Chapter Fourteen
Several things happened at once, and the room erupted into chaos. First, the glass casket shattered, and then Dumas jumped back, but he tripped over his robe and went flying to the floor. The undead corpse lunged from the platform, and all the nobles screamed as they rushed away from the center of the room.
Mahini, Elissa, and Eva all clutched daggers in their hands they’d pulled from who knows where, and I made a mental note to investigate their outfits for secret sheaths later. In any case, it was sexy as hell, and I was proud of them for not running away.
Jaxtom, Riondale, Jeron, Niconor, and Kylor moved to make a protective circle around me, but I was already on the move.
“Give me a dagger,” I said as I thrust out my open palm, and Mahini immediately placed the hilt of a blade within my grasp. Then I launched myself over the table toward the undead man, and I flipped the weapon around until the tip was pointed toward my wrist.
“Look out!”
“He’s going to get killed!”
“Somebody do something!”
I ignored the clamoring voices and the screams of the nobles as I made my way across the distance to the shattered remains of the casket. The dead man had tossed his legs over the side, and he was sitting in an upright position on top of the cart the glass box had been placed upon.
I gritted my teeth with determination, and then I swung my arm out in a downward slash to stab the dead man in the back. My blade pierced his flesh, but no blood pooled from the wound, so I withdrew the weapon and tried again. I stabbed him two, then three, then multiple times, but the dead man merely grunted in response.
Then I reached around from behind him, and I slashed the edge of my blade across the dead man’s throat so deeply his head began to tilt backward. The corpse sputtered out a dry sound, and horrified screams filled my ears, but I kept hacking through the decaying flesh until the neck was completely severed. Only the spine remained, but it was enough to keep the undead man in this world.
“Son of a bitch.” I frowned. “Anyone have a sword?”
I had a feeling if I took off its head, then it would collapse dead once more, but I wasn’t one-hundred percent certain, so I whipped my gaze around in search of Dumas. I found the necromancer still on the floor, but he was crawling away from the undead creature toward the king’s table.
I quickly crossed the distance to him, reached down, and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. The thin man didn’t weigh much, so I hauled him to his feet and gave him a pointed look.
“How about you clean up your mess?” I frowned. “Before it hurts somebody.”
“The glass wasn’t supposed to break…” Dumas shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know what happened…”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have brought a dead man to the party?” I pointed out.
“No worries,” a friendly voice said from behind me. “I can handle this ‘ol man easily enough.”
I swiveled my head to see who had spoken, and I came face to face with the oddest-looking man I’d ever seen. I didn’t know if he was a human or a monster, but he had furry ears sticking out of his shaggy brown hair, and a tail swished back and forth behind him. His eyes were a warm honey color, and his lips twitched into a smile as he crossed the distance to the center of the room.
“Raz,” the man murmured, and he flicked his hand in an intricate pattern until a plume of gray-blue smoke erupted from his palm. The cloud swirled and shifted until it formed itself into the shape of a long, curved saber, and the man twisted his wrist to reposition the translucent magical blade in his grasp.
He looked fucking cool as hell, and I wondered how hard it was to summon the ghostly blade. I’d heard the word of power he used to conjure the weapon, but it would take me some time to get the hand movements down. It would go a lot faster if I could somehow convince him to teach me, though, and I felt a familiar wave of determination settle into my gut.
I watched while the ghost-sword-wielding dude spun in a circle and lobbed the undead man’s head from his spine. The two pieces of corpse fell in opposite directions, and they ceased their movements. I let out a sigh of relief, and then I decided I’d had enough fun for one lifetime, so I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
I watched Zorya’s presentation, battled against Kane, and then waited for Dumas’ turn. The necromancer wheeled out his glass coffin with a proud look on his face, and I shook my head. If only he knew what was going to happen to his precious experiment. I didn’t want the undead man to cause havoc for a second time, but I wasn’t sure how to stop the casket from shattering when the corpse woke up.
Maybe the king and the royal mage would listen to reason and prevent Dumas from presenting his magical abilities. I knew they wanted to showcase every wizard they could, but I didn’t think they wanted to ruin a perfectly good banquet with a zombie on the loose.
Before Dumas could begin his presentation, I crossed the room to the king’s table, and I bowed my head slightly in greeting.
“Your Majesty.” I frowned. “Dumas is about to unleash an undead upon the summit, and I would advise against allowing him to continue.”
“The Duke of Edinburg would be personally insulted if we prevented his court wizard from participating in tonight’s event.” King Frederick shook his head. “No, if anything happens, we are more than prepared to handle it, Your Grace. Please, enjoy the festivities, and try to relax. You don’t have to save the world every moment, do you?”
While I didn’t appreciate his condescending tone, two could play at that game.
“Alright.” I shrugged. “I’ll let you handle the undead about to be set loose on your fancy banquet.”
Then, without another word, I turned and headed in the direction of the wizards lined up against the wall. I heard the king scoff, but I ignored him, and I continued to look for the man who had interfered during my previous run through.
I found the furry-eared man among the group to the left of the throne room entrance, and I scanned him over as I approached. He wore nondescript leather armor instead of the tunics and cloaks worn by the rest of the wizards, and a pouch hung from his belt where a sword would normally be. His boots were well-used, and dirty, but I had to respect a man who showed up to a royal banquet dressed comfortably.
I marched straight up to the man, and I struck out my hand for him to shake. I felt the thick pads on his palms and the pelt-like hair on the back when he placed his hand in mine, and I almost pulled his fist up for closer inspection. He wasn’t a new pet, he was a wizard, and I wasn’t sure if he was even human, so it would be smart to be cautious in my dealings with him.
“I’m Bash, the Archduke,” I said in a hurried tone. “I know you’re going to want to rush into action in a little bit, but I need you to stay put. Okay? I’ll take care of the undead dude.”
“I do not understand.” The man scrutinized me through narrowed eyes, and he pursed his lips together as he thought over my words. “I see no undead.”
“Not yet,” I huffed. “In a few moments. I’m just saying, no matter what happens, I want you to stay in this spot. Can you do that for me?”
“Who did you say you were again?” The cat-man sounded skeptical, and his tail flicked with an air of suspicion.
I lifted my chin and looked him square in the eyes. “I am Sir Sebastian, the God of Time, the Archduke of Bastianville, and the Dragon Slayer.”
“That’s a mouthful.” The man smirked, but there was no disrespect in his tone. “Can I just call you Bash? You said that earlier, and I think it would be easier to remember.”
“Sure.” I grinned. I had a good feeling about this guy, but I’d withhold judgement until I learned more about him. “So, what do you think? Can you promise me you won’t interfere with anything that happens next?”
“I guess.” The man shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I am prone to jumping into action when it’s required, so you could be on to something. Are you a diviner?”
“Something like that.” I matched his shrug with one of my own. “Enjoy the show, but from a distance, and everything will be fine.”
“Alright, Bash.” The man nodded, and he hooked his thumbs in his belt as he rocked back onto his heels. “I’ll stay put.”
“Thanks.” I waved over my shoulder as I headed back to my seat, and I noticed the king’s eyes following me from the mage to my table.
Viceroy had just finished introducing Edinburg’s court wizard when I regained my place at the head of my table, and I leaned back in a comfortable position while I waited for the chaos to unfold. With the cat-man standing down, it would be left up to Frederick to protect the people by taking command. The king was certain he could handle the situation without my help, so I was looking forward to seeing how he responded.
Then Dumas bowed before the nobles with a haughty smirk upon his face, and he began to intone about the dead man in the casket before us. His words made me wonder if the man in the glass box had been a servant to Edinburg’s court wizard. It was kind of fucked up if I thought about it too much, so I shook my head to dispel my thoughts and refocused on the presentation.
Once again, Dumas made eye contact with me from across the room as he dropped his own blood into the dead man’s forehead. This time, I frowned back at the necromancer, and a questioning look flashed across his eyes.
Then the dead man began to stir, and the glass casket was placed under immense pressure as the zombie rattled against his cage walls. The nobles gasped in shock, but then their reactions turned to horror as the glass shattered, and the undead man lunged from the cart. Dumas scurried backward, and he tripped over his own robes again. The necromancer fell to the floor with a cry of alarm, and the undead man turned his gaze toward the man who’d summoned him.
The sound of clattering dishes and scraping chairs joined the screams of fear, and everyone tried to press toward the door. I stayed where I was seated, and I even kicked my legs up onto the edge of the table while I waited for the king to do something. I noticed the cat-man hesitating near the doorway, and his gaze kept returning to the zombie in the center of the room.
“Please, calm yourselves!” King Frederick yelled, and a few of the escaping nobles halted in their path to the exits. “Dumas! Get to your feet and control your creature!”
The king had jumped to his feet, and he leaned over the table as he glared down at the necromancer. His face was flushed red, and his eyebrows were furrowed together. I’d never seen the king so pissed before, but his reaction was a relief. I was worried for a moment that he would be too weak-willed to do anything, but he’d proven me wrong.
All he had to do now was get the situation fully under control, and I would know what kind of leader the king was.
“Aren’t you going to do something, Bash?” my wife asked, and she gripped my arm with an anxious grasp.
“Permission to act, Great One,” Mahini requested in a clipped tone as she locked the undead in her piercing gaze.
“All you girls have are daggers if things get out of hand,” I pointed out. “But for now, stand down.”
“How did you kno--,” Eva started to say before she cut herself short with a shake of her head. “Never mind.”
I jerked my chin to signal for them to pay attention to the center of the room, and we all turned our gaze back to the undead lumbering toward the necromancer with obviously deadly intent.
“He’s going to kill him, Bash,” Elissa said as her eyes widened with concern.
“If he dies, I’ll fix it.” I scratched my stubble beard with a casual air, and the girls all looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “Trust me, alright?”
“I trust you with my life, Great One,” Mahini assured me instantly.
“Of course, we trust you,” Eva said in a soft voice, but she bit her lip with worry as her smoky-gray eyes flicked to the zombie and the necromancer. “You always know what you’re doing…”
Elissa frowned, but she didn’t argue any further, and she kept her emerald eyes on the scene unfolding before us.
The king also watched the necromancer and the zombie closely, and the longer the chaos continued to unfold, the angrier he became. He clenched the fancy table cloth in his fists, and his eyebrows were furrowed together into a straight line. His lips were set in a thin line, and he wore a hard expression upon his face.
Dumas scrambled to his feet, and he looked back and forth between the zombie and the king for a long while as the undead made slow progress toward him. Then the necromancer began to back up in the direction of the king’s table, and a worried murmur swept through the anxious crowd. Everyone was on their feet except for my women and me, and half the people in the room had already disappeared out the door, so the murmurs were easily audible in the echoey throne room.
“We’re all going to die!”
“Somebody do something!”
“Kill it!”
“What are we standing around for? Let’s get out of here!”
I ignored the other nobles while I watched to see what Dumas would do, but it seemed as though the necromancer was fighting an internal battle. His fingers twitched, but he didn’t move to stop the zombie as it drew steadily closer to him, and the court wizard slowly retreated toward the king’s table.
I looked for Edinburg among the audience remaining in the room, but I couldn’t find the impossibly old man anywhere, so I assumed he’d already left the audience chamber. The duke should be held responsible for whatever his wizard’s zombie did, but it looked like he was just as scared as the majority of the other nobles.
“Sir!” Riondale’s voice cut through the voices that surrounded me. “What are my orders?”
“Stand down,” I commanded. “Not our jurisdiction.”
“How can you say that?” Bellona shook her head, and her eyes were full of fear.
“The king instructed me to calm down and relax, so that’s exactly what I intend to do.” I shrugged, and I returned my gaze to the zombie crawl.
The undead man was less than two meters away from the necromancer, but Dumas was quickly adding distance between them as he progressed backward. Then the court wizard bumped up against the king’s table, and he climbed over the top to the other side.
Then Viceroy rose unsteadily to his feet, and the royal mage turned to face the zombie with a determined expression. The older wizard lifted the palms of his hands and aimed them at the undead man, and the next thing I knew, there were streaks of flames shooting from his hands toward the awakened corpse.
The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and the screech of pain the thing emitted made my ears hurt. I had to cover my eyes with my arm since the heat of the blaze was so strong, and when I looked again, there was nothing but the ashy pile of remains left in the center of the room.
Viceroy was a badass, and it was no surprise how he’d risen to the rank of royal mage. It was good to know there was a talented wizard among the king’s household since I wasn’t sure how many nobles were working against the throne.
Dumas certainly didn’t have any loyalty to the crown, and he stood behind the king with a smug look on his face while Viceroy straightened his robe and returned to his seat.
The king’s face had softened to a less intense rage, and he also returned to his seat at the head table, but he shot Dumas a scathing glare.
“Take your things and go,” the king instructed in a terse voice.
The necromancer frowned, but he didn’t argue. He didn’t bow, either, but he made his way toward the entrance of the audience chamber with his head held high. As Dumas departed, my gaze fell upon the cat-man, and the furry-eared man was shaking his head with disbelief.
I wondered who he was, and if the ghost-like swords were the only magic he could use. I supposed the only way to find out would be to wait and see, though, so I settled back down in my chair and waited for the next performance of magical prowess to begin.
Some of the nobles who’d left the room began to filter back in, and everyone returned to their seats. Servants scurried about to set straight the dishware knocked off by the people’s sudden motions, but soon the room was righted, and Viceroy rose from his chair.
The royal mage was met with a hushed silence after his own display of skill, and I had to admit, I had a lot more respect for the man after seeing what he was capable of.
I needed to get a fire spell as strong as his before my time in Vallenwood was over, that was for sure. I still had a lot to learn from the gathered wizards present at the summit of nobility, and I was ready for the chaos to be over so we could move on to more interesting things. Like all the weirdly dressed and odd-looking people lined up against the wall.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” Viceroy cleared his throat. “I apologize for the unplanned aspects of the previous display, but we are now moving on to the next set of presentations. All of you have already witnessed my power, so I will forfeit my turn to the next person to make up for lost time. Please, turn your attention to our next guest, and our final presenter from Sorreyal, Burnyolf.”
The enchanter joined Viceroy at the center of the room, but a small army of servants followed him with boxes and crates full of a variety of items, if the lumpy shapes of the fabric that covered them was any indication. I had a feeling the enchanter was presenting some of his magical weapons and gear, and I was eager to see if he had anything extra powerful.
Burnyolf bowed low to all of the nobles, starting with the king, and his lips twitched into a smile when his eyes fell upon me. The last time I’d seen the enchanter was after the dragon had attacked Castle Bullard, but he’d helped me save the town from the effects of the beast’s fire breath. He was a good man, and I was glad to see a familiar face among the crowd of strange wizards.
In the end, the enchanter didn’t bring anything I found very appealing, and I even recognized a few of the items from the last time I was in Burnyolf’s shop. While the older mage had been incredibly useful when I made my griffon feather boots, it seemed as though his skills were on a lower level than what I needed at this point.
“Why is there only one woman among the wizards?” my wife asked in a thoughtful tone. “Can’t we use magic, too?”
I didn’t want my wife to think I wasn’t the all-knowing god I professed to be, so I merely shrugged.
This was a medieval fantasy world, and while there were some exceptions to the patriarchal rules, like Mahini being a badass warrior woman, it did seem like women held a lower status than men, but I didn’t know the full answer to her question. I’d have to find out all the facts before my final run through, but for the moment, I decided to let it go so I could focus on the wizards.
Burnyolf finished his presentation of magical items, and Viceroy rejoined him in the center of the room while the enchanter busied himself repacking his boxes. The parade of servants returned to help him cart them away again, and then the royal mage shook his hand.
“Thank you, Master Burnyolf, for that calm display of your skills,” the royal mage said in a voice loud enough for all to hear, and I heard a few snickers from the nobles.
I clapped my hands pointedly, and soon everyone in the room had joined in with the applause, and the enchanter flashed me a grateful smile as he turned to leave.
“The next group of magic users have traveled from all over the world to be here this evening. They have come from as far as the Northern Reaches, the Zaborial Isles, and some from even further lands beyond the sea. Among our presenters we have mages from the Kotar Desert, and shamans from the Wild Lands to the south.” Viceroy fixed the line of magic users across the room with a hard stare, and his next words were primarily directed at the upcoming presenters. “I trust we will have no more incidents or lapses in control.”
With his fire power and high rank to back up his words, I had a feeling the mages were listening closely, but I would reinforce his instructions as well.
Viceroy announced the next mage, and then a hunch-backed old man wearing a thick fur coat trotted over to the center of the room. He was a wizard from the Northern Reaches, and he had graying blond hair, pale skin, and a scowl upon his face.
I leaned forward with anticipation, but I was slightly disappointed to discover he was a low-level ice wielder. My ice spell was comparable to his abilities, and I didn’t see anything I didn’t already know.
The ice wielder was followed by several other cold climate elemental wizards, and the temperature in the room dropped steadily during the course of the presentations from the Northern Reaches. All the wizards from the north wore heavy furs despite the heat in the room, and they all had paler skin and almond-shaped eyes.
I made a mental note about where the boundaries of Sorreyal laid, and I realized I’d been close to the Northern Reaches when I’d traveled to Arginold city. I’d have to return someday and explore the wintery realm above the kingdom’s northern boundary.
The display of magical prowess from all over the world was helping me get some ideas about where all I wanted to travel to in the future, and I was beginning to realize just how big this medieval fantasy world really was. The possibilities were endless, my potential to kick ass was unlimited, and excitement began to course through my veins, but I reminded myself to be patient.
I was the God of Time, so I had all the time in the world.
My three women and my entourage watched closely as the magic users from the Northern Reaches showed off their skills, but I quickly grew bored of the icy spectacle. By the time Viceroy returned to the center of the room, icicles hung from the ceiling, and my women shivered in their thin clothing.
I ran through several chimes as I memorized the words of power and hand gestures I heard the mages use, and there was more than one time where I caused an uproar by casting the same spell as the presenter.
The next wizard Viceroy introduced was another enchanter, so the room had a chance to warm up a little bit while the mage showed off his enchanted weapons and armor. All the enchantments focused on frost and ice capabilities and would come in handy when I traveled to the north, but without the workshop and other tools required for the trade, I wouldn’t be able to learn how it was done, so I tucked it away for later consideration.
My appetite got a second wind while Viceroy was in between presenters, and I began to pick over the desserts that remained on the table, but then I heard Mahini gasp. My eyes shot up in search of what had startled the desert goddess, and I found a strange-looking man standing in the center of the room.
He wore black robes that covered his entire arms past his wrists, and his head was shaved bald. His scalp was covered in tribal-looking tattoos, and his skin was darkly tanned.
“What’s wrong?” I asked Mahini with a concerned look.
“He is from the Kotar Desert,” the desert goddess informed me with wide blue eyes.
“My name is Isik.” The mage bowed low to the king, and he repeated the motion for every table in the room.
Then, without hesitation or saying anything else, the mage began to spout huge flames from the palms of his hands up to the ceiling until the room was filled with melting droplets. A moment later, all the icicles were gone, and the temperature of the throne room had risen by a substantial amount.
“Furraz!” Isik shouted, and a fireball the size of a basketball burst into existence in the palm of his hand.
The watching nobility oohed and aahed as the fire mage juggled the ball of flames from hand to hand, and the orb reached higher and higher into the air with each pass.
This was something I wanted to learn right then and there, so I pushed my chair away from the table and waved my hand over my head as I approached the fire mage.
The flame in his hand snuffed out when he spotted me, and a confused frown wrinkled his brow.
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked in his strangely-accented voice. “Why are you stopping me?”
“Hey, there,” I greeted with a grin. “My name is Bash. I’m the Archduke and a bunch of other stuff, too. I stopped the presentation so you could show me how you summon such a big fireball. Once I learn how to do it, we can let the show continue.”
“I-I-I do not understand…” Isik shook his tattooed head. “It has taken me my entire life to perfect my fire. To teach it would take years.”
“I have the time, don’t worry. The next time I ask you, I’ll have already made progress.” I shrugged. “What’s the harm in trying?”
“Attempting to cast spells beyond your ability is very dangerous,” Isik pointed out. “You could overextend yourself and cause yourself bodily harm.”
“Try me.” I crossed my arms over my chest and shot him a confident smile.
“What is the meaning of this interruption?” Viceroy demanded as he joined the two of us in the center of the room.
“Cool it, flame hands,” I said as I raised my palms to the royal mage. “I’m just going to learn what Isik can do real quick, and then the show can continue.”
“W-What?” Viceroy’s eyes widened, and he blinked at me for several moments. “You can’t do that.”
“I’m the Archduke, and the God of Time,” I pointed out. “I don’t see the king jumping up to stop me, do you?”
Viceroy shot a questioning glance at the king, but King Frederick merely shrugged.
I waited patiently while the royal mage thought over his next words, and I flashed him a friendly smile when he turned back to me.
“Very well, Your Grace,” Viceroy allowed with an incline of his head. “Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.” I grinned. “I knew you’d come around soon enough.”
“So, I teach you?” Isik asked with a confused expression.
“Yep.” I nodded.
Viceroy shook his head in wonder while he made his way back to the head table to sit with the king, which left me alone with the strong fire wielder in the center of the room. All eyes of the nobles were on us, and curious murmurs swept through the crowd, but I ignored all the attention as I bowed to Isik.
“Alright, let’s start with the word,” Isik said with a decisive nod.
“Furraz,” I said, and my hand began to burn.
“You cannot say it without preparation!” Isik admonished, and he grabbed up my hands to inspect for damage. “It is a powerful spell. We could be here for years.”
“Or seconds.” I shrugged. “Time is a meaningless concept, Isik.”
“I am unfamiliar with the ways of gods.” Isik shook his head in confusion.
“So, what should I do with my hands while I say the power word?” I pressed. “I don’t want my fingers to catch on fire.”
“Here, I shall show you,” Isik said, and he flourished his hands through the motions slowly enough for me to follow. “Now, you try.”
I repeated the motions with my own hands without using the power word, and this time I didn’t feel the heat in my digits, so I released the breath I’d been holding.
“No, no, no,” Isik admonished with a frown, and he corrected the position of my hands. “Try again.”
I repeated the process several times until the fire mage was satisfied with my motions, and then I attempted to pair the movements with the power word.
“Furraz!” I said with emphasis on the ‘az’ as I went through the motions with my hands.
My head was pierced with a stabbing pain, and my hands felt like they were soaked in gasoline then lit on fire, but no ball of flames appeared in my palm. I attempted the same process multiple times until I began to feel faint, and then I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
I watched the presentations for what felt like the millionth time at that point, but I was anxious to get to the fire wielder from the Kotar Desert, so I found myself tapping my foot incessantly beneath the table.
Then Isik took the stage, and I practically hopped across the surface of the table as I rushed forward to learn some more. The fire wielder was impressed I already knew the word of power before he’d even presented any of his skills, but I still couldn’t summon a ball of flames like his.
I used my basic fire spell once just to make sure my magical skills were working, and the small plume of flame was dwarfed now that I knew what kind of fire power was possible.
Isik gave me pointers on my finger positioning, gawked at how much I already knew, and then watched while I failed over and over again. I continued until my head throbbed and my limbs ached, and then I reset.
Chime.
Chime.
Chime.
On the hundredth attempt, I finally managed to have a ball of flames puff into existence for a half second. While Isik scoffed at how brief the fire had lasted, I was proud of the progress I’d made already, so I continued my efforts until I could hold the ball of flames in my hands for three seconds.
At that point, I felt dizzy again, and sweat rolled down my forehead, so I reset back to my save point once more. I’d lived countless lifetimes inside the one royal banquet event, and I knew I’d go through several more respawns before the night was actually over.
Chime.
The ball burned for five seconds before going out.
Chime.
I concentrated my willpower with every ounce of energy I had in me, and Isik shook his head in amazement at how strong and hot my ball of flames was, but I still wasn’t fully satisfied with the result. If I wanted one-hundred percent completion, then I had to have stronger fire power than the strongest mage in this world.
Chime.
I lasted a full minute, and I began to practice some of the juggling techniques I’d seen Isik use during the first run through. I tossed the ball higher and higher in the air until it nearly came crashing down on top of the Duchess of Mistvale’s table.
Woops.
Chime.
Finally, I could hold the ball exactly where I wanted it, and I didn’t even notice the heat of the flames anymore.
“You already know all my techniques.” Isik shook his head after I showed him my ball of flames.
I’d just asked him to teach me for the thousandth time, but I had a feeling he would say something along those lines, so I quickly reset back to my save point once more.
Chime.
During this run through, I spent my time enjoying the show, and I especially appreciated the way Mahini’s face lit up when she saw mages from her homeland. After Isik came a snake conjurer, but I would need to have the tangible item the wizard used to summon the animal myself, and while I was tempted to demand it from the conjuring wizard from the Kotar Desert, I merely memorized the word of conjuration and let time continue. Then came a woman enchanter named Nixi who showed everyone some heat resistant gear and weapons equipped with fire spells.
There were a few more presenters from the Kotar Desert, and then Viceroy returned to the center of the stage to announce the next magic user.
“While we are often at odds with the warlords of the south,” the royal mage began in a loud voice. “The untamed Wild Lands host a variety of people, and not all of them are our enemies. Next we have shamans who have traveled from the furthest reaches of the Wild Lands to be here tonight, and they have come to show you magic that only they can perform.”
We would see about that.
I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched the first presenter join Viceroy in the center of the room. The man looked like he came straight from an African tribe, and I wondered if he even spoke the same language being spoken. He had a thick piercing through his upper lip and carried a gnarled cane. Dark dreads ran down his back, and what looked like moss was covering his exposed skin in patches.
“I, Gruff,” the shaman announced as he thumped his fist against his own chest. “Gruff bring jungle now.”
Apparently, there was a language barrier, but I was pleased the shaman knew some words in the common tongue.
The next thing I knew, however, there were vines sprouting from the ground at Gruff’s feet, and they curled upward toward the ceiling like dancers twirling to the sound of music.
Well, that escalated quickly.
I hadn’t even heard the shaman mutter a power word or make any movements with his staff. He was obviously a powerful magic wielder, and he had put it best when he said he was going to bring the jungle. Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns-N-Roses played in my mind as Gruff made the vines dance around the room, and a grin spread across my face.
While I wasn’t sure if I could find a use for the spell, I wanted to learn it, but I didn’t want to have to sit through all the presentations again, so I made a new save point before I stood up from my chair.
“Hi, Gruff.” I approached the jungle wielder with a friendly smile, and I spotted Viceroy’s frown in my peripheral vision. I had to hurry before the royal mage interrupted my request. “Show me how to bring the jungle?”
“You shaman?” Gruff frowned as he scanned me up and down. “Look like noble.”
“I’m both.” I grinned. “Plus some more things.”
Gruff shook his head in confusion.
“You… show… me,” I said in a painfully slow tone, and I pointed to the vines growing from the floor at our feet. They towered over my head as straight as an arrow, and they shivered slightly as the shaman stared blankly at me.
“What do you think you are doing?” Viceroy’s voice was sharp in my ear. “Do you know his language?”
“Do you?” I countered with a lifted eyebrow.
“He speaks the Guht Guht tongue,” Viceroy explained. “It’s a tribal language. Each of the different clans have their own tongue, so it’s important to make sure you know which is which.”
“How about you translate for me, then?” I asked with a waggle of my eyebrows. “It would be super helpful.”
“What exactly do you need help translating?” Viceroy asked in a confused tone. “This is highly irregular, Your Grace.”
“Just tell him what I say, and you’ll figure it out along the way.” I smirked.
“Very well,” Viceroy sighed. “I suppose you are the Archduke as well as the God of Time.”
He shot a questioning glance at the king, and as if to confirm his words, King Frederick nodded his consent to whatever was happening. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of trust the king placed in me at every opportunity, and I flashed him a grateful smile before I turned my attention back to the shaman.
“Please teach me how to summon the jungle vines,” I said slowly so Viceroy could keep up.
The royal mage spoke in a series of what sounded like clicking noises and grunts, but Gruff was nodding his head in understanding. Then he turned to me and shook his head.
“No,” the shaman said simply.
“Do you need me to translate that?” The corner of the royal mage’s lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile.
“Nah, I got it,” I chuckled. “Ask him why not.”
Viceroy sighed loudly, but he didn’t argue, and he turned to Gruff the shaman again. The two of them conferred with each other in the shaman’s tongue, and then the royal mage sighed again.
“He says you must take a blood oath and join his clan first.” Viceroy patted me on the shoulder sympathetically. “It was worth the try, though. I appreciate a thirst for knowledge in the youth.”
“Who said I was young?” I lifted my eyebrow. “And who said I wasn’t going to take his oath so I can learn that spell?”
“You can’t be serious,” Viceroy gasped. “You would be agreeing to the terms of the tribe Gruff belongs to.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinions, just your translations,” I said in a stern voice. “What if I want to join the Guht Guht clan?”
“But you are the Archduke to his majesty,” Viceroy argued. “It would be a conflict of interest.”
I had every intention of resetting back to my save point before I said anything to the shaman anyway, but there was no way I could explain that to the royal mage.
“Just trust me, Viceroy,” I insisted.
“Very well.” The royal mage let out another dramatic sigh, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
Wizards and their theatrics.
Viceroy turned to Gruff, and they exchanged a few heated words in the shaman’s tongue before the jungle wielder nodded his reluctant consent. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, and I gave the shaman a wide smile.
“Thank you, Gruff.” I reached out my hand to shake his, but he merely blinked at it in confusion. After he left me hanging for several moments, I let my hand fall back to my side.
“You join Guht clan?” Gruff asked, and a spark of hope flashed in his eyes.
“Sure.” I shrugged. “This time, anyway.”
Gruff seemed satisfied with my answer, and he nodded to the royal mage.
“This is highly unusual,” Viceroy complained under his breath, and then he cleared his throat. “Alright. Repeat after me, Your Grace.”
“Ready when you are.” I nodded.
Gruff began to speak in his native tongue, and the royal mage listened for a moment before he began to translate.
“I promise to fight for Guht clan, eat with Guht clan, and bathe in the blood of the enemies of Guht clan every night.” Viceroy’s face paled as the words left his lips, and I wondered briefly if the recuperating wizard was truly up for the night’s duties.
I repeated everything he said perfectly, and I even managed to keep a straight face the entire time. When the words were finished, Gruff spat into his hand and offered it to me palm up.
Oh, now he wanted to shake.
I shook my head in amusement as I spat into my own hand, and then I squished it down onto the shaman’s without hesitation. I remembered the spit promise from when I was a kid, so this was nothing new to me.
After the ritual was completed, Gruff looked me up and down before he nodded in approval.
“You make strong shaman,” he observed. “Now learn jungle magic.”
“Yes, please,” I replied with an enthusiastic tone.
It turned out there was no word of power for summoning the jungle vines, but that wasn’t surprising considering the language difference. Gruff had me making a grunting noise I assumed was a word in his tongue, so I asked Viceroy to translate.
“There is no word for it in our language,” the royal mage explained. “It is specific to the species of vine, and it only grows deep in the south.”
“I guess that makes sense,” I sighed.
I practiced summoning the vines for what felt like hours, but I made little progress. By the time I was running out of steam, the gathered nobles were beginning to loudly complain about how boring the source of entertainment was. The wizards still waiting to perform also moved anxiously about their line, and many shot me hot glares.
I could feel the heat of all the eyes staring at me, but I ignored them so I could focus on learning the new magic. It was definitely addicting.
When I’d given it all I could give, I reset back to my save point to try again.
Chime.
Chime.
Chime.
I went through the magic show portion of the banquet so many times I started to think nothing else existed outside of this one night. Finally, I managed to get a small sprout to spring up from the floorboards, and I whooped with joy.
Using the wild magic of the south was a little bit more complicated than the basic spells I’d learned so far, and I immediately felt a connection to the tiny plant I’d conjured. I wanted to take care of it, nurture it, and help it grow big and strong. Something in me just knew my vines would not reach the same level as the shaman’s had unless I took the time to bond with my vines.
When I was satisfied with the result of my endeavor, I reset for a final time and let the show continue. After Gruff’s dancing vines came a trio of conjurers who summoned jungle cats, wild boars, and lemurs to the throne room, and the animals were met with lots of excited applause.
I supposed people liked cute things, and it was as simple as that.
After the animal conjurers came some earth wielders who could manipulate the earth and other natural things. They made dirt dance around in different designs and shot mud bullets at each other’s earthen shields. It was fun to watch, and I rubbed my hands together with excitement as I prepared to spam my respawns and learn it all.
I lost track of how many times I had reset, and I learned everything I could in the span of one night. Several times I took control over the banquet, but the king never counteracted me. The ruler of Sorreyal was letting me do whatever I wanted without even lifting a finger against me, and I had to wonder what his ultimate intentions were.
Leave it to the God of Time to not trust anyone, even the king himself.
I learned how to fling earthen bullets, how to make a dirt wall build itself, and how to manipulate the ground itself before I finally allowed time to continue onward.
Next came the priests from the Zaborial Isles, and the green-haired men and women wore teal robes that hung just below their knees. They were sailors of the vast ocean that made up one boundary of Sorreyal, and their people were merchants who traveled between kingdoms, so I was eager to learn more about them. They were water and air wielders, but among the priests was a man who could conjure a hawk. The beast flew above the heads of the nobles, and it let out a surprisingly realistic screech before it landed upon the priest’s shoulder.
I was about to reset back to my save point and begin my process of learning all their magical abilities, but then I noticed who the next presenter was.
The cat-man with the furry ears and a ghost sword stood next in line, and I narrowed my eyes as I scanned him over again. He walked with a casual grace, and he had an air of confidence in the way he held his head. He made eye contact with any who looked his way, and then his honey-colored gaze landed on me.
I’d been wanting to learn more about the strange man, and I leaned forward to rest my elbows on the table as he made his way to the center of the room.
Viceroy even smiled at the younger mage as the cat-man came to stand by the royal mage’s side, and I had to admit the sword summoner was immediately likeable.
“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourself for a lovely treat.” Viceroy’s smile grew ever so slightly, and I hadn’t seen him be that friendly with any of the other mages, so I wondered if they were friends. “Coming up next is a newcomer from far away lands. Please welcome Ako Gray of the Heretim Tribe.”
Ako stepped forward and bowed low, but he wore a smirk upon his face when he came back up.
“Thanks, ol chap,” Ako murmured to Viceroy, and then he presented his hands to the audience. “Hello, everyone. You heard the man right, I’m from the Heretim Tribe, which you may know, are shapeshifters. Changing my appearance isn’t all I can do, though, so keep your eyes open and watch closely.”
With all eyes on him and the room in complete silence, Ako flicked his fingers, and a plume of blue-gray smoke emerged. It swirled and shaped itself into a sword, and the crowd oohed and aahed.
The ghost-sword summoning wizard whipped his weapon around in a wide arch. Then he tossed his blade in the air, did a backflip, and caught the translucent sword in his hand once more.
I rose to my feet and began to applaud him, and I gave the rest of my table a pointed look to encourage them to do the same.
Ako Gray was fucking awesome, and I couldn’t wait to learn how to conjure magical swords.
My life just kept getting better and better, but what else could a god expect?