Soul of the Warrior

Reivyn suppressed a stretch and a yawn as he stood in the back of the tent, listening to the higher-ranked officers discussing the after-action and the cleanup of the spiders being done in the desolate sands. Everything that he could have contributed to the debriefing, Kefira or Kayzor were already witnesses to.

He didn't need to add his own personal account of the battle against the beast tide, and he hadn't done anything other than find the space fissure by himself. He had offered a few insights, here and there, when they had talked about that particular part of the debrief, but that was all.

All in all, the incident at the bottom of the hole had been deemed a scary fight against an invulnerable creature that had, relatively speaking, not been that dangerous. It hadn't had enough time to accumulate enough power to effectively resist the combined might of the Mages in the army.

If Reivyn hadn't gone down to investigate and they had simply packed up and left to hunt down the spiders with everyone, it could have been really bad. Not only would the space fissure have continued to expand, who knows how large, but the soul beast would have grown strong enough that nothing short of direct System or Divine intervention would have been able to stop it.

Reivyn was suspicious that the System would have placed some sort of limiter on the thing to prevent it from becoming a Realm-ending catastrophe, but nobody knew for sure. It was definitely a subject to investigate in the future, though. Especially if there was going to be an attempted Realm invasion in the future. Even just having Kefira experiment with deep Space/Time could lead to a fatal accident.

This experience had definitely prepared her how to mitigate any such accidents from happening in the future, but now they knew that the potential was there.

"Alright, that should wrap it up for now," Kayzor finally declared. "Major Dobrik I'll leave escorting the civilians back to their homes to your battalion."

"Yes, sir," Major Dobrik replied.

The Major and his staff members were the epitome of respect in Kayzor's presence. Captain Sanjin's eyes practically sparkled with stars as he watched every move that Kayzor made. Kayzor was a legitimate Imperial General, the height of Sanjin's ambitions. Reivyn's former company commander had had his previous attitude adjusted, and instead of putting on airs and comparing himself to the general, he was trying to learn everything he could about how Kayzor operated.

Reivyn was skeptical that the man would ever reach anywhere close to such a position in his life, but he was more than happy to see the shift in his personality.

Kayzor dismissed the officers, staying behind to speak with Kefira a bit longer on a more personal level, but Reivyn had to go back to tend to his company. He didn't know when he would get the chance to spend some time with Kefira again in the immediate future with having the responsibility of escorting all of the captured civilians back to their cities.

"Captain Reivyn and Lieutenant Jake," Major Dobrik called out to the two men as they clumped together with the other officers making their way out of the tent. Reivyn and Jek turned to face the older man. "Wait for me outside the tent for a moment."

Reivyn and Jek shared a brief look before giving a salute and acknowledging the order. They ducked through the tent flap, and they spotted Jekle standing off to the side a ways. The two men walked over and greeted the Senior Sergeant to wait for the Major to come out.

Eventually, Major Dobrik made his way over to the trio, and he waved away their attempt to give him another salute.

"Alright," Major Dobrik smiled to the three men, "Captain Reivyn, remove your Captain's Insignia, and give it to Jek. Jek, remove your Lieutenant's Insignia and give it to Jeckle."

The three once more shared an uneasy look, but they complied with the order. Reivyn unpinned his rank insignia and handed it over to Jek, who had likewise given his to Jeckle. Under the encouragement of Major Dobrik, Jek and Jekle pinned their new rank insignia to their armor.

"Reivyn, under the order of General Kayzor and Lady Fira, you are hereby discharged from your duties as a commissioned officer under the volunteer battalion of Oreck. You are to forthwith assume your responsibilities as the Imperial Liaison to Lady Fira."

With Kayzor going around addressing Kefira by her actual name in front of everyone, it wasn't difficult to deduce that "Lady Fira" was a pseudonym. Kefira hadn't made the matter clear, though, so everyone pretended like they didn't know and continued to address her as such.

Major Dobrik reached into his breast pocket and removed a new insignia, one that Reivyn noticed held a similar crest to the Imperial Family Insignia that Kayzor wore, but the crest was much smaller than one given to a member of the Imperial Family.

Reivyn accepted the insignia and pinned it to his armor where his captain's insignia had previously been.

"Thank you, sir," Reivyn said, offering a salute.

Major Dobrik once again waved the salute away.

"Actually, with the way ranks and titles work, I should be addressing you as 'sir,' now," Dobrik chuckled. "You're not in the chain of command or anything, but your rank is now technically higher than mine. I don't know all of the ins and outs, but Lady Fira should be able to fill you in on them.

"Captain Jek, you will now take over command of the company, and Lieutenant Jekle will fill in your previous role. Liaison Reivyn kept meticulous records about the achievements and merits of all of the men in his company, and you guys are definitely capable of fulfilling your new tasks."

"Thank you, sir," Jek and Jekle responded together.

"Liaison Reivyn, there will be time before we head out to escort the civilians home for you to meet up with your previous company, but General Kayzor and Lady Fira indicated for you to rejoin them in the command tent."

"Thank you, Major," Reivyn nodded his head.

Major Dobrik's eyes sparkled at the quick transition in how Reivyn addressed him, mirth on his face. He gave a little wave to the three of them as he walked off toward his own tent. Reivyn turned to face the other two officers.

"You know, I've technically been with the two of you for several months now, but I think this is the first time you two have stood right next to each other like this, at least in front of me. I'm just now noticing how similar your names are. They're not pronounced the same way, but they're spelled almost identically."

Jek and Jekle shared a look before they laughed.

"Yeah, man, we knew that a long time ago," Jek said.

"Captain Jek was commanding a different platoon when he wasn't acting as the XO, and you weren't quite as hands-on for the individual platoons after you took over as the company commander," Jekle added.

"I don't know what Lady Fira and General Kayzor have in store for me now that I've been officially transferred over, but I'll come see the company off here in a little bit," Reivyn said, clapping each man on the shoulder. "If my path leads me back through Oreck, which it probably will, I'll try and stick around long enough to hang out with you guys one last time before moving on."

"Sounds good," Jek said.

Reivyn gave a short wave to the two men as he turned around and headed back to the command tent.

I was just wondering when I would be able to spend some more time with Kefira, Reivyn chuckled. It seems like now is the answer.

"So are you planning on returning with me to Willowan City?" Kayzor asked.

Kefira and her brother were sitting together in the tent. Kayzor had already been through his earlier adventures when he was a teenager, and he was well beyond the point of having to rough it. He had pulled out two comfy couches for the two of them to lounge in, and Kefira was taking as much advantage of the comfort as she could. She was practically sinking into the softness of the cushions.

"Yea," Kefira said. "I had briefly considered going on one final adventure to try and gain some more Life Experience revolving around my Space/Time Affinity, but not only did I unlock my soul and utilize a Haste Spell during a fight, but I also got to delve deeper into Space Magic than I ever thought possible at my Level."

"You unlocked your soul?" Kayzor sat up straight, looking at Kefira with alarm. "Have there been any problems?"

"No, none," Kefira shook her head. "I only had it unlocked for thirty minutes or so, so there wasn't any backlash. Well, other than the Mana expenditure, but that had nothing to do with the unlocking."

Reivyn ducked in through the tent flap as Kefira was answering the question, and Kayzor quickly shushed her. Kefira rolled her eyes, and she patted the cushion next to her, indicating for Reivyn to sit there. Her brother had been wise enough to give her a two-seater.

Reivyn settled down on the cushion, and Kefira leaned her head on his arm. He glanced back and forth between the two of them, noting the serious look on Kayzor's face.

"What?" Kefira asked her brother. "I've already told him about the amulet and how it seals a portion of my soul. It's not a big deal."

Kayzor slapped his hand over his face and groaned.

"Have you kept no secrets from him, already? He's not a member of our family, and we haven't verified his origin."

"The Spider Matriarch and space fissure were exactly where and how he had described," Kefira pointed out. "Plus I met him down below on my way to the lizaldo settlement, and in the first days I knew him they verified that he had come from below their village."

"That doesn't mean he's the son of an Imperial Princess," Kayzor huffed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Should I tell him, or not?" Kefira turned and looked up into Reivyn's face. Reivyn just smiled back down at her.

"I'm not hiding anything," he replied. "Anything I've told you, unless I say otherwise, you can tell your family and most trusted subordinates, like Serilla."

Kefira nodded her head and turned back to Kayzor. He eyed the two of them suspiciously.

"The reason why I wrote to Sophia to get Reivyn transferred to the Magic Academy, was so that he could force a Tier 3 Class transition in Tier 2. He has a Mythic Tier 2 Class: Imperial Liaison: Grand Arcanist."

Kayzor's mouth dropped open, and Kefira giggled at his expression.

This is the first time I've seen him actually lose his bearing and be so shocked, she thought. He usually cultivates his military persona at all times. He'll laugh and joke around in private, but he never truly lets himself go like this.

"Hah! I feel a sense of accomplishment at causing you to go speechless," Kefira smiled smugly.

Kayzor's mouth slowly closed as he recovered himself.

"Well, don't take a victory lap just yet," he retorted. "You weren't the cause of it."

"Sophistry!" Kefira exclaimed.

"So what were you talking about in regards to the soul sealing when I came in?" Reivyn asked.

"Kayzor was just making sure that I hadn't suffered any damage from when I unlocked it," Kefira explained. "It turns out that my body and bloodline aren't powerful enough to contain the strength of my soul, and it had caused a lot of physical impairments and sickliness when I was a young child.

"Conversely, the same thing could also be true, though it's much rarer. A baby with a too-weak soul will be stillborn. That's not the cause of all stillborn babies. It's not even the majority, but if you see a powerful couple suffer a stillborn pregnancy, more than likely that is the cause.

"It took a long time to figure out what was going on, and it wasn't until I displayed an unusual ability in Magic that one of the imperial scholars got a clue. My Bloodline has already been elevated to Level 2, and it's still not enough to handle the power of my soul, but the materials required to reach Level 3 have to come from a Tier 6 Region. My parents have been sending expeditions for a couple of years now, and we've only gotten about half of the treasures required."

"And it's not like we have a weak Bloodline, either," Kayzor supplied. "Imperial families traditionally have one of, if not the, most powerful Bloodline of the empire. It's not just from sitting in a position of power and wealth for so long, either. One has to unlock and build a powerful Bloodline if one wants to establish a lasting dynasty, to begin with.

"Our Bloodline has a total of twenty thresholds when we unlock it for the first time."

"Is twenty a lot?" Reivyn asked.

"A Bloodline that's considered strong has about ten to twelve, and the average Bloodline one can find in a Tier 4 Empire has five," Kayzor explained.

There was silence for a moment, and Kefira looked up toward Reivyn, He was staring off into the distance, apparently in deep thought about something.

"What Level is your Bloodline?" Kefira asked Reivyn. He snapped out of his contemplations and looked down at Kefira.

"I just recently unlocked my Bloodline. It's only Level 1. You guys seem to know a lot about Bloodlines and their thresholds, care to fill me in? My Bloodline was activated way back before I had even reached Level 10 in Tier 2, but I haven't gotten any of the benefits from it for each Level up."

Kefira frowned at Reivyn.

"Aren't you Level..." She cut herself off, glancing at her older brother. She beckoned for Reivyn to lean down, and she whispered into his ear while blocking sound from escaping with her Mana. "My System Page tells me you're Level 50. You haven't gotten any per Level bonus Stats yet?"

Reivyn nodded affirmative.

"How many thresholds did you have when you unlocked it, if you don't mind me asking?"

Reivyn peered into her eyes, biting his lip as he thought about whether to answer or not. He didn't take that long, though, and he cupped his hand over his mouth to whisper his answer.

"One hundred."

Kefira's mind went blank for a second, unable to process the information she had just heard. The words echoed around in her head like they were bouncing off the walls of her empty skull. The words finally penetrated her mind, and she leaped up off the couch.

"One-one-one-What?!" She stammered. She almost let the information slip through, revealing the answer that Reivyn was clearly not ready for others to hear, yet, but she got control of her tongue quick enough to change the word before she accidentally yelled it out in shock. Reivyn just nodded his head.

Kefira stood there for a second, just staring at Reivyn for a good long while until Kayzor politely coughed behind her. She turned and looked at her brother, but he tactfully didn't pry into the secret. Kefira sat back down and resumed her previous posture, leaning against Reivyn's arm.

"To answer your question," she said at her normal volume. "Each threshold corresponds to a Level." She leaned away from him and gave him a serious look.

"O~oh," Reivyn exclaimed in sudden understanding. "Ok. That makes sense, then."

"Is this one of those things that you're specifically saying you don't want the rest of us to know?" Kayzor asked with a smirk.

"You betcha!" Kefira answered for him. "This is High Secret, Need to Know Only, and you don't need to know."

"Fair enough," Kayzor held his hands up in surrender. "I won't pry, but mom and dad might 'need to know,' so be prepared for that."

"Thanks," Reivyn said.

"Don't mention it. Anyway, Reivyn, I was just asking Kefira if she was intending to follow me back to Willowan City, the capital of Wispan. From what Kefira said about helping you force your Class transition in Tier 2, I'm assuming your role as Liaison is superficial, but it's officially recognized by the System. Are you planning on coming with us?"

"I don't see why not," Reivyn said. "The only real question I have at this point is what to do about my contribution and merit points I've accumulated in the army. Are we going to swing by Oreck to check on them? Will the fact that I'm no longer technically a commissioned officer in the volunteer battalion void them?"

"Ahh, no, that shouldn't be a problem," Kayzor answered. "Since you were officially transferred to be Kefira's Liaison, you've basically been given a promotion in the eyes of the local authorities and the System. Your contribution points will directly translate into Imperial Military contribution and merit points.

"The real gem of this promotion, though, is that you'll technically get credited with participating in an expedition as an Imperial Army Commissioned Officer. Your rank will automatically be set as a lieutenant, for purposes of the contribution and merit points, but that's still better than that of a captain from Oreck."

"I see," Reivyn replied, stroking his chin. "That's one less worry I have to deal with. There's nothing tying me to Oreck, or Drallo for that matter, other than wanting one last hurrah with the friends I made in the battalion.

"I can also access the commission for my quest in the Adventurer's Guild through any branch, and the capital of a Tier 4 empire will have exactly what I want." Reivyn paused to give Kefira a meaningful look. She felt her neck and cheeks heat up as she blushed, lowering her head to look away. "Superior Dungeons."

Kefira's face froze for a second. She sat up straight and smacked Reivyn in the arm, which only caused him to laugh.

"I would have to go there, anyway, to use the teleport circle," Reivyn shrugged. "Plus, I don't see any reason to separate from Kefira at this point. We make a good team."

"Uh huh, a 'good team,'" Kayzor snorted. "She will have to enter the Imperial Palace for some time. Your rank as her Imperial Liaison will allow you some leeway to enter with her, but until you get a firm handle on the situation, always remember that you'll be a subordinate of the youngest Imperial. You'll be above the servants and guards, but you'll basically be the low man on the totem pole."

"That's fine. If someone tries to make things hard for me, I can always head out on some sort of 'mission' that Kefira assigns to me."

"That's a good idea," Kefira said, tapping her chin. "Though it won't work when dealing with my family members. Only my mother should really be hard on you, though."

"You guys have really been emphasizing how hard it will be to convince your mother," Reivyn said. "Are you sure it's going to be alright?"

"Probably?" Kefira said, more a question than a statement.

"I don't think she'll try to have you killed... Most likely." Kayzor said.

"Great."