Sharp

I changed my routine, and after my run, I practised the starting moves of Tooth and Claw. It was a savage and brutal fighting method. I wasn’t sure about ripping someone's throat out with my teeth. It was what I had, so I was what I was going to learn. I practised where nobody could see me. It was definitely going to be a last resort method for me, but I needed all the skills I could get.

The good news is that my cooking improved. I would go in and cook a meal for Jed once a week. He was a widower, and his nearest family was in Stillwater, a week's travel away. I made sure I was not followed to Jed’s house as best I could, and he let me store some gear in the shed out the back. Sometimes, I went twice a week. He had some good stories.

Kitten had eased up on her questions, and her work had dropped off. I had pretty much ticked off all my objectives except finding out about her backers. I had some plans in place in case I was assaulted, but that is just good preparation for anyone.

Four months after the disastrous expedition into Astral Space, the company announced another trip. It was earlier than the usual six months, but they didn’t make much of a profit on the last trip. I noted the wording there. Not much of a profit. They still made a profit.

Although I put my name forward, there were a lot fewer people volunteering. They announced they wouldn’t leave the bronze zone. Then they announced there would be two Silver Rankers with the bronze protection teams. Then, they had to raise the incentive. If I survived, it would be a very good trip for me.

“You idiot,” Jed said. “You don’t go in there with any less than iron rank resistances, even with protection.”

I explained what the company were promising, especially the silver rankers.

“Not enough. You need to be able to survive a hit from a Bronze-rank monster, and right now, most Iron-rank monsters would kill you. You still owe me two more sharpening sessions.”

“We are not going for two weeks. I will do one before I leave,” I replied.

“That is not the point. I thought you were smart. You told me bronze-rank monsters killed the workers, and they didn’t even see it coming. That's why you need to survive being able to take a hit. Getting to iron rank is the only way as you get resistances, and even then, it is no guarantee.”

“I already said I would go, and there is no way I could get to iron rank before then,” I said.

“You are an Idiot,” Jed said. “Why do I bother telling you stories when you don’t listen? Wait here.”

Jed stomped out, and I heard him go into the other room in his apartment above his shop. Then he came back and threw a sack of coins on the table.

“It is not enough for an essence, but it will give you an awakening stone.”

“I can’t take this, Jed.”

“You fool. You will take it, and you will pay me back. You will get an awakening stone that gives you a movement ability, if possible, like the Awakening stone of the Foot. Yes, that one. You get that one if they have it, and you go tomorrow and get it so you can practice.”

“Shouldn’t I get one that gives me some armour?” I asked.

“You are an idiot. The minute something goes wrong, you run. You run for the gate, and you don’t look back. You will only be four or five kilometres in, but you will be dodging monsters all the way.”

“I will pay you back,” I said.

“Damn right, you will. I will bloody own your hide till you do.”

That made me late for work. I found a merchant who had a ritualist to carry out the ritual then and there, and I got the Awakening Stone of the Foot.

I added it to my record.

Sharpen [Speed attribute] (2/5)

Razor Sharp. Level 3ish

Iron rank: Sharpens any cutting or piercing object to a razor edge. Bonus penetration and cutting through material up to Iron Rank. Cost mana, Varies.

Resistant Fur {Hair Stone} Level 2ish

Iron Rank: Fur becomes resistant to cutting and piercing.

Hunt [Spirit attribute] (2/5)

Senses of the Hunter [Perception]. Level 1

Iron Rank: Improves Sight, xxxxxx senses.

Hunter’s Step {Foot stone} Level 1

Iron Rank: Move swiftly, lightly and quietly through the terrain. Muffles movement noise, Cost low mana/sec.

It has a dimension component that makes each step a bit longer, and it takes a bit to get used to. The dimension distortion gets bigger as it levels up, but I need a lot of practice. I am also not putting my full weight on the ground anymore, so I don’t leave tracks so much. The mana cost should come down as it levels. It is a great skill, and I owe Jed more than the value of the coin he loaned me. Jed just grunted at me when I returned the leftover coin and told him about the skill.

Running with Hunters Step each morning was a new experience. I had to watch that I didn’t get low on mana, so I needed to use it for short sprints rather than a marathon. I will be able to use it for longer when my Recovery Attribute gets to Iron.

It was a week out from my trip that Kitten came to me and said, “My boss wants to meet you.”

“Ok,” I said. “I am here most evenings. Tell her to drop by.”

“It is a him, and he is not the sort of person who comes to you. You have to go to him.”

“Why would I do that when he is the one who wants to meet me? Doesn’t that make me the important one?”

“Idiot. He is a silver ranker, so he is in charge. If you don’t like it, he has Iron Rankers to make you, and if they don’t work, he will send his Bronze Rankers. He wants you to go and meet him. Get it?”

“I get it,” I said, “but I don’t see why I would want to go and see him. He doesn’t sound very nice.”

“He is nice enough when you are on his good side. He is generous even.”

“I am guessing he wants me to do some work for him, probably of the less-than-legal kind,” I said.

“Hey, you wanted me to train you. Now you get to meet the person who trained me. He has access to essences and awakening stones, you know.”

“You haven’t even told me his name.”

“That is because we don’t mention his name to outsiders. You can call him Boss Silver.”

“And what happens if I don’t want to do what he asks me to do?”

“You don’t say no to a Silver Ranker. Any Silver Ranker. Don’t you know that by now?”

“I generally avoid Silver Rankers. I will have to think about it,” I said.

“No, you don’t. I will meet you here at 10 pm tomorrow, and I will lead you to him. End of story.” She then turned and left.

I really didn’t think it was going to be the end of the story, but the start of one and a story, which I am not sure I want to be a part of.

I thought about it, and the problem was me. I was fine doing things less than legal, but not everything less than legal.

The root of it is that I always wanted the option to say no. Does that make me an idiot? I wanted some control over my life and not to be at the whims of a silver ranker I did not know.

The trouble was that I was weak and poor. The weak and poor don’t get a lot of say over their lives. I was better than most because I had a valuable skill, and it will be that skill they wanted control over. I guess they were tired of me being an independent contractor, or more likely, they had a particular job they wanted me for.

I had no doubt that there were essences and awakening stones dangled in front of people, but I couldn’t forget the timing of my rooms being ransacked. It was only luck that they didn’t find my coins, and I would be back at square one. That put me off, and I refuse to believe it was a coincidence.

What are my options? One, go to the meeting and try to negotiate some independence. The trouble with that is he holds all the power. If I go to the meeting, I have to have something to negotiate, and I don’t really.

Second, don’t go to the meeting and dodge the enforcers for a week until I go into the Astral Space. When I come out, I have an angry silver ranker to deal with, but only if I can dodge them for a week. That is delaying it, but I could take off afterwards, as I will be very close to the next Essence.

Third, seek help. Jeb can’t help in this. I could go to Eve and see if the company will help. I am a valuable employee. More valuable than the trouble a silver ranker can bring? Probably not.

I could go to the city guard. They might help. Silver rankers were important in the city, and I am sure ‘Boss Silver’ was no different. Would the guard help? How corrupt were they? Boss Silver has been around for a while, but the guard hasn’t caught him yet.

I don’t know the politics of this place. Why would I? I am a poor peasant from a logging village. Why would I be concerned with politics?

Fourthly, I could run. I could take what I have to the next city and start again. I would be ripping off Jeb and all he has done for me, but it is an option. This is the only city with an Astral space that I know of, which means the opportunities here are greater than elsewhere, but I could do it.

The poor and weak don’t have many choices.