Defense of Adjustment

 

A few hours pass with Darren and I remaining at the table. He explains more to me about the state of the world and exactly what has happened. He has stepped outside the Fox-Hole on rare occasions, and describes a world of grey and black that is devoid of beauty.

“The Dark God’s city is full of grey buildings.” He explains, pulling out a map of the city from under the table. He pulls a small disk from his pocket, and lays it atop the map. As I watch in wonder, blue lines shoot out from the disk and spread out across the map, lining it. Darren places his hands over the map and as he raises them, the buildings seem to grow in scale, becoming miniature versions of what I assume are their real counterparts.

“We haven’t done too much depth exploring.” He explains, “At least, not in recent years. “Mostly we’ve been focused with this building.”

He places two hands over a section of the city, and as he spreads them apart a certain block grows in size, the map zooming into it. The building is large and stout, with nothing to make it stand apart from the ones near it.

“What makes this building so special?” I ask.

“This is a storage building.” Darren explains, “The Dark God still has food stored for his slaves, recipes left over from the long gone society. He keeps livestock somewhere for meat, and fields upon fields of plants provide them with what they need. For some reason though, he doesn’t let them eat the good stuff. I almost feel like he’s keeping that stuff stored up just for us.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Nah,” he grabs the disk and as he does the glowing city fades. “He’s doing something with it, I just don’t know what.”

I sit back in my chair and ponder the last few hours. I feel an unpleasant pressure in my nether regions, and shift uncomfortably. Darren seems to take notice of it, and smiles as if dealing with a child.

He raises his hand and points with his thumb to another door a ways away from the table. “Toilet’s in there.”

I excuse myself from the table and make my way to the door, bursting through it as the need to relieve myself becomes more intense. I find myself within a long hallway lined with blue and white tiles all around. Two doors lead off into other rooms on either side of me, and the hallway continues for a short distance ahead, leading into what I cannot see.

The door to the left is lined on one side with empty wall but for metal showerheads. The other wall is lined with stalls, and going into one of them, I find a porcelain toilet that looks as old as it probably is. It is covered in grime, but for the seat, which looks to have been cleaned recently.

After relieving myself, I go out of the room and look down the hallway again. Without realizing it my feet carry me down the hall to its end, and there I am met with a sight incredible to behold.

Spread out before me is a grand cavern pool. Pillars of rock hold up the crystalline ceiling and gems under the water reflect the light to create dazzling luminosities that sparkle in the dim cavern.

In the pool I spot several people treading water; some lazily, others partaking in fierce competitions of speed. The overall atmosphere is fun and bright, and I find myself smiling at the sight.

“Hey!” A voice calls from below. I look down at the carved steps and see a young man with green hair smiling up at me. I look around, and then point at myself to ask if it is me he is calling for. He nods as a chuckle escapes his lips.

As he nears me I take closer stock of his appearance. His green hair hangs loosely down to his back, styled into dreadlocks but for two tufts sticking out like antennae, or horns. He is a handsome boy, with blue eyes that sparkle like the sapphire under the water. He is muscular with the build of one who spends most of their time swimming, but his pale skin is covered in scars, suggesting he spends equal time training with no armor.

His chest is bare, revealing a defining scar in the vague shape of a trident on his left breast. His upper legs are covered in shorts made seemingly of a tightly woven net. His lower legs, however, startle me, as they are covered in fish-like scales, even his toes are webbed and of a silver-green hue.

He smiles brightly at me, revealing teeth that are thin and almost needle-like. Hanging from a cord at his waist is a purple and yellow conch shell, the purpose for which I do not know.

“New guy.” He greets me in a soft but comfortable voice. He holds out his hand to me and I take it hesitantly. “Just awoken?”

“Yes.” I answer.

“No doubt everyone’s been really mean to you.” He continues, “Let me be…probably the second to officially welcome you to the Resistance.”

“Thank you.” I say, letting go of his hand. “Um, who are you?”

His smile fades, replaced by a look of confusion. “You don’t know?”

I shake my head in answer, “I do not know much of anything. Something has taken my memories from me. I do not possess even my name.”

“Oh,” He says, putting his hand behind his head and looking back to the pool, “Well…they said something weird would happen, they didn’t say what, though.”

He whispers these words, talking to himself rather than me. Though I hear them, they make no sense. “Who said something weird would happen?”

“Them.” He replies, he shakes his head, as if dropping the subject. “Anyways, don’t bother introducing yourself. I will though, so you can call me Triton.”

A shudder goes through me, I should know that name. Why should I know it? “Why do you think I should know you?”

“Hey, Triton!” I hear Darren call from the stairway.

“Good day, Darren.” Triton returns the greeting. “You didn’t tell me he woke up.”

“Wanted to show him around first.” Darren answers. He claps me on the back, “You were taking forever. I was afraid you fell in.”

“What do we call this guy?” Triton asks.

“Dunno yet.” Darren answers, “I was gonna talk to you guys about that in a couple hours at dinner.”

“Ooh,” Triton coos, “A gathered meal? Haven’t had one of those in a while.”

“Haven’t had a new guy in a while.” Darren responds.

“Well, then,” Triton says, turning back to me, “Here’s hoping you get settled in nicely.”

“Thank you.” I reply, letting Darren turn me around and lead me back the way we had come. I look over my shoulder as I walk, and surprise again shackles me as I spot…things sprouting out of Triton’s shoulders after he turns. They look to be rocks, but are shaped oddly. Barnacles?

 

ɂɂɂ

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, Resistance members of all ages!” Darren calls, “Today we gather in our Great Hall to welcome our newest member!”

The table of the Great Hall is only one of four, all of equal length. The entire Resistance is gathered within the colossal arena, crowding the tables and making me feel intimidated.

Darren gestures to me for the crowd as he continues, “Awakening after a fall from the Dark God’s tower, he immediately took down six of our best fighters without breaking a sweat! He has committed to our cause already, and without hesitation I say we welcome him to our ranks and greet him as a brother-in-arms!”

“What’s his name?” Someone calls.

Darren falters, and looks down at me, “Uh…we don’t know. We’ve found yet another amnesiac.” ‘Yet another’? They way he says that implies they have seen many.

The assembly all stare at me, as if waiting for me to do something. I look up at Darren, and he nods in encouragement. Slowly I get to my feet and stand before the Resistance. Over two-hundred people stare at me menacingly. I gulp down my fears and try to find the words to say.

“I…” I begin, “I do not expect you to welcome me as quickly as Darren would have you. However I assure you that I will commit myself to bringing down Erebus by whatever means you people deem necessary. With no memory of who I am, I can only request that you not ask me such harsh questions as ‘who are you’ or ‘where did you come from’. In advance I say I do not know. Suffice it to say that I look forward to developing many friendships, and helping to see this world again becoming what it is meant to be.”

My speech is met with nothing but blank stares, and as the silence continues I blush and sink back into my seat.

“Uh, yeah.” Darren concludes. “That was embarrassing. So without further adieu, go ahead and eat.”

Darren places his hand on my shoulder as he sits back down, and I cradle my head in my hand, feeling ashamed.

“They’ll warm up to you.” Darren promises. “Just give them time.”

I nod in answer and look at the feast before me. I cannot imagine where it came from or who made it, but all the meats and vegetables and breads call to my aching stomach. Darren gets up and leaves as I grab a piece of meat and all but shove the delicious thing into my mouth, hardly tasting it before I swallow. As the meat goes down my stomach, my hunger increases and I continue eating with renewed ferocity.

Darren leaves my side and goes to sit with the small group he had been talking to earlier, along with Triton. I do not hear much of their conversation, as my appetite commands my attention. I slow down after a while, starting to feel my hunger dissipate.

“There’s just something off about him.” I hear Maria say.

I continue eating at an even slower pace so as to hear their words.

“I’ve got a good feeling about him.” Darren insists.

“You’ve been saying that for two days.” Solution says, “Do you have anything beyond that?”

“When has that ever not been enough?” Darren retorts, “We’ve proved countless times that my feelings are never wrong. If I feel something, than you guys know to go with it no matter how crazy it may sound. Or am I wrong?”

“You aren’t always right, Darren.” Solution argues, “Remember that fiasco with the last amnesiac newbie? Or the one before him? This is the fourth guy you’ve found. What makes you think he’s so special anyway?”

“Those guys were complete fools.” Darren says, “They barely woke up with the ability to speak, let alone fight. This guy speaks like he’s a freakin’ genius, and he’s proven that he has skills as a combatant beyond even Julian. Look, I get the risk, but I say we trust him. At least for now.”

“Darren,” The dark-skinned boy says, “I can’t read him.”

Shock replaces the determination in Darren’s face, and he looks down at his lap, “Not at all?”

“It’s like he isn’t thinking anything.” The boy continues. What does he mean by reading me?

Darren shakes his head, “Strange as that is, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“Triton?” Maria says, “You’ve been quiet.”

“I’m not sure what to think.” He responds, picking at a plate of potatoes. “I…can’t say.”

“You show up here.” Darren begins, “Don’t tell us anything about who you are. We still don’t know where you came from, and it’s been years.”

“I assume your argument is that my situation is parallel to his.” Triton says.

“My argument is that apart from the amnesia it’s exactly the same.” Darren replies. He looks around at the group and spreads his hands, “I want to trust him, so you guys trust me, at least.”

The light haired girl sits back in her seat and smiles, “Well, he’s cute at least. He’s got that going for him.”

Darren smiles and shakes his head, “Shut up, Naomi.”

“So we vote to let him stay?” Solution asks.

“Why not?” Triton says, “Maybe he’ll be of some use to us.”

Darren nods as he stands, and looks gratefully at his friends, “I promise you guys you won’t regret it.”

He comes over to me and steals the bun from my hand, biting into it for himself. I do not object, for gratitude stays my thoughts.

“They’ve decided to let you stay.” Darren informs me.

I feel inclined to let him know I had been eavesdropping, but then decide better of it. “I am glad. I look forward to this, whatever it may become.”

As the dinner wears on, I find myself being utterly ignored by all but Darren and Triton. Maria again tries to flirt with him, but this time it is Krista who cuts her off by greeting Darren with a passionate kiss. Maris goes openmouthed, but then backs away, going back to her place and sitting quietly. I want to feel bad for her, but do not.

As yet another person sends a glare my way, I decide to excuse myself from the table and head out of the Great Hall. Nobody seems to notice my departure, even Darren, and I silently make my way back to the street marked ‘living’. I look up at the statue of the man in armor, and again that strange pain burns in my mind.

I try to shake it off and enter the calm building. As I recall the way to my room, I find myself before the door in an instant, as if having not moved at all. I must still be tired. I enter the room and immediately go to the bed, exhaustion suddenly coming over me.

As I lay my head on the pillow, the staff strapped to my back burrows into my side, and without a thought I take it out and drop to the floor beside the bed.

What will become of all this? I wonder as I start to drift off. What is going to happen with this Resistance?

Author's Note

This chapter was only made a few days ago, amid my many other revisions to the early chapters, an entire new chapter was written. Tell me what you think and I hope you like the addition.

Reviews

[Dante Carlisle]

I like that you gave some more depth to the people in the resistance. Was Triton an addition you just added or does he come into the story later on? Are you planning to have the entire story from nothing but the main characters point of view or will you put other characters viewpoints in there somewhere? I've found that's a very simple way to get deeper in to some of the peripheral characters.

Great chapter, though. And I tell that your writing has improved just since you started this novel. Well done, and you're doing great. I'm sure I'll enjoy the rest of the story.

[Xavier Lee]

I'm glad you liked it. Triton was a rather random addition that only came in a few days ago, but I am now planning for him to come in again later. As to your other question I can only advise you to keep reading.