The Empires Rise

The one stepping out of the summoning portal causes me to be shocked and taken aback. I stand still as Xelyphe approaches me.

"Hello, Drake, how have you been?" They ask.

"Xelyphe, this is quite a surprise. I wasn't expecting you to be here. I am fine. Better than I ever have been." I answer out of pure habit upon seeing them.

"That is good. Now, I should introduce myself to these fine people as they seem to be on the edge of their seats." They gesture over to the rest of the people of the settlement. "After that, we are having a long talk about what has happened and why I am in this new place." Glaring at me but more of a concern than spite.

They turn around and address the rest of the settlers. "Hello everyone, my name is Xelyphe Taldrit. I am Drake's sibling. I am happy to see he is well. I presume it is all of your doing due to his condition. Which I am sure he has told you about."

"He has told us about a condition, yes. I think you are a bit mistaken as to who saved whom." Laxreal approaches the topic. "As I can see from my vantage, your brother doesn't have any condition that would be life-threatening. They are a boon for him as long as it can grow."

Sylvasti, looking between the two, is confused as a newcomer to the settlement. Zul'Zara, sensing this, leans down and starts to whisper in her ear to help her catch up on the goings-on.

Begrudgingly, Strauvana steps forward as well. "He saved me from a goblin encampment. When I was knocked out, he freed me and healed me with one of the few potions in the settlement."

"He has helped me. By supporting my flagging emotional state on many occasions," Uxa remarks with a slight blush on his cheeks.

Xelyphe looks back towards me, giving me an "I told you so" grin. They turn around, addressing Zul'Zara and Sylvasti directly. "I guess he has helped you two as well?"

Nodding and then shaking her head, Zul'Zara says. "When I be doing my druid's trial, to get my form, he be helping by supplying more mana. Though from what I have heard, he hurt himself in the process. To what extent, I be not knowing."

Looking up at Zul'Zara with shock in her eyes, Sylvasti asks excitedly. "You finally have your druid form? The one that you have been searching for all this time?"

"Now isn't the time Syl. I be telling you later." Zul'Zara informs her.

With a more pointed stare, she looks at the elf. "And what of you? From what I see, you are just as shocked to be here as I am. Have you also been recently summoned?”

Bobbing her head, not used to the directness. Sylvasti meekly says, "Yes."

Grasping the entire situation well, Xelyphe turns back to me. "You have been doing well from what they are telling me. Tell me, how many days have passed since you have been here?"

Answering, "I have been here a total of four days. Today would be the fifth. How long has passed on Caelnova since I have been gone? And why do you not seem off-put by what is happening?"

"Well, to answer your first question, it has been about a minute since midnight of the night since your last doctor's appointment. A screen appeared stating that the entire planet would be put into stasis. While curious about why that would be, I saw no issue with letting it happen. Not that we had a choice anyway." She briefly explains to the group.

"Interesting," Laxreal rubs his chin again. "So you were put into a stasis. This gives credence to our first theory. This is good news for you, Uxa." Smiling at the Tengu99 that only a skeleton could.

Looking over at him, I see his shoulders have visibly relaxed. Knowing that his people are safe from what could have been a terrible fate. "Now, we can take some time to get things more organized for the arrival of those we are going to summon."

Before going any further with this conversation, I turn to Xelyphe and ask her something. "What class did you pick, and what profession?" I could have gone into the building menu to see what they picked for a profession, but I thought it would be best if everyone knew what they could do.

"Let me start from the beginning. After the message about going into stasis passed, I woke up in a pure white room. There were two options on the table." Hearing this, I hid the surprise from my face. "They were to be either a warrior or a hunter. I chose a warrior, pointing to the armaments on her person. As for a profession, I chose to become a doctor again."

"You had twelve professions to pick from. And you chose to be a doctor again? I thought you hated being a doctor." I ask them, still shocked that they only had two options for a class.

"While correct that I hated being a doctor. It was for those that I worked for that made me hate my job." She explains. "Too much paperwork. And not enough saving people."

"One last question. There were only two options for you to pick from?" I continue to ask.

"Yes, why is that strange?" They reply.

"I would have to say so. I had three options, the third being mage." I announce with a sly grin on my face.

Knowing what I picked, they look at me and huff. "Well, I am glad you are living out a part of your dreams."

"Before we continue any further discussions about worlds. Why don't we test a little experiment." I offer up. "It won't hurt anyone, but it will give us a gauge if we can glitch some aspects of the system."

"What do you mean by glitch the system?" Xelyphe asks.

"I have a box here," gesturing at the box on the ground. "When touched, people have been getting an achievement and receiving one of their own. I was curious if any of the new summons could get the same achievement."

Xelyphe nods her head. Then, they grab hold of the box. Their eyes go out of focus like they have gotten a prompt. Answering the unspoken question, "Yes, I got the achievement. I also received a box of similar quality." Suddenly, a box appears in front of them.

I bring the box over to Sylvasti. She also grabs hold, noticing that nothing happened. Another box appears right in front of her. Looking at everyone I pronounce. "Looks like we can glitch the system. Should we summon more people or wait?"

"I would recommend that we wait." Strauvana offers up. "We haven't finished what we have set out to do. We need to get one more of Uxa's people here before we make those decisions. I would recommend we keep an eye on the food. I know we have a lot, but no one other than you knows exactly how much we have currently."

With nods, I hand Uxa one of the Race-Specific Population Summoning Scrolls. Stepping away from the group, he uses the scroll. A deep red colored portal appears before him. From this summoning, I feel a sense of death and bloodlust.

Stepping out of the portal is a delicate-looking Tengu woman. Looking around, she immediately sees Laxreal and Strauvana. She starts to shake as terror appears in her eyes. Uxa steps forward and embraces her. Whispering just out of earshot, I see her nodding quickly while also trying to keep an eye on everyone in the group.

With a heavy sigh from his mouth, Laxreal speaks up. "Uxa, I know everyone is in stasis to prevent your people from perishing, but this is bound to be tedious for every new member. I feel we should make a room to orient those that arrive so we don't have to embarrass them as they step through."

Shooting a glare towards Laxreal, Uxa calls back. "While I think that is a great idea, I don't think now is the time. While everyone wants to start further conversations about the future, I will need some time with her."

Shrugging my shoulders, I look at Xelyphe. "Shall we head to my hut, where we can discuss further about what has happened since I have appeared here?"

"That would be nice. By the way, Drake. I am happy to see that you are doing well. With your permission, I would like to bring the skeleton and zombie. I have questions for them as well."

Getting Laxreal and Strauvana's attention, I wave them over. It takes them a couple of seconds before we can talk in hushed tones to not startle the other two newcomers. "My sibling would like to have a conversation between the four of us. Would you two be willing to oblige me on this?"

"I would love to talk with her-" Laxreal starts.

"Please use they/them. I don't follow gender norms as one might think." Xelyphe cuts him off.

"My apologies, as this will be a new concept for me, so please forgive if I misspeak. My original statement stands. I would like to have a discussion with you about him." Pointing to me. "As he has been quite the anomaly. Also, you are an anomaly as well."

"Oh shut it, Laxreal," Strauvana cuts in. "Just state your mind plain." Looking straight into Xelyphe's eyes, she says. "I want to know why you had only two options. I feel it has something similar to what Drake has been experiencing. Also, I want to know why you don't seem afraid of me or Laxreal."

I start to guide everyone up to my hut as they are having this small conversation. Upon arriving, we enter, leaving Zul'Zara to bring Sylvasti back to her hut. With Uxa to calm down the female Tengu.