Origin ARS 4

by Scottie Futch

  From the seat she had been sitting in, her cell phone rang. Sarah glanced at it then looked away quickly.

  Scott tilted his head to the side. “Gonna answer that?”

  “Not right now.” she said. Something about how she had said that caused a spike of anger to wash over him.

  A painful silence ensued. The phone started to ring again after a few minutes and she glanced at it.

  Scott took a shot in the dark. “Is it Jake?”

  “Dammit, you just collapsed. We don’t need to go through this…” she said.

  Scott frowned darkly but did not say anything. Pieces of the puzzle began to fit into place. They even made a strange sort of sense, albeit some of the implications were disturbing as hell.

  It started to ring for a third time and Scott glanced at her. “Just go ahead.”

  She sighed loudly then walked over and snatched up her phone. She went outside to answer it, but Scott could hear the angry masculine voice over the phone just before the door shut. He could not forget that voice. It was the voice of a man who he wanted to strangle using his own entrails.

  Scott continued to lie in bed while Sarah spent quite some time in the hallway chatting with what was probably her lover. While the medical machines beeped and whirred, and the intravenous tubes filled him with life-saving fluid, he thought about everything that had happened.

  It all made sense. He had gone to sleep last night and dreamed a fantastic and disturbing dream. It was a wish-fulfillment fantasy where a goddess loved him indiscriminately, and he had been freed of his relationship with a woman who loved another man.

  Sure, it was a sick and disturbing thought that the so-called goddess of love had been patterned off of his own daughter, but who better to love him ceaselessly. What other creature of this world could possibly love a man like a daughter loved her father?

  Everything made so much sense now. He’d dreamed a beautiful dream and now he had awakened from it.

  The problem was that he did not remember any of the last few years. How long had they been married? When was little Rhea born? Sarah had mentioned kids, but he only knew about Rhea. Were there other children? Given the situation where they even his kids? A massive chunk of his life was simply gone. Because of that, it was impossible to completely let go of the dream.

  “What was I doing?” He could remember his dream in such clear detail. There was nothing within his memory that spoke to the last few years of his real life.

  He tried to think clearly about the most recent days of his life. Nothing came to mind. However, when he thought of the dream he clearly recalled failing the test to follow the path of balance.

  The word balance struck in his mind. Maybe that was the key to his life in this world? Scott nodded slowly. That made sense. Maybe the dream had happened because he wanted to live a more fulfilling life?

  “What does finding balance even mean, though?” he asked the empty air. The sorcerer class in his dream had simply been a method of having a hybrid of magic and martial arts. Balance in that case had simply been to choose a class that took a middle road, one that had equal magic and martial arts but did not allow for maximum usage of both.

  What would balance be in this situation? He was married to a woman who was really with another man. Why would he accept that? He could see it being possible if it were for the sake of the kids, but why not just cut ties with Sarah and live nearby? Shared custody was not that much of a problem, was it? They seemed to be on reasonable terms despite her cheating heart. It would be as close to amicable as a divorce could get. Why had he stayed?

  He snorted, “Another piece of the puzzle.” Wasn’t that the same thing as the dream? He had been with his goddess, but then came Ero the best friend. In the real world, the sexy little fairy was named Jake. Meanwhile the goddess was Scott. Sarah was in Scott’s position and she obviously cared about both men.

  Of course, it could also be the opposite. The memory he had from the dream indicated that Jake and Sarah had been together first. In that situation, Scott would be the sexy fairy. That actually made a little more sense, as he had come along afterward, but Sarah wanted to be with Jake.

  Scott could tell that Sarah obviously cared about him, did not want to see him hurt. She just did not love him as much as he loved her.

  “Damn, I’m such a fuck up.” muttered Scott. It all made so much sense! Everything. He bet that even the damned grass rats had been something related to his feeling that some sneaky bastard would jump him at any moment. When he had put on their sacred skirt they had attacked, enraged that he would mock their beliefs. What had he taken and held against someone?

  It became obvious after the moment. He was such an idiot. He had not stayed with Sarah for the sake of Rhea. She had stayed with him. Rhea was the sacred thing that he used against her.

  He had dreamed a dream of being perfect and finding the love of someone equally perfect. The reality was that it was just like the old fart who’d eaten the piece of fruit had said. “The wise old asshole was right. I am an idiot.”

  His entire journey had been a desire to find a way to have everything that he wanted. Life did not work that way, though. No matter what, he could not make this imperfect clay he called his life into anything truly perfect. His life was a bunch of things that happened around him and to him.

  Scott had let life happen to him and he had used passive aggressive methods, or ignored various situations as a means of coping with the randomness of his existence. He had lacked ambition, drive. The people he cared for had been hurt by his lack of resolve, and he had hurt himself the most because he had become the creature that he had seen in the mirror.

  He had neglected the one thing that needed to be tended to the most. He had neglected to actually choose a path, and instead had simply let it be chosen for him. That was not balance. That was bullshit.

  If he wanted balance in his life, he would need to stop letting it lead him around by the nose. Listening to the advice and directions of others was one thing. Allowing that advice to solely direct his existence was another. He had to live his life, not allow others to live it through him.

  Scott closed his eyes for a moment then slowly opened them. He blinked twice when he realized that he was no longer in the hospital room. Instead, he was sitting on a cold stone slab out in the open air.

  A newly familiar voice called out to him. “So, even an idiot can learn? Who knew?”

  “Old asshole?” asked Scott in confusion. Where was he? Why was the old fruit eating fart here?

  Several robed men drew back in horror. He had really insulted the master like that? What audacity!

  However, the master merely laughed then nodded his ancient head. “Frequently, I am that. So, how was it young one? Did you learn what you needed to know to find true balance?”

  Scott grew pensive. He realized that everything he had just experienced had probably been nothing more than a dream. “Yes.” said Scott decisively. “Honestly, I would have preferred not to see… whatever that was, though.”

  “Of course you wouldn’t want to see that. It’s exactly what you needed to see to realize the truth, whatever that truth may be.” said the wise old asshole.

  “Thank you, for the lesson.” said Scott. “I truly needed to see that, even if I never want to see it again.”

  The elder laughed a little. “Good. You’re still learning. That is good. The venom of the Greater Shadow Cobra attacks the heart, but not just the physical one. It poisons the soul and inflicts extremely real hallucinations. They cause their prey to fall into a world of dreams that is difficult to awaken from.”

  “I see, so that was all a hallucination?” asked Scott.

  “In a way. We use the venom and a special ritual to cause the one being tested to confront their true nature. The ritual forces the random nightmares caused by the venom to become something profound.” said the wise old bastard.

  “I don’t think I have ever wanted to thank someone for poisoning me before
, but I do.”

  The ancient sorcerer laughed warmly then nodded his head. “Go in peace with your newfound understanding of balance. Master Jacobs.”

  The robed sorcerers babbled about that for a moment. There had not been a new master named in three years. Few people could withstand the truth of their existence and fewer still would realize what they needed to do about it.

  “Master Jacobs?” asked Scott. “How do you know my last name?”

  The old master smiled beatifically then made a gesture with his hand and disappeared. He really was an old asshole. Scott had to admit it though, the old man knew how to make a dramatic exit.

  Chapter 20: Balance

  Fingers flexed mechanically for a moment before they curled into a powerful fist. That fist shot forward and was then drawn back once more before being slammed forward again. The action was repeated a few times and then repeated again with his other fist.

  Scott, the owner of those fists, leapt up and performed an expert spinning crescent kick. He then immediately moved forward into a series of rapid punches that were a blur of motion. He moved swiftly into a flying knee-strike and performed a flip in the air before landing lightly on his feet.

  “This… This is great.” He said with a sense of wonder. Since his class upgrade he had felt a sense of connection with his body that he had not sensed before. It was like he truly understood himself for the first time.

  He had been good at fighting unarmed before. But who he was before, and who he was now, were two different people.

  Scott thought of the parting words of the sorcerers at the Dawn Citadel. He had been told that the greatest strength of a sorcerer was not his magic or his physical ability. The greatest strength was his understanding.

  At the time that had seemed like random mysticism for the sake of being mystical, but after experiencing how well he moved now he had to admit that there was a certain truth to what they said. At the very least, he understood the motions of his body better on an innate level.

  “Go upon the dawn so that you may return a master of the twilight.” said Scott before he nodded his head. That was what Rhea had said to him cryptically before he had left on his journey of a thousand miles. It was no longer a cryptic statement. He had become a Twilight Master, a sorcerer who had developed a level of mastery of both mind and body far beyond what a normal sorcerer might achieve.

  His every movement was infused with his life force and mana. Yet, not enough of either was taken to lose a single point unless a spell was cast. Scott thought for a moment then performed a rapid series of punches and kicks. As his did so, his body glowed a soft blue-white light and the air around him dropped by several degrees. He drew elemental water energy from the world around him and converted it to an aura of ice that would give his attacks elemental status. He could see how such a thing would be amazingly useful in this world as it did not take any of his mana to use it!

  The Twilight Master was a being capable of drawing on the energies of the world around him and making it his own. At Scott’s current level of understanding he could only infuse his body with elemental force to bolster attack and defense. In this world that understanding would have grown as he gained actual levels. However, he would grow into his class on the classic server, a place where skill was earned through hard work instead of merely murdering the occasional dancing rat. Advancement and the way his abilities manifested would work a little differently there, but the latter was still true. Effort and understanding would equal success.

  Scott closed his eyes and listened to the world around him. He truly listened to it for the first time. The sound of the wind as it gently flowed past the leaves mixed with the birds singing their sweet songs of morning to create something of a natural orchestra. The beauty and tranquility inherent in the world was a thing of wonder to him now.

  He opened his eyes slowly and saw a squirrel idly cross the road. It had neither care nor concern for his presence. Before his class upgrade, the animals often went silent when he came near. Now, he made no movements. He simply watched them go about their lives, and they allowed him to go about his life as well.

  “It is a wonder is it not?” asked a gentle masculine voice.

  Scott did not turn quickly to see the newcomer as he would normally do. Instead, he smiled and answered the voice without looking back. He knew who it was, he could sense his unique energy signature. “Brother Desmende, you are right. It truly is a wonder.”

  “You learn quickly brother. That is to be expected, but it is still wonderful to witness.” said the older man softly before walking to Scott’s side.

  “I saw you gazing upon your fist earlier. What did you see?” asked the man.

  Scott smiled. “The road ahead, brother.”

  The old master, a different one than the grand master who had tested him, Brother Desmende was the day to day leader of the Dawn Call Citadel. He no longer journeyed across the land. Instead of adventuring, he administered to the needs of his brethren. He also taught the basic lessons necessary for a new master to grow into his role.

  “The week is almost over, brother. Are you ready to travel that road?” asked Desmende.

  After his awakening, Scott had needed to learn the basics of being a Twilight Master. He had spent a week at the citadel living and working with the acolytes and his three brothers. He had not seen the grand master again, but he suspected that the man was still around somewhere watching his progress.

  “Yes, Brother Desmende. I am.” Scott looked to the older man and said. “I now know that I have wanted to travel that road for the whole of my life.”

  “Walk it well, brother, wherever it may lead.” The older man clapped his hands together once and inclined his head.

  Scott repeated the action, a sign of respect from one master to another, though Brother Desmende was much farther along his personal road. “I have mastered the twilight that I may become the path of dawn.”

  “May the light that illuminates your path bring peace to those who witness it.”

  “Farewell, brother.” said Scott.

  “Farewell.” said Desmende before he waved his hand and slowly disappeared.

  Scott watched the space where the man had stood before then chuckled. “I have got to learn how they do that.”

  A calmer and more focused Scott stepped forward on the long road before him. His week had been spent mostly in contemplation of his reason, his path to true balance. While he had learned the basics of activating his new aura abilities and how to move his body, the real training had been in stillness.

  He had not mastered that simple act, despite his new profession’s name, but he had a lifetime to do so. That was the point. The path of balance was not something that someone took for a single day, it was a journey that lasted throughout an entire lifetime. It began with a sorcerer’s first breath and continued until the last.

  Scott had needed that time, that simple stillness. Throughout the entire time that he had been on ARS he had been soaked in the blood of creatures that he did not know. He had done so solely for the desire to become stronger. Now he knew that such a thing was seen as proper in this world, without the need for a justification. Everything wanted to live, to grow. All creatures desired to become strong enough to survive anything that might befall them. From the tiny squirrel that he had just seen, to the mightiest dragon, this world was one where power came through determination. Surprisingly, he had learned that the natural creatures of the world did not hold grudges when they were killed. They would respawn in time to live their lives once more. Only people held such grudges, even if they were resurrected somehow.

  He had learned many things about life in this world. The reason why the grassrats had become afraid and frustrated long ago, and why the world itself had sought to punish him was much clearer to him now. As he thought of the grassrats, Scott decided that he would go to Victory Station.

  Scott took one step and smiled. Every journey began with a single step. He set out at a steady
trot and then increased his running speed to what he could safely maintain.

  It took him two days to reach the place where his journey had begun a few months prior. He’d had to stop and ask directions at a few towns along the way. He did not know exactly where Victory Station was in comparison to his previous location. However, the path had become clear and he had walked it with swiftness and surety.

  He walked slowly into the grasslands and stood there for a moment. He said nothing, he merely listened. He listened to the light wind blowing through the grass. He listened to the chirp of the few grassland birds that dared live near the grassrats, and he listened to the droning buzz of insects.

  As he listened, he thought of the past and of what he had decided to do. Soon he heard a soft rustling noise in the grass.

  [Your presence has been noticed…]

  Scott did not react. He had already known that he had been spotted by the grass rats. He could feel them coming closer. Their tiny little lights flickered in his newfound awareness. He could sense a disquiet among them, and a fearful curiosity tinged with anger. He was not a true empath, but part of his training had been in sensing the nature of a thing by understanding the nature of their spiritual signature. The grassland was filled with anxiety at the moment.

  [Dozens of eyes gaze at you from within the sea of grass…]

  Scott was not certain why that sort of messaging rarely appeared in other places. However, he suspected that since this was an area where new players might appear that it was set up as a sort of tutorial section.

  “My name is Scott Jacobs. I have done you wrong.” said Scott gently. He knew that these rats could understand him. They were much more intelligent than someone might think. They had their own form of shamanism and social structure after all.

  The rustling in the grass stopped upon hearing his voice. It was as though the Grassrats were surprised to hear such an admission.