Eris didn’t ‘put away’ the information window of the Obelisk immediately. She kept it hovering in her mind while they quickly walked back to the workshop. It was definitely distracting- almost like trying to walk with a book taped to her face- but Eris didn’t have a choice. She didn’t want to forget it before having a chance to write it all down. Granted, there was nothing stopping her from grabbing something to write with, going back to Inspect the Obelisk again, and then having the talk with the two other girls, but this was quicker.
“So why your dorm and not the workshop? Are you gonna introduce us to your new roommate?” Jaxie waggled her eyebrows, obviously trying to lighten the tense mood that had fallen over the trio from Eris’s expression. As sweet a gesture as it was, Eris didn’t need that right now. She shook her head.
“I need to write something down and my notebooks are in my bag. My bag is in the dorm room. And no, she would have left for her shop already.”
“Oh,” Jaxie swallowed at the sternness in Eris’s voice. “Okay we’re in serious mode. Got it.”
Jaxie and Alex did give a questioning look to each other. Eris ignored it. Thankfully, they didn’t try to ask any questions while they were walking in a public area. Eris wouldn’t have answered anyway- not until they were somewhere she knew was private. It didn’t take long for the trio to scramble up the stairs to the sixth floor of dorm number seventeen- Eris wasn’t waiting for the elevator. She walked quickly down the hall and only paused for a moment outside of the final room. The door was closed (as much as it could be without a latch holding it in place) and there was a crooked wooden sign hanging from the front.
Nobody’s home! Come back later! with a heart beside it. Jaxie looked at it, then looked down at the missing fixtures, gave an experimental push on the door with one finger and watched it swing open.
“I understand letting anyone into your room for sex, but completely taking off the lock and doorknob? Does she even know the word ‘privacy’?”
“I doubt it.” Eris walked inside. Thankfully, there was nobody naked this time and Eris was able to reach into her bag and retrieve the notebook almost full of diagrams and details. She flipped to a clean page and scrawled a pencil across it in record speed. Jaxie and Alex stood there awkwardly. Eventually, Alex tried to break the silence.
“So, we’re not talking here?”
Eris didn’t need to look up. Both Jaxie and Alex took a quick glance at the door that couldn’t lock or even fully close before Alex nodded. “Ah. Right. Can you at least give us a bit of context?”
“I have a… an information window pulled up in my mind from something, and I’m writing it all down before I close it and forget anything. Then, we are going to talk more at my new workshop that has more privacy than here. First, this is gonna take a minute.”
Both girls nodded and started looking idly around the room. Jaxie slowly walked around the space, taking in all the details. One of those was the far closet that had been slightly ajar. She pried open the door with her foot and glanced inside.
“Wow. That is quite the collection of toys.”
Eris tried not to pay attention, but a blush still rose on her face. Alex was the one who spoke. “What kind of- wait, nope. Nevermind. I don’t wanna know.”
When Eris was done writing, the girls left the room and ‘closed’ the door. To help assuage the concerns that were most certainly rising in her companions, Eris gave them the notebook so they could read it as they walked quickly to the workshop. By the time they got inside and Eris locked the door behind them, Alex’s eyes were wide.
“This… you managed to Inspect the Obelisk?”
“Yep.”
“And this is what it said?”
“Every word.” Eris sat down on one of the stools. Jaxie glanced over Alex’s shoulder at the words in the notebook.
“Alright, well there’s a few obvious questions right off the bat. Who are these people that created it? Do either of you recognize any of these names from your obsessions with books?”
Eris and Alex looked at each other for a moment before ultimately shaking their heads.
“Alright, I’m also going to assume that means neither of you have any idea how the fuck to pronounce any of those names.” She squinted at the paper and tried slowly pronouncing one of the names. “I mean, ‘Voh-jee-maluh… Yuhwur’ or something? The fuck?”
A second head shake. Jaxie sighed. “How about the fact it says it’s made from white marble despite the Obelisk being solid black? Or that it’s made from the souls of those people. Anything?”
Another head shake.
“Great. Now this… Zhuul Somnere? Any ideas as to what the fuck that is?”
This time, Eris shrugged. “I’m like ninety percent sure it’s Ra’lan, at least. I think ‘Somnere’ means ‘sleep’.”
“Cool, so it’s made from a concoction called ‘Something Sleep’. Time for the juicy stuff.”
“A gateway to distant realms...” Alex echoed the words of the notebook aloud. “I mean, we already know it sends people somewhere, but what does that mean?”
“Who knows?” Eris said. “It could mean other continents, but they’re taken over by the Hollow so I don’t think that’s likely. There’s always been speculation about the Obelisk- I’ve read that much. Some say that it shrinks people down and pulls them inside the pillar, some say that it teleports you to other planets and solar systems. Some even theorize that it connects to different versions of reality, like different dimensions and stuff.”
“Well it says ‘distant’, so my money’s on other planets. Those things are pretty fuckin’ far away.” Jaxie clicked her tongue. “Okay, next thing. Unauthorized individuals can’t use it? Does that mean everyone is authorized, since anyone can get ‘bamphed’ somewhere by touching it?”
Eris shrugged. “I think it’s more likely that the Obelisk is so damaged that the enchantments aren’t working right. If everyone was authorized to use it, why make an enchantment like that in the first place? Furthermore, why am I the only person that can Inspect it?”
“Good point. So, the uber-powerful-teleporting-and-maybe-inter-dimensional-rock isn’t just broken, it’s broken. Got it.”
“Authorized individuals may forcibly transport targets through realm connections and Delegated prison realms are one-way only.” Alex furrowed her brow. “The Obelisk was, at least in part, meant to serve as a prison that the authorized people could force others into. That much is obvious.”
“I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume that the ‘authorized individuals’ being mentioned were Artificers. How else could Eris Inspect it?” Jaxie asked. Eris wrung her hands.
“Maybe. Or it could be Echoes in general. There’s no telling.”
“Hmm…” Alex read over the notes again. “If you are an authorized individual, then supposedly you can force people into these other realms. Of course, there’s nothing saying how you do that, or even if that ability would work properly since the first enchantment is obviously messing up from the damage. I’m mostly worried about that last part.”
For once, it seemed like Eris was the one who failed to put the pieces together before the two combatants. Jaxie nodded.
“If the Obelisk is all screwed up and the enchantments aren’t working properly, then that means the one-way connections to the prison realms might not be so one-way anymore.”
A moment of silence. Eris chirped up. “The only thing that’s ever come out of the Obelisk are the people that go in and what they carry back out. Even if they aren’t going to the prison realms, it doesn’t seem like the monsters inside are able to use the Obelisk on their end and come to us. I would think that means whatever may be locked in the prison realms is staying that way.”
“I hope so,” Jaxie said. “If something was so scary that the old world decided to send it to who-the-fuck-knows-where instead of putting it in a normal prison, I’d hate to see what it did if it came back.”
The quiet thickened after that lovely note. Eventually, it was Alex that broke it. “Do we tell the Syndicate?”
More silence. This time, Jaxie spoke. “We’d have to tell them about you, Eris. That’s the only way you even know this stuff.”
Eris wrung her fingers. It was several moments before she let out a long breath.
“Not yet. The Syndicate’s been doing fine for four hundred years, it can handle things a bit longer while I get everything in order. We still don’t know how dangerous everything might be with me as an Echo. If word got out to the wrong people about me being an Artificer, they might try to do some terrible things.” Eris stood.
“I mean, you’ve heard about the news. It seems like every other week there’s some new feud between kingdoms and royal families and stuff. Countries went to war with each other in the old world over the Echoes. Even though the Hollow’s destroying the world, I don’t see a zero-percent chance that revealing myself as an Echo will cause someone to get power-hungry.”
She sighed. “At the very least, I want to become strong enough that people won’t be able to take me by force. The three of us have pledged our souls and dedicated the remainder of our lives to fighting the Hollow. I can’t do that or help you two do that if someone steals me away- or worse, kills me so that nobody else can get me.”
That hung in the air for a while. Eventually, Alex stood up straighter and took a proud step towards Eris. “Whatever happens, know that you’ll never have to face anything alone.”
Jaxie smiled. “Yeah. If anyone ever wants to do anything to you, they’ll have to go through us first.”
“Greetings, recruits! I am Variah Konderlacht, the Superintendant of Marrix, and Colonel of the Syndicate Resistance Force. You may refer to me simply as Professor Konderlacht.”
The woman standing on the stage and giving the noon orientation was intimidating, but not because of her appearance. She was wearing a well-tailored suit of blue so dark it was bordering on black, with accents of silver peeking through in just a few places. Her hair was probably long enough to extend well down her back, but it was tied up in a simple, efficient bun the colour of cream that contrasted against her darker skin. The people of Garigall retreated to the mainland over two hundred years ago, but their genes were some of the most obvious. To have such rich, dark skin along with hair so pale made them stand out in a crowd. They were clear, walking reminders of the land humanity had lost to the Hollow.
“First and foremost, I would like to speak for the entire Syndicate and offer you our warmest welcome to Marrix. Each of you brave young men and women will consider this your new home for the next four years as you do your part in helping to win this war against the Hollow.”
Professor Konderlacht motioned towards her left, where six other people were all standing at attention. They were all wearing similar suits to the woman, however there was no silver in the midnight-blue of their clothes.
“Allow me to introduce you to the individuals you see on stage. These are my Deputies, and are the Deans in charge of the six sectors of Marrix.”
One by one, each of the people stepped forward as Professor Konderlacht called their name and rank, before silently sliding back into their previous position.
“Sector Ohn. Your Dean is Almi Resoto, Major of the Syndicate Resistance Force.”
“Sector Tol. Your Dean is Desmond Greene, Lieutenant Colonel of the Syndicate Resistance Force.”
“Sector Teer. Your Dean is Richard Powell, Captain of the Syndicate Specialist Reserve.”
“Sector Fura. Your Dean is Hannah Maidess, Major of the Syndicate Resistance Force.”
“Sector Feegh. Your Dean is Warren Peace, Captain of the Syndicate Resistance Force.”
“Lasty, Sector Saez. Your Dean is Keiran Kull, Major General of the Syndicate Specialist Reserve.”
As Kieran- a surprisingly young man no older than thirty with black hair and very pale skin- stepped back into the line, Professor Konderlacht spoke again.
“All operations and activities regarding each sector of Marrix will be addressed and dealt with by the respective Dean. In fact, most of you will never interact with me in any capacity. Consider each sector of Marrix its own school, and your Deans are the highest authority of each. I am the superintendent of the school board, and the figure to which each of the Deans report to. Much like myself, you will refer to your Deans as Professor Resoto, Professor Greene, Professor Powell, Professor Maidess, Professor Peace and Professor Kull, respectively.”
The six-hundred or so first-years of Sector Saez in the room all looked at Professor Kull, who was the only person on the smaller stage in front of them. After all, Professor Konderlacht and all six Deans, including Professor Kull, were merely on a large holoarcanic projection above the stage in the auditorium of Sector Saez. The real Professor Kull was standing off to the side as the recording of the superintendent continued.
“I will not glaze over the truth. Becoming a member of the Syndicate is dangerous. Fighting against the Hollow is an effort of war that can and will cut many lives short. By the time that your four years are complete at this institution, twenty percent of you will most likely be dead. When your training is complete and after you are officially inducted as a member of our military, almost seventy-five percent of you will perish within ten years in defence of our world.”
Way to kill the mood. Eris risked a glance beside her at Jaxie. The Berserker’s expression was steeled but she did give Eris’s hand a gentle squeeze.
“However, that is a sacrifice that each and every one of us makes willingly. By participating in your Gifting, you have shown that you understand and accept the risk that comes with this duty. By claiming power from the waters of the Stream, all of you have bound your souls to this world’s defense. It is our duty to take this world back from the Hollow. It is our duty to fight for it. It is our duty to die for it. That is a duty that we, and the next generation, and the one after that will continue to uphold, for however long it takes. Deans, I leave the rest of the orientation to you. Limeen, Bazra, Eris.”
The screen went dark. The room was silent for only a moment before Professor Kull stepped forward. His blue eyes seemed to be scanning through the crowd- taking a note of every single person.
“Limeen, Bazra, Eris.” He began. His voice was just as intimidating as his military ranking. “That is the motto of the Syndicate. It means ‘Light, Strength, Hope.’ Our three principals in the war against the Hollow. They are words you should memorize, because it is our code. We are the world’s light, we will become the world’s strength, and we will give the world hope. However, not a single one of you is ready to step up to that motto.”
Eris tried to ignore the fact that two-thirds of her name was shared with the school slogan. Professor Kull continued.
“No matter how strong you think you are, the Hollow is stronger. No matter how capable you may be, our enemy will tear you to pieces at the first opportunity. That is why you are here. You need to become stronger, and not just in terms of your level. You need to become better than yourself in every way if you want to survive against the Hollow. Marrix will teach you how to do that, but it is up to you on whether or not you learn. At Marrix, there is no schedule. We do not assign you to your lessons, nor are you required to attend them. Your attendance to whichever lessons you deem appropriate to your progression is entirely dependant on you. However, we would highly recommend not being a slacker in your training, because your life depends on it.”
The holoarcanic projection above the stage switched back on. Eris had already been on the verge of salivating at the thought of the runework required for that sort of magical projection- it was hard for her to focus. Still, she managed to at least try and take in the information being presented. It was a calendar with two dates listed- the twenty-ninth of Esmeroka and the twenty-ninth of Kiaroka. The current date, and exactly thirty days from now.
“In a month’s time, all of you will be deployed on your first mission based on a personal review by Syndicate officers. These missions are mandatory, and will be taken by every single person here. If you are not properly trained by the time your mission takes place, and are not ready to fulfil your duties, then you will die during the process. That is why we encourage you to put your studies and progression first.”
The projection vanished.
“After you return from the mission, at least, those who trained hard enough to survive, then you will stay at Marrix until you are deployed exactly one month later on your next mission. This process will continue for your entire four years at this institution, and the missions you are sent on will gradually increase in potential danger over time to match your expected advancement. Therefore, if your progression begins to fall behind at any point, it is up to you to take the necessary steps and get yourself back on track. If you don’t, your missions will only become more and more difficult until your inevitable death due to negligence of your studies. Do I make myself clear?”
The crowd mumbled a tentative agreement. Professor Kull scoffed. When he opened his mouth, his voice almost seemed to shake the walls of the auditorium. Eris could even feel it through the floor.
“DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?”
The entire room managed to speak up in a ‘Yes, sir!’ that had much less hesitation than the first. Kull smiled.
“Let’s get started.”