Jaded Series (Books 1-2)

Petal was so close to ascending that he could almost taste it. He pushed himself to the limits of his control as he moved upon the stage like he had become the wind itself. The wind gifted a form yet yearning for freedom once more. Nothing beyond him, the polished wood beneath his feet, and the air embracing him as they danced together existed.

His Wind Aspect had transfigured him with the [Featherstep] Passive, making him almost as light as the air he danced with. He never had to worry about falling, for it would never hurt him. Every little hop went further than a Mundane's would as he glided across the stage.

The silks he wore flowed around him like they were in control of themselves, a third partner in this graceful performance. The fact that he had the Silk Aspect was one of the reasons for this. The second reason was because the silks were a separate being as his Familiar. Like Pax's mask, Petal had his [Silken Sash] that didn't speak like Clover, but had a hint of personality and transfer of emotions.

Silas didn't like it when Petal had him become a simple belt around his waist, matching whatever courtly or professional costume he had to put on to make the people around them comfortable. No, he much preferred to stretch and flow in a beautiful display of grace and wonder. Just like Petal preferred.

When they took the stage together, the world and its worries melted away. They didn't need to think about keeping track of every lie they had uttered or which person they were holding secrets for. They didn't concern themselves with the tower points accumulating for each Sect or who was moving up or down the leaderboard. They didn't worry about the moves the Speakers were making or who the Fighters had found and punished for being a part of the rebellion he had reluctantly been called to help lead.

He hadn't joined the Pleasure Sect from a desire to lead it, or join the rebels, or even out of spite over his father's death. No, definitely not spite, but longing. A longing to remember and honor his father, Sundrop. A longing to feel what his father had spoken to him of when Sundrop was allowed to visit them. The feeling of losing himself in something he truly enjoyed. A desire to find a place where he could truly belong.

That place hadn't been the Pleasure Sect exactly; it had been the stage. The place where he could try different costumes and personalities until he discovered one that fit him and not what everyone else expected him to be.

A place where all he needed to do was exist, and the dance was what followed.

His [Courtly Diplomat] Aura Passive from his Grace Aspect helped wash the crowd free of their aggression and instilled a desire for cooperation. It also made allies more resistant to Taunt effects, though he didn't normally have to worry about that in the city.

Despite being a peak Sapphire Caster, Petal had never been in a fight during his entire eighteen years of life. Even as a child, he had always been the one to smile politely and reach a hand out to console others. His mother had believed he might become a healer someday due to his personality, but he had never really felt that kind of calling. Perhaps he was too selfish for it, but he cared more about running free than mending the injured. His smile and words of care were a shield, not a desire.

Sundrop had been an actor on the stage, a very talented one who became a popular favorite, and his mother had claimed him as her own. While Petal was fairly certain that his father had loved her, he wasn't so sure the feeling was mutual. At this point, he believed his mother had only wanted Sundrop for his status symbol, and when she got tired of him, Sundrop had been chosen as a Champion.

Petal knew his father had never been meant for the tower; he had been meant for the stage, just like Petal was. The stage that he danced upon now, and the stage he had lied upon weeks ago as he smiled for the Sense Stones, and the stage he walked upon every day he went out into the city and played his part for the watching world.

It was Sundrop who had first taken Petal to Wideway with its myriad stages all dedicated to entertaining the citizens in a variety of ways—from laughter to tears to emotions so complex that one had difficulty describing the feeling with a single word. Sometimes words felt too shallow to convey the depth one had been touched in their soul.

It was the first time Petal had come to this very stage he danced upon now when he saw another upon it. A woman who moved like lightning. Not flowing and smooth or swirling with the breeze like Petal was, she moved like her body couldn't decide which way it wanted to go, but that it needed to move all the same.

That was when he had realized he needed to dance too. That was when he decided that the Dance Aspect would be the first one he'd choose. His mother wasn't exactly thrilled with his choice, but she still allowed it when he turned eight and stayed with the Speakers.

He pushed that Aspect to its limits now as he danced upon the Silver Stage.

"Hush, my heart, follow my feet; peace in pulses and beauty in beats," Petal whispered into the wind created from his own movements, triggering his [Tranquil Steps] ability. Channeling his mana as he moved to the music his own steps were now creating. Each step against the stage added to the rhythm, each slice through the air a new sound to the melody. His dance became a symphony unto itself as his magic flowed through and around him.

He was so close.

As his mana and stamina reserves began to dwindle, he finally brought his dance to an end. He didn't want to end up passing out on the stage… again.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Far too many times had he pushed himself in the past, trying to reach that Emerald threshold, and suffering unconsciousness for entirely depleting his mana or stamina. While he rarely got a mana headache from using far too much mana at once, he almost had a harder time of it as his mana slowly trickled out until he fell to the floor completely tapped out.

Petal couldn't afford that this time, as the large audience of onlookers was here to see him dance and then do something he rarely did but actually enjoyed: a question-and-answer session. He usually charged extra for it to keep up appearances, but he also had handed out quite a few of tonight's tickets to people he thought were on the cusp of joining the underground rebellion. It was his main way of contributing to their efforts without completely revealing himself to be part of it.

When the music stopped and Petal's movements slowed to a halt, the roar of applause and whistles and shouts for more filled him with a sense of accomplishment for what he did, nervousness for what he was about to do, and a pang of longing to continue the dance.

One of the perks he greatly enjoyed for being Sapphire Caste was that even after exerting himself like that, he wasn't breathing heavily because he didn't need to breathe at all. So he calmly stood as a Servant quickly brought out a chair, placing it in the front center of the stage for him to sit in.

After adjusting his clothing and letting Silas the Sash flow around him like a magical breeze, he raised a hand to settle the crowd that was still cheering. The lighting from the enchanted spotlights lessens, and the glowstones that were dimmed above the audience are brightened once more, so Petal can look upon the faces that had vanished while he danced.

"Thank you, my friends," he addressed the crowd. "I am honored by your enthusiasm for my performance. I am also humbled that so many have joined me here tonight."

He shifted in his seat slightly, as if settling in for a long chat. "It has been an entire quarterhalf since the Season began, and I know many have been captivated by the more thrilling moments we have witnessed from outside the tower's walls. I also know that many of you are likely tired of watching the endless bloodshed, whether it be a monster's or Champion's blood that is spilt."

Silas brushed his soft silk against his cheek for a brief moment of shared solace, and Petal was grateful for the silent support. Looking out upon the audience that seemed willing to listen with a more open mind after being enraptured by his dance full of heartfelt authenticity, Petal allowed himself a deep breath and exhaled his fears and anxieties.

"Most of you are likely aware of my stance against the violence we are subjected to day after day, whether on the Illusion displays in our homes and every other building we enter, or the violence we witness first-hand from others in our lives. The Fighters' Order Coterie will often bring violence to our doorsteps in the name of safety and security. They are meant to keep order among the populace, but their tendency to escalate has long been a matter of contention between the Sects."

Petal paused for a moment, looking out upon the crowd that seemed to be a mixture of nods and fearful glances. He didn't reflect that fear at all as he continued speaking. "But it's not just those outbursts we might see as order is maintained, but the everyday violence we see overlooked as a normal part of living. The strike against a child's backside for their misbehavior. The kicks to a Servant who doesn't move fast enough. The push against a person who was in the way. The slap of a face that spoke in a way they didn't appreciate. The hands that grab when they were never asked to."

He let his words settle for a long moment as his gaze scanned over the faces, recognizing the ones he had personally invited. "We have become accustomed to violence. We've become so desensitized that we have started seeking out more of it. But my hope tonight is that we can start asking the simple yet difficult question of 'why?' Why do we watch the violence? Why do we celebrate it even as we fear it? Why do we allow it to continue? Why does violence seem to be the first response instead of a last resort?"

Gesturing to the crowd, he smiled and offered, "So with that in your minds now, I invite you to ask me your own questions. It doesn't need to be about that topic, but it might be somewhere to start."

About a dozen people stood, already primed with a question since they knew this would be an option tonight. Petal gestured to a young girl near the front, and she excitedly asked, "Is it true that Leader Alaina and you are courting, and if not, are you currently courting anyone?"

Petal wasn't the only one to chuckle from the brash comment that often came with popularity. He indulgently shook his head and replied, "While I will admit to meeting with Leader Alaina to fulfill her… nighttime desires, there is nothing serious between us. As the Leader of the Pleasure Sect, I have a responsibility that leaves little time for courting, so it's a 'no' to both of your questions."

He turned to gesture to another standing audience member, this one a man he had invited after overhearing him complain about the unfairness of the tower games. The Worker was gruff and seemed a bit out of place for the setting, but managed to ask his question, "You spoke about the violence we watch every day within the tower, but what about the fairness of it all? Do you really believe that each Sect has a fair chance of reaching the top and winning either the Season's Sect Blessing or the Champion's Wish when, as you pointed out, violence is what is celebrated and rewarded?"

Silence held the audience captive as Petal leaned back in his chair and contemplated his answer. The moment of pause allowed each person watching and listening to come to some kind of answer of their own while simultaneously wondering and assuming what his answer might be to such a dangerous question that could easily be seen as an attack against the very foundation of the tower's hold on their lives—and by extension the very deities that endorse it.

Petal smiled and instead of giving his own answer, he asked, "What is 'fair,' really? Can we say that everyone starting the competition with the exact same gear and choices was really fair, when things like Natural Talents or even having all your limbs or Mundane senses make the Champions themselves not the same?"

He gestured between himself and the Worker as he asked, "Can we honestly say that each Champion is equal in social power to each other when we've seen countless times how the Champions will make decisions and alliances based on what might happen within the Sects outside of it?"

Petal let the silence fall again before softly saying, "We will often say, 'All's fair when it comes to a fight,' as a way to justify what we see play out in the harsh environments our Champions are faced with; the choices of betraying someone or using status over skill to gain an advantage. Yet we will often forget that fairness was never there to begin with. No, it always comes down to a single choice. The choice of what to do when you have power over someone else. Fairness only matters when the person with the power believes it does."

"Do you think Queen Theris believes in fairness?" someone called out from the back. Petal tried to spot who might have asked and if he should bother answering such a loaded question when he had already risked enough by making people question things.

Leaning forward in his chair, as if imparting a secret to the crowd, Petal took the moment to scan the sea of faces before saying, "If Queen Theris believed in fairness, I don't think she would allow each Sect Leader, like myself, to choose whoever they wanted to become Champion. We wouldn't be allowed to choose people who never wanted to go in the first place. We wouldn't—"

Petal's words were cut off as a blade sank into his back and a shadow tackled him out of his seat onto the stage. The Silver Stage theater erupted into chaos as Petal struggled for his life.