Edowin woke late in the day, touching the bandages that his wife had applied the night before. They felt dry, which was a good sign. He heard the sound of his children playing in the hearth. After several decades as a fisherman, Edowin was able to build a three-room house on their modest plot of land, extraordinarily rich by the standards of the fishing village. He was thankful for the privacy… he wanted to recover, at least a bit more, before his children saw him.

  The bandits he had encountered the night before were simple ruffians, aiming to terrorize rather than maim. But now Edowin had several major cuts on his face that wouldn’t fully heal for a long time, and even then, there’d likely be permanent scarring.

  Even with his relative prosperity, he couldn’t afford the services of a private Cleric, and he likely wouldn’t be offered more than simple first aid at the local branch of Public Medicine. Facial scars, well, scarring in general, was considered a cosmetic matter if there were no signs of infection or major disability. Besides, Edowin was a proud man. In all his long life, he had never relied on public services.

  But yesterday’s encounter had challenged his pride. Two strangers had intervened on his behalf for no reason at all, and after chasing the bandits away, they’d given him the summoning stone that the ruffians had left behind.

  Edowin reached under his pillow, pulling out the emerald green stone. He knew nothing about magic, but he had seen this artifact’s power in action. It called a Green Knight to fight on the summoner’s behalf. The fearsome knight had cut straight through a longsword. The only thing that had repelled it was another enchanted sword. The one the boy carried.

  That boy… there had been kindness in him. Generosity. He had simply given Edowin the summoning stone without a second thought.

  The fishing villages were not regularly patrolled by the Domestic Guard, making the fishermen and their families vulnerable to lawless criminals. He had seen it again and again: fishermen robbed on the highway after trading at the market, entire days’ and weeks’ wages stolen from them. The people in this village weren’t rich, but they were powerless, making them easy targets for bullies.

  But now, Edowin had the power to do something about it… He just needed to learn how the summoning stone worked. The stranger on the road had given him an immense gift.

  Tears nearly welled up in Edowin’s eyes as he reclined once again. Perhaps it was his pride, or perhaps it was an overwhelming sense of gratitude… but he would not forget that boy. If he could ever find a way to repay him, he would.

  ***

  Andy found his bunk, took an ice-cold shower in the simple outdoor stalls, and laid down, elevating his sore legs. The bunkhouse was exceedingly plain. Unvarnished wooden frames held thin mattresses covered in simple linens with a single pillow each.

  First Morwen’s bunk room, now this… What is it with fighters and bunkhouses? Andy thought.

  He let himself relax, sinking into the pillow behind him. Despite the spartan amenities, the bed was quite comfortable.

  Andy closed his eyes and visualized the tree he had just climbed. It had taken him about five minutes to ascend it earlier that day. That was five times too long. But he had made the mistake of looking down at the ground when he got to the top, and that had to account for at least a small bit of time. In a trial where every second counts, though, shaving off a small bit of time could make a big difference.

  “Andy,” said Gerran, poking his head in the bunkhouse. “Quinn tells me you’re recovering and you’ll complete your official rank 2 [athletics] trial in the morning. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir,” Andy said, sitting up.

  “Well, I suppose if you have pushed yourself to the limit, it’s only wise to recover. You need some protein. Come join us for a meal in the yard.”

  Andy rose to his sore feet and shuffled outside following Gerran.

  “Make sure to do some stretches,” Gerran said. “Soreness is no excuse for a lack of mobility.”

  Gerran’s words were matter-of-fact, perhaps even bordering on harshness, but his tone was always kind.

  They arrived at the swept yard between the house and the open-air gym. There was an array of food set out on one of the picnic tables under the umbrella. Quinn and Patesh were already chowing down.

  Andy stood by the table, examining the food as he touched his toes and stretched out his quads. There were steak tips, chicken marinated in some kind of red sauce, rice, beans, peppers stuffed with a meaty filling, and a huge bowl of what looked like cottage cheese.

  “Patesh, would you mind serving Andy’s plate,” Gerran said.

  Patesh grimaced but complied, loading a plate with a bit of every available dish and handing it to Andy.

  “Thanks,” Andy said, accepting it and picking up a fork.

  “Anytime,” Patesh said in a tone that approximated hostility.

  Andy just smiled. He remained standing as he ate heartily, shifting around slightly to keep his legs mobile. He knew if he sat down for any length of time, he’d have trouble standing back up.

  The food was delicious, even if the cottage cheese was a bit out of place with the rest of the meal.

  “This food is prepared for quick recovery,” Gerran said. “Not only is it high in protein, but I’ve also cooked it in some dishware an Enchanter gave me. You should be fully recovered by morning.”

  “Incredible,” Andy said. “Last time I trained in [athletics], I had to have a Cleric heal me afterward. I will consider enchanted food an improvement.”

  Quinn laughed as he shoveled the last bite of food from his plate to his mouth, chewing while he served himself another helping of steak tips and cottage cheese. “So, Andy, where are you from? Morwen’s Grove?”

  “I… uh… yes,” Andy said.

  “Did you grow up there?” Quinn asked.

  “No,” said Andy. “In fact, I grew up somewhere quite different. I only just arrived here about a week ago.”

  “Oh, are you from Malia?” Patesh asked. “There are a lot of Malians that end up settling in Cresthaven. I’ve always wanted to go there…”

  “No,” said Andy. “I’m actually from a place called Earth.”

  “Oh,” Patesh’s eyes went wide. “You’re a Visitor?”

  “Yes, that’s what they say,” Andy said.

  “That explains it,” said Patesh.

  “Explains what?” Andy said.

  “That explains why you are progressing so quickly through the System. That explains why you beat me in our sparring ma–”

  “Don’t get it twisted,” Gerran interrupted, facing Patesh. “As your coach, I must correct you. He beat you because you lost your temper and your control. It was an even match.”

  “I–” Patesh began to protest, his brow furrowing.

  “Just relax,” Gerran said. “But don’t make excuses.”

  Patesh took a deep breath and exhaled.

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  “Earth, huh?” Quinn said. “What’s it like there?”

  “It’s… fascinating and boring all at the same time,” said Andy. “There’s incredible technology, there’s so much to do, but most people live lives of… what’s the phrase… quiet desperation.”

  “What do you mean?” Quinn asked.

  “Well, for example, most of my classmates ended up getting a job in an office. They sat in a chair, staring at a computer for eight or nine hours a day just to pay rent. They were miserable. And those were just the ones who could actually get jobs…”

  “What’s a computer?” Patesh asked.

  “It’s like a… machine that does math and sends communications,” Andy said.

  “And they just sat there all day?” Quinn asked.

  “Yes,” Andy said.

  “Well, what did you do?” Quinn asked.

  “I was training to become an artist but… it never worked out. So I helped my dad install musical instruments.”

  “Oh, nice,” Quinn said. “So you got to play them a lot?”

  “No, actually,” Andy said. “We put them in the homes of very rich people.”

  “Ah,” said Quinn. “But at least you got paid a lot of gold working for rich clients.”

  Andy smiled, deciding not to chase it further. “There was a lot to love, but most people just didn’t have much power over their lives at all. They weren’t free to make their own decisions. They were so tied up in debt and work… it was a mess.”

  “Do you miss it?” Quinn asked.

  Andy thought carefully for a moment. He remembered his mother, who had encouraged him in his artistic endeavors. He remembered the hole that had formed in his life when she died.

  For an instant, he wondered where she was… Whether she was living somewhere on the Infinite Plane…

  “Parts of it,” he said. “Sometimes.”

  “Well, how do you like this place?” Patesh asked.

  “To be honest,” said Andy, scarfing down a spoonful of cottage cheese, “I love it. If you work hard here, you get rewarded. You have choices. You have agency. I appreciate the System… it gives you clear and achievable goals. It’s not trying to cheat you or trap you…”

  “It’s a privilege to have access to the kind of training you do,” Gerran said. “Remember that. There are many, even in this very city, who live lives very similar to those from your world.”

  Andy nodded. “Yes, that’s what Pliny was telling me.”

  “But remember,” Gerran said, addressing the whole table, “you can use your power to bring freedom to those who have none.”

  They all chewed in silence for a few moments.

  “But people are free,” Patesh said. “So many Fighters like to complain complain complain about the oppressed masses,” he said with a sneer. “If you don’t like living in Cresthaven… just move! Anyone can move out of here at any time.”

  Andy chuckled. It wasn’t that long ago that he had heard such rhetoric in his home world. There’s nothing new under the sun…

  “You have a lot to learn,” said Gerran gently.

  Patesh looked bewildered, but he let the conversation go.

  Andy took a final bite of cottage cheese before helping them clean up the table.

  “Get some rest today,” Gerran said. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll test you for your second skill rank in [athletics].”

  ***

  The next morning, Andy rose early. His body was completely recovered, barely sore at all. He felt lighter, more in control of his movements.

  Almost involuntarily, he looked for some wood to chop and a stew to maintain, but there were none.

  Outside on the table in the swept yard, there was a steaming kettle of coffee and a few mugs. Andy poured himself a cup.

  The house door opened behind him. “Ready for the big morning?” Gerran said as he walked out. He wore linen pants and a sleeveless shirt, his massive shoulders protruding outward.

  “Yes, sir,” Andy said.

  “You seem to have a social conscience,” said Gerran. “You seem to understand the plight of the common person.”

  “My sympathies definitely lie with the commoner,” Andy said.

  “And I’m sure Morwen has spoken to you about the Order?” Gerran said.

  “Yes,” said Andy.

  “Good,” Gerran said. “We can use more Fighters like you.”

  “Where do your other students stand?” Andy asked. “If you don’t mind speaking on that.”

  “No, not at all,” said Gerran. “My students come from a variety of backgrounds, with a variety of beliefs. Quinn is a commoner. I think he will join the Order one day. But I have many students who are antagonistic to the Order’s ideology. Patesh, for example, comes from a minor noble house. And though his views are aristocratic and contemptuous of the poor, I still work with him, because changing people’s hearts is a lifetime endeavor. It doesn’t happen quickly.”

  “I see,” Andy said. “So this gym is open to anyone from any background?”

  “Yes,” said Gerran. “I run the best fighting gym I can, and I train the best Fighters I can. It’s the only way to truly maintain credibility among the public. I allow my fighting to speak for itself, and I hope to change hearts and minds along the way.”

  “But do you ever worry you’re equipping the opposing side with fighting skills?”

  “Every day,” said Gerran. “But the time they spend here is time they aren’t spending at, say, the Warlock’s Guild.”

  “I’ve heard the Warlocks mentioned quite a bit in connection with the nobility.”

  “Yes. They are practically puppets of the nobles,” Gerran said, spitting on the ground. “But I digress.”

  Quinn and Patesh exited the bunkhouse, making no effort to be quiet. They approached the table, pouring themselves coffee.

  “Morning,” said Quinn, yawning.

  Patesh, bags under his eyes, remained silent until he took his first sip of coffee. He remained silent after, too.

  “Second rank in [athletics],” said Quinn. “It’s your big morning.”

  Andy slowly finished his cup before warming up a bit, stretching his legs and jogging in place lightly.

  “Well, let’s get on with it, then,” Gerran said.

  “Sounds good,” said Andy. He retrieved his brawner boots from the bunkhouse and strapped them on, walking around to acclimate once again to the extra weight. They were certainly heavy, but not nearly as debilitating as they had been the day before.

  Andy trudged over to the tree, where Gerran, Patesh, and Quinn waited for him.

  “You have one minute to reach the top,” Gerran said. “Ready?”

  Andy looked up at the tree. He retraced his mentally steps from the day before, looking at the various branches, where he’d have to jump, which side he should climb, and places he could clear quickly to cut down on his time. He’d repeated this route several times in his head the previous night. “Yes,” he said.

  Gerran took out a pocket watch, looking up at the tree, then back to Andy. “Ready… set… go!”

  Andy burst forward with as much power as he could muster. Without the boots, he would have been sprinting, but even with them, he was still running quickly. As he approached the bottom branch, he leapt upward, hoisting himself atop the branch.

  “Very nice,” Quinn said.

  Andy leapt up again, engaging all his muscles to bring his feet up to his chest, clearing another branch. With each movement, his muscles began to ache and strain. Half a minute had gone by, or at least that’s what Andy estimated.

  As he neared the midway point, he saw something… a large branch dangling around the back of the tree. If he could reach it, he could pull himself upward nearly to the top. It was a potential shortcut he hadn’t considered the day before…

  “Fifteen seconds!” Gerran said from below.

  No, he thought. Last time I tried a shortcut, it didn’t work out… Andy thought better of it. He continued on the route he had practiced and visualized. But he only had fifteen seconds to get up the rest of the tree.

  “Go!” Quinn called.

  Do it, he told himself.

  Andy burst upward along the path he had planned, pulling himself limb by limb. He scrambled through the branches at a speed that astonished even him, reaching the penultimate branch with ease.

  “Woohooo!” came a cheer and clapping from the ground.

  Without a moment’s hesitation He leapt upward, bursting through the tree’s canopy, touching the top of the tree.

  “Time!” Gerran called.

  Andy caught himself, looking down. The sight of the three of them, little dots all the way down there, made him woozy, but he didn’t care. He had kept his blinders on the whole time, and he had succeeded.

  He clung to the top branch as Gerran, Quinn, and to Andy’s surprise, even Patesh cheered him on from below.

  *

  Level Up!

  Level 4

  Skill Rank Achieved!

  Athletics 2

  *

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