Departure

"Are you certain?"

The voice of a woman spoke through the communicator. 

"Yes."

Aldric responded to the communicator in his hand.

"Ok. We will be in touch within the next few hours.'

The woman responded, ending the call with her comment. 

Relaxing his hand and placing the device on the table beside him, the young man released a deep exhale. 

While Aldric knew that this decision mattered in the moment, it didn't matter all too much in the grand scheme of things. 

As while the paths he could take were numerous, the destination would not change at all. 

"What's next?"

As he finished up on his choice of citadel, there was not much that he could do but wait until he received the go-ahead. 

Now, it was time to nurture his biggest asset.

Since the inception of his idea of making an organisation, his biggest concern was the person that would become the brain of the operation. 

While he would become the leader, there was no way that he would be able to handle everything. So he had to delegate. 

It was not in his interest to be seen doing menial work. It would lower his image in the eyes of his subordinates. 

It was this reason as to why CEOs often avoided using the same entrances and exits as their employees. They could not be seen to be on the same level as them. 

On paper, out of all of the people he knew, Cassie would easily be the best option. From her ability to see the unseen, her memory, and her wit. But she was simply not on the table. 

So Aldric had to find an alternative. Someone who could manage the finances, the logistics, and communications. An overall helper that he could rely on. 

Even start-up businesses prioritised finding the right people to start a team with before selling any product or service. 

So this was the first step in the long roadmap ahead. 

And by the grace of the gods, the perfect person fell into the palm of his hand. 

Rising from his chair, Aldric walked to exit his room. 

It was time to meet his prospective helper.

----------

Deep within the long corridors of the academy library, a familiar girl sat alone. 

With a large tome resting between her hands, the girl laid her arms and head onto the table. Lazily reading the book with her head tilted to the side. The optimal form that conserved her energy while sacrificing any form of decorum.

Her short, straight hair encircled her resting head like a small blanket, with the excess sitting as if it was dead to the world. 

Her unique form applied stress onto the frames of her circular-rimmed glasses, but it seemed that it would hold. Resting on her button-like nose.

While her posture screamed lazy and unprofessional, she had a particular air about her. A feeling of intelligence and serenity. The kind of energy that conveyed uniqueness. 

Seeing the young woman, Aldric quietly sat opposite her. Letting the sound of the moving chair announce his presence. 

Lifting her head from the nook of her elbow, she looked at the person intruding in her space. 

"Aldric."

A monotone voice spoke out. 

The young woman's face was looked onto his. Her head not completely level with his own as she didn't straighten herself to meet him. 

"Iris."

Aldric spoke out the woman's name.

"So did you speak with your parents?"

He asked. 

The young woman named Iris looked at him with an imperceivable change in expression. Her mouth tightening slightly and her eyes sharpening. 

"I can facilitate the relationship."

The woman confirmed bluntly. 

Aldric was elated at the response; however, he was sure not to showcase it. 

"And have you given my offer any thought?"

Reaching the primary purpose of his visit.

Now Iris visibly shifted. 

Sitting up straight and caressing the pages on her book. Expressing whatever might have been going through her brain on her blank face. 

"I..."

She spoke out and stopped. 

This was the most expressive that Aldric had ever seen the stoic girl act.

"You are the strongest person I know, so you are my best choice."

Iris stated bluntly.

A look of ambition crossed her face.

"I'll work with you."

She said. Confirming what Aldric wanted to hear. 

'She's the perfect choice.'

Aldric was not thinking this for the sake of it. 

During the short time that they've known each other, he gleaned prospective qualities and abilities that he required from someone that he could rely on. 

Strength was not even among the top five. 

'From her aspect down to her identity, she was made for this.'

Riding the feeling of elation, Aldric was feeling good. 

'I genuinely thought that it would be much harder to recruit people.'

'Power and status truly matter in this world.'

Aldric thought he would have met a lot more resistance in forming his organisation or even recruiting Iris. However, while he saw possible challenges, the people that he spoke to only saw opportunity. From an exclusive network of strong awakened to forming a bond with the strongest awakened alive. 

An awakened that they knew would reach far places. 

It seemed that the fact that they had much more to gain didn't cross his mind. 

It was in the subtle hierarchy that formed whenever he was in the room.

Even the stoic Iris subconsciously looked at him as something greater.

Something better.

It was strange, though. 

Just how much the world seemed to move for him since he returned to the waking world. 

From the offers of legacy clans, a contract with the government to the formation of his own organisation.

Before traversing the dream realm, he held a small reputation for being a diligent student of Instructor Mako. The awakened that taught weapon instruction in the Academy.

But that was it.

Aldric was glad that he worked as hard as he did in the Forgotten Shore. 

Focusing on the woman, he continued to discuss his conditions and expectations of her.

For the next 4 hours, Aldric would go on to put many things into motion.

----------

Looking around the Academy one last time, the young man made his way down to his original room that contained his sleeping pod. 

His ride was here. 

Opening the door, a familiar feeling saturated the air. 

An otherworldly force projected outwards within the room. Originating from the figure in the centre of the room. 

An older gentleman stood still, leaning on a black cane. 

With an above-average height, the older gentleman did not express his age in his mannerisms. His posture was not hunched over or unsteady. He stood tall and palmed his cane like a nobleman.

Aldric did not recognise the man, but he knew that this person was a Saint. 

The sight was not as amazing as his first meeting with a Saint. As there was a congruence in how they expressed themselves to the world. 

"Ah! Young man. Glad you made it. Thought you might have already fallen asleep."

The older gentleman spoke out laughing. Joking at his apparent lateness. 

His laughter had a rich deepness to it. The kind expressed by a person that has seen and experienced many things. 

'That was not funny at all.'

Aldric thought. Even he was impartial to a pun here and there, but this one dropped the mark.

"Nice to meet you, sir. Thanks for coming all this way."

The young man thanked the Saint amicably.

With Saints spending the majority of their days within the dream realm, he did not want to think about how long it took the man to travel to the Academy city from wherever he was anchored to in the waking realm.

"I've heard all about you and your collective's achievements. How long has it been since a new region of the dream realm was chartered?"

The older gentleman reminisced openly.

'Just how old is this man?'

Aldric wondered. 

He concluded that he had to be part of the first generation of those infected by the nightmare spell. After all, it seemed that the Saint was talking about how the Forgotten Shore was now a chartered region outside of the great clans domains. The domains that were established decades ago.

"I experienced something similar. In my days, the certainty of citadels and gateways did not exist. So I have to congratulate you for going through such an ordeal."

He spoke seriously. 

Aldric nodded at the man's compliment, with his words confirming his thoughts. He could imagine how weird it seemed from the perspective of an Awakened who lived a life that was more and more certain each year. Only to hear about something so novel and chaotic. 

While he wanted to speak to the Saint more, the newly awakened Aldric was completely tired.

He was instructed to wean off the stimulants before the Saint arrived. Having only consumed caffeine in the form of an energy drink, he was still struggling to stay awake. 

"Anyways. Get in the pod, young man."

He pointed to the pod by his side. 

Walking forward, Aldric entered the device. 

'It hasn't even been a full day.'

A hint of annoyance entered his tired mind. 

He was not the happiest person in the room. Having to return to that death trap so soon.

It was the equivalent of completing a night shift at work, only to return three hours later to work during the day.

Seating himself within the pod, the glass door of the device remained open. 

The elder man performed a half-bow while leaning on his cane, with an excited look on his face.

He spoke to Aldric as he placed a palm on the young man's shoulder. 

"I, Sir Jest of the Dagonet clan, Vassal of the King, welcome you to the citadel of Rivergate."

A familiar darkness swept Aldric's consciousness.

**********

Thanks for reading. 

I appreciate all the support over the past few days. I'm glad that you guys care for this story so much. Much love.

A reminder since someone mentioned this. Aldric's knowledge of Shadow Slave ends at the early stages of volume eight: Lord of Shadows. So there will be much that he doesn't know.

Angel_of_Damnation: Go for it. Sounds like a good idea. I appreciate it.

That is all for this one. Till next time.