Authors: Micheal Kostura
"Hey guys, what does this mean?" He asks. She turns to yell at him, to tell him to concentrate and stop distracting her from her thoughts. But then she sees that the Pathfinder was glowing a light green color.
Isaac stands up in alert. "Woah, Nick! That was super fast for a rookie. It didn’t even take you an hour to garner enough shadow energy.”
Nick looks down awkwardly. “Uh, sorry.”
Hector smacks him in the back. Allison wonders how Nick can just sit there and not yell at somebody after they hit him. But her teammate just smiles awkwardly as Hector laughs. “Don’t be stupid, Nick.” He says. “It’s a good thing that it happened this fast- it means that your shadow energy is almost as strong as Allison’s!”
Her hand twitches a little at the remark. At his current rate of growth, Nick really was going to be a problem for her. The last thing Allison wanted when joining the Guard was to have to compete with other people. She always imagined that she would join a team and completely overshadow her teammates, and not long after training, her captain as well. That would make it a lot easier to impress her father.
Nick sighs and takes his hand away from the orb. “So what class do I fall in? It’s not red like Allison’s was, so I’m assuming I won’t get a sword.”
Isaac smiles. “No, unfortunately you won’t be a dueler. It would have been pretty cool to train two at once. But don’t be discouraged, this green light indicates that you’re a mage. You should feel lucky.”
The super rookies eyes light up. “Why is that? Are mages super rare or something?”
Everyone but Nick laughs. Allison wonders how in the world this boy could be a threat to her. She grins at Nick. “No way. Mages are actually the most common class of Walkers.”
The boy frowns. “Then why should I feel lucky?”
Isaac puts a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Mages are the most common, but their powers are the most diverse. As the name implies, a mage’s power is the closest thing to wizardry in this world. They have the potential to do all types of things. They can create fire, read minds, summon objects from thin air- you name it. The Pathfinder itself was created by using the powers of the mages. They also have the innate ability to master their powers faster than the other classes. And just so you know, your mother was a mage herself.”
Nick smiles. “Really? I mean now that you’ve explained it a little bit more I guess it does sound pretty awesome. As long as I get cool powers, I don’t care how special or rare I am.”
“That’s a good attitude.” Hector says. “Too many people take pride in their powers just because they’re rare. Especially the duelers.” He looks at Allison and Isaac. “No offense.”
Allison grins playfully. “None taken.”
Nick folds his arms across his chest. “So I’m guessing that duelers are the rarest kind of Walker?”
Isaac nods. “Duelers are the rarest class of Walkers. Followed by trackers, then the support class, and then the mages standing at the front lines. The rarity stays the same when we’re discussing subclasses.”
Allison looks at her Captain. “Speaking of which, what are all of your powers? You never showed us anything besides your sword.”
Isaac looks to the ceiling. “Well, you know that I’m mainly a dueler. However, I also have powers in the support and tracker classes.”
“Wow, that’s a lot.” Nick says. “What do those two classes do?”
Allison turns her attention to Nick. “All of the names are self explanatory. Support Walkers can give their teammates strength, heal wounds and restore shadow energy. Trackers are proficient in stealth and tracking down their targets like hunters. Those two are often considered backup classes, while duelers and mages are the front line fighters. All four classes have their strengths and weaknesses and can complement the other classes in unique ways.”
“In other words,” Hector says, “Captain Isaac here is overpowered.”
“Oh don’t make me blush.” Their captain says with a sly grin. Allison can’t help but feel as if she was finally getting to know her captain. Isaac might usually act laid back and friendly- but underneath his cool exterior was a natural born killer. He locks eyes with Hector. “Anyways, it’s your turn to get up here and play the mystery game.”
Hector sighs and moves towards the Pathfinder. “Fun.” He says dryly. Allison couldn’t help but notice how much of a complainer Hector was. Sometimes he says things that are humorous, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of making her laugh. If his current attitude kept up, she was going to be in for a tough time.
Hector places his hand on the Pathfinder and Allison notices that his hand twitches. After a few short seconds the Pathfinder suddenly begins glowing a multitude of colors. Allison is almost blinded by the bright lights that emit from the crystal. However, she can’t help but stare at the crystal ball in disbelief. The Pathfinder was only supposed to shine one color after enough shadow energy was poured into it. Not once in her life has she heard of something like this happening.
“What’s going on?” Nick asks, his eyes darting back and forth in a panic.
Isaac’s face remains relaxed, showing no signs of alarm to the out of control Pathfinder. “I figured as much.”
Allison almost asks what he means, but the lights of the Pathfinder start to calm down. The colors begin to flash less frequently, and the rate at which they change slows down, as if the Pathfinder were some kind of slot machine preparing to land on the jackpot. And after a few more moments of colors flashing, it finally settles on a baby blue tone. And without further warning, the crystal cracks with a loud pop. Instinctively, Allison covers her face and turns away, just as the Pathfinder explodes and sends its shards flying all over the room. A few pieces hit Allison on her back, but the sting is short lived.
“What the hell was that!” Hector shouts as he backs away from what was left of the Pathfinder.
The three young Walkers look at their captain, all of them expecting him to give an explanation for what just happened. Isaac’s eyes are cold and sharp as he stares Hector down. The glare sends chills down Allison’s spine, and she can only imagine how uncomfortable Hector must have felt.
The captain speaks in a monotone. “Well the blue light indicates that your Walker powers fall into the tracker class. However,” he stares at the broken crystal shards on the ground, “The broken Pathfinder in front of us also means that you’re something else entirely.”
Hector smiles. “You mean that I’m in another class as well? What is it? Mage? Dueler?”
Allison looks at the shards at her feet, then at Isaacs solemn expression, and finally rests her gaze on Hector. Nick, who was new to Walker life in it’s entirety, didn’t even take thirty minutes to find out his powers. She had only taken a few minutes to figure out her own powers, and that was with years of practicing her ability to gather shadow energy. And then Hector comes along and breaks the entire machine in a matter of seconds.
Allison was going to have a tough time trying to stay at the top of her team after everything that happened today.
She turns to her captain. “So what else is he besides a tracker?” Her fear of being overshadowed by her teammates only made her more curious towards the boy’s powers.
Isaac’s sighs, almost as if he’s relieved by whatever message the Pathfinder had delayed to him. “The fact that you broke the Pathfinder means that your powers go beyond that of a Walkers, and into something else entirely. Many Walkers will consider you an abomination because of this.”
“Spit it out!” Hector says. “I’ve been a freak my whole life, so I could care less of what other people think of me.”
Isaac locks eyes with the boy. “The Council has guessed that, ever since you were found at their HQ as a child, that you were not from the Pit. And now we know that they were right. You’re the second of your kind, Hector, and also some people's biggest fear. A Walker and an Invert in one- a hybrid between two rivaling races. Your mere existence will surely change history.”
Allison’s jaw drops in disbelief. Nick was wanted by Valus of the Void, and Hector was an Invert. She could already foresee what problems were to come her way because of her teammates. And then, with Allison expecting some type of fear or anger to come out of her teammates mouth, Hector does something that completely throws her off.
He let’s out a laugh, and then smiles as if nothing was wrong with the world. “Neat.”
Chapter Seven
Hector
Hector knew his entire life that he was different than most of the people around him. But now, standing in the training room next to the broken Pathfinder, he realized that there was now another factor that made him stand out against the other Walkers. He was a Shadow Walker- but he was also an Invert. Some people considered Walkers and Inverts two sides of the same coin. After all, both races existed to eradicate the Void, and yet they also opposed each other. Hector couldn’t help but see his mere existence as some kind of twisted joke. So much so that he couldn’t help but laugh.
“This is great.” He says with a smile spread wide on his face. Allison’s jaw was dropped from shock, and Nick studies him from head to toe. Their captain laughs, clasping a hand on Hector’s shoulder.
“Now that’s a reaction! Does anything ever bother you?” Isaac asks.
Hector shrugs. “Sometimes I run out of food.”
“This isn’t a joke!” Allison says. She shakes her head and stares Hector down. He could tell that there was some ill feelings trying to be relayed. “How can you act so casual about this?”
Hector fights the urge to laugh in her face. He didn’t dislike the girl, but he definitely didn’t like how serious she was. Though he didn’t expect any less from a Marxon. “There isn’t any reason for me to get upset over it. I can’t change it and I’m not going to hide it. Only cowards sit there and cry whenever they’re faced with a problem. And I might not be a Marxon, but I’m brave enough to not give a crap.”
“Fearless.” Nick whispers. “I like it.”
Isaac exhales deeply, gaining everybody's attention. “Well, today’s been rather eventful. I wasn’t expecting to get these results so quickly, so we can resume training tomorrow. You guys can go home and relax for now.” He looks at Hector. “Except for you. We need to go to the Council.”
Hector’s heart drops at the idea. He felt like he could trust his captain, but the Council has always been harsh to him. Even though it wasn’t
his
fault for showing up at their HQ as a baby, Hector could tell that they always looked down upon him. He could only imagine how this announcement would impact the way they treat him.
“Well, I’m going to go rest. I have a lot I need to think about.” Allison says. She looks at her teammates and smiles halfheartedly. “See you guys tomorrow.” Without a chance for Hector to return the goodbye, Allison suddenly disappears into Nick’s shadow.
“Nick,” Isaac starts, “Since you can’t shadow jump like Allison, you’re coming with us. You two grab on.”
Nick obliges and puts a hand on Isaac’s shoulder. Hector reluctantly follows suit, and the trio of Walker’s jump into the shadow of the broken Pathfinder.
* * *
Only seconds after arriving at the Guards HQ, an attendant scurries over to Hector’s group with an upset look on their face.
“Excuse you! You’ll need to create a reservation if you want to meet with the council.”
Isaac huffs annoyingly and leans in to the man's ear to whisper something that Hector can’t quite make out. But based on the man's shocked expression and his hurry back to his computer, Hector has a pretty good idea of what his captain told the man. The worker types fiercely on his computer and after a few short moments he looks back up at the three Walkers. “Ok, the council is free to see you now. Go down the hall and-”
Isaac suddenly grips Hector and Nick's shoulders, and they shadow jump once again. When the light comes through, Hector sees that Isaac has taken them to the same place that he once stood when he was thirteen- the Council meeting room.
“How informal of you to shadow jump into such a meeting.” Marcus Marxon says.
Isaac bows. “Sorry Marcus, twas an emergency.”
“Quit the games, Isaac.” Allison’s father spits back.
“Both of you shut up. It’s always like dealing with kids with you two.” Council member Axus says. Hector nods in agreement. Out of all the council members, Axus was his favorite- he acted casual with the young Walker and was the only one who enjoyed his sense of humor.
Janice, the third Council member, speaks. “Isaac, tell us what happened with the boy.”
Hector feels uncomfortable knowing that all of the Council members immediately gathered just to talk about him. He honestly had no interest in being the center of attention, and hoped that the honor would have gone to Nick or Allison. Of course, nothing ever worked in his favor.
He tries to avoid the Council members eyes as Isaac explains the situation. After he finishes detailing everything that occurred today- including Nick’s test results and Hector breaking the Pathfinder- the Council stays quiet for a moment. Then, Janice and Axus turn to look at each other, with Marcus just staring blankly at Hector.
“What do you think?” Janice asks dryly.
Axus runs his fingers through his short red beard. “There wasn’t really many other ways to explain the boy’s origin. Personally, I don’t care too much about his bloodline. The boy is a Walker who has pledged his allegiance to the Guard. Invert or not, he poses no threat just by himself.”
Marcus begins tapping a pencil on the table. “I agree that he serves no immediate threat. However, what if the boy comes into contact with other Inverts? What if he decides to change allegiances?”
Axus groans. “Always ask the stupid questions, don’t you Marcus? If the boy shows any signs of defying the Guard, then he’ll be treated just as any other renegade Walker- we’ll simply eliminate him. Though I doubt he’d be stupid enough to do such a thing.”
Hector smiles. He knew he could count on Axus to barely insult him.
Janice nods her head. “Axus is right. The boy isn’t some military force for the Inverts- he belongs to the Guard. We shouldn’t be thinking about what he might do to work against us- rather what he can do to help us Walkers who gave him a place to call home when the Inverts abandoned him.”
Marcus grins slightly. “Are you suggesting that we use this boy to our advantage?”
Janice narrows her eyes and looks at Marcus with contempt. “Not as a tool, Marcus, but as a respectful member of the Guard.”
Hector feels taken aback by the sudden scheming of the Council. He was the topic of their discussion, yet they were acting as if he wasn’t a part of the conversation.
“What are you guys planning?” He asks quietly. The Council members stop talking and look at him simultaneously. Hector feels threatened by the sheer glare of the three most powerful Walkers. But nonetheless, he swallows the fear and speaks louder. “This is my life. I don’t plan on betraying the Guard or doing any of the other stupid things you guys are thinking of. The Pit is my home and I want to protect it. So if you’re going to talk about me, tell me what you’re really thinking. It’s my life you’re playing with, so I deserve to hear what you’re scheming.”
Marcus sneers. “Boy I ought to punish you for speaking so nonchalantly with me. Let’s make one thing clear- we aren’t friends. We might be associates, but you’re too far beneath me to talk like that. Don’t ever speak so freely to me ever again.”
Axus slams his fist on the table. “Shut it Marcus. Always too prideful to hear such honest words. The boy is right- he should know what’s in store for him.” The burly man turns to Hector. “I’m sorry, Hector. We tend to get lost in thought whenever we have guests here. And ignore Marcus’ attitude- he thinks too highly of himself.”
Marcus doesn’t rebuttal, but he does shoot Axus the dirtiest look Hector has ever seen. Janice stifles a laugh. “Hector Avern, as a member of the Guard, you are to carry out whatever orders we issue. So, let us tell you what we expect from you now- Marcus, Axus, feel free to add anything in or take away.” She turns to look back at Hector. “Hector, if you ever come into contact with another Invert- or even somehow find yourself in Eros- you are to tell us about it as soon as possible. Likewise, if your Invert powers develop, we want to know about them right away. Understood?”
Hector nods. He figured that such an order wouldn’t even need to be issued. “Yes ma’am.”
Marcus taps his pencil even faster. “Now listen here boy. These rules are to be treated at the same level of authority as the three you were given upon joining the Guard. Disobey these orders and you’ll be in for it. Understand?”
Hector nods once again, already tired of the lecture he was getting. Axus looks at him and rubs his beard once again. “So the words the Void spoke were at least somewhat true. ‘
Two outsiders walk among you
’ is what they said, and now we have Hector- an Invert- standing right here in front of us. That just leaves us to discover the Void that is hiding among us. And I’m still not entirely sure why they’d tell us that either of them are here in the Pit. The Void is one of them- why would they let us know of their presence?”
Janice nods and speaks matter-of-factly. “I agree. Their intentions are suspicious. Telling us about the Invert among us had no effect, especially considering that we figured it was Hector to begin with. However, telling us about the Void definitely raises some questions. We need to sweep the Pit and find them immediately for interrogation.”
Marcus stops tapping the pencil. Hector feels unnerved by the sudden act of calmness that the Council member exhibits. Marcus sneers at Hector, then locks eyes with Isaac. “You’re dismissed. If anything happens you better report it immediately.”
“And good luck with your training tomorrow, Isaac.” Janice adds. “Looks like you’ll have a lot on your plate with these two here and Marcus’ daughter. I’ll pray that you don’t go insane.”
Isaac once again places his hands on Nick and Hector’s shoulders. “Understood, I’ll be on my way.”
The trio of boys then shadow jump away from the Council room. After a few moments they reappear in front of a house made from smooth stones and shiny metal. One of the walls is made entirely of glass, making for a good view of the Pit. Hector was very proud of how beautiful his house was.
“Your house is pretty close to the training center.” Isaac says as he stares off into the distance. “That’s good. Be there at the same time as today. And try to get some rest.”
Hector nods and begins walking away, not sure of what else to say. But he stops once a hand grasps his shoulder. It was Nick. Hector catches the boy’s green gaze, and is overtaken by a sense of wonder.
“Listen dude, I’m pretty new to all of this, so I’m still not even sure what’s going on around me. But I know that you’re different, and that can be tough. So just… just make sure you’re not too down on yourself. You don’t need to put on a show act tough in front of me, because I won’t judge you. Okay?”
Nick lets go of Hector’s shoulder and walks back to Isaac, and then the duo shadow jump away. Hector is left temporarily stunned. Why would Nick bother to waste his time on Hector? Why’d he have to touch his shoulder and say those encouraging words? It was a nice of him to do, but all it did was make Hector feel more embarrassed about himself. All of his life people told him that he was weird for liking guys, and his teammates gesture wasn’t making the whole situation any less confusing.
Hector groans and kicks a loose pebble on his front lawn. With all of this stuff on his mind and a lot of time still left in the day, he was drained. He reaches into his pocket to pull out a piece of shadow sugar- his favorite treat. Unfortunately, his hand doesn’t grasp onto anything besides an empty pouch. Frustrated and defeated by his own hunger, Hector begins stomping down a path leading away from his home. If he was going to stay sane with all of this drama going on in the Pit, he would need some shadow sugar to snack on.
* * *
After a short walk Hector finds himself at Walker supply store. They had everything- medicine, armor, food, toys, and even clothes. Hector didn’t need to go anywhere but from his house to this store to survive.
He grabs a couple pouches of shadow sugar and heads to the cashier. He places the candy- he refused to think of it as medicine- down on the counter.
“$20.50” The cashier says.
“Woah, thats not right- they should only be $15.”
The cashier shakes her head, a smug plastered across her face. “Don’t know what to tell you, the prices got raised since the last time you stocked up. You gotta remember that this stuff isn’t something you’re supposed to snack on. It’s for emergencies.”
Hector pouts and grabs the candy off of the counter. He only brought $17, and he knew that the workers weren’t allowed to negotiate on prices. However, as he turns around to put the snack back on the shelf, a hand grabs on to his shoulder. Hector flinches, ready to be robbed or jumped by some random grown man. But when he looks at the person stopping him, he see’s a boy around his age standing there with sunglasses on.
“Don’t worry about the price.” He says. He holds up a fifty dollar bill and throws it on the counter. “You can keep the change.”
Hector eyes the fifty, then stares at the mysterious kid in front of him. “What are you doing? You don’t even know me.”
The kid takes his hand off of Hector’s shoulder and begins walking away. But Hector wasn’t going to let him go that easily.