Chapter 610 (1/2)

Drake scratched his chin. “I don’t get it. What am I going for?”

“As an ambassador, of sorts,” Sydney said peacefully. She was meticulously sculpting the ice in front of her to resemble a reindeer. Her hands were smooth and even, all the while she spoke to him. “The Order Caelum cannot solely be based out of East End; we need a new source of Elementalists. Everyone will send representatives. I want you to get there first.”

“My point was less about the usefulness of this…” Drake said slowly, keeping his chin high. “I just wonder why I am the best candidate. I believe my abilities would be better spent here, training to take down the next Danger Zone. The boost to experience gathering has reignited the fury for Leveling in Donnyton. If I don’t-”

“You were successful in condensing your Fate, yes?” Sydney said coolly.

Almost subconsciously, Drake glanced down at his hand. The process… had not been pleasant. But on his left hand was a gauntlet made of bone that was his Fate. In addition, something inside of him had broken and been reformed. He was now a Bone Revenant. But just as soon as he made his name true by returning, he was being sent away once more. And Drake didn’t know why.

“Yes. But perhaps some time to consolidate my new Skills would be for the best,” Drake finally said.

“What are your new Skills?” Sydney asked without missing a beat.

Drake winced. If he had thought about it, he would know she would ask this. And it wasn’t like he minded telling her. Drake knew quite well that she would respond just as coolly if he refused to tell her; the actual answer didn’t make a difference. It was just that he had piqued her curiosity.

Increasingly, she was detached and cool like this. It had started when she obtained her ice elemental, but it had slowly grown worse as she had become more and more powerful. Drake knew that even the sculpting that he was witnessing now was a carefully designed activity to push her mastery over her Skills.

That was what she had become. Perhaps that was the answer, Drake reflected. She had become a true leader in her own right, capable of swaying others. No longer was she a young woman who led a town solely by default. The responsibilities of her role had shaped her. And that shape no longer needed her capable right hand.

It left Drake feeling somewhat confused. What… what should he be doing? The answer that he had insisted on for the last several months was protecting the East End, but now-

“Drake? You were spacing out.” Sydney said.

Drake blinked. “Tireless Counter and Eternal Grasp. Tireless Counter-”

“Spare me the details, we have lived with the System long enough to realize that we have grown far too specialized to benefit much from dwelling on each other's every Skill.” Sydney leaned back from her sculpture and stood. The reindeer stood almost two feet high, and its eyes seemed to be locked on Drake’s. “Did you find anyone from the new cohort of guards that you… believe in?”

“No,” Drake said with a shake of the head. As the Zone expanded outward, all of the Villages had obtained an influx of residents. East End had a certain allure as the nexus of Elementalists and people had steadily been coming in. Unfortunately, most of these were not the type that fit well into Sydney’s Grey Guard, the fighting force of East End. Rather, most were either mage leaning or at least scholarly. Most had writer’s bodies.

Drake would have liked nothing more than to train a few strong guards. Sydney had been pushing specifically for him to find a number two, which was a daunting prospect. Who else could accomplish what he could? And why would she need anyone to? And now she was sending-

“Well then, that’s too bad,” Sydney said with a sigh. She held her hand palm up and there was a burst of cold. Suddenly, a pale grey owl sat on her hand: her Ice Familiar. “It just means you will have to go alone. It’s true, I cannot tell you what exactly you are aiming for while you go into this new Zone. But the people there are stubborn and independent, so I believe that if anyone can convince them to join the Order Caelum, it's you.”

Drake didn’t point out that this made no sense; he had been in the military his entire life and grew up following orders. How could he reach these independent people?

Instead, he saluted and went to the door. Sydney flexed her other hand. There was a sharp crack and a blue raven formed on her other hand. It turned one of its beady eyes on Drake.

“Any questions?” Sydney said. She always asked this before he left to accomplish her orders.

“None,” Drake said. He always answered this before he left to accomplish her orders.

The journey to the new Zone was honestly rather simple. From East End, you traveled briefly West to Star Crossing and took the portal to Donnyton. From there, the newly established Manatech line ran South to Franksburg. Once you were in Franksburg, the hardest part was convincing the guard that he wasn’t up to no good heading into the borderlands. Although there was no law against it, it was strongly discouraged to go walking into the borderlands.

After all, the city didn’t want the blood of the foolish on its hands.