After briefly scanning through the messages, Anaar nods his head, deleting the thread. “I see. And you were going to meet him soon. With what exactly? This is clearly a means to further bully you. Since he knows about your daughter, I can presume he has seen you before?”
“Yes, but why is that important?”
“It’s not. Show me on a map where you were supposed to meet.”
“What do you mean by supposed?”
“Because you are clearly not going now. I will be going in your stead. From this moment, consider your debt paid in full.”
“But I have not paid-”
“You don’t need to worry, he will get everything he has coming to him. I do have a question though. Why does a place like Haxby have loansharks in the first place?”
“There is a vast wealth gap in Haxby. People wait around every corner for those who are desperate to keep up appearances despite the truth of their situation. I had hoped I was dealing with a more respectable sort, but it seems they are all the same.”
“Indeed. Well, you are relieved of duties for the day. I think it is best you spent some quality time with your daughter. I know just your presence will make her condition improve, even if only slightly. I will take you directly there, just tell me where we need to go.”
When Anaar found out where his daughter was being treated, he could not believe his ears. He expected her to be in one of the local hospitals, but she was not even in the state. To his surprise she was not even in the country. The experimental treatment facility was in Norway, which meant Harston had not seen his daughter since she left. Anaar could not imagine the weight of putting complete faith in strangers, an ocean and many countries away.
When they arrived to the clinic, Anaar explained the situation to the nurse at the desk, utilizing his integration with Hobb to converse in Norweigan. Once the staff understood the situation and how far the man had traveled, they made sure to accommodate him with English speaking staff after they guided the two of them to Janna’s room. Though he was not sure what he should have expected, seeing the sleeping Janna came as a surprise to him.
He knew Harston’s daughter was not much older than him, but she appeared so frail and sickly that it was easy to mistake her for someone twice her age. Harston dropped to his knees by her bedside, grabbing her small hand tenderly and kissing it whilst his eyes streamed tears. Anaar could tell that if given the opportunity, he would trade his life for her health in an instant without a second thought.
Luckily for Harston, that would not be necessary. Direct physical trauma was much more prominent than malady, as the body immediately recognizes something is wrong and enters a state of distress. For infections or more naturally occurring issues such as the auto-immune ones Janna had, they were more subtle, interwoven into the proper functions of the body. As such, Anaar carefully examined her, finding that she had a dangerous cocktail of issues, and some of them were not being treated directly, likely because they were seen as symptoms of the larger problem.
Regular Medics would never be capable of treating such a virulent string of illnesses. Even a Medic like Genny who specialized in purification rather than healing of direct trauma would not be effective in such a situation. The young woman was holding on by the science of modern medicine alone. Even his own healing abilities would have been no match for what ailed Janna if he had not obtained the Life attunement.
Since he had only been healing normal trauma as he was used to doing, Anaar had not noticed much to be different about his Unfettered Healing ability in comparison to what he had known all his life. It was now clear how dramatically different the two were. Though he knew as much already, Unfettered Healing was far superior in every way to his normal Healing. His Life attuned abilities were able to commune with the very fabric of life itself, therefore understanding and coming to an agreement throughout the healing process. It was this reason no disease was a match for it, since it understood everything about them down to the very core.
Though he had healed Janna, her body was still weak and ravaged by the disease she had been facing. It would take some time for her to recover from such a state, but Anaar smiled internally, knowing she would be given the chance for a bright future. It also worked to his benefit since her weak constitution would hide her recovery for some time, which would prevent suspicion from being placed on him. Leaving Harston by Janna’s bedside, Anaar checked the time and realized he was almost late for his appointment.
Many images swirled in Anaar’s mind of the person he was meeting. He had dealt with a loanshark once before during a mission, though they were not the primary target, but instead a middleman. His expectations of a dark seedy bar, and a back room with a greasy man in an overpriced suit were shattered by the reality of the situation. He instead found himself at an opulent manor, perfectly manicured and reminiscent of something befitting nobility of a past age.
The kindly old man he met looked more like someone’s grandfather who spoiled his grandchildren and taught them about things no one remembered. He only had two guards with him, though Anaar could tell neither of them were ordinary people. Given the proximity, he would not be surprised if the two men were Sophangence alumni. The old man met Anaar with a discerning, yet unbothered gaze.
“Sent someone on his behalf I see. He must have known there was no chance he was leaving uninjured. It matters not. You’ll do to send him a message.”
Anaar examined the man carefully, understanding why he was not cocky, but he was indeed confident. “I am sorry to inform you that while I am a messenger, the message is for you, not Harston. His debts are hereby paid in full, and you will never bother him again. If you do, it will not end well for you.”
The old man laughed, the genteel veneer he once had, dropping to reveal the sinister nature that made him one of the most feared loansharks within the region. “Bold words for someone who carelessly walked into my domain. I see you are a Sophangence student, which explains the arrogance. I know much about Sophangence. Why don’t I show you the difference between a student and a graduate?”
The man on the right took off at a blinding speed that would have been impossible for most people to track. The movements felt somewhat familiar to him, and it was just as a wicked blow was about to land that Anaar realized it.
This guy was trained by Master Shin!
Anaar blocked the blow with one arm, whilst simultaneously grabbing the man’s face with the other. If he was trained by Master Shin, there was no other option when dealing with him. Though there was barely any force behind it, to those watching, Anaar slammed the man’s head into the floor so hard, he collapsed it, falling down to the lower level.
In the resulting dust and confusion, the other man wasted no time sending out his most concentrated blades of wind. As typical with skilled Aerokinetics that are intending to kill, two blades bisected one another so that it would leave few avenues to dodge. Unfortunately for the man, he was not even on the same planet compared to Anaar when it came to strength or experience. Knowing that Aerokinetics were unlike Pyrokinetics who gained a resistance to their element, a corona consumed the blades of wind, only to spit them back out from above and eight times their strength and speed, leaving the man in pieces.
Even after everything that had occurred, the old man did not seem concerned. Anaar could hear others approaching, but given how quickly he had dispatched the previous two, the man must have known reinforcements would not make it in time. Then Anaar felt it, the sensation scratching at the corners of his mind. It concerned him that even after how much strength he had gained, he was still susceptible to psychic influence. He was convinced that without such strength he would have succumbed long ago.
“Sophangence’s stock has really improved over the years. Those were my best men, punished like little children. You’ll make a fine addition to my collection. I had thought you would have been mine in an instant. I have an eye for quality, but your resistance is nothing short of remarkable. Even though you are
not directly under my control yet, I made it so you could not harm me from the start. I grow stronger the longer I influence you. It should only be a matter of time before-”
Before his sentence could finish, the man’s head exploded in a vibrant spray of red and brain matter. The annoying scratching stopped immediately, and Anaar sighed a breath of relief.
“I really don’t like people playing with my head, so I had to take yours.”
Anaar did not like that the leader of the operations had died before he could clear Harston’s debt officially, but he did notice the terminal the man was working on when he arrived. Placing barriers to block the entry of anyone before he finished his task, he was happy to see the residual hacking skills he had gotten from Peter’s Inquest, along with his enhanced connection with Hobb made it a trivial task to erase all records that Harston ever had dealings with the man in the first place. The result was messier than he would have liked, but achieved his end all the same. He left through a portal just as the backup arrived.
With the matter solved, Anaar had a few more errands to run before he could consider things completed. Once he was done with everything, he returned back to Harston and his daughter. Harston was confused when he arrived with a suitcase and another bag of items.
“Please excuse the intrusion, but you have been going through my underwear for years now, I figure one good deed deserves another. Don’t ask how I know where you live, and I’m sure you know how I got in. You belong here with your daughter. If I had known she was so far away, I would have never allowed you to be wasting time with me. Stay as long as you need, you will still be getting paid. Speaking of which, I have already had your backpay deposited in your account, it is ready to use. Here is the key to your hotel, it is about two miles away. This should be enough clothes for about a week, and then you will need to wash. Your toiletries and other items are in this bag. When you are ready to come home, let me know. I’ll come pick you up.”
Harston was overcome with emotion, jumping from his chair and squeezing Anaar so tightly a normal person would have trouble breathing. “Thank you Anaar. I could never repay you…”
“Of course you couldn’t. Who pays for something they have already paid for a thousand times over? I am the one who should be thanking you. For everything. You are family now Harston, that is what we do. I only wish you would have told me sooner.”
Haston releases Anaar, hanging his head in shame. “I did not want to be a bother to you. Even though I was sure you could likely make changes, I knew our time together would not last forever. Once you graduate, I would be moved on to the next, and they would not care about me the way you do. I did not want to become comfortable with a situation that was ephemeral.”
“I see. I won’t continue to question your decisions, we all live with the consequences of our actions. I know it may be months before you are ready to come back home, but don’t worry-”
Harston wipes his eye, and his face visibly brightens. “There is great news! Janna may be released by next week! It is a miracle! She is suddenly doing much better! So much that she was even up speaking earlier! I am truly grateful I was able to be here when she awoke!”
Eh? That wasn’t supposed to happen that fast! Oh god, they haven’t even had the time to run a full battery of tests. If they find out she is now more or less the picture of health, they will definitely find something fishy. I’ve gotta get out of here!
“Wow! That is amazing! I’m so happy for you! Well, remember what I said. Take as long as you need! Just focus on Janna’s happiness right now and nothing else! Whatever foolishness the doctors tell you, just believe in miracles! Bye!”
Anaar dives quickly through a portal, leaving Harston confused by his odd behavior. Putting his concerns aside, he realized Anaar was correct, and that his focus should be on restoring Janna to state of health and happiness. Placing his belongings by the opposite wall, he retook his seat and began planning how he could make up for all the time he had been robbed of due to his work and her illness.
31
Her hair was done, her face was makeup free and greased, and she had stretched for an hour. There was nothing left she could do. For the first time, she felt completely alone, none of her friends being available for support. From what she understood, being properly prepared was the difference between an easy path, or the road to hell. She refused to be eliminated quickly because she failed to prepare.
Many people found her too carefree and lacking discipline, but Shonte and those closest to her knew that she was the complete opposite. She worked harder than anyone around her, and she was constantly evaluating the next steps to take. If she failed to do so, it would spell nothing but hardship for her.
There was nothing she wanted more than to correct the mistakes from her Melee. Though many praised her for being fourth in their class, there were many opportunities for improvement that haunted her. She loved her friends dearly, and had no problem fighting anyone who might threaten them in any way, but she envied the relationship Stefani had with her friends. She felt if she could only be more like her, then she would have no problem reaching the top.
Stefani was beautiful and extremely capable, but by her own account, that was not always the case. Even then, Stefani still considered herself to be the one holding all her friends back. Each one of her friends were stronger and more dependable than the last, which Shonte yearned for. The only person in her inner circle of friends that was as hungry for success as she was happened to be Peter, but his misguided attempts at elevating himself often put him behind Leo, the laziest of their group.
Shonte found herself resenting Leo for how much talent he held, but lacked the will to shine. Without any effort, he managed to be only five spots lower than her in the rankings, and only marginally lower in the ACR. When she combined it with his popularity amongst both men and women, the latter of which would never receive any reciprocation, it seemed unfair she should be forced to work so tirelessly for the little she had. Peter often compared Leo to Anaar, but Shonte knew better. Hard work recognized hard work, and though Anaar was without a doubt one of the most talented people to exist, his work ethic put her own to shame.
She had done her research, and she understood critical errors in her performance during the Melee. The first round of the School Rankings Tournament was the same as the Melee, simply with a reduced pool of opponents. What information she could find, she had compiled and committed to memory about her opponents. It was only after the participants were announced that she came to realize just how many she knew, even if it was not very well. With this additional leverage, she was sure she could fight for a top spot.
When she was summoned to compete, she expected them give her time to prepare, every second placing her in a worse position, but instead they collected her with no offers of preparation. This did not bother her since she had been waiting for them to arrive, but it did not make her feel at ease that the process was already diverging from what she planned for. She was brought to a large conference room, some of the seats already filled with the people she had researched.
She looked across the table to see Anaar swatting Phavian for some unknown reason. Almost as if he felt her gaze, he looked up directly into her eyes, offering a slight wave and a smile. The room continued to fill until all twenty students were accounted for. Shonte’s breath caught in her chest for a moment as she swept the room, her mind understanding the challenge everyone in the room could bring. The expressions ranged from feigned interest to barely contained vigor, her own being somewhere in the middle as she did her best to assess the obstacles in her path. A lithe man in a tight polo and slacks stepped forward, clearing his throat for attention.
“Now that we have everyone gathered, we can begin. I am sure those of you who participated last year are confused as to why there was no preparation phase, but it seems no one required it given the number of weapons I see at the ready. Rather than dropping you in to a traditional Melee environment, we wanted to do somethin
g different this year.
“Though the Melee is one of the best ways to evaluate large groups that are on many different levels, you twenty have been chosen as the best of your class. It would not do to allow an event of this magnitude to become stale and predictable. The first round will consist of a bracket style tournament.”
Murmurs began throughout the room as those who knew one another whispered amongst themselves about such a dramatic change. One of the immediate concerns for most involved focused on their plan to isolate and tackle Anaar as a group. Everyone who was not involved with Anaar knew of the plan and had agreed to it, including Shonte, whose relationship with Anaar was not strong enough to outweigh higher seeding in the tournament.
“Though this may be a bracket style tournament, we would also like to test your ability to create unplanned, strategic partnerships. Special care has been taken to limit any partners that would have extensive preexisting knowledge of one another. Each two person cell will fight their way to the top using any means necessary. Minor first aid will be administered to the winners of each match barring special circumstances. The caveat to this is that only those able to make it through the match in fighting condition may continue. If someone is incapacitated during the match, their partner must continue on alone.”
Seeds of doubt and uncertainty had already begun to take root when the students heard they would not be fully treated and given proper rest after a match, but it was made even worse when they found out they could be forced to fight alone if their partner was dead weight, or not a good match for them. This caused many to sweat as their plans unraveled. Everyone present understood there would be very little chance of further advancement if they lost their partner.
“The standings will still be tabulated according to collected points. Please be aware points are assigned to individuals, not teams, which means there is a limited amount of points that a maximum of four contestants will be in contention for, even though the teams will consist of pairs. The question is how you will balance your personal motivations with that of your teammate.”
Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 52