Chapter 52 - Awakened

Jordan, Petra, and Titus slept soundly. It was quite surprising to Titus that it had been the case, given the fact that they were all worried about Jacob down there in the hospital with the healer. However, the fact was that they had expended so much energy during their multiple fights the night before, which meant that as soon as they each got into bed, they fell asleep almost instantly.

As soon as they awoke the next morning, the first thing that Titus heard was a question from Jordan.

"Do you guys feel stronger?" the large Defender asked. "I mean, I know we all feel the effects of our stat increases and stuff, but being level two... do you feel different now? Like you can take on stronger monsters?"

"I'm still amazed we took on a whole group of level threes," Petra replied. "And that Jötnar Warrior? I mean... did you ever think we'd have been able to do that?"

"I'm still not sure we'd be able to do it again even now," Jordan replied. "That thing was a monster; it was just lucky we timed everything right, I guess."

"Luck isn't something I have a lot of right now," Titus said to join the conversation. "I have a healing ability I don't really know how to use properly, I have a Class that I can't talk about and that doesn't seem to do anything good for me, and I just spent an ability point on a spell that doesn't actually work. So yeah, if we see another level six Jötnar Warrior, I'm running the other way."

"Ha," Jordan replied. "I don't think anyone would blame any of us for taking that stance. But I think you're missing a lot of the positives here. Sure, Petra and I have had some practice fighting, and yes, we're pretty good at it, but between us there isn't much else to talk about. We're all only level two, so that means we aren't that strong. We have a couple of useful abilities, but mainly we're still leaning on our skills with sword and shield... uh, axe now, I guess."

"And Stiletto," Petra added.

"Right," Jordan said. "But the point is, if you keep training with your sword, and you get really good, it's going to give you the leeway you need to learn how your Class works properly. And I'm betting that given time, you're going to discover it's going to be something that blows the rest of us out of the water."

"Ouch!" Petra said aloud. "Ouch!"

"What are you doing?" Titus asked the Rogue.

"Well, it's the only explanation, isn't it? I'm still asleep. Because once again I find myself agreeing with this great lummox."

There was a loud thud as Jordan threw his pillow at the Rogue and it must've hit her in the face – and hard – because she coughed out an apologetic laugh.

"So want to go check on Jacob?" Titus asked to steer the conversation away from Jordan's uncanny knowledge of all things regarding the Arena.

"Well, after breakfast," Jordan said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, obviously," Titus said. "I feel like I haven't eaten in a week."

It was something that Titus had been thinking ever since he'd awoken – his stomach hurt. He didn't know if it was because he'd used so much energy the day before or if this was just the norm as a Contestant increased their level, which would certainly explain why the breakfast hall always seemed to put on a veritable feast. However, without eating first he wasn't going to devote much effort to thinking about it.

Pulling on their day clothes, the three friends made their way to the breakfast hall and ate more food than any of them thought possible for human beings without bursting. Then they went back to the hospital to find Jacob, who, when they arrived, was sat upright as if he had been waiting for them.

Something was different about the young boy, though Titus couldn't tell exactly what it was.

Jacob smiled at the group as they entered the room, and each of the three friends returned the sentiment.

"It's good to see you awake," Jordan was the first to speak. "I mean, I know I'm strong, but carrying you around all that time wasn't easy, you know?"

"And what were you thinking?" Petra added. "Running at that goblin with an axe you could barely hold? You know you could've got yourself killed!"

Jacob didn't answer but simply kept smiling at the group.

Then Titus realised what was different about the young Arena Hand: Titus could see Jacob's name attached just above his head, just like the rest of the Arena Contestants when he really looked for it.

"You're awakened," Titus announced quietly, and Jordan and Petra both turned to look at him like he'd gone mad.

But Titus continued. "When? How?" he asked. "I thought you had to be..."

"Sixteen," Jacob said. "I know, I don't think it's happened before... but when I woke up, I had this message waiting for me, and well... well, you know the rest."

"Shut up!" Petra cried with a smile. "That's awesome! So what are you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jordan said. "The way he charged down that goblin with just that axe and no regard for his own safety? Classic Warrior move."

Jacob beamed at those words.

"He's good," the young newly awakened said. "You must like having someone around with their wits about them."

Petra had to cover her mouth to keep from either laughing or saying something derogatory about the large Defender. She didn't usually mind, but sometimes it was better not to lay all her cards on the table, especially when it wasn't just the three of them in the room.

"So what happened?" Jacob asked when nobody responded. "I mean, I know what happened in general, but I mean with us. You killed the goblins and carried me back here?"

"Oh no," Jordan said. "There was far more carrying than that! We killed the goblins, and then we took you somewhere to get some help, but that was just the start of it..."

Needless to say, Jordan recounted what had happened the night before in great detail for the new Warrior, whose eyes bulged wider and wider with each passing moment. In the end, he did the only thing he could do at that moment. He laughed.

"And I slept for the whole time!" Jacob announced. "And you aren't making this all up?"

"Unfortunately not," Titus said. "But in the end, we all got some good experience out of it, including you somehow. So... hang on, are you expected to fight in the Arena? Isn't that a bit much for someone as young as you?"

Jacob gave a half-smile in response. "Miss Kane actually came to see me; she said I'm not to agree to any fights, but I can train if I want to. I don't think I'm going to be able to fight properly until I'm sixteen; it'd look pretty bad if I walked out onto those Arena sands and just got myself killed, wouldn't it?"

Petra nodded. "It would. But then again, if you get a couple of years of training under your belt before you even start – and being awakened – that's going to give you a massive advantage, you know that, right?"

Jacob nodded with a grin that pushed at his cheeks. Of course he knew that, and that was what was so exciting about all of this.

"After I've been checked out of here, of course," Jacob said, gesturing to the room. "I can see my stats, my Health, Stamina, and all that, and I'm sure I'm one hundred percent A-OK, but they want to keep an eye on me just in case. But then after that... I guess I'll see you out there in the classes."

Titus was the first to nod. "Just keep on practising; if I was half as decent a fighter as these two, then we'd have a pretty decent team out there."

Jacob nodded. "Will do. But... could I ask you three one question, if it's not too much to ask?"

Titus nodded.

"Why does Darius the Dreaded – who's soon to be an actual Black-Ranked Contestant – guard your door at night? I mean, I'm not saying you're not in danger because really we all are... but that's a bit much, isn't it?"

Titus could only stare back at the young boy. He had no answer to his question because he didn't even know Darius had been guarding their door.

Eventually, Titus gave the answer he thought he could give without letting on.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I've seen him at night, as I've done my rounds. He stands there; sometimes I've seen him fall asleep for a little while but whenever he does that, he does it with his back to the door so that he'll know if anyone tries to come in or out. Actually, makes me wonder if he's keeping you in or something else out."

"Sounds a bit far-fetched to me," Titus said. "But if he was guarding our dorm, I guess he'd have a good reason to? Or maybe every room has a guard?"

"They don't," Jacob clarified. "Just yours. Oh, and the Grandmaster's of course, but only sometimes. I don't really know why that is. So I guess the question still stands: why you three?"

"I don't know," Titus replied truthfully. "Honestly, I didn't know it was happening, and I doubt these two do either."

Both Jordan and Petra shook their heads.

"Do you think we should ask him?" Titus asked more to the room in general than to anyone in particular.

"No," Petra replied quickly. "If we haven't been told about it, there's a reason for it. You know what it's like around here, and if too many things get spelt out for us, it can cause trouble. I say we just leave it be and assume it's something that happens all the time. For all our sakes."

"I guess so," Jacob replied nonchalantly. “Probably for the best not to dive too deep into that one, isn't it.”

"Yeah, let's just focus on what we can control," Jordan said, his voice carrying a hint of his usual pragmatism. "Training, getting stronger, and looking out for each other. That's what matters."

"I can't wait," Jacob said with a smile.

The three friends left the young former Arena Hand to his recovery – although it really didn't look like he needed the time to recover from anything, Titus not having seen any evidence of the cut on the boy's throat even when he’d looked for it.

The three friends walked from the hospital and away towards the training pits where they would take their first lessons as usual. Not ones with Instructors present of course, but something far more useful in terms of both gaining experience points and seeing what each of them could do in a real fight.

"What do you make of Darius watching the door?" Jordan asked when they were sure they were alone. "You think there's something to it?"

"There's something to everything, isn't there?" Petra asked. "But this has to be about this one, doesn't it?" She threw a thumb over in Titus' direction.

"Not necessarily," Titus said. "First of all, I'm..."

"A Capacitor," Petra interrupted. "Something different that nobody knows about, has to remain a secret, but could potentially mean something huge. The God of Balance has decided that you alone are worthy of whatever your Class is, so it only stands to reason that the Grandmaster has decided to take precautions."

"Yeah," Titus said. "OR, she doesn't want to wake up to the news that some ass like Henderson, or anyone in my spellcasting class for that matter has decided to take me out because they're sick of seeing my face where it doesn't really belong. Or even because of that Spectral Harbinger that visited us? Maybe it's just to stop its friends from coming to take revenge?"

"I doubt any more will be coming," Jordan said. "Not after the way we dealt with the last one."

"You mean by almost dying and by Petra running to get help? I bet all the monsters out there are shaking," Titus said.

"What was with that thing anyway?" Petra asked. "And why did it come to us, especially if we believe Henderson when he said it was nothing to do with him."

"Do you believe anything that idiot says?" Jordan asked. "But I know what you mean, he didn't look like he was lying. Though I suppose that's the mark of a good liar."

"Whatever the reason, I doubt it's something we're going to figure out on our own," Titus said. "We're just going to have to add it to the long list of things we don't know but would like to."

Then Titus had a thought.

"Hey Jordan," he said. "You know a lot about the Arena and Contestants, right?"

Jordan nodded and smiled a little, happy to receive acknowledgment of his talents.

"What's Darius like? I mean, he's huge I know that much, but is that it? Is he a Warrior, like a Berserker or something?"

Jordan's smile faltered slightly at that question, and it was immediately clear to Titus that Jordan didn't have much to tell.

"He's definitely a Warrior," Jordan said. "But I've really only seen him fight a few times. Always against monsters who rely on strength, and well, you know what happens when two immovable objects come up against each other right? One of them either moves or breaks. I've yet to see Darius the Dreaded break, and so that's pretty much it. But nobody puts so many points into their Strength to look like that if they aren't a Warrior or a Defender. I mean look at me, I've just put one level's worth of points into my Strength, and yeah, I'm a bit bigger, maybe a little more defined, but next to Darius? I may as well be a ninety-year-old man."

"Well, I didn't want to be the one to say it," Petra said with a smile.

"Well, how about this then," Jordan said. "When we get to the pits, level three monsters only, and the first one to throw in the towel loses."

"Fine by me," Petra said with a devious smile this time. “Titus, you in?”

“Yeah, why not,” Titus agreed, fully knowing that between the three of them, he was without a doubt going to be the first one to give up. Maybe he’d even do it before they started.