by A F Kay
Ruwen remained quiet. His parents, more than anyone, knew how he liked to think things through, and they kept silent, letting him process their words.
At what point did a person’s actions outweigh the good of their goal?
The magnitude of Uru’s manipulation astounded Ruwen. To some extent, these Priest bribes made Uru responsible for the Class inequity that Big D had opened Ruwen’s eyes to. Hundreds of years of terium payoffs at the expense of fairness for her people, so that a shipment could be stolen and used to revive the army needed to protect her country.
But it was more complicated than that, because by the time Ruwen Ascended he was desperate to leave Deepwell and find his missing parents. Parents who Uru had manipulated into dying in the very place she needed Ruwen to take the Architect Role and restore her temple.
It made Ruwen feel dirty. How did Uru live with her choices when they hurt so many people? What else would she be willing to do in the pursuit of her goals? It terrified him.
Uru had told Ruwen he needed to restore balance to the Universe, and her goals aligned at least partially with Blapy’s, enough that they supported each other now, anyway. He’d just discovered from Blapy that the fourth secret involved returning the Spirit taken from the Universe. Which made him wonder how the rest of the Universe fared with no Spirit. To justify Uru’s actions, it must not be good.
Before Ascending, finding out about the killings would have devastated Ruwen. But his view of the world, and of wrong and right, had become complicated. Something could be wrong, but still necessary. Which worried him, because people, good or evil, always believed their actions were necessary.
That old part of Ruwen wanted to yell and scream and act indignant. To make his parents feel guilty for the shame he felt by their actions. But his Ascension had happened over five years ago because of his time Step training with Rami in the Spirit Realm. So much had happened since his Ascension that he’d become a different person. He understood the old Ruwen, sympathized with him even, but he couldn’t indulge him.
Ruwen’s future remained cloudy, and the power he’d gained made him vulnerable to abusing it. Would he need to do terrible things to satisfying the fourth secret? If he did, he hoped he looked as miserable as his parents did right now.
Maybe that was the difference between necessity and abuse. Actions accompanied by regret and sorrow differed from those accompanied by indifference or pleasure.
“Right and wrong always seemed clear to me,” Ruwen said. “My life since Ascension has taught me how naïve that was. Even so, I need a little time to process this.”
Clarysa nodded. “We’re still doing that ourselves.”
Ruwen had focused on reuniting with his parents since they’d disappeared. And the happiness he felt at seeing them alive, tangled with the sadness, anger, and disbelief over the circumstances.
If Uru, Blapy, and Pen were right, then the best Ruwen could hope for was a life full of grief. Something his mom and dad already understood.
Right or wrong, justified or not, they were still his parents, and he’d missed them terribly for over a year. He had finally found them, and for now, that’s what mattered.
Ruwen leaned forward and hugged his parents.
Chapter 39
Ruwen sat back, still struggling to process all his emotions.
“You feel like you’re made of rock,” Clarysa said.
“Your head couldn’t hold any more?” Colyn asked.
“Very funny,” Ruwen said.
“Is it gear, an ability, or Fortification?” Clarysa asked.
Ruwen raised his eyebrows. “You know about Fortification?” He realized it was a dumb question immediately. Through the memories Rami had pulled from Io, Ruwen knew his parents had spent time in the Spirit Realm with Uru.
“My parents were Harvesters,” Clarysa said. “When the gods began offering Ascendancy, I jumped at the chance. With only two connected Meridians, I would’ve been a poor Harvester. So giving it up wasn’t hard, even though my parents disapproved. Ironically, I made it to the Spirit Realm anyway.”
Colyn looked from Clarysa to Ruwen. “You already knew Uru took us there. What your mom won’t tell you is that the first time we went, we were there for months. Uru performed surgery on you while you were still in the womb. Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of times.”
Ruwen remembered the pain Sift had felt when Ruwen had operated on him on the lake shore. Ruwen had used the roots of a Dimensional Blue Bladed Iris to connect Sift’s center to his Air Meridian. It had been terribly painful for Sift. Ruwen’s mom must have felt something similar, only for months.
“That’s horrible,” Ruwen said.
Clarysa shivered. “Uru promised it would give you the power to protect yourself. She said it would make you untouchable. It was worth it.”
“You said that was the first time,” Ruwen said.
“The second trip was quicker,” Clarysa said with a smile. “That’s where you were born.”
“I was born there?” Ruwen asked in disbelief.
Clarysa nodded. “Uru was quite happy with herself. She said your birth would go undetected in the Spirit Realm and give her time to hide your center.”
Ruwen remembered standing next to Blapy on the destroyed city walls outside the Black Pyramid. She had discovered the internal tattoo that hid Ruwen’s center and marveled at Uru’s cleverness. It turned out Ruwen had gotten that tattoo on the day he’d been born, in the grey world of the Spirit Realm.
“Based on your reflexes, I’m guessing you found your center,” Colyn said. “Are you Silver?”
“Peak Gold,” Ruwen said, a little embarrassed.
“It’s only been a year. That’s impossible,” Clarysa said.
“That’s just the appah’s nose,” Ruwen said. “Since I’ve Ascended,” the highlights of the last two months came out in a rush. “I’m Uru’s Champion and can dual Class, a Dungeon Master, restored the temple here and became an Architect, spent almost five years in a compressed time frame learning Steps, battled two Diamond level opponents, leveled in a tier zero dungeon, started the Ink Lord quests, and met a girl.”
“You met a girl?” Colyn asked.
“All that, and you’re interested in the girl?” Ruwen asked.
Clarysa smiled. “We never thought you’d leave the library.” She grew serious. “Any one of those things is beyond belief. That you’ve accomplished so much in just months validates everything Uru said about you. It makes all our sacrifices worthwhile. I’ve always believed you were special, but you have shattered every expectation.” She leaned forward and hugged Ruwen again. “I can’t imagine the price you’ve paid for all this. You shouldn’t need to carry such burdens at your age.”
Ruwen hugged his mom tightly. Here in the privacy Shelly gave them, he could let his guard down. The stress of his life, the weight of everyone’s expectations, and the enormity of his challenges sometimes felt like more than he could endure. That his mother could see that made it all somehow a little easier to bear.
“But seriously, a girlfriend?” Colyn asked, the doubt clear in his voice.
They all laughed.
Ruwen hadn’t even brought up the Universe impacting fourth secret, or the gods Uru expected him to fight someday. The magnitude of it all settled on him and he frowned. “It feels like a lot.”
Colyn locked eyes with Ruwen. “It is a lot. An impossible amount. But I don’t know a more capable person. Never think this is more than you can handle. You’re too strong. Plus, it sounds like you’ve found some friends to help.”
Ruwen touched his right ear. “Yeah, some great stuff has happened.”
“Tell us,” Clarysa said. “Whatever you can, that is.”
“Yeah,” Colyn said. “We want to know everything we missed.”
Ruwen spent the next hour answering questions about the last year. His parents relived his successes and failures, and it felt good to talk about it all. Eventually, Ruwen made it to the temple
and the impending invasion.
“Fighting the enemy army seems overwhelming,” Ruwen said.
Colyn rubbed his chin. “When I get overwhelmed, I focus on just the next step or two. What are the immediate needs?”
“We need to revive people, which means we require that terium,” Ruwen said.
Colyn’s eyes glazed over. “You just triggered a quest. It says you’re in charge of the temple.”
Ruwen nodded.
“Don’t forget that,” Colyn said. “It’s going to get noisy around here once you start reviving people.”
Clarysa pointed to the simple cotton clothes she wore. “Hamma found us this, but until we recover our Dimensional Bags, we don’t have combat gear. Can we borrow some equipment from the vault until we recover our things?”
Ruwen frowned. “Give me second.”
Lir, do we have a vault?
Yes.
Ruwen spent a moment thinking of the best way to phrase the next question. Is there personal combat equipment there?
Yes.
Thanks. My parents can take what they need for their mission.
Understood, Architect Starfield.
Ruwen smiled. “Take what you need. Lir will open the way for you.”
“Lir?” Colyn asked.
“Let’s just say the temple will recognize you,” Ruwen said.
They stood.
“We’ll gear up, grab Tremine and our Void Band, and leave,” Clarysa said.
Ruwen smiled. “That Void Band is Bliz. Don’t let him talk you into any games. Especially drinking ones.”
Rami, can you let Shelly know we’re ready to leave, please.
Sure.
By the time they’d reached the corner of the room, an opening had appeared and they started down the tortoise’s leg. Ruwen activated Glow again.
“Thank you, Shelly,” Ruwen said.
As they stepped onto the beach, Ruwen’s parents watched Shelly disappear into the water. In the soft light from Glow, his parents seemed younger than he remembered them. Or maybe he just felt older.
Curious how effective his Perception would be now that Rami’s Codex choice had doubled it, he focused on his dad instead of just looking at him.
Name: Colyn Starfield
Deity: Uru
Class Type: Fighter
Sub Class: One Handed
Specialization: Shield Champion
Expertise: Knight Defender
Level: 32
Health: 540
Mana: 160
Energy: 998
Spirit: 0
Armor Class: 55
It was the first time Ruwen had seen his dad’s details, and Ruwen’s increased Perception had given him a massive amount of information. Knight Defenders wore heavy armor and used a shield and sword, making it a good Class to adventure with. He focused on his mom.
Name: Clarysa Starfield
Class Type: Observer
Sub Class: Scout
Specialization: Ranger
Expertise: Pack Leader
Level: 33
Health: 500
Mana: 200
Energy: 986
Spirit: 0
Armor Class: 90
Ruwen stared in shock. His mom had always appeared as a Fighter. But Pack Leader was a Ranger Specialization. They were experts in surviving in the wild, and if what Lylan said was true, shapeshifting. Rangers could handle themselves in a fight much better than the Spy Specialization.
When Ruwen had the Observer Root Class, he’d already decided on the Scout Sub Class, but had struggled with what Specialization he’d take, Ranger or Spy. He had died before needing to choose, though, resetting his Root Class.
It also explained what had bothered Ruwen about his mom. Her high Dexterity had made her movements too precise. Assuming she was a Fighter had kept him from seeing the truth, which was a valuable lesson he needed to embrace. He couldn’t afford to have assumptions blind him. The stakes were too high.
As they walked toward the city, Ruwen couldn’t contain his questions. “Is it true you can turn into an animal?”
Clarysa looked at Ruwen and raised her eyebrows. “I have five points in Fabricate and should look like a Fighter to you. How could you possibly overcome that?”
Ruwen remembered how hard he’d worked to reach level five, just to get the Fabricate ability. He shrugged. “Rami doubles my Perception.”
“That is very valuable,” Colyn said.
“I know. I’m lucky she’s with me,” Ruwen said.
Clarysa nodded. “Most Scouts who Specialize in Ranger limit their shapeshifting. It’s physically painful, and it makes others uncomfortable. So most Rangers avoid it completely and no one talks about it.”
“Personally, I find the Spy’s ability to mimic another person far more disturbing,” Colyn said.
“It’s really hot, too. It takes a lot of energy to keep your body in a different shape, and the heat is sometimes unbearable.”
That was interesting and meant his Detect Temperature might pick a shapeshifter out of a crowd. Once Ruwen figured out the essence recipes for all the existing spells and abilities, he could use Spirit to replicate them. Well, once he could use Spirit in the open anyway. Who knew how long that would take. Still, the knowledge that shapeshifting was possible excited him.
As they neared the city, Ruwen wondered about Hamma and her dad, Niall. He’d been gone a lot longer than Ruwen’s parents. What were he and Hamma talking about? Ruwen thought about creating a group with Hamma to ask, but didn’t want to interrupt her reunion.
The temple came into view, and dim light spilled into the courtyard from inside the building. Hamma stood with another figure at the top of the stairs. Her companion was a tall thin man with Hamma’s brown eyes, blonde hair, and easy smile.
Hamma looked nervous, and Ruwen waved at her as they started up the stairs. He opened his mouth to introduce his parents, but his mom beat him to it.
“Hi, Niall,” Clarysa said. “Good to see you again.”
Chapter 40
Ruwen turned to his mom. “You know Niall?”
Clarysa shrugged. “Niall was the Priest in Deepwell who revived us.”
“From the long sleep,” Colyn said.
Which meant Uru had directed the priest. Ruwen glanced at Hamma, but her expression remained neutral.
Niall stepped forward and bowed deeply to Ruwen. “Sister Hamma tells me you are to thank for restoring the temple and reviving us.”
“Sister Hamma?” Ruwen asked and looked at Hamma.
Hamma pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“We all helped,” Ruwen said.
“Forgive us, Niall,” Colyn said. “We’ll catch up later. Clarysa and I need to gear up so we can recover some terium.”
“Of course,” Niall said. “The temple is critically low.”
Ruwen’s parents hugged him, bowed to Niall and Hamma, and then strode into the temple. For him, three days had passed since he’d seen Hamma, and he wanted to hug her. But with her dad standing next to her, he decided against it. Even though it appeared Hamma hadn’t told Niall they were related yet.
The three of them stood there looking at each other and as the silence continued, Ruwen grew desperate to end the awkwardness. “I’m sure you’re shocked that sixteen years has passed.”
Niall bowed his head. “Yes.”
Ruwen looked at Hamma, who raised her eyebrows and stared intently at him. He’d just finished a tough conversation with his parents and knew how difficult they were to start. Maybe he could nudge the discussion along to make it easier for Hamma to reveal she was Niall’s daughter.
“What are your plans?” Ruwen asked. “Do you need to get back to family?”
Hamma coughed, and Niall turned to Hamma. “Are you okay, Sister?”
Hamma looked at the ground, her blond hair hiding her face. “I’m fine,” she croaked.
Niall turned back to Ruwen. “My heart is here,” Niall sai
d. “Along with my duty.”
Hamma choked, turned, and dashed into the temple. Ruwen started to follow her.
Don’t, Rami said. She will literally kill you if you find her now.
Ruwen winced as he realized how Niall’s response would hurt Hamma. He had basically helped confirm for Hamma that her dad didn’t care about her.
That was probably a mistake, Ruwen said.
You think? Rami asked.
“Is everything okay with Sister Hamma?” Niall asked. “Maybe we should check on her?”
Niall seemed genuinely concerned and had taken a step into the temple.
Ruwen raised his hands. “No, let’s just let her be.” He didn’t know how to explain why, so he changed the subject. “I need your help, but I want to make sure we’re on the same page. Do you have a few minutes?”
“Of course,” Niall said.
Ruwen strode into the temple and almost immediately realized he had no idea how to get where he wanted. Lir, can you direct me to the High Priest’s chapel.
As you wish, Architect Starfield. In two hundred fifty-seven and three-fifths feet, alter your z-axis vector—
Ruwen interrupted the temple. On second thought, can you tell Rami, please.
A moment later Rami triggered Ruwen’s Survey ability and a three-dimensional map appeared in his vision, with a blue dashed line marking his route.
Much better. Thank you, Rami.
I should lead you into the reactor for what you did to Hamma.
What’s a reactor? And I was just trying to help.
Rami sighed. I know. But that doesn’t make it better.
Ruwen worried he’d messed up worse than he’d feared and dwelled on it the entire trip to the chapel. Thankfully, Hamma hadn’t come here, and the chapel remained empty. Niall and Ruwen entered the small room, and he dismissed Survey, closed the door to the room, and leaned against the revival tub. He’d kissed Hamma here for the first time not that long ago. Now she was mad at him, and he stood here with her dad instead. His life kept getting weirder.