No Name

Chapter 5 - V

Author's note:
Sorry for the lack of updates. I've recently had enough time to write again, and I'm taking the story in new and exciting places! (No spoilers though) The update schedule will be kind of sporadic until I reliably have enough edited content to put out for you guys, but I'll try to get ahead with the time that I have. Any feedback or ideas you have are really appreciated! Cheers! - The Author. PS- I was told two of my characters share the names of people with Twilight. I have never read Twilight. And IRL Jacob thinks you're all hilarious. Thank you all so much for reading!

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Holly was worried. No, that was an understatement. Terrified. The Apex ring was a difficult prospect to face, even in theory. The books she read were conflicted and ultimately useless, most containing theories and unconfirmed information. Random gravity voids ripping apart unfortunate adventurers, tales of horrifying beasts and monsters, unforgiving and rough terrain, strange and haunting reports of human shaped figures roaming the ring. Strange floating structures and so many other garbled and nonsensical reports. She filled her travelling pack with various useful artefacts. A 'Hello kitty' t-shirt that was as tough as Kevlar, A WW2 canteen she found in an old museum that always refilled itself with water, and a map that reliably showed the area you were in, along with co-ordinates and an ink arrow indicating your position, like a map in a video game. And of course her revolver, with its endless supply of ammunition. Holly actually had no idea where the bullets came from. She had a theory they were actually randomly pulled out of other dimension, but that was probably wishful thinking. The weapon was already cool enough without trans-dimensional powers. She also packed the usual spare clothes and food, including a good amount of rope, a compass (though she had no clue if it would even work in the Apex ring) and a few helpful extras. Tomorrow was they day the expedition group set off. And she was expected to lead. Then, the doorbell rang.

Questions burned through Matt's head as he traversed the citadel, Geoffrey at his heel. Jacob had looked after the wolf for him while he had been... Matt didn't know what to call it really. But how had he not already burned up? If the unfortunate side effect of being a tier one had never affected him, why was it a threat now? His powers had always just manifested randomly, or when he was feeling intense emotion. Like the fear of a monster from another dimension trying to reach down your throat and stop your heart manually whist your friends scream in terror and try to shoot said monster off of your chest- well, it certainly counted. Matt shuddered. He had been trying to repress those memories for a long time now, but they resurfaced so easily. Maybe when the demon had latched itself onto him, it had unlocked the powers fully? He was no expert. The Warlocks didn't exactly give you a "Getting to know your new powers!" pamphlet or anything. At least he had the books. Bella, as promised, was waiting by the entrance to the Warlock compound. She gave Geoffrey a second look, but relaxed after Matt explained he didn't rip people's throats out. So, she led him across the plaza, and down to a bookstore. It almost seemed familiar, and Matt instantly knew why when the owner opened the door. Holly wren's face appeared as the door swung open. "Hey Bella-"she started. Then saw Matt. "You." Holly said, glaring daggers at him. "Uh..." Matt said, regaining his composure. "Hi?" he said diplomatically. Bella looked taken aback "You guys know each other?" She asked. "Small town." Holly growled, and invited them inside.

Matt entered the small store front, gazing around at the collection of books on display. He spotted some titles he had in his own collection. A rare full set of the Belgariad sat on its own shelf, along with the complete Harry Potter series on another. Even those were hard to find these days. Holly led them to a spacious back room, with a massive last-age couch and a fireplace. The room was adorned with Artefacts, some hung on the walls, others placed neatly on a shelf. "Well." Bella said awkwardly. Matt remained silent. "Uh, I'll get started then." Bella began. "So, each Warlock has dominion over certain powers. Some of us can manipulate elements, others gravity. But some of us have more specific powers. I for one can heal minor injuries." She said, and her hand glowed green. "The higher your tier, the more abilities you can poses without destroying yourself. It also effects how powerful said powers are. For example, both a tier five and a tier four can have the ability to control fire, but the tier four's control will be more accurate and powerful, as they were closer to the Apex when the portal hit." Matt nodded. It made sense. Just a basic hierarchy of power. "Your powers will develop over time. But, there is always a first ability you start out with." Matt considered it. "Telekinesis." Holly said suddenly. Matt nodded. "How did you?-" Bella asked, shooting a look at Holly, but dismissed it and continued. "Telekinesis is often the first one developed." Bella nodded. "So, why did I... uh... explode?" Matt asked. Bella nodded thoughtfully, pondering the question. "Your innate powers probably just freaked out when the demon possessed you, and kind of went overkill when it purged it from your body. Or maybe tier ones are just more reactive than other Warlocks. We don't exactly have the resources to test it. And I don't think you'll consent to having a Demon latched to your soul again?" Matt shook his head. Bella smiled. "Yeah, thought as much." She said. "So, to keep from exploding, you just need to use it. It's that easy. The more the better. If you siphon off the power, you should be fine. And, the more you practice with it, the faster more powers will develop." Matt thought about that for a second. "Wait. With this telekinesis... can I use it to stop bullets?" Bella raised an eyebrow. "In my line of work, you get shot at quite often." Matt explained. The Warlock nodded. "Uh, probably. Once you learn to use it properly you could probably lift this building off the ground if you were so inclined. Heck, maybe even the whole Citadel. As I said, we really haven't tested tier ones." She said. "So, can you teach me to use it?" Matt asked. "Not particularly. I just work in the medical ward. If you want training, I'd talk to one of the Warlocks in the hall of scholars. But then again, the Oracle would never allow that, considering... things said." Bella explained. Matt nodded, looking down at the books Bella had given him. "Well. That was informative." Matt said. Bella smiled. "Happy to help. Because of you, my brother is expected to make a full recovery in less than a week." "No problem." Matt answered. He turned to Holly. "Thanks." He offered. She nodded silently. "I can show myself out"