The Oathsworn

by Liandra Jake

  A cluster of many kinds of Korvan slid into view. "Korvan! The crystallized Orenth formed around the essence extracted from various materials. Specific ratios of the seventeen know types of Orenth from Fire to Death determine what the Korvan can do in terms of manipulating Orenth or its environment."

  Arend paused briefly as an array of hands shot up. For being his first lecture, the turnout had filled the auditorium of Sareville's community college. His team sat in the back, with a very attentive Ros taking notes like the rest of the college kids. A few of his friends sat father to the corner. A few professors sat in the front row, with the more experienced students radiating out from there. Arend called on the closest professor.

  "What about the Twenty-one Type Theory?"

  Arend' hand shot up before anyone could utter a word. "Later. Just basics right now."

  A majority of the hands fell. Arend called on one of the ones still up. "Why is it a Monster's Orenth, such as a Pendragon's, doesn't need a Matrix to have an effect?" She asked.

  "Because Monsters are one in themselves!" José called down. "They're what the technology is based on!"

  Arend nodded. "And from there," Arend coated his arm in Stick. "It's just a matter of will over it. And if that will wavers…" C

  rios' arm returned to normal, but more astute Orenth sensors could notice the shift in Arend' Pendragon Orenth in the brief moment he let it go. Arend however, and them as well, paid it no heed.

  "Humans also have this 'organic Matrix', although we don't have the same control over Orenth that Monsters do."

  "Alright!"

  The next slide came up, just a simple list of rules. Arend gave the man at the projector a thumbs up.

  "Let's cover what NOT to do with Korvan. Number one: grafting any kind whatsoever to your body. Madness and cannibalism are proven side effects. Number two: giving animals Exo-suits. When it DOESN'T kill the animal, it Changes them, with Possession a greater possibility than humans. Not to mention the pain. Two simple rules to keep you out of trouble."

  Arend flicked his wrist and the next slide popped up. It was a twisted mass of metal with what looked like eyes in the Korvan scattered within it. Next to it was a woman with pointy ears and a tail.

  "Possession and Changing; two importantly distinct phenomena. Changing is widely accepted as a human taking on a Monster's characteristics. While usually not fatal, it's certainly life changing. It occurs when a human is exposed to a large amount of Natural Orenth, or Orenth from a particular Monster, usually through an Exo-suit or rarely a weapon.

  "Possession is a different matter entirely. With Monsters as the only known cause. Powerful, corrupt Monsters can leave traces of their consciousness in their Orenth, and can easily turn a Matrix into a very simple brain. It can also take over a person's body, which allows for a more complex personality to develop, but at the cost of sanity and turning them into an unstoppable death machine. For the most part."

  Arend rubbed his hands together. "Alright. Here's where the basics stop."

  A slide with an organized clusterfuck of all known Korvan variations came onto the screen. "Crystallization, a process that requires a great deal of pressure and condensed Orenth."

  Someone raised their hand. "Why are you reviewing this? IF we're going to be interns, don't you think it's nessicary to teach things we understood as children?"

  Arend pulled out a Korvan he randomly took from his cache. It was grey-blue and shaped like a triangle. "Tell me, who her thinks I could eat this?" Arend asked.

  No one raised their hand. Arend' friends, who already knew the answer, chuckled quietly. "You'll break your teeth! Korvan are as hard as rocks!" Ros called excitedly. "No Monster has teeth hard enough! Not even Lukyas can!"

  Arend laughed then stopped. "What the hell is a Lukya?"

  "A rock eating monster with diamond-gritted teeth." José replied. "It only lives a way over to the south though."

  "Oh." Arend replied, before promptly biting into the Korvan, wiping away the crumbs like he would a cookie. "Anyone care to explain?" Arend asked as he pulverized the Korvan.

  Arend was met with a wave of murmurs as he swallowed. "Let me help," Arend offered. "Part Pendragon, standard, healthy Korvan, and my teeth are human."

  Nothing but silence. "C'mon people!" Arend exclaimed.

  The man at the projector tentatively raised his hand. Arend nodded his way. "What outside force can break Korvan?" He asked. "Orenth overload, Orenth strain, Orenth draining, impurity, age, and instability."

  Arend nodded. "So, did I feed too much Orenth into the Korvan?"

  "No." They replied.

  "Did I twist the Orenth field providing significant strain, or otherwise destabilize it?"

  A small female voice called out as people began to say 'no'. "A little?"

  Arend nodded, holding up a hand with a space between his thumb and finger. "Just a smidge! Plus more than enough draining was going on. But do you get my point? Sometimes it takes some of the basics to answer a seemingly difficult question." Arend pointed at the man at the projector. "He got it and this is his minor."

  When Arend wiggled his finger, the next slide came up. A man and women dressed in matching armor of a dark violet popped up on the screen. 'Courtesy of the Infighters' was printed below it.

  "Inherent Affinity of Color; IAC for short. Orenth's tendency to lean towards specific colors, as well as a Korvan's preference for a specific color. A few may scoff at me for this, but it's important for those who will eventually work for Guild members."

  The next slide came on, a complex diagram depicting light and its connection to Orenth.

  "Materials absorb and release Orenth much like how they do with light and color. Unlike stationary objects that bleed off the Orenth into the chaos that is Natural Orenth, something like a piece of armor can be designed to point that Orenth into a person, increasing their available Orenth with absolutely no risk since it's not Natural Orenth but a stage in conversion easily reversed.

  "This also effects the flow of Orenth in a person and in the area directly around them. For those who've seen me fight, that color changing haze around me is in fact condensed Orenth acting as a solid and absorbing light. It is also how the True Safeguard acts as a standard Safeguard if it was placed in its usual place in an Exo-suit. This is important because the stages my weapon is set up shift in power as the color changes, and I made sure to set the wild-card Safeguard up to lean towards the color it shifts to as the weapon powers up.

  "This is important as the Dragon Drive operates at full capacity only when all the types of Orenth are roaring through it. So in a moment of brilliance, I set it up to shift as it began pulling in more types. At this point, I'm working my way away from IAC and towards the different type's different Manipulation Resistance; how easily you can influence specific types of Orenth. In essence, nothing is overlooked when it comes to the Dragon Drive, because it is all connected." The next slide appeared on the screen.

  [X]

  Arend' lecture ended with a great deal of praise. As the majority left, a few stayed behind for a few words. Many suggested that he become a teacher before leaving Arend with a small, select group. Two professors approached with four students. Arend' team was packing up some of the equipment that had shown off.

  "Are these them?" Arend asked, gesturing to the students. The two professors nodded.

  The younger one spoke. "These four have shown significant skill and ability in regards to Kruxworking. Two engineers, one for structural and the other for mechanical, a Kruxsetter, and a Korvan Specialist."

  "What kind?" Arend asked.

  "Botanical." She replied.

  Brock was the structural engineer, a large, sturdy man who fit his name well. Like the other three, he was dressed in a mix of formal and casual; what they most likely wore every day. He was wearing one of Hunter's Band's tee shirts. 'The Song of Words Lost.' Was written in faded white across his black chest. The band's name 'Forgotten Wasteland' was in the bottom lef
t corner with 'Starlight Clocktower' below it in grey and 'Nostalgic Dream' written below it with dropped "a"s. It brought a smile to Arend' face as it reminded him of his first date with Kronth.

  Chem was the Botanical Korvan Specialist. Her light brown hair had a streak of crimson down the left side. Arend had the feeling it wasn't intentional, and chose to ignore it. Her pale blue eyes reminded him of a cloudy sky. As for her attire, she had a coat almost exactly like Janese's, but with a few noticeable discolorations.

  Web was the Kruxsetter. He was half Arend' height, and based on his defensive stance, didn't like that. A pair of pale yellow ears identical to Corenden's poked through his blonde hair. A bag was thrown over his shoulder and hid the possible wings and tail from Arend' view. Arend tried not to stare even though he'd never seen a Pog Changed before.

  Flem was the mechanical engineer. He was a few inches taller than Arend and very, very skinny. Pale as the moon, Arend assumed he didn't get out much. He spoke softly in a thick accent that reminded Arend of Duke. His hair was a dark blue gradient out into a dark purple. Unlike the others, he was dressed in the semblance of a uniform with a tucked shirt and neat coat. It wasn't a suit, but it had the same affluence. A small black messenger bag was hanging next to his left hip, a well worn leather strap tight against his body.

  They bowed their heads in sync. "It will be a pleasure to work with you."

  "Hmm. I take it you were told to practice that?" Arend asked.

  "Yep!" Brock replied.

  "So…" Arend said as he rocked back and forth.

  Iode called out to him. "We're ready to go!"

  "Shall we?" Arend asked, pointing.

  They glanced at each other with confused faces. "Aren't you going to tell us who you're picking?" Web asked.

  "What?" Arend asked.

  "Your contract only requires taking two interns." The young professor explained. "We expected you to pick who would have the greatest benefit from working with you."

  Arend crossed his arms. "Did you really expect me to know how to do that? I'm nineteen." The professors glanced at each other. "I'm good with comprehension and learning new things, but I've got only so many years of experience. Any amount of new knowledge outside of my current reach is very valuable to me. I don't mind taking all four, but I get the distinct feeling carrying all four through the intern process won't be an issue."

  The old professor nodded. "So you hold knowledge over profits." Arend laughed.

  "The knowledge leads to profits! Once I build a steady team, I plan on launching the world into the greatest technological revolution since Kruxsetting!"

  Web laughed. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

  "Hey Arend!" Iode called excitedly. "The Maxim Vulcanus has arrived!"

  Arend grinned. "Networking."

  The four interns hurried after Arend with the same excitement he had.

  [X]

  A pale blue, highly polished train had brought Sub Meridian and Arend' appliance to a station outside Sareville. Seven people were tasked with guarding the piece of equipment almost too big to fit on the train, as well the truck it was placed on. Two sat with the nervous driver, three on the Maxim Vulcanus itself, one of foot, and one riding a large snow leopard.

  The sidewalks were crowded, but the streets were empty as the truck chugged along to Dragon's Den. The entire guild was in attendance as the truck pulled up. Arend and Kronth stood to the front, King and Oragè sitting behind their respective Beastmasters.

  The truck came to a stop without notification from anyone. As the three on the top walked to the edge of the Maxim Vulcanus' bulk, an excited grin was plastered on Arend' face. When the emerald-haired young man in question and Arend saw each other, they had no choice but to break ranks.

  "Arend!" The emerald-haired man called as the pair ran to each other.

  They practically tackled each other with two bear-hugs. "It's been too long!" Arend exclaimed as they broke away. "Are you here as the 'expert' to make sure they treat my equipment properly?"

  "This is yours? No, I'm part of Sub Meridian! Sharpshooting, Kruxsetting extraordinaire!" He replied proudly.

  "Really!? I guess we've both become pretty famous then!" Arend exclaimed.

  The other members of Sub Meridian lined up behind the emerald-haired man with a look of confusion. "You know him Crowe?" The Beastmaster asked.

  "This is the man who repaired all those power plants and substations way back when! He also was the one who taught me how to maintain them." Crowe replied.

  "…Is that a Pendragon?" One of them asked.

  Arend nodded. "His name's King. He's relatively tame." Arend waved King over. E

  veryone but Crowe took a step back. The snow leopard gave King a glare and a hiss. "He's definitely big." Crowe said. "And kinda cute!"

  King lowered his head. "At least I'm not growing a lawn on my head."

  Crowe laughed. "At least I don't have to clean myself with my tongue."

  King laughed back. "Do you see those two women over by the golden wolf? The blonde and red-head?"

  Crowe glanced around King. The other members of Sub Meridian did the same. It was the two that had given King a saddle and washed him the first time Arend and Kronth went out. Crowe glanced sideways at King. King nodded with the hint of a smile.

  Crowe was suddenly depressed. "That's not fair man."

  The leader of the group approached Arend. He was the one who ran from the station to the city. Two half-staved scythes were crossed on his back. He was wearing a long, near skin-tight blue-white coat with dark red fluff trim on the sleeves, the hood, and on the bottom of the coat. A pair of matching trimmed boots and a pair of white pants were visible through the open coat.

  "Where's Kronth?" He asked.

  Arend glanced back and whistled. Kronth hurried forward nervously. "Yes sir?" She asked.

  "First off, make sure to teach him to keep rank. I've got my own to lecture later."

  Kronth shook her head, much to his -and all of Sub Meridian's- surprise. "He and I don't have that kind of relationship." Kronth explained.

  "Wait." Crowe said, throwing up his hands. He looked at Arend. "You and your Guildmaster are hooking up?" Arend replied with a grin. "AAAAH! Everyone's getting more action than me! Even the freakin' Pendragon!"

  "Che!" The man in the coat raised his lip disapprovingly.

  "I can be in a relationship with whoever I want! We were together before I became Guildmaster of Dragon's Den." Kronth said.

  Iode and Tommori walked around the group to direct the driver to the place Arend' equipment would be stored; a particular warehouse across the street from Silver Napalm.

  "It's a gross example of how unprofessional you are. Either give up your position, or him." The man in the coat replied.

  Arend didn't take his attitude with much humor. "I suggest you mind your own business." Arend warned.

  The man had a scythe out before the rest of his group, save Crowe, took offensive stances. "I suggest you…" He trailed off as he noticed movement behind King.

  Anyone in Dragon's Den who had the capability to fight was just as prepared to act as Sub Meridian. Looking behind him, even Tommori and Iode were ready to shed some blood.

  Arend raised a hand to push away the man's scythe. "Let us put it this way," Kronth began.

  "…Dragon's Den isn't one," King continued

  "…For backing down," Arend growled.

  "…When a friend's in trouble!" Ros finished, popping up over King's head.

  "And we consider every member of this Guild a friend," Kronth added, glancing back at the crowd, where Isaac, while half-assed, was still prepared to fight with the rest of them. "Regardless of our personal opinions of each other."

  The man put away his scythe and shoved a handful of paperwork into Kronth's hands. "Dream while you can. Your childish Guild will have to learn to face the reality in what you believe." He turned to walk away.

  King laughed after him. "We may be childish, but tr
y and name any Guild out there with a friend in Pendragons, and even a real life dragon!" King was ignored by everyone but Crowe.

  "A dragon?" He said with a disapproving shake of his head.

  "He's right." Kronth said. Crowe raised an eyebrow.

  "And need I mention the dragon was scared of Arend?" Iode said as he walked by.

  Arend shrugged with a smile. "There's a reason so few died in our little war."

  With a concerning amount of apprehension of Dragon's Den's power, Crowe said his farewells and ran to catch Sub Meridian's train in the Nest. Arend was handed the paperwork as the rest of Dragon's Den scattered.