“Sweetie… you can’t bring that to school. You know that, right? Suspension would be the least of our concerns.”
“But mom-”
“No buts,” she says, brooking no argument. “Give it here. I’ll put it in the safe with the other weapons.”
I sigh. “Ugh, fine. I don’t even know why I don’t want to set it down. Here.”
She takes the runepistol from my hand as I turn around, grabbing the paper bag no doubt housing the ever impressive bologna sandwich, pudding cup, and juice box. It never fails to make me feel like I’m approaching adulthood, about as much as the frilly pink nightgown I still use. The one I’ve had since I was ten.
I do a quick inventory of myself before I leave, it gets exhausting having Instructor Harris hassle me for forgetting my books…
“Okay, I’ve got… books, papers, pencil case… I’m not forgetting my ribbon… lunch, gun – wait, gun!?”
Sure enough, the shiny weapon is back in my hand again.
“Uh. Mom?”
She blinks. “I could’ve sworn I just…”
I set it on the table and then turn around to realize it’s in my hand again. “Wh… what? This is… What?”
And then I try to throw it over my shoulder, and despite distinctly feeling it leave my grip as soon as I look down, sure enough, there it is.
“I… don’t think I can.”
“That’s so strange… alright, well. I guess we’re going to a specialist. Sorry Sadie, you might have to miss a day of school.”
My mother starts to put on her jacket while I try and probably fail to contain my relief, and after setting down my book bag and putting my lunch back in the cold box, we head out the door together.
***
“It’s soulbonded,” the elderly man simply says. “You can’t have it anywhere but on your person. Selling it is right out, as is upgrading.”
“Aw, you mean I’m stuck with this thing forever? If I’m going to be an adventurer, I need to keep getting better gear or I’ll die!” I gasp.
But the older man simply waves off my concern with a chuckle. “You are a new ascendant, then? No, I can’t fault you for not knowing. Soulbonded equipment advances with the user. It is literally tied to the strength of your soul, and as you get stronger so will it. What I find strange, however, is how I can’t read very much about it… just the name, the fact that it’s soulbonded, and the crafter. I’ll have to look them up, but it was apparently some crafter named ‘Nyx’. Otherwise, it’s noteworthy that this is at least based on a very, very old model of runepistol, but if it was made from one… well. The crafter would have had to replace almost the entire weapon, unless they had… ha! Some kind of means of just waving their hand and turning it into a…”
He trails off while suddenly squinting at me.
After a moment of his scrutiny I can’t take it anymore. “What? What is it?”
“You’re one of them.”
“One of what?” my mother asks, a tinge of trepidation in her voice.
“Check your Status, girl. Do you see anything in there about being a ‘Gods-touched’?”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
I blink. It occurs to me that I never really took the time to digest my Status… just the scary things before I closed it.
“It… it’s there, yeah.”
And he just nods knowingly. “Some god gave you that gun. Now, why? I have no idea. Maybe they just decided you were interesting, as scary a prospect as that can be.”
“Oh… Oh no.”
Mom seems to be taking it worse than me. I… don’t really care. Maybe I already knew.
…
Wait.
“Is that what the shadow thing was? Mom? I thought it was just a dream or sleep paralysis or something.”
Both adults furrow their brows.
“What shadow thing? Did you Identify it?” the appraiser asks.
I shake my head. Because of course I didn’t… why would I? Of course I didn’t think to do that!
“Then what did it look like?” he continues.
After taking a moment to gather my thoughts I reply, “It was a shadow with glowing red eyes. It came through some kind of hole, but it looked like there wasn’t anything on the other side, just… nothing. I couldn’t move. It walked to the side of the bed, and… it patted my head-”
Horror fills the old man’s face as he interrupts, “It literally touched you?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “And then it put something on the... Oh. It gave me this thing I guess.”
I gesture with Covetous Wanderer, still unwilling to leave my hand.
“And then it said something in my head… something about… a boon? And… Oh! I forgot. What’s an ‘Agent’?”
***
That was a whole new expression of horror, at least on the part of the two adults in the room.
Apparently an Agent is a spare body for a god. Who knew?
Both of them, but certainly not me!
Not a particularly pleasant thought.
And the appraiser did have a name for me, though I’m pretty sure it’s just an alias for it. From what I’d read all the gods have a proper name… but ‘The Great Destroyer’? That has to be a nickname or something. Besides, if that’s the case then why even both with me? I’m a nobody!
The adults chatter and make worried sounds for a while longer, but I’m too lost in my head over the implications to absorb any of it. I knew all of this was lifechanging, becoming an ascendant and all… but I had no idea it’d be this lifechanging.
Not long after we’d finally left the appraiser’s shop I ask no one in particular, “What do I even do now? What am I supposed to do?”
“I… don’t know, sweetie,” my mother replies, clearly straining to keep the worry and fear from her voice and failing miserably. I’m pretty sure she’s not a social build after all…
(You.)
Me?
(Social.)
Wait, I’m a social build!?
…
WAIT, WHY DO I EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS!?
(Knowledge. Gift? Gift!)
A… gift. Right. The gift that keeps on giving, whether I want it or not. I see.
Even Olive seems concerned, but I guess there isn’t actually much I can do about this… Although I do feel a drive I’ve never felt before… A drive to…
“Mom, I need to level. I have to. And I need to use this thing. I wonder if…”
The older woman’s eyes widen at my words, but if she says anything I completely miss them as I’m focused on testing to see if Covetous Wanderer always needs to be in my hand, or… Yes! I can put it in my pocket! It’ll just stay there as long as I don’t try to-
“Ah,” I gasp as the runepistol suddenly reappears in my hand. I wonder if…
[Available Skill: Quickdraw used for the first time!]
[Quickdraw (0) added to Skills.]
My unexpected elation catches me off guard, but I reflexively accept it.
“I just got a Skill! Is that how it works? You just think of something or do something and it just happens? That’s so cool!”
“Oh, Okay,” is all mom says in response. Huh. Is she not nearly as excited about all of this as I am?
…
…?
Since when was I excited about this? Wasn’t I worried? Afraid?
…
I don’t even feel afraid of the shadow thing anymore. Weird. I should probably be worried about that too.
Oh well.
“Are there any dungeons around here?”
“What!? No!”
“Oh. Well… where are there dungeons? Can we go there?” I ask a little too urgently.
“Sadie… sweetie… You’re level 0. You’d die, even to slimes and goblins.”
…
My quivering lip has an immediate effect as she quickly continues, “Well, I mean. We can… We can make you an adventurer, though we don’t have any on this plane… we don’t even have monsters here.”
“Why not?” I ask confusedly. “Isn’t that weird? I thought monsters were everywhere!”
She slowly shakes her head. “I do know of a handful of planes with weak monsters… but if you’re going, I’m going with you.”
“Okay!”
“BUT.”
Her sudden comment makes me stop walking entirely.
“But. You are going to continue your classes, missy.”
My groan doesn’t stop her at all as she continues, “And you’re going to study more about what it means to be an ascendant, and monster types, and Class types. You’re obviously stuck as some kind of runic weapon user, whether that’s a siege tank or some kind of sharpshooter or even gunfighter – those are all actually mage types, by the way, because runic weapons drain mana to function.”
I nod excitedly. “Yes, and? Tell me more!”
“I… don’t really know a lot more. Although I think I did, it’s been years and years since I attended the academy… although… nah. Maybe in the future, but not now.”
“What?”
Despite my curiosity, she doesn’t elaborate the entire way home... I wonder what she meant.
