“Eyes up?” Landin and Charlot asked together their heads turning upwards to where Drake was looking.
In the background around them, they heard many of the adults that Drake had taken with them begin to mutter and curse following him.
But Charlotte and Landin’s minds were blank as they could barely register the massive bird they saw in the sky, its mass so large it cast a shadow enough to cover the entire area in the winter sun, stopping some of the snowfall from reaching them as it passed over.
“W-what is that?!” Charlotte muttered as Drake lifted himself off the ground and towards the sky.
“He can fly?” Landin asked turning to her.
“I don’t know he said he was a Mage right?” she answered back.
The smell of smoke wafted near them as a woman with an eye patch moved closer.
“He’s using wind magic. Interesting…. That’s over six elements I’ve seen him use,” Bridgette said with a smile.
“Is that a lot?” Landin asked.
Bridgette scoffed, “It’s more than a lot. I don’t think I’ve seen a Mage that could use more than one. Almost every class I’ve encountered is locked into one element, whatever that may be. Even physical combat classes that have any sort of elemental augmentation can only use a single element to increase their combat readiness.”
“So he’s amazing?” Charlotte asked her eyes not leaving the sky.
“I’d say he’s special. At the very least…” Bridgette laughed, taking a puff from her cigarette and looking over at the Elemental Drake left behind, “That isn’t something your everyday Mage could do. Frankly, I haven’t seen a single thing like it so far and there was quite the extraordinary Mage in my tutorial.”
Landin looked at Charles as well, asking a question he had been curious about since meeting Drake.
“What was the tutorial like?”
“Mr. Wallen did not tell you all?” Bridgette asked, raising a brow, “That would make sense depending on how his own tutorial was structured,” she explained exhaling, “I don’t know the details of his own, but my personal tutorial was a bloodbath of its own. We had no parameters other than to survive by the end of the three-month period. Our points were tallied by the number of monsters we killed and their strength.”
She looked rather disgusted but smiled soon after when she recalled the memory from that point, “But… the system is quite interesting.”
“Interesting…?” Landin parroted.
“It failed to mention that people counted towards the tally,” she answered coldly, “You can imagine what happened once the participants found out.”
Landin grimaced and turned back to the sky.
Charlotte had listened her mouth clenching as she gazed above at Drake. She could not tell what was going on from their height but it seemed like they were waiting. Or possibly talking?
Before they clashed she turned to Sah Ul’ the Orc woman that Drake had fought earlier.
She looked her up and down, measuring her. Her garb was that of a tribal warrior, similar to the others she had seen in the camp. Sah Ul’s body was of nothing Charlotte had seen before, even women who had been on TV for bodybuilding could sparsely even compare. If Charlotte had to say Sah Ul’ was close to six feet tall as well.
Sah Ul’ mumbled something that Charlotte couldn’t understand just like when she had been talking to Drake.
The thought passing Charlotte’s mind made her scan the area, seeing the other Orc bystanders also looking up into the air at Drake. The whole situation was off-putting. She was surrounded by strange people she could barely believe were real. Yesterday it was just another normal day in her life, she was walking back from school to her home in the fall.
There were leaves on the ground and when she blinked it changed, she was suddenly surrounded by a light snow on the ground, and the air was frigid and dry. The next thing she knew a strange man tried to kidnap her but then Drake stopped him. Saving her.
And every moment after was a rollercoaster of the unbelievable. Monsters, magic, dimensional bags, people being killed, and everything in between. She then looked to her other side, seeing her brother, Brodie. Thankfully Drake had been telling the truth and brought him back to her.
But it felt like he was holding something back. Even after saying he would and was working to help them find their family and parents.
Ripped from her thoughts the sound of a screech broke the silence.
She looked up with the rest of the people around her.
Drake shimmered in a kaleidoscope of colors already but then a vibrant bright green flashed three times over him before he disappeared and a wave of pressure and wind passed over her, seconds later an ear-splitting thunderous crack bombarded her senses forcing her to cover her ears as she winced, trying to maintain her view of the battle above.
She could barely follow what was happening, only seeing the bird suddenly being thrown in every direction, things that looked impossible to her being created and thrown at the massive bird. Fire, water, lightning, spikes of earth and ice, and even what looked like lava dripped and covered the bird at some points.
Charlotte’s mouth slowly hung open as she looked at the display of what she assumed was Drake fighting. Every impact sent chills down her back as she felt the percussion in her chest like a drum being struck, even from so far away.
Before long the sound of more kawing and screeches reached their ears as she turned to see specs of black turn into massive birds as well putting the crowd into unrest. More murmurs beginning to spread throughout.
But Charlotte looked back towards the larger bird, seeing Drake finally standing there in plain view. Then he was gone, the massive bird shooting downwards to the lake like a falling meteor until it hit the water with a resounding crack, pushing water up and out of the lake splashing the group with cold icy water.
She covered her face, making sure Brodie was safe before her head snapped upwards again, finding Drake. This time his body was suddenly lit up by yellow lightning that soon turned into what looked like a sinister violet hue contorting into a ball and rising upwards. Next Charlotte gasped with the rest of the group as more circles of blue light than she could count formed around Drake.
In the next instant, the bright reflection of the sun glinted in the day’s light against what looked like raindrops in the sky. Some forming rainbows in the air.
“It’s… It’s beautiful…” Charlotte muttered.
But the beauty did not last long as Drake moved, the droplets traveling like bullets let loose from a gun’s barrel disappearing in Charlotte’s sight. The next moment the ball of lightning moved in front of Drake before it somehow separated turning into tens of long spears of crackling violet lightning.
Charlotte shivered as she felt the prickly feeling of static electricity on the ends of the hair on her body. Grabbing hold of herself she glanced at both Sah Ul’ and Bridgette.
Bridgette’s face turned pale as her cigarette dropped from her mouth. Sah Ul’ a look of pure frustration painted on her scrunched-up face.
Then Charlotte shuttered, moving to cover her brother as a flash of violet light covered the area, a second later the sound of thunder drove its noisy cacophony into her senses.
Once she realized she wasn’t hurt she moved to look upward only to see the birds falling from the sky in smokey heaps. The bird in the water a steamy pile of burnt smoldering ash. She turned to Landin almost as a way to make sure she wasn’t in a dream and what she saw was real.
What she saw was Landin with his mouth open wide with a grin tugging at the side of his lips, his eyes sparkling.
Charlotte looked up, seeing Drake still in the air for a moment before he descended, touching the large bird in the lake making it disappear then walking across the lake’s surface to their side of the shore.
Everyone’s eyes focused on him as he reached them, he moved his mask, keeping an even face until he found Charlotte, Landin, Bridgette, and Sah Ul’.
“Well? How’d I do?” Drake smiled back.
—------------
“How’d you do?” Charlotte asked, “I-I don’t even know what to say…”
Drake smirked.
Pretty good then I guess. He thought, gauging everyone’s face.
He spotted Sarah’s face furrowed into a scowl forcing him to laugh slightly nervously.
Oh… I know that face. That’s the ‘You didn’t take me seriously when we fought!’ face…
He then looked at the Doc. At some point she had fallen to her knees, her face slightly pale as she searched her pockets for another cigarette it seemed.
“Hey Doc, you alright?” Drake asked, pulling a blue and red vial from his inventory, as well as a spare hoodie.
“I-I’m… alright… I just didn’t expect you to,” she paused gulping audibly, “I didn’t expect you to kill an E-Rank… so... Easily…”
Drake raised a brow wiping his mouth from the potions, “What part of that was easy? I used quite a bit of my status to kill that thing.”
Looking around it seemed everyone was still in shock at what they had seen.
Drake sighed and clapped, trying to break everyone from their stupor.
“Listen up!” he shouted, “It’s going to be night in a few hours,” he began, then pointed to the previous Chief Rvul, “I need you to find a space that would be fine to set up tents for the children. I would appreciate it if you could set up patrols around the... What do we call this a city? Town? Village? Village works. Around this village.”
Snapping his fingers, Drake resummoned several Elementals next to himself, “Take these guys, put them into the groups for the patrols they should be able to kill any F-Ranks easily. And will give your people enough time to run to alert me if an E-Rank finds its way here.”
Rvul shook himself from his thoughts and nodded deeply placing his hand on his heart, “It will be done, Patriarch!”
Drake frowned.
“From Lord to asshole, to Chieftain, to Patriarch now huh..?” he sighed, “Anyway,” he said addressing Charlotte and Landin, “Don’t take my fight as standard but if you both want to enter this world that is in front of you, that might be your reality soon enough.”
Drake pointed to Charlotte, “You said you’re turning 16 soon?”
Charlotte coughed and snapped to attention, “Y-yeah! A few more days.”
Drake pursed his lips looking over at Landin, “You?”
“I got a little less than a month assuming it's late December if what the old lady said about being gone for three months.”
“I’m not old, I’m a young 37-year-old,” Bridgette said as calmly as she could, standing back up.
“Could have fooled me. The system did you good huh…” Drake scoffed.
“What do you mean?” Charlotte asked.
“I’ll explain in a bit, first let me set up some things,” Drake told her, “You and Landin, wait here, I’m going to put up some living spaces for everyone.”
“Why us?” they asked together.
“I have to talk to you about some things. And you are going to help me collect the E-Grade Monster Cores for Natto,” Drake laughed, waving his hand as he found Rvul and walked with him.
They looked at each other, “Monster cores?”
—--------
“This is not what I expected when you said we were helping!” Charlotte yelled through an exhausted gasp.
“Less yelling, more cutting,” Drake said, arms crossed as he scanned the area.
“Hey, isn't it kind of dangerous for us to be out here?” Landin asked wiping his brow.
“Oh, one hundred percent,” Drake laughed, “But don’t worry I won’t let anything happen.”
Landin frowned, “Famous last words….” he grumbled.
“I heard that,” Drake scoffed.
Landin and Charlotte ignored him and went back to their ‘work’.
“Now’s a good time as any,” Drake sighed, “What have you two decided?”
They both paused for a moment and looked at each other before Landin spoke first.
“It was cool to see you manhandle that bird yo, but… I don’t know about fighting. Seems like a death wish,” he offered.
“Yeah, I’m grateful for everything but I have my brother to think about. Not to mention our parents are still out there…” Charlotte added.
“That’s exactly why,” Drake said evenly, looking at them both in the eyes, his joking demeanor gone.
Landin and Charlotte looked at each other confused.
Drake pointed to Charlotte, “You want to protect your brother and find your parents right?” then to Landin, “I’m not sure about you Landin, but I’m guessing parents, or even just to protect yourself?”
They both nodded.
Drake took a deep breath, “I don’t know how else to say this, but if your parents were not in your homes or where you were when you came back. They are dead.”
The words didn’t register immediately for the two.
“W-what are you saying? You… You told us you sent out quests to find them..?” Charlotte mumbled.
“I did, but that was just a precaution in case I’m wrong. But it’s highly unlikely. When we all returned from our tutorials, we were meant to be placed right back from where we were taken at the time.”
Landin bit his lip before he looked Drake in the eyes.
“Are you saying my family is gone?”
Drake nodded, “I am. I’m sorry.”
“Then what? What’s the point then?” he scoffed, tossing the blade in his hand to the ground, “Why am I even doing this?”
“I- I don’t believe you! You’ve told us the truth so far, but… But this… You can’t be right!” Charlotte shouted, “What am I supposed to tell my brother?!”
“I don’t know,” Drake said evenly, “It isn’t my place to say. But I know one thing. And that’s if you want to protect what you still have or to make sure nothing like this happens to them and the people to come. Or even go out into the world and try to find your parents, friends, and family. You are going to need strength. Strength that you won’t be able to get unless you have help.”
Drake snapped his fingers again, cycling through his magic, “I can help you get there. Safer than if you were to do it on your own. Much safer than how I got to where I am now. If you decide to step foot into the world of the system when you turn 16. I will help you both every step of the way.”
“Why?” Landin scoffed, “Why would you help us?”
Charlotte didn’t ask but her face held the same question.
“It’s just something you could say is my biggest weakness…” Drake chuckled, admonishing himself, “ I can’t help it. I know what you two are feeling. At least a fraction of it. My family also needs to be found and I plan on doing so once this village is established. But I won’t lie to you both. I need clean slates to train up.”
“Clean slates? What do you mean by that?” Landin asked.
“When you are introduced into the system, you choose from four archetype classes. If you both… if you accept my offer, allow me to tailor your classes to what I need for this place. If you accept, “ Drake offered squelching his magic, “I promise I will do everything in my power to help find out for sure if your parents are still alive or not.”
Silence permeated from the pair. Whether they were thinking the offer over or just shocked to hear the words Drake spoke, he didn't know.
But he waited patiently, making sure to observe the area as they did. And after several minutes passed, the sun began to wane in the distance. Surprisingly the first to answer was Charlotte.
“If I trust you this time, and… And do what you say, you promise I can protect Brodie? And find our parents?”
“If they are still alive. Yes,” Drake nodded.
“Then I’ll do it! If that means a chance at finding them. If that means Brodie won’t have to do this when he gets older. I’ll do it!” she shouted at Drake, the conviction spilling out with her words.
Landin scratched the back of his head, obviously frustrated and mulling over his thoughts.
“Ahhhhh…. Ahhh! Fine! I’m in too!”
Drake smiled but a sorrowful frown overtook his face for a moment before reversing back into his jovial smirk.
“Good. Glad to have you both on board. Just don’t tell this to the others for now. Once the worst is over I’ll break the news to them as well. But for now,” he grinned wider, clapping his hands together, “Welcome to the team. Now we just need to come up with a cool team name! Reclaimers? The Dark ReUnite Ninjas? No….. Saviors of ReUnite…? Oooh! I like that!”
“No!”
“Absolutely not!”
“Ok, what about Go Go ReUnite Rangers? We can even come up with a theme song!”
“Hell no!” they both shouted.
Arthur_Inverse
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[collapse]
“Eyes up?” Landin and Charlot asked together their heads turning upwards to where Drake was looking.
In the background around them, they heard many of the adults that Drake had taken with them begin to mutter and curse following him.
But Charlotte and Landin’s minds were blank as they could barely register the massive bird they saw in the sky, its mass so large it cast a shadow enough to cover the entire area in the winter sun, stopping some of the snowfall from reaching them as it passed over.
“W-what is that?!” Charlotte muttered as Drake lifted himself off the ground and towards the sky.
“He can fly?” Landin asked turning to her.
“I don’t know he said he was a Mage right?” she answered back.
The smell of smoke wafted near them as a woman with an eye patch moved closer.
“He’s using wind magic. Interesting…. That’s over six elements I’ve seen him use,” Bridgette said with a smile.
“Is that a lot?” Landin asked.
Bridgette scoffed, “It’s more than a lot. I don’t think I’ve seen a Mage that could use more than one. Almost every class I’ve encountered is locked into one element, whatever that may be. Even physical combat classes that have any sort of elemental augmentation can only use a single element to increase their combat readiness.”
“So he’s amazing?” Charlotte asked her eyes not leaving the sky.
“I’d say he’s special. At the very least…” Bridgette laughed, taking a puff from her cigarette and looking over at the Elemental Drake left behind, “That isn’t something your everyday Mage could do. Frankly, I haven’t seen a single thing like it so far and there was quite the extraordinary Mage in my tutorial.”
Landin looked at Charles as well, asking a question he had been curious about since meeting Drake.
“What was the tutorial like?”
“Mr. Wallen did not tell you all?” Bridgette asked, raising a brow, “That would make sense depending on how his own tutorial was structured,” she explained exhaling, “I don’t know the details of his own, but my personal tutorial was a bloodbath of its own. We had no parameters other than to survive by the end of the three-month period. Our points were tallied by the number of monsters we killed and their strength.”
She looked rather disgusted but smiled soon after when she recalled the memory from that point, “But… the system is quite interesting.”
“Interesting…?” Landin parroted.
“It failed to mention that people counted towards the tally,” she answered coldly, “You can imagine what happened once the participants found out.”
Landin grimaced and turned back to the sky.
Charlotte had listened her mouth clenching as she gazed above at Drake. She could not tell what was going on from their height but it seemed like they were waiting. Or possibly talking?
Before they clashed she turned to Sah Ul’ the Orc woman that Drake had fought earlier.
She looked her up and down, measuring her. Her garb was that of a tribal warrior, similar to the others she had seen in the camp. Sah Ul’s body was of nothing Charlotte had seen before, even women who had been on TV for bodybuilding could sparsely even compare. If Charlotte had to say Sah Ul’ was close to six feet tall as well.
Sah Ul’ mumbled something that Charlotte couldn’t understand just like when she had been talking to Drake.
The thought passing Charlotte’s mind made her scan the area, seeing the other Orc bystanders also looking up into the air at Drake. The whole situation was off-putting. She was surrounded by strange people she could barely believe were real. Yesterday it was just another normal day in her life, she was walking back from school to her home in the fall.
There were leaves on the ground and when she blinked it changed, she was suddenly surrounded by a light snow on the ground, and the air was frigid and dry. The next thing she knew a strange man tried to kidnap her but then Drake stopped him. Saving her.
And every moment after was a rollercoaster of the unbelievable. Monsters, magic, dimensional bags, people being killed, and everything in between. She then looked to her other side, seeing her brother, Brodie. Thankfully Drake had been telling the truth and brought him back to her.
But it felt like he was holding something back. Even after saying he would and was working to help them find their family and parents.
Ripped from her thoughts the sound of a screech broke the silence.
She looked up with the rest of the people around her.
Drake shimmered in a kaleidoscope of colors already but then a vibrant bright green flashed three times over him before he disappeared and a wave of pressure and wind passed over her, seconds later an ear-splitting thunderous crack bombarded her senses forcing her to cover her ears as she winced, trying to maintain her view of the battle above.
She could barely follow what was happening, only seeing the bird suddenly being thrown in every direction, things that looked impossible to her being created and thrown at the massive bird. Fire, water, lightning, spikes of earth and ice, and even what looked like lava dripped and covered the bird at some points.
Charlotte’s mouth slowly hung open as she looked at the display of what she assumed was Drake fighting. Every impact sent chills down her back as she felt the percussion in her chest like a drum being struck, even from so far away.
Before long the sound of more kawing and screeches reached their ears as she turned to see specs of black turn into massive birds as well putting the crowd into unrest. More murmurs beginning to spread throughout.
But Charlotte looked back towards the larger bird, seeing Drake finally standing there in plain view. Then he was gone, the massive bird shooting downwards to the lake like a falling meteor until it hit the water with a resounding crack, pushing water up and out of the lake splashing the group with cold icy water.
She covered her face, making sure Brodie was safe before her head snapped upwards again, finding Drake. This time his body was suddenly lit up by yellow lightning that soon turned into what looked like a sinister violet hue contorting into a ball and rising upwards. Next Charlotte gasped with the rest of the group as more circles of blue light than she could count formed around Drake.
In the next instant, the bright reflection of the sun glinted in the day’s light against what looked like raindrops in the sky. Some forming rainbows in the air.
“It’s… It’s beautiful…” Charlotte muttered.
But the beauty did not last long as Drake moved, the droplets traveling like bullets let loose from a gun’s barrel disappearing in Charlotte’s sight. The next moment the ball of lightning moved in front of Drake before it somehow separated turning into tens of long spears of crackling violet lightning.
Charlotte shivered as she felt the prickly feeling of static electricity on the ends of the hair on her body. Grabbing hold of herself she glanced at both Sah Ul’ and Bridgette.
Bridgette’s face turned pale as her cigarette dropped from her mouth. Sah Ul’ a look of pure frustration painted on her scrunched-up face.
Then Charlotte shuttered, moving to cover her brother as a flash of violet light covered the area, a second later the sound of thunder drove its noisy cacophony into her senses.
Once she realized she wasn’t hurt she moved to look upward only to see the birds falling from the sky in smokey heaps. The bird in the water a steamy pile of burnt smoldering ash. She turned to Landin almost as a way to make sure she wasn’t in a dream and what she saw was real.
What she saw was Landin with his mouth open wide with a grin tugging at the side of his lips, his eyes sparkling.
Charlotte looked up, seeing Drake still in the air for a moment before he descended, touching the large bird in the lake making it disappear then walking across the lake’s surface to their side of the shore.
Everyone’s eyes focused on him as he reached them, he moved his mask, keeping an even face until he found Charlotte, Landin, Bridgette, and Sah Ul’.
“Well? How’d I do?” Drake smiled back.
—------------
“How’d you do?” Charlotte asked, “I-I don’t even know what to say…”
Drake smirked.
Pretty good then I guess. He thought, gauging everyone’s face.
He spotted Sarah’s face furrowed into a scowl forcing him to laugh slightly nervously.
Oh… I know that face. That’s the ‘You didn’t take me seriously when we fought!’ face…
He then looked at the Doc. At some point she had fallen to her knees, her face slightly pale as she searched her pockets for another cigarette it seemed.
“Hey Doc, you alright?” Drake asked, pulling a blue and red vial from his inventory, as well as a spare hoodie.
“I-I’m… alright… I just didn’t expect you to,” she paused gulping audibly, “I didn’t expect you to kill an E-Rank… so... Easily…”
Drake raised a brow wiping his mouth from the potions, “What part of that was easy? I used quite a bit of my status to kill that thing.”
Looking around it seemed everyone was still in shock at what they had seen.
Drake sighed and clapped, trying to break everyone from their stupor.
“Listen up!” he shouted, “It’s going to be night in a few hours,” he began, then pointed to the previous Chief Rvul, “I need you to find a space that would be fine to set up tents for the children. I would appreciate it if you could set up patrols around the... What do we call this a city? Town? Village? Village works. Around this village.”
Snapping his fingers, Drake resummoned several Elementals next to himself, “Take these guys, put them into the groups for the patrols they should be able to kill any F-Ranks easily. And will give your people enough time to run to alert me if an E-Rank finds its way here.”
Rvul shook himself from his thoughts and nodded deeply placing his hand on his heart, “It will be done, Patriarch!”
Drake frowned.
“From Lord to asshole, to Chieftain, to Patriarch now huh..?” he sighed, “Anyway,” he said addressing Charlotte and Landin, “Don’t take my fight as standard but if you both want to enter this world that is in front of you, that might be your reality soon enough.”
Drake pointed to Charlotte, “You said you’re turning 16 soon?”
Charlotte coughed and snapped to attention, “Y-yeah! A few more days.”
Drake pursed his lips looking over at Landin, “You?”
“I got a little less than a month assuming it's late December if what the old lady said about being gone for three months.”
“I’m not old, I’m a young 37-year-old,” Bridgette said as calmly as she could, standing back up.
“Could have fooled me. The system did you good huh…” Drake scoffed.
“What do you mean?” Charlotte asked.
“I’ll explain in a bit, first let me set up some things,” Drake told her, “You and Landin, wait here, I’m going to put up some living spaces for everyone.”
“Why us?” they asked together.
“I have to talk to you about some things. And you are going to help me collect the E-Grade Monster Cores for Natto,” Drake laughed, waving his hand as he found Rvul and walked with him.
They looked at each other, “Monster cores?”
—--------
“This is not what I expected when you said we were helping!” Charlotte yelled through an exhausted gasp.
“Less yelling, more cutting,” Drake said, arms crossed as he scanned the area.
“Hey, isn't it kind of dangerous for us to be out here?” Landin asked wiping his brow.
“Oh, one hundred percent,” Drake laughed, “But don’t worry I won’t let anything happen.”
Landin frowned, “Famous last words….” he grumbled.
“I heard that,” Drake scoffed.
Landin and Charlotte ignored him and went back to their ‘work’.
“Now’s a good time as any,” Drake sighed, “What have you two decided?”
They both paused for a moment and looked at each other before Landin spoke first.
“It was cool to see you manhandle that bird yo, but… I don’t know about fighting. Seems like a death wish,” he offered.
“Yeah, I’m grateful for everything but I have my brother to think about. Not to mention our parents are still out there…” Charlotte added.
“That’s exactly why,” Drake said evenly, looking at them both in the eyes, his joking demeanor gone.
Landin and Charlotte looked at each other confused.
Drake pointed to Charlotte, “You want to protect your brother and find your parents right?” then to Landin, “I’m not sure about you Landin, but I’m guessing parents, or even just to protect yourself?”
They both nodded.
Drake took a deep breath, “I don’t know how else to say this, but if your parents were not in your homes or where you were when you came back. They are dead.”
The words didn’t register immediately for the two.
“W-what are you saying? You… You told us you sent out quests to find them..?” Charlotte mumbled.
“I did, but that was just a precaution in case I’m wrong. But it’s highly unlikely. When we all returned from our tutorials, we were meant to be placed right back from where we were taken at the time.”
Landin bit his lip before he looked Drake in the eyes.
“Are you saying my family is gone?”
Drake nodded, “I am. I’m sorry.”
“Then what? What’s the point then?” he scoffed, tossing the blade in his hand to the ground, “Why am I even doing this?”
“I- I don’t believe you! You’ve told us the truth so far, but… But this… You can’t be right!” Charlotte shouted, “What am I supposed to tell my brother?!”
“I don’t know,” Drake said evenly, “It isn’t my place to say. But I know one thing. And that’s if you want to protect what you still have or to make sure nothing like this happens to them and the people to come. Or even go out into the world and try to find your parents, friends, and family. You are going to need strength. Strength that you won’t be able to get unless you have help.”
Drake snapped his fingers again, cycling through his magic, “I can help you get there. Safer than if you were to do it on your own. Much safer than how I got to where I am now. If you decide to step foot into the world of the system when you turn 16. I will help you both every step of the way.”
“Why?” Landin scoffed, “Why would you help us?”
Charlotte didn’t ask but her face held the same question.
“It’s just something you could say is my biggest weakness…” Drake chuckled, admonishing himself, “ I can’t help it. I know what you two are feeling. At least a fraction of it. My family also needs to be found and I plan on doing so once this village is established. But I won’t lie to you both. I need clean slates to train up.”
“Clean slates? What do you mean by that?” Landin asked.
“When you are introduced into the system, you choose from four archetype classes. If you both… if you accept my offer, allow me to tailor your classes to what I need for this place. If you accept, “ Drake offered squelching his magic, “I promise I will do everything in my power to help find out for sure if your parents are still alive or not.”
Silence permeated from the pair. Whether they were thinking the offer over or just shocked to hear the words Drake spoke, he didn't know.
But he waited patiently, making sure to observe the area as they did. And after several minutes passed, the sun began to wane in the distance. Surprisingly the first to answer was Charlotte.
“If I trust you this time, and… And do what you say, you promise I can protect Brodie? And find our parents?”
“If they are still alive. Yes,” Drake nodded.
“Then I’ll do it! If that means a chance at finding them. If that means Brodie won’t have to do this when he gets older. I’ll do it!” she shouted at Drake, the conviction spilling out with her words.
Landin scratched the back of his head, obviously frustrated and mulling over his thoughts.
“Ahhhhh…. Ahhh! Fine! I’m in too!”
Drake smiled but a sorrowful frown overtook his face for a moment before reversing back into his jovial smirk.
“Good. Glad to have you both on board. Just don’t tell this to the others for now. Once the worst is over I’ll break the news to them as well. But for now,” he grinned wider, clapping his hands together, “Welcome to the team. Now we just need to come up with a cool team name! Reclaimers? The Dark ReUnite Ninjas? No….. Saviors of ReUnite…? Oooh! I like that!”
“No!”
“Absolutely not!”
“Ok, what about Go Go ReUnite Rangers? We can even come up with a theme song!”
“Hell no!” they both shouted.
Arthur_Inverse
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