Chapter 18

  The next morning, Noah found himself in Julie’s office once again. He had staunchly protested the luxury of a bed and shower but finally gave in when Julie mentioned her own weariness. Now refreshed and smelling more of soap than body odor, he sipped on tea as he waited for Julie to return. They had a lot to discuss, and his sense of urgency was starting to make him restless. The developments with the elves had gone far better than he had hoped, and the potential for more orcs to join their kingdom was an exciting prospect. It was for that reason that he found it humorous that it was his own people that he had the most qualms with. More than anything, he needed strength, but so far, this bunch of humans had proven soft in the face of adversity. Julie had claimed to have seen the truth, repenting for her previous stance, but he still found himself feeling skeptical about the extent she was willing to go. Recter’s words were alarming as well, he really didn’t have the time to chauffeur a mob of weaklings up the monster-infested mountain. Before his thoughts could go further, the door opened, revealing a smiling Julie.

  “Noah, sorry about the wait. Things have been rather chaotic over the last several days.” she said. Noah returned her smile, he could save his concerns for later.

  “I imagine so. How has everyone taken the news?” He asked.

  “Not well. They were overjoyed when they received the message of Balkendar’s death, and their oaths were lifted, but they assumed that his death meant the end of the elves altogether. They are less amenable to the idea that the elves were under the same oaths and have completely rejected the idea of further cohabitation. Petitions have already been formed to formally ban all elves from the settlement, though many feel that even living so close to their town is an affront. While they have not suggested outright violence, I would not be surprised if the idea came up.” Julie explained. Noah took a deep breath; that was a lot to take in. How can they be so foolish?

  “You will have to tell them no, then. The elves are my people now and an affront to them would be an affront to me.” Noah stated, his eyes locking with Julie’s.

  “Noah… Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” she asked. Noah shook his head.

  “This is me being polite. The elves are already my people; they have joined my kingdom and have pledged to fight for the same cause. The same cannot be said for this settlement and its people.” he replied. Her eyes widened, and she seemed taken aback.

  “You would turn against us for some elves?” she whispered, her eyes betraying the hurt behind them.

  “Julie, can we take a step back for a moment?” Noah asked, making a show of taking a long deep breath. She nodded and sat down across from him before mirroring the dramatic inhalation.

  “Noah, things have been tense between us, but I really do want to do what’s best for my people. Help me understand why you are siding with the elves.” Julie said.

  “You are right in saying that I am siding with the elves,” he started, causing her eyebrows to rise. “Siding with them in the same way that I am with the orcs, drakon, and humans. We are not enemies. The only enemies we have are the beasts. There is a competition that the System has arranged for ownership of this planet, and it will either go to the beasts or to the selected races. If you remember, though, after only two weeks in this new world, 36 percent of the selected races were already dead. Do you understand what that means?” Noah stopped, giving her a moment to consider his words. He watched the emotions flicker across her face as she digested his words before settling on horror.

  “It’s been nearly two years. How many of us are left?” she asked. Noah grimaced; it wasn’t a question that he wanted the answer to. An answer that would likely show that beasts were much closer to winning by default than he dared consider.

  “Not enough. Certainly not enough for us to be fighting each other. Do you understand why Balkendar made you all join his kingdom?” he asked. She nodded.

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  “For the ruler’s quest,” she replied quickly.

  “That’s right. Did you know that you can only get to Bronze once you’ve completed the quest?” he questioned. Her face paled.

  “That’s—then our fate is already sealed.” she whispered. Noah shook his head.

  “Not yet. If we join together and continue to rally others, then we can get at least one of us to Bronze. If my visions are correct, I have reason to believe that there will be a drakon Bronze as well.” Noah replied. Julie closed her eyes and leaned back into the couch cushion. Noah waited, remembering how he had felt when the System confirmed his guesses at the hidden knowledge.

  “That changes things,” Julie muttered after some time. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and leaned forward again. “Thank you for being blunt with me. I think I needed a wake-up call. It may be hard for some of my people to accept, but I will reiterate your words to them. Once they understand the stakes, they will fall in line,” she explained. Noah smiled, relieved that she was able to come to reason.

  “Will you join our kingdom, then?” he asked.

  “Yes, I will gather the town today and begin the process. It may be a couple days before they are ready to make the decision, but I will help them along. Some will likely protest remaining so close to the elves, though. Would it be possible for them to join you?” she asked. Noah made a show of considering her question, but he already knew his answer.

  “No. If they are unable to get over their pettiness, then I would not want them to join me. Even if that was not an issue, they would have to be Copper to pass into the next plain.” Noah answered curtly. That news seemed to come as a shock to Julie as her mouth opened in surprise.

  “I see. I guess that makes things easy, then. I have encouraged people to advance since your last visit, but I don’t think anyone has made it past iron. Kyle and Jergin are likely the closest to the breakthrough, and I am unsure about the crafters. I have managed to reach the next Gate, but I have barely gained any XP since the last time we spoke.” Her last words were spoken with downcast eyes, and Noah felt that she was finally coming to grips with the urgency of their situation.

  “XP is the easy part. Most people get stuck at the Gate; all you need now is combat, something you have to work to avoid in this world. If you wish to join me, I imagine we could get you the XP needed to hit Copper on our trip up the mountain.” He said. Julie was one person he wouldn’t mind inviting to the higher realm, and perhaps if she came, Kyle would join as well. She smiled as his words but her answer was clear before she spoke.

  “If there comes a day where all my people are Copper, then we will join you in number. Until then, my place is here. That being said, perhaps you would consider bringing Kyle with you?” she suggested. Noah frowned.

  “I would love to, but I have to say I am surprised. Why would you suggest that now?” Noah questioned.

  “It was selfish of me to make him stay. I thought you were foolish to run off with hopes to save the world, and I wanted to protect him from your fantasies. Now, though… I realize that I kept a hero from their journey. Kyle wants to do what you’re doing, even if it costs him his life. I have made sure that he is aware of the potential outcomes, and he hasn’t wavered in the slightest. At this point, I would be doing him and the world a disservice in holding him back,” she said. Noah smiled.

  “In that case, I would love to have him. There are others that we will need on the mountain as soon as it's feasible, namely crafters who can work to arm our defense as well as healers and any who can fight. I am considering leaving Recter here to bring the next batch of people up the mountain once they are ready.” Noah mused.

  “That would be good. I will speak with my people and see who is ready to consider that move. Perhaps Matt has made enough progress to be a consideration, though his presence would be missed.” Noah smiled at the possibility, knowing that the young man’s skills would be enough to shift the balance in the middle realm. Enchanted weaponry could make all the difference in their fights.

  “Have you spoken with Saban and Melody?” Noah asked as his mind turned to the elves.

  “They are my next meeting, and from what Kyle said, there is a lot to be learned from them. I will endeavor to establish a good relationship with them and the rest of the elves. If things are truly as you said, we will need every able body and mind working toward this goal. We will also discuss the oaths that Kyle mentioned and organize a formal ceremony for the settlement's population to swear their loyalty and join the kingdom.”