Chapter Four

Before she had all her observational skills Harmony might have mistaken him for laughing at her. Enough youthful faces looked suitably impressed, shocked, and shaken. "What's so funny?" She asked Brix.

"I think you've impressed them enough. Outside of here, I'm well-known in most circles. Those kids haven't even seen my [Breakout Burst] skill against them or that [Fate Fire] one. And stopping my blow with your palm." Brix let out a short whistle. "I have a dragon body. The garden usually gives out a field body, or forest body, to those who complete that task, could you have the jungle body? I advanced some from this exchange. It was almost like I was in real danger."

None of those bodies, but Harmony didn't feel light enlightening the man. And he was in real danger. "A maid does try to be of service. So, why have some Ascendant Games competitors gathered at this dungeon club? Other than poking the locals."

"Mingling?" Brix answered.

One of the younglings in the group wearing brown and black snorted at that.

The three groups in different uniforms stood with plenty of space between them. The look she returned told Brix she wasn't buying that.

"We're negotiating. There are only nine spots between us. Not everyone got five like you did." Brix clarified.

An older woman, Harmony assumed was leading the brown and black group answered, "It's hard to decide who we want to go let alone if we want to give up a spot. The lack of information from your guild master is infuriating. Progress had stalled and Brix allowed his fools to accept some of the challenges coming his way from locals."

"We were hoping the atmosphere here would give us hints on what to do. But you're the challenger who sparked this expansion. What do you think the dungeon wants for the titles?" Brix asked.

They were as blind as she was. Worse since they'd never met Haz'el Ri. If she had the experience and skills she had now when she met the dungeon spirit, she might have been able to get a hint. [Recall] didn't allow you to see things that weren't there, and even when you reviewed what you were feeling it was like it was happening to you. It was only when it was rampaging in her stressed system that it hallucinated possibilities. She could almost make separation using [Recall], [Analyze], and [Keen Investigative Awareness] to give herself extra depth on past situations. But that depth was pure application of hindsight.

"Curiosity and entertainment. Watching teamwork, functional and dysfunctional."

"Wouldn't that give your larger team an advantage? Having any preexisting relationship would." Brix pressed.

"No." Harmony didn't elaborate. Her former team's flaws were theirs to deal with. Climbing the tower alone hadn't helped her develop into a team player.

"Things will be tough throwing a bunch of strangers together. I want to know how lethal these Games will be? We don't need another Bloodsport. I don't care how good the title is if only the winner leaves alive. " The leader of the darker-dressed group asked.

Poor Duke Darren. "Stupidity will be lethal." Harmony guessed.

The woman huffed. "Okay, Kenny, you're out."

"What?!" Yelled Kenny.

"Eric, you have his spot."

"Excellent," Eric said.

"Kenny, your mom would have my head if you perished. Do you know how often I get reports on how Kenny almost died? There were the rats, then the time when you got impaled by the flagpole and I can't forget the trip to the volcano. If you join the Ascendant Games and accidentally get in the way of Lady White here punching some cursed monster it will be fatal. I'm not going to have your mom screaming at me about how I let her baby perish right before university."

Children, and dealing with their mothers. Bloody ashes, Kelly White, her own mother was bad enough. How could she make this relaxing? Never mind, nine of these, ahem, young adults would be with her in the Ascendant Games. It was time to forge a better relationship than she'd managed with Rosaline, Tyler, and the rest. [Recall], [Poise and Bearing, and [Keen Investigative Awareness] swirled together. There might not be access to the kind of social lubrication skills Ma Bell, but there was plenty she learned from her time at the table to put into action.

"How about the candidates talk to me and we can see if they want to work with me if the Ascendant Games turns into something cooperative? Maybe build some friendships even if we get placed at odds?"

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Nick placed Hyacinth back on Harmony's shoulder. "Greeep!" He chirped. Quite adorable if you didn't know he was telling Harmony, friend or no friend, that if someone threatened her they'd be lunch.

"These kinds of events are good for building connections. Let's actually mingle." Brix turned to his group. "I hope none of you have any objections to working with one of the forbidden fifteen."

Everywhere and always that would hound her, necromancer and its burdens. The groups didn't mingle much, but Harmony was allowed to visit each group. Entering the games with mostly strangers was a frightening process for anyone. When not invisible, putting people at ease was another maid-centered task.

"What is your favorite skill? Harmony asked.

"Well, what's your favorite skill?" Billups, the boy who joked about embarrassing locals, lashed back."

Harmony petted Hycinth on her shoulder. "[Familiar Bond] It's easy to say I wouldn't be where I am now without this guy."

"Isn't he supposed to be bigger?" Owlsley, the girl who'd recognized her asked. This one had done some research.

Black haze covered Hyacinth, taking longer than usual and when he finished he doubled in size. Not enough to be intimidating. "Gurrp." He croaked

"My first choice upon evolving was to choose a skill to help him."

"There are scrolls for that." Billups criticized.

"You know those are nearly impossible to get full efficacy out of." Owlsley snipped back and reached up to pet the toad who preened from the attention. "I wish I had gotten the option for a guide with my first choice."

It took some effort to get them comfortable. They seemed to think she was holding back her most deadly and dangerous skills, despite Hyacinth being both of those. Harmony talked of [Cold Touch] to throw them another bone. Owlsley had a pet giant sloth. Billups revealed he liked his skill allowing him to phase through objects.

The group wearing brown were Calestians and they were least comfortable with her presence, or too comfortable. Eric wouldn't look Harmony in the eyes, which might not have been so bad if he looked anyplace other than her chest. Sheila, who was managing them, had to pull the boy away.

"I've never raised any dead, nor do I have a skill related to that. There is no army of loyal brainless minions at my disposal."

"What about the prince?" Wendy asked.

"The Charter cleared him completely. He should be back tomorrow night. I'll be sure to introduce you during the games."

Wendy had a mix of fear and curiosity at that.

Leaving the odd repression of the Calestian kingdom's group, the final group was a Republic. They had nobles and authority, but those were more celebrities and they actually voted on their leadership. "Is that a ghost clinging to your shoulder?" Harmony asked Bronwyn. Her profession was an undertaker. This group preferred to ignore their classes and introduced themselves solely by their professions. [Keen Investigative Awareness] hinted the choice was more cultural than based on any desire for secrecy.

Not having a physical form, the ghost was invisible like geists could be, but there was a laciness to its container like it was built of folds of fabric rather than the more solid framework Len's Hazgul had.

"That's Ali, my bonded." The ghost whispered into Bronwyn's ear, soundless but Harmony could sense the communication happening between the connection the two had. "They're kind of afraid of you."

"Smart spirit. But if they get hurt I can heal them." It shouldn't be too hard. It was disappointing to leave the Deadwoods under pressure with all the opportunities to explore the odd undead entities there.

It took real effort to introduce Bronwyn to Owlsley as they had complementary personalities, and slowly break up the camps the groups had. Harmony pulled Brix, Shiela, and Anton, the leaders of the groups to the other side of the room, and only then did the kids relax and start to chat freely.

"What do you think?" Brix asked

Harmony listed the names of the competitors she thought would fit best.

"Kenny, really?" Sheila asked.

"Death wish aside, you saw what Eric was doing. He even was moving slowly closer before you pulled him away. In the games, you won't be around to police him and if something happens to me or any other girl I will kill him."

Brix waved his hand dismissively. "Your opinions align with mine. We don't know much, but with these games lasting days or weeks those who are more social or can at least fake it extensively will probably be the strongest choices."

Anton subtly nodded. "I don't think anyone will sell their spot in these games. Lady White's suggestions allow us to bypass the political selections and weaker options. Who could blame us for listening to the person Haz'el Ri chose to open the games?"

Sheila snorted. "Plenty, but excuses are worth their weight in skill stones."

They used her. Not maliciously. She couldn't deny the value she got from it. [Recall] focused on the subtle nudges made to encourage social interaction, and this outcome. "As long as you remember the value I brought if we ever cross paths again in the future," Harmony added authority to her voice. When would that be? Next year's Ascendant Games where she wouldn't be participating? " It's been a pleasure."

Harmony excused herself and slid over one door to the library to finish her evening away from the problems of home inside the pages of books.

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