Helva Fullborn swept through the main lobby of Hallowed Halls, fury etched on her face. Her boots echoed loudly in the marbled, cavernous space; as she passed through, the various grunts and lessers of the Guild bowed. She ignored them all, carving a straight line to the [Teleport Stone] floating at the back of the lobby.

How dare they, she snarled in her head, replaying the events of the last hour in her head. Over and over again, until she had half a mind to go back and let those sneering politicians know how she really felt.

“He’s in a meeting right now,” started Mika, rising from her seat. The portly receptionist had some gumption for daring to speak to her when Helva was in this mood. But she was only an Adept, indicated by the metallic three-bars clipped to her prim dress, and thus not worthy of even a retort.

Helva ignored her, pushing her way behind the reception area and pulling out the [Full Access Key] from her [Binder]. The metallic disc converted from the card, and she set it to the correct floor before touching the Stone.

In a flash of light, she teleported up to the waiting room directly outside of Argos’ office. Only those who had the correct key could come up here, and as such the small room was empty.

She barged over and slammed the door open.

Argos’ office was as austere as he was: it was basically just four walls, a floor, a ceiling, and a desk. However, those with a discerning eye could see that the desk alone—fashioned from the stone of an [Harmony Giant]—was worth more than entire neighborhoods. Carved into the back wall behind his desk was the symbol of Order: two gray inter-locking circles.

The Guildmaster raised an eye at her from behind his desk, as his guest spun around in their chair. Helva had known Argos from when he was young and skinny to now old and fat; regardless, the man’s face remained the same. Dour and utterly emotionless. That raised eyebrow spoke to his utter displeasure at what she’d just done.

Helva, of course, didn’t care.

“Out,” she barked to the sputtering bureaucrat who had the misfortune of booking his appointment now.

“How dare you?” said the greasy, portly fool. “Do you know who I am?” The man stood up, painfully short; Helva pitied short men. Likely because her father had been one, but still.

Judging by the intricate five-pronged pin affixed to his ridiculous red suit, the man was some high-ranking official in the Party of Fire, the equivalent of a Master-rank politician. The Party of Fire was the current leading party in the Continental Assembly, and so he held not a little bit of influence.

Unfortunately, the two-bar under that pin told Helva he was only an Apprentice cardbearer, and so she deemed him not worthy of respect.

“Guildmaster Argos,” the politician was raving, “I must insist you—”

Helva summoned her decks, cutting him off. Her [Main Deck] cards formed as two bands of ten cards arcing around each arm like helixes; her sleeves were one of one, hand-crafted for her by Gardiner herself. The prismatic, glistening aquamarine sleeves were fashioned from the skin of a [Elder Whale], slain by Helva personally. Each one was emblazoned with a stylized symbol of Water and Fire, a water drop that steamed cinders.

All five cards of her [Burst Deck] formed directly in front of her with the same sleeves.

She watched as the politician’s eyes dropped to her [Burst Deck]. She could see his little conniving brain count each card, one after the other, until his face paled and he looked up closer at her face.

She cocked her head at him, eyes narrowed.

Without another word, he left, slamming the door behind him. Rolling her eyes at the dramatics, she dismissed her deck and sat down in the now vacant chair.

“You know,” Argos noted, “behavior like that is why you have difficulty getting things done around here.”

“Bah!” Helva raised a dismissive hand. “What can he do? No, what can he do that the other worms of his kind haven’t already done?”

Argos rubbed his eyes with two, disappointed fingers. She scowled at him but felt a little stab of regret. The Guildmaster was a five-bar, meaning he had reached Master-rank before giving up the field and retiring to his world of papers and meetings. Being Master afforded him at least some measure of respect.

“How may I help you, Helva?” Argos said politely, leaning back in his chair.

Helva exploded. “They won’t let me clear anything anymore, Argos!” She pushed herself off the seat, needing to pace. “It’s ridiculous. They said there are new laws in place following the, the—” She snapped her fingers, searching for the ridiculous word they’d dubbed that glorious System message that had appeared a week ago.

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“Apotheosis,” Argos supplied helpfully.

“Yes! That! Following the Apotheosis, the suits are saying that I can’t clear any of the Terrors. All three!”

“Well, what was their reasoning?”

“They want to study them in their active state, figure out exactly what’s happening.” She snorted in derision. “As if their tiny minds could ever comprehend such a thing.”

Argos spread his hands. “People want to uncover the unknown, Helva. It is a very human thing to do. Especially with the Continent in such a state of utter disarray. Studying the things, old and new, gives them some semblance of control. Besides, you are already Transcendent. You know the laws favor the lower ranks to help them advance.”

She frowned, ignoring all that. “Wait. Why were you meeting with that rat, anyway? He’s from Fire, is he not?”

“Helva. You of all people should not be shocked at inter-elemental relationships.”

He got her there.

“He—Assemblyman Petros—was here to discuss some business,” Argos continued. “Business which you likely have now prematurely concluded with your rudeness.”

“What business?” Helva said eagerly, stepping forward to the desk. “About the Expedition?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.” Argos gave her his trademark dour look. “But you know I’m not allowed to speak about that yet.”

Helva scowled, slumping back down in the seat and crossing her arms. “You Guildmasters and your tricks. Why can’t you just keep us in the loop?”

“Because Transcendents like you have a tendency to do what you want,” Argos said, gesturing to the door where Petros had just left from. “Case in point.”

He got her there again. Damn. She’d thought reaching the peak of strength meant freedom, having the ability to do what she wanted, when she wanted. It had turned out to be the exact opposite; more rules, more regulations, more nonsense.

She shook her head. “Stop distracting me. Pull your strings, bribe some officials, I don’t care what you do. I need to run some clears.”

Argos leaned forward, a sudden glimmer in his eyes. “And why’s that, Helva?”

She paused. How could she explain to him the voice she heard when she cleared [Roaring Falls] three days ago? That wonderful, awful voice, thundering about Corruption, blessings, and Divinity? How could she explain the new Perk she received, which allowed her to sense the location and status of other Transcendents?

She trusted Argos ever since he pulled her out of the burning wreckage of her old home. She’d been just a girl then; now she was a woman grown, a Transcendent of Water, one of the strongest living beings on the planet.

She trusted him with her life. But not with her secrets.

“Just cause,” she finally muttered, not meeting him in the eyes.

He continued to stare at her, and she felt herself reverting back to a little girl with every passing moment, years shaving off her, until she was that same little Helvie who’d gotten in trouble for fighting the street dogs again.

Thankfully, Argos relented with a sigh. “I’ll do what I can. I may be able to get you a one-time clearance pass. By the way, Duke Mills’s wanted to request your attendance at—”

Helva didn’t hear the rest of it. A familiar sense tingled in her, and on instinct she tugged on it.

{The Torrential Drop’s Blessing} has activated.

The room faded. In the blink of an eye, she was no longer in Argos’ spartan room, but in some underground chamber. She stood up, summoning her deck and scanning her surroundings. The vision—or whatever this was—was blurry, as if she was looking through water, not air.

She saw a short young man in a ridiculous outfit standing in front of some crystal. The sight was familiar; was this not the boss room of [Withering Roots]?

She walked over and inspected this young man. He was surrounded by other, murky figures, but she could only see him clearly. He had tan skin and black hair, a combination typically accorded to people from the Province of Waves, but his eyes were a regular brown. There was a pale, thin scar under his left eye, and he looked young. Maybe 18, 19.

Was this another Transcendent? It was impossible. Why would a Transcendent be clearing [Withering Roots]? The voice had said these unique Perks were only able to be acquired by Dungeons, Rifts, and Dominions appropriate to their strength.

The vision abruptly faded, throwing her back into the office.

“--be a great boon to our Guild…” Argos trailed off, frowning at Helva. “What’s the matter?”

She stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes. The old man stood up, a worried look flashing across his face. A part of her registered that for him, that was the equivalent of running out the room screaming for help.

But she ignored him. What was that? she thought, shivers running down her spine. Did the Perk make a mistake? Why did it show me that vision?

She activated her Perk, summoning a map. As always, the limit of her vision was the borders of the current area she was in. For her, that meant she could see all of the Transcendents in the Province of Balance.

There were currently three, including her. She couldn’t scroll the map to the side to check on Solossi.

She stood up abruptly, cutting Argos off from whatever he’d been saying.

“I need to go,” she said. Not giving an explanation, she left the room, leaving him standing there befuddled. She needed to convene a meeting with her allies.

There’s another Transcendent. He’s been hiding from us.

THE END OF ARC ONE.