Chapter 5 - Eaters (Patreon)

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We reached a balcony overlooking the western side of the castle. 

The castle was divided into quadrants, segmented by massive walls from which archers could shoot if there was an invasion. Each central directional point had a large area for mass gatherings. Smaller courtyards made up the corners. Walkways and gardens filled the areas in between.

The castle’s soldiers trained on the western side. Their area was about the size of a football field, which the baron and I now looked over.

“Johnathan,” said an older man already standing on the balcony.

“Gregory,” said the baron. “Titles.”

“Apologies.” The man bowed dramatically. I could feel the sarcasm. “Baron Johnathan Embers.”

“At ease, Sir Gregory Talbert.”

The men stared a moment before bursting out into laughter.

Ah, they must be friends. I’ve never met this man before, but I’ve heard the name Talbert. It is nice to know there are people in the castle the baron can have a close relationship with besides his family. Having loyal people by your side probably makes being a leader easier.

“You haven’t met my daughter yet, have you?” realized the baron.

“I saw her as a babe and at her confirmation in the temple,” said Talbert.

He did? Well, my memory was pretty shoddy the first few years of life.

Talbert was a tall, grizzled young man with a lean, thin frame. Slick dark brown hair slid down the back of his head and curled around his ears. The sides and back were shaved razor-short around his skull, and his face was clean-shaven. There were scars on his neck, one across his nose, and cuts around his hands. He was clearly a warrior but hid it with an unassuming demeanor.

“She takes after your wife more than you. Lucky her,” said Talbert. “I’d have felt sorry if she’d been a spitting image of her pa.”

Hmm. I don’t know. There’s something about my father’s dark hair and bold eyes that is rather intimidating. I bet if you transposed him into a woman, he’d have a scary, intimidating beauty. Honestly, I’d have preferred the darker look if I had to pick. Red just isn’t my color.

I lightly patted the baron’s face with my little hand. “You’d be a pretty girl.”

Talbert laughed immediately.

“Th-Thank you?” said the baron.

“Are you ready, sir?!” a voice from below shouted.

The three of us glanced down into the courtyard at a large man with a shaved head and long beard. He looked like a bull suddenly granted human form. He wore no armor, but his muscles looked as if they could easily take a blow from a sword without much harm. His skin had a deep tan, likely from spending a lot of time outdoors. He had auburn, brown-red hair that was short on the top and fading to white on the sides. He also has a massive beard like a Viking. Not only that, but he also towered over everyone. He was around six-foot-six, if I had to guess. The perfect soldier. A literal giant. The best person to have in a gym pick-up game.

“Yes, Captain Van Gallan. I believe we are ready,” said the baron.

Captain Van Gallan peered at me in the baron’s arms. “Ah! I see Lady Scarlet is here to watch us!”

Surrounding the courtyard were hundreds of young soldiers aged ten to fifteen, men and women intermingled throughout. Aristocrats from inside and outside the castle hugged the exterior on separate walkways surrounding the courtyard.

“Come down here!” Captain Van Gallan bellowed to Talbert.

“But of course,” said Talbert with nary a smile. He winked at me and the baron. “Enjoy the show.”

Talbert hopped onto the railing and stepped forward to the ground.

I gasped.

Talbert dropped three stories with his hands in his pockets. Effortlessly, he hit the ground feet-first. He neither fell nor bent his knees.

The act drew stares from everyone around him.

“That is but a taste of what a Divine Treat will do to you,” said Talbert as he walked forward, as if nothing had happened. He patted Van Gallan on the back. “I’ve excited the crowd. The rest is up to you, Captain.”

“Hmph.” Captain Van Gallan stepped forward. He stood straight with his hands behind his back. “The culmination of your years-long training has come to an end.” He paced in the middle of the square of nobles, cadets, and soldiers. “Consistently, Trinity Mountain donates Divine Treats to the central governments of this continent. In turn, the Kingdoms give out a select number to each territory under its control. This ensures balance and prevents conflict.” He paused dramatically. “But the gifts you obtain from the Divine Treats are uncertain.”

He had everyone’s attention.

“Consuming the Divine Treat will make you an Eater, those allowed to consume the fruits of the divine,” continued Captain Van Gallan. “The gift you receive depends on the type of person you are. As such, we can sometimes guess what ability you’ll have given after the year we’ve spent monitoring your personality, training, and progress. But there are always surprises, as nothing is certain in life.”

Heh, “surprises.” Given the benefits of a “surprise” happening, I bet Van Gallan’s saying that as a hope and prayer.

“Most of you will be Typicals earning access to one of the six elements,” said Captain Van Gallan. “Perhaps you’ll be a Fire user like our own Baron Embers.” Captain Van Gallan gestured at my father while speaking. “Those of great inner strength and a desire for power earn this ability. Fire users are emotional. They are energetic and assertive. Many are quick to anger, but that is not always the case. No one is more beholden to love than a fire user, for you romantics out there. Fire is powerful, and it can be as destructive as it is warm.”

If it were based on personality, odds were I wouldn’t have the same ability as the baron if I ate a Divine Treat. I already knew that, but it was good to get that confirmed.

“Maybe you find yourself repulsed by the bombastic terms defining the fire users. You seek tranquility. Like water, you are cool and soothing, appeasing mind and body alike. Some might call you cold. Others consider you purely rational. Neither is incorrect, per se,” segued Van Gallan. “Life on Tellus would not exist without water. Water is protective and caring, intelligent and kind. But a mighty wave can be just as destructive as the largest of fires.”

And water beats fire, more importantly. Obviously.

“Perhaps you are a malleable spirit. You’re in tune with the world around you. You’re creative, talkative, and outgoing. You are as free-flowing as the wind and as all-encompassing as the sky. You create the waves that strengthen the oceans and fan the flames of burning fires.” Van Gallan quickly closed his fist. “And with that same power, you can silence them equally.”

It is the only power of the six that can make you fly. It’d be my pick if I could have one, but I doubt my personality aligns with the qualifications.

“We cannot forget the foundation on which we stand—the ground. Ground users are steady in mind and body. Grounded, as one might say. The dirt is from which we came and to which we shall all return someday. Those not swayed by emotions and power, who remain focused on the all-encompassing rather than the singular, may be granted this power.”

Hmm. I bet I’d be a Water user if it’s out of those four. That’s if I’m ever allowed to eat a Divine Treat.

“Those are the four main elements connecting people to the planet, but there are two that focus on humanity: the spirit element and the Mortal element.”

Yes, the outliers that don’t quite fit in with the elements but are common enough that they were added to the Typical category.

“You all may know our young healer, Clyde. He’s fixed many of your cuts and bruises during your long training sessions. He embodies the Mortal element. In layman’s terms, his gift is healing. Eaters with the healing factor are few and far between. They are truly kind, altruistic people who care for their fellow man more than themselves. We seek these people out and give them Divine Treats readily for the power they are bestowed.”

From what I knew, genuinely kind, giving people were actively sought out by the government. An Eater who could heal was honestly worth more than dozens of Typicals. When someone with certain specific qualifications was found, a thorough background check and investigation were completed to ensure there was no “funny business” behind the scenes just to get a Divine Treat.

Would I have become a healer if I’d eaten a treat in my past life?

“Finally, the most powerful element of all: the spirit. Light and darkness are complementary. Without light, there would be no darkness, and vice versa.”

Yin and yang. I’m assuming that’s why they’re combined under “spirit” rather than given their own categories, but it’s always been a personal guess on my part.

“Those granted the ability of the dark can yield it into tangibility, creating shapes and objects with their minds out of pure darkness. Those blessed with darkness reflect that in their personalities: an absence of something. People deeply affected by loss. A tendency to be loners, hide their emotions, or suffer in silence. These are dark users.”

Ah, never mind. That’s the power I’d have gotten in my past life. I don’t know what gift I’d get now, though. Perhaps still the dark gift…

“Finally, the most powerful gift: light. There is no word that better describes these users than heroes. Light users are natural leaders. They seek companionship and thrive upon the energies of others. Light users have the power to destroy with a thought or enhance their abilities even beyond that of Typical Eaters. In a sense, they are energy itself. Boundless with limitless potential.”

Haha! Not me!

“Our own Captain Talbert is a Dark user,” said Captain Van Gallan.

“And you made it sound so exciting,” grumbled Talbert.

Dark liquid bubbled out of Talbert’s back.

My eyes widened.

In the next instance, four large tendrils of dark liquid probed out his back and jutted forward in front of him. They moved around Talbert naturally, though their gestures were snake-like. Each one was at least six feet in length.

“Divine Treats are only indicative of your personality at the time you eat them. While you may change as a person, your gift will always stay with you,” said Talbert. He forced a smile. “It’s why someone so bubbly and cheery like me still has his dark gifts even twenty years later.”

Some surrounding nobles and cadets laughed, while others merely eyed the tendrils. I didn’t blame them because I was doing the same damn thing.

“And then there are people like our own Captain Van Gallan that are just so special, they’re granted powers beyond all other Eaters. Isn’t that right?” said Talbert. He playfully fluffed Captain Van Gallan’s beard with one of his tendrils.

Van Gallan grabbed it with his bare hand. His tanned skin turned a metal tint as he squeezed, bursting the blackness into misty, soot-like particles.

“Admix,” said Captain Van Gallan. He showed his fist. The next second, his entire body shone like metal. “People who possess abilities outside the six elements.”

Talbert put a single finger to his temple and chuckled. “More importantly, they are powerful. Like our Captain Van Gallan here, who can turn his skin into steel.”

Captain Van Gallan accepted the compliment and ignored the undertones of sarcasm. “Odds are, none of you will become Admix. They are exceedingly rare.”

“But you never know!” added Talbert. He dissolved his tendrils and relaxed against a nearby wall. He stood against it, slid down, and rested his butt on the ground.

The entire courtyard grew tense.

“Out of the one hundred cadets in this year’s class, the top ten of you shall become Divine Treat Eaters. While many of you may be guessing who two through ten are, there will be no surprise as to who is first.” Captain Van Gallan gestured to the crowd of cadets. “Alexander Valtross.”

A tall blonde boy around the age of ten walked out of the group of cadets. He was bulky with a face that looked like it’d break out in a smile or tell a joke at a moment’s notice. It felt comforting and made him seem very easy to be around. I could already imagine what kind of a nightmare he’d be for the female population when he came of age. Long blonde hair flocked around his face and head. Humble, hazel eyes stared out amongst the crowd as he took the center of the courtyard and stood by Captain Van Gallan.

From ages ten to fifteen, everyone in the cadet class had the opportunity to become an Eater. That meant each cadet had five chances to earn a treat by the time they turned fifteen. I couldn’t really tell how old Alexander was, but he had to be in that expected range.

“You shall partake of a Divine Treat, become an Eater, and be granted your gift, son,” said Captain Van Gallan. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, sir,” said Alexander, continuing his humble smile. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation on his face.

A dark tendril appeared out of my peripheral vision before my father. I recoiled, but my father paid it no mind. He removed a chain from around his neck. A key was attached to the end. It was chipped into a quarter piece. Father placed the necklace on the tendril. I watched it recede down to Talbert.

I peeked over the railing and watched as Talbert removed a necklace of his own. It, too, contained a broken key part. He slipped it on a second tendril and guided it to Captain Van Gallan.

Van Gallan took both keys in one hand and removed a third necklace from around his neck. Holding them together, the broken keys created a shattered tri-pronged one.

“Bring out the chest!” called Van Gallan.

Below us, two large side doors to the castle opened. I craned my neck to see four men bringing in a massive chest.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” said my father as he watched me. “Only Eaters can carry it comfortably. That’s how heavy it is.”

“Why?” I asked. “And what’s the point of the key? Can’t someone just break it?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Scarlet.”

The chest was dropped before Captain Van Gallan. He slid in the key and lifted the lid. Only a tiny section in the middle was revealed, roughly the size of two dinner plates. Inside, I saw them: the Divine Treats.

They looked like little plastic balls of gold. How were they even fruit? There were no indents where a stem might have attached.

Van Gallan carefully took one out and held it in his hand. He walked toward Alexander, who knelt on the spot. The blonde boy lifted his hands, cupping one over the other, and lifted them above his head.

The Divine Treat was carefully placed in his palm.

“Take and eat,” ordered Van Gallan.

Alexander obliged. He rose to his feet with the treat in hand. Carefully, he plopped it into his mouth. I noticed a momentary look of fear beforehand, but it disappeared in an instant.

Van Gallan stepped away from Alexander, leaving the boy alone in the courtyard.

“What shall you be?” asked Captain Van Gallan loudly.

The courtyard stagnated with anticipatory silence.

Dust began to rise from the ground. Everything started to shake.

Chunks of rock jutted out of the surface around Alexander. He watched them with a discerning eye, barely perturbed by the disturbance. Pieces broke off and whirled around him. He soon became the epicenter of all the cracks as the ground tore, forming a jagged circle around him. Pebbles and sediment clung to him like a suit of armor.

In the next instance, the activity stopped. Rocks and dust fell to the ground with a loud thud as the natural elements returned to normal.

“Breathe, Scarlet,” said the baron. He patted my back.

Holy shit, I did forget to breathe.

That was…amazing! I’ve seen others use their gifts for chores and practice, but that was something else.

I need one. Immediately.

But I’m still too young, and there are other variables. All in due time. Patience. That’s all I need.

“An Earth Typical. Congratulations,” said Captain Van Gallan. He gestured for the next person to move out of line. “Next, Remi Lam! Come forth!”

The only girl in the top ten stepped forward. I could tell she was strong. Based on her build, it wouldn’t have surprised me if she did something close to parkour or rock climbing in her spare time. It couldn’t have just come from training, I suspected. Her extremely straight black hair was cropped short at the base of her neck. Her eyes looked like purple gems that seemed to sparkle more brightly when set against her pale skin and dark hair. 

Remi held out her hand, copying Alexander when he got his Divine Treat. Captain Van Gallan repeated what he’d done prior, placing the fruit in her palm. She immediately popped the golden orb into her mouth. With a crunch, she swallowed the remains.

“She’s a badass,” I predicted.

Sure enough, Remi began grabbing her head. A scream left her throat as she buckled backward, neck craning into the sky.

“Oh?” I heard the captain mutter.

My father stretched forward, intrigued. Even Talbert suddenly seemed more interested. 

Remi began to float above the ground. Loose objects twirled throughout the courtyard. The watching soldiers dodged them. Captain Van Gallan smacked the top half of an errant piece of plywood that went flying toward his face. It cracked on contact.

“Ah, magnificent!” said Captain Van Gallan with glee as Remi flopped back to the ground. The floating objects did the same. His face stretched into a brilliant smile. “An Admix! Thought you were a Wind Typical for a second, but they usually just float and fall. You’re a bit better than that. Not sure what, but we’ll find out in time.”

“You’ve had a lot of luck, Baron,” Talbert called up to us from the balcony. “Got a Chosen Child for a daughter and a second Admix in your guard. Get yourself a dozen, and you’ll rival the King.”

“Don’t say such things out loud,” chided the baron.

Talbert laughed, unbothered. He stared ahead at the crop of recruits. His eyes glazed over them. “Bet there’ll be one more. Can feel it in my guts.”

We went through seven more cadets. They were all Typicals. 

And then—

“Next!” Captain Van Gallan shouted towards the final person. “Nigel Blair! Come forth!”

Nigel? Poor boy. What a weak-sounding name.

Fortunately for him, he was anything but. Nigel had the makings of a typical fantasy hero. He was tall for his age, although not as tall as Alexander. Dark brown hair sat atop his head in a textured, flat fashion. The sides were short, but not bare, while the hair on top swirled toward the right side of his forehead. It was flat, yet bouncy. A bit shiny. Layered. Not too long, but had a lot of volume. The part in the middle was stylish and either extremely manufactured or the result of lucky cowlicks. Very K-Pop inspired. The skin around his eyes was thin, as if he were perpetually tired. His face was square with an accented jawline. Eyes like brightened charcoal shone through his bored slits. 

Like everyone else before, Nigel took the fruit and put it in his mouth.

“Wonder what it will be thi—”

Nigel exploded.

I blinked. The baron instinctively held me close. His own face was marred with astonishment and excitement.

“OH! Hahahahaha!” Captain Van Gallan laughed. He pointed back at Talbert. “You lucky bastard! You were right!”

“I’ve got an eye for this kind of thing!” fired back Talbert.

I stared in horror at all of them. A man had just exploded before our very eyes.

The hell, guys?! That’s some dark sh—

The smoke cleared. Nigel lay on the ground, groaning, but okay.

“HUH?!” I yelled.

“Dammit, I love this group!” cried Captain Van Gallan. “Two Admix! That’s unprecedented!”

Nigel, still on the ground, groaned again. 

“It appears you control explosions, my boy!” Captain Van Gallan towered over Nigel with a large grin. “An advanced version of a fire Typical if we’re simplifying things.”

“Is… that… so?” moaned Nigel.

Yeah, that response is right on par with how I’d reply if I randomly went ‘boom.’ 

Captain Van Gallan ignored the attitude. “Can you imagine the possibilities?” he said as he gestured around the group. “A man swings a sword at you, and you block it. Upon impact, an eruption rips outward. There’s no way to defend that. And based on his body’s constitution, with training, he’ll be immune to the force.”

Disgruntled faces flecked across those who were left. 

It wasn’t surprising. For many, this was their fifth and final chance to earn a Divine Treat. For others, they’d lost yet another opportunity, amping up the pressure within them. If they failed here, their only opportunity was through meritorious action in the service. But most died or were relegated to boring guard posts before that ever happened.

“I bet it feels like shit not getting picked, no matter how hard you tried,” I muttered to myself.

“Language,” chided the baron.

“Sorry…”

Talbert got up from the shadows and walked away. He seemed bored, like he wanted no part of the ceremony anymore. Or so I thought. I saw his tendrils slither to the chest, re-separate the key, and hand a chunk back to each owner. He then followed the chest and the Eaters, carrying it back into the castle. Silently. Wordlessly. Uncaring.

It was a massive contrast to Captain Van Gallan, who was going around patting everyone on the back and complimenting them. Even people who hadn’t gotten the chance to get a Divine Treat melted at his words. 

But if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t have been able to smile. I wanted that power. Losing it after giving so much of myself… I couldn’t even imagine.

“I want one,” I ended up whispering.

“Hm?” Baron Embers wondered.

“A Divine Treat,” I reply breathlessly, pointing at the chest holding the Divine Treats. “I want that more than anything.”

He grimaced and said nothing. He looked out at the crowd. With a final nod from Captain Van Gallan, he stood proudly and ready to act as the lone baron of Hopeful Lake.

“You are all exceptional,” he bellowed resolutely. “In your own ways, you shall bring prosperity and greatness to this country, this region. You all took a risk, some of you more than others, but anything in life worth pursuing brings you eye-to-eye with failure. Learn from it. Strive to be stronger. This is not the end. Only the beginning. All you can ever be is yourself. Do not compare yourselves to others. In life, there is only one you.” He pointed down at the cadets, looking them all in their eyes. “Your exceptional self is meant for amazing things. I mean that truly, from the bottom of my heart. Even so, my words may not bring you comfort today, tomorrow, or the day after. Perhaps never. But I mean them, sincerely, and appreciate your efforts here this day.”

Everyone in the crowd still looked disappointed, but the blow had been softened. Their efforts had been recognized by their liege lord. For some, that was enough.

It would not have been for me.

“How unfortunate,” I muttered, leaning my chin against the railing.

The baron glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. He nodded to Captain Van Gallan, picked me up, and walked back into the castle.

“I fear you learned the wrong lessons from this,” whispered the baron as we walked. “Becoming an Eater entails responsibility, especially in times of war, regardless of status. Cadets put in years of effort for the chance to be selected to carry the burden.”

“Yet there are Eaters in the nobility. I doubt they went through the same process,” I said.

“And all Eaters have a responsibility to their Kingdom and in war, above all else. Even women. Even you, if you ate one. You do not need the burden. You have no special circumstances or status that requires such a sacrifice.”

“Am I not a Chosen Child?” I retorted immediately. “Am I not your daughter? Are those not enough to deem me worthy of a Divine Treat? Have the Gods not emphasized my importance? Is that not enough?”

Baron Embers did not speak for a moment. He then said, “You have other responsibilities, Scarlet. To this country. Not every battle is fought by shedding blood. Eaters always shed blood.”

I peeked at him. “What are you saying?”

“My daughter will not experience a second of the life I’ve lived. You are young. These feelings shall pass as you get older.” He paused. “Power only invites death. You should live a life of love and ease.”

We traveled in silence through the castle.

In my head, I was both cursing the old bastard out and plotting how to circumvent his stupid beliefs.

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