Book 2: Chapter 17

When Shaun got to the waiting room he sat down on one of the chairs and just took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down and stay logical. The effects from using the lightning was still lingering, the euphoric energy running through him had lessened considerably but it was still there, lingering. He ignored it though and focused on what had happened. He had killed Trevor, something he had tried to avoid the entire fight. He had given him multiple chances to concede but he didn’t, he just kept pushing and pushing until Shaun just snapped and ended it. It was his fault that Trevor was dead, yes, but he wasn’t in the wrong here. Did he deserve to die? Maybe, maybe not. But what he did know was Trevor wasn’t a good person, he had shown that multiple times over. He chose death, it just so happened it was by his hand.

After spending some time thinking over everything that had occurred, he felt better, much better than he had when he first took a human life. He didn’t feel good about it but he also didn’t feel guilty either. When he felt like he was fully back in control he stood up and finished walking out of the corridor, back to where Gabe and Eric would be waiting for him, and Vivenne as well he guessed. As he expected he saw them all waiting, none looking to surprised to see him without a scratch on him.

“You won then?” Vivenne asked.

“Yeah, its done, sorry it took so long.” He didn’t know if it was a long fight compared to others but there had been a lot of talking involved in his fight.

“Where is the other guy?” She asked him.

“Dead. It’s a long story.” He didn’t know how she was going to react to that one, but she took it better than he thought.

“Doesn’t surprise me. That guy was spouting all sorts of shit when you were unconscious. I’m assuming there is history there?”

“You have no idea Viv. We all worked together back on Earth, Trevor was a….” Gabe told her the full story from beginning to end, they walked behind him as they spoke while Eric came up beside him.

“You okay? You know, after what happened in there?” There was real concern coming from Eric, he was more aware of the impact that it could have on him and was checking in which was heart warming.

“I asked him to concede, multiple times during the fight, but he didn’t. Xavier declared it would be to the death, I didn’t care though, I still asked. In the end he chose to die, its not my fault, not really.” He didn’t even have to lie when he said it either, spending that time processing after the fight was worth it.

“You on a first name basis with The Empire rep huh? Bet there is a story there!” Gabe exclaimed from behind him, apparently both of them had been listening in on his conversation. “Where are we going anyway?”

He hadn’t told them where he was walking yet, but it should have been clear. They wanted to talk and the only place he was comfortable doing that was a dungeon. Besides they didn’t have much time before they would be called to the nightly soiree and they had a lot to cover. When they arrived at the dungeons he led them straight to the low E grade one, figuring he would need to show them as well as tell them what had caught everyone’s attention in the arena, they were getting dragged into this so they needed to be prepared.

“Why are we going into the dungeon? I thought you fought alone?” Vivenne asked him.

“We need to talk and we need privacy, now everyone accept.” He said to them all.

When they appeared in the dungeon they quickly got the notification for the first wave, none of the others were fully prepared to fight, although they did have most of the gear on, no one left their apartments without their weapons and most their armour, not in the tutorial. Before they even had time to talk he went in and killed 4 of the 5 ants, but left the fifth alive, just missing its legs.

“Why bring us in this dungeon if you just wanted to talk? Why not the F grade?” Vivenne asked, and it was a valid question. But he would get to it in time.

“A lot has happened in the past day. We all wanted to talk and there are some things you guys need to know before tonight. This soiree is going to be, interesting? Dangerous even? I don’t know. But you cant go in blind, not after what happened in the arena.” He said to them.

“Okay, where should we start?” Eric asked.

“I will!” Gabe volunteered, which was good because he really wanted to know what had happened when he was unconscious.

Gabe told the story from the beginning, Vivenne chimed in to pick up the missing parts of the beginning of the story. When it came to them carrying him into a shower, stripping him down and cleaning him, Gabe went into more detail than was necessary, probably because Vivenne had gone so red and refused to make eye contact with him. Gabe was getting joy out of seeing her squirm. It seemed like Gabe and Vivenne, or Viv, as she preferred to be called, got along, some form of trust had been established, which was good, he needed to count on that.

When they got to telling him about the soiree they attended it all seemed pretty mild, the major faction reps were there but didn’t interact with anyone, and no one was willing to approach them, sensing that they wanted to be left alone. All three of them had been approached by some of the clans though, some extended further invitations to talk again and others just wished them luck. Overall, there was nothing to outrageous that occurred.

“Now its your turn. Tell us everything, leave nothing out.” Viv said.

“What do you all know about affinities?” Shaun asked. Gabe and Eric knew what he had told them, Viv however knew very little. He then started an in depth talk on what an affinity was, what the elements were, their rankings, and the impact they had on one’s growth.

“I appreciate you telling us all of this but what does it have to do with anything?” Viv asked.

“Swear to me, that no matter what, you will not repeat what I tell you. Promise me.”

They all agreed, Gabe and Eric immediately, but Viv spent a minute just looking at him, considering what he was going to say.

“I promise, but I wont give my life, or the life of my people to keep this secret. So if that going to be a problem tell me now.”

He thought about it for a second, but really he didn’t expect any of them to give their lives for it, he wasn’t going to tell them everything, just enough that they will understand the impact of what he had to say.

“That’s fine, I don’t expect any of you to give up your lives or anyone else’s to keep it what I tell you a secret.” Taking a deep breath, he decided to just come out with it. “Gabe and Eric know this, but you don’t. I have an affinity. For fire.”

Viv just blinked at him, first once, then twice. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it. “How?”

“You know the dungeons in the last stage?” She nodded at him. “You noticed how they were all attuned to an element right?” Again she nodded. “I got lucky in the fire dungeon. Really lucky.”

“Prove it. Show me what you can do with fire.” She said.

“Okay. Everyone stand back.”

He walked over to the legless ant and quickly killed it with his sword. He then went around and looted all of the bodies. When the 1 minute countdown was over he had them all stand behind him and watch. He handed over his sword to Gabe and said that he would show them how he could fight with fire using just his affinity, and he did.

He threw fireballs, one for each of the ants but one, where they hit the ants were blasted back and quickly died. He then took his sword back and made another legless ant. The fight was over before it really started, but that was the point, an affinity, even a basic one, was powerful in a fight. They all looked at him in shock. Even Eric and Gabe who had never seen him use an affinity before, only ever his gauntlet.

“That was incredible! You seriously just created fucking fireballs and threw them around like it was nothing! And they were so powerful! None of my attacks are anywhere near that strong!” Gabe was, in that moment, acting like an excited puppy, jumping around and practically cheering for him.

“It makes sense. It all makes sense now! That’s why you are so powerful! You have an affinity!” Viv said, starting softly in disbelief but quickly growing to shouting at him, not in anger but in excitement. “Help me get one!”

“He isn’t done.” Eric spoke, causing everyone to look at him. “We knew about the fire affinity, you wouldn’t have bought us in here just for that. What else do you want to tell us.”

“Okay, time for the third wave I guess.” This time with his sword in hand he killed the last ant and looted the bodies. This time he stayed between the group and the ants. Just as the countdown hit 0 he formed his platforms of air and ran up into the sky, overlooking where the ants were. Without hesitation he send down air strikes, decimating all the ants. Damn it, forgot to let one live.

He quickly ran back to the others, “Sorry, let me kill this lot and I will remember to keep one alive this time.” The all just stared at him, no one replying to him at all. When the next wave appeared he quickly dispatched the ants, this time being careful to keep on alive but legless. Running back he stopped when he got close to them again. “So yeah, don’t just have fire, I have air too. Surprise!”

“No. Just, no. This isn’t fair!” Viv shouted at him. “Two! You have two affinity while the rest of us have none!”

“I thought you said only the elite, like the best of the best only had two affinity?” Gabe said.

“And that’s why you needed to talk to us? You showed both of your affinity in the arena and now everyone wants a piece of you?” Eric nodded along as he spoke. “But what has that got to do with us?”

“No! We are not just skipping over the fact that he has two damn affinity! When? How?” Viv was spitting mad, not at him, not really, but she had finally come to the conclusion that there was no way she could ever beat him in a fight, not only that but he was so far ahead of the power curve that it would be near impossible to catch up.

“I got….”

“I swear to go Shaun, if you say you got lucky in the air dungeon I will shoot you!” She is real mad.

“You have to have a strong pull, or tie to the element you’re bonding. It just so happened I found that with two basic elements in the last stage. Listen I have a book you can borrow, give it a read, I don’t know if I will be able to help you bond any affinity but I can try? From what I read it can take people years, if not centuries to find and bond an affinity. I really was just lucky.” He said.

“Okay, while Viv calms down a bit, tell us why this impacts us.” Eric tried to get back to a productive conversation but it was hard, Viv was annoyed and Gabe was still just staring at him like he had grown a second head.

“Its more complicated than that. I told you about how basic elements can be formed into advanced ones right?” He started.

“You have got to be kidding me. Seriously? I swear if you pull out another affinity I will shoot you!”

“Okay then….” I am going to need to keep an eye on her. “I didn’t use any of my affinity when I was in the arena, not until the end.” He proceeded to tell them everything that happened, Xavier changing the rules, Trevor talking about killing him, his conversation with the reps and finally about all the threats against them, how Trevor threatened to hunt and kill each and every one of them. He spoke about what he had been thinking and feeling as he listened to Trevor spouting on about taking away everything he cared about and how he couldn’t take any more loss.

They all just listened when he spoke about everything he had relived, losing his parents, the feeling of being alone, and finally, finding people he cared about, so much so that the mere idea of losing them broke something inside of him, causing him to kill Trevor. When he finished Gabe rushed up to him and just held him, hugged him with all of his strength, told him that they would never leave him.

He couldn’t help the tears that fell down his face, he forgot what it felt like, to be cared for, and having people he could rely on again, people that would do anything for him, it was changing him. Maybe, just maybe, he could love someone again. Have a family.

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” Viv came up to him as well and joined in the hug, Eric soon joining them all, wrapping his arms around each and every one of them. It was nice, comforting.

When they all let go, he wiped the tears from his face, he saw that Gabe had also been crying, even Viv. Eric just smiled at him, a comforting smile of support.

“Right, so, advanced affinities.” He cleared his throat and continue don with his story. “When you have two basic affinity, if they match up, you can form an advanced affinity. It isn’t something that many can do and it nearly impossible to even have an advanced affinity in the E grade, most can only bond successfully in the D grade, if at all.”

“That’s what you did in the dungeon, right? You created the advanced affinity and it nearly killed you? Would have killed you if it wasn’t for the health potions, which you owe me for by the way.” Viv said, now much calmer than she had been.

“And that’s what you used in the arena, an advanced affinity, which is why everyone is up in arms. Do they even know you have the two basic affinity?” Eric asked, to which he shook his head. “Shit Shaun, what a mess. But again, why does it involve us?”

“Trevor. When he was threatening the people I cared about he called you out by name, both of you. He also mentioned Viv, and how she helped me after the dungeon. You’re all in their sights now.”

“Is that a bad thing though? I would have thought it would be a good thing, not many people are invited directly into the major factions.” Gabe said to the group.

“Not bad, necessarily, but it means that the attention will be on us and we need to be careful with how we approach the clans and factions. If you want to join one, and they want you to, I don’t see why you shouldn’t accept. But read about them all first. Here.” He took out the book on factions from his inventory, handing it to Eric. “Read it, think it all over. And for you.” He pulled to the book on affinity and handed it to Viv. “I will be wanting it back when your done though.”

Viv read the title and opened to the first few pages. “You’re actually letting me borrow this? Where did you even get it?”

“Bookstore.” Eric and Gabe said at once, causing them both to laugh and bump into each other.

“Now you know everything.” He concluded.

“Except for what this advanced affinity is.” Gabe replied, not letting him get away without a show and tell.

“That’s why we are in this dungeon, I have a lot of testing to do with this affinity, you guys can leave if you want, or stay, sit and read for a while, watch me fight. Up to you. Just be careful, watch out for any stray attacks.”

He didn’t want to waste what mana he had so instead of killing the ants with lightning he finished off the 5th wave with his sword, getting boos from the others watching. When the sparrows appeared though he was ready to show them what his new affinity was, and he was more than excited to really test it out. Channelling the lightning through his body felt euphoric, not as much as before, but he was also using a lot less of it. Raising both of his hands, having out his sword back in its sheath, he aimed for the closest bird and with a push of mana he sent an arc of lightning cracking through the sky. Where the sparrow wasn’t quick enough to avoid the lightning and was struck down with one hit.

“Lightning! You overpowered dick!” Viv yelled at him. He just smiled, these birds had just gotten a hell of a lot easier to take down.