Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Chapter 301: Zach

Purpose

As the others looked through their rewards, Zach turned his eyes on the flashing notifications in the corner of his eye. He hadnt seen one ever. He had known about them, not because he had carved it in the stone but just he knew. The matters concerning the Framework were always clear in his mind. He wondered why.

He opened his notifications and took a look at them all. He had gained new titles, several of them, each with great rewards. Some of his old titles had improved too. He took a deeper look at the rewards for the most important ones.

First Greater Crucible of the Mind

First to endure a uniquely harrowing mental experience in the Infinite Realm.

+500 to base intelligence and wisdom, +5% to all stats, Pure Enlightened (Perk Change), 5 000 Immortal Essence

Pure Enlightened (Title Perk)

Your Mind is immune to all mind effects unless you allow them to impact you.

A new perk, an improvement on the one he had before. The perk that was the reason why he could see through Hasturs deception. Or at least that was what his younger self had carved into the walls, Zach of now had no way of remembering. Still, it gave him something, a power that would allow him to resist such attacks in the future. He would never again fall to such powers, never again be imprisoned in the same manner.

There were other perks too. Skill perks that gave him more power, and one more title perk. A reward for killing the Leader of the 11th Dome.

11th Dome

Defeat the Leader of the 11th Dome.

+500 to base intelligence and wisdom, +10% to all stats, Key to Chamber of Treasures (R'lyeh), 10 000 Immortal Essence

Key to Chamber of Treasures (Title Perk)

Your Soul is marked with a key that will open a certain door.

A part of him was frightened. He found himself lost, in a world that he knew nothing about. Surrounded by strangers that he he feared losing in a way. He did not want to go back to being alone. Yet he didnt know how to be with others. Naha he had made her cry, and he hadnt realized her sadness until later. He he had noticed that he was slower than them all. When he didnt fight, he took his time to think, he was used to thoughts and ideas lasting for days in his mind. Now he had to think quickly, to react to input from others immediately.

And he just couldnt. He knew much, things that he remembered from the walls. But like with this title, he didnt understand nearly any of it. His younger self had written phrases, some explanations, but not enough. Perhaps he didnt, or couldnt, imagine forgetting. Or perhaps madness took him before he could even begin. Half of the things he had read on the walls were ramblings that made no sense. He knew that Hastur was his enemy, that he trapped him in the world that had been his home. He knew that Hastur was a Dome Leader. But, he didnt know what that was. He had no understanding of what a Dome was, and because of that he understood very little of what had happened since. He didnt know why they were here to fight, not really. Oh, he knew what was written, that they were here to save lives. But understanding? That eluded him.

He turned his eyes on the others, saw them inspecting their gear. He still had time.

He looked his screens and tables over, taking in the changes. It was interesting to him, since they had been the same for as long as he could remember.

Titles

First Kill

Kill the first monster in the Framework-run World

+5000 Essence

First to Ten

First person in the world to reach level Ten

+10% to all stats, 10 000 Essence

Adventurer

Hunted more than 100 monsters

+5 to all stats, 5000 Essence

Hero of Promise

Save more than 10 people with a single action

+5 to all stats, 5000 Essence

Chief

Create an outpost

+3 to all stats, 1000 Essence

Leader

Upgraded outpost to a town

+3 to all stats, 2000 Essence

One Against Many

Fight against more than 10 opponents and win

+5 to all stats, 5000 Essence

First to Sixty

First to evolve their Class in the world

+10% to all stats, 100,000 Essence

Class Evolution VI

Evolved your class for the sixth time.

+150 to all stats, 50 Greater Essence

True Understanding XI

Evolve a skill to tier 6

+20 to all stats, 20,000 Greater Essence (per tier 6 skill)

Apprentice Bounty Hunter: Wardens

Complete 10 faction tasks for people no more than two tiers of power below you.

+5 to all stats,1000 Greater Essence

Crucible of the Mind

Go through a harrowing experience to improve your mind by forging it in the harshest conditions possible based on your mind state.

+500 to intelligence and wisdom, +2% to all stats,

Enlightened (Mind Perk ), 50 000 Greater Essence

Beyond Understanding V

Focus and specialize your understanding of a tier 6 skill.

+250 to all stats, 100 000 Greater Essence (per focused skill)

True Link - Nahamassa Plainrunner

Attain a true link with a type of being

+100 to all stats, 100 000 Greater Essence

World Feat: Closer of Rifts

Closed a rift spanning most of the known world.

+200 to all stats, +2% to all stats, (Perk Improvement) 1000 Celestial Essence

Journeyman Bounty Hunter: Wardens

Complete 25 faction tasks that are no more than two tiers of power below you in difficulty.

+25 to all stats,5000 Greater Essence

Elite Bounty Hunter: Wardens

Complete 100 faction tasks that are no more than two tiers of power below you in difficulty.

+50 to all stats,10 000 Greater Essence

Master Bounty Hunter: Warden

Complete 200 faction tasks that are no more than two tiers of power below you in difficulty.

+100 to all stats,100 000 Greater Essence

Combined Understanding II

Combine two of your tier 7 skills.

+50 to all stats, 100 000 Greater Essence, -1 skill slot,

(per tier 8 skill)

Skill Lord

Three skills evolved to tier 6

+For every 3 skills evolved to tier 6 gain: 2% to all stats

Immortal Skill Master

Achieve three tier 7 skills

+50 to all stats, Aging process halted, 100 000 Greater Essence

Eternal Understanding II

Improve a tier 8 skill.

+50 to all stats, 10 000 Celestial Essence (per tier 9 skill)

Isolationist

Spend one hundred years without speaking or seeing another living person

+20 to all stats, 10 000 Greater Essence

Recluse

Spend one thousand years without speaking or seeing another living person

+200 to all stats, 100 000 Greater Essence

First Greater Crucible of the Mind

First to endure a uniquely harrowing mental experience in the Infinite Realm.

+500 to base intelligence and wisdom, +5% to all stats, Pure Enlightened (Perk), 5 000 Immortal Essence

11th Dome

Defeat the Leader of the 11th Dome.

+500 to base intelligence and wisdom, +10% to all stats, Key to Chamber of Treasures (R'lyeh), 10 000 Immortal Essence

Dome Supremacy

First to defeat a Dome Leader.

+1000 to all stats, +15% to all base stats, 20 000 Immortal Essence

Through Will - Body

Forge your body with your will, infusing it beyond skills.

+500 to base vitality and endurance, 5000 Celestial Essence

Through Will - Mind

Forge your mind with your will, infusing it beyond skills.

+500 to base intelligence and endurance, 5000 Celestial Essence

Perks

Riposte (Class Perk)

Once per combat, gain the ability to execute a lightning fast attack after being damaged. Speed of returning strike equals double dexterity stat.

Winds Mark (Class Perk)

During combat, every strike with your weapon sends a gust of wind in the direction of your choosing. Wind powers are 20% less effective against you. Strength of effect depends on dexterity stat.

Wind Master (Class Perk)

In combat, wind swirls around you, blowing in any direction you choose. Strength of effect depends on dexterity stat.

Consequence (Class Perk)

Every kinetic attack you block, stores a part of its energy. Once per combat unleash all the stored kinetic energy. Amount stored depends on strength stat.

Second Chance (Class Perk)

Once taking damage that would kill you, heal it instead. Once per combat. Healing speed depends on vitality stat.

Lightning Body (Path Perk)

Your bodys reflexes are enhanced, able to utilize max dexterity at a moments notice. Strength of effect dependent on dexterity stat.

Lighting Qi (Aspect Perk)

When using techniques, your Qi passively enhances you. Gain plus +30% to dexterity while any technique is active.

Quickened Mind (Path Perk)

Your mind is quickened, able to think faster than an ordinary human. Strength of effect depends on intelligence stat.

Last Sovereign of Terra (Class Perk)

Once per week, you may call upon the Spirits of Terra, which grants you the combined knowledge, talent, and expertise of all the sword masters that had ever lived on your Earth. The Spirits of Terra imbues you with heightened senses, doubling your total stats (150%) for the duration and lowers the stamina requirements and cooldowns of your abilities by 30%(45%). All sword-based skills level five times faster. You may pull out up to (3) spirts of Terra to fight at your side for a short duration. The Spirits of Terra will have half of your current total stats, and each will be able to use up to three of your perks (Currently designated: 0). While they are using your perks, you are unable to. Upon Spirits of Terras ending you will be unable to use abilities for half an hour. Duration and cooldown depend on your highest stat.

Formless Core (Path Perk)

Your Qi core loses its shape, instead of containing your Qi it now lets it move freely through your body. You can now use your techniques at 50% faster rate. You gain +10% to wisdom and your Qi passively enhances your body based on your lightning aspect, giving you +10% to dexterity. You are no longer able to enforce your core or upgrade this perk.

Ancient Heritage (Class Perk)

Once per combat you may activate this perk to borrow the power of all of your ancestors, increasing all of your total stats by 120% (180%) for six seconds. Duration of effect depends on your highest stat.

Ethereal Blade (Class Perk)

Summon an Ethereal blade in any shape you desire. It lasts as long as you want, but drains you mentally while it is active. The sword deals 20% of its damage as soul damage and 80% physical damage. As it is Ethereal it can endure only 60%(90%) of the force that would break an ordinary blade. The quality of the blade depends on your wisdom stat.

Dazzling Strike (Class Perk)

Twice per combat execute a strike that will blind the target for 1 sec if your weapon connects with anything in direct contact with their body.

Double Aspect Strike (Class Perk)

Once per combat execute a strike that will copy itself. The copy depends on, and it will be boosted by one of the aspects from your arsenal. The strike follows behind the first one on a 0.5 (0.2) sec delay and deals 50% (75%) of the original attacks power. The aspect that is used cannot be used again until all others are used.

Gate Fissure (Class Perk)

Once per ten days cut through space with any weapon and open a rift-gate that will allow you to fully step into another plane. The fissure will remain open until the gate is destroyed or until you close it.

Phantom Avatar (Class Perk)

Transform into the Phantom. You gain +50% resistance to physical and special damage, and your total stats are doubled. If used in the Ethereal Realm, gain an additional 20% to all stats. Lasts until your mental stamina is drained completely or canceled.

Enlightened (Title Perk)

Your mind is highly resistant to mind effects and can function at peak condition in all states, even after it was damaged beyond the point where most would falter.

Shade Reaver (Unique Perk)

You have gained the Shade Reaver, a soul weapon. It grows stronger with you and allows you to take power from the shades and spirits you kill. Your soul weapon can have at most nine forms, each with its own unique power. Forms are made from the most dominant aspect of the shades or spirits you take it from. The stronger the target the stronger the power and form.

You can use Source Drain to drain the power from shades and spirits. Doing so on living spirits and shades will grant you 10% of all the Essence they had ever used in life for advancement along with all of their unassigned Essence in the case of shades, and in the case of spirits 10% of the Essence that comprises the spirits power.

Planar Mantle (Class Perk)

Gain a passive bonus depending on the last plane you traveled from. Real plane, gain +10% bonus to all stats. Ethereal plane, gain +20% reduction to physical and special damage. Essence plane, gain +20% bonus to essence damage of corresponding most dominant essence type. Even when the Phantom Avatar isnt active.

Stalwart Soul (Class Perk)

Reduces any Ethereal damage you receive by 30% (45%) and increases your souls natural regeneration by 30%(45%).

Aspect Blink (Class Perk)

Ten times per combat, and unlimited outside of combat, teleport to any place in a twenty five meter radius around you, or step through a weak rift in the plane you are currently in to blink to another plane. On the blink end, you gain 15% resistance to all the aspects in your arsenal.

Essence Sense (Class Perk)

Once per day, you may activate this perk to gain the sense of corresponding to the last Essence plane you had visited. Lasts ten minutes.

Essence Elemental (Class Perk)

Once per week, you may transform yourself into an Essence Elemental for five minutes or until canceled. To activate, you need to visit a part of the Essence plane that is of at least fifth tier. Your stats and power will depend on the tier and type of Essence you take. Any wounds you have suffered will be healed. You will only be able to use planar related abilities and perks for the duration. The transformation will store everything you are wearing in a special storage place inside your soul.

Greater Rift Tear (Class Perk)

Once per day, you may forcefully tear a weak spot in the plane you are, releasing a blast of corresponding Essence damage that will be boosted by 100% of your intelligence.

Greater Rift Seal (Class Perk)

Once per day you may seal any type of rift or portal that is within 100 meters of you.

Rift Shout (Class Perk)

Once per combat, unleash a devastating shout that sends a blast of planar power in a cone in front of you. The blast will deal Essence damage corresponding to the last plane youve visited, and it will weaken the area in front of you creating new rifts leading to the closest Essence planes.

Whirling Tempest (Skill Perk)

Your My Art, Whirling Tempest makes you unrelenting. A fraction of that power bleeds into your ordinary movements. Slowing effects are 60% less effective on you. Gain +20% to dexterity.

True LinkNahamassa Plainrunner (Class Perk)

Allows you to make a link with Nahamassa Plainrunner, and enter a Linked State. While in the Linked State you gain awareness of Nahamassa Plainrunner and you gain a bonus of 10%(15%) her stats added to your own. Allows for the activation of True Link perks. Picking this perk will make it impossible for any other mind linking perks with other living beings or contract perks to be learned. Depth of awareness depends on your bond with Nahamassa Plainrunner.

Warriors Stamina (Class Perk)

Your stamina regeneration rate is increased by 50%.

True Link Our Power (Class Perk)

Allows your partner to designate one perk and share it with you. You will be able to use an active perk once per five days, or a passive one for four. Once the perk is used or a five days has passed, a new perk can be designated. Both sides will be able to use the perk independent of one another. Cooldown depends on your bond with Nahamassa Plainrunner.

Pillars of the Aspects: Immortality (Class Perk)

You seek to understand the aspects, placing the basis of your being in their pillars. Allows you to place three pillars anywhere, in any plane, in the Infinite Realm. Upon death, your soul will be sent to the Ethereal Realm and you will retain the power of three perks (Gate Fissure, Last Lord of Terra, Rift Shout). You need to make your way to one of the pillars in order to be reborn. Every future Class evolution will give you two more pillars to place and one more perk to be retained. If all pillars are destroyed your soul will move on to the afterlife.

Unleash Arsenal (Class Perk)

Once per day unleash a powerful attack in front of you, dealing 8x your intelligence damage which is based on one of the aspects in your arsenal. Once you use up one aspect you cant use it again until you use the other available first.

Lord of Grace and Woe (Class Perk)

Using this perk grants you a 50% buff to overall speed, +25% effectiveness to the powers utilizing the aspects in your arsenal enemies using the aspects in your arsenal have their related powers effectiveness reduced by 25%. You also gain +100% stamina regeneration while your mental stamina is drained at a rate of 5% per second. The effects last until turned off or until your mental stamina is drained.

Time Strikes (Skill Perk)

Your My Strikes, Rend Time influence your attacks. Any anticipation and precognition powers of equal or lower tier that could detect and anticipate your attack will not work. +10% to dexterity and +10% to intelligence.

Temporal Fighting (Skill Perk)

Activating this perk makes your movements happen 0.1 second after they were executed. Drains mental stamina at a rate of 8% per second. +10% to dexterity and intelligence.

Arsenal Infusion (Class Perk)

Activating this will infuse your being with a chosen aspect from your arsenal. While this aspect is infused it cannot be used by any other power, and it grants you benefits based on the type of aspect. After the effect is ended, the aspect used will not be usable again until the rest of the aspects from your arsenal had been used.

SoulYour attacks will deal 50% of their damage as soul damage, and your soul defenses and soul regeneration are increased by 250%. You can sense nearby souls. Costs 10% of mental and physical stamina per second, every attack consumes an additional 1%, every soul injury received consumes an additional 1%.

WindYour attacks will deal 50% of their damage as wind damage, your overall speed is increased by 250%. You can control wind around you freely. Costs 10% of mental and physical stamina per second, every attack consumes an additional 1%, every injury received consumes an additional 1%.

TimeYour attacks will deal 50% of their damage as time damage, any damage you receive is delayed by 5 seconds. Effects of time related powers on you are 250% reduced. Costs 10% of mental and physical stamina per second, every attack consumes an additional 1%, every injury received consumes an additional 1%.

Exploit Flaw (Skill Perk)

Once a day you may exploit a flaw in any object, decreasing its durability by 50%. +10% to dexterity and intelligence.

Always Focused (Skill Perk)

Your mind is always focused on the tasks at hand, you are unlikely to be distracted. +20% to intelligence.

Focused on Flaws (Skill Perk)

Flaws in all objects around you are always apparent to you, their durability is decreased by 15% in your presence. +10% dexterity and intelligence.

Clear of All Flaws (Skill Perk)

All flaws on the objects you possess have their effects decreased by 20%. +10% dexterity and intelligence.

Telekinetic Armor (Skill Perk)

You can shroud yourself in armor wrought out of your will. Its durability will be equal to 7x your intelligence, and up to twice that with the application of your will. +10% to endurance and intelligence.

Across Time (Skill Perk)

Damage that you inflict with your strikes inflicts its effects as if it happened 0.1 second before. +10% dexterity and intelligence.

Pure Enlightened (Title Perk)

Your Mind is immune to all mind effects unless you allow them to impact you.

Key to Chamber of Treasures (Title Perk)

Your Soul is marked with a key that will open a certain door.

Class

Lord of the Aspects ( Re )

Level

419

Combat Ability

Aspect Whirling Wings

Movement Ability

Aspect Wings

Support Ability

Aspect Binding Chains

Additional Ability

Aspect True Sight

Additional Ability

Aspect Shutdown

EVOLUTION ATTUNEMENT BONUS:

Ethereal

All Ethereal based powers are 10% more effective. All special attacks deal 0.5% of the total damage dealt as soul damage. Gain +10% to strength and wisdom.

Phantom Hunter

Gain +20% to stamina and -20% to ability cooldowns when fighting spirits or shades. Gain +10% to strength and +10% dexterity.

Planar

All planar powers gain +20% to their effectiveness. Change your abilities and relevant perks to Planar type abilities and perks. Gain +10% to strength and +10% to dexterity.

Riftborn

Passing through a rift gives you a 20% bonus to total stats and -50% to all ability cooldowns for twenty seconds. Gain +10% to strength and +10% to dexterity.

Aspectborn

You may choose three aspects that you have used before as part of your arsenal (Soul, Wind, Time). All powers using these aspects are 50% more effective (Future perk choices will largely be influenced by aspects chosen). Perk and ability evolution. Gain +15% to strength and intelligence.

Cultivation

Path of the Lightning Blade ( R )

Stage

Peak Foundation

Aspect

Lighting

Base Technique

Calm before the Storm

Branch Technique

Charged Focus

Fruit Technique

Lightning Strike

Passive Skills

Active Skills

I Focused And Saw All flaws

I Strike Through Time

Perfect Darkness Sight

Perfect Spatial Evade

Perfect Tireless Body

Perfect Nullifying Slash

Perfect Mind Training Analysis

Perfect Greater Parry

Perfect Telekinesis: My Will, Made Manifest

Strength

7453

Dexterity

7770

Vitality

5383

Endurance

5517

Intelligence

9696

Wisdom

7696

There was something in the corner, something that he had always wondered about. It was part of the Framework, so he knew what it should do, yet it had never worked in the prison world. He knew, but he didnt understand. He had only the words carved on stone to go by, they were the only thing that pushed him forward now.

One of the carvings spoke about a purpose, about protecting, about crafting something called an Ideal. A reflection of his lifes path. It sounded like something that he would need. And it was not a bad place to start. Get a purpose, a meaning to for his life. It felt right.

He threw one last glance at the people around him, saw that they were busy, and then he mentally pressed the button. A sensation came over him that was almost familiar, but too soon it was gone, and he was someplace else. He sat in a dark realm, at a simple table, with a being sitting across from him. Cloaked and with an endless darkness within its hood. He looked around, and saw perfection in all things. His skill, it was something was strange about it here. As if it both worked and didnt at the same time. As if his will was infringing on something. It was a curious sensation.

Zacharia, the being sitting across from him, the Dealmaker, greeted him. Its been a very long time.

Zach tilted his head. You know me? There was a familiarity in the beings tone.

I know all. All that have ever lived, all that ever will. All that walk this realm and those before it, have met me.

What are you? Zach asked.

I am a Watcher of sorts. I keep watch over all of existence, though it is hard for beings like you to grasp the full extent of what I am and what I do.

Nothing that the being said made sense. For a moment he wondered if he had been fooled again. Had he trapped himself again. Are you real? Is this place?

Such perfection, it reminded him of the Mind Essence that had crafted a world so real that his mind knew it wasnt. This was this something greater? Had he even left the prison. He started looking around, trying to bring his will to the forefront and

Calm, the being whispered, and Zach stilled. This place is real, but it doesnt exist in the type of realms you are familiar with, that is what you are sensing. You escaped; this is not another trap.

Zach glared at the Dealmaker. He found himself trusting its words, which rung alarm bells in his mind.

The being sighed. I see. It will take time for you to recover, it is only natural. You came here for a reason, speak.

Zach narrowed his eyes then finally decided that there wasnt anything else that he could do.

The life I lived before the prison. The things that my younger self had carved into stone. Were they real?

That was one of his greatest fears. That all that he had read, that what he believed to be true but didnt remember, was a lie. A trick, a deception from his captor. He didnt remember carving into the stone, not all of it at least. How was he to know that it was really him that had etched those words? How was he to know that it wasnt Hastur who had thrown in lies mixed with the truth?

Yes, it is all real. You had a life before the prison, what youve written is the truth.

Zach closed his eyes tightly. Such a long time, so much forgotten. Zach was more lost than he ever was. Before waking up in this world, he had a task, a goal to accomplish. Get out of the prison. And now that it had been accomplished, he had no idea what to do. He suspected everything, feared that everything was a deception. It was crippling. He had wanted to speak with Naha and Ryun, to learn what they knew. To perhaps find something to guide him in this new world. Hoping that perhaps they could make it all stop, make him believe that everything that he saw was real, because he doubted himself. In the old world, the prison, he had no choice but to go forward, what was real and what was a lie didnt matter. And he couldnt die. Now he had to live and survive on his own.

If what he had written on the walls was true, perhaps perhaps it would make things right if he remembered. Perhaps this being could

I can return your memories to you, for a price, the Dealmaker said as if he had read Zachs mind. But I must warn you, having those memories will change little.

What do you mean?

You are the oldest chosen in the Infinite Realm now, Zacharia. The life that you lived before Hasturs prison, was a blink of an eye. Even if you remembered the past, who you are now is weighed in ages, a few moments will not make you someone else. You are who you are.

Zach closed his eyes. He didnt really want or need to remember. The Dealmaker was right, what were a few moments compared to the ages that he had lived alone. But memory, was not necessarily the same thing as knowledge. He didnt need to remember, but he did want to know. And he didnt need the Dealmaker for that, Naha, and eventually Ryun would fill in the blanks.

This was a part of it all, a part of life. He was on the road to discovering his purpose, of finding there was no need to rush and borrow from things that he had forgotten long ago. In time it would come, he was patient.

No, I do not need to remember, Zach said. But, there is one thing that I would like to know.

The Dealmaker waved with his hand, and Zach wondered if he knew already, but just went through the motions to allow Zach to speak.

It didnt matter.

In my in the prison. My younger self carved into stone, things that he believed were important. Hastur was one of those. Another was a name, Raazel Equinar, it seemed important. Who is that?

The Dealmaker tapped the table, then spoke. That knowledge will cost you ten thousand Immortal Essence.

It was nothing. The reward for killing Hastur was substantial, he paid it immediately.

Raazel Equinar, the Runesmith, was born in a version of the Framework that ultimately did not live up to its potential. He was the greatest of his kind, held more power than anyone else on his world, and he punished for a transgression, imprisoned for all time. You ventured inside a prison and found him by chance. You made a deal with him. Your right arm is his gift. You released him from his imprisonment. He doesnt belong in this place, but he, like others of his kind are given a chance at redemption. We shall see where his path leads him.

If he was imprisoned by you, why allow him to be released in the first place? Zach asked.

The Dealmaker tilted his head. I, we, dont control choices. All have free will Zacharia, to make choices, to fail or to succeed. All is possible, even for such as the Runesmith. His imprisonment was long, longer than yours, but what choices he makes now will determine his fate.

Zachs younger self had written that this person was dangerous, and that he was Zachs responsibility. It was something to think about, perhaps a path to finding a purpose.

You are not strong enough, not yet, the Dealmaker said, and Zach frowned.

I dont read your mind, the Dealmaker added. It is written on your face. The Runesmith is stronger than you are now. In time perhaps you could grow powerful enough to face him.

Zach nodded his head. Time, he had no issue with that. There was nothing else that he needed to know from the Dealmaker, and he left him to his whatever it was that he did in that place.

Thank you for your answers, Zach said.

Always, the Dealmakers voice came as that world blinked away.

Back in the real world he looked around, saw that the others were slowly standing up, talking. He could feel it in the air. They were gathering and about to make some decisions. Zach stood up, eager to hear what they had to say. Every word out of their mouths was a new kernel of understanding to him. For now, he had two goals.

First was to get Naha to tell him all that she knew about him.

And the second was to start building on his purpose.

These people were the only thing that he had to point him in the right direction.