… that and many businesses do not appreciate poultry invading their stores and workshops.” 

“Fair enough, I suppose.” Seeing the uniform appearance of the couriers, I couldn't help but wonder how many were in a similar situation to Burk, sacrificing their long-term Build synergy for a stable paycheck.

The more I saw, the more like a tourist I felt. My neck was on a swivel, seeing more than I could process into memory as one odd sensory experience flowed into another. One street was lined with twisted, metal sculptures depicting flowers that almost smelled sweeter than their organic counterparts. A street performer rolled her arm up like a party blower, those kazoo-things with the paper doodad at the end. Again and again and again I was confronted with the bizarre. It was enchanting. 

Fudge could barely contain himself, and knowing first hand how sensitive his nose was, I couldn’t blame him. Despite my own excitement, I regularly reined it in just long enough to offer him feelings of reassurance through the Tamer Bond. There were a few close calls, but Fudge had been trained by Tina as a pup and her lessons had a tendency to stick; he was not so brazen as to disobey his basic commands… not yet, at least.  

A massive castle loomed in the distance, a relic from the old regime, now occupied by The Crown and their many Seats. That was not our destination, though. Our destination was grand in an entirely different way and was, in fact, not in Sentrodah proper. It was on the other side of it. 

Simply crossing Sentrodah took plenty of time, but leaving the city was just as simple as entering; a few routine questions and we were sent on our way, whereupon we were greeted by The Academy Lake. Formerly Granya Lake, but still a massive body of water, it was what drew people to settle in the area to begin with. The island at the lake’s center, however, was artificial, or so said the history books– and I had no reason to doubt them on such a benign matter. 

The island was also The Crown Academy campus, a place ‘removed from the pressures of political yada yada– whatever its original purpose or sales pitch, it was a place for the wealthy to rub elbows with the Skilled. It was more political than ever. Boats would ferry students, old and new, to the campus in preparation for the start of the semester. 

That was when serendipity struck, for while The Crown Academy was impressive, it was perhaps not the most interesting thing to call the lake home. A deep, rumbling quack heralded the shadow’s arrival before it broke through the clouds overhead. Soon, Cortez could be seen clearly as he once again trumped his return and the dragon-sized duck swooped down to land in the water. The waves he kicked up smashed into the banks despite the distance they travelled, and countless other ducks sang a song of greeting as they rushed to meet him.  

I felt a hand pat my shoulder and saw Blanca grinning at the spectacle. 

“Impressive, right?” 

“That is certainly one word for it.” I chuckled and Fudge barked in recognition, adding his own voice to the chorus of animals that welcomed the behemoth back to his home. I wondered if his Tamer was with him.