ALEXiThymiA: Interlude X

Interlude X

Thursday

Judy Thyme

Something was off with Jim, her husband, he wasn’t reacting the same way he used to, he wasn’t looking at her, in that way. It was almost like a switch had been flipped in his mind and now he was absent. The kind loving father who was always attentive was now withdrawn and reclusive. He even seemed to be more of an introvert than ever, closing himself off from members of the Eclipsion delegation.

To have not just General Markus Mackie here, but also Yolandara here should have been exactly what they he needed, what they both needed to increase their perspective Ranks. While it was nearly impossible for humans to increase their Rank within different elven societies to the rank of a Knight, it wasn’t unheard of. In fact General Mackie was living proof that the elves would not scorn an entire race due solely to the fact that they weren’t elven. While he was an exceptional example to the case, his accomplishments could not be overlooked. Similarly, the works by their daughter was also gaining appeal. While she hadn’t quite found the right time to ask what faction she had joined with, it was not that big of a deal that she was not an Eclipsian.

Judy and Markus both discussed the idea that Alexa had managed to join Ryelifa and her odd band of Dragon Slayers. Given the number of titles Alexa had amassed related to Dragon Slaying, and the fact that Ryelifa called for her by name, all but spoke to the idea that she was part of that odd band of warrior mystics.

Still there was something odd about their interactions. While Ryelifa seemed to show respect to a person of a greater rank, Ryelifa seemed to be confused. Though Mackie pointed out that this could have been purposeful misdirection on their parts, as the Dragon Slayers were often independent warriors who rarely banded together to take down a common foe. The fact that these two were working together now all but screamed that they were part of the same elven faction, for no elven faction would ever directly request an asset from another faction. Even now, the only reason why personal requests were made directly to them was because both Jim and Judy, the parents, belonged to a different faction entirely. At least, that was what she and Mackie had decided upon. Of course, it would have been easier to get to that conclusion if Jim had helped, but he seemed so off recently.

Is he cheating on me? Judy found herself wondering. The man who had been there, her rock for so many years was now finally unravelling, all while Alexa was finally showing signs of recovering. She was making friends, being social, well as social as Alexa could be. Even Luke felt calm enough to go out on real dates again, and then there was Gina, the girlfriend? Judy still was confused about that relationship, whether it was a real romance, or if Alexa just let it happen because she didn’t know how to stop it?

Jim said he spoke to her, but that was weeks ago, right around the time he had changed.

Then it hit her, the true reason why, he’s afraid of the Integration. He doesn’t think he is doing enough.

Then thinking about it, Judy herself thought she could do more as well. When thinking about what needed to be done, he was right, they could do more. They could do so much more.

“Hi.” Jim said, a faint light filling his eyes, only to flicker out a moment later.

Judy stared into those eyes, even after he turned away. In those eyes, Judy saw the dense hollowness of despair building up.

“Don’t worry, I know what to do.” Judy said, and she did. She had a plan that would make everything better by the time of the integration.

“What?”

“Nothing, I am just planning a surprise for you.” Judy said, and she meant it, as she spun about and turned to leave immediately. There were plans to put in place, things to do, events to orchestrate.

Hearing that, Jim just stared on with doe eyed fear as his wife almost never had that look on her face, except when she was about to cause mayhem.

***

Kelvin Mackie

The new stage was different. It was so odd to be able to move freely about the forests and lush fields of this new dungeon. He had heard about such places, places where plants grow and his kind commune with nature. Yet, he had never felt that aspect of his mind truly open up to the possibility of how great a connection he truly had with plants.

Almost immediately he felt a thrum and pulse of energy as the world underneath his feet began to call out to him, to send a vibrant cascade of colors into his mind that he couldn’t help but feel and internalize.

Of course, his time here had not all been rainbows and sunshine, he had been forced to spend his first few nights here out in the cold of night, out in the freezing rain, looking for that girl.

From the shadows Kelvin, had watched in wide eyed amazement. Not just at the fact that a level 0 was going toe to toe and winning against a minotaur, but that she had done so in such an elegant fashion. Also, there was now the crystal that had awoken something deep inside of him.

He could now see runes. Not just see the runes, but he could see ways and places that runes could be placed to enhance combat abilities, protect against the elements, or even ward off rain. That was the first thing he did on his first night. Set up shop in the trees and carve his warding runes in place. He knew that setting up alerting runes for the warrior princess would be impossible, as she was as good, if not better than he was at runes. He had only received the minimum portion of what everyone got. Everyone but the girl who got not only the bright yellow skill crystal, but a dark purple crystal as well. When Kelvin asked his mother what such a crystal meant, his mother just shook her head. They were apparently so rare that she had either never seen one, or that she couldn’t tell what they truly were with so many warriors around.

Kelvin noticed that, the times and days that his mother would go silent and treat him as if he was a mistake. Apparently his father had been someone truly special, going so far as to wipe out the entire  orcish forces not once, but three full times.

After the first time, his father had been promoted to Knight. After the second time, he was promoted again to Knight Captain. Then by the third time he had earned the title of first male escort, for a night, a night he took full advantage of, apparently. That was how he came to be, at least that was what his mother said.

Kelvin’s father apparently tried and cleared the orcs with runes after that, his mind apparently taking to the rare symbols as easily as breathing.

Now, here in this second zone, Kelvin couldn’t help but feel a connection to his father. He felt the joy of understanding how the power of the cosmos worked, how runes were the power that he had been wishing so long to acquire.

His mother of course scorned him, saying that runes were not true magic.

Thinking back to the girl with the black and golden hair, he could agree. The energy and usage of runes were different than that of magic. Magic was quick, volatile, and then gone the next second. By contrast, runes were permanent, just supply energy and you had nearly infinite spell effects available.

Once he realized his mistake, all it took was a knife, a suitable tree to act as a conduit for his energy, and a steady stream of energy into his lattice work of runes he wrote to keep him dry, and warm.

Even the reprieve from the cold rain, caused his mind to think back to the woman who made this all possible, the minotaur slayer. Well not a minotaur slayer exactly, but someone who was close. Someone who he was still forced to search for in the countryside, despite all signs showing that she never made it here. Meaning she either covered her tracks really well, or somehow managed to escape the Trials of Ascension entirely, something mother swore was impossible. Yet, judging by the way that girl moved, impossible was just a part of breathing for her.

Laying in the field, he once again set up a new sleeping location. Each day he searched a little further, trying to both get away from the guards who stare at him like he is a bug to be squashed, and trying to fulfill his orders.

For now, he realized that it had been a while since he last saw the tall warrior maiden. Closing his eyes, he leaned his back against the tree, as he focused his mind on what that warrior maiden looked like and ways he could catch her. It was like this, that Kelvin found himself smiling as he once again fell asleep in the woods, far from the prying eyes of his elven contemporaries.

***

Bullford

London was surprisingly hot, given that it was the middle of November. Of course, most of the heat was directly related to the fact that the dragons were somehow able to alter the lands they claimed as their own. Taking lands, and infusing them with some form of heat magic that turned even a normally frigid place, into a warm dry biome, perfect for laying and hatching giant clutches of eggs in.

Officially, Bullford was here on vacation. Yes, that was his official excuse, which was why he now sported a pair of beach shorts, an open collard tropical t-shirt, a pair of shades and flip flops, in London. Under any time of the year, such odd dress would have been comically funny. In fact, that was what he was going for, to be so obviously out of place that no one noticed him. Not the local law enforcement, not local parliamentary figures, not even local Supers. He was just a man with system granted powers who chose now of all times to go on vacation.

“Mai Tai, please.” Bullford said, to the bar tender who still dressed as if it was winter, and not the balmy temperature that I was currently.

“What brings you here?” The bar tender asks.

“Vacation.”

“Vacation? Here? You do realize the whole world has gone tits up, right?”

Hearing that Bullford nodded, “I know, why I got such great discounts on my tickets.”

Shaking his head, the bartender handed over the mixed drink, making sure to place a straw in it.

“What? No umbrella?” Bullford asked.

The bartender just looked at the big guy, then shaking his head leaned back behind the bar, and after a bit of searching found an umbrella, which he placed in the straw. “There.”

At that Bullford nodded happily, it was the minor things that made life so worth living, he kept telling himself.

Ring.

The phone in his pocket began going off.

“Yellow…” Bullford said.

“Where are you?” A fiery female voice cut in.

“I’m at the bar, having a Mai Tai.” Bullford said, holding up the drink and inspecting it.

“Get over here, we’ve got work to do.”

“I know, but that happens tomorrow.”

“Which means we need to make sure those backstabbing knife ears don’t do anything stupid, today.” The angry female voice cuts through.

Hearing the conversation, the bartender all but reels back at the perceived insult.

“Not you, your ears are fine.” Bullford said.

“What’s that?” The voice of an increasingly irate woman spat through the phone.

“Nothing, I was just letting the bar tender know you weren’t talking about him.”

“You have me on freakin’ speaker?”

“No, you are just that loud.” Bullford said, holding out his phone to double check and ensure that the phone was in fact in normal listening volume. Then looking at the bartender, Bullford realized something, then covering the phone with his hand he asked, “you have been awakened to the system?”

“Yeah, little bit.”

At that Bullford nodded, “good, good. I might be back if I need some help.”

With that Bullford got up from his seat, and began talking into the phone, with his exotic drink in hand, while he made his way out of the hotel’s bar area, to meet up with his captain.