Ajax is stunned silly, Wormhole Jumpers is real. He had watched only because someone from his town was in it. He should have paid better attention to that show. Thinking back it really does have levels, classes, and systems like they do now. Ajax opens the smaller box inside nested upon a purple fabric, is a finger long glass cylinder. It looks like a witches brew found in children's stories.
The liquid is a discordant mixture of colours, popping open the cork. A plume of smoke dances about the cylinder. Cycling through colours faster than Valerie inside a lipstick store. It smells of freshly fallen rain on a midsummers day in the middle of a sunflower field.
Ajax grabs the cylinder swallowing it whole. The liquid can be seen throughout his body as thou is translucent. The liquid expands inside his body creating a bright light that eventually consumes him. His blood boils in his veins, his bone turns to stone then to metal and then back to the natural bone. His eyes a rainbow of colours. Finally, it settles Ajax awakens because of a thump, he rubs his knee it thumps again.
"Flipping hell man, come on just calm down." He says to his thumping knee. This is a different pain were before it was vines of shooting pains. This thump is like a hammer beating itself against an anvil of his nervous system. He tries not to scream as the pain shoots up his leg through his thigh past his hip into his entire back to his then head. The heatwave of pain makes him sweat a hot damp unhelpful sweat. It makes him feel like he is boiling alive.
Ajax stands pushing his leg back by force, walking usually spreads the pain. He knocks over the small box breaking it and the bottle.
Then the doorknob moves a woman with dirty blonde hair and hazy blue eyes, is standing at the door. She looks at Ajax struggling with his leg, his gums bloody from clenching in pain she scoffs, "It's just that cripple from earlier, next time don't waste the Republics. It doesn't have time to waste on false leads."
She doesn't even close the door only moves away, Ajax and Themba meet eyes as he passes making sure they leave his store.
Themba whirlwinds back inside holding up Ajax saying. "Hell of a kick innit?"
"The hell was in that bottle dude?" Asks Ajax his entire body is on fire, nothing feels okay, he is sure even his teeth are clapping in pain. Pushing Themba away his touch is just as bad as the pain.
"Fuck if we's know but if you survive you should be powerful, I passed out only after a single drop which I spat out," says Themba while rubbing his good eye.
"Powerful how what power comes from such pain." Ajax tries to moves towards Themba to throttle him but he can only suffer.
"Don't know the note was not very forthcoming....hey hey hey are you alright?" says Themba as Ajax face bubbles small cracks and stretching skin, expanding muscles and dissolving nails.
The smell coming off him is stronger than methane. A violent venomous sack of bile is brought up vomiting it on the floor. The white sack burst melting into the ground, Ajax old skin is ripped off by him he rubs himself down. He removes his clothes standing there with his brace and balls.
"I think you ought to shower yeah mate, you smell like the devils' arsehole." Says Themba as Ajax body is settled.
His black hair longer, Ajax even looks taller, his skin is also darker making it look more mahogany than caramel. His leg still devastated with scars, missing muscle and artificial structures to replace his missing bone.
Ajax who feels like he has just undergone his second surgery, which had tricked him into believing he could manage only to be sick with blood poisoning for six weeks, smells like it too.
Allowing Themba to help him up the stairs to his loft. Ajax uses a trusted rail hopping up. If Themba is a well-kept person then his loft is an epitaph, to minimalist brutalism. The floors, the walls, the tables even the picture frames are all concrete. Polished concrete but still concrete.
Ajax stumbles on the cold uninviting space, breathing heavily spitting out some more of the white spittal. Themba lifts him, the skinny weak Themba lifting him off his feet. Ajax was thrown into the shower. Under cold water, his body is so hot that for the firsts two minutes the shower water turns to steam. He boils under the water his fresh skin stinging him, he enjoys as it distracts enough from the thump. The water starts to feel cool then cold, the thump slowing down before settling at its normal I'm irritated pain.
Ajax grabs a folded towel, he rubs the muscles of his body. Looking down he has muscles, not a bodybuilder but he is fit now. He wasn't fat before if anything a little too thin. He has a slight build now. His brace fits tight as a glove. He wobbles over to the door of the plywood door. "Themba do you any clothes I can use?"
Themba brings him a hunters suit, "This is all I got."
"All you got that's an Excom suit what do you mean all you got." Many companies nowadays make clothes and suits from monster material Excom is a leading designer on the ultra-stylish functional front. The grey red and suit look like something from one of the Futurist magazines at least he can still wear his boots.
"Hurry it up." Says Themba
"A'rit I'm coming!" Says Ajax, Themba not impressed by the accent, Ajax put on still thou Themba has work to do.
Ajax following close behind Themba they head to the shop front, Ajax picking up his cane on the counter. Themba locks the front He used the trusted rail repalling down the stairs. His knee a fiery hum.
"Right listen here now, this thing you have is dangerous don't tell anyone if the wrong people find out they will kill you trying to get it," says Themba
"What is it exactly what did you give me?" Ask Ajax
"It is pure potential how strong you grow is up to you." Says Themba
"Themba potential for what? Come one man just tell me straight." Says Ajax
"seriously lad, I ain't certain on the details meself, but if any hunter ever founds out you are dead for sure." Says Themba.
"So you what now I'm planning on becoming a hunter, I'm going to surrounded by them." Says Ajax rubbing his knee instinctively.
"Boy, this will help with all that, come let me show you. This is the only thing the video showed me to do." Says Themba as he moves to the display place in his shop.
"What videos my guy there was just a note?" Says Ajax leaning on his cane looking suave as all heck.
"The note was meant for me only the video which was destroyed explained better but that doesn't matter anymore. Just come here and I will show you something amazing." Themba says taking out his skill card.
After the vortices opened the only way to get employment is dependent on a skill card.
"Fine but it better awesome or I'm taking the DVD back," says Ajax moving next to his crazy friend.
"Okay hold on to the card and while I form a party." Themba doesn't have to worry about Ajax being activated or not since every member of the Southern Union has to undergo activation to be a citizen.
"Okay," says Ajax who is secretly excited he has never done this before. He was activated during his recovery period and no one wants to be in a party with someone like Ajax.
Themba forms the party with Ajax. Nothing happens Ajax looks at Themba a little disappointed then the man says, "Good, great now that's done. A party is useful to help you survive the vortex. Before levelling, it is very difficult to solo a vortex since your body is still in its early stage. At level ten you will also get your first skill I'm sure you know. Everyone knows this what they don't know is that if they do what you did and max their talent first they will get a talent point."
Ajax has had to level up his trainer talent by helping neighbourhood kids, he had hoped that once it was maxed someone would give him a chance and help him to level ten to get a skill. "Wait I didn't tell you that how did you know?"
"The same way I knew I could trust you, my talent allows me to weigh people and put a value on them you, my friend are an uncut diamond, that bum from earlier is a lump of polished coal. Now the trick is when you are in a party you can learn the skills of party members." Says Themba
"That's cheating, just by being in a party. There will be a backlash, talents like these always have a backlash" says Ajax
"That's if only you force it plus I doubt any hunter will work with until your at least S rank due to your leg. Those guys don't care, they will only see your leg it's why so many injured hunters can't work in high ranked parties. It's too late for them to choose the tamer job like your going to do." Say Themba
"You are freaking me out, how did you know I am going for the tamer class, I could be a summoner or a necromancer or something like that weird kid the one, you know, that one with the golems that are made out of diamonds." Says Ajax
"Well like said I can apprise you that also means I know your Current, Clarity, Carat and of course the best way to Cut you," Themba says, Ajax looks at himself trying to imagine how he looks as an uncut gem.
"Cool dude, so what now?" Say Ajax
"I'm giving you my appraisal talent combined with your talent don't you think you can find the best pet and start off well?" Asks Themba a smile growing on his face.
"Why me? Why not someone who doesn't have a disability?" Asks Ajax it is not that he is suspicious it is just common sense to find out someone's motivation.
"Because you know how to suffer, of all the people I have seen you are the only one who lives with their pain. Others fight it, overcome it, bury it under drugs and booze but you boy you suffer it like a badge and I like that about you so I thought I should give it another try." Says Themba
"So I'm not the first?" Ask Ajax a little disappointed.
"Of course not. At first, I thought I was the chosen one, you know a mysterious gift from my dead daughter, a note that basically a call to action. A damn tutorial video. No boy you are not the first." Says Themba.
"Well shit, now I feel bad." Says Ajax
"Don't worry fate is a fickle mistress, I hope she treats you better than I, now sit and watch those Republicans might be back soon." Says Themba
"Yeah why are doing business with those racists?" Asks Ajax, The Republic of the Western Cape is the only place where the Southern Union has no Authority. A treaty was signed in 2018 with the ruling council.
"You will find out soon since that is my price?" Says Themba
"Your price is the Republic?" Says Ajax a bit confused.
"No idiot inside the old movie studio in Cape Town is another box. Now, I don't know what's inside I just know it's important to get it." Says Themba.
"Are you insane, do you know what they do to people of colour there, those Republicans are worse than monsters?" Says Ajax
"I know but if you are a ranked Hunter they will not break the treaty," says Themba
Ajax rubs his head, his hair deposits droplets of water into his hand. "A ranked Hunter you say. Why not also wish my dick to be the third leg so I can work properly guy?"
"If only life were as simple as being able to wish things better..."A deep remorseful chuckle escapes bitterly chopped up by Themba's crooked teeth..."Yes ranked it's not any more impossible than your chances of walking again, finding a job as a crippled man in the middle of an apocalypse and managing to live your best life. I know hunters who are not as competent as you. You have built yourself a life I just want to help you secure it. The world is still in flux." Says Themba this is when Ajax picks out that Themba accent goes from proper Queens to street urchin on the fly word for word.
"You are a lunatic you know that man," the words Ajax just said are all he can muster, in his own way Themba is right. Ajax knows an insanely talented Hunter who can't rank up simply because she keeps sabotaging herself.
"Yes I'm a lunatic, and you are a cripple but that's not all we are. Now watch, this is a tedious process." Themba begins with mundane objects, a couple of guitars, a few lamps, a mana enchanted gun. This continues until around half ten at night. Ajax was glad he could at least move around during it.
Ajax thanks Themba, making sure he sees that the DVD is behind the counter. Ajax canes it out the door, greeted by the night sky and cool breeze the Hunter Association building erect as ever. Ajax walks taking it all in when a man grabs his arm.
"Oi lad, ye forgot you're map." It's Themba talking in his shitty Queens accent. Ajax puts the map in his pocket. He has to go to Portals Pub, working there until four am today is the perfect way to find out any news and make some extra money.