I was surprised to see that we were going up the hill, but I didn't really know where it was. I started to get a bit excited once it looked like we're going off to the sun side.
That excitement fled when I saw the giant maze with ten-meter tall walls. They have been carved from stone and rock.
Then after they were done, they must have used some kind of mortar. It had been smeared on the walls, but it looked harder than what I would expect of mortar.
"Liquid Sea Rock, and no It doesn't come from the sea, and I can't tell you the secret because I have no idea. They use it to make pillars of hard rock for the docks. Just some grey powder, sand, and water, and you got rock after it dries!" Braum explained after seeing the looks I was giving the maze.
I could see people just down the hill from us as we walked. There had been other people we have passed on our way here, but it hadn't registered with me.
I couldn't see the pattern and I was a bit worried. I would hate to get lost in a place like this.
"Pst, K," Tim said coming up beside me, and I looked down at him. "There are three paths, and no dead ends. You can't get lost, but it is going to be grueling and it will run you to the ground, but you got this!"
"The boy is right, you can't get lost but you can try the beginner one today if you like, it is no joke and there are rules. No weapons, if you fail a course, you must start that trial over. This is a skill test and a training course, if you fail, that means you need to work in that area. So, doing it again is good for you, okay?" Hershal explained to us.
I was listening, but I was also watching something else interesting that was going on. Corbit had sped up to a pair of two adventurers, A young man, and a woman.
Corbit was talking to the man that looked only just a bit older than him with a red sleeveless shirt, and shorts. The girl was the one I was paying attention to though.
She was younger than Corbit, but not by much, and she had a black tube top to cover her small chest. The girl was also wearing tan very short shorts, and staring at Corbit with big dreamy eyes.
Corbit, like every one of his kind, had no idea of this, but it looked like he made a new friend. Gloria poked me, and I looked at her with a scowl, rubbing my side where she had poked me.
"You don't think… Corbit likes men… you know, as we do? I mean, I don't think it's bad, I just hope it didn't rub off on him from us," Gloria said with real concern that made both Tim and I laugh out loud.
"No, he is just a stupid boy who made a friend, and is blind to all else," I said after laughing.
"Hey, give the kid a break. He has been on his parent's farm all his life, and he was taught at home. I think it's good, and you should see them, like a pair of wild animals! Oh, and did I mention that they were Guildless?" Tim tried to tease with the last part.
"Oh, and what's the catch? If these two are so good, why are they not in a Guild already?" I asked, sensing a but from Tim, but it was Hershal that stopped us about ten meters from the group of three.
"That's because she is extremely dangerous. So much that Dyster forces her to wear that special choker on her neck," Hershal said, but Braum cut in.
"Hey, Hersh, you know that's not fair. All of this Mana business is dangerous!" Braum said, trying to defend the girl, but then Hershal got angry and spat his next words out, albeit quietly.
"You weren't there! You don't have any idea what it was like! Hundreds killed in an instant! She is a DEM," But I had him off the ground by the throat, cutting his words off.
The poor girl was hiding behind her brother sobbing, Hershal had let his voice get out of control.
"I don't care what happens, or what you have seen! If you plan to be around me then you had better show a bit of courtesy to others! Do you know what it's like? That eye must be such an easy burden for you to carry, right?!" I shouted at him.
My eyes bathed him and I glowed with a deadly menace that froze every person in view. Hershal reached for his patch, but I forbid it, and his hand fell.
I tossed him to the side and glared at him as he slowly picked himself up.
"You see, this is the difference between you and that girl," I said in a deadly calm and menacing voice. "She hurt people because she couldn't control something she didn't ask for. Yet, you were just about to use a power on me that you sought out. So tell me who the real monster is?"
Hershal turned and left back up the hill.
"Kiada, he has been through a lot," Braum tried to explain.
"No, everyone had been through a lot. Don't try to explain his actions just because you are Guild Members at the same place. That was unacceptable behavior of an adventure or even a human, and there is too much of it," I said, turning from Braum, and walking over to Corbit, and the other two.
Tim and Gloria both followed me, and I forced the anger down. Tim had stayed silent, and he would be having some mixed emotions about this.
This was neither the time nor place to talk about it. Hershal wasn't stupid, and he would come back.
He would need to cool down, but I was going to start making some changes.
Hershal and the rest of the adventures were going to start acting like role models. This would not be easy, and there would be some that weren't going to cut it.
For now, I need to deal with this, since it was my group that caused it.
The people around us had started moving again as nothing had happened. It was almost like they hadn't seen anything.
That made me wonder if it was me doing something more than scaring everyone, or did the people just not care?
I was cooling down now, but I had done something. I had forbidden Hershal from lifting his hand.
That was the same as Lishtani's power, but was it hers?
[I am the catalyst to your power, I provide you the power to change and become more like me. In the far future, you will absorb me, and then I can be closer.]
As I got up to Corbit and the other two, he rushed over to me. He looked worried and scared, he must have seen something.
"How did you do that? He started to yell and then he was on the ground thrown down, and you stood where he was with burning red eyes. That was scary, but thank you. I was just about to come to get you to introduce these two, but now they are worried," Corbit said.
"I would like to talk to them, but I don't want to do this here. GLORIA!" I turned my head, shouting. "We are going, I want you to go back and get everyone packed up."
"But, the maze," Gloria complained, but still came over with me.
"Tim, you can come or stay, that is up to you. I am going to find us a place to rent, things will be easier all around this way," I said about to turn back, but Tim walked over, slapping the red crest on his cheek.
"I'm with you because I believe in you and what you are trying to do. There was nothing wrong with what you did… whatever that was. I didn't even see you move until he was on the ground," Tim said, coming to stand with us, and Braum was following him with an apologetic look.
"Hey, I can show you where the Housing Office is located, if you don't mind me tagging along. I also know a bit about Alana, and Victor, so I can fill you in on the walk. I would also like to ask you some questions, my heart is not really into the training anymore," Braum said with a smile grin.
"Yes, that would be helpful on all fronts. Please don't take any offense to what just happened, or me wanting to find a place of our own. I will need to be here for a while, and I will be stepping on a lot of toes in the meantime," I said, finally turning back to the pair.
I felt bad for having to make them wait, but I had to make sure all damage control was done. The girl no longer was crying, but she still looked scared.
"My name is Kiada, I am the Leader of the Crimson Legion Guild in Healia. I have come to Dyster for many reasons, and one of them is to look for new Guild Members."
When I said this, the boy looked away, and the girl buried into his back. This was not the reaction that I thought I was going to get.
"Once you hear about my sister's power, you will be just like the rest. It's not her fault! The gods that labeled her a Demon did this to her!" The young man named Victor said.
"Stop looking at the ground and look into my eyes," I said to Victor.
As he looked up, I sought the white flame, and let the sun fill me with warmth and power. At the same time I let out a bit of anger, and Victor gasped, but Alana, the girl stepped around him.
"What are you?" She asked me as I radiated white like and my eyes glowed softly red.
"Something different than the rest, just like you," I said, letting the lights fade.
That display got people staring, but I didn't care now. This city will know my name and respect it one day, they all would. I wasn't going to bully people with fear, but this would not be a clean path.
"I want you and your brother, he is your brother right?" I asked, before going on.
"Yes, but you want us? For what?" The girl asked curiously, no longer seeming as scared.
"To come with me and join my guild. I and the others will help you deal with whatever your Mana is," I explained to her.
"Are you serious?" Victor asked hopefully, stepping up beside his sister, but Corbit slapped a hand down on the top of his shoulder with a smile.
"Miss K is always serious, at least when she says something like this. No one will take you? That's pretty much our specialty, you should see the shape we were all in before joining her!" Corbit said with a smile, and he wasn't wrong.
Everyone looked healthy now, and I hadn't really thought about it. Almost all the Guild Members were people trying to find a place to belong and came in looking half-starved like these two.
"Yes, please," Alana said looking hopeful.
"Of course then, I am in your service," Victor said, putting his fist over his heart and giving me a bow.
Alana, seeing her brother, copied him cutely. The girl would make a good wife for Corbit when he decided to pay attention to her.
I turned and started to walk back up the hill, and Gloria followed beside me.
"I am coming to get something to eat first," Gloria said while walking beside me.
"No, I need you to go and get the money from Candi Or bring the girls, and then we will all eat," I told her.
"Uck, I don't want to go wake them up," Gloria complained.
"Don't be such a whiner or I will tell Mei your hiding candy from her," I said with an evil smile as we crest the hill, but we both stopped.
Herschel was lean against a windowless building, and he stood up straight when we stopped and started to walk over.
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