Kai watched Everan’s face contort and crease in wonderful stages of fear and acceptance as he determined whether to accept Kai’s offer for protection. He could tell Everan was not accustomed to business and violence coinciding, but right now, mere weeks away from the Callin’, the most important moment in most people’s lifetime—a moment that could usurp the seven Great Families and give rise to Middle Families and commoners—Everan likely realized that violence was the one and only solution for his problems. So he said, “Okay. If you can protect me, I will give you a direct recommendation from the partner of Aiden Roe.”

  “Don’t be foolish,” the Loklan troop said, turning to me. “First and foremost—this man’s a commoner. There is no way that he can harm me. Second, you’re disposable. Aiden doesn’t like you, and top city officials and merchants are joining Wraithwood. And who are the top people? Melhans. And who will they choose to do business with? Melhans.”

  Everan gulped.

  Kai knew that this was a gambit that required him to kill the Loklan in the event that Everan did not approve, as he didn’t want a target on his back, so he fought for it.

  “Mr. Heath—you either want this position or you don’t. If you want it, violence is the only tasteful solution for your problems. So choose.”

  “Shut up, Lineless,” the Loklan man sneered. He unsheathed his sword and sharpened it with mana.

  Kai unsheathed his sword, and before it was out four inches, it lit up with an intricate web of arrays that glowed in different colors. There were arrays for every form of magic, and that magic wrapped itself around Kai like a thick coat.

  The Loklan man sneered. “That sword… you’re Kai Dairook aren’t you?”

  “Cor~rect,” Kai said. “I am Kai Dairook—the head of the Dairook family.”

  “The head…? What a joke! You’re not a ‘family’ and you’re not strong. You just have a fancy sword that lets you win fights.”

  Kai laughed. “That lets me win fights? As opposed to what? Your soul meat? Your cleansing elixirs? Your best trainers? What’s a sword in the face of the best training and resources money can buy? Nothing. This?” He ran his fingers down the blunt, scratched, and dented sword his father had used in a thousand battles before he met Kai’s mother. “This is an equalizer. It eliminates every advantage you have. And once it’s just me and you, Middle to Middle, a battle between raw skill and swordsmanship…” His eyes sharpened. “I trounce you pathetic spinegrippers.”

  “You want to risk your life on it?” the Loklan man said.

  Kai turned to Everan. “If this man gives the word.”

  Everan gulped and looked between them. Then, he took a deep breath, winced, and said, “Do it.”

  Kai moved so fast that the Loklan man could mount a real defense. Their swords met, mana sharpening to mana sharpening, and Kai realized that this worm was low even for a Middle—a messenger. So he stopped himself from slicing the man’s sword in half. He couldn’t just kill this man. He had to make it look like he earned it. He had to show his skill.

  As his father always said:

  “Anyone can kill a man. But a true leader demonstrates their strength—tells a story that inspires people to follow him.”

  Kai did just that. He wrapped his sword in flames to make it dramatic, pushing the Loklan back, toying with him, making it clear he could kill him—but showing restraint.

  The crowd oohed and ahhed. They could see the disparity in their strength. They could feel the heat licking at their skin. They could hear the Loklan man break. And amidst this, when it was clear that Kai would win, Kai kicked this man in the ribs so hard they cracked.

  Victories were best with tangible results.

  Kai walked up to the groaning man who was trying not to breathe with his broken rib bones stabbing into his lungs and said, “As of this moment, you will respect Everan Hearth…” He yelled the next part. “The man who manages Mira Hill’s bank accounts! Your families can shame them, but I, a representative of Aiden Roe, will fight anyone who tries to malign Mira, Aiden, their partners, or their families!”

  Just like that, the sprawling crowds made way for Kai and Everan’s carriage.

  “Kai!” Jaylin cried as she rushed up to him. “What are you doing? You’re going to get us killed!”

  “I’m getting us into Wraithwood. I got us into Wraithwood.”

  He was certain of his victory, but a cool, collected voice cut through the crowd, and the excited crowd fell still and silent and afraid. It was Hadrian Dante, and he said: “You don’t decide that.”

  Kai swallowed down his anxiety as Hadrian suddenly materialized in the crowd.

  “I decide that.”

  Kai took a deep breath and smiled his best smile. “And what have you decided?”

  Hadrian smiled at his bluster.

  “That you pass.” He motioned to Everan.

  “Just like that?” Kai asked.

  “It depended on your reply, and your reply was satisfactory.”

  You just wanted to assert your authority, Kai thought, but he smiled and turned to Jaylin. “See, I told you it’d be okay.”

  Hadrian walked past them, flashing a charming smile to Jaylin as he walked to Everan’s carriage and said a few things. Then, they all continued on.

  That’s how two nobodies who technically met the qualifications for Middle Family royalty ended up standing in front with other family members. That’s why they gained an audience with Trigan Easan Reita Lore on the first day of the selection process.

  He would never forget it, either. Galfer’s gate opened, and Trigan and a dozen other people walked out, and Kai and Jaylin were only behind a few hundred people. So they watched those gates open, and suddenly had second thoughts.

  They were standing in a sea of top talent in the First and Second Domains. There were over fifty cursed third evolution soldiers from the Second Domain as well, bringing with them armaments from the Third. Arraymasters had their goods on display, and the beasts—so many beasts. The Vestra family was out front, and Railain Vestra, the woman who competed against Aiden in the legendary Trial of Survival, was out front with a horde of strong beasts that were packing in thirty metric tons of supplies and resources. Not only was she necessary, she was talented. The cold witch that was the Hadrian of the beast taming families, and she was sucking up her pride, no doubt to make temporary contracts, to train in Wraithwood and earn rewards.

  Beast tamers were only one group. Arraymasters, alchemists, blacksmiths—swordmasters. Over the next week, Trigan, Mira, and a qualified team would choose twelve hundred of these people—and Kai was right out front. Normal people would’ve had impostor syndrome—but Kai Dairook was both famous and qualified. So he knew he deserved to be there. That said, he didn’t expect to be addressed eighth—next only to the Great Seven Families.

  Trigan approached him with a sly smile. “You’re Ryker Dairook’s boy, aren’t you?”

  “I’m surprised you know me,” Kai said cheekily.

  “I named a law after you,” Trigan said.

  Kai forced a smile.

  “A frequently used one,” Trigan added.

  “At no fault of my own.”

  “I’m not sure about that.” He looked at the sword at Kai’s waist and then at Jaylin. “It seems you’ve brought The Vine, too.”

  She blushed. “I hate that name. B-But… yes. That’s me.”

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  “Good,” Trigan said. “Mira needs friends. You two pass. Now, pact up with Samin and get in there. I know it’ll be daunting to go alone, but it’ll be worse if you mingle with the legacies. We’re trying to avoid conflicts.”

  Kai looked at the man in charge of making the loyalty and silence pacts and nodded. “Understood…” Then, he glanced at the legacies. “Just… a quick question. Is there going to be class problems in Wraithwood? I need to prepare myself.”

  Trigan smiled mysteriously. “Let’s just say… It’s humbling. For everyone.”

  Kai’s eyes flashed with excitement, but he got no further validation. The legendary city manager turned to Everan, whose only purpose thus far was to get Kai and Jaylin to the front, and said, “The Dantes delivered the gold wagons to the far west. Settle this balance.”

  He handed Everan a large book. “You’ll need to work with the Melhans. They will push back, but you can give Reasan this.” He handed Everan a letter. “It’s from Mira. It states that she’s a superstitious individual, and were any accident to befall you, she’ll refuse business with everyone in Theovale, and conduct her supply lines through Astermead. She will, of course, pay a diamond request to ensure that every security family in Theovale and Astermead and beyond will facilitate this process. That will spur Reasan into action. Come next year, you’ll have operating licenses for normal goods and have full protection.”

  Everan looked at the letter in awe. “Does this mean she trusts me?”

  Trigan laughed. “Mira doesn’t trust anyone. She just trusts the families less. That said, if the corruption turns profitable, or you can’t hold your weight, she’ll go through the Melhans. Understand?”

  He nodded nervously. “I understand.”

  Kai waved to him. “Seems like you’re not dispensable after all.”

  “Guess not… I apologize that I couldn’t give you a recommendation. Feels wrong.”

  “It was not worthless,” Trigan said. “You brought ‘em up front. I thought I’d have to sort through this crowd for ages.” He winked at Kai. “See ya inside.”

  Kai didn’t know what to say. So he just thanked Trigan and followed orders, striding in front of the families with his nervous sister. Soon, they had made it through the colossal gates to Areswood proper, swallowed whole by the ominous biota that made Jaylin squeal with delight.

  —------

  My epic reward, “Provide me with the top talent and equipment in Dronami to help me protect Areswood Forest,” had shut down the regular harvest. It would take seven days to handpick twelve hundred people from the estimated fifty thousand candidates. Everyone wanted a piece of the action: twelve hundred people would get a gold free request for joining me, and they would get unique rewards for helping “protect Areswood Forest.” It was a boon.

  The greatest winners would be the families. It was expected for them to release their contracts on their best and brightest in exchange for the contractee to buy their freedom with the gold request. In effect, a single family could, theoretically, obtain twelve hundred gold requests. It was a freakish boon that would unsettle governments and economies throughout Dronami.

  It was great for us—but hand-selecting twelve hundred people in seven days was daunting. The only reason it was possible was because Trigan knew everyone of worth. Beyond that, he had an appraisal skill that would allow him to view an individual’s achievements and reputation (with their permission), and other team members could judge potential through mana cores or familial ties.

  That said, we tasked a full team with scouting at least one-third of the individuals outside of the military and families. Qualified people were old, stubborn to change, set in their prejudices, and usually had families, or chose not to. We needed people we could train, and fertile Peacefuls who wanted to have children.

  We thought these people would be hard to find, given the danger of Areswood, but after our resounding success in keeping everyone alive, there were plenty of such people—

  And I met two almost immediately.

  The lurvine and I were waiting on the plaza at the end of the path, waiting for Railain Vestra to bring the beasts with our supplies. Only people who made contracts with Trigan could enter, so there was no need to worry about seeing me. I would just do my part and lead the beasts. Aiden and the land otters were out front to start giving rides to the recruits, so I didn’t have to worry about them. I was just in charge of supplies—and supplies came first.

  Or so I thought. Before the beasts even arrived, two people who resembled me and Tyler in terms of age emerged from the path alone—and they looked like Peacefuls.

  No, Peacefuls wasn’t the right word, but they certainly weren’t legacies. Neither had armor, and the man, who had a sword at his hip, had a small mana core—the teen beside him didn’t have one at all. To add to that commoner vibe, the woman was holding a cat.

  Yet they were charming for some reason.

  One was a handsome, yet quirky man. He had sandy brown hair and green eyes, kind to look at. The other was a young and pretty woman that Tyler would classify as an “average girl ten,” which stated that she was someone who looked “realistic” in appearance, but maxed out the charm and smile, and rounded cheeks that made them attractive. I hated Tyler’s classifications, but they were strangely descriptive. As for Kai…

  He was an average guy eleven, but a hot guy six. He was like Aiden post-Claustra transformation, only far more gentle and genuine in his confidence. That confidence was attractive.

  Unlike every other Wraith, he didn’t stare at my face. That’s why I was wearing a cloak like some mysterious goddess who guides mythical figures like Achilles for clandestine reasons. Still, my face was visible, and it didn’t seem to bother him.

  This man’s name was Kai Dairook, and he lifted his hand when he saw me and said, “Hey. We’re new recruits—can we help with anything?”

  I was so surprised that I was taken aback and said, “Uh… I’m not sure…” That’s how far I got before I saw Kline studying the cat in Jaylin’s—his sister’s—hands. It was black with jagged white stripes, and about twice the size of a normal cat, almost like a Savannah cat—and she was perceptive. Kline was at maximum stealth, but this cat was still pawing and hissing and clawing at him from the woman’s arms.

  Jaylin hadn’t noticed Kline, so she blushed panickedly, and said, “Sorry. She’s new… I got her for my birthday, and I didn’t expect the request. But then I heard cats were allowed and…” She fell silent when I put up my hands.

  “Yeah, it’s all good. Oh, something to do…” I looked around. “Not really. I’m just guiding the supply beasts back to camp. You want to join me?”

  “Sure,” Kai said. “Oh! I’m Kai, by the way. This is my sister Jaylin. I know we don’t look like much, but we’re kinda cool. Trigan knows us, so he sent us ahead.”

  “Oh…” I said faintly. There was a reason that Trigan sent the two ahead. He was likely troublesome or known for picking fights with legacies. Whatever the reason, Trigan gave his blessing, so I nodded. “Well, it’s wonderful to meet you… But… hey. I know this’ll sound kinda rude, and I don’t mean it, but… um… can I ask what you guys… do? It’s just that Trigan singled you two out, but you’re right—you don’t look like much. You have the smallest core I’ve seen here.”

  “Who, me?” Kai pointed at himself. “I am but a humble swordsman who’s excellent with a sword.”

  Ironic words.

  “And this sweet lady is Jaylin Dairook, known as The Vine. She studies new alchemic plants and poisons for the alchemic families.”

  “Really?” I asked brightly. “You’re a botanist?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise, and she swallowed. “Yeah… well, kinda. But I’m not famous or anything. I mostly do grunt work.”

  “Botany is nothing but grunt work,” I said with the grim emphasis of a sardonic declaration. “But don’t worry. There’s nothing boring here. Once you meet Felio, you’ll be in heaven.”

  Jaylin’s eyes shone like stars. “Felio Hellara?”

  “Yeah. You know her?”

  “Of course I do!”

  “Oh? Well you’ll get to work with her. She runs the alchemy lab, but she also helped to create a greenhouse. I mean, kinda. I think it’s a greenhouse…. Technically. You’ll love it.”

  Jaylin’s eyes twinkled.

  I turned and saw Railain showing up with the beasts. There were thirty metric tons of food and supplies, all riding on pack animals we would use for animal husbandry.

  Sustainable food was key.

  “Where should I wait?” Railain asked, refusing to look at Aiden, who had come up to greet her. She lost to him at the Trial of Survival, and she was clearly bitter about it.

  “We can just leave if all of them are ready,” I said.

  “They are.”

  “Cool.” I turned to Aiden. “You got this?”

  He turned from me to Kai and back, flashing me a smile. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

  “Thanks. Then we’re going to take off.”

  Jaylin eked when the lurvine stood, showing off their incredible size as half the pack walked toward us.

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “They’re friendly.”

  I mounted Sina and hugged her, and then Ryn laid down to let them on.

  “Wow, it’s incredible you tamed these guys…” Kai said.

  Ryn and Sina growled, and he backed away.

  “No one tamed anyone,” I said. “The lurvines are friends. Wraiths, just like me and you. Treat ‘em like they’re humans. They’re smarter than we are—and they understand your every word.”

  “Oh…” Kai reluctantly got on Ryn’s back and helped settle Jaylin and Rikki, who was still glaring at Kline. And then we took off, leading Railain through the forest.

  Kai was cool, and Jaylin was perfect for Felio. She had boundless excitement, not only to meet Felio, but also to ride the lurvines and learn about the plants. I loved talking about plants, so she was perfect for me, too. That said, Kai navigated the conversation to keep it from exposing something, and I didn’t know what. It was strange.

  So instead of focusing on plants, we talked about Wraithwood, the responsibilities, and business-related matters, and Kai got me laughing. And perhaps out of feeling neglected, or a desire to show off, Kline jumped onto the nape of Sina’s neck—like Rikki on Ryn’s—and demanded that I hold her like Jaylin.

  Sina tried to shake him off, and I said, “Stop,” between laughs. That said, I must’ve looked like a lunatic because Kline was completely invisible to everyone else.

  “What’s so funny?” Kai asked, laughing out of bewilderment.

  “Oh!” I said. “I forget people can’t see him. Come on, show off.”

  Kline materialized, and the atmosphere changed so drastically that it felt like I had entered a room just as the fuse on a stick of dynamite burned to the edge. There was silence—and then Jaylin exploded.

  “W-Wait! Y-You’re Mira?”

  Wraithwood Botanist - Kindle Edition