Chapter 228: A Clash of Ideals
Sora Brontarion
After regrouping, I followed Voen through the treetops as he listened for familiar voices. We searched for the students who had escaped the monstrous centipede that was moving high above the forest floor.
Before long, we discovered a settlement of hanging huts, their walls and supports woven from the curving branches of the world trees. Only a Slytharion could have built something like this so quickly.
A couple of students who were scouting recognized us and led us to where everyone else was stationed.
When we walked in, the first person I noticed was Professor Thorne, who was looking even worse than before.
“Sora, glad you survived. Come, we’re beginning to form our next course of action,” my professor said, waving me over toward the rest of the surviving Arbiters.
I looked to Voen and asked him to find Nerena and Simon. He nodded and went on his way.
I walked over to the huddle of Arbiters, scanning the lot.
I saw Jossie, Scott, Malik, and Stravos.
“There should be three more Arbiters, right? Where are they?” I asked before taking a seat.
Professor Thorne adjusted her throat.
“They are in critical condition, and we lost half of the students to the behemoth.”
My throat tightened, and I could feel the static build in my hair.
“This is a nightmare; I can’t believe this has happened…” Jossie said, her voice rattling.
“We’ve lost the majority of our clusters. How are we going to function?” Scott said.
I looked to the Professor and Stravos. The professor showed no expression, but I felt an emotion I have never seen her express.
Uncertainty.
She was trying hard to mask her true feelings; I could only imagine the pressure she felt, especially after finding out that one of her coworkers had been taken out early on.
This was a hard time for all of us.
“We can’t sit back and dwell on what happened; we have to keep moving forward, so what is our plan, Professor Thorne?” Stravos said, his gaze intense and his posture nearly perfect as he projected in a strong tone.
In this moment, he was the only one who showed and felt confidence.
Professor Thorne paused.
“We have to defeat the rift guardian, or destroy the core of this rift.” The professor said matter-of-factly.
“Ok, and I think we have a lead on that,” Stravos said, waving his concordant Sigmond over to the group.
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“Sigmond, tell the professor what you told me.”
“Well, Professor, I found that there are two very large sources of cosmic energy here in the rift. One is constantly on the move, and the other only moves seldom.” Sigmond said, his gaze darting back and forth from Stravos and Professor Thorne.
Professor Thorne’s eyebrow raised.
“Is there more?”
“Well, based on what we learned in class, the largest signatures inside a rift are generally the guardian and the core. And… that giant centipede that just terrorized us all has one of the largest signatures in this entire rift.”
“So, are you saying that thing is the Rift Guardian? We can’t beat that thing!” Jossie said, her voice turning hysterical.
I shot a spark to calm her down.
We can’t afford a starbound to be in that state around us now.
“Correct it is,” Sigmond said.
“But as far as the other larger source, I can feel it, but sometimes it just fades out and disappears”
As Sigmond finished, Voen, Nerena, and Simon walked up behind me.
It was good to lay eyes on both of them. I needed them; they were going to be the people I depended on most if we were going to make it out of here.
“Well, I’ll offer to lead a cluster to go find and destroy the core,” said Stravos.
“And I also think a smaller team would be better for maneuvers and traveling purposes.”
“What qualifies you more than anyone else here, including the professor? Malik asked, staring at Stravos.
“All of my cluster members are here… Alive at that, too. I also lead a larger group of students to the central pyramid. And besides, I'm the strongest.”
“You just happened to get lucky, and you are not stronger than the professor!” Malik said.
Stravos crossed his arms and leaned back against a branch.
“Professor, please explain to your student what the hierarchy is around here.”
The professor looked down and grimaced, revealing all that we needed to know.
“I don’t think we should split up. The more numbers we have, the better when traversing this jungle, and I think I should lead the group.” I said, standing up.
“There is no way you are leading this group. Why would we put our lives in the hands of someone whose cluster was in the bottom five rankings at the academy? And not even the best in her own cluster? Where are those two anyway, Cyrus and Jace?”
I felt my teeth grind at the question.
“Jace never made it in, and Cyrus, we lost when the first asterism hit, and haven’t been able to track him down since,” I said, standing my ground.
Stravos began to laugh hysterically, to the point that it suddenly shifted toward anger.
“You couldn’t even get your full team into the exam, and you’re lecturing us? That’s rich. Don’t ever suggest something like that again. Not while I’m around.” Stravos said, surging with cosmic energy.
He stepped towards me, his foot crushing the wood beneath him.
“But what did I expect from the granddaughter of a heretic”
“Stravos, stand down!” Professor interjected.
“This is not the time for childish antics. We have to work together, but I also do agree with both of you.
Stravos is the better leader and the more capable Starbound at this point. I’ll stay here and protect the students. I need more time to recover. I’m on the verge of cosmic energy backlash.”
Her words hit harder than I wanted them to.
They dragged up every voice from my childhood telling me I wasn’t good enough. Not as strong. Not as capable. Always one step behind someone else. A familiar fire began burning in my chest. I wanted to prove her wrong. Prove all of them wrong.
But I couldn’t.
She was right.
I hated that more than anything.
I understood why she wanted Stravos to lead. I even knew he was the better choice right now. But knowing that didn’t make it any easier to swallow.
Especially when accepting her decision meant following a man I despised.