Humans weren’t perfect, far from it. Yet while everything Tara had said might’ve been true, that wasn’t all there was to it. People’s kindness was true. Their willingness to help, to support, to adapt in the face of adversities, those were all true as well. Their good nature and kind hearts were why they’ve been exploited over the ages by the corrupt, but he had never regretted being a human. He had hated people and questioned their lack of humanity. But that was the crux of the matter, ‘their lack of humanity’. Because, as it stood, humanity was associated with kindness and good deeds, not what some had done over the ages for whatever selfish reasons.

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  And yet, that also couldn’t have been the reason for their continued survival. Calamities didn’t care for a kind heart, disasters didn’t look at what good deeds you had done the day before, and nature didn’t delay its debts because of your good attitude. In all those cases, humans suffered, yet prevailed. From surviving through ice ages, to the Toba super-volcano, and even the Black Death and Spanish flu. Countries like Japan, Korea, and Germany, which had climbed from the brink of destruction, thanks to their people, and ended up as economic powerhouses and global hubs. It all came down to human perseverance, ingenuity, adaptability and refusal to ever give up.

  Matt spoke his thoughts into words before awaiting Tara’s response, who chose not to let the silence linger this time.

  “While that may be true, it’s also true for many others. Coming together in face of adversity or a common foe is how many rise beyond what they were once capable of,” she clarified in a slow manner as if to emphasize her words.

  Matt waited patiently for her to continue, but she was taking her time. Apparently, it really was difficult for her to compliment humans.

  After a few more seconds, Tara finally answered her own question, “The reason humans always flourished, and are the only known race not limited by their environment, no matter how harsh it may be, is the same reason why monuments like your pyramids, and this temple, exist today. It’s because, despite how selfish humans can be, they always look forward when it counts.”

  She paused for a few seconds, allowing time for Matt to start forming his own thoughts and conclusions, before continuing, “While some, like the elves and the dwarves, had the longevity to see their life’s work come to fruition, humans didn’t. They knew that anything they started, was likely to never be completed in their lifetime, which created trust and camaraderie, where they had to believe in those who came after them to finish what they had started, and for the generation after to do the same, sharing knowledge, skills, dreams, and ambitions with one another.”

  That was true to an extent. Many of humanity’s greatest accomplishments had taken generations upon generations of work. The steam engine, one of humanity’s greatest creations and the reason for their rapid growth and advancement, had taken decades to become what it was now. The entire electrical infrastructure of Earth runs on steam engines, even nuclear power.

  Then you have something like The Great Wall of China, that had taken 2000 years and numerous dynasties to build. Or the Temple of Zeus and its 600 years to completion.

  There were also medicines, vaccines, cars, phones, the internet, and even agriculture. Humans had, time and time again, shown the incredible things they were capable of. Was that truly unique to them, though?

  Tara answered his unspoken question, as if aware of his train of thought, “The universe is harsh, and the pursuit of power only makes it even more so. Knowledge is a valuable weapon that many take with them to the grave. And while humans’ greed knows no bounds, they somehow are always willing to help, and to carry the mantle forward. No matter how small or insignificant anything may seem, it was still the work of countless individuals who spent their entire lives perfecting it, only to pass it on to the next generation, and it’s also why, despite having no innate talents, you always progressed and flourished, even in the harshest of environments, building on what the previous generation had set up for you,” she finished, her words echoing in Matt’s mind.

  He thought about what Tara had said. While the concept seemed to be lost in the 21st century, it was true that in hardships, people came together and accomplished what was by all accounts supposed to be impossible.

  There was just one problem: why was she telling him this?

  It was entirely unnecessary if all she wanted to say was that humans had indeed built the pyramids, and yet, that couldn’t be it.

  “I’m guessing there is a reason you’re telling me all that? Even if we are inherently weaker, that’s not gonna stop me, or many others, from trying. And if all you wanted to convey was that humans did indeed achieve the impossible, you could’ve done so in way fewer words. So, what am I missing?” Matt asked.

  Tara smiled, seemingly approving of his question. “Just how when things are tough humans create miracles, when things are going well they grow complacent, forgetting all about what had brought them so far.” She turned her head towards Matt, a serious look on her feline face. “Your path is your own, and your journey is yours alone. Don’t let anyone or anything sway you from it. Believe in what you started and don’t let complacency be your demise.”

  Matt sighed. “Why does everyone have to be so cryptic? Can’t people just come out and say it without the need for all the riddles?” he asked rhetorically, not really expecting an answer.

  “There is a reason why we do what we do, and believe it or not, it’s not to annoy you,” Tara chuckled. “Some information may be useful right away, but it’ll end up hurting your path in the long run. It is like following the research of a scholar who had the right ideas and theories, but rushed to the wrong conclusion. While his research might be beneficial to see, it is better to subtly point you towards the idea itself so you can come up with your own theories, and not let the work of others influence yours, even if you knew the conclusion was wrong from the onset,” she finished.

  “I thought humans work better off of other people’s work,” Matt commented, noting the contradiction.

  “Perhaps. But you also need to remember that said work was once started by a human who followed in no one’s footsteps.”

  “I guess,” Matt sighed. “Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t get complacent. You could’ve been slightly less vague, you know,” Matt complained light-heartedly. He liked riddles and puzzles as much as anyone, but this was bordering on a test question where all answers were technically right and wrong at the same time.

  As they both continued looking on, each appreciating the temple in their own way, Tara seemed to come to a decision regarding what he had said. “That was a bit too vague on my part. So, let me offer you both a warning and an advice, as an apology for Lara’s behavior.”

  Matt raised an eyebrow at that. “Shouldn’t she be the one apologizing?”

  Tara chuckled slightly. “Perhaps. But it is the burden of the older sister when she doesn’t,” she said with a smile before continuing. “While ‘don’t get complacent’ may seem obvious enough, it is not. The system is unpredictable, incredibly so, no matter what others may tell you. Knowledge isn’t static, and nothing in the system is truly unchangeable. A fact that ends up being the downfall of many, blind trust in the unreliable knowledge of the old that hasn’t been improved upon for generations,” Tara stated, pausing in wait for Matt’s response.

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  “Isn’t that our greatest weapon as humans? Learning from the wisdom of old and the knowledge they’ve left behind?” Matt questioned the contradiction once more.

  “Learning differs from blindly following,” Tara clarified. “Adding to the teachings of old, and improving on that knowledge and the skills associated with it is how you progress. Blindly following is how you stagnate.”

  Matt thought on her words and couldn’t help but agree. It was how humans were able to advance on Earth after all. At heart, it still boiled down to ‘don’t get complacent’, but he felt her words held more meaning than he was getting. “Makes sense. I’ll keep that in mind,” he told the cat, not sure what the message truly was, but choosing to take her words to heart.

  Tara gave Matt an acknowledging nod as she stared at the sky as it burned ablaze with the orange hue of the setting sun.

  He leaned back a bit, enjoying the silence, contemplating Tara’s words.

  Matt didn’t know much about the rest of humanity in the wider multiverse, but apparently innovation and out-of-the-box thinking weren’t where they should be. He didn’t know if it was by choice or force but that was never a good sign. On Earth, they were facing a similar dilemma where larger corporations bought out smaller ones, or tried to sue them, or sabotage them, or any of a hundred different things just to try to prevent competition, which ended up stifling innovation for more than a decade. Antitrust laws existed to prevent this exact situation, but when you had money, you had influence, and when you had influence, rules started becoming more of a guideline, which was always a recipe for disaster for any civilization.

  Tara sighed after a few minutes, kicking him out of his reverie, a more serious look on her feline face. “While that may have sounded like a warning, it was actually the advice,” she said, surprising Matt a little.

  “Am I correct in assuming that you have been denied from joining your planet’s tutorial?” She asked.

  Matt tilted his head, staring at the cat for a few seconds, before giving a cautious nod. Tara clearly knew more than she was letting on, and while she was offering some help, he still didn’t know whose side she was on.

  She noticed his hesitation but opted not to comment on it, choosing to continue with her warning instead.

  “You may think that the difficult part is making it until the tutorial is over. That it would only get easier from there once you’re reunited with your people. But unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The real challenge starts once it’s over. You will be hunted, ostracized, and even sabotaged. At times you will question who you can and can’t trust. It’s not a life I envy or wish upon anyone, but it is the only one you have, and the only way to contend with those hardships and survive such a hostile environment is to get stronger. Not just to protect yourself, but to dictate the rules. You won’t be able to hide, so you need to make sure that whoever comes after you regrets it, or you will be the one to. ”

  The ferocity of her tone and gravity of her words surprised him. He had known things wouldn’t be easy, but he never expected it to be this bad. That was worse than being a criminal, and for what? Managing to survive after they’d left him for dead? Why should he get punished for that?

  Many questions went through his mind, with one culprit standing in the midst of it all. “Is it the Kanaz Empire and how much I’d be costing them by climbing through the ranks?” He asked, a tinge of anger leaking into his voice.

  Tara rested her head on her paws, closing her eyes as if ready to sleep. “Partially, but others will as well.”

  Before he could ask, she answered his unspoken question.

  “Some will do so to curry favor, others will for the hunt, you belong to no faction, which means killing you will anger no one, and many will come after you for… their own reasons.”

  Tara said the last part a bit cryptically, prompting Matt to ask, “And what reasons might there be for someone to hunt a nobody like me?”

  Tara gave him a sympathetic look, a strained smile on her face.

  “You can’t tell me,” he sighed in resignation.

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “Any hints?”

  She paused for more than a minute, making Matt question whether she had heard him or not, but it was obvious from her contemplative look that it was something else. He didn’t know why there was such strict information control, but it didn’t look like Tara was withholding information on purpose, so he simply waited.

  After a few more minutes of silence, with Matt enjoying the cool breeze of the descending night, Tara finally did something. She moved a paw to his exposed knee and nicked it.

  Matt stared at the wound for a second, then at the cat, then at the wound again. “See, that’s why people prefer dogs,” he commented, not even sure why the cat would do that.

  “Funny. Aren’t you going to heal it?” she asked, prompting Matt to raise an eyebrow in response.

  “It will heal on its own in a few seconds,” was his response.

  “You should heal it,” she insisted.

  “Uh-huh. Is there something you wanna tell me?” he asked with suspicious eyes.

  “I will as soon as you heal it,” she answered with a toothy smile, something that didn’t really ease his doubt.

  While Matt was good at reading people, he had never really done so with cats, or any animal for that matter. He could see her calm demeanor and the lack of malice in her movements, but that was the extent of it. It could also be that cats had no malice, which would entirely negate his observation since even annoying cat Lara had shown none. She was hiding something, and they both knew it.

  Cautiously, Matt moved a palm towards his knee, and cast [Mend].

  As soon as he did, Tara was instantly mesmerized, eyes locked on the tiny threads as they moved in tandem, rapidly closing the wound, healing it in mere seconds as if nothing had ever happened.

  Matt moved his hand back to his side, eyes not leaving Tara, whose own eyes were sparkling with fascination.

  “Wanna tell me what’s going on now?” He asked.

  His words seemed to pull her out of her reverie as she broke her eyes away from his, now healed, knee, turning her head the other way. “Ah, yes. I believe you are owed a hint.”

  “And we’re just gonna brush past this?”

  “Do you want a hint or not?”

  “I wanna know why you cut me!” he said, exasperated with whatever the hell was going on.

  “It was a scratch, and if I tell you, I can’t give you a hint.”

  “Why the hell not? What logic is that!”

  Tara didn’t answer, opting instead for a stare down.

  Matt held the cat’s gaze for a few long seconds before relenting with a sigh. Her eyes were steady, which meant she wasn’t intending on backing down. He’d have to find a different way to get an answer.

  “Fine,” he said with a sigh. “What’s the hint?” he asked in an exhausted voice.

  Tara smirked, but not the haughty smirk of someone who got their way, but one of… approval? Huh, that’s a weird response, he thought, as he tried to get a better read on the cat.

  “Humans will not be the only ones hunting for you, so don’t trust anyone,” she warned, emphasizing every word.

  “I’m liking this less and less by the minute,” Matt said in a resigned voice. “And let me guess, you can’t tell me who or why?”

  Tara tilted her head to the side, looking at him pityingly. A look worth a thousand words.

  “Well, this blows,” he leaned back onto the stairs, ignoring the discomfort from the stony structure digging into his back as he stared at the darkening sky.

  “Enough with that. How about some good news?” Tara smiled, getting up on all four. “Kara is back, and what she has will definitely cheer you.”

  “Kara?” Matt asked, already dreading the answer.

  “Oh, haven’t I told you?” Tara answered, a wide grin on her face. “She’s our sister, and the third guardian of the trials.”