Episode 63: Projections

Autumn was having the best day of her life. The Feed the World event was updated and she was now not only the event's champion but she was also the star of the show. “Here we go, people,” said Bobby the announcer. She was glad that Carter Gestalt had made sure the man was chosen. She’d seen the few notes Carter had written on the vellum for his assistant and knew that without his assistance, she would not be where she was. “The descendant of Gaia has awoken, can our cultivators stop the power of the overgrown forests?” Autumn stood atop a pyramid made of stone with wooden stairs that led to the top from eight of the structure's 16 sides. Through the center of the pyramid was pure dirt, which was connected to the now single field that Autumn was positioned in the middle of. A maze of water trenches designed by Auto weaved from the outer limits of the fields that flowed in a perpetual motion toward the pyramid. While thousands of cultivators stood lined up around the perimeter, ready and excited for the chance to win as much points as possible. The one objective had changed from a growing competition, to a deforestation challenge. The former game was moved and renamed, but Coliseum had more than enough space. If cultivators managed to destroy sections of the crops Autumn grew, they were rewarded in the point equivalent for how much they managed to destroy. If they managed to take her out completely, they were rewarded the equivalent of how many crops remained. She raised her arms into the air, and crops grew from the ground all throughout the field. An intricate maze of tall and dense trees followed, and finally came, Titan. She grew the large tree with a few suggested changes from Carter’s assistant. The changes made the tree terrifying to look at, in addition to fight. It towered above even the forest Autumn had created to hide the pyramid from view. While the trees below were still so tall that seeing Titan was made impossible by the dense foliage and the tree canopy above the cultivators' heads. “Call of the Mother!” Autumn yelled, and the games beginning was signaled. At the same time, she summoned humanoid tree people from every tree in the forest at the same time. Thousands of cultivators rushed into the forest at once, to come up against squadrons of tree people, and even more vine attacks. The crowd erupted and Autumn couldn’t help but smile. A group of cultivators took flight as they always did during the beginning of the rounds. Then experienced the difference between the small vines of the tree people Autumn summoned, and the arboresque arms of Titan as the monster reached and swatted them quickly from the sky. When the lilac barrier appeared above the field, before it smashed into a rain of purple and white gold flames that Autumn mistook for fireworks, she felt nothing but exhilaration. The flames came down and set her entire forest ablaze in a wash of powerful purple heat. She’d been told that there would be many challenges randomly thrust upon her, and saw this as one of many unknown hurdles to come. “This is going to be awesome!” … “I don’t think your sister likes us,” said Lane. Jasmine nodded in agreement, and Axis couldn’t help but sigh. “I sometimes wonder if she even likes me, don’t worry about it,” said Axis as the group took their seats. Ash had decided to join their group to see Autumn’s revised event, and remained silent the entire time. She’d thought about what her siblings had said, and found it ridiculous. Not entirely untrue, but still ridiculous. No, her youngest brother hadn’t done anything originally to invoke her wrath, but when she’d seen his movements within the dump, she started to understand the reality of the crown above his head. Arson was naturally suited to lead, she hadn’t seen the runt in a while, but if he was able to recruit talents such as Micro, and Carter Gestalt… Not to mention Arson had turned his few associates at his orphanage into cultivators of a degree worthy to join a College Sekt as she herself soon would. She glanced at Lane and Jasmine beside her sister, before she sighed and shook her head. “I have to kill him, or all of my work will be for naught…” Jasmine side eyed Ash. The intensity she summoned was filled with disgust and a lack of remorse. “Future gods aren’t foiled by competition, they're enriched by rivalry and the thirst for true strength brought on by their own potentials - Sovereign Arson Omni, he doesn’t even share your last name and you believe he wants your petty title? No, I’m sorry to tell you this little girl, but my boss is playing in a league that you don’t fit in, actually with what Arson showed us that we would probably face at the Sekts he got into, you wouldn’t even pass the entrance exams,” said Jasmine angered for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. “Jazz, it’s okay, she will figure things out for herself, it was hard enough for us all to see how Arson grows so strong so quickly, I can only imagine what it would be like in their household,” said Lane sympathetic. She didn’t want anyone to fight between Arson’s siblings and his friends, but knew the groups would eventually have to find some sort of common ground, or they’d spark some sort of odd family feud? Lane couldn’t help but think of Arson’s plans for exactly that, and what kind of spectacle she’d soon have to record, if the young scion had his way. Which he most likely will, Lane. You gotta stop doubting the kid, but first you have to stop thinking of him as a kid, or a hottie, equally as bad at this point. “Yeah, not gonna lie, being the children of Arsenal and Armor has never been easy for Ash, but that’s probably not what she’s so pissed about anyway, guys,” started Axis. “Shut your dirty gossiping mouth, Axis!” “She’s probably pissed off that Arson is strong, like way way strong even though he hasn’t lifted the seal put on all of the royal family’s children, Arson included, who also received it at birth, that stops us from being able to access the full power of our cores until adulthood.” finished Axis. Her explanation filled them all with different emotions. Ash felt rage at the twinge of truth held in her sisters words. Axis was filled with an excitement to see what her brother was possible of accomplishing. While Lane and Jasmine feared that Arson had already lifted the seal, and most likely was as strong as he was because of its removal. “So are you guys like half as strong as you would normally be until your 18th season cycle?” asked Lane. Her inner interviewer asked the question even though she didn’t want to bring any attention to what she and her friends hid, she didn’t want to miss any opportunities to learn what she could for Arson, if she could. Though she fought the sensation of uselessness that weighed down her shoulders when she thought about what she brought to her party’s physical strength, her ability to gather information was unrivaled within her own group. “Nope…” “I swear if you continue to divulge family secrets, I’m going to tell Seny,” threatened Ash, only to be ignored again. “we get access to 50% by the age 21, the second of three rings is shed by the age 100, and the final at 300 or 1000, can’t remember kinda stopped paying attention when I realized it was season cycles away from happening to me,” said Axis. Much was missing from the explanation, but even Jasmine knew that what they’d learned was enough for Arson to need to be aware of it, sooner, rather than later. “Thanks, I’m sure we can let the boss know if he doesn’t already, Jade is usually hip to that kind of stuff though, so I doubt it is a worry,” said Jasmine. Lane nodded, Axis smiled, and Ash sported an equally emotion-filled scowl. “So where is little spark? I’m surprised he sent the lot of you on vacation without him,” asked Ash. Jasmine gave Ash a rude gesture, while Lane smiled and responded. “He did some training away for a period and is now spending time with Jade now that he is back, he sent us to familiarize ourselves with his newest General, or GM Carter Gestalt,” spoke Lane sweetly. “Bull, he’s here somewhere, isn’t he? Maybe he’s already on the sky island and that’s why Carter wants to get up there, our sister Aura told us that’s your objective, it's not like we aren’t his family, you can tell us,” said Ash in a mockery of Lane’s charismatic presence. “Oh, is that why Aura is off trying to talk to Dad?” “Shut up, Axis!” Ash’s words caught in her throat when flames started to rain down and moments before a giant fireball could strike the audience near to them, Ash dove head first into danger. Come on, Ash! I thought we were over the hero complex, what the sparks are you doing! She’d put herself between the innocent and an unknown flame, again. Something her father had to train out of her young. His daughter’d been lost in the sensation of being unscathed by fire in her adolescence of their own realm, but not all fire was the same. Something she should have remembered before then. “Oh sparks…” … Aura paced on the rooftop and waited. She’d been there since before the suns had risen, and tried not to be impatient, but knew her father had the propensity to live his life in the clouds both literally and figuratively. Would it kill you to come and talk to me, Dad? Not like I’m asking you for a lot here, just a few moments of your time. Finally after what felt like an eternity, the king arrived. He landed on the rooftop with his arms spread wide to allow for his large wingspan to wrap around his body like a cloak. Two large wings folded perfectly like clothing around his torso after he stepped down with a final flap of his wings. No exceptions given to a lack of grace and the standard of discipline. “Hello, daughter, what plagues you?” Walk and talk like a king all you want, but I know your truth, father… “I have a favor to ask, I need you to meet with a friend of Arson’s, he’s requesting a meeting with you, but is going through the trouble of making enough points to make it up to the Sky Coliseum, and—“ The king chuckled hard enough for Aura to pause in her explanation. “You don’t mean Carter Gestalt, do you? The newest weapon master to the realm, do you?” Aura nodded and the king laughed even harder. “If your brother wants to prove himself and make it up there to talk to me, I have no intention of stopping him by approaching him before he makes it,” said her father. Aura’s brow scrunched, and she tilted her head in her father’s direction. “My brother, no dad, I’m asking for Carter, not Arson,” said Aura frustrated by the seeming confusion. Her father spread his arms once more to let his wings once more spread wide. “Ha, you may not be able to recognize your brother because he’s older now, but I recognize my children anywhere, and as I said before, Carter, Arson, doesn’t matter what you call him, I can wait, I love you Aura. Until we speak again, may your path lead to Endless. Growth and Grace my daughter.” “Growth and Grace, father…” She mumbled the words while her mind spun. She started to take in the young man she knew to be Carter Gestalt from memory, and cursed at the sense of vague familiarity she’d always gotten when around her new boss. “But if that is Arson, how is he that old looking, did he have some crazy growth spurt?” The questions kept Aura on the roof. She drowned in thoughts and questions she feared she’d never gain the answers to. And even before she could manage to pull herself from the mystery being woven around her, she witnessed the sky itself be ripped open almost directly above Autumn’s event stadium. “Oh no, Autumn!” … The king landed in a room full of holograms and many of the most influential cultivation masters and artists to ever live within the realm he called home. Two of which had now drawn a crowd over their ongoing dispute. One felt Troy, his son’s new companion was going to make it to the Sky resort of Coliseum first, and had the most potential of any cultivator on the lower levels. While the other felt Carter Gestalt, his Son, would make it first. The master who backed Troy, currently couldn’t stop laughing, as Arson was hanging from the side of a building, caught by his jacket, asleep. Meanwhile Troy was holding up a structure the king was sure some people around him would struggle to move, let alone maintain held upright. “He had a good showing, but I’m sorry you're going to lose,” yelled one master over the crowd. The mass of people had formed sides, and most of the other viewing areas had begun to close due to inactivity. The more people that watched Arson and Troy’s screens, the larger those screens became for the crowd to view. While other screens became smaller, or disappeared completely. His son and son’s girlfriend had taken up an entire wall by that point, and become the direct points in many conversations. Sekt leaders debated if the two were worthy of joining their own schools, and all but three were convinced. The king knew the three heads of the Tri-school legacy. Headmaster Ace Mana, from Ascension, located in the CityNation and foreign realm known as Union, instructed at the Chambers Institute. Headmaster Cinnex Carter, of the CityNation and capitol, Aspire, from their finest Sekt College, Inception Halls. As well as the former Jade's first master, aside from her own mother, Diana, the headmaster of CloudLake City’s Adroit Academy, Max. All three were legal realm travelers. Both licensed and capable of doing so, using realm bridges, rather than rips or tears in reality. Though the realms had different naming conventions one thing remained aligned from realm to realm. A realm's name was normally the same as the most prominent existence within the realm. May that be a capitol, Sekt City, or Maelstrom's own CityNations, the majority normally encompassed the realm's entire perception held by those externally. “Not interested?” whispered the king loud enough for the three headmasters outside the larger mass of arguing cultivators to hear him. “Quite the opposite,” started CloudLake’s Headmaster. “”He reminds me of someone. Hasn’t shown a talent for mana usage, but it feels like a sham somehow, like I’m being tricked,” finished the beautiful woman. “Likewise, his confidence reminds me of my cousin, Elizabeth. His every action so far seems like he is in the middle of one of her thousand step plans. Actually last time I talked to her it was within this realm,” said Cinnex. Her eyes creased as she was taken into deep thought. The potential of her words hit the King hard enough for him to want to change the topic somehow, but Ace managed to divert the attention from Arson unknowingly. “No, if El had anything to do with his upbringing we’d be looking at a heartless demon who’d be skilled in anything, not just swinging a scythe around. Regardless, I’ll be recruiting him for the Chambers Institute,” stated Ace loud enough that many heard. Which only added more timber to the flames of the nearby group. If one of the three wanted this Carter Gestalt, then they had to do their best to get them. “Sorry to tell you this, but I already have two recruiters working on them both,” said Cinnex, which to the king’s surprise caused the crowd to explode with activity, and Max to laugh. “What is it, do you believe their actions to be for naught?” asked the king to Max. He knew that to be her student would craft any in practically any realm into a polished weapon, as she’d taught Elizabeth, Arson’s mother how to teleport a fortnight after she received her abilities. Abilities she was never supposed to gain, and gained access too season cycles after was seen as normal or proper. “The boy merely has to pass the final portion of his entrance exam, and he will be a student at my school, and the girl would automatically gain access to the curriculum, as his registered attendant, amongst the others he brought with him during the Feed the world event, just thought it was funny that anyone thought they had a chance at either one of these two,” said Max with a wave of her hand. The king nodded because he knew it to be true. Arson hadn’t even attempted to gain admission to any other school. He wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps and become an Adroit Alumni. The crowd’s work increased. They knew they had even less of a chance after the statements were made, but a chance was still there. He hadn’t completed the exams, but his father knew the truth. A stormhead, you could have been a Mana Maelstrom like your father, but noo…. You want to be a CloudBrain, thought the king to himself. Sad that his son returned to his mother first, rather than his father. He knew in his soul that his time with Arson would come, but for now, his other children needed him just as much if not more. Your time alone has polished you, my son. May you return to Endless and free us all from our limits. Then the sky ripped and the king watched the headmasters from the Tai-school Legacy all smile. He knew what this was to them, but for him it was different entirely. Can I make a move before they do? “You two,” said Max with a snap at the two cultivation masters that started the fervor held by the mass for Arson and Troy. “Money on the sleeping young man solving the invasion,” finished Max with a smile. The opposing master folded his arms and looked at Troy once and then back at his old friend before Max and nodded in agreement. “You're on, my money’s on the girl solving the illegals, any side bets?” “Like what?” It was the king who jumped in, wanting to gain a piece of the action. He watched the people around him struggle for a moment to think of anything worthwhile, and interceded on his own behalf, his greed pushing him to move quickly. “I put money that the young man retains the Titan Steel Tree,” said the King. He wanted the ship above all else, as with his knowledge, the ship could be used to return him to a place he wondered if he ever should have left. May the Maiden direct my own light toward prosperity, and the paradise that is Endless, thought the king. Hoping that his long awaited prayers would be answered. Hoping he could snatch one of the realms most powerful tools ever created. “You're on,” said the man with a bow, saying exactly what the king wanted to hear. He assumed that if the bets were about something trivial, but directly connected to what he really wanted, the bets would create enough of a guise that he wouldn’t be seen through. None of them would, as he’d seen the flash of desire in every individual there that had seen the ship when it entered, and wasn’t the only one powerful enough to claim it for themselves. “Good luck, my King. Growth and Grace in your path to Endless,” said the master, not knowing how close to the truth he was. The king gave a single nod in response before he spoke and let all of them bet amongst themselves. “Growth and Grace.” … Xani stood next to Auto on a rooftop, surprised. She’d thought the young man had asked for help creating something new for his sister, but arrived to candles and food. Incredibly expensive food. “I thought—” started Xani but Auto cut in. “Yeah, I know, I know, but I work a little differently. Definitely didn’t lie, do need your help, just also think you are beautiful, and if I didn’t tell you first I’d honestly not be able to think straight about the work so…” He gestured toward the food at the end of his words and Xani approached the table too, surprising them both. “You are a slick one, huh?” said Xani with a look away in an attempt to hide her blush. “Not at all, do you know how expensive candles are, not to mention I had to pay for someone to install a wind barrier up here so that they wouldn’t constantly get blown out,” said Auto with a blush of his own. The two laughed, and talked as they ate. Xani found herself intrigued, and wondered if she was being tricked by the young man to the point that she ran a audible lie detector through her Overlay. Not lying, so just sweet like your brother, I guess that’s a plus, thought Xani. “Hey, Auto, did the barrier you had installed block out sound,” asked Xani, coming to her feet as she did so. “Yeah why, figured it would be good for privacy,” answered Auto. He was on his feet and quickly followed behind her as she rushed toward the edge of the rooftop and pointed directly downward. “Sparks,” was all Auto managed before a large ship smashed into the building they were on top of and a white golden explosion threw them off their feet. A rain of purple and white golden flames snowing all around them while they were both tossed through the air in separate directions. “Auto,” yelled Xani as she flung her three propeller palm drones toward him, a moment after he disappeared over the edge of the building. She was trying to fly but her mind filled with dread from the last time something like this had occurred and she’d knocked herself out entirely, so even as she heard her name screamed, and she herself was moments away from being obliterated by a mass of purple and white gold flames, she didn’t move. Frozen by a past trauma that she hadn’t known had taken root within herself. “Xani!”