The Grand Weave

Warren watched the Felkin leave the inn. Sitting back, he looked down at the piece of candy in his hands. That wonderful little pouch was extraordinary. He had heard of items created from the ether storms before, but they were supposed to be random, useless junk. Looking over, he noticed Marcus with his eyes closed. Looking closer, he noticed that he was rolling around the weirdly bright striped candy in his mouth. A pepper-mint puff, that's what Cyrus called it. The idea of something tasting both like pepper and mint sounded revolting, but he doubted it tasted like it sounded, considering Marcus was relaxed and lazily smiling.

Looking back down at his own remaining candy piece, Warren decided there was no use in resisting and popped it into his mouth. The thing melted on his tongue, creamy and deliciously sweet. Inside of the chocolate was this weird gooey-like substance that mixed with the melting chocolate. He was pulled out of his sweet-induced trance by a tap on his shoulder. Marcus was giving him a weird look but was still smiling.

Marcus flashed him some hand signs. “Having fun? Is good?”

Warren nodded his head, “Very. How's the pepper-mint puff?” Warren asked.

“Weird. Fresh and Sweet. Good.”

He laughed at that. All three of them had acted ridiculously when they first tried the sweets Cyrus gave them. Marcus, sitting there like a little kid showing off the cool popping noises coming from his mouth, was a sight to see. Nadia herself looked downright like a toddler licking that crazy, brightly coloured candy on a stick. Thinking about Nadia made Warren look at the stairwell she and Sam had disappeared into. He shook his head. If she wanted to go have some fun for once, then so be it. She was a big girl, after all, and he could see why she’d be interested in Sam. It didn’t help that Sam spent the entire day flirting with her.

Not that he was one to talk. More than a couple of times during the day, Marcus teased him on how close he interacted with the felkin. It was harmless fun, and his teammate was exaggerating things. However, he couldn't help but blush a little at the thought. To say he wasn't attracted to the man would be a lie.

Taking one last swig from his drink and finishing the cup, he set it down and looked over at Marcus.

“I’m going to head back to base and begin writing my report. Are you coming or staying?” he asked.

“Staying. Wait Nadia,” he signed.

“All right then, take care. I’ll see you both tomorrow morning,” he said while patting Marcus on the back and standing up.

Walking back, he decided to take his time and enjoy the night air. Cyrus and Sam, what a strange bunch. They both showed up less than a week ago, and they had already begun making waves. Felkins were rare, exceedingly so in the kingdom. And out of nowhere, one shows up with an oni as a companion. The only other oni in the village currently was Volan, so it wasn’t like seeing one was a common sight either.

Those two were complete novices. The first fight with the thistlespines was rough. While they did well, all things considered, seeing Cyrus attack so stiffly made him wince. Considering how green those two really were, it was even more impressive that they went into the fight without any hesitation. No fear. Even with skills, walking into a fight with a beast that you know nothing about and have next to zero experience in fighting would make anybody nervous. The scariest bit was watching Sam’s fight. Attacking a thistlespine with a close-range weapon could easily be considered suicidal. But Sam didn’t flinch or back down even with half her body numb and useless. Throwing her hammer to stop the beast midair was unexpected. Coating her hand in water and smashing its skull was jaw-dropping. He didn’t think they even noticed, but they were both smiling during the entire fight. Their fangs were bared, and for a few moments, they looked like it was the thistlespines who were fighting beasts.

He was already familiar with the little fairy who healed all his wounds, so he wasn’t as impressed as the others were. Zharia, though, it made him suspicious. A familiar meant a rare skill. A very rare and expensive skill usually reserved for the richest of nobles. Having one meant something. Having two defied belief. When Cyrus summoned a third familiar that sucked the two beast bodies inside of it like it was a dimensional storage, alarm sirens blared in his head.

Three. Three rare and incredible skills screamed at his senses like rain on a dry day.

And then there was the Legacies.

They both had one. The odds of meeting one Legacy holder were minuscule at best, but here they were, the two weird new arrivals both carrying the legendary mark. Outside of a burning curiosity, he had to see if Cyrus was willing to share his Legacy’s description. So far, the two have been friendly and completely non-hostile, but all the years of guard training painted them as dangerous unknowns. Yet he was almost stunned when Cyrus refused to explain what his Legacy did. Sam’s casual revelation of her own Legacy didn’t help either. He breathed an inward sigh of relief when Nadia gave him a look and helped ease the tension.

Unknown, high value individuals with enough mystery to drown a city; complete enigmas who defied his sensible standards.

When they prepared to sit down for lunch, he flashed his two teammates a few hand signs. “Be friendly. Get information.”

His teammates didn’t verbally acknowledge, but he knew they understood. Marcus wasted no time in helping Cyrus catch some fish, and Nadia chatted Sam up while they prepared the food. The lunch was surprisingly good, and he honestly felt more relaxed around the two.

Then the two continued to surprise him yet again. When they fought the mature emberboar, he was curious about how they would handle it.

They would handle it surprisingly well.

The two shared a closeness only found in good friends, siblings even. Their teamwork glared with holes and edges but their strategy was sound. He winced a couple of times as Sam destroyed the poor creature’s legs. When Cyrus summoned the little firebird, he didn’t know what the Felkin was thinking. The familiar was obviously fire-aligned, and it didn’t seem powerful enough to actually meaningfully damage the boar. As the beast started to snort flames, he felt phantom pain from his healed wounds across his body. Memories of burnt black skin disappeared the next moment. The reason for the familiar was answered in the next second. It actually consumed the fire! They ended the fight with only minor burn wounds, and even that was taken care of by his fairy.

By now, he didn’t think the two were really a threat, whether it was to people or the village. Yet, everything about them just brought more questions. They both had at least two skills and with their Legacy, They had to be well off. That or be scions from some noble family or organization. It didn’t make sense, though. There was no Oni or Felkin major noble families in the kingdom.

It all circled back around to the glaring facts. None of them had any real training. They were green and unskilled. Talented, sure, but they didn’t have the kind of training that people like them should have received. They also mentioned that they were broke, and their lack of equipment attested to that fact. Every hour spent with them revealed more and more, but kept shrouding them in even deeper mystery.

Warren was brought out of his thoughts when he was greeted by one of the guards standing watch outside the guard building. He apologized for his inattention and continued on inside. As he turned to head towards his room, someone called out his name.

He saluted the captain before speaking. “Good evening, sir. Is there something I can do for you?”

The captain told him to come inside his office and headed in. Once inside, he made Warren sit down and sat behind his own desk. There was a long pause, and Warren started to get nervous. He didn’t think he had done anything wrong, but nobody likes it when their boss asked to talk to them privately.

The captain crossed his arms before speaking. “I want you to give me your report now instead of tomorrow morning."

Warren blinked a few times but complied. He explained everything from meeting Cyrus and Sam in the morning to all the fights and his thoughts during them. He was paused when he told the captain about Cyrus and Sam, confirming they held a Legacy mark. The captain asked if they revealed their description but only grunted when he explained they hadn’t. Warren continued without any more interruptions and only stopped when he explained their time at Oleander's. He hesitated but decided that withholding information would be a terrible idea and mentioned that Marcus stayed behind for Nadia.

“What is Nadia doing at the inn that is keeping her busy enough to have Marcus wait for her?” the captain demanded.

He gulped when the captain leaned forward with both his hands on the desk. His red eyes were glowing intensely, and he could swear that he felt actual pressure crushing his body.

“She… she is spending time in Sam’s room … Captain, sir. I don’t know for sure what she is doing, but… uh, I can give a strong guess,” he stammered out.

The crushing pressure increased for a second before disappearing completely. The captain leaned back in his chair and recrossed his arms. Weaker-willed guards would have soiled their pants at that moment. Thankfully, he kept a tight grip on his bladder.

“No need. I think I understand what she's doing. If your report on Sam’s behavior towards the girl is to be believed,” the captain grunted.

“Yes sir, it is,” Warren replied.

After another long pause, Warren started to squirm in his seat. He felt relieved when the captain spoke.

“Good job on reporting, Warren. It was smart of you to take them along and try to find out information. I'm worried about the increased appearance of beasts, but things should calm themselves within the next day or two,” complimented the captain.

“Thank you, sir,” he said.

“Clarify something for me. You said that Cyrus got the enchanted pouch from an ether storm?” the captain asked.

“No sir, he just explained that the item was made from an ether storm,” Warren explained.

The captain narrowed his eyes and hummed to himself but didn’t say anything else.

“Uh, sir?” Warren began. Seeing that, the captain raised his eyebrow in response, seemingly asking him to go on. He continued. “Is there a reason why his enchanted item is important?”

The captain stared at him for half a minute before leaning back and nodding.

“I have my suspicions, but I’m not sure. If I’m correct, then it would explain everything about them. It’d answer why so many things are off and are at odds with what we know,” the captain explained.

Now Warren was even more curious. He thought to himself for a moment, trying to see what he might have missed. The only thing he could think of was that Cyrus’s ether storm enchanted pouch was made by the ether storm that occurred recently.

“I'm assuming the pouch was made during the recent ether storm, but I don’t see how that explains everything sir,” he said slowly.

The captain started to drum his fingers on the desk, making a steady staccato of sounds. “Before I explain, tell me what you know about ether storms.”

Warren scrunched his face. He wasn’t an expert like the scholars who studied magic theory in the capital, but he knew the general knowledge about the storms.

“I know they are made of refined mana. That the mana itself is so concentrated and potent that it causes a magic storm to form once it reaches a high enough saturation. The storms themselves are one of the most dangerous things in Inoria.” he explained. The captain nodded and made for him to continue on. Warren nodded and then expanded on what else he knew. “The storm causes untold magical damage and effects in the area it occurs in. People who are caught in the storm can die, mutate, or simply disappear. I think there is also a story about how they are caused by gods channeling their powers into certain rituals.”

Captain Cedric kept nodding in approval at his explanation. When Warren finished, he stopped tapping his fingers and clasped them together.

“Good, I’m glad your education is up to par. There is one thing that you don’t know, it seems. The story about gods causing ether storms is true. This was confirmed by champions and priests who served a god. The head priest of the kingdom’s temple also confirmed that this information was true,” the captain explained.

Captain Cedric spoke like he was teaching a student. Hearing the captain speak like one of his teachers growing up was strange and unsettling. The captain continued.

“The most important fact about ether storms in relation to this confirmation is that they also cause a very particular event to occur. It does not happen often, but ether storms herald the appearance of Reborns.”

The last word sounded vaguely familiar, but he didn’t know where he recognized it from. Judging by the emphasis the captain put on the word, it must be something important.

“I'm sorry, sir, but I don’t know what Reborns are. I'm assuming they are a big deal, considering they’re associated with ether storms,” Warren admitted.

The captain chuckled before looking him in the eye again. “I wouldn’t really expect you to. Until recently, I never thought I’d ever meet one in my entire lifetime.” Captain Cedric explained. “Reborns are people who were killed in their world and had their souls brought into the system. The Grand Weave forces the god who caused the death of their unintentional victim to provide two boons to the Reborn. I do not know the exact process, but I know The Grand Weave then takes the person’s soul and reforms it. They are then introduced into the system and remade with new bodies. The Reborn are dropped off wherever the ether storm occurred and are then set free with new bodies and numerous benefits. Besides the perks and skills provided by the god, the system also brands them with the Reborn version of a Legacy. Some scholars even rumor that their version of the mark is more powerful than the normal one.”

Warren sat back and took in the captain’s words. To be killed and then reborn with completely different bodies sounded terrible. However, all that inconvenience was drowned out by the sheer impressiveness of their boons. A free skill provided by a god, and a perk too! Perks were exceptionally hard to acquire. Everyone was born with a racial perk, and the only way to receive a perk outside of one’s birth was to have it gifted to them by a god or earned from a rift. That's not even taking into account the utter cheat of having a Legacy mark. Guaranteed higher level of skills, always having their entire skill slots available to them, and having their skills evolve to fit cohesively to a certain theme were all the benefits of having the mark. He was pretty sure there were only seven noble families that could boast of having a Legacy mark. The current royal family held the eighth.

Captain Cedric let Warren take everything in and process the information. He waited patiently without interrupting. To anyone who didn’t know of Reborns, the information would be received with shock. They were figures of legends and myths. Everything weird about Cyrus and Sam could easily be explained if the captain was correct.

Warren finally sat back up and recollected himself. “You think that those two are Reborns. That everything weird about them could be easily explained if they did indeed just arrive in this world."

Captain Cedric smiled.

“Yes, I do. And if they truly are such people, then we have to be careful. Even though the Weave itself forces a god to give some of their boons, it is not always done with resentment. To the gods, the newly remade soul would be seen as a great opportunity. It is the chance to endear themselves to a champion without having to sacrifice as much power as normally needed to create such a follower. Reborns are people destined for greatness in some way, whether their lives are short or long," the captain explained, going back to his teaching voice. “One of the most famous of them was Talnaxus. He was remade into an elf and became a scion of an old god named Iladaro. Through Talnaxus, the god gained an entire kingdom that worshiped him as their patron god. Of course, other gods destroyed the god himself, and Talnaxus died while a flight of dragons destroyed the city. Lessons in greed aside, the point is that Reborn are not people you treat normally.”

"Dragons, sir? But aren't they-"

"Impossible on our plane. Yes, they are. That should tell you what it means for them to be summoned and sustained for such an endeavour. Remember, Reborns are fate-touched. From the start they've been manufactured to reach the limits of our world and break them."

When Captain Cedric finished recounting the history lesson, he stood up. Warren scrambled to his feet to join the captain as he began walking out.

“I'm assigning you the task of continuing to befriend the pair and try to confirm their status. If you ever get the chance, make sure you pay attention to their mark. It’ll look like three oblong triangles, but upside down. It would be the inverse symbol of the one normally seen,” the captain explained.

Stopping when the captain turned and faced him, Warren saluted. “Yes, sir!” he shouted.

“You are free to go about this however you want. I trust you to explain the details to Marcus and Nadia. Despite the fiasco of Lena nearly causing Bera to come and crack all our heads in, we currently have a good opportunity to build good relations with the two. Make sure they see the guards in a positive light. It would be a catastrophe if we ended up making them hate us. Cyrus is our only source of healing right now, and I know you already know just how amazing his skill is. Do this task, and I’ll make sure the three of you receive your first skills without having to pay for it. Am I understood?” The captain’s looming figure brooked no argument.

Warren understood just how severely he was to take this assignment. The promise of guaranteed skills led credence to the importance of the task. Saluting once again, he bid the captain goodnight. He reached a hand into his pocket and felt the three silver coins he received earlier. He could only hope Nadia’s night with Sam went well.