Chapter Nine
The behemoth scrutinized me from behind his shield, and he continued to inch from side to side as he analyzed my movements. This was no dull-witted villager, this was a trained fighter, and excitement coursed through my veins.
Winning this fight would be worth five-hundred gold, but I’d gain a lot more than cash from the encounter. I’d get something far more valuable.
Knowledge.
I repositioned the spear in my grip, and I squatted down slightly to cover my body with the area of the shield as I mimicked my opponent’s movements precisely. The crowd was silent as we stared each other down, but I wasn’t about to make the first move on this guy. I could wait, and apparently so could he.
My opponent kept his left leg slightly back, and he held his shield close to his face, so I did the same. His shield was small and round, while the one I chose was bigger and covered more of my body, but I watched as he maneuvered it like it was as light as a feather.
Our spears were also different, but I’d chosen based on my height more so than anything else. My opponent carried a smaller spear with a long tip even though he was taller than me, and I second guessed my decision.
I wasn’t going to start this fight ill-equipped to handle my opponent, so I reset back to my save point to pick out a different shield and spear.
Chime.
I stood in the center of the ring while the defeated men strode back toward the audience, and I made my way over to the shelf full of weapons and gear to look for something that more closely resembled what my opponent had chosen.
I chose a shorter spear, and I found one with a similar long-tipped blade at the top that reminded me of a dagger on a stick. I could work with that. Then I spotted another smaller round shield with a center grip, so I took that instead.
I once again faced off against the behemoth, and trumpets blared from somewhere off stage to signal the beginning of the match, but I didn’t make a new save point because I wanted to leave my options open until I got a chance to see how he would actually fight.
My opponent balanced the tip of his spear along the top of his shield, and he twirled it in his grip threateningly as he circled around me. I waited for him to make the first move as I continued to copy his movements, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry.
“Let’s put on a good show,” I said in a friendly tone as I practiced the twirling motion I’d seen him do.
“I always do,” he growled with a half-smile twitching at his lips, but then he raised his shield up over his face and charged toward me.
I lifted my shield just in time to avoid the pointy end of his spear, and I tried to reposition my grip on my own weapon so I could get it up and under his protective barrier, but my grip faltered on the haft of the spear.
My opponent took advantage of my sudden blunder, and he quickly whipped his spear low across my ankles. My feet flew out from underneath me, and I landed on my ass in the center of the circus ring.
A loud sympathetic ooh escaped the crowd, and the worried faces of my loves stood out among the multitude of strange faces.
I’d had prouder moments, but fortunately for me, I got unlimited redos, so I reset back to my save point with my new knowledge.
Chime.
I chose the same spear and shield, and then I practiced repositioning my grip on the spear until I could toss it in the air and catch it without fail. I wanted to be able to maneuver the weapon in any direction I needed to, and my opponent was clearly not going to hold back, so neither would I.
“Are you ready?” My opponent grinned wickedly at me from behind his shield.
I simply nodded, and I mirrored his stance with my own shield.
The trumpets blared as the match began, but it started out just as slow as it always did. We paced around in a circle eyeballing each other for a while, and then my opponent charged at me with the overhead feint. I saw it coming this time, though, and I managed to dodge his spear with my shield. Then I immediately prepared for the jump I needed to perform in order to avoid my legs flying out from underneath me again.
I hopped over his swinging spear nimbly, but then he swiveled and popped me on my exposed shoulder to earn a point.
“Damn,” I cursed under my breath. I was aiming for a perfect match just like I had with all the other men, since that was the only way I’d truly feel like I’d earned the reward.
Chime.
We circled, he charged, I fended off his first two attacks easily, and then I leapt to the side to avoid the third. I’d already used several attempts to get this far, and I still hadn’t managed to land a single blow on him yet. My opponent returned to his distant stance once I’d dodged all of his attacks, and judging from the confused expression on his face, I guessed no one had lasted this long against him before.
“What’s next, big guy?” I smirked as I mimicked his twirling pattern with my own spear. “Show me something good.”
“You are a skilled fighter,” he grunted, but then he lunged forward, bashed my shield with his, and thrust his spear at my face. The flat edge of the tip of his weapon brushed against my scraggly cheek, and I groaned.
“Three points!” the announcer called out in a loud, excited voice.
Chime.
I spammed resets until I could hold my own against the behemoth with a spear and shield. After a dozen or so attempts, I managed to land my first strike on his shoulder and earned myself a point, but it still wasn’t good enough for me.
I would accept nothing less than a perfect victory against the giant of a man opposing me.
I leapt over his spear as he swiped it at my feet, bent over backwards when he thrust it toward my face, and performed all manner of acrobatic feats worthy of its own circus show. I got a little better and made it a little further with each respawn, but I was far from where I wanted to be, so I kept going.
It was around my fiftieth try, and I was determined to win this match once and for all. I twirled my spear expertly in my grip, and I balanced it on the rim of my shield as I inched closer to my opponent. I knew him well enough by this point to know he was going to feign an overhead first and then go for my feet, but I was ready for it.
I danced around his weapon, and I hopped over his spear like a jump rope before I brought my spear down upon his left shoulder. He’d lowered his shield to swipe at my leg, which left his upper body open for me to attack, so I tapped the side of my spear point against him as a wide grin split across my face.
“One point!” the announcer shouted, and the audience applauded.
I was just getting started, though, so I kept my focus on the behemoth. Next he was going to barrel toward me in the hopes his sheer weight would knock me over, but I was one step ahead of him, and I stepped to the side like a bullfighter evading the horns of a massive bull.
I swiveled as he passed me, and I thrust out my spear to tap his right ankle.
“Two points!” the circus announcer declared, and the applause was even louder. I did hear a few taunts and jeers, but I ignored them and kept my eyes and ears honed in on my opponent.
The behemoth turned to face me, and his face was flushed with anger. He clearly wasn’t accustomed to fighting people at his own skill level, and it was written all over his face. He glowered at me from across the distance between us, and then he inched forward once more.
I kept my shield up above my nose line, and I held the spear in an underhanded position to allow myself to thrust from a higher angle. I needed that head shot to win, and I was ready to get it.
My opponent still hadn’t earned a point against me, and I planned to keep it that way. I was going to win this match unscathed, and my reward would be as sweet as the victory itself. Even with how rich I was already, five-hundred gold would do a lot for my pocket money. I’d spent most of what I made on Bastianville, but it was worth every coin to ensure the town was thriving.
The behemoth attempted to bash me with his shield, but I knew this was just a ruse to get me to lower my guard, so I hopped backward a couple of paces and thrust out at him defensively with my spear.
He stayed back and eyed me warily, but then I saw him changing his grip on his weapon. He was going to throw it, and there was no way he would just tap me with the flat of his blade if it was hurled through the air at my face. I wasn’t about to let that happen, so I rushed forward with a fierce cry.
“Come on!” I yelled as I charged the behemoth. I knew he would lift his spear, so I bashed it to the side with my shield, and then I sprang into the air. I twisted while in mid-air to thrust my spear forward over his protective barrier, and the tip of my weapon bounced harmlessly off his head.
It would have been a Troy level epic if this had been a real battle, but I didn’t want to kill the man, just beat him at his own game. It was still really fucking awesome, though, and I barely heard the announcer yelling out my victory over the pounding of my heart in my ears.
“You put up a good fight,” the behemoth said with begrudging respect in his voice as he reached out to shake my hand.
“Thanks.” I grinned as he swallowed my hand in his, but he didn’t squeeze it hard like I’d expected him to, and I was grateful for that.
“Congratulations, young man!” the announcer practically screamed in my ear, and he shook my hand enthusiastically as soon as the behemoth released me from his grasp. “You’ve won the pot of gold and helped us put on a spectacle these lovely folks won’t soon forget!”
“About this reward?” I asked with one eyebrow raised.
“Of course, of course, but first I must present you to the crowd.” He turned and held the megaphone up to his lips. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a winner! This young man… ” He paused and looked over at me. “What’s your name?”
“Er…” I was supposed to be incognito, so I didn’t want to give my real name. “Tom.”
“Did you forget for a moment, Tom?” The announcer gave me a close look as he pursed his lips in thought. “Doesn’t matter. You want to be Tom, you can be Tom.”
Then he turned back to the crowd and raised his megaphone once more.
“Tom, here, has won our little tournament of arms, and earned himself… ” He paused for dramatic effect. “Five… hundred… gold!”
The circus announcer withdrew a silver pouch from his pocket and jangled it in the air. It was obviously very heavy, but I didn’t think it was big enough to carry as much as I was promised.
The crowd cheered and applauded, and I waved to the audience like I’d just won the Olympics. Then I spotted the three lovely ladies I called mine, and I shot them a flirtatious wink. Several other women I didn’t know in the audience swooned, and I chuckled to myself at the innocent mistake.
Looks like Tom had some fans.
“That concludes our show, thank you to every single one of you for making it the spectacle of a lifetime!” The announcer bowed over and over again, and then he gestured for me to follow suit, so I did. We continued to bow until the people began to file out of the tent and back out into the city, and then the announcer shook my hand again.
“Thank you for participating in our tournament.” He grinned. “I wasn’t expecting it to be that entertaining. Jackson always wins.”
“Jackson is the big guy?” I asked as I jerked my chin toward the behemoth.
“One and the same,” the behemoth grunted.
“So, you two know each other?” I chuckled as the pieces began to fit together.
“Jackson works for me,” the announcer explained. “My name is Havier Hortense, and I run this show.”
“Let me get this con straight,” I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. “You have these open competitions, Jackson poses as an audience member, and then he beats everyone and claims the gold.”
“He is supposed to beat everyone,” Havier Hortense pointed out with a scathing sideways glance at Jackson. “In fact, how would you like a job as my new champion? I need someone actually unbeatable, and the way you danced around him was quite the spectacle.”
“I already have more than one full-time job,” I informed him with a shake of my head. “I’ll just take my five-hundred gold, please.”
Elissa, Mahini, and Eva were making their way over to us, and they quickly picked up on my tense body language. Mahini’s ice-blue eyes shot to the behemoth, and she scanned him over for any signs of ensuing conflict. Eva’s gray gaze flicked between me and the announcer, and she bit her bottom lip with a worried expression.
“What’s going on?” Elissa asked, not one to dance around tense situations.
“I was just about to give our winner his reward,” Havier said with a flourished bow. “Ladies, you all look radiant. Thank you for coming to see the show.”
“It was fun.” Eva gave him a small smile. “The end part was a little worrisome, though. Someone could have easily gotten hurt.”
“Ma’am, we are trained professionals,” Jackson argued before Havier hissed at him to be silent.
“Wait, you work for the circus?” Mahini’s quick mind had already put it together. “But that’s cheating.”
“He beats his opponents fair and square,” Havier insisted as he wrung his hands together anxiously. “Please, give me just a moment to go fetch the rest of your reward.”
I knew the little silver pouch didn’t contain all of it.
“I’d rather go with you,” I said in a casual tone.
Havier swallowed hard, but he nodded silently in agreement.
The four of us followed the circus master out of the big tent to a small covered wagon nearby. It was like a gypsy caravan, with wagons stretching in a circle around the big tent. Some held cages with animals inside, but others were covered so I couldn’t see what was inside.
Havier rummaged around in his wagon for a minute before he withdrew a lock box. Then he pulled a key from a chain around his neck, slid it into the lock, and opened the container. Inside was a pile of gold, easily the rest of the five-hundred promised, and Havier held the box out to me.
“Here is your reward, champion,” the announcer declared. “You can count it if you like, but it’s all there.”
“Thank you, Havier.” I grinned as I closed the lid on the box and tucked it under one arm. “Sorry about the job, I wish I could be more helpful.”
“It will be alright,” Havier sighed. “Jackson will just have to improve his skills before our next performance. I cannot afford another audience victory.”
I shook my head with a smirk on my face, but we waved goodbye to the circus master. Then I took my gold and my women, and I headed back to the inn where we were staying.
“So, what did you think of the circus?” I asked with a wide smile as we hooked our arms together.
“It was a grand adventure,” Eva breathed, and her gray eyes were full of awe. “I loved the monkeys and watching you fight that man twice your size. If I hadn’t already watched you defeat a dragon, I would have been shocked by your victory.”
“I liked the ladies who flipped through the air,” Elissa mused thoughtfully. “And I liked watching you win the fight, too. You danced circles around those men, Bash, it was amazing!”
“I’m certain your opponents will be training extra hard after tonight.” Mahini let out one of her melodic laughs, and the sound echoed through the icy night air like birds announcing spring time.
I flashed her a smile full of all the love and adoration I felt for her, and her cheeks grew rosy.
“Did you girls hear the couple in front of us talking?” I asked as we made our way up the steps of the inn to our room.
“No, what were they saying?” Eva asked as she shrugged off her cloak.
“They were talking about the court wizard,” I said. “Apparently, he’s super jealous.”
“Why is that important?” Elissa wondered with a curious tilt of her head.
“The court wizard may very well be our enemy,” Mahini pointed out as her brow furrowed. “If he has a weakness, we need to know about it. Jealousy could be exactly what we need to get the advantage.”
“My thoughts exactly.” I grinned at the astute desert goddess. “I think I’m going to do some sleuthing now to see what else I can learn about this wizard guy. If he’s the one who summoned the werewolves and sent them after us, I’ll find out.”
“What does sleuthing mean?” Mahini asked.
“It just means like sneaking around and finding out information,” I explained with a shrug. “I still don’t know for sure if the duke and his court wizard are the ones responsible for attacking Bastianville and Wyndvale, plus the werewolves we ran into on our way here were no coincidence, but I won’t act until I know one way or the other.”
“It would be unjust to punish innocent men,” Eva observed with a sage nod of her head.
“But how will you get into the castle without the duke knowing you’re there?” Elissa asked in a worried tone. “I don’t want you to get into trouble.”
“Trouble?” I laughed. “Me? Never. Besides, I know a secret code word to get past the guards unchecked.”
“Mysterious,” Eva purred with a pleased smile. “What’s the secret word?”
“The name of a guy who cleans the rugs in the castle.” I smirked. They didn’t have any memory of my conversation with the rug vendor, but I’d gotten the information I needed.
“The one we bought our rugs from?” Mahini narrowed her ice-blue eyes in thought. “How do you know that will work?”
“Trust me.” My grin spread even wider. “I’m the God of Time, remember?”
“Of course, Great One,” Mahini replied. “Forgive my doubts. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you is all.”
“Forgiven already,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. “But while I’m investigating the castle, I have a task for you ladies.”
“What can we do to serve you, Great One?” Eva asked in an eager tone.
“I want you to gather all the gossip from around town you can.” I rubbed my hands together and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. “Listen for any mention of the Duke of Arginold, or his court wizard, Racine. Then bring back anything you find out to me.”
“I can do that,” Elissa giggled, and her emerald eyes were full of mischief. “My father always told me gossip wasn’t good for anything, but he’s been wrong before.”
“I’ll be back before you know it,” I told them, and then I got ready for my sneaking mission.
I wore all black clothes, but I made sure to put on my griffon feather boots instead of the shiny ones I’d worn to the circus show. I finished the ensemble with my fur-lined cloak, and then I kissed each woman on the forehead before I left.
“Be safe!” Elissa called after me.
“Be stealthy!” Eva added.
“Come back soon,” Mahini said.
“I love you all,” I called over my shoulder as I headed out of our room at the inn, and then I trotted quickly down the stairs and out of the building. It was well after dark now, but still before midnight, so my timing was perfect. I wanted to get to the castle before Malo and the other rug cleaners showed up so I didn’t have to actually do any work tonight.
I trotted down the deserted street toward the steely gray castle that loomed at the top of the hill. It was an imposing figure with the snowcapped mountains jutting out from behind the stone towers and turrets, but I was undaunted.
I was going to figure out who was responsible for the recent attacks made against my people if it was the last thing I did.
I made a new save point as I approached the side entrance just as the rug vendor had instructed me, and the two guards standing watch over the entryway crossed their spears to block my path.
“Halt.” The guards’ eyes scanned me over. “Who goes there?”
“I work with Malo,” I lied. “I’m here early, it’s my first night.”
“Very early,” the second guard said in a much more friendly tone. Then he lowered his spear and indicated for the other guard to do the same. “Take him inside and show him where the servants quarters are. You can wait for Malo there.”
“Perfect.” I grinned. “Thank you.”
I followed the first guard through the entrance and down a long stone corridor, and we took a left at an intersection and walked along a curved line for a while in complete silence. I wasn’t eager to make conversation with the guardsman and risk ruining my ruse, so I let the silence continue.
The guard led me down the hallway for a ways, and he took a left at the next intersection. I did my best to keep track of our direction, but I already knew it was going to take me awhile to memorize the layout of the castle. We climbed down some stairs, and then we arrived at the servants’ quarters.
Several rooms were joined together around a common area, but there were bedrooms off to one side with people asleep in the beds and a kitchen in the corner of the space. I thanked the guard with a small bow and pointedly took a seat at the empty table, but as soon as he left, I stood up again.
I poked around in the servants’ quarters for a while, and I quietly opened cabinets and drawers to peer inside. There was a wardrobe against the far wall full of servant’s clothes, so I grabbed a uniform that looked like it would fit me, and I rolled it up into a bundle and tucked it under my arm.
I slipped into an empty room to change into the servant’s uniform, and then I stashed my clothes in a basket in the corner. Malo, the rug vendor, would be arriving soon, and I didn’t want to be here when he did, so I checked the hallway for guards before I left the servants’ quarters in search of bigger game.
I made a new save point as I walked down the corridor just in case I ran into any guards who didn’t recognize me as a servant, but I walked almost back to the entrance before I spotted another soul. It was a guard standing in front of a hallway entrance, and he crossed his arms over his chest when he noticed me.
“You there!” the guard said. “State your business.”
“I’m here with Malo to clean the rugs,” I said in an innocent tone. “I need to get down that hallway, sir.”
I wasn’t sure exactly what the guard was protecting, but I wanted to find out.
“This is the residence of Racine, the duke’s wizard,” the guard informed me in a haughty tone. “I am to let no one past this point.”
“I’m supposed to clean every rug in the castle before the end of the night,” I countered with furrowed eyebrows. “How am I supposed to do that if you won’t let me do my job?”
“No can do.” The guard shook his head slowly and dramatically.
I sighed, but there was no use wasting my breath with this attempt. I’d have to reset and try a different tactic, so that’s exactly what I did.
Chime.
I snuck down the hallway toward the court wizard’s wing, and I congratulated myself on finding out where Racine lived already. This was going to be easier than I thought, and excitement filled my veins. Then I came to the intersection where the guard stood again, and this time I tried something different.
“Racine sent for a servant,” I said in a casual tone. “Better let me pass before he loses his patience.”
“Racine himself told me not to let anyone through,” the guard insisted as he crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at me. “Who are you? How do I know you’re even a servant?”
Chime.
Well, that didn’t work, but I had unlimited respawns to try different angles with so I was far from giving up. The guards would have to change eventually, and maybe I could slip past them then, but I wasn’t counting on it. I wanted to get into the wizard’s rooms badly, but not bad enough to wait all night just for the guards to change. I needed to try something different, and I thought over my options. I could just kill him, but then that would create more problems later. I could always fight my way out, but then my cover would be blown.
I could just threaten him, but I wasn’t confident in that tactic. I had some gold on me, so I could try to bribe him, but I didn’t know if I had enough on me to cover such a hefty price. It was worth a shot, though, so I darted back down to the servants’ quarters and quietly went to where I’d hidden my things.
I retrieved the smaller purse of gold I’d won at the circus, and then I returned to the guard standing in front of the entrance to the wizard’s wing of the castle.
“Hey, man,” I said in a conspiratorial tone as I approached. “You feel like making some money tonight?”
“What did you have in mind?” the guard asked in a wary tone. He once again crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at me, but there was more curiosity than hostility in his body language this time, so I figured I was getting somewhere.
Money was the universal language, after all.
“Let me through this doorway,” I said as a mischievous grin split my lips, “and all this gold in this here pouch is yours.”
“How much is there?” he asked as he eyeballed the bag of money in my hand.
“A few hundred gold pieces,” I said dramatically.
Little did the guard know, I would have my money safely back in my possession once I reset back to my save point. There was no way I was about to lose that much gold to a bribe.
“I’ll take it.” The guard swiped the bag from my hands, and he stood to the side to let me through. “Be quick. I don’t want to get in trouble for whatever you’re doing in there.”
“I’m leaving a surprise for the court wizard’s wife,” I said with confidence in the hopes that he didn’t notice I was empty handed and question me further.
“The less I know, the better,” he grumbled, and he beckoned for me to hurry up. “My watch ends in a couple of hours. You need to be gone before then.”
“No problem.” I grinned as I trotted past him and down the hallway toward the wizard’s wing.
Now that I was past the guard, I tried to be as quiet as possible. The court wizard was probably asleep in his quarters, and I didn’t want to get caught rifling through his home, but my need for information pushed me forward.
Plus, it was kind of fun to sneak around the castle in the middle of the night.
The corridor was dark, but fortunately the stone floor was padded with a thick velvet rug that caught the sound of my footsteps. I considered whether or not I should make a new save point now that I was safely inside the wizard’s wing of the castle, but I also didn’t want to get stuck inside this area, so I decided against it. That way I could reset back inside the servants’ quarters, and it was like I was never here. Besides, the guardsman would be counting the gold soon, and I didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out what would happen when he did.
There were a few candles lit every twenty feet or so, just enough to see the glow of the next one further ahead, but not enough to see clearly. Finally, I came across some doorways that led off into various rooms. I quietly peeked inside each one, and I found some servants’ quarters, a sitting room, and a library. I perused the shelves for a moment while I listened to make sure all was still, and then I went off in search of the court wizard’s room, workshop, and other points of interest.
A row of empty bedrooms sat on one side of the hallway, but at the very end of the corridor the space opened up into a grand sitting area. There was a dining table tucked over to one side and a large sofa in the middle of the room. Paintings of old men graced the walls between gas lamps, which lit everything up enough for me to look around.
I spotted a desk in the corner, and I made my way over to it. The desk’s surface was covered in various papers, letters, and other documents, and there was a quill in an inkwell nearby. Scrawled in cursive letters at the bottom of one page was the name Racine, so I knew this was the court wizard’s writing space.
Then I situated myself in the chair, and I began to read through all of the documents. I paused every few moments to listen for any noises, but everything was quiet as a graveyard. I was skimming over the words since most of it was dull and mind-numbing correspondence about shipping and receiving supplies, but then I opened up a letter to the court wizard, and my eyes jumped ahead to the bottom.
It was signed by a man named Dumas.
Racine, this must be our final letter through this method, as I fear Edinburg is intercepting my parcels. I will send a man I trust. Await my command. Do no action against the dukes without my say so.
Signed, Dumas.
Interesting. Could Dumas be the other duke’s court wizard? What did it mean?
I furrowed my brow in thought. There was something fishy going on here, that was for sure, so I read over it again just to be sure I’d seen correctly.
This Dumas person sounded hostile toward the dukes, but if he was paranoid that the Duke of Edinburg was intercepting his mail, then he had to be doing something wrong and didn’t want to be caught.
What were the two court wizards up to?
I chuckled to myself as I realized Dumas sounded a lot like a dumbass. I didn’t know who Dumas was exactly, but I had a feeling I would get to know him eventually. In the meantime, there had to be a way to use this knowledge to my advantage.
I could blackmail Racine with the information of his alliance with Dumas, but what did I want from the court wizard? The only thing I could gain from him was more knowledge, and I wondered if he was the one who had summoned the werewolves. It would be a pretty cool skill to add to my roster, and my excitement grew the longer I thought about it.
It was probably an hour or so after midnight, and I felt like I’d already accomplished a lot, so I considered my next route. I still wanted to explore more, but now that I had a servant’s uniform, I could blend in during the daytime, too, so I decided to reset back to my save point and come back later.
Chime.
I was back in the servants’ quarters, and I retrieved my clothes before I snuck back toward the side entrance. I was almost to the exit when the guards noticed me, however, and they hurried my way as soon as they spotted me.
“You there, aren’t you supposed to be working with Malo?” The guard who had first let me through narrowed his eyes at me in suspicion.
“I have to run and get more cleaning supplies,” I lied easily, and I trotted past them without further explanation.
My confident air appeared to work, since the two guards merely resumed their post at the entrance with a shrug. I trotted back down the deserted streets to the inn where we were staying, and I quietly stole upstairs to our room so as not to disturb any other guests since it was the middle of the night.
The girls were all asleep already when I entered our room, so I slipped out of the servant’s uniform I was wearing before I slid into bed between Mahini and Eva. Elissa was on the far side, and she tossed her arm over Evangeline’s back until it grazed across my chest.
“I missed you,” she murmured sleepily.
“Go back to sleep,” I whispered. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”
“Alright,” she yawned, and then she snuggled back into the blankets. Her hand remained on my chest, and the soft touch calmed me as I fell into a deep slumber.
The next day I awoke with a start of excitement. I’d dreamed of learning summoning magic, and I was ready to put my plans into motion. First, though, I had to explain to the girls what I was doing, so I hastily nudged them awake.
“How was your night of sleuthing?” Mahini asked with a yawn as she stretched her arms over her head. The motion caused the blankets to slide down to her waist, and her bare ample breasts were exposed to the sunlight.
“As wonderful as waking up next to you.” I licked my lips hungrily. “Fuck, you’re sexy, Mahini.”
The obsidian-haired beauty blushed, and she distracted herself with getting out of bed, but this only showed off the rest of her assets, and I let myself get distracted for a moment while the other two girls slowly began to stir.
“You got back so late,” Elissa observed. “Does that mean it was a success?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I grinned. “It was a lot of fun.”
“What’s our next move?” Eva asked as she rubbed the sleep away from her smoky-gray eyes.
“What did you learn from your night on the town?” I asked.
“Not much,” Elissa sighed. “Everyone was raving about your performance at the circus. This Tom fellow is on everyone’s lips.”
“We don’t have any new information for you, Great One.” Mahini frowned. “I apologize.”
“It’s alright,” I assured her.
“Today is a new day, though,” Eva pointed out. “The circus won’t be the main thing on everyone’s minds anymore.”
“That’s true, so you three continue to gather some intel,” I instructed in an excited voice. “I’m going to go talk to the court wizard today.”
“Be careful,” Mahini warned, and her lips pursed into a razor-thin line. “If the wizards are plotting against the dukes, then there’s no telling what they are willing to do.”
“That’s true.” I shrugged. “But I’m Bash, the Dragon Slayer, and the Great One of Legend, remember?”
“It’s not that I doubt you,” the desert goddess said, and her eyebrows furrowed. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. We are soul bonded. If I lost you… I-I-I--”
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, and I quickly crossed the room to scoop her into my arms. “Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise.”
Her shoulders heaved as she let out a sigh, and she nuzzled her nose against my bare chest.
“Yeah,” Elissa agreed with an encouraging smile. “Bash is the greatest, and nothing can stand in his way.”
“I love you, Mahini,” I murmured into the obsidian-haired beauty’s ear.
“I love you, too, Great One.” The desert goddess lifted her ice-blue eyes to meet mine, and a small smile graced her lips. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” I grinned. “Now, turn that frown upside down, and let’s get some breakfast.”
“Yes, Bash,” Mahini chuckled.
The girls all got dressed in comfortable clothes, and I followed suit with the servant’s uniform I’d snagged. Then we ordered some breakfast and ate before we headed back out into the city of Arginold. We parted ways at the steps of the inn, and I kissed them all on their foreheads before I waved goodbye.
Finally, I headed back to the castle with a hop in my step. I was beyond excited to learn how to summon monsters, and I pictured my werewolves ripping my enemies limb from limb as I made my way through the busy streets. I jogged back to the side entrance, but this time I couldn’t use the rug vendor’s name, so I hoped the uniform would work.
“Halt!” the guard called out as he and his companion crossed their spears over the entrance. Then he eyed me shrewdly up and down before he spoke again. “You work in the wizard’s household?”
The uniform I’d grabbed had been from the servants’ quarters nearest to the wizard’s wing, so it must be unique to his staff. I’d have to get another set for the duke’s household, it seemed.
“I do,” I lied with a confident nod. “I am on urgent business, please let me through.”
The guards said nothing, but they uncrossed their spears and allowed me to pass. That was easier than I’d expected, and I grinned as I made my way to the wizard’s living quarters. The guard outside the hallway also let me pass, and my grin grew even wider as I approached the main sitting room.
An elderly man with a wrinkly bald head wearing a gray robe sat eating a bowl of grapes, and he had to be one of the ugliest people I’d ever seen. His eyebrows were so hairy they nearly covered up his pale-green eyes, his patchy beard was partially gray and partially brown, and I had to assume he was the court wizard, Racine.
“Who are you?” he asked as soon as I entered the room. “Are you new among my servants?”
I made a new save point as I decided which dialogue tree I should venture down first. Usually, video games would only give you so many options, like threaten, persuade, or bribe. In this world, I had every possibility open to me to explore, and it was simultaneously overwhelming and awesome.
Since I could always restart, there was no harm in just being honest with the man, so I took a seat in one of the arm chairs and kicked my ankle up onto my knee with a casual air.
“I am Sebastian, Dragon Slayer, Archduke of Bastianville, and the God of Time.” I flashed the court wizard my most charming smile. “Pleased to meet you, Racine.”
“W-W-What are you doing here?” The elderly man swallowed visibly as his face went ghostly pale, but he leapt to his feet to tower above me. The bowl of grapes he held spilled onto the floor, and they made a wet squelching sound when he stepped on one as he crossed the distance between us.
“Why do you think I’m here?” I remained calm as I stared up into his eyes.
“Revenge,” Racine hissed, which basically confirmed that he had tried to kill me. “With one word, I could have all the guards in the castle down your throat.”
“And I could kill them all just as easily.” I shrugged. “If you want to try that route, you’re more than welcome to, but I’m in no hurry to shed blood today.”
“Then why are you here?” Racine swallowed again as he took a step away from me, but he still didn’t sit down.
“I know all about your little plot,” I said as I narrowed my eyes. “Dumas told me all about it.”
“Dumas wouldn’t say a word while he still breathed,” Racine countered with a shake of his head. “I don’t believe you.”
“On your desk sits a letter from Dumas saying he would send a trusted man…” I trailed off and let the suggestion linger in the air.
“You mean he sent… You… as his messenger?” Racine shook his head again.
I merely smiled and didn’t say a word.
Racine began to pace. “No… This can’t be true.”
I kept silent once more and just watched the court wizard work himself up into a frenzy.
Suddenly, he whirled on me and snapped his fingers.
“You killed him, didn’t you?” The wizard of Arginold pointed his finger in my face. “You had to have tortured the information out of him.”
“No, I didn’t kill him,” I laughed. “But maybe I will. I haven’t decided yet. I am in the same boat with you. Tell me, why shouldn’t I kill you right now?”
My calm and casual demeanor only made my words that much more threatening, and Racine took a step back as he lowered his finger away from my face.
“What do you want?” Racine asked with narrowed eyes.
I paused for a long moment to build the dramatic tension, and the court wizard shifted his weight from one foot to the other anxiously.
“Teach me how to summon a monster,” I said at last.
“Impossible,” Racine argued. “It takes a lifetime to hone a craft to the caliber I have.”
“Good thing I have lifetimes,” I replied with a shrug. “Try me. I bet I’m a faster learner than you’d expect.”
“You’re going to use the beasts against me and Duke Arginold, so why should I help you?” Racine finally calmed down enough to sit, and he clasped his hands tightly over his crossed knees.
“You admit you and the duke are working against me,” I pointed out. “Does this mean you take responsibility for the werewolves that attacked me during the full moon?”
I wanted to hear the truth straight from the bastard’s mouth.
“Clever, wasn’t it?” Racine pulled his lips into a tight smile. “The full moon ruse.”
“Yeah, it was hilarious.” I barked out a fake laugh, and the smile fell from the court wizard’s face.
“Guards!” Racine yelled in a loud voice, and suddenly, a troop of guards trotted down the hallway and into the main sitting room. They filed in and surrounded me, and then they lowered their weapons threateningly. The court wizard had somehow still signaled to the guards to come to his room, and I wondered how long he’d been keeping me occupied while they made their way through the castle.
Poor fool of a wizard didn’t even know who he was messing with, and I reset back to my save point with a wry shake of my head.
Chime.
I’d just entered the room, and the court wizard looked up at me expectantly from the couch with his grapes still clutched in his hands.
“Yes, I am a new member of your staff, and I wanted to come meet you personally.” I flashed the court wizard my most charming smile. “It’s an honor, Mister Racine, truly.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” The court wizard held out his hand for me to shake, and I hurried over to him. “Nice to meet you. I’m sure you’ll fit in very nicely around here. Just keep your eyes and ears to yourself, and we will get along just fine.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, but then I paused. “Would you… Oh, never mind. Thank you again, Mister Racine,”
I sighed dramatically, turned away, and started to walk toward the hallway.
“Wait,” he said, and he held up his hand to stop me. “What were you going to say? Would I what?”
“Well…” I let out another dramatic sigh as I turned my theater skills up a notch. “I was wondering if you’d teach me about magic.”
“Oh.” Racine frowned. “Absolutely not. You’re a servant in my household, not my apprentice.”
“Alright,” I said with a shrug. “It was worth a shot.”
Then I reset back to my save point with a wave of my will.
Chime.
“My name is Tom, that is all you need to know for now,” I said in a calm voice. “I am here to learn magic from you, and I’m willing to pay you handsomely.”
Racine didn’t say anything, so I decided to lay it on thick.
“I’ve heard tales of your great magic and deeds,” I said in an awed tone. “I’ve traveled a long way for the opportunity to learn from the best wizard in the land.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but I could tell my words were making an impact on the court wizard.
“Tom, you say?” Racine scratched his scraggly, patchy beard as he thought over my offer. “How much are you willing to pay?”
“Name your price.” I shrugged, and I crossed the room to take a seat on the arm chair.
I watched for any signs of him calling the guards, but he seemed to be actually considering my offer. He had to have a taste for gold if that was all it took for him to agree to teach me.
“I say five thousand gold pieces,” Racine announced with narrowed eyes, and I could tell he was waiting for me to refuse.
“Alright.” I grinned. “You have a deal. Let’s get started.”
“I want to see the gold first,” the wizard argued with a shake of his head.
“Show me the magic,” I countered, “and I’ll show you the gold.”
“It is not something that can easily be taught to the uninitiated,” Racine pressed.
“I am not uninitiated,” I informed him as my face split into a grin. Then I held up the palm of my hand and summoned a fire ball by muttering the magic word. “Fur!”
Fire blazed into existence, and I tossed it into the air like a soft ball. The orb of flame trailed through the air and then puffed out when it found nothing to burn.
“You were saying?” I asked with a coolly arched eyebrow.
“Very well.” Racine frowned as he scanned me up and down. “I suppose I could get you pointed in the right direction. We don’t have the lifetimes it would take to learn what I know.”
“Oh, we do,” I chuckled, but I didn’t press my argument any further. “I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what I already know.”
“Speaking of which, what do you know?” Racine asked. “I see you have a fire spell, but what do you know about summoning magic?”
“I’ve seen summoned creatures before,” I explained vaguely. “But I know nothing of how to create them.”
“Interesting.” Racine stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I wonder if it was one of mine.”
“Probably not.” I shrugged. “Unless you’re the only wizard who can summon.”
“As far as I know,” Racine replied, “I am.”
“So, do you have a workshop or other area where we can get started?” I was eager to learn as much as I could about summoning monsters, and I didn’t want Racine to change his mind about teaching me, either.
Thankfully, he was too greedy to pass the opportunity up.
“Yes, follow me,” the court wizard said as he stood from his couch and moved toward the hallway. He led me to a door hidden behind a tapestry, and he pulled it to the side to reveal a set of stairs that curled down below ground level.
I walked carefully down the stone steps since they were slightly slippery from condensation, and Racine grabbed one of the candles from the wall to illuminate the path more efficiently. We followed the curve of the stairs down and around in a spiral, and it seemed like we traveled many levels below ground before we came to a thick wooden door.
The door was unadorned and plain wood with iron hinges and handle, but the court wizard shot me a hesitant glance before he pushed it open and walked through the portal.
Inside was a cavernous room built into the very heart of the mountain the Duke of Arginold’s castle sat on, and my eyes widened as I saw what was before me. Cages full of snarling werewolves filled the space to my left, but I saw daylight through a small tunnel between the iron bars and fur. To my right were workbenches, bookshelves, and shelves full of vials and jars of various shapes and sizes.
Oil lamps were strung along the cave-like walls, and they illuminated the space enough for me to see into every corner. I saw baskets full of wands, staves, and ordinary looking brooms, and the books stacked on the shelves all appeared ancient and worn. I meandered around as I got a good look at everything, but then Racine beckoned me over to a workbench.
“Are you ready to get started?” the court wizard asked.
“I was born ready.” I grinned.
The God of Time was about to learn how to summon my own monsters.