It had been well over a month since Anderson reached the city. It had also been well over a month that he had to lay in bed. It was the most board Anderson had ever felt. The room was bland and with the amount of time he spent there he was starting to think it was a torture chamber.
"Like seriously who designed this room with no windows. What's the worst that could happen you spot a nightmare creature and it in turn spots you. I would gladly risk it if it meant I didn't have to stare at a wall all day.
There isn't anything to do in here except sleep. The only part of the day that is interesting is talking to Cast. Nothing else."
'Knock knock knock'
"My I come in." Cast's voice came from the other side of the door.
"Come in."
"I got some good news for you today. The healer has finally clear you. You should now be able to at least walk around now, though combat is out of the question.
They were amazed by your recover speed by the way. With your injuries some of them thought you wouldn't be out of the bed for the next six months, but their last inspection proved them wrong.
I brought you these so you can change into them. Its made from an Awakened nightmare creatures hide so its more durable than normal clothes." Cast laid down a very familiar sack.
Later, after Anderson got dressed, he joined Cast for a walk.
"How do you feel?" Cast asked seeing Anderson walking around.
"Good though still trying to loosen up my muscles. A month in a bed does not do well for them." Anderson responded.
"Well today I want to show you around our compound." Cast turned and started walking.
"I told you before that there are about four thousand people remaining in the region around the Night Clock. Of these four thousand there are eight factions. I am the leader of the Hunter faction. Our faction focuses on hunting the nightmare creatures. As such we have been considered one of the two neutral factions by the rest. Though I wouldn't recommend being alone with anyone of the other factions as they would still probably attack you.
The other neutral faction is the Smithing faction. It is the smallest faction but it is the most respected one. Can you guess why?"
"The necklaces." Anderson said confidently while showing his own.
"Bingo, none of the factions would exist if it weren't for that faction. Actually its a very similar reason to why they don't usually attack us. We take care of the nightmare creatures and sell the meat after. The other six factions are all set on killing each other so most of them can't fight a nightmare creature that is much stronger than themselves. This gives us much more leeway when interacting with them or at the yearly summit."
"The yearly summit?" Anderson interupted.
"The yearly summit is a meeting around the middle of the year. Between me and the other faction leaders. Its the only part of the year that all the factions come together and have a meeting about the future without any fighting."
"Is there really a point to it if the other factions want to tear each other limb from limb?"
"Typically no, but it was only about five years ago that we decided to designate our faction as a neutral faction so sometimes there is a point to them.
Anyway we reached our first destination. The training ground."
Looking to where Cast was pointing Anderson saw an open field. The ground was almost entirely made of sand. It seemed to be split very similar to the academy's combat class except everything was outside and a weight section was missing.
"The training field is pretty basic. One of my co-leaders does special training sessions. You should join in on one when you are in a better condition. He's the main reason we can fight most of the nightmare creatures we encounter. The training ground is typically bare when that dudes not here, so lets move on. You got any questions?"
"What nightmare creatures have y'all managed to kill? I mean the necklace is an ascended memory. That means fallen nightmare creatures were killed for the parts if I'm not wrong."
"Your pretty observant. At the start the necklaces were only make from dormant soul shards. This had little affect though it gave us time to prepare and fight awakened creatures. It was actually a pretty long time between the awaken and ascended necklaces. It took just about a decade for us to be able to deal with some of the fallen nightmare creatures.
Usually I don't go on the smaller hunts that most people do. I lead the monthly hunts. Those hunts usually have us hunting some of the stronger nightmare creatures. Actually when we found you we were on one of those hunts."
"May I ask what you were hunting."
"An awaken tyrant that's been causing us trouble. Its moved too far away for us to hunt right now so its been put on the back burner.
Last week though we went after a fallen demon. Brutal little thing. It managed to shatter my armor in one blow."
Anderson's face scrunched, "Are you sure I'm one the who should have been in one of those beds? How did you not get injured. I literally talked to you ever single day."
"Ha, my aspect is pretty versatile in combat. I can control vectors. Its pretty handy. If it weren't I wouldn't even need a bed I would have needed a casket."
"Are you sure its ok telling me your aspect like that?"
"Why not, everyone already knows it. I don't know how it is in the waking world, but here any knowing everyone's abilities is key to a hunt.
Anyway, we reached our second stop for the day. The Armory. How about it, lets get you a weapon."