Chapter 9: The Past and the Present

  Atair was sipping a cup of tea when the three of them returned to his abode.

  “Ah, welcome back, travellers!” he greeted them. “I trust the hospitality has been satisfactory?”

  Noah opened his mouth, but Sophie answered before he could. “It’s been wonderful. Jabawi and his family have been exceptionally generous.”

  Jabawi, who was standing a bit further back, bowed to the Elder. “We did as you requested, Sir.”

  “Excellent, thank you Jabawi. I shall see to it that you will be rewarded for your efforts. Now then, let us get to the crux of the matter. Where would you like me to begin?” Atair turned his attention back to Noah and Sophie.

  “Let’s start from the beginning,” Noah suggested. “How did we get transported here? Also, where exactly are we?”

  “If what Jabawi has surmised is indeed true, then it was Anna Aurevel who transported you. Her command over portal magic is formidable, so that expnation holds merit. As for your current location, you find yourselves in Kamaru Vilge, a humble settlement nestled within the vast expanse of the Mytharean Kingdom.”

  “I see. Do you know why we were transported in the first pce? Did it have something to do with the 'Heroes of the Prophecy' thing?”

  Atair stroked his chin. “Perhaps. Though one would be wise not to jump to conclusions so hastily. The Prophecy speaks of heroes destined to shield our kingdom from the impending Camity. No one knows exactly what that is, but it was inscribed over a century ago, and while summoning rituals are conducted every five years across the three great kingdoms of Aztalith—Mytharea, Florwynne, and Vyndamas—few of those called forth remain, and even fewer are deemed worthy. Those summoned are said to be drawn from the brink of death in another world, offered a second life in exchange for their service. Fortunately, the Camity itself has yet to manifest.”

  Few still remain? Did that mean other people from his world had been transported here in the past, and some of them were still alive?

  Before Noah could speak, Atair continued, “That said, it is indeed true that those summoned with a lower Rank are... quietly removed, by means not spoken of among the common folk. Which begs the question—how is it that you managed to escape?”

  Noah proceeded to recount everything, from the bus crash to their arrival at the vilge. “…and then we wandered around until we found this pce,” he concluded.

  Atair nodded in understanding. “Fate rarely grants such defiance without reason.”

  “By the way, what’s with the ranking system?” Noah asked. “I got an F.”

  “Naturally, an F-Rank is simply someone without any magical abilities, so to speak. Such individuals make up half the popution. But as far as the legends go, out of the people summoned from your world, only one other F-Rank has ever been recorded. That was said to have happened decades ago in the neighbouring kingdom of Vyndamas. I never imagined to witness another in my lifetime."

  He cleared his throat. “Now what I find most fascinating, is that those summoned should always have both a Talent and a Rank. You clearly have a Talent, but it outright contradicts your Rank.”

  “Okay… so the rest of the Ranks represent how strong a person is, right?”

  “Yes, Ranks reflect the potency of both the Talent and the respective skills a magician can unlock,” Atair expined. “The legendary SS-Ranked magicians stand at the pinnacle, while F-Ranks lie at the bottom.” So if Marcus got an A-Rank, he must be part of the third highest tier. How lucky.

  “If I may ask, do you have a Talent?” Sophie inquired.

  “Yes. Not to toot my own horn, but I, for example, am an S-Rank. My Talent is known as Tempest. It allows me to control the wind currents.” He waved his hand. A gentle breeze blew through the room.

  “Is it possible to have a simir Talent as someone else?”

  “Indeed. However, the higher one’s Rank, the rarer their Talent tends to be.”

  Noah raised his hand. “Okay, so I think I know how this works, but I’d like some crification.” He opened his Vitra. “What do GS1 (level 1) and TS1 (level 1) mean?”

  “As you may have guessed, GS1 stands for Global Skill 1, and TS1 means Talent Skill 1. The number after it refers to its rarity, with 1 being the most common. Global skills are skills that any magician can learn, while Talent Skills are unique to one’s respective Talent. The level after it simply dictates the level of the skill itself.”

  Noah wasn’t sure if he’d absorbed everything, but he figured he’d grasped the gist of it.

  “So just an example—something like TS4, Void Cannon (level 3) would imply a very rare Talent Skill that’s already been levelled up twice?”

  “That’s right.”

  “I’m an E-Rank with a Talent called Looter… does that mean Looters are just… kinda bad?” Sophie asked.

  “Not necessarily,” Atair gave a pyful wag of the finger. “That is but your base Rank. Once you have levelled up or sin certain creatures, the Lattice will adjust your Rank accordingly. The Lattice, you see, is the very system that governs all your statistics and progression. It is an ancient, all-knowing entity, a force beyond even the comprehension of the wisest minds in this world.”

  “So, you mean it’s like... a god?”

  “Some might say so, yes. It has existed for hundreds of years, and no one has dared question its existence,” Atair finished with a flourish of his hands. “Is that all you wish to ask?”

  “One more thing. Why did I get assigned an F-Rank? If I have a Talent, it shouldn’t be possible, right? Or at least, it’s extremely rare as you said,” Noah inquired.

  “I don’t know.”

  Noah tilted his head. Was that it?

  “You seem unsatisfied, young Noah.”

  “Sorry, I mean…”

  Atair started pacing around the room again. "In all my years, I’ve never come across a Talent called Zero. Given that Anna has cast you aside, I suspect she is either unfamiliar or holds little regard for it."

  There was a moment of silence as Noah and Sophie digested the information. Finally, Noah asked what was probably the most important question of all.

  “Do you know how we can get back to our world?”

  Atair’s expression grew solemn. “I regret to admit that I ck such knowledge.. You see, if you were transported here, it signifies that your lives were forfeit in your previous world. In theory, you no longer exist in that realm. At least, that is the common understanding of such matters.”

  Noah felt the weight of those words settle within him. It was a harsh truth, and it did hit him hard, but strangely, he wasn’t as devastated as he’d thought he’d be. Sure, dying sucked, but he had at least been blessed with a new life.

  But then he thought of his parents, and the sorrow that must have gripped them when the inevitable news of a bus vanishing in the Kairo Mountains was released. In fact, it probably already was. His throat tightened.

  “We have spoken of the past and the present,” Atair’s voice broke through Noah’s thoughts. “But we have yet to discuss the future. What will your next course of action be, young travellers?”

  Noah was about to ask Sophie for her opinion but stopped short when he noticed her expression. It looked like she was struggling not to cry, and that she hadn’t processed the information well either.

  “I understand the news is upsetting,” Atair said. “But when presented the opportunity, should we not seize it with all we have?”

  Noah could see the logic in Atair's words, but the situation still felt too raw for him. It wasn’t easy to just simply start and adapt to a new life.

  “Maybe we can still find a way back?” Noah said, giving Sophie a gentle pat on the shoulder. Her body trembled beneath his touch, but she didn’t push him away.

  “Didn’t Atair say it was impossible?” she asked.

  “I mean, we might as well try, right?”

  Atair seemed impressed. “Do not take my words as gospel, for portal magic is not within my area of expertise. If you wish to pursue it further, you should seek out an expert in such arts. I take it you are familiar with one.”

  Anna. He was clearly referring to her. Perhaps she knew something Atair didn’t?

  “On a completely separate note, we will be making our weekly crop transport over to Mytharus ter today. It’s the capital of Mytharea, and also where Anna resides,” Atair winked. “If there are no further questions, I shall take my leave now to inspect the crop yield.”

  “Please take us along,” Noah blurted.

  Sophie looked at him in shock. “Are you sure?”

  “We have unfinished business with Anna,” he said gravely.

  “Miss Sophie, your thoughts?”

  “Y-yeah, sure?”

  “Very well, I shall reserve an extra cart for the two of you. Jabawi will pick you up when we are ready.”

  A few hours and a quick meal ter, Noah and Sophie headed to the departure point, doing their best to ignore the curious gnces from the vilgers. With Jabawi walking alongside them, most seemed friendly, with some even offering small waves. Noah awkwardly responded in turn.

  While they had been waiting, Atair had assigned the vilge’s doctor to conduct a check-up on them. Noah appeared to be fine. Sophie was given supplements and was decred to be pretty much fully cured by the end of the day.

  When they arrived at the meeting area, about fifteen vilgers were already gathered, finalising their preparations. In their midst stood Atair.

  He waved them over upon seeing them. “All set?”

  “Yes Sir. Are you coming along too?” Noah asked.

  “Usually, no. But something tells me that this journey will lead to anything but the ordinary. Jabawi!”

  “Yes, Sir!”

  “Take care of the vilge while I’m gone. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  Atair gestured to a tiny carriage, complete with a shelter and a hay-cushioned interior. “This one is for you two.”

  As Noah cmbered in, he overheard a man speaking to Atair.

  “Sir, I must remind you that bandit activity has been picking up around Cressio Woods. I request that you stay behind while we handle the transport.”

  “Tell me, Pedri, what is the duty of an Elder?” Atair questioned.

  “To guide, to protect, and to ensure the vilge prospers,” Pedri recited without hesitation.

  “Indeed. Then I must ask you this—can one truly guide from the comfort of a chair? Can one protect by standing behind locked doors?”

  “Caution is not the same as recklessness, Sir.”

  “Ah, but if one does not walk the same road—"

  Sophie settled in beside Noah. “There he goes again,” she sighed. “Sometimes I don’t know if he’s actually really smart, or just trying to sound like he is.”

  Noah leaned back against the hay. “Didn’t you say you liked his yapping?”

  “I’d like to see him speak with Anna. I feel she’d blow her top,” Sophie giggled.

  “Yeah, hopefully we’ll make it there safe. The dude speaking to Atair did mention something about bandits.”

  “Then maybe it’s a good thing he’s accompanying us.”

  Sophie leaned in towards his ear. “Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious? He seems really invested in helping us.”

  The truth was, the same thought had sprung up in Noah’s mind. Atair was even putting himself at risk in his quest to help them. But then again, Noah just couldn't sense any ill intent from someone like him.

  “I don't know, but let's just py along for now,” Noah whispered back.

  MesaMesa17