Oath of the Survivor

True to their word, tailors arrived a half an hour later.  They brought a startling amount of formalwear with them, already cut to Kyle’s measurements.  At least, they assumed it was.

“I’m not taking off the armor.  I’m fine with something that can either cover it, or something that will fit underneath.”  Kyle said, folding his arms.  “And the same goes with the pack.”

“Sir,” one of the tailors said, exasperation clear in his voice.  “You are safe in the city, and your armor is hideous.  You’d look much more presentable in one of these suits.”

“All due respect, but I wasn’t hired to be a dignitary.  I was hired to deliver a package through a hazardous environment.  That’s what I did.  I understand if your hospitality assumed I would be something different, and am more than willing to settle for less luxurious accommodations.  In any case, the armor.  Stays.  On.”

The tailors shared a beleaguered look, and Kyle was preparing to ask them to leave when Auric Perception warned him of a D Grade presence approaching.  He had his suspicions, but stepped back into a comfortable stance anyway. 

[DR. MAYHEW -]

“I know buddy.  I’m ready.” 

The tailors didn’t seem to know what to do with Kyle’s sudden shift, faces far more alert as they slowly made room.  Mana began to surge outside, and Kyle activated Ignition in response.  The crimson glow was too much for the tailors to handle, and they immediately bolted to the door, only to step to the side and bow deeply.  In unison, they spoke.  “Forgive us, young master!”

Kyle didn’t relax.  He kept his gaze focused on the open door, which was now occupied by a tall, lean man.  He wore an immaculately tailored dark suit, with a white shirt and black tie.  Dark gloves with golden inlays covered each hand, one of which stroked his sharp chin thoughtfully.  Kyle noted a mop of styled black hair tousled gently as his almond shaped eyes looked Kyle up and down. 

Kyle activated Identify, and saw a similar skill at work in the youth.  His entire suit glowed with energy; runes wrought in black metal inlaid into the dark fabric.  There were pockets of incredible energy in several places on his person.  Weapons of some sort?    Their eyes locked, Kyle’s emerald meeting Ma’Sai’s gold, and a broad grin spread across the young master’s face.

“Excellent!  I knew I’d like you!”  His voice was far louder and deeper than his frame would indicate, and the mana around him settled as he stepped forward and extended a hand.  “I am Ma’Sai, the lord of this little world.  It is a pleasure to have you, Kyle Mayhew of Earth.”

Kyle froze at those words, looking at the outstretched hand, then back to Ma’Sai’s face.  “How do you know where I’m from?”  Kyle finally asked, not taking the grip.

Ma’Sai’s smile only widened.  “Because it’s only prudent to know with whom one enters into business.”  He lowered his hand, seeming unbothered.  “Come, I am hungry.  My associates tell me you’ve tried many of the different foods available, but you’ve not yet had the skewers native to my home.  My treat, of course.”

Kyle folded his arms, not deactivating Ignition.  “Due respect, sir, but you’ll forgive me if I have some misgivings.  Where I’m from, the planet’s leader doesn’t take the delivery boy out for lunch.”

“They don’t do that where I’m from, either.”  Ma’Sai said, eyes sparkling.  “They do, however, treat potential allies and business partners quite well.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow.  “You think we’re allies now?”

“Not yet.  I’d like to think we could be, however.  Someday.  For today, I believe credits and a unique opportunity would take steps to build that foundation.  Now, shall we leave?”

Without waiting for Kyle to respond, Ma’Sai turned on his heel and walked toward a luxurious transport car. 

“What do you think, C.H.A.D.D.?” Kyle whispered.

[I THINK YOU SHOULD HEAR HIM OUT, DR. MAYHEW.  I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN THE CARDS HE’S CARRYING.]

“What do you mean, cards?”

Before Kyle could get a response, Ma’Sai made it to the vehicle, and looked back expectantly.  Kyle deactivated Ignition and followed, finding himself sitting in a spacious back seat that felt like a sectional couch. 

“So what are you –“ Kyle began, but was stopped by a gesture from Ma’Sai.

“Not now, we can discuss details when there is more privacy.  The food is already being prepared; we’ll be able to speak more openly soon.”

Ma’Sai’s eyes were piercing, and Kyle reactivated Identify to confirm a suspicion.  Sure enough, Ma’Sai was using his own identification skill.  Their eyes locked once again, and Kyle didn’t look away.  The impression he had was that Ma’Sai was still a step below people like Tillienne or Jax in terms of overall power.  He was also woefully lopsided, with Intelligence being his highest attribute; Willpower, and Dexterity being in a fairly distant second.  In fact, Kyle felt confident in being able to overpower the younger man in raw Strength, which was an unusual experience for him.

If Ma’Sai was bothered by Kyle’s gaze, he didn’t show it.  He remained relaxed, golden eyes unwavering.  One thing that Kyle found interesting was the quality of the young man’s ability.  From the amount of mana Kyle saw flowing through him, he was confident the other man’s skill was already in the D Grade.  Ma’Sai shouldn’t have had more than a handful of skills at that level, which meant that he intentionally invested either an upgrade or D Grade selection for it.

They traveled in silence for about 10 minutes, before pulling up to a large estate.  The best way Kyle could describe the compound was a full business park.  In contrast to the rest of the sparsely populated city, this section was bustling with activity.  Well-dressed people shuffled in and out of multistory buildings, many of whom were carrying various clipboards and mechanical parts. 

“Impressive, isn’t it?  Eventually, this will be representative of the whole city.  In a decade or two.”

He’s not wrong, Kyle thought.  As it grew, it would likely rival the best that the old Central Authority had to offer.  Thinking of his home brought the dull pang of longing, which he ignored.  Choosing his words carefully, Kyle replied, “It certainly is.”

They exited the vehicle and walked to the entrance of the large manor at the center.  As they entered, Kyle saw a swarm of caterers laying out food, utensils, and setting up drinks.  The motion stopped at once when they saw Ma’Sai, and as one they bowed.  With a gesture, the group made a quiet exit, leaving Kyle and C.H.A.D.D. alone with the well-dressed young man. 

“Please, help yourself.  I’m going to seal the room from any prying eyes, your drone excepted.”

Kyle frowned; reactivating Identify.  Sure enough, mana began to flow through sigils under the floor and through the walls, though he couldn’t tell their purpose specifically.  “Is that level of privacy necessary?”

Ma’Sai smiled.  “One can never be too careful.  I am taking a risk confiding in you and your drone, there is little need to expand it further.” 

Kyle had yet to move, and Ma’Sai walked over to the food, filled a plate, then sat at a long banquet table and began to eat.  Every movement was refined and precise, despite eating dishes that resembled street food back on Earth.  “C.H.A.D.D., does it look safe?”

[IT APPEARS SO, DR. MAYHEW.  I DO NOT DETECT ANY COMPOUNDS THAT APPEAR HAZARDOUS TO HUMAN BIOLOGY.]

Ma’Sai chuckled from where he sat.  “Do you really think I’d be so foolish as to try and poison you?”

“Weren’t you the one who just said ‘one can never be too careful?’” Kyle asked dryly.

Ma’Sai huffed a laugh.  “So I did.  Now, please help yourself.  We have much to discuss.”

Kyle filled a plate with skewers of various meats, a bowl of grain that reminded him of fried rice, and a chilled fruit juice.  The food was exceptional.  The flavors were all wildly different; some spicy, others sweet, and it all worked together wonderfully.  His meal yesterday was good, and this was on another level. 

Before he knew it, his plate was empty.  He looked up to see Ma’Sai smiling. “Please, go get some more.  I’m planning to.”

As they ate, they began to talk.  Pleasantries at first, with the conversation growing deeper as they went.  This planet’s acquisition was a large expense, and there were many eyes on Ma’Sai to make it worthwhile.  Apparently Ma’Rin had a soft spot for the young man; however, failure in planetary development would reflect poorly on both of them. 

For his part, Kyle shared a little about Earth, leaving out many of the important details.  Instead, he talked about his own aspirations; to grow in power, and be able to stand on his own two feet.  It was a sentiment that Ma’Sai resonated with, and soon Kyle found the tension between them easing. 

When the last skewer had been consumed, Ma’Sai leaned forward, hands clasped.  “If I may, I’d like to share my reason for my invitation.”

Kyle nodded.  “Go ahead, I’m curious.”

“As you no doubt experienced, surface travel to this part of the planet is difficult, which is part of what makes it a defensible capital city.  Our typical method of transportation has been through subterranean tunnels, which we carved out from our largest surface settlement on Pokke.

“As we continued expanding, however, we opened up into a cavern that contained some… problematic creatures.  They appear to be early D Grade variants, and they’ve proven to make continued work and expansion in the tunnels quite dangerous.”

 Kyle stroked his chin at the explanation, several pieces falling into place.  “So, you hired a courier to help with the delivery overland to set up your teleportation network.  But now you could use some help with extermination as well, is that about the size of it?”

“Yes and no.  While they’re a bad match for me, I’m more than capable of fighting my way through them.  Your assistance in the matter would be appreciated, but I have another goal as well.  Tell me, what do you understand about our company’s products?”

Kyle shook his head.  “Very little.  The limited research I did mentioned more advanced and custom mana tech, with the bulk of your clientele being the ultra-wealthy.”

“That’s correct, and where we make most of our money.  My family has one of the highest concentrations of Sealing Mages anywhere in the Gray Conglomerate.  There are few places one can go to find similar quality rune and inscription work, and even fewer when you consider we have many C Grade inscribers as well.

“Believe it or not, Kyle, this part of our family’s work started as an accident.  My great-great grandfather, the clan patriarch, forged a B Grade inheritance for us; one that every member of our family is trying to pursue.  Those who fail along the way find themselves with a very niche set of abilities that have allowed our family to grow its wealth.”

With that, his right hand moved in a flash, a shining golden card held in it.  Kyle felt the mana begin to flow around the young man, and prepared himself for action if necessary.  A moment later, the card glowed, and the room was full of a buzzing sound.  Kyle’s eyes widened as he stared at a spectral insect the size of his torso.  It looked like a cross between a wasp and a scorpion, flying about with two large claws and a long, slender tail. 

“What is that?” Kyle asked, not taking his eyes off the creature.

With a gesture, it vanished, the card in Ma’Sai’s hand shifting to a dull bronze color.  “That was an E Grade insectoid that I bound; one of nearly a dozen in my deck.  Kyle, I’m not just asking you to help me exterminate the beasts, though I’m happy to pay a bounty for their bodies.  I’m also asking you to help me capture them.”