Adjustment Issues

Grunts and thuds echoed through the brightly lit training chamber early the next morning. Cain had only been awake for about fifteen minutes, and he was still shaking off the morning fatigue. He’d woken up to find himself still in bed in his new quarters, disappointed beyond belief that it hadn’t all just been some elaborate dream. As he had blinked himself awake however, he nearly jumped out of his skin after realizing Gunnar was standing over him.

Gunnar simply grumbled, “Good, you’re awake. Get up and get ready, it’s time for trainin’.”, then walked out of the room back towards the training chamber.

It took a few minutes for the adrenaline of waking up to a giant standing over him to wear off, but once it did, Cain reluctantly got ready. He slipped on a new pair of sweatpants and a tank top from inside his duffel bag, then headed to his first training session with worry on his mind and dread in his heart.

When he arrived, Gunnar was standing in the center of the training chamber, waiting for him. When he spotted Cain, he just nodded.

“Let’s get on with it then kid, come at me.” He barked, stiffening his legs and crossing his arms.

That had been several minutes prior. Cain was currently circling his opponent, sweat dripping from his forehead as he tried to find any kind of gap in Gunnar’s ironclad stance. Only Gunnar’s eyes moved, following his pupil’s every move as he circled him. Cain circled behind Gunnar, out of his line of sight, and lunged. He aimed a kick at the backside of Gunnar’s knee, hoping to make him fall over to break his stance. Cain’s aim was true, but to his dismay his foot phased through Gunnar’s leg, flickering like static similar to how his hand did the night before. Before he could react and recover from his failed strike, Gunnar grabbed him by the collar, throwing Cain over his shoulder and slamming him back down into the matted floor. Cain gasped as he felt the air being forcefully pushed out of his lungs by the impact. In spite of his body’s painful protest, he jumped backward to regain his composure. Gunnar simply stood there in his rock solid stance, his horns suddenly seeming much more demonic.

The two combatants went through several more of these exchanges, each nearly identical in terms of outcome. No matter how skilled a kickboxer Cain may have been back on Earth, it didn’t seem to matter here. Not when his opponent was an eight foot tall grizzled warrior who seemed to be half fortress, half ox man at least. Some of Cain’s blows hit their mark, others phased through Gunnar—but none of them seemed to have even the slightest bit of effect. Meanwhile, Cain was battered and bruised, pouring sweat and breathing heavily. He had been a fool to think he could’ve gotten past Gunnar the night before. The fact that Cain could tell that Gunnar wasn’t even trying did little to soothe his demoralization.

Cain’s fruitless onslaught began to lead to exasperation. His exasperation festered, turning into desperation. And finally, his desperation made him reckless, causing him to break into a mindless headlong rush directly towards Gunnar. He charged, approaching Gunnar and throwing a punch with every bit of remaining strength he had and charged with every negative thought he’d had since he arrived here. But just before his fist made contact, his wrist was caught in Gunnar’s iron grip. Cain closed his eyes in anticipation of another blow to the gut that would leave him gasping for air, or perhaps another throw that would make him beg his body to move afterwards. However, nothing like that ever came.

“That’s enough, kid. You’re gettin’ sloppy.” Gunnar said softly, the gravel in his voice now more like sand.

Cain opened his eyes and peered up at him. The stone-cold face of a battle hardened veteran that had been glaring down at him only moments before was gone. In its place was the gentler face of a man whose sad, weary eyes betrayed an unexpected sympathy. Numerous scars and wrinkles covered Gunnar’s face like small valleys, showing a man who was well past his prime. This only added to Cain’s frustrations.

“Talk to me, kid. I wouldn’t be much of a mentor if I ignored your concerns.” Gunnar urged, letting go of Cain’s wrist.

Cain flexed his wrist a bit, then sat down on the floor. So far, he had tried bottling most of his feelings about all of this away, but the pressure kept building. Perhaps Gunnar was like a hammer, cracking the bottle so that it could finally release some of that pressure. Or maybe Cain just really wanted to talk to someone. Either way, Cain let free his doubts and feelings, much to his own surprise.

“I can’t do this. It’s all too much!”, he blurted out. “I mean, I can barely figure out what you people even want from me. You all just threw me into this without telling me anything! It seems like you want to turn me into some kind of soldier for some unwinnable war you’re waging, which is insanity! I’m just a kid, man! What difference am I gonna make against some crazy alien invasion that your entire world combined couldn’t even stop?!”

Gunnar sat down next to Cain. He didn’t say anything. He just kept looking at Cain intently, waiting for him to finish.

“I don’t know anything about this world. I don’t know anything about any of you, or anyone else here. And I sure as hell don’t know anything about the enemy you’re facing. I’m so sick of all the pressure and expectations. It’s like they followed me here or something! And I think the worst part…”, Cain’s voice shook as he looked down, his body flickering and crackling, “...is that I actually want to help, despite it all. But this all seems so far outside of what I’ve ever considered myself capable of.”

He looked back up at Gunnar and met his gaze. He was so used to seeing the disappointed look that his dad had been throwing at him lately that he expected more of the same after his confessions. Yet, the eyes looking back at him were brimming with understanding.

Gunnar let out a half-chuckle. “Y’know, I had a feeling it’d be something like that from the look in your eye.”, he grumbled, getting up off the floor. “Kid, you’ve more or less just described the thoughts any warrior has before going into battle. I don’t know what your world was like, but I won’t sugarcoat it, things are pretty rough right now in ours. That’s why we summoned you: because we needed help. And despite what the others think, my gut tells me that circle summoned you for a reason. I think there’s somethin’ here that only you can do.”

“I just don’t know what you expect me to do.” Cain mumbled as his body began to stabilize.

“Right now? Nothin’. Despite how things might seem to you, we ain’t expectin’ a miracle out of you. Not yet at least. You just got here and don’t know anything about anything, like you said, so give yourself some time. But there comes a time in anyone’s journey where they have to stand up and learn how to fight, even with all the pressures of life weighing down on them. It ain’t gonna be easy, but I can tell by the way you carry yourself that you’re a warrior.”

“What do you mean?”

“I just mean that you’ll be fine. You don’t have to know everything or be able to do everything right away, you’ll get there. It ain’t even been a day since you got here after all. The fact that you have that desire to help despite us snatchin’ you from your home tells me you’ve got the spirit for it. So, try not to worry so much about what you’re capable of right now.” Gunnar said, extending his hand out to help Cain up.

Cain sat there, in the middle of the training chamber, in a state of disbelief. Based on first impressions, he’d expected Gunnar to be the strong silent type, but these words were the ones of someone who had dealt with things like this countless times before. It was clear he was a respected member of Last Bastion for a reason. Cain hesitantly reached his hand out towards Gunnar’s. Their palms met with a small clap, and Gunnar pulled Cain up off the floor without issue.

Gunnar gave Cain a rather hard pat on the shoulder. “Take the rest of the day off to clear your head, kid. I got a general idea of your current abilities anyways, so I expect things to go a bit better next time.”

“Thanks, Gunnar. I’ll…try to keep in mind the things you said. And sorry for losing my cool on you.” Cain said, the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

Gunnar’s lips turned upwards somewhere in the forest of his beard. “Don’t be, we all need to let it out sometimes. Take it easy til next time, kid.”

Cain walked out of the training room, leaving Gunnar behind to prepare for the next training session. As he exited, he was met with a small, yet forceful shoulder check to the chest. Normally, it wouldn’t have phased him too much, but after the beating he’d just taken, Cain stumbled slightly and let out a huff of displeasure. The culprit of his discomfort stood in front of him, Rina—smiling brightly.

“Hey Cain! How was training?”

He rubbed his chest, managing a pained groan in response.

“That well, huh? Well listen, are you busy right now?” she continued, not missing a beat.

“Training was the only thing on my schedule as far as I know. I assume you’re wanting to follow up on the research wing tour from last night?”

“You’re so good at this. Is now a good time? I’ve got a lot of things I want to show you.”

“Why not? Not like I’ve got anything else to do.” Cain replied. He thought for a moment. “How long have you been waiting for me out here?”

“I’m so excited! I have so much to talk about and so many things to test on you.” Rina squealed, seemingly ignoring the question.

Something about the last thing she said left Cain a little unnerved, but he followed her to the research wing regardless.

The main branching chamber was only slightly more active than it had been the night before. A few individuals that Cain didn’t recognize passed by them, as well as some odd little robotic creatures that scurried from place to place, crawling through passages in the walls. Automatons created by Ravel and Eagrin that help with upkeep and maintenance, Rina explained. Curiosity quelled for the moment, Cain saw fit to keep moving, and before long the two stood in front of the doors to the research wing once again.

Rina looked back at Cain and flashed him a grin before walking over to the rightmost door and opening it with a flick of her wrist. Cain’s first thoughts as he stepped through the door and entered the room were that it was nice how the messiness of scholars seemed to be a universal thing. Stacks of books and loose papers were strewn about, giving the room a faint scent of parchment, along with whatever candles Rina seemed to be burning. All sorts of trinkets and curios littered the bookcases and shelves of the room. A crystallized eye that seemed to follow Cain wherever he went, a set of metal rods that each glowed with glyphs, jars containing tiny motes of sparkling lights, and many more things that enraptured Cain’s curiosity.

“Take a seat over there, please.” Rina directed, pointing to a chair with a stack of books on it.

Cain sat the small library of tomes to the side and sat down, idly glancing around the room with wonder. He leaned back and waited for a good while, waiting for Rina to remember he was there as she darted between cluttered desks, murmuring to herself and scribbling notes. At last, she turned around, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

“So tell me,” she began, “what happened in training?”

“I…got my ass handed to me and then crashed out about it.” Cain sighed, “Gunnar wasn’t what I expected at all. Everything I threw at him, he just brushed off. And then even when I lashed out at him, he just sat there and gave me sagely advice.”

“I see. Well, what did he say?” Rina asked, seemingly absentmindedly as she tinkered with something at a cluttered table.

“He just told me not to worry so much about what I know and my capabilities.” replied Cain, “Are you actually listening to me or am I just here for background noise?”

Rina turned around, holding a small metal wafer that was covered in runes. “Of course I’m listening! I was just trying to spark up some conversation while I got some things ready.”

“What is that?”

A sheepish grin covered her face. “Well, I was kind of hoping you’d let me run a few tests while we talked, so I can try to figure out what’s going on with you and the whole flickering thing.”

“Do you think you can actually figure it out?” Cain asked, the caution in his voice palpable.

“Of course!” she said, her golden eyes twinkling with curiosity in the room’s dim lighting, “And, we’ll even make a deal out of it. You let me perform some tests to try and figure you out, as well as tell me about your world. In exchange, I’ll do everything in my power to help you with the problems you mentioned earlier by telling you about our world and assisting you in figuring out what kinds of things you can do. How’s that sound?”

Once again, Cain was shocked at the kindness being shown to him by someone he barely knew. “I don’t understand. You guys said that I’m not at all what you wanted to come through that ritual circle, so why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because you look like you could use a friend.” Rina answered, her smile lighting up the room. “Besides, I know what it’s like, being where you are right now. I wouldn’t want you to have to deal with all of this alone.”

Cain felt a warmth that he hadn’t felt in what felt like an eternity, even though it hadn’t even been a full day since he’d last seen his friends. He felt the satisfaction of knowing someone was there for him, and in that moment, any doubts he had about Rina’s intentions melted away.

He returned her smile. “You know, that doesn’t sound too bad actually.”

The next few hours were filled with strange experiments and a lot of talking. Drinking odd potions, holding onto magically charged objects, and touching glyphs to see their reactions. Each test was accompanied by a longform speech from Rina about the purpose of the test and how it would serve to help them discover what was going on with Cain. He struggled to follow most of her explanations, but her enthusiasm was enjoyable enough that it kept him from becoming disinterested.

At one point, Cain got his first taste of one of the main things he knew of so far that made this world so different from his own: magic. Rina explained that its most widespread application was a technique known as Manasketch, a term that he recognized from the night before. It involved drawing glyphs and pictures using mana to produce a desired effect. She elaborated that mana could be drawn in a variety of different colors, each causing the resulting glyph to have different effects. Perhaps she got distracted while drawing her own glyph, because she neglected to go into more detail about the different colors. Or maybe she just noticed Cain’s eyes starting to glaze over and stopped for his sake. Either way, she apologized, saying she’d finish the explanation later.

Rina concentrated for a few moments before a mote of blue light appeared at the end of her finger. She traced a small circle in the air in front of Cain, and drew a picture of a book inside of it. The drawing flashed as she finished, and for a few seconds, Cain felt his mind speeding up. It was as if his thoughts became faster, while the world itself slowed down. Just as quickly as the feeling came however, it faded as the glyph flickered and fizzled. Cain fell over as his mind recoiled from the shock of his thoughts slowing back down, his own movements suddenly much faster than they had been moments before. Despite this failure, the two laughed.

The hours flew by as they laughed and talked. Cain told Rina all about Earth and what his life had been like when they summoned him. Meanwhile, Rina held glittering crystals against his skin, watching as they fizzled and occasionally throwing a teasing remark at him. Their experiments finally drew to a close several hours after they started. It had been late morning when they began, and now it was the afternoon. Maybe that old saying about time flying wasn’t too far off, Cain thought.

Rina dusted the residue of a shattered gemstone off of her hands. “Well, after all that and the examination I did of the ritual circle, I think I finally have a diagnosis for you Cain.”

“Give it to me straight, doc. Am I gonna make it?” Cain teased, smirking at her.

She rolled her eyes. “This is gonna sound a bit crazy, but if my hypothesis is correct, you seem to be…not entirely here.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means, I think something went wrong with the summoning ritual and you aren’t entirely in our world. Some part of you is here, and some part of you either remains in your world, or is lost in between.”

“No wonder I’ve been struggling so much, it’s like I’m some sort of glitch in the system.” Cain said, his smile fading from his face, “Is there anything we can do to fix it?”

“I’m not sure, but it certainly explains why mana acts so weird around you. I know it sounds serious, but intuition tells me it might not be all bad. It makes you unique, and there might be things you’re able to do that no one else can do.” Rina said, trying to reassure him.

“Like breaking all your fancy equipment?” Cain asked with a weak laugh as he looked over at the pile of broken lab implements from their experiments.

Rina giggled in response, putting a scaled fist out towards Cain. “Don’t worry about it, Cain. We’ll figure this out together, no matter how much of my equipment we have to go through.”

Cain’s smile returned, and he touched his fist to hers. For the first time since he’d arrived in Ranael, Cain was hopeful. He finally felt like things might just turn out okay. Maybe these people weren’t so bad after all. They seemed to at least care a little bit about what he thought about this whole situation. Then, the room’s warm atmosphere shattered as the door suddenly opened and Shadra strode into the room like a living shadow.

“Cain. Rina. You are wanted in operations. We have a situation.”