Quest Academy: Silvers, page 20
With a glance at the closed door, Quest sighed. “Was there a big fuck-off dragon in your vision?” The sudden cursing from the headmaster caused Sal’s eyes to widen. Before Sal could say a word, Quest raised his hand and closed his eyes. “No, actually…don’t tell me. We’ll wait for Neuro.” When an uncomfortable silence carried its way through the room, Quest shook his head in annoyance.
“Forget I mentioned the dragon…we have a few people who can see into the future. They’ve got conflicting ideas of what’s to come, and some are much more convincing than others.” Quest waved his hand wildly in rotations as he tried to downplay his own concerns. “Neuro is part of a team we assembled called the Doom Society. Horrible name, not a fan of it myself…but they get the job done. We move our resources around and avoid disaster. Your vision might be something that is already being prevented by our team, so there might be no reason to worry.”
Despite his encouraging words, there was still an awkward tension in the air, and Sal guessed that the dragon he was referring to was one of those unavoidable or unpreventable scenarios.
Just as Sal was about to ask more about it, the door behind them opened to reveal an out of breath Neuro. His eyes lit up at the sight of Sal, and he pointed in recognition. “Are you the man responsible for making me rush across districts?” An easygoing smile crept across his face.
Sal felt more at ease in those few seconds with Neuro than he had in the few minutes they had spoken with Quest.
With only a nod in greeting to Quest, Neuro took a seat and turned his attention to Sal. “Mind if I take a poke around in there for a bit? See what you saw and all that?”
The fact that he was asking permission made Sal like him even more, and he nodded in response.
Neuro grinned as he put his hands on the arms of his chair and half lifted, half dragged it around so he faced Sal. “Just think of everything you saw and bring it to the front of your mind. If you start thinking silly thoughts, or anything like that, don’t worry, I can sidestep them like a pro.”
Neuro closed his eyes as he activated his power. When they opened, there was no discernible change in his appearance. Nothing about his eyes indicated that he was using his ability. Sal wondered whether there was a way for him to do that without his eyes changing color, and Neuro smiled.
“Like I said, Sal, I’ll be able to sidestep some thoughts…but I need you to give me my destination. Think about the visions you saw.”
Shaking his head a little, Sal cleared his mind and reluctantly recalled all the images he had seen. He tried to go through them slowly, but they came to him out of order and in flashes. He wasn’t sure how to do them in order and couldn’t actually remember which ones he saw first.
He took a steadying breath, conscious that he needed to give Neuro as much to work with as possible and tried once again to catalogue the visions he had seen. Few of them made sense to him, outside of the places he recognized. When his heart stopped thundering, Sal calmly went through the instructions that Divinity had given him, and he recalled the forest that was filled with branches. He tried to retrace his footsteps through those visions and attribute certain scenes to the branches he was navigating.
“Excellent work, Sal. Keep it up.”
Neuro continued to encourage him as he went through scene after scene in his mind. There was one that he felt was important to share, but it wasn’t going to come up until much later. Sal went down the branch of events, eager to move away from the death and destruction at the top…but an unfamiliar force kept bringing him back to that horrific scene, exploring it from different angles and attempting to identify locations and people.
Sal gritted his teeth as they went through it again and again until the force finally relented and let him return to another place on the branch. It was such a relief his shoulders relaxed and he let out a sigh.
“Fantastic job, Sal. What came before those events? Let’s go down the branch…”
Sal barely registered the fact that Neuro knew about their branch concept but didn’t let it distract him. He wanted to be as useful to them as possible and showed them everything he could recall. It went on for what felt like hours, but was, in actuality, only a few minutes. Lastly, at the point of deviation, Sal brought forward the moment he had identified as a catalyst. What surprised him most was that Neuro was able to read his intent with ease. He didn’t know how to describe it, but it felt as if he could sense Neuro’s approval.
“Incredible. Just…incredible.” Neuro patted Sal on the knee and leaned back in his chair, a wide grin on his face. “You can open your eyes now, Sal. You did an incredible job of showing me what you saw.”
With a glance at Quest, Neuro snorted dismissively. “It’s not the dragon—could you stop worrying so damn loudly for a few minutes?” Neuro picked up his chair and moved it so it once again faced Quest’s desk. He looked back to Sal and gave him a reassuring wink before turning his attention back to Quest.
“I’ll need to make my report to the group and disseminate the information we’ve got from Sal, but I can tell you the basics for now. He managed to identify four calamities in his vision, but with a level of clarity I never thought possible. As I said, none of them were anything to do with Chronos, so we don’t need to worry about a dragon apocalypse any time soon.” Neuro spoke matter-of-factly as he raised a hand into the air with four raised fingers.
“We knew about the Lunar Tower. Sal saw an outcome where we didn’t kill the tower lord, which resulted in an invasion and the destruction of the north-most barrier.” Neuro glanced at Sal and Divinity, who gaped in horror, but he shook his head. “We’ve known about that tower for a while now and we’re sending our best guilds to take it down while it’s weak. Don’t worry about that one.”
Quest tapped his desk and gave Neuro a pointed look, which the Hero didn’t miss. His next finger curled downward as he resumed speaking.
“Downtown portal break, happens near the hospital district. Lots of injured Heroes got wiped out and enraged guilds ran to their deaths…but we know the date and time of that one and will pre-emptively evacuate the hospital and ensure the portal is taken care of before it escalates to a break.”
Sal watched as the third finger moved.
Neuro’s voice was still calm as he continued, but there was a hint of curiosity behind his words this time.
“We knew there was a dungeon break, and all our information about it has been after the break…but would you believe that Sal here has seen where it is? We assumed it was on one of the islands off the coast because of the victims on the Darwin cruise, but it’s actually underwater at the port. We’ll need to research that one in more detail, and I’d love to invite Sal to the group to see if we can learn more about it. Maybe take Divinity, too, show her the ropes before she joins us full-time?” Neuro suggested, his eyes never leaving Quest’s face.
It seemed to dawn on the headmaster that they had new information about one of the upcoming calamities, and he wasn’t going to step in the way of saving more lives. He smiled and shook his head weakly. “Yes, of course you can bring them over…but make sure that it doesn’t interfere with their classes too much. What was the fourth?”
Neuro turned and gave Sal a smile.
“A student of the academy is expelled before they get an opportunity to enter a Red Zone. Their power absolutely thrives in that environment and without the guidance of the academy, they end up losing their mind. Our fourth calamity has the highest destructive potential based on their ability, which grows stronger when surrounded by death. It would appear that Sal has already come up with an effective countermeasure for us.”
Quest’s face was white. Despite him staring at Sal, his question was very much aimed at Neuro. “You’d trust a child with countering a calamity?”
Sal glanced at Neuro, who merely nodded for him to speak. The vision was hard to describe to the headmaster, who hadn’t seen the pain on her face, but Sal had seen flashes of her time at the academy and saw how tortured she was. Before he spoke, he looked at Divinity and smiled.
“We’re going to become her friend.” Sal turned his attention to Quest. “And help her join the Savior class.”
Quest’s face finally broke into a smile as he turned in his chair. He shot a knowing look at Neuro, who grinned and held up his hands in defeat.
“What makes you think you’ll be able to get into the Savior class yourselves? Thirty students out of a thousand puts you at a three percent chance. I hope your current ranks aren’t making you complacent!”
Sal opened his mouth to retort, but Divinity got there first.
“So, you’re saying that we’re not going to be compensated or acknowledged for both identifying and preventing a calamity?” she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. “Can’t say it’s a huge motivator for us to look into the future again for this Doom Squad thingy you’re running.”
The headmaster folded his arms and looked at Neuro with a shake of his head. “You knew they were going to say that, didn’t you?”
Neuro didn’t answer and instead cupped his chin with a smile, as if waiting for something to happen. As if to emphasize his point, he looked past Sal’s chair to where Divinity was seated. “Isn’t there something else you’d like to share with the group? Normally, I wouldn’t pry…but it’s practically screaming out of you.”
Divinity coughed uncomfortably as she glanced first at Sal and then at Quest. “When Sal was replicating my power, I think he unblocked a part of mine…somehow. I can’t explain it, but I feel more powerful. Like I can see the future more clearly and for longer.”
Neuro whistled loudly as he turned his cupped chin to look at the headmaster. “Students who can Craft Mythic-grade equipment, see into the future, and help others reach their full potential?” He laughed as he looked at both Sal and Quest’s shocked expressions. “Yeah, that three percent seems like a pretty shitty estimate to me, too.”
Chapter 27:
Overwhelm
Divinity was a fountain of apologies as both Sal and she made their way to the elevators. Sal’s mind was racing, and his attempts at calming down Divinity had failed miserably. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, she resumed her tirade.
“Seriously, though, I wasn’t going to say anything about it until I spoke with you, but Neuro was right there, and he knew about it, and I was dying to find out if it was true or not, so it just kinda came out! I’m so sorry!”
Sal wondered when she took breaths as she jumped from one fear to the next.
“I mean, it’s exciting that they’re going to test it and find out! I’m sorry, I mean that I find it exciting, but it’s probably stressful for you to have to go in there and try to re-create something you didn’t even know about! Ugh, I should have just shut up and said nothing. I’m so sorry!”
Divinity bit her lip and scrunched her face in a grimace as she agonized about her actions. “Maybe it won’t be so bad? Can you imagine if your ability actually worked that way? Whoa! Would that mean I could get angel wings like you had?”
“Angel wings?” Sal asked, confused, but Divinity was still going.
“If that girl wasn’t such a raging bitch, imagine her being able to heal entire groups of people on the battlefield! We’d have no casualties. There are so many amazing powers you could upgrade! But the headmaster is right…the change might only be temporary. We need to wait for a day or two to see. It’s exciting, though, isn’t it?”
Divinity’s grin seemed to finally win through the war of guilt and excitement, and Sal was grateful for the outcome. He scratched the back of his neck as he tapped the button to summon the elevator.
“I guess it’s pretty exciting. I’m just relieved that they already knew about those other calamities. It sounds like we helped them discover more about that third one, and hopefully us joining their team will help us get closer to the Savior class?”
As the doors of the elevator opened, Sal took a step through them and turned on the spot. He was still thinking about everything he had seen in those visions. His respect for the academy and the guilds had grown because of it.
“How many disasters do you think they’ve already countered?” he mused out loud, before looking at Divinity for an answer.
“Well, I know I diverted at least three of them before enrolling. Four, if we can befriend our mystery calamity. There were dozens of others that I glimpsed in the past, but they already knew about them.” She shrugged but still smiled. “It’s nice, though, knowing that even if I miss something…someone else has the ability to catch it and prevent a disaster.”
Sal hadn’t thought about it that way and found it to be quite a relief too. The visions and events had been horrible, and he was genuinely worried that they were all going to die. He was grateful for people like Divinity who looked into the future daily to keep them safe. She truly was an incredible Hero already, and it put his own efforts into perspective. He wasn’t sure how much he was contributing to society like Divinity was. The conversation he had with Upgrade was still on his mind, too.
Would he be able to build something that would help society? Was there a better use for his powers than squirreling away in a workshop, creating pieces of equipment? Up until a few weeks ago, he had imagined a future where he either worked in an Administrative function for one of the bigger guilds or moved home to work in the family auction house. Now, he was predicting future calamities and apparently able to Craft Mythic-grade equipment. If what Divinity had said in that meeting was true, he might even be able to un-knot the weaves in other people.
“You okay, Sal?”
Divinity’s voice caught him off guard, and he realized that the elevator door was open. Divinity stood with one foot in the lobby and the other blocking the door from closing. With a shake of his head, Sal apologized as he stepped past her and exited the lift.
“Just a lot of stuff to think about…kinda just feeling a bit lost.” He gave her a sheepish smile, but Divinity’s frown didn’t budge in the slightest.
She gripped his shirt sleeve to stop him from walking away and looked him straight in the eye. “Trust me, I know.”
Divinity gestured to her eyes and then at Sal’s. “I can see the future. The events that everyone is terrified of or hopeful for, I have the answers…and this power thrust me into some serious conversations from an early age. Things no little girl should see. Countless tests and verifications…I had to use my power again and again, but it helped me realize how many lives we were saving. It made the lack of a fun childhood more bearable. Every day since my powers manifested, I’ve been told how special I am and how vital my success is for the future of humanity.” Divinity’s voice softened as she tugged at his sleeve.
“I’ve been conditioned for years, and I still get overwhelmed from time to time. You, on the other hand…have been working with your family, and nobody—not even you—knew the extent of your abilities. I’m not sure if anyone has told you yet, Sal, but you’re special too. Probably the most special of us all. And I think you’re going to be an absolutely incredible Hero.”
And with that, Divinity released her hold on his sleeve and slipped ahead of him in the lobby. “If you quote me on that, I’ll deny it. So enjoy the flash of sentimentality while it lasts, okay?”
Her laugh filled the air, and Sal couldn’t help but smile. Her words resonated with him, and the feelings of helplessness and being overwhelmed felt that much more bearable with the knowledge that he wasn’t alone.
“Thank you, Divinity. I needed that.” Sal admitted with a shake of his head as they made their way back to the dorms.
***
Exhaustion hit Sal hard, and he needed to really focus to make sure he got off on the right floor for his dorm. It was only when he was walking back alone that he admonished himself for how he was treating his own body. He had pulled an all-nighter Crafting that shirt, been knocked unconscious twice from lack of energy and using an ultimate version of an ability, and then he had his essence ripped away and restored by a crazy Healer looking to swindle them. The emotional weight of seeing numerous calamities, followed by having his mind read—by Neuro, of all people…and in front of the headmaster—had been a lot for him to handle. Despite all of Divinity’s reassurances, there was still a massive feeling of pressure and expectation on him that he wasn’t comfortable with. All of it was finally catching up with him.
As the doors opened on his floor, Sal forced himself out onto the corridor and turned right. Hannah was leaning against the wall, and pressed heavily against her, was a male student. Even in Sal’s tired state, he could read their body language. The guy stopped caressing Hannah’s waist and locked his eyes onto Sal’s.
Hannah looked conflicted about what to say to him, but Sal made it really easy for her and walked past with a friendly smile.
“Have fun.”
He hadn’t made it three paces before she called out to him.
“Are you going to the party tomorrow night? They’re calling it Survive, because…you know, we made it through week one!” She laughed as she said it, and Sal turned to answer.
The first thing he noticed was the dark expression on the guy’s face, but he ignored it and instead looked at Hannah.
“No idea. All I can think about is bed right now. I’ll let you know tomorrow, okay?”
Before Sal moved away, he saw that she still wore the gauntlets he had made for her. Maybe it was his tired brain, but he raised two fingers to his mouth and blew against them, much like her signature move. It resulted in a hearty laugh from Hannah and elicited an aggravated reaction from her current suitor.
Pushing himself away from Hannah, he moved toward Sal purposefully. “We have a problem, pal?”
