《Tales of the Everblossom: A LitRPG Adventure》 Prologue
¡°We¡¯re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one.¡± - Matt Smith, Doctor Who
The end began with a prophecy: The dragons will fly once more for the one who sings their song. Brothers will be reconciled and life and death shall rise against the darkness. The Survivor will be struck down, but a new power will rise in her place. Child will fight Stone for the power of devils. And the Everblossom will see the truth of all things, For when the old gods awaken, the world will cease to be. Since ancient times, the prophecy remained as mysterious as was expected of such things. The final line, however, remained an integral piece of Echistan¡¯s mythology. The gods were ancient, powerful beings, but even they could not hold a candle to the ones who came before. The old gods slept in the darkest depths of space, where light could not reach, and every mortal, god, and force of nature dreaded the day that the old gods might awake and destroy all that was and might be. Huli stared into the abyss and let the prophecy play through her mind just as she had a hundred times in the past week. She was one of only a few who knew that the events prophesied by the ancient seer had begun to occur. As one of the youngest of the gods, she had nevertheless been pulled into the conflicts that had overtaken much of the world. She had watched the dragons fly under Kali the Serpentcaller. She had brought the brothers Necros and Adalat together and mediated their centuries-long hatred. She had heard tell of the ancient goddess Marrow being killed, but not before Marrow¡¯s own daughter had risen to godhood. And her own friend, Calyn, god of the stone, had fought against the child abomination, Caesura the Damned, for control of the 7 lords of hell. All but the last two lines of the prophecy had been fulfilled, and now it was Huli¡¯s turn. The goddess of love and family wore an elegant gown made of hundreds of strips of red and gold, with a light cloak of shimmering copper, her hood drawn up over piercing green eyes and red-tufted fox ears. Behind her, a bushy tail the color of purest flame twitched, leaving behind after-images of 8 additional tails. She was the Everblossom, and it was time for her to know the truth. If there was a way to save her world, she would find it.. Floating in the nether, Huli lifted her face and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then turned to the figure hovering next to her in bright orange robes. ¡°Show me.¡± The old man with long white hair twisted in a multitude of braids gave Huli a crooked grin, his black eyes clearly portraying the insanity that drove him. Though he wasn¡¯t a god, per se, Prophet Khem had long since gained knowledge that no sentient creature - god or mortal - could comprehend. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked with a manic grin, his voice high pitched and nearly hysterical. ¡°You cannot unsee, and you will not survive the understanding.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I will,¡± Huli insisted. ¡°I must.¡± A cackle, then Khem reached up and pressed a finger against Huli¡¯s forehead. ¡°Then see!¡± Huli gasped as the abyss was pulled back with a violent tearing so loud that it left Huli momentarily deafened. The lights blinded her and she shielded her eyes with a sharp cry. When she could see again, Huli looked upon a vision that she found impossible to comprehend. Colors and shapes were merged with sounds and smells, all so huge and overwhelming that they nearly broke her mind. The shapes twisted in impossible ways and sounds rose into pitches so high that it made her ears bleed, then dropped so low that she couldn¡¯t hear them so much as feel the thrumming in her very bones. Huli had been broken by overwhelming power before, though, and her will was strong as the light she embodied. She let go of her physical form and allowed herself to become one with the vision, all the time holding tight to the core of her being, not to lose herself completely in the knowledge she sought. It took hours, years, a fraction of a second, but eventually the light that was Huli came to comprehend the shapes and sounds that she saw. Six figures sat in a circle. Old gods. In one instant they were massive entities of incomprehensible power. In the next they were humans, sitting in a room around a single table. Papers lay strewn across the table and as Huli merged with the sunlight that filtered in through the nearby window, she took in the mysterious writing. Like the rest of the vision, it started as scribbles so alien that it hurt her mind, but she gripped her core hard and focused, and the writing shifted until she could read it:
Huli, The Everblossom Female Kitsune Goddess of Light, Love, Family Classes: Bard (level 64) Psychic healer (level 91) Rogue (level 22) Sorcerer (level 55) Attributes: Presence: 82 Mind: 104 Spirit: 96 Power: 50 Agility: 68 Endurance: 52 Skills: ¡­
Deep in the light, Huli¡¯s core shuddered in recognition, shock, fear. The old gods¡­ knew her. Then she heard the voices. What had been screams and roars, she could now understand as speech. ¡°...hears someone talking about someone talking. She sees her image on a piece of paper with her name, and many numbers. And she suddenly understands why Prophet Khem said the knowledge would break her. She knows the truth about the old gods, and about her world¡­¡± Shaken to the very essence of her being, Huli¡¯s thoughts rattled in her mind. ...we¡¯re not real. This¡­ this is just a story. I¡¯m¡­ a fictional character. She almost lost herself then, but something caught her and she felt herself held close, deep inside the mind of one of the terrifying old gods. Yes¡­ a voice whispered softly to her. But you are my character. This¡­ is OUR story. Chapter 1: Reboot Chapter 1: Reboot ¡°Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.¡± - Buddha Avery Reynolds yawned hugely as she pulled open the plain glass doors of Johnny¡¯s Eats Bar and Grill. Inside, the yellow light of fluorescent bulbs gave the room a homey atmosphere, with faded images of hamburgers and chicken fried steak on walls covered with wood paneling. Booths of torn faux leather seats surrounded large tables covered in an epoxy surface, scuffed from years of use. The air smelled of bitter coffee and sizzling bacon, and Avery paused to take a deep breath, letting the scents rouse her sleep-addled brain. ¡°Good morning, Miss¡± A deep, gravely voice called from behind the counter. ¡°Your usual today?¡± The deep-bellied man stood towards the back of the open kitchen, dumping a laden scoop of hashbrowns into a to-go container. He grabbed a pair of tongs and tossed long strips of bacon onto the pile of hashed potatoes, then closed the lid. Avery moved further into the diner with a smile and waited for the man in front of the register to pay and step away before she answered. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Rivera. Yes, but the eggs scrambled please, with a little bit of cheese on top.¡± The cook grinned and got to work, even as Avery fought another yawn. ¡°Early morning, eh?¡± He asked, arching an eyebrow at her. Avery shook herself, embarrassed. ¡°Long night,¡± she replied with a shrug. Mr. Rivera smiled and accepted Avery¡¯s payment, then handed her the box of food. Grateful, Avery headed back out to the street to catch her bus. It had been a long night, and she had no one but herself to blame. She had been up until nearly 2 am, raiding with her guild on Tales of the Everblossom. She¡¯d known that she would regret it in the morning but it had been worth it - they had finally killed the final boss of the Prison of Eternity raid, the Dread Prince Temmerell. It had taken them months of beating their heads against the difficult fight, and they hadn¡¯t been sure that they would be able to complete it before the new expansion was released. But they did it, and Avery had had trouble going to sleep even after she logged off, because she¡¯d been just too hyped. Unfortunately, she would now be paying the price of her single-minded focus last night. It was Monday and she¡¯d have to teach a bunch of teenagers how to analyze complex metaphors on 3 hours of sleep. The bus was crowded, but Avery managed to find a seat and squeezed in between a young man in a sharp gray business suit, his long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a 12-year-old boy with spiky purple hair and a nose piercing, holding his backpack on his lap and playing a game on his phone. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Reynolds,¡± the boy greeted her after glancing up from his phone. ¡°Good morning, Conner,¡± Avery shot the boy a warm smile. ¡°Are you ready for your math test today?¡± The boy¡¯s face split into a comical grimace. ¡°Bleuch,¡± he muttered. ¡°Miss Avery, why do we have to study this stuff? It¡¯s so stupid.¡± Avery considered for a moment, then asked, ¡°Can you tell me, how many days will you need to work at Grungy¡¯s in order to afford that new hoverboard that you want?¡± Conner¡¯s face fell and his brows furrowed. He shrugged. ¡°I dunno.¡± Avery smiled. ¡°Well. I guess that¡¯s why you need math, huh?¡± She watched the boy scrunch up his nose, and she chuckled, then let him return to his game. Normally, Avery would have pulled out her own phone and checked her various chat messages, but today she instead leaned her head back and let her eyes drift closed. She once more relished in the feeling of accomplishment. It hadn¡¯t even been the fact that they had killed the dread prince that had felt so good. It was that crystalline moment when everything had just¡­ clicked. It was like in that instant, Avery and her friends had been as one. Every movement choreographed perfectly, every attack anticipated, their teamwork flawless. It was those moments of pure unity that made every grind worth it, in Avery¡¯s opinion. It was what she lived for. Avery wasn¡¯t sure when she had drifted off, but she awoke with a start when Conner pulled at her arm. ¡°Come on, Miss Reynolds! We¡¯re here!¡± Avery shook herself awake, embarrassed that she¡¯d actually fallen asleep on the bus, but eternally grateful for the young boy. She followed Conner and a few other kids off the bus and down the street to the block of cement and steel that made up Northridge Public Secondary School. The teenagers rushed into the building, but Avery paused at the edge of the lot, staring up at the building. The eastern side was new, the metallic supports still shining brightly, and the gray walls smooth and unblemished. The new wing had finished construction the previous spring, and the sight of it still filled Avery with pride and excitement. She wasn¡¯t sure how she had scored one of the new classrooms, but there it was - third floor, 4th window from the right. Her classroom. New furniture, new technology, and (best of all) windows! All hers. As with every time she looked up at her classroom, Avery¡¯s delight was accompanied with the slightest feeling of unease. She wasn¡¯t sure how she had managed to become one of the senior educators in her department. Even after 6 years of teaching, she still felt like such an amateur, and most of the time she thought she had no idea what she was doing. She had no idea how it happened that her colleagues actually seemed to respect her abilities and she was absolutely sure that someday they would realize how little she actually knew. For now, though, she would enjoy the new classroom and the thought that maybe, just maybe, she might someday feel like she had earned the respect they had for her. Taking a deep breath, Avery prepared herself to be her best self - at least for a Monday, on 3 hours of sleep - and turned to follow the students into the building. She had barely taken a couple steps, however, before she stumbled as her world went momentarily dark. Thrown off balance, Avery tripped and landed hard on the sidewalk, the concrete skinning the palms of her hands even as her to-go breakfast tumbled out into the street. She was distracted from everything else, though, when a window popped up right in front of her eyes. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Planetary Reboot Commencing System: Tales OS 10.1 Please Wait¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Welcome, Avery, to Tales of the Everblossom, Patch 10.1: Gaia Reawakened.
Avery blinked, then shook her head. Was she hallucinating? Dreaming? Had she fallen and hit her head too hard? She tried to look around, but every way she turned her head, the window remained in view. It was vaguely translucent but the view through it was a smokey gray. Feeling frustrated, Avery shook her head as if trying to knock the window loose and in a blink, it vanished, allowing Avery to see her surroundings clearly again. She still sat on the sidewalk in front of the school, the dawn light only just beginning to peak over the walls that separated the educational buildings from the rest of the city. At first glance, Avery thought she was alone, but then she turned and spotted movement on the sidewalk behind her, near the bus stop. Three teenagers were standing around a fourth kid who lay sprawled on the grass. Avery started forward, frowning, then stopped when she realized she knew the kids. They were her own students, and not kids she would have expected to see bullying another. Greggori and Trevor were brothers, with Geoffrey a year older. Greggori was a member of the competitive science team, while Trevor ran track. The single female was Jasmine, Greggori''s on-again-off-again girlfriend. Teenage dramas made Avery¡¯s head spin, but the two were usually amiable enough even when they weren¡¯t attached at the hip. The boy on the ground was Leo, who Avery had in her basic reading class. He had dyslexia and Avery feared that years of traditional schooling had left him in a permanent state of discouragement and self-loathing, at least where education was concerned. Only mildly worried, Avery continued towards the group, and was a few dozen feet away when she saw Trevor turn towards the alley between a pair of squat 2-story buildings. ¡°What the-¡± he muttered but broke off when a shape leapt out of the dawn shadows and charged towards them. At first glance, Avery thought it was a medium-sized dog, but the hissing sound it made was like no canine Avery had ever heard. She raced forward even as Jasmine pulled Leo to his feet and they all turned to run towards Avery, away from the charging animal. Later, Avery would wonder what possessed her to charge towards the animal. She wasn¡¯t a fighter and didn¡¯t actually know what to do with a wild dog, one that probably had rabies. But she knew that she was the adult, and had to protect her kids. So, she positioned herself between the shape and her charges at the very moment that it leapt. She raised her arm at the last minute, intending to knock the animal aside while reaching with her other hand in an attempt to grab its collar if it had one, or the scruff of its neck if it didn¡¯t. Instead, the thing latched onto her forearm and 2 pairs of fangs sunk deep into her flesh, one set from the top of the jaws and a smaller set coming up from the lower jaw. Avery let out a scream of pain - she had never been bitten before, and the agony was almost enough to short circuit her thoughts. She managed to stay in control of her body, however, and took a grip of the scruff of the creature''s neck with her free hand. Chunks of her flesh tore loose as she ripped the creature free, and it caused her to cry out again as more pain spiked through her. Her injured arm dangled at her side as she leaned over and smashed the creature to the ground with her good hand. She would never have considered animal cruelty to be an option, but she needed to put this beast out of commission before it did any more damage to her, or her students. The beast writhed under her hand, struggling to get free as she pushed his neck against the ground, but a large backpack landed on the creature with a thud and one of the students leaned down to put all his weight on the pack, effectively forcing the animal to lay flat against the ground. With the creature momentarily grappled, Avery took a moment to study it, and she gaped. What she had thought to be a rabid dog turned out to be a massive rat! The thing must have been 4 feet long from nose to tail and the fangs in the mouth that continued to gnash in her direction were nearly 4 inches long. Its fur was dark gray and matted and there were large tumors on several of its legs and at the base of its tail. Its eyes were pitch black, which Avery found mildly curious, if creepy. She had assumed that a large evil rodent would have glowing red eyes. Behind her, Jasmine let out a high pitched scream as they also got a chance to study the thing that had attacked them and Avery heard Trevor yell, ¡°Kill it, Miss Reynolds!¡± Avery hadn¡¯t ever killed a creature in her life, but she figured there was no other proper response for a real life, ROUS. She tried to lift the thing¡¯s head and slam it against the ground, but it squirmed in her grasp. Her injured hand was useless and she almost lost her grip on the rat¡¯s neck before one of the boys - Leo - ran forward and smashed his foot down onto the rat¡¯s head with a bone-chilling crunch. The rat gave the barest of squeaks before going limp beneath Avery¡¯s grip. For a long moment, no one moved. Avery¡¯s wasn¡¯t the only breathing that was heavy from exertion and adrenaline. Slowly, Avery pushed to her feet, then swayed. Jasmine screamed again, ¡°Miss Reynolds, your arm!¡± Lightheaded from the loss of blood, Avery looked down at her shredded arm. She swallowed and nodded, trying to process the situation in her foggy mind. Bleeding¡­ what did you do for a bleeding injury? Greggori acted first and he tore off his jacket, then pulled Avery¡¯s arm up to wrap it in the article of clothing. The pain from the movement of her arm made Avery grit her teeth to hold back another scream, but a grunt escaped her as she let herself be lowered to the ground. She focused on breathing through the pain while Greggori wrapped her arm, then she accepted the water bottle that he handed her. After a few sips and more deep breaths, Avery was able to focus through the pain on her surroundings. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± The four students nodded, though they all looked shocked and pale. ¡°What was that Miss?¡± Trevor asked, his eyes wide in a combination of fear and awe. Avery shook her head. ¡°I have no idea.¡± She glanced over at Leo and arched her eyebrow with a nod. ¡°Good stomp. Thanks.¡± Leo gave an embarrassed shrug, but they all froze at the sound of another hissing screech from down the street. ¡°More of them?!¡± Jasmine squeaked and Avery pushed to her feet. ¡°Back to the school. Get inside. NOW!¡± The kids didn¡¯t need any more encouragement, but they also weren¡¯t willing to leave their teacher behind. Avery ran as fast as she could, holding her injured arm close to her chest to keep it from being jostled too much, and the five of them made haste towards the school doors. They were a few hundred feet out when, in the lead, Greggori skidded to a stop, nearly causing Trevor to run into him. They all stood, gasping for breath, as two more of the giant rats scuttled out from behind a trash bin to stand between them and the door into the school. ¡°Well, fuck.¡± Avery muttered. Trevor shot his teacher a look, ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to cuss, Miss Reynolds.¡± ¡°I think,¡± Avery replied, glancing behind her to where the other sounds had been coming from, ¡°That the circumstances call for a few expletives, don¡¯t you?¡± Trevor started to reply, but Greggori interrupted him, ¡°Watch out!¡± In front of them, the two giant rodents hissed and charged. Chapter 2: Quests & Questions Chapter 2: Quests and Questions ¡°The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.¡± - Joseph Campbell Avery tried to leap out of the way, but she was still a little unsteady from her injury and the run. She tripped over an uneven part of the concrete and would have planted her face into the sidewalk if Leo hadn¡¯t caught her. The other students had scattered as well, and the two rats homed in on their targets. One of the rats charged at Greggori, who had been the closest, while the other leapt at Trevor. Trevor was able to dodge the flying ball of fur and teeth, though, and when the rodent landed, it turned, nose twitching. Then it turned his face towards Avery, clearly smelling the blood from her wound. Avery barely noticed the new attention, though, as a new window popped up into her vision, startling her.
Quest [In Progress]: Save the Students Description: You and your students are being attacked by a pack of dire rats, and more are certainly on their way. The only way to escape the rodents is to get inside the school and close the doors. Objective: Defend the students and get them to safety inside the school. Status: 0 out of 3 students saved Reward: 200xp, 30 copper coins, possible additional awards based on performance
A cry broke through Avery¡¯s distraction and she shook her head, willing the window to disappear. Just in time, she saw the rat lunge at her and she kicked out with a scream of indignation, kicking the creature hard in its side. The height of her kick took out some of the power behind it, but she was able to surprise it long enough to knock it back, at which point, Trevor appeared and swung his backpack at it. Out of the corner of her eye, Avery saw Greggori and Leo fending off the second rat while Jasmine stood by, wringing her hands. ¡°Jasmine!¡± Avery yelled. ¡°Get to the door and open it! We need to escape inside!¡± After an instant¡¯s hesitation, Jasmine bolted for the class doors that led into the front office of the school. She tugged at the door, but it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°It¡¯s locked, Miss!¡± She yelled back. Avery mentally cursed. The doors should not have been locked - not at this time of day. As she thought about it, another realization struck her and she glanced around. With all the chaos, she hadn¡¯t thought to notice that something else was very wrong. It was early in the morning, and there should have been an influx of students and faculty arriving for the school day. But the only people in sight were her and her four students. The world itself had gone eerily quiet while Avery had been distracted. Now it sent a chill up her spine and she felt like they might be the last people alive in the world. ¡°We can break the glass.¡± The words from Greggori caused Avery to once more refocus on the immediate problems. ¡°No,¡± Avery shouted, even as she pulled her leg away from the snap of vicious jaws, then tried to stomp on the long tail of the rat. She missed and it swiped at her shin with long claws, shredding long gashes in her slacks and slicing deep into her skin. Avery grunted and stepped back, wincing as she put weight on the injured leg. She kept a wary eye on the rat, even as she pulled her school ID from around her neck. ¡°Here!¡± She tossed it to Trevor, who caught it deftly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this one¡¯s attention. Take this to Jasmine. It should unlock the doors.¡± Trevor hesitated for a moment, then he dropped his backpack and ran. The rat tried to snap at him as he dashed past, but Jasmine kicked the backpack, heavy with Trevor¡¯s laptop, with her good foot. She had played soccer for years as a child, and while her sister had become the semi-professional, Avery still remembered the basics. She gritted her teeth against the pain as she put her weight on her injured leg and threw all her frustration into the kick, driving the backpack into the rat. It didn¡¯t injure it, but it did knock it over, and Avery didn¡¯t give it time to recover. She grabbed the backpack by the strap and swung it over her shoulder to slam it back down on the rat, then followed up with a stomp on the creature''s ribs with her good leg. Unlike Leo¡¯s attack earlier, Avery wasn¡¯t able to kill it with a single stomp, and the rat screeched and squirmed out from under her, then bolted away in pain and self-preservation. Avery turned to watch it go, then her eyes went wide as she saw the movement on the street behind them. Two more rats were scurrying quickly in their direction, and she could see movement in the shadows further back. They were out of time. ¡°Quick! Get to the door!¡± She turned to swing her impromptu weapon at the second rat that had been attacking Greggori and Leo, but she found the creature lying dead against one of the concrete pillars that supported the overhang to protect the sidewalk from weather. It looked like one of the boys had gotten a hold of the rat''s tail and swung it at the concrete with all their might. Avery was impressed with the strength it must have taken - those rats must have weighed 20 pounds! If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With a nod, Greggori and Leo made dashes to catch up to Trevor, who was holding the door open, a look of horror on his face as he stared behind Avery at the approaching swarm. Avery could hear the scratching of claws on the pavement behind her as she followed the others, but she grabbed the door from Trevor, forcing her inside in front of her. Her delay allowed one of the rats to reach her, and it latched onto her calf, causing the teacher to cry out in pained surprise. She kicked back, but the rat wouldn¡¯t let go. Avery could hear more rats coming up to join the fray, and she almost stepped back outside, determined to close the door and keep the students safe, no matter the risk of her own life. Then a small red ball flew past her out of the doorway and smacked the rat hard, right between its eyes. The attack surprised the rat and it let go, snarling, as the apple that had beaned it between the eyes fell to the ground. Before the rat could regain its senses and attack again, Avery dove inside, slamming the door behind her. No sooner had the door clicked shut than a loud smash shook the doors behind Avery and one of the rats fell back, stunned after slamming full-speed into the glass. ¡°I¡¯m guessing bullett-proof glass is also rat-proof,¡± Leo muttered and Avery couldn¡¯t help but nod, wearily. She straightened and turned, then stopped, frowning. ¡°Where are the others?¡± She and Leo stood in the front office of the school, alone. There was no Greggori, Trevor, or Jasmine, nor any of the other people who should have been in school at that time. Leo frowned as well and looked around. ¡°They vanished. When I came inside, they just¡­ disappeared.¡± Avery frowned and shook her head. ¡°This is crazy. What the hell is going on?¡± Limping on her injured calf, Avery moved to the second set of inner doors that led to the school propper and peered in through the glass. The halls beyond were completely empty, though the lights were all on. There was no sign of either students or faculty, and she couldn¡¯t hear any of the sounds she would have expected - voices and footsteps and that layer of white noise that comes from electrical power. The school was silent and empty. ¡°Hey, I have another quest!¡± Leo exclaimed and Avery turned, frowning. She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again and furrowed her brows. She¡¯d gotten a quest, too, she remembered. Could she¡­? She hadn¡¯t finished the thought before a window popped up in front of her.
Quest [Complete]: Save the students Description: You have delivered your student charges to safety. Status: 3 out of 3 students saved. Reward: 200xp, 30 copper coins, Opportunity to become a Champion
Avery frowned as she was finally able to take a moment to consider the words. She didn¡¯t understand why the quest had only asked her to save 3 students. There had been four of them with her. But now, three of them were missing - was it connected somehow? If they were safe, but they weren¡¯t here, then where were they? Finding few answers and just more questions, Avery kept reading.
New Quest [Optional]: A Champion¡¯s Invitation Description: Gaia¡¯s awakening has caused beauty and chaos in equal measure across the planet. You have been invited to become one of the Everblossom¡¯s champions, to help protect humanity from the dangers that will no doubt follow. Object: Complete the Champion¡¯s First Trial. Reward: Ability to choose a class, access to second trial Note: This is an optional quest. If you refuse it, you will not be allowed to accept it later. Accept quest? Yes No
Avery¡¯s frown deepened and she looked up at Leo. ¡°Something about a champion¡¯s invitation?¡± Leo¡¯s eyes were wide with surprise and awe and he nodded. ¡°Yeah. I got a quest before to save the other students. Are they actually safe now, do you think?¡± Avery shook her head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why was I given a quest to save them, but not you?¡± She spoke aloud, but wasn¡¯t actually expecting Leo to answer. Even so, the boy frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think they could see the messages.¡± Avery¡¯s gaze sharpened on him, and Leo shrugged. ¡°When the first message came? About the reboot or whatever? It surprised me so much I tripped. The others¡­ they didn¡¯t notice anything was wrong. I mean, they saw that I tripped, but they didn¡¯t understand why. I don¡¯t think they were getting any messages.¡± Falling silent for a moment, Avery moved over to the couches that were arranged at the entrance and sat down, hissing at the stinging in her injuries. She let her thoughts meander for a time, then looked up at Leo. ¡°The quest talks about being one of the Everblossom¡¯s champions. Have you ever played Tales of the Everblossom?¡± ¡°The MMO?¡± Leo shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not really into MMOs. I like Lords of the Arena.¡± Avery chuckled. Lords of the Arena was one of the most popular fighting games. ¡°That explains the stomp.¡± She grew thoughtful again, ¡°There¡¯s a reason you and I can see the windows, but the others couldn¡¯t. Maybe we¡¯ll find some more answers as we go. Will you accept the quest?¡± Leo didn¡¯t answer immediately, but finally nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± His eyes unfocused and Avery assumed he was looking at his quest screen. Then his eyes widened an instant before he¡­ vanished. ¡°Leo? Wait!¡± Frantic, Avery pulled her quest back up and selected ¡°yes¡±.
Quest: A Champion¡¯s Invitation accepted. Teleporting to the first trial. Loading¡­
And then Avery¡¯s world went black. Chapter 3: Isonar Chapter 3: Isonar ¡°Sometimes we can only find our true direction when we let the wind of change carry us.¡± - Mimi Novic Avery didn¡¯t actually pass out when her world went black. She was still fully conscious, fully aware. Instead her entire world simply dropped away. She hovered in darkness, bereft of all senses of anything outside her own body. She could see herself, as if she was lit up from some unseen spotlight and she stared down in confusion and her form. She no longer had the professional slacks and blouse that she wore to work, but tan cotton leggings and a white linen blouse under a brown leather tunic that was laced in the front and cinched at the waist, then flared out to her knees. Her shoes, no longer the flats she wore to school, were simple brown boots, and when she wiggled her toes, she found them surprisingly comfortable. At her waist hung a small leather pouch that clinked lightly with a few coins - the copper coins she¡¯d earned from her last quest, perhaps? Avery had barely enough time to marvel at the strange garb (it was all very¡­ medieval) when a sound caught her attention. Multiple sounds, actually. She looked around, but saw nothing except the darkness, yet still the sounds continued. From somewhere in front of her, she could hear the murmur of human conversation, calls of raised voices that sounded distinctly like peddlers or shopkeepers calling out to customers or advertising their wares. There was a baby crying, and the rhythmic clanging of hammer against anvil. Avery could hear more rhythmic banging, like multiple hammers on wood, but it sounded further off. A construction site, maybe? Behind her, Avery could hear a different set of sounds. They were subtle and highlighted by a gentle quiet. She could hear the chirping of birds, the rustle of plants shifting in the wind, the buzzing of insects going about their daily lives. It was the sounds of wilderness, so soft and yet just as busy as the city life she heard in the other direction. There was one more sound that caught Avery¡¯s attention. From below her, Avery heard a whistling that reminded her of the time she had visited the Grand Canyon as a child. There had been smaller gorges that branched off from the main attraction, and in those canyons, she could hear the wind as it flowed through the narrow gaps in the rock. This sounded just the same, an airy whistling, and it gave Avery a moment of fright as she imagined herself appearing above one of those canyons. She wasn¡¯t afraid of heights, but even Jason Grace had been leery of walking across a glass bridge over the Grand Canyon, and in this moment, Avery could very much understand the feeling! In the next moment, Avery was distracted by a new sense. She could now smell the world around her. She caught the smell of pine needles and moss and wildflowers, which warred with the scents of baking bread, roasting meat and chimney smoke. Combined together, the two sets of aromas reminded Avery of the renaissance festival that came every year to the wooded area just outside of her city. But if this was an actual medieval or renaissance town, there should have been the scents of rotting meat and human excrement. Avery felt immensely grateful that this city seemed to have mastered sanitation at least. The next sense that returned to Avery was the sense of touch. She still could see nothing except the empty black, but she felt her feet touch down gently onto a flat cobblestone ground, which was a relief after she imagined herself hovering over a deep canyon with nothing beneath her but wind. Her skin prickled with the brisk breeze and when she sucked in a breath, she found the air cool and crisp and thin. She was in an area of high altitude, likely a forested mountain, she presumed. At last, the darkness faded and Avery¡¯s world came into view. The whole experience had lasted only a few seconds, but the sequential return of each of her senses after losing them so abruptly left Avery a little disoriented. She stood on a wide stone bridge which did indeed seem to span a narrow gorge. From where she stood near the center of the bridge, Avery couldn¡¯t see the bottom, but at least the bridge didn¡¯t appear to sway from the wind that she could still hear beneath her. In front of Avery, the bridge ended at a gate that stood 30 feet high with a pair of marble statues representing two androgynous figures - one warrior, one wizard - on either side of the gate. Each figure had no face and Avery got the impression they were intended to represent an archetype rather than a famous person. Beyond the gate, a high wall surrounded what appeared to be a large city nestled between two mountain peaks. Over the walls, Avery could see two towers to the left - the west? Based on the position of the sun, Avery guessed it was the west. And in the center of the city, Avery could see a great spire ringed with colored glass that caught the light and reflected it back with a rainbow of colors. On the far side of the city, Avery spotted several giant airships high in the sky, dark shapes moving to and from as they loaded or offloaded the vessels. When Avery glanced behind her, she saw that the bridge narrowed into a stone road that continued through the peaks and wound down to a lush valley barely visible between the mature copse of evergreens. For a long moment, Avery stood, swallowing hard. She turned back to stare at the city gates and took a deep breath. She knew this city. She had spent countless hours here in virtual reality. But this¡­ this wasn¡¯t virtual. She could feel, smell, and practically taste it. Avery had arrived in Isonar, the capital city of Thuria, largest kingdom in Galanthrial. She was inside the game world from Tales of the Everblossom. Avery probably would have stood there, stunned, for a long time if a window of text hadn¡¯t popped up in front of her.
Quest: The First Trial Description: As a new adventurer, you have arrived in Isonar to seek a cure for your younger sister, who is deathly ill. You have heard that the local crime lord is in possession of an artifact called the Stone of Destiny that is said to cure any illness or injury short of death. It is up to you to gain the artifact, or find some other way to cure your sister. Objective: Find a cure for your sister 0/1 Reward: 500xp, 50 copper coins, access to class selection Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Note: Class options will vary depending on how the trial is completed.
Avery remained where she was for a long moment. She read the quest over twice, then dismissed the window and looked up at the city. She needed to find a cure for her fictional sister. If this was like any other major quest in Tales, she would likely find several other quests along the way, and some might even grant her clues to passing the trial. But how she passed the trial was important, too. It seemed the classes she would be able to choose from would depend on her actions here in Isonar. If she snuck into the underbelly of the city and stole the Stone of Destiny, she¡¯d probably get access to a rogue class. If she fought her way through the criminal hideout, she¡¯d probably get a warrior class. While both were classes that Avery had played before, she wasn¡¯t sure she was up to the task of actually sneaking into the lair or fighting all the criminals. Aside from the fact that this was entirely too real, she also had no actual class abilities at the moment, and no items or weapons. Avery decided it would be better to ignore that part of the quest and just let her own tendencies and instincts lead her forward. How would she solve this problem in real life? Start with gathering more information? That sounded right to Avery. She had a lot of questions, and she wanted answers. With that in mind, she took a step toward the gates. And then she stumbled, grunting in pain. Hissing, Avery looked down at her leg where large gashes ran across her calf and thigh. Her leggings weren¡¯t torn, unlike the slacks she had worn when she fought the giant rats, but her right leg was stained with blood. Avery had completely forgotten about her injuries, and in fact hadn¡¯t felt the pain until she moved. The injuries didn¡¯t appear deep, thankfully, but they burned like fire and Avery worried that the rats may have been carrying diseases that would cause infection, or worse - rabies. She grimaced at the thought, but since she didn¡¯t have anything to treat the injuries with, she forced herself to continue towards the gate. The city gates were guarded by a pair of soldiers who just nodded her way, the youngest looking sympathetic as she limped by. The bridge had been mostly deserted, but once Avery got inside the walls, she found the streets bustling with activity. People moved in and out of shops that had the advantage of sitting right off the main street and other peddlers had set up carts in small courtyards to either side, calling out for customers to see the finest silks or freshest fruits in all the kingdom. Once again, Avery marveled at the magnificence of it all. She was in awe at the city, so alive, so¡­ real. Everything looked familiar, with the shops and many of the people matching those in the city of Isonar in her game. But there was a¡­ life¡­ here. She never could have accepted that this was a VR simulation. ¡°Psst! Hey, lady! Hey!¡± Avery blinked and turned, glancing down an alley between a grocery and a tailor shop. Peeking out from behind a pillar was a young boy, clutching a bundle to his chest. He was looking right at her, so Avery glanced around, then ducked into the alley and knelt down, wincing as her leg continued to sting. The kid was maybe 6 or 7 years old, with dirty blond hair that hung down into his deep blue eyes. ¡°Hello, there,¡± Avery said, keeping her voice soft and calm. ¡°I¡¯m Avery. Who are you?¡± The boy seemed to measure her carefully before answering. ¡°I¡¯m Andy. Can you help me find my cat?¡± Avery felt her heart melt, and she felt a quick pang at the thought of her own kitten at home. With all the chaos and insanity, she wasn¡¯t sure when she would see her Serafina again. Maybe all of this was a dream, and she had passed out and was hallucinating. Then, she could hope that her best friend would at least make sure that Sera was taken care of until Avery came to herself. Otherwise¡­ if this was all real? What would happen to her sweet cat, stuck in her apartment while the world went crazy? Avery had to clear her throat before answering. ¡°I would be happy to help you find your cat. What do they look like?¡± ¡°Her name is Bianca. She¡¯s white, but she¡¯s gotten a little dirty. Miss Kiygo hates cats and made me take her outside, but her yelling scared Bianca and she ran away. I have to find her!¡±
Quest: The Lost Cat Description: The little boy, Andy, has lost his pet cat and needs your help to find her. Objective: Find Bianca 0/1 Reward: Unknown
¡°Alright,¡± Avery soothed, mentally accepting the quest. ¡°I¡¯ll help you find Bianca.¡± She shifted and winced as her leg reminded her that it was still injured. ¡°But I¡¯ve hurt my leg, so I need to take care of that first.¡± Andy looked down and noted the blood, frowning. ¡°You should go to the temple. They can heal you.¡± Avery had seen the temple¡¯s spire rising above the city walls with all of its colored glass, and she nodded. In truth, the temple was just one building in the great park, the center of the capital. The park took up nearly a quarter of the city and was where all of the gods of Galanthrial were honored and worshiped. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I don¡¯t have much money, though.¡± ¡°Priest Falore is nice,¡± Andy said with a shrug, ¡°He likes helping people,¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°What will you do then?¡± Avery considered her small friend before deciding to start her quest for information here. ¡°I need to find a cure for my sister. She¡¯s sick. I¡¯ve heard the local crime lord has something that could heal her.¡± Andy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You want to take the Stone of Destiny? Cipher has it. He doesn¡¯t let just anyone use it.¡± ¡°Cipher? The crime lord?¡± Andy hesitated, then nodded. ¡°He runs the local thieve¡¯s guild. I guess you could call him a crime lord, though he doesn¡¯t hurt kids. That¡¯s his rule. And he gets really angry when the other thieves bully or hit us.¡± Interesting, Avery mused. ¡°Does he have other rules?¡± Andy shrugged, ¡°I dunno. Maybe?¡± Avery eyed Andy. There was something there¡­ On a hunch, she asked, ¡°Can you take me to him?¡± The boy bit his bottom lip for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°If he wants to see you, he¡¯ll find you.¡± A mature statement for a young boy, but Avery let it go. ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± She pushed to her feet, but the boy caught her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t forget Bianca!¡± Avery smiled warmly and gave Andy¡¯s hand a squeeze. ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise. I¡¯ll find her.¡± Andy let go of Avery¡¯s hand and she stepped back into the street, then moved towards the great park. The park was easy to find as almost all of the roads in Isonar lead there. The walk wasn¡¯t long, but by the time Avery entered the park through one of the gated pathways, her limp was worse and she was having a hard time putting weight on her injured leg. She stopped, though, and her pain was momentarily forgotten as she gazed up¡­ and up¡­ and up¡­ at the spire that rose high into the sky, piercing the few clouds that floated there and lighting everything up in reds, blues, and golds from the colored glass that reflected the sunlight. It was even brighter here than it had been from outside of town and Avery found herself momentarily speechless. She had arrived at the Temple of Light inside the great park, sometimes referred to as the Garden of the Gods. Chapter 4: History Lesson Chapter 4: History Lesson ¡°Hard times don''t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ''hero'' within us is revealed.¡± - Bob Riley Avery stood before the great temple of light and stared up at the spire that rose into the sky. The temple was circular and sat in the very center of the park. Around it, the park was separated into 8 slices, each partition illustrating 8 of the 10 primal elements: fire, earth, water, wind, ice, thunder, life, and thought. Along the outside was a temple to each of the elements and the gods that identified with them. Each god in Galanthrial had a portfolio that included at least 1 primal element, though most gods had two elements, and a few had even more. The temple of light that stood in the center of the park was dedicated to the 9th element - light. Avery knew from Tales of the Everblossom that the 10th element - darkness - had a temple beneath the center of the park that mirrored the temple of light. That is, instead of rising up into the sky, it dropped down deep into the ground. None of the elements were necessarily good or evil, nor were the temples devoted to them. Some gods of Galanthrial were noble or selfish in nature, cruel or merciful, but the elements themselves were recognized as simply the building blocks of the universe and had no moral weight. There was some discussion about why the temple of light held the center spot in most divine parks across Galanthrial, but others argued that it was more of a statement about the core of the universe than anything else. Ancient legends said that the universe had been created out of a distinction between light and darkness, and that differentiation was what drove everything else that had happened since. It wasn¡¯t a metaphor, either, or some symbolism of the nature of the soul. These legends said that the universe had literally been created when light was separated from dark, and, in fact, both elements needed the other to exist. Whatever the mythology or the theology behind it, the 10 primal elements were the core of existence in Galanthrial. Some people eschewed worshiping the gods entirely and instead revered the elements themselves for their power, as if they were sentient and could grant their blessings to mortals. In the game, Avery knew there were coastal communities that held ceremonies to appease the wind and the water in hopes that they would be shielded from major storms. There were mages who spent their entire lives devoted to a single element, or combination of elements so that they could become a master of them with their magics, and some healers did the same thing, remaining more devoted to the pure element of life than any actual deity of healing. It was to the temple of life that Avery went towards now. She entered the lushest part of the park, with vines that climbed the walls on white trellises and giant flowers the size of Avery¡¯s hand that grew on stalks that reached up to her waist. Moss grew over the path, making it springy to step on. As she moved past a tall bush, lovingly cared for, Avery was startled by a rustling and a small gray mouse darted out to run across the path, disappearing into the base of a low stone wall. Chuckling, Avery moved on towards the edge of the park where the temple of life stood. The building was a large ziggarate that reminded Avery of images she had seen of the hanging gardens of ancient Babylonia, with plants filling every level of the structure and vines flowing down over the side. A trio of brightly colored birds sat in a tree near the front entrance and they eyed her as she passed beneath them. Inside, the air was cool and damp. The wide atrium was ringed with trees, and pathways of mossy stone criss-crossed through the open area. A bark caught Avery¡¯s attention and she turned, noticing an old mutt laying on a bed of soft fleece. Its gray muzzle sniffed at her as she dropped down and offered her hand to him in greeting. ¡°Hey, there, sweet boy,¡± she gave the ancient dog a scritch behind the ears and smiled, ¡°Are you the greeting committee? You¡¯re a good boy, aren¡¯t you?¡± The dog¡¯s tail thumped once on the ground in agreement and Avery laughed softly as she stood once more. Turning away from the entrance, Avery found a tall lizard-like humanoid standing a few dozen feet away, watching her. The cleric wore robes of soft rose and stood barefoot with his hands covered in silver-blue scales, with simple laws at the end of each digit, clasped calmly before him as he waited. Around his neck, the lizard-man wore a small amulet with the symbol of a bird in flight, holding the sun in its claws. Avery recognized the amulet as a holy symbol of Pendric, god of rebirth. He was one of the ten great deities in Galanthrial and his clerics were some of the world¡¯s most skilled healers. As Avery approached the priest, she glanced around the atrium. Benches lined the paths that took on the feel of a wide garden, the glass ceiling letting in the broad sunlight. The space was occupied with a couple dozen clerics and worshipers, though Avery assumed more congregated down the side passages in private areas. The lizard-man dipped his head towards Avery as she reached him. ¡°Greetings, young miss, to the temple of life. Have you come for healing?¡± ¡°I have,¡± Avery agreed, glancing down at her leg. ¡°I seem to have run afoul of some rats.¡± The cleric let out a soft hiss that Avery took for a sound of amusement. ¡°So it appears. Come, sit. I am Castrel, junior cleric of Pendric. I have some small healing power and should be able to help.¡± Castrel led Avery to a bench and she sat, arching an eyebrow in surprise as he knelt before her. She had assumed healing magic would involve little more than a touch and an incantation, but healing seemed to be a bit more intricate than it was in the video game. Castrel carefully pulled Avery¡¯s bloody leggings away from her wounded leg, glancing up apologetically when Avery hissed softly at the pain. The leggings weren¡¯t torn like her flesh, but Castrel ended up having to cut away the fabric before he brushed light fingers over the wounds with a few murmured words. Immediately, Avery felt a cooling sensation in her burning calf and she craned her head to watch the bloody gashes close, leaving only dried blood in its wake. Castrel took out a cloth and wiped away most of the blood before mending Avery¡¯s leggings with another simple spell. The spell seemed to clean the fabric as well as mend it, so that when he stood, Avery could find no sign that she had been injured at all. Avery gaped for a moment, reaching down to press her own fingers against her leg. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ amazing.¡± ¡°You have not experienced the gift of magical healing before?¡± Castrel asked and Avery chuckled, pushing to her feet. ¡°Not like this,¡± she admitted. ¡°What is the cost for your services?¡± The priest shook his head. ¡°Healing should not be restricted to those who can pay for such things. We ask for nothing more than a donation to the temple, should your heart feel such is appropriate.¡± Avery reached for the pouch at her waist, feeling the weight of the coins there. She didn¡¯t have much, and she felt guilty as she pulled out the measly 20 copper coins that were her entire wealth. She knew she should give more, but it was all she had, so she offered the coins to the cleric. The lizard went still, blinking at the coins, then at Avery, before accepting the donation. ¡°You are very generous, young miss.¡± Avery flushed, getting the distinct impression that he knew she had given over all of her money. Still, she shrugged, trying to dismiss the compliment. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Castrel shook his head. ¡°It is everything. And I thank you for it.¡± He bowed low. ¡°You are welcome to stay as long as you wish. The temple of life is always open.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Thank you,¡± Avery nodded, and her eyes flickered towards the far end of the atrium where a series of shrines were set up under limestone statues of the various gods who included the element of life in their portfolio. As the premier god of healing, Pendric held a place of prominence among the shrines, but there were a few others who stood tall among them, including the goddess Huli. The kitsune goddess of hearth and family was also known as the Everblossom, and in fact was the namesake of the game that Avery was so addicted to. Even so, Avery had never played a character who worshiped the Everblossom; it had always seemed too obvious, too¡­ mainstream. But now, she studied the statue of the goddess and considered the quest that she had received. ¡°Priest Castrel, before you go¡­ what do you know of the Champions of the Everblossom? Castrel paused and tilted his head, thoughtfully. ¡°The term¡­ doesn¡¯t have any significant meaning to me. Usually one would expect a god¡¯s champions to be their paladins or unholy knights, but the Everblossom does not recruit martial worshipers as such. I¡¯m sorry I cannot be of more help. Perhaps a priest of the Everblossom can help you.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Of course. Thank you, again.¡± She smiled and the cleric bowed one more before moving off. Avery took her time moving through the atrium towards the shrines. She took in the pleasant atmosphere, the feeling of sanctuary and peace and couldn¡¯t hide a smile. As she approached the shrine to the Everblossom, Huli noticed the same old dog from the entrance to the temple was laying on the base of the statue. He lifted his head to watch her and she couldn¡¯t hide a laugh. ¡°Keeping an eye on things, are you?¡± She leaned down to give the dog another scratch behind the ears. ¡°He takes his job very seriously.¡± Startled, Avery straightened and found herself facing a man that looked as ancient as the old dog. He leaned on a rough hewn walking staff and he looked like a bundle of sticks in the long robes of light bronze. He was bald and his face was craggy, but his green eyes were bright and vivid as they stared at Avery, the light of humor dancing in them. He wore no holy symbol around his neck, but the color of the robes gave him away as a priest of the Everblossom. Avery couldn¡¯t hide another smile as she glanced down at the dog, then back up. ¡°He¡¯s very good at it.¡± Then she bowed to the cleric. ¡°Good morning, sir. My name is Avery. I came here in search of healing.¡± The old man nodded. ¡°Which young Castrel was able to offer you. That is not why you are here, though.¡± He emphasized the word ¡®here¡¯ with a tap of his walking stick on the ground. ¡°You want to know about the Everblossom¡¯s Champions.¡± Avery¡¯s brows furrowed and she started to ask how this man knew so much, but she was cut off when a breeze, surprisingly cool in the warm atrium, rose up, causing her to shiver suddenly. The old man glanced away and frowned, then nodded. ¡°Come, child. Let us walk.¡± He turned without waiting for a response and made his way down one of the side paths out of the atrium proper. Avery hesitated only a moment, especially when she noticed the old dog rising up with a groan and beginning to follow the priest. Her hesitation was more born of surprise than any actual concern, though, and she quickly moved to catch up to the man and the dog. She soon had to slow her pace to match the pair¡¯s slow shuffle and the three of them meandered silently through a tunnel under a series of branches that were woven into arches that let the sunlight shine down in narrow shafts. When they stepped out, Avery and her guides were standing in a small courtyard surrounded by tall hedges of brilliant yellow flowers, with a wide circular fountain in the center, and several benches ringing it. The old man moved towards one of the benches, while the dog shuffled to the fountain and helped himself to a drink of the clear water. ¡°Now, then,¡± the man said with a sigh as she settled down. ¡°That¡¯s better. Some conversations just aren¡¯t right for having in public.¡± Avery had to pull herself out of her awe and followed the old man to the benches. She started to sit beside him, but the man waved her off. ¡°No, no, child, sit there,¡± he motioned to the edge of the fountain, where the marble rim was wide enough to serve as a seat if one was uncouth enough to presume to sit on the fountain. ¡°Something tells me this conversation will go on,¡± he said, ¡°And my neck will get a crick if I keep having to turn to look at you.¡± Grudgingly, Avery sat on the edge of the fountain where she could face the old man, and he nodded to her. The dog, having finished his drink, shuffled over to curl up at the cleric¡¯s feet. ¡°There,¡± the man nodded again before continuing. ¡°Now then. My name is Dustri, and I¡¯m the High Priest of the Church of the Everblossom here in Isonar. And you came here for healing, and for answers.¡± ¡°The Everblossom¡¯s Champions,¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Priest Castrel said that a cleric of the Everblossom might be able to tell me about them.¡± ¡°Castrel is quite wise for his young age,¡± Dustri nodded. ¡°Though I suppose it was the obvious answer, wasn¡¯t it? Ah, the Champions of the Everblossom¡­¡± he smiled wistfully, ¡°It¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard in a very long time.¡± Avery straightened, her eyes narrowing. He didn¡¯t just¡­ did he? But the cleric continued, his gaze distant as he stared into the past. ¡°I was barely more than an acolyte when I heard the story of the Everblossom¡¯s Champions, from a priest who was older than I am now. Now? I suppose I must be the last person alive who still knows of them.¡± Avery leaned forward, intent on the old man¡¯s words and he smiled at her. ¡°I will tell you what I know, what I remember. In return, will you tell me where you heard them mentioned?¡± Avery nodded. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Very good, then. To understand the story of the Champions, you first need to understand some of the ancient history of the gods, specifically the Everblossom. Did you know that despite the goddess being one of the most powerful and respected among the pantheon, she is actually one of the youngest?¡± ¡°I¡­ did not.¡± Dustri nodded. ¡°She is still millenia old, mind you. In fact, the Everblossom and most of the other gods are actually older than Galanthrial itself. They hailed, as did the ancestors of almost everyone on Galanthrial today, from an ancient world very different from this one. Very little is known about that other world, except that ages ago, it was destroyed. The gods could not stop their world¡¯s destruction, so they gathered their people together and combined their godly powers to create a bridge, allowing their people to travel to safety. To Galanthrial.¡± Avery blinked, but stayed silent. She had enjoyed hearing about the lore of the world of Galanthrial when she played Tales, but this was a story that she had never heard before. ¡°Building a bridge between worlds is no small feat, however,¡± Dustri continued, ¡°and the Everblossom knew that it would take all of their power to maintain it long enough for everyone to pass through. When it was closed, the gods would be exhausted, and that was those who even survived the ordeal. So, in her wisdom, the Everblossom selected a group of heroes and gave them the charge of protecting the mortals when and if the gods were unable to do so. These heroes became known as the Everblossom¡¯s Champions.¡± ¡°They were her clerics?¡± Avery asked, and Dustri chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Oh, not at all. There may have been one or two among them who worshiped the Everblossom directly, but that was not the criteria. The goddess simply chose those with the power and the will to protect the people - all the people. It did not matter their faith or their conviction. Only their devotion to the purpose.¡± ¡°And did they? Protect the people?¡± Dustri nodded. ¡°It all came to pass as Huli had predicted - for the bridge had been her idea in the first place. She had been among the youngest of the gods, as I said, but she was highly revered for her wisdom and power. When the bridge was complete, all but a few of the weakest gods followed their people through to Galanthrial, but in the closing of the gates, the gods used up the last of their powers and fell into a deep sleep. For generations, they could not be heard or felt. Clerics who received powers from their gods were suddenly without that gift, though many discovered ways to connect to the primal cores of their deities and gain some of their powers from there.¡± ¡°You mean the elements.¡± ¡°Just so, just so. Even the clerics of the Everblossom were without their goddess¡¯ presence and could only maintain some of their powers by tapping into the raw potential of life, light, fire and thought. And that, I believe, was the start of the troubles.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The clerics could not hide the loss of their gods forever, and the people came to realize that they no longer had the support and protection of their gods. Whether the gods were dead or had never made it across the bridge at all, no one knew, but they were gone. All that the people had left were the champions, gifted with the power that the Everblossom had known they would need to help the mortals settle on this new world. For the first dozen generations, mortals settled Galanthrial without the aid of gods, relying only on the power of the Champions, which were near to godlike themselves. Not all of the Champions were selfless protectors, mind you. Power does what it will do, after all. But as a whole, they were the driving force that kept mortalkind alive and flourishing.¡± The priest fell silent for a moment, and Avery hesitated, feeling the tonal shift coming in the story. ¡°So¡­ what happened?¡± She asked, anxiously. The old man raised his eyes to the sky, looking thoughtful before answering simply, ¡°The gods woke up.¡± Chapter 5: Champions Rebirth Chapter 5: Champion¡¯s Rebirth "And when you''re gone, who remembers your name? Who keeps your flame? Who tells your story?" - Hamilton Broadway Musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda ¡°The gods woke up.¡± Avery stared at the old priest as he fell silent. His bright green eyes were distant before finally focusing on Avery. He said no more, but watched her, waiting. Letting me process, Avery realized and she sat back, contemplating all that she had heard so far. She imagined how it must have been for the gods to wake up in a strange world that had moved beyond them. ¡°They weren¡¯t happy, I take it?¡± High Priest Drusti nodded, smiling a little. ¡°They were not. You can imagine the situation, I think. The people had arrived in a new world and lost all contact with their gods. Instead, they were guided, protected by powerful demigod heroes. They settled in a new world with no temples, no shrines, and they had no reason to build any, except to the champions who led them. And the champions¡­¡± He trailed off and Avery nodded, starting to see the picture. ¡°They had no reason to encourage continued faith in the gods. They liked being on top - who wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Indeed. When the gods awoke, it was a slow process, their awareness gradually returning as their powers did the same. Even so, neither the gods nor the champions were pleased. The gods were angry, understandably so, I think, that they had given everything to save their people, only to be forgotten and replaced. The champions, gifted with long lives - to the point of being immortal - in order to serve the purpose that the Everblossom had charged them with, looked back on the many generations they had spent protecting mortalkind while the gods slept and they were averse to having their own accomplishments trumped by the deities.¡± ¡°So, what happened? I assume the gods won the struggle, given that no one knows about the champions now?¡± Again, Drusti nodded. ¡°There were conflicts. Some Champions led expeditions to find and destroy some of the gods before they could awaken. It is believed that a couple of those attacks may have succeeded, the gods killed or at least stopped from every waking. Likewise, several champions were defeated by the gods during these confrontations. The battle lines were drawn, and storm clouds gathered on the horizon. Dark times were coming if something didn¡¯t change. That is when the Everblossom stepped in once again. She took away much of the power that she had granted to the Champions, thanking them for their service, but bidding them pass on their mantles to the next generation of mortals.¡± ¡°And did they?¡± ¡°In truth, they didn¡¯t have much of a choice, but no, most of them were not happy about being forced to give up all that they had earned. Some of the gods demanded that the Champions be killed, though a few insisted that it was not out of vengeance but through the natural cycle of life. These powerful heroes were still supposed to be mortal, and no mortal could avoid the hand of death forever. It is what makes us mortal.¡± Avery leaned forward again, ¡°I¡¯m taking from your tone that the Everblossom didn¡¯t do that?¡± ¡°No,¡± the priest shook his head. ¡°She did not take their endless lifespans, but she did something else. The goddess put the champions into a deep sleep and hid them away where they could not be found by god or man. It is said that she predicted there would come a time when they would be needed again and, when that time came, they would be reborn.¡± ¡°Reborn?¡± Avery asked, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Not reawakened?¡± Drusti let out a rustic chuckle. ¡°Caught that, did you? Yes, I remember asking about that when I was an acolyte. My teacher said that no one knew whether that was a word mistakenly changed in the generations of oral tradition or if it was an accurate quote.¡± ¡°Wait, oral tradition? So there are no written records of that time? Of the champions?¡± The high priest let out a long sigh. ¡°After the Champions were put to slumber, the gods wasted no time in reclaiming their authority. They clamored for new worshipers and they discouraged any telling of that time in history when they had been absent and impotent.¡± Drusti¡¯s eyes twinkled and he added, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t noticed, the gods can be very prideful.¡± When Avery looked shocked at his words, he laughed, ¡°It¡¯s not blasphemy if I say it - I¡¯m the high priest.¡± He sobered, then, and continued. ¡°Over the eons that followed, Galanthial¡¯s ancient history fell into myth, then shadows. The only church that carried on the story was the Church of the Everblossom, and even among us, the story became rarely told. We don¡¯t like to¡­ insult the other gods by the telling of it.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°That cold wind. That¡¯s why we came out here.¡± ¡°Just so,¡± Drusti grinned. ¡°Though I¡¯m surprised the gods themselves even remember the tale these days. It seems at least one of them does. But tell me: where did you hear of the Champions of the Everblossom?¡± Avery hesitated, thinking her answer through before deciding on a path. ¡°I¡¯m not from Galanthial,¡± she said slowly, measuring the priest¡¯s reaction. When he arched an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t interrupt, she continued. ¡°My world has stories of your world, which is how I knew a little of your gods and this city. But until today, I thought it was just that - stories.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure she believed it entirely yet, but she¡¯d roll with it for now. ¡°In my world, something strange has happened. We were attacked by monsters and then I got this quest. It said I needed to complete a trial to become one of the Everblossom¡¯s Champions. When I accepted the quest, I was brought here.¡± The priest leaned back, growing thoughtful as Avery finished her tale. ¡°Interesting. If the Champions are being¡­ reborn, shall we say? Then there must be great need for them, or the Everblossom believes there will be. I have seen no signs of darkness on the horizon, and I think that I would have. But it is possible that the trouble isn¡¯t to Galanthial at all, but to your world. I don¡¯t know why the Everblossom would have a connection to a world outside of Galanthial, but I¡¯m not one to question my goddess. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Avery nodded and grew thoughtful herself, pulling up her quest to re-read it.
Quest [In Progress]: A Champion¡¯s Invitation Description: Gaia¡¯s awakening has caused beauty and chaos in equal measure across the planet. You have been invited to become one of the Everblossom¡¯s champions, to help protect humanity from the dangers that will no doubt follow. Object: Complete the Champion¡¯s First Trial 0/1 Reward: Ability to Choose a class, Access to second trial
The priest¡¯s expression turned to a troubled frown as Avery read the quest description out loud. ¡°That is indeed concerning. I know nothing of any ¡®Gaia,¡¯ but it does seem to imply that it is your world that is in desperate need of champions. You say you accepted the trial? Do you mind me asking what it entails?¡± Avery explained about needing to find something to cure her sick sister and Drusti nodded in understanding. ¡°So, you¡¯ll be wanting the Stone of Destiny, then. You¡¯ll need to negotiate with Cipher, in the underbelly.¡± Avery was surprised at the priest¡¯s calm response and she tilted her head. ¡°Cipher¡¯s the crime lord, right? Can he be reasoned with?¡± ¡°Anyone can be reasoned with, with the right incentive,¡± the high priest answered with a smirk, ¡°It will be up to you to figure out what incentive to use, and when.¡± Avery nodded and stood. She started to thank the old cleric, but stopped when she noticed that the spot at his feet was empty. ¡°Where¡­ where did he go?¡± Drusti blinked and looked down. ¡°Oh, old Camlen?¡± He laughed softly, ¡°Who knows. He goes where he¡¯s needed. I¡¯m sure you will see him again, if he decides you are worth the effort.¡± * * * Avery sat down at one of the circular stone tables that were scattered around the inner courtyard around the temple of light. The temple was a spire that rose hundreds of feet into the air and was covered in thousands of panels of colored glass. The sun was just past its zenith and the light cascaded over the windows, sending rainbows of light beaming across the city. All around her, priests and commonfolk moved around the great park, some focused and with purpose, others contemplative and meandering. Avery even saw some sitting in the sunshine, like her, meditating alone or in groups. A pair of priests of Adalat, god of justice, sat at a nearby table eating an afternoon meal together. The whole place felt¡­ alive, in a way that Avery had never felt when she had been here in her game. It left her feeling disoriented, as if this world was the real one, and her old world had been little more than a passing dream. She knew it wasn¡¯t true, of course - at least the part about her world being a dream - but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this world was just¡­ more. Shaking out of her thoughts, Avery turned her attention back to her quests.
Quest: The First Trial Description: As a new adventurer, you have arrived in Isonar to seek a cure for your younger sister, who is deathly ill. You have heard that the local crime lord is in possession of an artifact called the Stone of Destiny that is said to cure any illness or injury short of death. It is up to you to gain the artifact, or find some other way to cure your sister. Objective: Find a cure for your sister 0/1 Reward: 500xp, 50 copper coins, access to class selection Note: Class options will vary depending on how the trial is completed.
Quest: The Lost Cat Description: The little boy, Andy, has lost his pet cat and needs your help to find her. Objective: Find Bianca 0/1 Reward: Unknown
Avery sighed as she re-read the descriptions. She had hoped that some additional clues might have come up after her visit to the Temple of Life, but she didn¡¯t seem to have progressed at all. ¡°And now I¡¯m without any money, and may have to start considering evening accommodations - and food - if I don¡¯t catch a break soon.¡± She had no idea whether this trial had a time limit, but since it hadn¡¯t listed one, she wasn¡¯t going to worry about it. Sitting back, Avery considered her options. She may have been a regular player on Tales of the Everblossom, but she had played many other games as well, both video games and tabletop RPGs. She considered those now, and found herself thinking about her thief character in the tabletop that she played on Wednesdays. What would Twig do if she didn¡¯t know what to do? Avery let out a half-laugh and, remembering the name of one of Twig¡¯s favorite abilities, muttered under her breath, ¡°I most definitely have a bad feeling about this.¡± Avery smirked at the irony, but she certainly didn¡¯t expect her words to have any effect until a window popped into her vision a moment later.
Special Ability: I¡¯ve Got a Bad Feeling About This By spending a moment to survey an area, you may discover the answer to one question:
This window looked different than the other panels that she had seen with her quests. The border looked like a stylized vine, and the text was a deep green on a soft yellow background. Avery also had the strange but distinct impression of amusement behind the pop-up, as if some otherworldly force was having fun humoring her. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Avery murmured, half to herself, though she jerked when she heard a voice whisper in her mind. Is that your one question? Oh, they were definitely amused; Avery could hear the laughter bubbling up in the faint whisper. ¡°No!¡± Avery blurted out loud. She knew better than to fall into that trap. When the voice didn¡¯t speak again, she focused back on the window. Her first impulse was to ask the last question, and hopefully get a hint to passing the trial. But she wasn¡¯t sure if that would be cheating, and she could clearly picture her own gamemaster giving some smart ass answer about how the best way through the trial was to get a hold of the Stone of Destiny, without actually giving her any useful clues. As for the others, there was really only one question that made sense to her to ask, but before she did¡­ ¡°Only one question? The original ability gives two questions.¡± Don¡¯t get greedy¡­ Avery actually laughed at the soft rebuke of the voice. ¡°Fair. Alright. What can I see that no one else can?¡± Silence. After a moment and no response, Avery mentally kicked herself. Of course the voice wasn¡¯t going to tell her - she had to actually look in order to see. The window had vanished when she asked her question and now Avery stood, scanning the area around her, looking for anything that stood out as out of the ordinary. People walked, talked, and meditated. The sun shone down. There was nothing- No. Not what you see. What you don¡¯t see. Avery frowned, brows furrowing. ¡°What-¡± Close your eyes. Listen. Chapter 6: Heartsong Chapter 6: Heartsong
"Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words." -Robert G. Ingersoll
:Close your eyes. Listen.: Avery was confused, but she shrugged and did as the whisper in her mind instructed. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, slipping into a slow breathing ritual that she used sometimes to relax. In¡­ out¡­ after a few deep breaths, she let her senses extend outward. She listened. The chatter of voices around her. The crunch under feet as they walked along gravel paths. The songs of birds in the trees near the temple of life. The chirps of insects. The burble of water as it ran down a series of stones near the temple of water and splashed into a pool at the base. The melodic jingle of the wind chimes that were hung around the temple of air. The- Wait. Avery focused in, listening more carefully to the windchimes. There was a melody, but it sounded familiar, as if a variation of something else. Then she heard it again. Similar, but with variations, this time in the humming of a pair of priests as they meditated near the temple of thought. Once she had caught the melody, Avery started hearing it all around her. No¡­ not a melody, she realized. A harmony. A musical theme woven through the entire great park. The songs of the birds, the rippling of the water, even clang of a distant hammer on an anvil at the back of the temple of earth. The sounds merged into a symphony unlike anything Avery had heard before. It wasn¡¯t just nature creating its own music, either. There was something else, an undercurrent of sound, of actual music, though she didn¡¯t recognize any instruments that she knew. The music was subtle, and Avery was sure that no one else could hear it, but once she caught on, she couldn¡¯t ignore it. It filled her mind and drew her in, a song of peace and power and balance. It was an interweaving of elements and their power grew in the mixing. Together they were far greater than they were apart, and the symphony was rich with the mix of each harmony woven into the whole. Avery found herself drowning in the sound; the power completely overwhelmed her, and she let herself slide deeper into the song, intoxicated with the feel of it as it thrummed through her very blood. She didn¡¯t realize how far she had slipped until the feel of something wet ran over her face, causing Avery to yelp and jerk back to full awareness. Her eyes snapped open and she stared into the dark chocolate eyes of Camlen, the old dog from the Temple of Life. He was standing on his hind legs, his front paws on her knees so that he could lick her face. As Avery stared at him, he snorted and lowered himself back to all fours, then leaned against her, a warm weight on her legs. ¡°Okay.¡± Avery murmured and found she was breathless, her heart racing. She leaned down to give the dog a pat. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m okay. Thank you.¡± Avery took several deep breaths to steady herself, then swallowed hard. ¡°What¡­ what was that?¡±
Special Ability: Heartsong In ancient times, many bards had the ability to hear the music inherent in the world around them. Using the ability to listen to the world, these bards became great healers, evokers and diplomats. You have discovered this ability to hear the heartsong in the land around you. Be warned, however: with such power can come great danger. There are places where the heartsong has become warped by the events that have occurred there. Even with a healthy heartsong, there is a danger of becoming overwhelmed by the music. Traditionally, every bard with the gift of listening had a soul-bonded partner who kept them anchored so that they did not slide too deep into the music. Those who did go too far were could be lost forever. Any bard without a soul-bond to keep them anchored should be very careful when listening to the heartsongs around her.
Avery read the ability description, then read it again. Then she dismissed the window and looked down at Camlen, frowning. ¡°Does this mean¡­ I¡¯m a bard?¡± She didn¡¯t know how she felt about that, honestly. Tales of the Everblossom hadn''t had a bard class option, but among the tabletop RPG systems that Avery had played, there had been many variations of the traveling minstrel, not the least being the traditional Dungeons and Dragons bard. But Avery had never played one herself, and had never imagined herself as a bard. She certainly enjoyed music - who didn¡¯t? - but she had very little musical talent, and had barely managed a handful of years of piano lessons in primary school. Of all the classes she might have considered for herself, a bard was at the very bottom of the list. ¡°Surely it¡¯s not set in stone,¡± Avery mused aloud. ¡°The quest said I should be able to pick my class once I finish this trial. I¡¯ll be able to choose from multiple classes, right? Maybe this is just an option.¡± She nodded to herself, and reached down to give Camlen another pat before standing. ¡°Thank you again. I promise I¡¯ll be careful from now on.¡± The dog seemed to accept her words and he stood as well, then began to wander back towards the Temple of Life. Avery smiled as she watched him disappear behind a turn in the path. Around her, she could hear the sounds of the city, but it suddenly felt¡­ raw. It reminded her of when she watched a part of a movie without any soundtrack. It had dialogue and sound effects, but no music. The movie had felt unreal and discordant, without the soundtrack to direct her attention, her emotions, her energy. This felt the same, and Avery found herself yearning to reach back to the music, knowing that she could hear it again if she only let herself listen. ¡°No. Focus, Avery. You promised you¡¯d be careful.¡± Shaking her head at herself, Avery straightened her shoulders and stepped onto the path that led back towards the city. It was time to finish her trial. * * * The northern-most quadrant of the city of Isonar held the Nobles District, which abutted the palace, where Queen Fohrea lived and ruled. The Nobles District, aptly named for the lords and upper class that lived and worked there, was surrounded by its own smaller set of walls to separate it from the rest of the city. The gates between the Nobles District and the rest of the city were generally kept open day and night, and the guards didn¡¯t exactly restrict who entered the district, but they did make note of any who did not have a residence or worker¡¯s license. City-goers were sometimes blacklisted from entering the Nobles District, but that was only for those who were caught committing crimes against the lords and ladies who lived there. If a person kept their hands clean, they were welcome in the neighborhood no matter their appearance or station. Still, there were those among the populace who had no intention of letting the guards track their movements going in and out of the district. They instead found other passages through the inner walls. These entrances were themselves monitored, not by the city guard, but by the local thieves¡¯ guild. The guild tracked those who used the secret entrances with the same devotion as the city guards tracked those who used the gates, and, surprisingly, they enforced the same blacklist that the city guards did, though for different reasons. The thieves¡¯ guild of Isonar had a vital role in the social dynamics of the city, and the leaders of the guild would allow nothing to threaten the power and influence that they wielded from the shadows. To that end, chaos and social unrest was anathema to their design, so while the leaders of the guild had no qualms about lifting the purse or valuables from a nobleman of the city, any member of the guild who got caught doing such would not be granted a second opportunity to bring unwanted attention to the guild. In short, it was not the crime itself for which the thieves¡¯ guild might blacklist their members from the Noble¡¯s District - it was the act of getting caught. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Dordryn Vettlemark could have entered through either the official or secret entrances into the Noble¡¯s District and he used both regularly, depending on the purpose for his visit. On this day, he used a third entrance, one that only 3 other people knew about. The passage through the center of the outer wall led into a canal of water straight from the mountain streams that flowed through the Noble¡¯s District, and the grate through which the water flowed appeared rusted and securely shut. No one looking at the grate would have believed that it could open, much less that its hinges were well oiled and allowed it to slide away quietly. The grate was hidden behind a tall hedge so that even if anyone had been in the area, enjoying the afternoon in the public park that grew along the canal, they wouldn¡¯t have seen Dordyn slip out of the hole in the wall and lock the gate behind him, then hop up onto the path and saunter out through the park as if he was just one more lord going for a stroll. The tall elf wore a slate gray suit of trim lines and polished black shoes. His long obsidian-black hair was tied back in a braid that hung to his waist and the curved tips of his ears were lined with dozens of small silver hoops. His eyes were the color of tarnished silver and were constantly shifting as he scanned his surroundings. He didn¡¯t relax even as he stepped into the main thoroughfare and slid into the crowd of people moving through the district, but no one spared him a glance - just another nobleman going about his business. At the center of the Noble¡¯s District stood the Dancing Swan, the most exclusive inn in all of Isonar. Instead of a tavern, the inn boasted a prestigious restaurant for the most exclusive of patrons. Tables at the Dancing Swan required reservations months in advance and patrons were expected to dress appropriately - diners in casual wear would be politely turned away at the door. When Dordryn entered the Dancing Swan, the maitre de simply nodded in his direction before turning his attention back to the young human couple who stood nervously nearby. The woman wore a dress of deep blue silks, while the young man¡¯s black slacks were paired with a simple green jacket. Dordryn barely spared the couple a glance, but that¡¯s all he needed to size them up. The jewelry that the woman wore was tasteful, but not extravagant, and while their clothes fit them fine, they weren¡¯t tailor made for them. The young man had one hand in a pocket, fidgeting with what he held in there, and both of them stared around at their surroundings in awe and wonder. Dordryn hid a smirk as he moved past the maitre de into the restaurant proper. The couple were clearly not of noble rank, but not poor either. They had either rented or borrowed their outfits to enjoy a special night, starting with a dinner at the Dancing Swan. They were probably planning to attend the Dawn''s Light Theatre after dinner and, unless Dordryn had missed his mark, the young man had every intention of proposing to his lady before the night was out. Ah, to be young and in love. Dordryn chuckled to himself as he bypassed the main room of the restaurant and passed under the archway that led into the backrooms of the inn. He nodded to the chef and his two assistants, then opened a door in the back of the room and stepped into the darkness beyond, descending down the stairs into the wine cellar. At the bottom of the stairs, casks and kegs sat in rows along most of the walls and almost all of the center, leaving barely enough room to maneuver around them. If there was something the Dancing Swan was even more famous for than its restaurant, it was its wine. The grapes were grown on a private orchard just up the slopes from the city, and the recipe was a secret that few were ever privy to. The sales of the Dancing Swan¡¯s two labels - a merlot and a chardonnay - made more money for the business owners than the restaurant and the inn''s rooms combined. As part owner himself, Dordryn was very proud of the success of the Dancing Swan, but on this particular trip, he barely glanced at the kegs and casks. He moved past them to a well-hiden door against the back wall. It unlocked with another key from his keyring, and opened into a long hallway. Despite being deep underground, the hallway was wide and well-lit with colored lanterns, the stone walls decorated periodically with various framed cityscapes of the capital. Dordryn passed doors on either side of the hallway made of thick, polished maple, and decorated with intricate designs, some with labels beside the doors to indicate either owner or purpose of the rooms beyond. A few of the doors had guards, men or women in the dark leather tunics of the Isonar thieve¡¯s guild, all of whom nodded respectfully to the elf and let him pass. At last, Dordryn turned into a door on the right which had no label. Beyond, the large room was set up as an office space, with a wide desk facing the door through which Dordryn had entered, and floor-to-ceiling shelves against one wall that held all manner of books and scrolls. Behind the desk, a middle-aged tiefling woman was copying something out of a tome onto a scroll. She looked up as Dordyn entered and set her quill down. ¡°Lord Vettlemark. I wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡± Her tone was respectful, but stern. This was a woman who kept the business of thievery running smoothly and did not appreciate the unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not sending word, Terese.¡± Dordryn responded, equally respectful, but with a great deal more authority. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. I need to speak to the boss.¡± Terese pursed her lips, then nodded and stood. She led Dordryn to the door in the back of the room, then knocked twice and entered, letting Dordryn follow her in. Unsurprisingly, this office was twice the size of Terese¡¯s and held a large sitting area in one corner. The man who sat behind this desk had fiery red hair and bright green eyes that looked up and narrowed at Dordyn as he entered. ¡°Lord Cipher,¡± the elf gave a bow. ¡°Forgive my intrusion. I have come across some information that I thought imperative for you to hear immediately.¡± The man stared at Dordryn for another few seconds, then nodded to his secretary. ¡°Thank you, Terese.¡± The tiefling bowed, then stepped back out of the room, closing the door behind her. For a long moment after she was gone, the two men stared at each other, neither speaking. Then, abruptly, the man behind the desk relaxed and settled back in his chair, giving the elf a smile. ¡°Dordryn. Welcome back.¡± Dordryn relaxed as well and lowered himself into one of the plush visitor armchairs. ¡°Grad. Good to be back. How have things been on the home front?¡± Grad shrugged. ¡°Mostly as you¡¯d expect. A few deals going down, but nothing major. We made contact with the new guild forming in Peligark.¡± ¡°I heard that,¡± Dordryn nodded. ¡°That Seikra¡¯s doing?¡± Grad laughed and shook his head. ¡°No, her hands are clean there. She¡¯s been busy elsewhere.¡± ¡°Busy?¡± Dordryn smirked. ¡°Is that your excuse?¡± At the ribbing, Grad shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ¡°Come off it, Dor. You know how it is.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. You know she knows, right? She¡¯s waiting to see how long it will take you to grow a pair and ask her.¡± Grad pursed his lips, then shook his head. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t come back just to heckle me about Seikra. What do you need, Dordryn?¡± As the subject shifted, Dordryn straightened. ¡°I have something. I need to speak to him.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t like uninvited guests. You know that, too.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, this can¡¯t be helped. Is he in?¡± Grad sat silent for a long moment, then sighed and nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s in. But it¡¯s on your head.¡± Dordryn grunted and stood. ¡°You¡¯ve been getting too comfortable, sitting in your plush office. Maybe it¡¯s time someone stepped into the fire. Might as well be me.¡± He turned to one of the tall bookshelves and pulled a thick tome out, then reached to the back wall of the shelf and pressed his hand against a small panel, watching as the entire bookshelf slid aside to reveal a hidden passageway. ¡°But I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice¡­ my gut is telling me that things will be getting very busy, very soon. If you don¡¯t say something to Seikra now¡­ you may not get another chance for some time.¡± He shot Grad a pointed look, then stepped into the passageway and let the bookcase close behind him.