Ranks

In the second floor of the tavern, there is only one room for guests to sleep. Six double decker beds exist with three lined up in a column facing another in a row. Facing the doorway, there are only three windows on one side, enough for a person to fit in. It was a bit dusty in the room, with few bristles in beds, as expected to those who usually stay in here. It really shows that no one recently used this room as the beastkin's preferred to go home as to not incite suspicion as Kes explained to the trio earlier. Also, he said to them,

"No, I am not the leader and this is just one of our hideout's."

"Huh? We assumed you are the leader! The way you speak are so patriotic as the cleanest dung!"

"You jest Hardy!"

Curiously, Kes also said that few to none had ever visited this tavern. After the lumbering was canceled by decree of the house, this place has been almost forgotten. Only those with nostalgia happens to go into the tavern, that which was very isolated from the town.

"Don't Worry! More of my fellows will come this night! I expect that we prepare our strategy meeting here tomorrow!" Kes said before he left the trio to their needs.

When Kes was eventually away and they finally had the room in their private space, Ishnaia speaks out her mind to Alister,

"What? so we're goody two shoes now with that furry criminal?"

"It's the only way. They'll not dare kill me, or they're going to face the Gesneriaceae's wrath."

"Lassie's right for once," Hardy speaks, "I don't really trust this Kes fellow, doin' us like a ploughing dog show and suddenly we're friends with him. Heck, I don't even know if it is safe in here!"

"Well," Alister sat into one of the beds, "One of us should take watch then."

"I can do that." Hardy declares, "I can't sleep with that conniving furry beneath us!"

"Yeah Harvey!" Ishnaia suddenly exclaimed, "Fuck those furries!"

Hardy smiled wryly, "Damn you lassie! Your sod of a person starts to rub in mine!"

"If Kes was to be believed," Alister speaks, "We can take all of them if they ever play funny again."

"True," Hardy agrees, "I don't think they can Rank Up in these lands…"

"The Fuck's a Rank?" Ishnaia asks.

With a small pause, Hardy glares at Ishnaia and speaks skeptically, "…You're Joking right?"

"Milady, you don't really know?" Alister asks.

"Why should I ask what the fuck is that if I know!"

"Then…" Hardy squinted at her, "You're sodding me off that it's a secret."

"Of course," Ishnaia proudly agrees, "Why not?"

Hardy sighs deeply. He knew that this lassie really likes to joke around. Why does he still bother? he wondered.

"So, what the fuck is it?"

"Let me." Alister then started explaining about the system of rank in the World of Theia.

Ranks are created by the gods to had mortals a chance to protect their world from unspeakable evil that will ensue. In fact, it is a rule made as an agreement to all beings as a deterrent after the First war of Eon, the very first war of the world.

The gods knew that they may die and blessed the mortals with power to smite evil that can rival a god. Thus, level sanctum exists in every part of the world, build by those from above to ensure the strength to protect the world. There exists 8 Ranks in the world.

From lowest rank to highest: Dalet, Gimel, Bet, Alef, Alpha, Gamma, Sigma, and Omega.

Dalet is the lowest of all, common to those ordinary residents.

"Omega is the rarest of all, the gods usually had this rank, and it is the hardest to attain. The only mortal who attained this as I know is the first king Ithere, My ancestor."

Ishnaia smirks, "Huh, so you're saying that you're very special after all!"

"Er, N-no!" Alister flushed "Sorry if I sounded boastful…"

"Pffft! You're funny you know that!"

This time, Alister blushed, and glanced away at her "W-well…"

"Anyway," Ishnaia leaned, "What ranks you two had?"

"I'm Alef, Hardy too."

"Oh, that's nice." Ishnaia nodded repeatedly, even though she really did not care, and continued, "How can you show your ranks then to others? Do you just tell it? Hearsay?" That's easy to fake I guess, Ishnaia thought.

But Alister replied, "By this." and showed the back of his right hand to Ishnaia and made a fist with it. In a second, a symbol began forming right at the back of his hand in a glow of blue. It was quick and not long before the symbol formed completely and there, it exist the symbol of Alef:

א‎

"Hoooo... Wow..." said by Ishnaia in awe as she sees it, but the sight also boggles her mind. She felt like she had seen this before. So she tries to change the subject as quickly as possible,

"A-anyway, you said First War? So, there's Second?"

"Yes," Alister put down his right hand in which the symbol at the back of it dissipated quickly, "it resulted in the calamity I told you earlier."

"Huh…"

"Shhh!" Hardy gives them a glance as he purse his finger on his lips while lying on the floor while his ears planted on it.

"Hey dwarf," Ishnaia tilts her head speaks quietly as possible as she looked at him in a funny matter, "The fuck you're doing?"

"Shh!" Hardy squinted at her and still lay as he was. Then, in a few moments of doing weird shit as Ishnaia thought when she just stares at him also in that moments, he finally stood up and hurriedly packed their supplies.

"Hardy!" Alister speaks, "Wha-"

"This is a sellout! I heard them!"

"Heard what?"

"What!? Can't we sleep for a while before we go?"

"Now is not the time to jest lassie!" Hardy exclaimed furiously, "We gotta get Kes."

"Why?" Alister asks

"Those beastmen! His so-called pals! They're gonna betray 'im!"