The Perfect Specimen

Beth speaks up from inside of the Jeep, "Stand down! They are not my captors nor do they mean any malicious intent."

The guards warily look towards their supervisor for a decision. The supervisor examines the people on the Jeep and lets out a sigh, "Lady Brightstar, you should know how much of a difficult position you put me in. Your family has spent a large sum to look for you."

He looks toward the group of people in the Jeep with her, " If I were to just let them go, how would the higher ups view me?"

Beth rolls her eyes at the obvious direction the conversation is headed and just flatly states, "When I get back to my family I will make sure you are properly compensated. Now, I suggest you let us pass through."

The supervisor was about to continue on with the conversation until Beth immediately said, "And may I remind you that my family may be generous to those who aid us, we are also merciless to those who oppose."

The supervisor chokes back the words he was about to say. "I'm grateful for the Brightstars generosity." He nods towards the man operating the gate to let them pass through.

As the group drives through the rocky valley and into Utopia, they come to a stop at the company HQ in charge of handing out missions to each company. Beth walks up to speak with the receptionist at the desk to discuss the mission she set up.

She comes back to the Jeep and speaks with Clem, "Sir Clem, I have spoken with them to add something extra on to the reward. I truly hope this will help ease the loss of your brother. Thank you Crispy Rats, for being there in my hour of need.This is where we must part ways, good luck in the future and I hope to hear more about your great exploits from the daily gossip."

Clem looks up from his daze with the same lifeless eyes that he has had during the entire trip. He simply nods mechanically and walks to the desk to speak about the reward. Beth Rodney and Alistair drive off away from the HQ, as they are turning around a corner, they could barely hear the sound of Clem laughing and shouting "Thank you!" over and over again.

Rodney curiously asks, "Lady Beth, what did you-" Beth immediately cut him off, "The laws of the world are never an absolute after rapture. I just told him of a possible spot to break the old worlds laws. It's all a matter of if he is lucky and capable enough though."

Rodney was shocked and then immediately knew what Beth spoke of. "You told him about the Pit? Your brother just found out about it last week. If anyone knew that he had knowledge of such a place..."

Beth chuckles in response, "First, the Pit is not something ordinary people can go to. Not even most ascended are able to get into it. That's why no one will believe him if he tries to brag. Also, it gives him hope for seeing his brother again." She smiles gently while watching the buildings and people blur past the Jeep.

"Besides, we have something better than an uncertain hope towards the afterlife. We have a way to keep my brother in this life!" She turns towards Alistair and smiles. "He will be the key the ensuring the government does not just toss aside my brother. They don't care about anyone that isn't in their army."

Rodney forces a smile and says, "It will be a tough battle to get him accepted. Not only by the government, but your family as well Lady Beth."

As the two are talking to each other, they pull up to a giant metal gate with two guards standing at attention in front. Then Beth speaks towards the guards. "I, Bethany Brightstar have returned!"

The guards bow slightly and pull the gate open revealing a luxurious manor. A place seemingly untouched by the ravages of the hell outside. Greenery and a eye-catching fountain placed as the focal point of the yard, a scene that would dazzle the regular citizens of the common grounds of Utopia.

This scenery sparks an uneasy feeling inside of Alistair as if this isn't where he belongs. He begins looking around nervously for anything to reassure him that he is safe. He notices Beth and Rodney smiling while looking around. A sign that Alistair associates with the feeling of 'everything will be ok'.

They pull to a stop at the entrance of the extravagant abode. As they are getting out of the Jeep the front doors slam open and shows a middle aged man with short black hair peppered with grey from the passage of time. With a face and body that seems as if he was a very heroic figure back in the day. Who now enjoys the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.es of life to much

With a furious expression on his face the middle aged man doesn't say anything as he walks to Beth. "You leave at the most crucial moment of our families history and now you show up out of the blue at our front step. You better have a good explanation."

Rodney begins to speak up, "Master Brightstar, lady Beth and I were just-". The middle aged man interjects and directs his focus on Rodney, "I believe I was speaking to my daughter. If I have need for your testimony I will speak to you."

Beth says to her father, " Father, I have left as soon as I heard from Aunt Sherry at the ball about what happened to brother. I believe that I have found a solution to our problem! Brother will be able to get the medical care he needs!" She smiles proudly at her father.

"Since when did I become so useless that I would need my own daughter to rush out into the wilds on a fools errand?" He snorts in anger. "You truly do not understand the situation Bethany." He shakes his head in disappointment.

"Your brother is not really hurt. Their are higher powers at play that required him to put on this facade. Your Aunt only has superficial knowledge because she does not need to know more." He says with a pained expression, "You shouldn't have put yourself at risk like that. What would we do if something happened?"

Bethany and Rodney are both dumbstruck. Bethany then says in anger, "Then why was I not informed of this?! Why, when I went to brothers room immediately after were there doctors telling me he is incapacitated?!"

The father lets out a sigh and looks towards her and says, "They were bodyguards and not doctors. They were there to prevent anyone from disturbing your brothers ascension. He was making a breakthrough and I deemed it necessary to keep it hidden even from family due to the fear of prying ears."

He smiles and says, "Your brother completed his breakthrough. With this, our family can now compete among the rift battles! This is the new era for our Brightstar family!" He becomes more passionate with every sentence.

Rodney says emphatically, "This is amazing news Master Brightstar! Congratulations are in order!" He smiles towards Beth, "Lady Bethany your brother is already in good health! You must be ecstatic!"

As soon as Beth hears the news her anger flushed away with excitement and then before she could say anything, she remembers the little boy who they brought along. She smiles awkwardly towards Alistair and turns back towards her father,

"Father, this boy-" Her father motioned with his hand for her to stop. He says, "I know the situation, from the moment you arrived at the valley I was informed of everyone brought along. I figured out everything after getting the details."

He turns his sights towards Alistair, "Young man, I know that you were promised a lot of things on behalf of my family name. The contribution you were to make for my family has been noticed. Though I can't take you in as part of my family, I can give you anything you d.e.s.i.r.e for your generosity."

Alistair begins drooling and his stomach makes a rumbling sound as the red spiral in his hard begins speeding up its rotation and burying down into the stomach once more. The pain was almost instantaneous, it was bearable but seemed to be growing stronger by the minute.

"He can not speak father, something traumatic happened to him before we found him." As she finishes she hears the sound of Alistairs' stomach rumbling. She laughs lightly and says, "I did promise him a meal though, how about we talk about his reward after a feast?"