"Good morning class. As you are all aware the nearby town of Clover Hills has been evacuated due to a technical problem with the power plant near them. If you recall the strange fiery clouds seen briefly overhead not too long ago, this was caused by that. Please be assured the government has taken all precautions and we are not in any danger. That said, the citizens have been displaced and our small town has taken them in. Please show them a warm welcome and be considerate." The teacher spoke to the class while four new students stood beside them.
Jake barely heard the teacher, his eyes were locked on one of the students.
'Why is she here? Isn't sure a year younger than me?' Nira was a tiny girl. Barely five feet tall. Her tawny skin was flawless. Combined with her large dark eyes she almost looked like a doll. Even her curly black hair looked perfect. Wearing a nice blouse and a pleated skirt she looked like a prim and proper young girl. If not for that searing glare fixed on her face. Or the way her jaw clenched as she stared right back at Jake.
Jake swallowed as the new students introduced themselves. Then they moved to take a seat. Jake gritted his teeth when Nira took Cassandra's empty desk next to Gerri and just diagonal from his own. Yet he bit his tongue. Someone had to sit there eventually. It was just that since he never got along with Nira it seemed… more annoying. Even though she looked forward, he could feel her attention on him the entire class. It was like a wave of hot hostility directed at him constantly.
With school over Jake started his walk home and the lack of that searing hostility made it feel like he stepped into a cool breeze. Gerri met him around the corner from the school. She never left school with him and he hadn't tried to fix it. Both knew what kind of rumors would pop up if they did. Though Jake had to admit, Gerri met him closer and closer to school each day.
"Do you know that one new girl?" She said shortly after starting to walk beside him. Even with her new clothes, she hugged her old backpack to her chest looking every bit the Gerri he had always known.
"Why do you ask?" Jake skirted the question.
"I swear she was… It will sound crazy but it felt like she was angry at you the entire time." Gerri responded meekly.
"Hmm." Was his ownly response and they continued walking in silence. He was glad she wasn't willing to push anything, he didn't want to brooch the topic. Jake had dreaded the idea of Nira moving to the town but had believed he could just avoid her. Why was she in his class? Worse, what if she said something. Gerri might find out the truth about Cassandra's death. That was something he just wasn't ready to deal with.
Jake turned the last block and was shocked to see a petite figure standing on his porch. Her arms crossed over her chest and a fierce scowl plastered on her face as she watched him approach. Both Gerri and Jake's gait stuttered in shock. When they got close she snapped out.
"Send the little white girl home. You and me have business." She didn't even look at Gerri but was glaring at Jake. Gerri shifted closer to Jake, half hidden behind him.
Jake just sighed and walked past Nira. Gerri shuffled quickly to keep up with him. He opened the door and entered but stopped holding the door. "Well, you coming in or not Nira?"
"Don't use that name here. Call me Angelia." Nira snapped then barged through the door. Jake shut the door behind her.
Gerri looked between them her eyes widening as she processed the different names. "She is…" Gerri started.
"She knows?" Nira or Angelia cut her off turning on the two. Jake just shrugged.
"What do you want?" Jake wanted her gone, he was worried she would say something in front of Gerri he wasn't ready to share. It put him on guard and left him tense.
"I have a message for you. Because of our towns merging our population has met some threshold. Haven has issued that we must now compete in the Territory Tounrement." Nira glared at Jake then turned to walk around his living room as if inspecting it.
"Who issued what?" Jake asked. The girl looked back at him, she had been looking at a family photograph.
"Why should I know. I thought you would know." She snapped.
Jake frowned, he wondered why Leru or the Mayer didn't simply contact him directly. They knew about his past with Nira.
"Now that is done with we need to talk. I still haven't forgiven you. Not after you stole my Emberwood staff." She started walking towards Jake her eyes bright with anger. "Or that you destroyed the Dimensional Anchor for my town. Forcing me to move to this hell hole." She stopped just in front of him, having to look up at him. "Or the fact that you k…" Her rant was silenced as a large hand clamped down on her face. Jake's gauntlet had formed almost instantaneously as the material exploded violently from the pores on his arm, shredding the long sleeve of his shirt. It closed on her head covering everything below her eyes down to her neck. Her dark eyes flashed with sudden fear that quickly morphed into anger. She gripped his armored arm and struggled but little more than muffled cries could be heard.
"I'm done apologizing to you. None of that was my intention and you know it. None of it was what I wanted to happen. Every bit of it I regret. But I am done apologizing. I'm doing my best to take responsibility for my mistakes. So you can either accept it or we can finish what you started that night in the cave." Jake leaned in some as he pulled her towards him. She had to stand on her tiptoes to keep him from lifting her off the ground. He whispered so only she could hear. "You tried to kill me then remember? I told you then I couldn't let you kill me while so many relied on me. That still remains true. So, if you insist on pushing it we can fight again. But, I won't hold back this time." He paused to match her glare. "Well, what will it be?"
She glared at him then let her hands drop to dangle at her side. Jake let her go and she dropped back to her feet and quickly stepped away from him. A pang of guilt hit him but Jake wasn't about to let her ruin his life, not any more than it already was. His guilt hadn't lessoned but he knew he couldn't wallow in it forever either. It wasn't like anything he could do would bring back his friends.
Gerri was watching them a little more pale than normal. "I gave you the message. So I'm out of here." Nira pushed past him, shoulder checking him only to swear when he didn't budge and she only hurt herself. She opened and then slammed his door.
**********
"Leru. Why did you send Nira to talk to me instead of contacting me directly?" Jake contact Engineer Leru from within the game. He had logged into the "game" shortly after Nira left to be able to speak with Leru privately. Gerri had insisted on cooking dinner. She had been trying to learn to cook and whenever Jake's dad was off she would cook for them. She said her mother never gave her any feedback and so she was using them as test subjects. Jake's dad found the half-lie cute, often teasing Jake about it when Gerri wasn't around. For Jake, it just made things harder. Every little act like that reminded him that he should tell Gerri the truth sooner than later.
He had used the excuse he needed to log in to get his processed mutagen to buy time. It was just another problem he would eventually need to deal with.
"Nira is a gamer for our town now. You two might as well work together. I know there is bad blood between you but it is important to put it behind you." The older Asian woman's voice held a soothing tone.
"Tell her that not me." Jake snapped back.
"She is young. Give her more time." Jake grumbled that she was only a year younger than him.
"Anyways. What is this Haven and a Tournement?" Jake asked moving on.
"Haven is the largest city in our cluster. Home to a quarter of a million residents. It is the defacto leader of sorts for our cluster. Oh um, a cluster is the grouping of dimensional pockets whose anchors are relatively close to one another. The area which we gather resources from is thus relatively close together." Leru explained.
"As for the Territory Tournament. It isn't something we have ever participated in. There is a minimum number of citizens needed to even be assigned a territory. I am a bit surprised they arranged a new tournament so quickly. They are only held when a reassignment of territory is necessary." She finished explaining.
"Territory?" Jake asked.
"Right. The area you have been playing in is one of the free zones. The monsters are weak and fairly limited in population. A territory, even a lesser one. Will have not only stronger monsters but far more densely populated with them. Because of that, the tournament is held for each territory-worthy town to show off the strength of their gamers, or evolvers as some call them. Depending on your strength we will be given access to a better territory. For those that place high enough they can even be given control of exclusive territories where no other towns can hunt without paying a tithe to them." Leru paused. "We have always functioned in the free zone. So don't feel pressured."
"What does this tournament entail?" Jake asked after digesting the information.
"Three stages. First, is a one vs one bracketed fighting between each city's fighters. Don't worry the same safety measures as always are in place. One will be recalled away instead of dying." Jake could picture her reassuring smile from her tone of voice. "Second, is a mock boss fight. It is called a mock fight but the monsters are real. This is not a solo fight but for a team. The monsters are all very powerful from what we understand. Many are not able to kill them but their fights are still judged and ranked."
Again, she waited for him to digest the information before continuing. "Finally, there are team battles. They are fought only between those competing for the exclusive territories. So it is unlikely for you to have to participate in that." Leru again sounded like she was trying to comfort him. Jake sitting on the table in the log out room processed that information.
"Why do you say that Leru? You don't think I'm strong enough?" The phrase D rank kept sounding in his mind.
"No, of course not Jake. I just didn't want to…" She started to respond.
"Don't worry Leru." He could hear her sigh in relief. "I'm going to win all of the tournaments and get our town the best territory there is." Jake glared at the wall. 'Only then can I ensure our town is set if something happens to me.'
"Jake…" Leru started but trailed off seeming not to know what to say.