17. Annabeth PiCuBB

The dummy reformed completely and settled into his neutral stance.

“Your goal for the bashing test is simple,” Tariq explained. “You just need to knock him off his feet within twenty strikes, which you have one minute to complete. Every strike you land will automatically weaken your opponent and make it easier for him to fall. As the level increases, he will become heavier and more resilient. Understand?”

Annabeth nodded.

“Begin,” Tariq commanded, and Annabeth exploded into action. Her first blow took the dummy in the side and knocked in part of his chest. She wasn’t using a “Pow,” so I guess she wanted to see how she did with her own strength. Her second blow knocked in the other side of its chest. Then she shifted and swung at its center. It took three more hits, but then the dummy collapsed.

“Level 30 is a pass,” Tariq declared. “Reset for level 40.”

This time it took fifteen blows before the dummy fell over. Annabeth directed some of them at its legs, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. It looked like straight up smashing power was the way to clear this level.

“Level 40 pass. Reset for level 50.”

This time Annabeth struggled. She quickly resorted to using a “Pow” and finally a “Boom” to finish the job.

“Level 50 pass. Reset for level 60.”

Annabeth started with a “Boom” and gave it all she had, but the dummy had picked up too much mass. She just couldn’t damage it enough.

“Let me try that again,” Annabeth said. She sounded determined and frustrated.

The trainer reset and Annabeth flew into action—with the same result. Her shillelagh was making small dents in its chest instead of the craters she’d been making before.

“I was afraid this would happen,” Tariq said kindly. “You need to have a fair amount of weight to use a bashing weapon effectively. Think of it this way—it’s like a moon circling a planet. The larger the planet, the faster the moon moves through the skies. Or looking at it another way, you need to have enough mass to anchor your swing. For a lighter person, there is an inherent upper limit on how much force you can bring to bear.”

“That makes sense,” Annabeth nodded. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”

She grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side.

“Can you double check the force runes on my shillelagh?” she asked.

“Of course,” I said and zoomed in for a look. I already knew what I’d see, though. The force runes were perfect. There was one on the base of the handle, one on the shaft, and one on the head. Sandy had been the first one to summon a shillelagh back when we’d had our Exchange of Reconciliation with Ken’s school, but since then John, Annabeth, and Tyler had all made their own shillelagh charm templates. After I’d recovered enough from my fight with Karl, I’d reviewed what they’d put together and made suggestions for improvements. So I already knew Annabeth could summon a perfect shillelagh with lots of detail, and that is what I saw now.

“It’s perfect,” I told her. “The trainer is right. Swinging a bashing weapon seems to be more about physics than magic.”

“I agree logically,” Annabeth replied, “but it doesn’t feel right. The force runes are giving me power. I’m using Tyler’s technique of relax-and-tense-on-contact to give me speed. That doesn’t work anywhere near as well as it does with a fist, but it’s still helpful. So I feel like everything is there for me to do better. But it’s just not happening.”

“What do you think is missing?” I asked. “You’ve talked about how you feel strong with your swings, so what is your weakness?”

Annabeth thought for a moment. Then she wound up and took a few practice swings in the air.

“I’m slipping,” she said finally. “I’m moving the weapon so fast it’s pulling me around too, which is what Tariq is talking about with the mass. But the real problem is my feet are slipping on the ground. If my lower body was firm and solid, I could get a lot more force out of my upper half.”

“Are you filling your body with magic when you fight?” I asked.

“Not like you do,” she replied. “You do the whole water and smoke thing. I don’t sense magic like that, so it doesn’t work for me.”

My puzzle brain kicked in and started searching for solutions. Physics at this level wasn’t that hard to understand. Everyone knows what it’s like to try and swing a heavy object. Annabeth had a tremendous range of flexibility with her sonic magic. She just needed the right framework to work from.

‘You know, this is a lot like when Sandy was doing your evaluation,’ my Analytical Side spoke up. ‘Remember when you were lifting objects relative to yourself? Physically that was harder to do, so it took more magic. Once you switched to lifting objects off the table and used the table as the base, then it used much less magic. Annabeth needs to apply the same idea here.’

The idea snapped into place, and I knew what to do.

“Annabeth, if I had to guess, you are using your Pows and Booms to give yourself more force. But the force is relative to yourself,” I said excitedly.

Annabeth just looked confused, not getting what I was saying at all.

I continued, but calmed down a bit so I could get my point across. “So, in a very basic way, it’s like making your arms and chest stronger. But it’s not going all the way through your body. It’s not making your base stronger.”

Annabeth looked slightly less confused now, so I kept going. “When I fought Big Ugly, I pulled in magic from the ground first. Then I pushed that through my legs, my core, and out my fist. It was like I was a solid piece of rock coming out of the ground.”

“That makes sense,” Annabeth nodded, “but I have no idea how to do that.”

“That was just an example,” I said quickly, “and I wouldn’t recommend you do that anyway. I just about tore myself apart stopping Big Ugly. You don’t need that level of stability. You need something that gives you flexibility to move like you do now, but also grounds you for a split second when you swing.”

I paused, and my eyes twinkled.

“If only there was something you had that connected you to the ground—something that connected you to the Earth.”

Her eyes lit up as she picked up on my idea.

“You mean the Deep Earth?” she said thoughtfully.

“You have a special relationship with the core of this planet,” I said. “There isn’t anything more stable than that.”

“That is an excellent idea,” she said. “Hang on while I talk to my Mark.”

Her eyes lost focus, and she hummed for a bit. Over her shoulder I could see Tariq starting to look restless. I held up my finger to ask for one more moment, and then focused back on Annabeth. I could see her magic moving, but I wasn’t sure what she was up to.

“Pow,” she said as she swung her shillelagh. It felt like more of a test blow, and I was right, as she did it several more times.

“Pow,” she said again, and this time it was different. This time it had a whole new level of authority. It was like she was speaking with two voices: her own and a deep bass tone. It was like James Earl Jones was backing her up.

“Pow,” she said again, and this time the tones blended together even more.

She focused on me, and her eyes flashed with excitement. “I’m on the right track. It’s still not there yet, but I’m close.”

She went back to humming, and I felt her magic churning.

“Pow,” she said again. This time it was her, James Earl Jones, a double bass, and a violin all speaking in harmony.

“That’s it!” she exclaimed happily. “I think I’ve got it. It”s not perfect and I think I could expand the idea even more, but now the Deep Earth is working through me. Let me practice a few more times, and then I’ll be ready.”

“Sure,” I replied and watched as she did her Earth Pow several more times. I was fascinated as I saw her magic vibrate with each blow and split into different bands of pink. It was still the same shade of pink, but it briefly split into lighter and darker variations of itself.

Mixed in with that, I saw the Mark of the Deep Earth’s lava orange, like a shower of sparks. The best part was that I saw an orange flash under her feet too.

“I’m ready,” she said confidently, and together we headed back to Tariq.

“Did you tweak your weapon again?” he asked.

“Not this time,” Annabeth replied. “My weapon was fine. This time I tweaked my swing.”

“Oh. Well then,” Tariq looked confused, but he quickly recovered. “I’m not sure how modifying your swing is going to help, but let’s see if it makes a difference. Dummy, reset. Level 60.”

He gestured for Annabeth to have at it.

She took a deep breath and let it out. Then she stood there and hummed for a moment. I knew she was probably communicating with her Mark again, but I’m sure Tariq had no idea what was going on. This wasn’t music class after all.

He was just about to say something, when Annabeth let loose.

“BOOM!” she commanded in her new Earth voice and struck the dummy in the middle of his chest. This time, his chest imploded inward, and he looked like he’d been hit by a meteor. He staggered back and was already starting to fall when Annabeth hit him again. “BOOM!”

She knocked him back several feet, and the dummy hit the ground hard.

Tariq’s mouth dropped open in shock. For that matter, the rest of our crew looked shocked too. Annabeth just looked relieved that her new Earth Boom had worked.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side,” Tyler said and gave her a high five.

“For real,” John agreed. “Hulk Annabeth is scary!” He gave her a high five too, and then started flexing. “Me Annabeth. Me hit like train.”

Tyler started Hulk flexing too. “Me hit you hard. Me bring the pain! Choo Choo Boom!”

“Choo Choo Boom!” John joined in, and then both of them were Hulk dancing and doing the Choo Choo Boom.

Annabeth just rolled her eyes at their teasing, but I could tell she was having fun.

“Boys!” Sandy commanded and smacked John’s arm. “Behave yourselves.”

“Of course, dear,” John replied. “We’re just extra proud of our Annabeth. She brought the Boom!”

“Choo Choo Boom!” Tyler agreed, and they almost started Hulking out again, but Tariq got us back on track.

“Annabeth, I don’t know how you are managing to do this, but your tweaks are truly impressive.” He smiled proudly at her as John and Tyler quickly settled down. “Dummy, come here.”

The dummy got to its feet and walked over. It was deformed, with its chest and stomach caved in, and it reminded me of the liquid Terminator after Arnold had blasted it with a shotgun.

“Look at the impact zones,” Tariq said proudly. “This is the damage a bashing weapon is supposed to inflict! Bashing is all about applying overwhelming force and power until your opponent can’t handle any more. A basher is an unstoppable force of nature, and you, my dear, have clearly managed to overcome the handicap of your size.

“Dummy, reset. Level 70.” Tariq was excited now, and so was I. I thought Annabeth would have a better base resulting in a bit more impact, but this was a lot more than just a bit. This was a huge leap forward in ability. I’d been thinking her dagger was going to be her best weapon moving forward. Now I wasn’t so sure.

If she’d had this type of power when we’d fought the rats, she might have knocked them around like pins in a bowling alley. It got me thinking about my own abilities. Was I losing some of my power to slippage? My punches were faster than Annabeth’s swings, so to a certain extent, my mass was being better utilized. I’d increased the power of my force runes as well as adding my spikes, though.

Sir Isaac Newton had said that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So the more power I put into my punches and spikes, there was an equal amount of force pushing me back. I was certainly bigger than Annabeth, but I was still a skinny guy. I didn’t have the bulk of someone like John to anchor my blows.

My thoughts were interrupted as Annabeth started her level 70 test. This time it took twelve Earth Booms before the dummy fell over. I was a bit surprised it took so many, considering how dominating Annabeth had been at level 60. Tariq was certainly right—the scale in difficulty wasn’t linear.

We were supporting the heck out of our Little Miss Sunshine, and this time Sandy started the chant.

“Choo Choo Boom!” she called, and we all quickly joined in. Then she started doing the Hulk Annabeth dance, and it was hysterical. Annabeth blushed and got a little embarrassed by all the attention, but I could tell she appreciated the support.

“Dummy, reset. Level 80.”

This time, it took nineteen Earth Booms before the dummy hit the ground. Annabeth looked like she was maxing out again, so Tariq switched to increasing levels one at a time. We continued to cheer her successes as Annabeth made it up to level 82. Tariq attempted to train her up to 83, but it didn’t happen.

Annabeth seemed happy, though, and Tariq was just ecstatic. Three modes of PiCuBB in the 80’s? Yes, please! He was as proud of his prodigy as if he’d trained her himself.

Once again, he wrote up his notes on her mode, and they tapped Stamps to update her rating. This time he didn’t have a shillelagh available that matched what Annabeth was summoning. Annabeth tried to insist it didn’t matter, but Tariq was adamant that she should have her own template to train with. He called over another shop friend to explain what he needed, and then sent him off to search their extended inventory. In the process, he happened to mention that Annabeth was a prodigy. Soon after, I started to notice other trainers and shop friends drifting our way. It wasn’t a large number, as the Whet’s Edge was a busy place, but suddenly, the short sword section had become the place to be.

Annabeth didn’t seem to notice anything different, so I didn’t say a thing. If she knew she was being watched, it would just make her nervous.

“There’s only one mode left, and that’s blocking,” Tariq said. “This mode is very different from the others, as this time you”re not the one generating the attack. Blocking is more about timing and redirection than it is about force. As a result, scores can vary wildly from the other modes. It’s actually fairly common that a mage is a great attacker and not that good at defense. Or vice versa.

“Normally, I’d tell you not to get your hopes up for a high level, but you’ve blown me away so far. Let”s just see how you do. The test for blocking is simple. You just need to stay inside the ring without sustaining a deadly wound for one minute.”

Tariq gestured to a nearby open platform. It was raised about a foot off the ground and looked like a boxing ring without the posts or ropes.

“Since this is a blocking challenge, you are not allowed to disable the dummy with an attack. You are allowed to push it around, if you have the strength, and create more room for yourself. Other than that, block, dodge, and deflect the attacks as much as you possibly can. Understand?”

Annabeth nodded, but Tyler stopped them with a question.

“Is Annabeth allowed to wield two shillelaghs?”

“Of course,” Tariq replied. “In fact, I was going to suggest that myself depending on how you performed. This is a blocking challenge, so it’s best to use both hands to block as much as possible.”

Tyler seemed more nervous than Annabeth for some reason.

“I got this,” she told him confidently. “This is just like training with Mr. Pebbles on the beach. I don’t know how fast this dummy can move, but I’ve blocked Mr. Pebbles for a lot longer than one minute.”

“You’re right,” Tyler replied. “You’re going to do great. Just remember to work the angles and don’t use a Zoom. The ring isn’t big enough for that.”

Annabeth gave his arm a comforting pat and then hopped up onto the ring. The dummy stepped up after her.

I stepped in and put my arm around Tyler’s waist. “Are you worried?”

“A little bit,” he admitted. “Annabeth is confident, which is a good thing, but she’s used to the beach where she has more room and she can fight back. It’s a whole different match when you can’t attack your opponent and make them back off.”

“At least she’s starting out at a low level,” I said. “Hopefully, that will give her time to adjust.”

Tariq motioned for Annabeth to go to one side of the ring and the dummy to the other.

“Dummy, reset. Blocking evaluation. Level 30,” he called to the dummy. It summoned a two-handed broadsword. It wasn’t particularly powerful or detailed, but it had a lot of reach.

Then he turned to Annabeth. “Are you ready?”

She summoned a shillelagh in both hands and then nodded.

“Begin,” he called, and the dummy quickly advanced towards her, broadsword held in the guard position. She advanced to meet him, and as soon as she was in range, he swung. It wasn’t a fast swing, but it covered a lot of ground.

Annabeth casually smacked the broadsword up into the air and stepped in close to the dummy. It soon became obvious Annabeth was going to complete this level.

A two-handed broadsword is a great choice for fighting another long weapon, like a pike. It’s terrible for fighting in close with a smaller opponent. The dummy tried to swing, but Annabeth crowded him, and he had no room to develop any momentum.

He finally switched to using the hilt and tried to thrust it into her head, like it was a long nail. Annabeth wasn’t having any of that, though. She whacked his hands with her shillelagh and made his sword disappear.

She stepped back in surprise and glanced at Tariq to see if she’d been disqualified, but he just motioned for her to keep going. The dummy summoned another broadsword and swung at her again, but by this time the match was over.

“Level 30 is a pass,” Tariq declared. “Reset for level 40.”

This time, the dummy summoned a katana and tried to cut her to pieces. The sword was shorter and lighter, and the dummy swung it significantly faster. It was still a two-handed sword, so Annabeth was only facing one weapon of attack, but it was a lot more agile. She knocked it out of the way and stepped in close again, but this time it didn’t bother the dummy anywhere near as much. Annabeth was still faster, though, and with two defensive weapons she was able to shut him down.

“Level 40 is a pass,” Tariq declared. “Reset for level 50.”

For level 50, the dummy armed himself with two battle axes. Since they both had two weapons, the action quickly ramped up to a whole new level of speed. Both of their weapons were flying, and it quickly looked like this should be level 80, not 50. The spectators abandoned their casual pretense and started yelling encouragement.

The only thing that saved Annabeth this time was her footwork. She kept stepping to the side of her opponent, forcing him to reset before attacking again. If Annabeth had been allowed to attack, she could have hammered him in those moments and ended the match. Tyler was right. A good offense forces your opponent to respect your space. Without that, Annabeth was operating with a huge handicap.

“Level 50 is a pass,” Tariq declared. “Reset for level 60.”

Tyler motioned to Annabeth, and she came over. She was winded from the intense flurry of action, so she could use the break anyway.

“Target his weapons,” Tyler said. “I don’t think you can attack his body, but it looks like you can hit his hands and whatever he’s using to attack. Don’t go overboard, or you’ll leave yourself open. But if you get the chance, force him to defend his own weapons.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Annabeth said. “I was just trying to survive on that last round. It was fun, though!” We got a big sunshine smile, and then she headed back to her side of the ring. It looked like Annabeth was enjoying herself.

For level 60, the dummy came at her with a large triangular shield and a one-handed war hammer. I thought a shield was a curious choice, until I realized he was going to try and push her out of the ring.

Annabeth flatly rejected the idea. She Earth Boomed his shield and knocked him out of the ring instead. It was awesome seeing our little warrior swatting him around.

“Level 60 is a pass,” Tariq declared. “Reset for level 70.”

Next, the dummy used two war hammers, which was almost the same weapon setup Annabeth was using. At level 70, the dummy was fast, powerful, and skilled. Once again, the action got intense, and the crowd got a bit wild as they cheered her on.

Annabeth’s saving grace for this round was the fact that her shillelaghs were better than his war hammers. Her weapons had more detail and more magic. When the weapons clashed, the dummy’s war hammers were the ones that lost out.

“Level 70 is a pass,” Tariq declared. “Reset for level 80.”

The dummy was back to using a shield, although this time, he’d paired it with a longsword. He was a lot tougher than he’d been at level 60, and Annabeth couldn’t knock him out of the ring this time. His shield was bigger too, which made it much harder for Annabeth to get around.

At one point, he had Annabeth backed into a corner, and although she hammered the crap out of his shield, she couldn’t get him to back off. Faced with no other option, she jumped and flipped over his head. The dummy had primarily been using his shield to bash, but he still had his long sword. As Annabeth flew over his head, he swung up at her.

The spectators gasped. But despite being in mid air, Annabeth saw it coming and knocked it out of the way. It was an amazing feat of agility and skill, and the watching trainers went wild. A few seconds after that, Annabeth won the match.

We cheered the Choo Choo Boom and did the Hulk Annabeth dance, which got us a few curious looks, but then other trainers started joining in. Annabeth just laughed, bowed, and took it all in stride.

“Level 80 is a pass,” Tariq declared. “Reset for level 81.”

Once again, the action was fast and furious. Annabeth made it through that level, but failed the next one. The dummy started using his longsword even more, and it made for an effective surprise attack. Annabeth had to give it everything she had to keep the shield from bashing her out of the ring. The sudden attacks by the longsword were just too much for her.

Annabeth took a moment to catch her breath, and then tried it again, but she missed it the second time too.

Tariq didn’t give her time to get discouraged, though, as he hopped up on the platform and addressed the other trainers that had gathered around.

“I would like to introduce you to Annabeth Matz. She is reaching the end of her first year as a mage, but I know we will be hearing a lot more about her in the future. Her PiCuBB levels are as follows: Pierce, 85.”

He paused to let that sink in. I saw most of the trainers nodding in appreciation of her score and several looked shocked.

“Cut, 80.”

The trainers started murmuring among themselves in excitement. They hadn’t been here at the beginning, so I’m sure this was news to them.

“Bash, 82.”

Their voices grew louder. Some of them sounded excited, and some of them sounded incredulous.

“Block, which you just saw, 81. This means Annabeth ranked in the 80’s for all modes of PiCuBB. I don’t need to tell you how rare that is for any young mage, much less a first year.”

All the trainers, except for one, gave Annabeth an enthusiastic round of applause. The last trainer looked sour, like he didn’t want to believe this was real.

“The sub is at level 7?” he growled. “When was his last spec?”

“He was spec”d this week,” Tariq said gleefully. “See for yourself.”

The grumpy trainer went over to the dummy and started asking him questions in a low tone. I think there must have been some personal animosity between Tariq and Grumpy, as Tariq looked practically triumphant.

“Given the levels and the age of the applicant, I’m declaring Annabeth a true prodigy. Does anyone gainsay my assessment?”

The trainers laughed, like “Of course not!” Then everyone looked at Grumpy. He finished his last question with the dummy, and then reluctantly nodded his head. “I agree with your assessment. The young mage is a prodigy.”

He walked up and briefly shook Annabeth’s hand in congratulations. Then he stomped off like he’d eaten a bad plate of beans. That started a trend, as the other trainers gathered round and took turns personally congratulating Annabeth.

To my surprise, they also came over and congratulated us. Tariq stayed with Annabeth for a few minutes to make sure she was fine, and then came over to congratulate us himself.

He asked questions about Annabeth joining the House and when she had started her training. He was especially interested in how Tyler had taught her. I let Tyler answer all the questions, as I didn’t want to give anything away. I wasn’t sure what Tyler would consider to be the secret sauce that made us so effective. Was it the gym on the beach? Was it the relax-and-tense-on-contact?

Tyler didn’t seem to mind talking about the beach, and he tried to give it all the credit. Tariq wasn’t buying it, though, and asked several followup questions to see if he could get Tyler to reveal even more. Tyler looked like he was getting uncomfortable with the pointed queries, so I interrupted Tariq and asked him one of my own.

“One thing I don’t understand is why is everyone congratulating our House? I can understand praising Tyler for his excellent teaching ability, but it seems strange to be praising the whole House.”

“I don’t think you realize just how big of an honor it is to have an official prodigy in your ranks,” Tariq replied. “Annabeth brings honor to your entire House. It speaks to the quality of the environment she has at your House to bring out the best in her. It certainly reflects on the abilities of her teachers as well as the dedication of those who train with her.

“A prodigy is like a seed. She needs the right environment to grow. She has the ability and the talent in herself, but the knowledge and dedication come from the environment. When the right student comes together with the right teacher in the right place, then wonders can bloom. And I think we can all agree we’ve seen something wonderful and amazing today.”

Tariq gave a gleeful chuckle.

“I can’t wait to see the faces of the other teams when this is announced at the opening of the next Quest. They are going to shite themselves!”

“You’re going to announce it?” Sandy asked as we all shot concerned looks at each other.

“Of course!” Tariq crowed. Then he caught the looks we were giving. “Why? Is there a problem?”

“We want to win this tournament,” Sandy said firmly. Then she paused and emphasized it again. “We must win this tournament, and right now one of the bigger advantages we have is that everyone is underestimating our abilities. If Annabeth’s skills are announced to the entire tournament, then the other teams may take us seriously.

“Currently, the other teams think we are just a House team that lives in a hole in the ground with no abilities. We are a curiosity to them. Nothing more. If they started to take us seriously, then they might target our team and make winning that much harder.”

“Oh,” Tariq didn’t sound happy. I think he wanted to have this big moment of celebration for Annabeth, but also for him. After all, he got to say he discovered her. “I understand what you are saying, but it is mandatory to announce when a person of this ability is found. This is an important milestone for her, and I wouldn’t be doing her any justice not to broadcast her abilities.”

Sandy was getting ready to argue, but he held up a hand for her to let him finish.

“I don’t know if you know this or not, but this tournament is about more than just competing and winning prizes. It’s also for showcasing the abilities of the up and coming mages. The top mages will leave this tournament in a much better situation than when they entered. Either they will sign on with a new school or organization, or they will stay with their existing school and renegotiate for more favorable terms.

“This tournament is about moving up in the supernatural world, and the mandatory rule about announcing those with exceptional talent is in effect to protect the mages and make sure they get full value for their potential moving forward. I understand what you are saying about keeping a low profile. It’s a smart thing to do. But I’m required to report this and make sure the news gets out.”

“Annabeth, can you join us for a moment?” Tyler called. She came over, and Tariq brought her up to speed.

“I agree with Sandy,” Annabeth said firmly. “Our team is made up of only two people. We couldn’t handle being a target right now. Although…” She paused thoughtfully. “Can you delay making the announcement?”

Tariq started to shake his head, so Annabeth hurried to explain. “After all, we are going to be a target at some point. Maybe not the next round, but if we complete the round after that, people are going to be talking. That would be the ideal time to announce the news. The teams that’ll want to target us would already have us in their sights. However, when the others hear we have a prodigy on our team, they may just stay away. At that point, the news could actually work in our favor.”

Tariq bit his lip in thought, and then gave a shallow bow.

“Let me speak to some of the others and see if that is possible,” he said and went over to talk to the other trainers.

“It will be good to get all this worked out before he sees what you can do, Jason.” Tyler chuckled. “Having two first years perform well is going to blow his mind.”

My crew nodded enthusiastically, but I was starting to feel nervous. Annabeth had done so well, and she’d set the bar really high. Could I come even close to that?

I had faith in my creations—Tea had done an amazing job putting me back together, and my Spikes had already proven themselves—but I’d just come out of a horrific experience with Karl in the cave. His stolen, acidic magic had melted my feet and my back off. Red and the Hex Network had given it all they had to protect me, but the magic had just been too powerful.

I’d recovered enough to do a tiny bit of training at the beach, but I didn’t feel like I was anywhere near full strength yet. I’d been winging it, and so far it had worked out. Logically, I knew I was whole and healthy again, but emotionally, I still felt damaged.

“Are you sure I should be taking this evaluation?” I asked. “I don’t mind waiting until later. It might be better if I took it next year.”

“You’re going to do fine,” Tyler said as he put his arm around me. “It’s okay to feel nervous before something like this. You’ve trained hard and learned a lot. This is a wonderful opportunity to see your levels and get a definitive idea of how you’re doing.”

Tyler was being supportive, and his arm around me felt wonderful, but suddenly, I was sure I didn’t want to do this. I just wanted to get out of there.

My body language must have shown what I was feeling, as Annabeth spoke up.

“Jason, this is more than just a nice opportunity. You need this.” She took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’ve been through a lot, and you’ve grown a lot because of it. But I don’t think you’ve settled into your new abilities yet. I don’t think you’re comfortable in your own skin.”

Annabeth had hit the nail on the head. I wasn’t comfortable with what I could do. Mentally, I was still wrapped up in bandages sitting in a wheelchair.

“I’m pretty sure you haven’t noticed this yet, but when you pay attention to how you’re fighting, you actually slow down.”

Really?

“When you were fighting the rats, you were paying attention to the fight, and your speed was what I normally expect from you. When you were fighting the giant orcs, you were just reacting, and you were moving noticeably quicker.”

I thought back to the two events. It seemed like I was moving the same to me.

Sandy spoke up next. “I’ve been injured before, Jason, and it can take a long while to fully recover. Unfortunately, we don’t have the weeks you need to train and get back to your normal self again. We only have one day. This is the perfect opportunity to test yourself. I don’t care what level you get. That is just a number. But what you can do is really push yourself in a safe environment and see what you can do now. The dummy might give you a few bruises, but it won’t hurt you. You can’t hurt it either, so you can go all out—physically, mentally, and emotionally.”

She had a good point. This was a relatively safe environment.

“If you do that,” Tyler picked up the conversation again, “I think you will not only feel more confident, you’ll also have a lot more fun with this tournament.”

They all beamed at me with a mixture of support and concern.

“You guys are sounding like this is an intervention,” I said. I was joking in a way, but I was serious too. “Have you all talked about this?”

“It wasn’t like we got together and had a big meeting,” Tyler laughed. “It’s more like we discovered we all had the same concern. This tournament got pushed on you before you truly recovered. We are just looking out for you and trying to support you the best way we know how. And right now, that looks like using this PiCuBB evaluation to just relax and let loose. You can give it all you’ve got, and when you’re done, you’ll feel more confident. You’ll feel more like you’ve really recovered.”

I took a deep breath and let some of the nervousness flow out of me. They were right. I was still recovering. Testing myself in the PiCuBB evaluation could help, so I might as well give it a try.

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s do it.”

“Yeah!” Annabeth cheered and gave me her trademark happy hug. Sandy and John looked like they were going to chime in too, when Tariq came back and interrupted us.

“I’ve talked with the other trainers, and we have agreed. We will hold off making any sort of announcement for two more rounds of the tournament.”

“Yeah!” Annabeth cheered again, and Tariq got a trademark happy hug of his own. She got a gruff pat on the back in return, but he looked down on her fondly. It’s hard not to love Annabeth and all her sunshine, so I knew she’d have Tariq wrapped around her finger before the day was through.

“Just a reminder,” Tyler interjected, “Jason is also ready to be evaluated today.”

“Of course,” Tariq replied. “Let me finish up with Annabeth, and then we can get to it.”

“Take your time,” I said. “I need a moment to get ready. I want to incorporate one of Annabeth’s tweaks into my own style.”

Tariq bowed and then started talking to Annabeth. Sandy and John stayed with them as I wandered off with Tyler to find a quiet spot.

“Are you okay?” Tyler asked.

“Yes, I’m good,” I replied. “It just feels like life is coming at me really fast right now.”

“It feels that way because it”s true,” Tyler chuckled. Then he gathered me in his arms and held me for a long moment. He didn’t say anything more because he didn’t need to—his embrace said it all.

Tyler was here for me. Supporting me. Being strong for me. Listening to me.

He gave me the freedom to find my own way, and yet, he had my back. I was a lucky man.

I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his shoulder. I took a long moment just to be at peace. I breathed in his manly scent and rested in his strength.

We stayed that way for what seemed to be a long time, probably longer than we should have. But I was okay with that. Life can’t always be about battles or rushing from one crisis to the next. I was fighting for a reason. Having moments like this centered me and kept me going.

“I’m going to do some work in my Throne Room,” I said finally. “Hopefully, I shouldn’t be too long.”

“Just do what you need to do,” Tyler murmured in my ear. “I’ll be here for you.”

I nodded, centered myself, and then dove into my Throne Room.

”Everyone gather round,” I called. ”It’s meeting time.”

Eggy appeared in his silver soldier form, sporting plate armor and a longsword at his side. Penny appeared in full business attire, wearing a silver-blue zinc-colored pantsuit and high heels. Her copper hair was pulled back, and she was wearing a designer pair of glasses.

Eggy and I were so surprised we just stared at her. She shrugged like, “I’m a woman. I’ll wear whatever I want.”

Okay then.

Once I got over my surprise, I had to admit she looked fantastic. She looked like she’d be at home on the runways of Milan or in the boardroom of a billion-dollar company.

The Mark of the Lagerel showed up, looking like a tree of course, and the Mark of the Deep Earth appeared in its crystal geode form.

”Greetings everyone,” I said. Then I took a second look at the Deep Earth.

”Have you changed somehow? You seem bigger—more solid.”

It took a long time to answer. I was starting to get worried, when it finally spoke.

”I’m refining.”

I waited, but it didn’t say anything more.

”What are you refining?” I asked. Was this a new Deep Earth thing I didn’t know about? Was it eating ore somehow?

I figured out the answer just as the Deep Earth started sending me images. It had eaten the rat king’s core, and now it was slowly digesting it. My Deep Earth was having the equivalent of a food coma. It had eaten Christmas dinner, and now it wanted to sit in the recliner and fart while it took a nap.

”Oh my god!” I scolded it. ”You steal our core and now you want to sleep? Wake up! I need you.”

I got back images like it had a tummy ache. And I was talking too loud. My Mark hadn’t only overeaten, it was acting like it had a hangover too.

I thought about scolding it some more, but instead, I just sighed. It was a pretty awesome Mark, all things considered. I really didn’t want to be mad at it.

”Would you like some more of my magic?” I asked while I reached out and gently stroked one of its crystal spikes.

”No!” it replied vehemently, like I’d just suggested it eat greasy fried eggs on a queasy stomach. For a moment, I thought it was going to throw up, although I had no idea what that would look like.

”Would you like me to withdraw some of my magic?” I asked.

”No.” I got images that it needed my magic to slowly refine the stone magic of the rat king. Right now, there was an uneasy balance inside it. Eventually, it would be okay. But it didn’t want me to do anything. It was here to help however it could, but right now I shouldn’t expect much.

”Well that is a real shame,” I said, ”because you are the one I really need to talk to. I’m hoping everyone was watching, but if not, here is a summary of what just happened with Annabeth.”

I sent out images of Annabeth’s PiCuBB evaluation. The other three had been watching and knew what was going on.

”The part I want to work on right now is developing my own version of Annabeth’s Earth Boom. She figured out how to anchor herself to the Earth, and that stability significantly increased the power she could generate with her blows.

”I’ve done something like this twice before—once with Big Ugly and once with the Centaur Guard. Both times they were charging at me, and I pulled power from the Earth to anchor myself. The problem with this technique was that it really anchored me. It took me at least a minute to release the Earth so I could move again.

”That won’t work in a real fight. I need to anchor myself for a split second, and then instantly be able to dodge or move again. Mobility is a big part of my defense. I can’t lose that.”

I paused and waited for the Deep Earth to give me some feedback.

It didn’t.

”Annabeth talked to her Mark of the Deep Earth, and they figured out how to do it with sound. I’m more of a soul person, so I need to get this working for my way of doing things.”

I paused again, and we all looked at the Deep Earth. It said nothing.

”Do you have any ideas?” I asked. I sent it a feeling of persistence. I wasn’t leaving it alone until we figured this out. And we needed to figure it out quickly.

I waited.

”Connection,” it said finally.

”Connection?” I repeated. ”How does that help?”

I waited, and then suddenly, I received a burst of thoughts and ideas. Connection, for the Earth, was different than how I understood it. Connection was more than just being able to communicate with another being. Connection was knowing everything about yourself in relation to something else.

Connection was knowing if you were hotter or colder than the other being. Connection was knowing if you ranked higher or lower in the Earth. Connection was a complete comparison in every way with another being. Who was bigger? Who was denser? Who was under more pressure? Who shone brighter?

It wasn’t just with one other being. It was with everything. It was knowing your PLACE in the world. It was about knowing yourself, because you knew everything about those you connected with.

That’s why my Mark was so interested in other Earth items that were magical. The more it connected with new items, the more it learned about itself. And, in turn, the more those items learned about themselves by being connected with my Mark.

That’s why the apparitions had been so affected when the Deep Earth had touched the stones in their core. The Mark of the Deep Earth had given their core a powerful new reference to their PLACE in the world. They’d met an avatar of their origin deity and been forever changed by it.

That’s why my Bank Crystal was so powerful and I had a hundred percent affinity with it. That’s why Tock had been awakened in a whole new way.

I suddenly had a thought and turned to Penny and Eggy. They had been enhanced by the Mark of the Deep Earth as well. I’d just been so out of it at the time that I’d never noticed. They knew their PLACE in the world and were much stronger for it.

The concept was so strong, it took me to my knees. Humans just don’t connect like that. We are individuals. We all have our own feelings, emotions, and ways of relating to the world. One person’s sorrow or joy is not the same as another’s. We measure ourselves against each other, but not to this degree.

Sure, we’re pack animals, and we do best when we live together. But we aren’t Connected like the elements of the Earth.

I screamed, because I felt like my head was going to explode. The concept of discovering our PLACE in the world was a divine one. I felt all the connections the Mark of the Deep Earth had made, and all the connections it had automatically made from its association with the Deep Earth itself.

The Deep Earth was just too vast for me to comprehend, but behind it all, I could feel Mother Creation herself. Her PLACE was the source of all creation.

I Am That I Am.

And all life as we know it flowed from that statement of power.

The reality was just too much for my mind to handle, and I was about to start screaming again when the Mark of the Deep Earth shut it down.

Suddenly, the conduit to the reality of creation was gone. Only an echo remained.

I took deep breaths and hugged myself on the floor. The echo I could handle. It was just going to take a minute.

My mind gradually stuffed everything I’d seen and felt into a context I could manage, and I pulled myself together.

”This is my PLACE,” the Mark of the Lagerel said, and suddenly, my mind was flooded again. This time, the Mark limited it to just a small glimpse of what was possible.

Its understanding of PLACE was the same as the Deep Earth’s, but this time it focused on how it changed over time. The PLACE of a seed was vastly different from the PLACE of a full-grown tree. It also explained more about Connection, as the PLACE of a tree and the PLACE of the growth around the tree were tied together. As was the forest the tree resided in.

”Stop!” I commanded as the Mark of the Lagerel expanded its sphere of Connection and started including even more of the world. I wasn’t as blown away this time, as the Mark of the Lagerel had been much more careful, but I still took a minute to get myself back together. As my understanding grew into focus, I realized I was crying.

I missed being Connected.

It had been a moment of serenity like I hadn’t felt before. I’d been Connected! I hadn’t been alone. I’d truly been a part of creation. For just a moment, I’d found my PLACE.

Wait. That wasn’t entirely correct.

I’d borrowed the PLACE of my Mark. I’d had a glimpse behind the human veil. I’d seen what being an individual cost me. And what it gained me.

My PLACE was fluid. But because of that, I’d lost the anchor that other types of creation took for granted. As a human, I’d lost my automatic connection to the source—to Mother Creation.

The feeling was euphoric. It was pure bliss that flowed through me. I could feel joy radiating from my bones.

No wonder people devoted themselves to holiness. No wonder they meditated on mountains or sat in front of walls. No wonder they prayed and lifted themselves above their human station.

I huddled on the floor of my Throne Room and gasped and cried and prayed. I wasn’t sure who I prayed to, but it seemed appropriate somehow. The majesty of it all was overwhelming—made even more so by how unexpected it had been.

I’d only been looking for a way to punch harder. I hadn’t expected to have a divine revelation.

Still, I was here. It had happened. I had to process it.

I’d used the power of acceptance previously to handle the massive amount of pain life had brought me. This was the first time I used acceptance to handle a vision of nirvana. But I found it worked just as well for the good side as for the bad.

I accepted what I’d seen. I accepted what I’d felt. I accepted the concepts of PLACE and Connection.

For a moment, I had a handle on what I’d experienced, but then it overwhelmed me all over again.

The vastness of Connection flowed over me like waves as I accepted myself and found my center again and again.

As a human, I was resilient. My life had changed so much in the last few months, and I’d gotten better at rolling with the punches. I found my center faster and faster each time.

More importantly, my puzzle-solving side kicked in, and I processed more and more of what I’d seen and felt.

PLACE allowed me to operate from a position of strength for all the Connections around me, and I was starting to get an idea of just how powerful this could be. This was about more than just punching. This was how my life related to everything.

Now I knew what true Connection was, I would apply that to all the relationships in my life. I could Connect with everyone on a deeper level: Tyler, my Housemates, the House, even nature.

As I got a handle on the concept, I found I couldn’t wait to get started. The best part was, not only would I have a deeper understanding of the people and the world around me, I’d also gain a deeper understanding of myself.

I’d start to understand my PLACE.

‘Thank you for your help,’ I said to my bloated, slightly drunk Mark of the Deep Earth.

‘Apologies,’ it said, and I got the feeling that it was embarrassed about how much it had dumped on me.

‘I’m glad you are okay,’ it said, and this time I felt affection and relief. Affection for the little mage it was a part of and relief it hadn’t just blown my mind. The real Deep Earth wouldn’t have been happy about that.

It wanted to say more, but instead, it just faded away.

I turned to the Mark of the Lagerel next.

‘Try starting small,’ it suggested. ‘You are but a seed, so you only need seed Connections in your life. We are avatars of much greater powers, and you can’t begin at our level.’

‘Thank you,’ I replied sincerely. I felt feelings of affection and relief as it faded away too.

‘You are my Source,’ Penny said and gave me a warm hug. She knew we fleshy creatures liked that. ‘You and I are already Connected in the best way possible.’

‘You are my chosen Source,’ Eggy said and gave me a warm hug too. ‘We are always here for you.’

Both of them beamed at me, and I felt their regard in a way I never had before. These two were mine in a way my Marks could never be. They weren’t based on another power or some other being. They were based on me. My magic. My soul.

Both of them bowed to me and then went to sit in the lava pool and hang out for a while. That’s when I remembered Bermuda, and I looked around and saw him fast asleep in his massive cat bed.

He was stretched out and twisted up, as if he’d been doing a yoga pose and then had passed out like a narcoleptic. He looked so cute I couldn’t help but smile as I went over and curled up beside him. I kissed his head, and he opened his eyes briefly. I rubbed his belly and kissed him some more. That got me another sleepy look, a yawn, and a stretch. Then he rolled over like “Can’t you see I’m napping here? Go practice your Connection somewhere else.’

I just laughed and kissed him again. I guess we would Connect when he was good and ready.

I took a moment to look around my Throne Room. I had the wall of Nature with its tree and the stream representing the Lagerel. On the other side I had the wall of Rock with the stream of lava and the forge representing the Deep Earth. Worked into every part of the room were the runes of healing and force. The other walls had tapestries showing the pivotal moments in my life. The far wall had the shelves holding the vase of pearls. Overhead was my Spark of Creation.

It was a beautiful, amazing space that reflected who I was and who I was becoming. I wasn’t Connected to all of creation like my Marks, but I already had Connections. And those Connections had shaped this room. In a very real way, this was my PLACE.

I would add more Connections over time, but for now this was a wonderful start.

I breathed in my PLACE, my Throne Room, in a whole new way, and then returned to real life. I found myself curled up on the ground with very anxious faces peering down at me.

“Jason! Are you okay?” Tyler asked apprehensively. He was holding onto me like I’d been shaking.

“I’m fine,” I replied. “I was just having an unexpected divine revelation.”

“Say what?” Sandy asked worriedly, but John laughed.

“Jason, you never cease to amaze me,” he rumbled. “Only you would fall over and have a fit in the middle of Whet’s Edge and come away with an epiphany. I swear, you could shit in the middle of hell and it would come out ice water.”

We all looked at him like he was crazy.

“You know what I mean,” he chuckled. Then he reached down, grabbed my arm, and pulled me to my feet.

“I need an answer,” Tariq demanded. “Can he do his examination or not?”

I realized he was just outside of the circle of my Housemates, and I guess he’d been concerned if I could go on and do his tests. If I’d been shaking in real life like I’d been shaking in my Throne Room, then I could see why everyone had been concerned.

“Of course he can!” John boomed loudly as he clapped me on my shoulder. “He’ll be right over.”

Tariq peered at me suspiciously and then walked back towards the evaluation area.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” John asked quietly.

I shook my arms and kicked my legs. I wasn’t sore. Everything felt fine.

“Yeah,” I replied as confidently as I could. “Let’s do this.”