The Power of Ten, Book Three : The Human Race

“He’s Heavenbound Primary. He works for the Good Guys. Everything he does as a Pactbound has to be in accordance with, and not against the dictates, of his Heavenbound Pact. So, everything he’s doing for Baltimore has to fit as something he might do as a Heavenbound... it’s just normally Heavenbound don’t do such minor stuff, or fight against such banal Evils like Greed and Sloth.

“I imagine he can also tell that the three of you don’t have particularly high aspirations for your stations.” They all flushed. “Be honest, I’m not judging you... what do you personally want to do and become, now that you are Citybound?”

They looked at one another, a little cautious, but I didn’t radiate Menace like Master Fred did, even if they could feel something off about me, and connections to something dark. In its own way, being Shroudborn meant I was easier to relate to than someone as unrealistic as him.

“We wanna rule the streets!” Julio puffed up, and all three of them nodded in agreement.

They were reassured when I didn’t mock them. “You want to be crime lords, with money and power?” I rephrased for them, and they nodded eagerly. “Well, to a degree, you’ve got a good Pact for that. The City understands there’s going to be inefficiencies among its people, and what it wants is to be healthy, not saintly. If you can get control of the city’s crime scene, keep it under control and working for the better of the city, it will back you to that position without a doubt.

“However, if you want to do things like run drugs into the city, increase corruption in the government, set up protection schemes, expand gambling, rob people blatantly, and do all that without plowing that money back into the city... you’re going to have a problem, because you’re going to be hunting down the kind of people that do just that.

“In short, Baltimore doesn’t care much about what humans call illegal... as long as it profits from it.”

They all kind of looked at me, thinking that over, and I let them do so as I opened up the blank-paged book, basically a casual sketch or writing book. As they watched, I touched the pages, and writing drew itself into existence across the pages.

“You’re Citybound Warlocks to a major city, if not a Great Metropolis. That means that within the bounds of the city’s power, it can empower you to up to Four Tiers. Outside of the city, without the agreement of whatever the native Power is there, it gives you nothing.

“So, the first thing you need to do is know the limits of your power. That your van?” I pointed, and all three of them nodded. “Okay, we’re going for a drive, and it’s probably going to take most of the night.

“First thing to ask... have you been through Renewal yet?”

They looked at one another, shook their heads. “Don’t think so, Miss Trav,” Damian answered. “Isn’t that supposed to be at dawn, or something?”

“That’s the natural one for Citybound, because the city comes to life around dawn,” I agreed. “First characteristic of a Primary Citybound... you don’t need to eat or drink while you’re in the city.” They all blinked in surprise. “How long has it been since you ate? Feeling hungry? Thirsty? Probably haven’t had to take a whizz either, right?” They shook their heads in surprise. “That’s the big benefit of a Citybound. You can survive on smog and gas fumes. As you advance your Tier, you’ll also become immune to extremes of natural weather while in the city. The City IS your shelter, your diner, and your bedroom. Rain won’t fall on you, wind will go right on by, snow won’t obstruct you.

“At Tier Three, you’ll be fully Sustained while in the city, and you’ll only need a couple hours of sleep a night... which you can get anywhere in comfort. Middle of a parking lot, junk yard, slumped against a wall, in the grass of a park... it’ll all be like a soft bed to you.

“The city is your home, and it’s a big home.”

“Wow,” Julio muttered, and the other two agreed.

“Let’s go for a drive. Head right on down to the harbor. While you do that, I want you to circulate your Wrath in your head; move the energy from your heart and just spin it through your head lightly.”

I watched the hitch in their step as they did so, and all of them looked down at the same moment.

“Yes, the city knows you by your feet, and everyone else, too. It only knows what you look like because it can tap into cameras and stuff. Stuff that is flying around is mostly invisible to the city... but anything walking anywhere inside it, the city is totally aware of.”

I was still making pages and swiping words across them as I got into the van, taking the seat close to the door in the back so I could talk forwards with them. They all got in, and kind of sat there for a moment.

“So, tell the city you want to go down to the harbor,” I prodded them.

“We gotta get down to the harbor, Baltimore?” Chulvat spoke up for them, and they all jerked and looked sideways at the same time.

“Citybound cannot get lost in the city. You will know exactly where you are in the city at all times, in relation to the places you actually know.

“The places you know personally are what we call a lived-line. You can tell which way you need to go to get to the harbor quick, right? Don’t need the GDS?” All three of them nodded. “Let’s get moving, then.”

I swiped pages and filled them with magic-made ink as their rusty van pulled out of the condominium lot, and let them drive in silence. I watched them barely slowing at corners, if at all, and they ran two red lights without batting an eye before making it onto the main road downtown... moving along significantly above the speed limit very smoothly, indeed.

“You have supernatural awareness of traffic inside the city.” They all blinked, and kind of woke up from their trance. “Traffic cameras and radar guns will ignore you. Drivers will make way for you without thinking about it... and if you spend Wrath and pump it into your car, you won’t even burn any gas while tooling around like this.”

“Whoa!” all three blurted out together.

“The city is your home. It knows you, and you know it,” I repeated for them. “Now, look out the windows. Name every building you see... to yourself, please.”

They all craned for a view, kinda not paying attention to the driving, because they didn’t need to. The mumbles as they named every building, and had a general idea of what kind of business went on in it, went on continuously as we drove downtown.

“How much you learn when you look at stuff is based on you... specifically, your Ranks in Local Lore.” I flicked up a Holo of a list of Skills up by the windshield for them to look at. “These are the essential Skills of a Citybound.”

Local Lore, History, Profession (Mechanic, Electrician, Construction), Driver (Automobiles, Construction Equipment), Perception, Stealth, Diplomacy, Intimidation, Insight, Open Locks, Disable Device.

“Let me go over the significance of these with you in your jobs.” A little dazed, they just nodded.

“Local Lore is what you’re using now. It means you know the streets... as they are right now. As you invest more and more into the Skill, you get ever more attuned to the city. You’ll know who lives in a home, and how big the family is; how many people work in a building; what companies have offices there, and who the bosses are there; and you’ll be able to tell who people are at a glance, and where they work or live in the city, and what they do for a living here.

“History... means you know what the city was before. You’ll know who the important people of the city used to be, how long people have lived here, who built what and where, how the city evolved over time just looking at it, and you’ll learn a lot of hidden truths that have been lost to the past just by walking around the place. You’ll end up being the biggest sages and tour guides of Baltimore, because you’ll know her, and what she used to be... and that will give you a pretty good idea of where she wants to go.”

“Damn,” Chulvat muttered. “So, like, we’ll know where all the bodies are buried?”

“If they are buried in the city... damn right you will.” They all glanced at one another, both excited and unnerved. “These are the two Skills that mean you are listening to the city, and can understand what it wants from you. So, you’re going to need to invest everything you can in them, at all times.”

“Does Master Fred have these Skills?” Damian had to ask carefully.

“He does, but the awareness and information comes and goes, depending on the city he is in. He’ll know stuff while he is here, and forget it when he moves on. His Citypact is quarternary... he supports and helps them as an extension of his Heavenbound Pact. He’s not like you, who are Children of Baltimore. She picked you... she’s just taking advantage of him.”

The thought of actually being picked by the city was now starting to sink into them. They were starting to understand that they were bound to something real and big and powerful... and she was expecting things out of them.

“You are going to need to pick up the Profession Skills because the city is going to want you to fix random stuff here and there. They may seem like little things to you, but to the city, they are pins in the side, itches on the skin, bleeding sores on the skin, painful warts, and pulls in the muscle. It wants them gone, and it’ll be up to you to fix it.

“The easiest way to do that is to do it yourself, of course. But sometimes you’ll have to call the city services, work with people, maybe pay them to get a job done right. Your job is to fix things, and figure out the best way to do so.

“You’re the city’s ultimate fix-it crew. You gotta know how to fix things.”

They all nodded along, heads spinning.

“You have to learn to drive, and drive well. The city will make it easy for you to get around, but a car is a weapon, and a bulldozer is a fix-it or smash-it tool. You need to be a street racer, AND able to use a crane.”

“Damn. Never thought there’d be these kinds of things,” Julio muttered.

“Warlocks have Pacts. Pacts are power, power meant to be used,” I said calmly. “Master Fred always has stuff to do. He’s got power, and he’s got pull, based on what I’ve seen... but he always has something to do. Every single Warlock alive is basically the same.

“But doing those things is going to generate you Karma, and that Karma is going to make you strong. It’s not all about fighting and busting heads at all. You help the city get stronger, and you’re going to get stronger.

“But you gotta be aware of something right now, and you should already have a feel for it, based on what you’ve experienced.” I noted the drive near the harbor was coming up. “Stop up near the harbor. We’re going to get out there.”

The van pulled up quietly along the side of the road there, and we all got out. This late at night, there was almost no traffic, and only the parking lights and a few signs held off the gloom of the Haze overhead.

I pointed out over the water. “Julio, tell me what you feel when you look out there.”

He blinked at the waves out there. “Uh... the city isn’t there?” he responded, somewhat lamely.

“Precisely. You have no power out there.” They all shifted as they watched out over the slow undulations of the waters. “Chulvat? What about you?”

“It’s dark, and deep...” he replied slowly.

“Yes. It’s an extension of the Atlantic, although it has a spirit of its own. At some future point, you may want to talk to it, and broker some talks with the City with it, you know?”

“Whoa...” he muttered back, thinking about that.

“Damian?”

“Danger,” he responded instantly. “There’s something out there dangerous to the city.”

“Yes. You’ve lived here, you know there’s shit out there that wants to destroy the city and its people. It’s not OF the harbor, but it’s IN the harbor.” I leaned on the guardrail. “The city knows they are out there, too, just like you...”