To Gene’s surprise, the more their minds touched, the more sophisticated the elemental’s thoughts became. Kyrie and Kyra stood next to each other, marveling at the exchange. They had seen people conversing with earth elementals before, using their language, Stonil, but never had their conversations lasted longer than a few sentences before combat began.

  “No harm done. I only wish to know why you’ve chosen to attack this place and drive these people from their home.”

  The elemental’s thoughts were quiet for a while, almost too long before it thought, “I fear I may have made a grave mistake. I was driven from my cave by Carcolhs. Beneath this farm is a rich vein of minerals that I require to rebuild my family and sustain us.”

  An image of massive snails flashes in Gene’s mind through their connection, dripping with acidic slime as they climb into a dim cavern. They rode trails over the elemental’s kin, melting juvenile earth elementals into horrific piles of slurry. It made Gene’s heart sink.

  “I have now come to realize the Carcolhs were driven from their home too and now it seems in turn, I have driven away others from their home. I presume, they too will drive away others in retaliation. We are dealt pain by life and cause pain to live. Thus the cycle continues.”

  Gene pondered the elemental’s thoughts for a moment before replying, “Does the pain need to continue? Yes, pain is a part of life but if that’s all you’re focused on bringing into the world, then you’re not really living. There is light in this world, sights to see, people to meet. All things and experiences that truly prove you’re alive.”

  He projected his experiences to the elemental as he spoke, showing the creature his arrival, his joy from new experiences, the emotion he felt at every stage. He felt a strange longing blossoming within the creature’s mind before it thought, “I…understand.”

  Gene smiled and looked at the twins who held baffled looks on his face. A thought crossed his mind and he turned back to the elemental.

  “I have an idea. Though I would like to help with your snail problem, I can’t travel far at the moment, but I can put in a request with the guild mistress to send other adventurers to your cave to clear it out. I only need you to promise to leave this farm and not to harm anymore people.”

  The elemental considered the deal in silence. It stood so still Gene was worried it hadn’t understood his thoughts until it thought again.

  “We have a deal. I’ll retreat to the woods for now and trust in your word because I can see the truth in you. Our communication is as clear as that of my kin. I find that much is lost in the dialectic nuances of Stonil when I speak with other fleshy creatures. I shall take my leave and ponder this exchange more.”

  The elemental turned and began to walk away, to the shock of all three heroes. Gene turned to shrug at the twins before turning back to yell at the elemental.

  “Wait! My name’s Gene–Gene Grey. What shall I call you if our paths cross again?”

  The elemental continued walking but it thought to him clearly.

  “You may call me Feldspar, Gene-gene Grey, for I am mostly composed of the material. Our paths will cross again. Be well.”

  The three heroes stood in silence for a while, unsure of how to reckon with what had transpired. Kyra was the first to move and break the silence.

  She moved to collect the splinters of her staff and said, “So…I think this counts as a mission failure since we didn’t claim the core. I’m not sure how Auntie’s going to feel about accepting a quest from a monster either.”

  Kyrie stared into the trees where the earth elemental disappeared into and simply said, “I didn’t even get to try my new skill.”

  They all burst out laughing at the absurdity of what they went through and began their trek back to the guild. Kyrie was still pulling twigs out of his hair when they entered the guild hall and asked for Gordona.

  She was not happy to see them and that did not change when they debriefed her on the results of their bounty. She removed her glasses and pinched away the stress building in the bridge of her nose before she replaced her glasses and looked at Gene.

  “Have you been sent by the gods to test me? No, we are not going to create a bounty for an earth elemental. Wolfram, the book,” she said before snapping at Wolfram. He ran over with a large book in hand and deposited it in front of Gordona. She flipped through a few pages before finding what she was looking for. “Consider yourselves lucky. There’s an active bounty with a handsome reward put in by an Alchemist for Carcolh remains. It’s gone unfulfilled for a while since the Carcolh’s habitats are in veil claimed lands. We assumed this would stay open until more of the veil had been dropped but it seems you’ve stumbled into some good intel. We’ll update the listing to require a Stonil speaker in case they encounter this Feldspar. We’ll say he’s, I don’t know, some sort of advanced summon.”

  Gordona sat back in her seat and pondered the situation for a few seconds before saying, “For your quest, I can only give you partial payment…but I’ll throw in the difference for the info on the Carcolh.”

  The three adventurers fist pumped in the air and Gordona’s hand shot up to stop their celebration.

  “Don’t jump for joy just yet. I heard back from the Council of the Epoch and you, Mr Psychic have drawn some dangerously unwanted attention from three of their members.”

  Gene froze mid fist pump at Gordona’s words and asked, “Say what now?”

  She looked to the twins who flanked him on both sides and asked, “How much have you told him about the Council of the Epoch?”

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Absolutely nothing!” exclaimed Kyrie with a grin on his face that made Gordona ball up a sheet of paper and chuck it at his head.

  It impacted and he frowned before she locked eyes with Gene and spoke.

  “So, you know of the veil and the Dark Lord’s conquest, yes?” Gene nodded and she continued. “Well, for as long as his forces have razed these lands, the Council of the Epoch have stood against him. Members have changed over centuries but the seats and structure of the organization mostly remain the same. Every council member is required to be level 45 and rank 3 in their class at minimum, with some exceptions. There are four factions, each named after our remaining seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.”

  Gene’s heart beat in his throat and he fought to suppress a smile as he thought about the X-men and their own matching council of seasons. Somehow, Gordona noticed his thoughts straying and she snapped.

  “Focus, you need to know this. The Spring faction is led by Talia Sparrowsbane and their job is to repair the lands reclaimed by overturned spires like the one you helped destroy. She’s a High Elf Grovetender and despite your actions, she’s the least of your worries. The other three are the problem. Liris Vek of the Autumn faction, Ilfas Illurian Ingot of the Winter faction, and Derek Tzardiche of the Summer faction all wish an audience with you.”

  Gene sensed the air grow cold when the last name was spoken. He felt the twins tensing up on either side of him but he didn’t turn to question it. Not yet, anyway. He let Gordona continue.

  “Derek is a bloodthirsty Wood Elf Lancer and his faction primarily fight in sieges. Ilfas is a dwarf and though he says he doesn’t have a class, I’m sure somehow he’s invented the Warmonger class. He handles the coffers, guiding the pooling of resources from the wealthy to pay for war resources at a cost to him. I’m certain the two of them would be happy to fight the Dark Lord for another century but your little stunt has thrown their plans into chaos. The last one is the one you should worry about the most. Liris is a Human Mindweaver. She keeps the peace, no matter what it takes and she’ll be able to sniff you out the second she lays eyes on you. They wish to see you in their council room in three days. Pray she doesn’t call for your execution on the spot.”

  The jovial mood from the three adventurers was snatched away when Gordona finished speaking. She looked at them and gave a strained smile.

  “Look, I know all you all meant right by what you did but there are some dangerous players in this game and I don’t want to see you hurt.” Her eyes drifted from Kyrie to Kyra and then to Gene. “Even you. I can tell you’re only driven by the need to help. Just be careful. That drive can get you into perilous situations.”

  “It already did,” replied Gene, remarking on his death that got him to New Venturis in the first place. He took a deep breath and bowed his head. “Thank you, Mistress Goodshow. I’ll just…go fuck off somewhere for now.”

  He left the room despondent with Kyra and Kyrie running after.

  “Gene, wait!” Kyra called out, surprising all three of them.

  He stopped for a moment and plastered on a smile before he said, “No, it’s okay. I think I just need a little alone time. I’m going to take a quick walk and see you back at the inn for lunch.”

  They watched Gene walk away and felt conflicted.

  “We should tell him about mom and dad,” said Kyra, turning to Kyrie with concern gripping her chest.

  He didn’t turn to her. His eyes were plastered on the corner Gene turned down as he said, “If nothing else, it’ll prepare him for meeting Tzardiche.”

  Gene wandered the streets for a long time, far longer than he meant to. He could hear distant thoughts calling out to him but like all the other voices, he filtered them out into the background of his mind. He needed to focus on his own thoughts for once.

  The Architect had warned him about his self-destructive actions but he never imagined the impact those actions could have on another, let alone an entire world at war. He wanted to shrink away, retreat into himself where he couldn’t affect another person with whatever it was that was wrong with him. He wasn’t given the chance when a voice called out to him, pulling him out of that darkness.

  “What a sorry state you’re in,” said one of the guards posted at the gate he had wandered to in his daze.

  He removed his helmet and Gene looked up to see Hiram Bayne, captain of the city guard, giving him a pitying but knowing look.

  He glanced back at the guard next to him and said, “Warren, why don’t you take a break. I need to chat with this suspicious man.”

  The other guard didn’t argue. He simply shrugged and walked into one of the guardrooms on the wall. Hiram put his helmet back on and signaled to Gene to take the other guard’s place.

  He did as instructed, wandering over with little thought to the matter.

  “I spoke with Gordona about you. I’m guessing you used that power of yours to do something you thought was helpful and ended up screwing something up?” asked Hiram.

  Gene gave a half-hearted nod and Hiram nodded along too.

  “You probably don’t know this but I was born with my Truthsayer ability. I bet you can imagine that this is a big power power for a little child. I had to be careful with what I said or who I was around or I could end up ruining a life. I almost ruined mine when I accidentally made both of my parents reveal their dual infidelity to one another. That got me thrown out onto the streets and coupled with my obvious Descendant features, I was a beacon for people with ill intent. Long before I was a cop, I was used as a tool for blackmail for the Crow Syndicate. I heard awful things, unspeakable things that people couldn’t resist telling me and all I wanted to do was disappear, to have this power ripped away from me so that no other life could be ruined.”

  He paused to look at Gene and the young man locked eyes with him, enraptured at his story.

  “I couldn’t see the light until the sect that had captured me was raided. I was saved by a man clad in armor, adopted into his family, and every day he told me truthfully, that I had the power to be a true hero. Not one bound by the structures of society or systems of law, but someone who we used to tell fables about. Those heroes who’d slay dragons and save fair maidens. I had the power to effect real change and so I listened. I can’t compel you to speak your truth but I don’t need to. I can see it in you. I think you can be a hero too. Damn what the council says. We’ve been fighting a war of attrition for centuries and look where it’s gotten us. Get out there, Gene, and do some real good.”

  Tears brimmed Gene’s eyes and began to fall when Hiram concluded his story. There was an energy radiating from him so purely that it took Gene a long time to understand. It was hope, pure and unadulterated hope that he placed in Gene. He was taken aback at the sincerity of Hiram’s feelings and the complex emotions that had been building up on his walk burst forth from him like a broken dam.

  Gene sobbed openly in a way he never had in his entire life and Hiram moved to pat him on the back to comfort him. He stood at the gate, crying until he got a hold of himself and reached out a hand to shake Hiram’s. The man looked at him with mild confusion so instead, Gene just pulled him into a hug.

  “Thank you, Hiram. I needed that, probably more than I realized. I’ve gotta go now. My team’s waiting on me.”

  With that, Gene turned and ran off with an unexpected lightness to his step. He jogged back to his inn and reached out with his senses to find the others on the rooftop. He climbed the stairs and immediately felt his refreshed mood was out of place. The members of Silvayn all stared at him with dour expressions.

  Kyrie moved to direct him to a chair and said, “Gene, you should sit down. We need to tell you about our parents. About what happened with the first Silvayn party.”