《Pangaea;  A New World》


 Chapter one

    Pangaea Chapter one


    Kale continued eating his salad as he listened to his friend Tom who was talking about some new game that Tom, Kevin, and John were going to be playing. All four boys had just graduated from high school and had the whole summer to relax before college or finding a job became an issue. Kale was sure that it would not be much of an issue as all three of his friends came from rich families; they would all have jobs waiting if they wanted to work in the family business.


    Kale himself had a part time job, he taught in his uncle''s dojo. It was a mixed martial arts school but Kale specialized in Krav Maga. His uncle had been an instructor for the IDF and Kale had been around the dojo since he was three. That is when he had moved in with his aunt and uncle. His parents had been the victims of a terrorist attack and his mom''s sister had made sure that Kale was brought to them immediately. His aunt had a lot of pull; she was a doctor who had pioneered several surgical procedures.


    Kales attention was brought to the present when Kevin said, ¡°Dude this game is perfect for you, you won¡¯t need to grind out levels, you won¡¯t need to do rinse wash and repeat quests. Heck man, you won¡¯t even need to do any of the Main quest chains, playing as a PPC will give you freedom from all that. It is a win-win situation, we will form a guild and you will be our PPC member taking care of the home front when we go out and conquer.¡±


    Kale smiled at Kevin, he knew his friend always saw the glass as half full and was a happy guy. Glancing over at Tom and John he noted the smiles and smiled back. Seeing Tom brought back the memory of how they had first met. It had been the first day of high school and Kale had seen two of the steroidal football freaks, both seniors giving Tom a tough time. Tom had turned to leave heading down an empty hall towards the exit. The freaks had followed him and then near the exit they began to shove him around with freak one finally winding up and punching him in the stomach. Freak two then pulled back his leg to kick the smaller boy in the head when Kale kicked out connecting with the back of the knee.


    His kick had caught the freak unbalanced and he fell to the floor, Kale then jumped over to the other freak and threw out his hand slapping the other freak in the face with a great deal of power. Turning back he grabbed the freak he had kicked and threw him against the wall next to his buddy. ¡°You two animals better scram,¡± he said. Turning his back he offered his hand to Tom and helped the smaller boy stand up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked.


    Tom looked up in surprise at Kale, he could not believe what he had just witnessed, a boy not much bigger than himself, someone who could not be more than 145 pounds had just kicked the crap out of two of the school''s linebackers, both of whom must have weighed in at 220 pounds each. ¡°Dude, thank you, you literally saved my ass. Those douche bags were planning on beating me to a pulp. Who are you man and how did you do that?¡± Tom asked.


    ¡°The name is Kale and dealing with those two is easy, they are bullies and will run if someone stands up to them. What made them turn on you like that? I know they are bullies but usually, they wait a week or two before selecting their victims.¡±


    Tom looked at Kale and then pointed to his shirt, ¡°I am wearing my rainbow pride shirt and when they saw that, the insults started then the threats. I tried to walk away but they followed me, I honestly thought I was done for till you saved me, not sure if I have ever been so scared. Anyway, I guess Gays are not welcomed here.¡±


    ¡°Dude,¡± Kale began, ¡°I don¡¯t think too many people care what your preference is as long as you don¡¯t push it in people¡¯s faces. Personally, I believe everyone has a right to live the life they want and I hope they find happiness doing that.¡± With those words, Kale had started a friendship that would last throughout high school. Introducing Tom to his other friends, all four boys had hit it off and became close friends. Kale had the three boys in his Krav Maga class by October and they had continued training for the next four years.


    All of the boys were now very capable in self-defense, although Kale was on another level altogether. During the four years of high school Tom had grown a great deal and with the regular workouts at the dojo was not the tallest and most muscular of the group. He had an easy self-confidence and was considered the best looking of the bunch. Being his wingman had given Kale lots of opportunity to meet and date several girls who had tried with Tom and failed as he was not interested in them. They found Kale was a great listener and almost as good looking at Tom. He was short just 5 feet 8 inches, but pound for pound he was the strongest of the group.


    Kevin and John were both tall at 6 foot 1 inch just one inch shorter than Tom. They both were blond haired and muscular, fairly popular and always funny. Kale had come to appreciate the fact that both were very positive people with a real I can do this attitude. Kale knew he had great friends and was willing to listen as they tried to encourage him to join them in the game Pangaea.


    ¡°Listen, guys, you know I hate these fantasy games, I mean being in VR is cool but the grind the mindless killing the hunt for better gear every five levels, being so broke that you have to sleep in stables instead of Inns. It sucks.¡± Kale said with feeling. ¡°If this game is the same then what makes you think I will like playing it? I would give it a try for you guys but only if it is different for me, I am not going to do the whole grind out the levels to endgame anymore.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, I know you hate that, but like I was saying earlier, you won¡¯t need to do that. Once you make your avatar, you will be offered a boatload of classes and starting zones, all you need to do is choose the PPC class.¡± Tom spoke in an excited tone. ¡°This class is tailor-made for you Kale, you cannot accept any of the major quests, and you can only do the minor ones. Basically, you start with one gold at the outskirts of your starting town or city, and then you have to get a job and a place to live. The rest is up to you, you can become a business magnate or a banker, heck the whole thing is wide open for you. With the time dilation, the two summer months equal one year game time. So what do you say, right now Pangaea is having a special the first ten levels are free, come on man give it a chance, at least to level ten.¡±


    Kale looked at his friends and laughed, then said, ¡°Okay, I will give it a go at least till level ten. If I have time I will download it tonight and make an avatar. Are we going to use our real names in the game?¡± Seeing his friends nod Kale said, ¡°We probably should go, all the mall chicks are gone anyway. I want to do a little more research into the game, does anyone know why it is called Pangaea. Isn¡¯t that the name of one of the earth''s former supercontinents?¡±


    Kevin answered, ¡°You bet it is and the whole game world is based on that land mass, it is huge, and while the starting zones are mapped out for about two hundred miles surrounding each zone the rest of the world is blank. We know that there are undiscovered kingdoms and strange races, even Gods roam the vastness of Pangaea. This game is incredible, not only is it new, the VR has been tweaked and new features added. I can''t wait to get in.¡±


    Kale thought that it did sound interesting and he was becoming excited about the game but decided to play it cool until he had checked it out for himself. Looking over at John he asked, ¡°So what stops some butthead player from killing PPC players, and robbing them, or even corpse camping the players? If I can¡¯t level up and gain skills like normal players what is my defense? I hate to be at the mercy of some of the people who play these VR games. Some of them are fricken sociopaths.¡±


    The other guys all nodded and then John responded, ¡°Kale, the Game Masters have a zero tolerance for that, the first time a PPC is killed the killer is set back to level one and loses all his gear, the second time the Banhammer get brought down and he will never be seen in Pangaea again. The developers are really serious about making this the best most fun game ever. You know how the pain level in most VR games is at fifty percent, in Pangaea it is at ten percent. The lead developer said that is was stupid to make players feel pain in what is supposed to be a fun environment.¡±


    Kale slowly digested all that his friends had told him as he caught the bus and headed for home. Having agreed to get a hold of his friends in the game tomorrow he pulled out his phone and began to check out the forums as he traveled on the bus. After arriving at home he entered the kitchen and gave his aunt Bea a kiss before heading towards his room. ¡°Supper is in a couple of hours,¡± he heard his aunt yell as he entered his room. Turning around he yelled back, ¡°Sounds good, I am starving, what is it?¡±


    ¡°We are having pan fried chops with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes with chives and garlic, along with a salad.¡± His aunt Bea said. Kale smiled, it was one of his favorite meals, and he gave a loud whoop. ¡°Thanks, aunty I love ya.¡± He yelled as he entered his room. Looking in the room Kale observed everything; it was the way he had left it with everything in its place and a place for everything. ¡°Maybe I am a little OCD about things,¡± Kale muttered to himself before smiling. It did not matter; Kale felt a sense of satisfaction in neatness and order.


    There was a neatly made bed against the wall with three shelves that ran from the floor to the ceiling; all the shelves were full of books on a wide variety of subjects. There was some fiction but most of the books were nonfiction, with subjects that ranged from military history to medieval engineering. There were books on basic first aid and advanced surgical procedures. Biographical works and readings on blacksmithing were in their spots on the shelves. Kale had read and taken notes on anything that had interested him as he went through school. The result was a very knowledgeable young man who had a good idea of how a lot of things worked.


    On the far side of the room was the cube, it looked like a rectangular box, with the lid open a soft chair was visible with a small console and keyboard, along with what appeared to be a full visor helmet. Kale walked over to the cube and then sat down in the chair. Hitting the power button he waited as the system booted up. Connecting to the internet he searched for the game Pangaea and then hit the download button. Seeing that he had a good hour to wait he began to go over the forums, searching for anything that interested him.


    The time passed quickly with the download complete chime sounding before Kale had finished. Deciding to continue his research before logging into the game and creating his avatar, Kale continued to read. Finally, he closed the forums having gained a much better understanding of the game and the different ways to play. Kale was determined to make a PPC character and play the game the way he wanted to, in fact, he was getting excited about all the options.


    Hearing his Aunt call him Kale jumped up and went to the washroom to wash up; glancing in the mirror he noted his high cheekbones and thick dark hair that had a wavy curl to it. His lips were full and his nose was best described as Patrician in nature. His eyes were a light brown hazel color that seemed to turn black when Kale was angry. He smiled to himself as he dried his hands and then made his way to the kitchen, the smell of the food tantalizing him. Seeing his uncle Haim sitting down Kale wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gave his uncle a squeeze.


    His uncle looked up with a smile, his no-nonsense face suddenly soft and full of laugh lines. ¡°Go sit down boy, I am hungry and want to eat.¡± Kale laughed and said, ¡°Me too, it smells so good.¡± The rest of the dinner passed with Kale and his uncle and aunt chatting and laughing about the little things that made up the day. Finishing off the supper Kale thanked his aunt and then said, ¡°I am going to be checking out a new VR game with the guys, I will be in the cube for most of the time but will pop out every now and then.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Are you going to be available to teach on Wednesday and Friday evenings?¡± Uncle Haim asked. ¡°If not I can get one of the other senior students to teach, it is about time they started to develop those skills.¡±


    Kale thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I will pop out of the cube on those nights, it will do me good to stretch and get the blood flowing.¡±


    Aunt Bea winked at her husband and said, if you want to come into the Hospital, we have a new nurse her name is Sarit she just started and is a pretty girl, she would get your blood flowing Kale.¡±


    Looking at my aunt I gave her my third best look of boredom before breaking out into laughter, ¡°You know I am not interested in dating anyone, I am pretty happy to do what I do right now. Studying, teaching and playing games. It keeps me busy.¡±


    Seeing both of them look at each other Kale quickly stood up and began to gather the plates, taking them to the sink he rinsed them off and loaded them into the dishwasher. Returning to the table he finished the cleanup and then finally brought out two cups of tea. It was Earl Grey with real cream and sweet raw sugar. Taking his leave Kale headed back to his room and made his way into the cube.


    Pulling on the helmet Kale powered up the cube and then began the process of loading the game. As the game loaded into the cube, Kale found himself immersing into the avatar creation room and was greeted by a glowing female figure. He stared at the girl who slowly became more solid until she looked like a Greek goddess. ¡°Who are you?¡± Kale asked.


    ¡°I am Creatiana the Goddess of creation, and I am here to help you to choose wisely as you decide on whom you will become. You have many choices, please take your time and see what Pangaea has to offer you. Each choice has its strength and its weakness. Pangaea is a huge world that is larger than Earth and has many different options and races. Let me know when you are ready to make your choices, or if you have any questions.¡±


    Kale nodded at Creatiana and then began to look at all the options for races, he saw that there were the usual choices of human, elf, orc, dwarf, drow; he noted that there were also half races and animal races. The choices were endless it seemed as each race had its own racial, which was a permanent buff. An hour passed as Kale continued to read. One thing led to another and Kale realized that the starting point in a game the size of Pangaea had a major impact on the race choices.


    Having decided to play a Halfling Human mixed with a strange race that is called the Old Race Kale looked at the racial. The human racial was called quick learn, and it allowed humans to master abilities that were normally only available on other races. These were not class abilities as a PPC Kale could not learn class abilities. Also due to the fact that Kale had chosen to play a Halfling, the racial had a fifty percent chance of working. His other choice the Old Race had a unique racial, it was the ability to see into the spirit realm. Due to being a Halfling that racial was limited to the night, but Kale thought it would be a fun racial to experiment with.


    Once Kale had finished with the origins of his avatar he was given the option of what it should look like. He observed that the avatar was based on his body, it was identical to him. Kale had always changed how he looked in all the games he played. There was little chance of his being recognized but ale preferred to be anonymous. Looking at the avatar he added some muscle mass to the upper body and then gave the avatar runner''s legs. His face was changed so that it was slightly broader and his ears had slight points on them. He would not be mistaken for an elf but his ears clearly showed more that human ancestry with the little points. His eyes were a light haze color and he left them that way. Declining scars and tattoos Kale focused on the hair color and went with black hair with some dark reddish highlights.


    Staring at the picture critically Kale finally smiled and said, ¡°What the heck you are pretty damn good looking, maybe I will get lucky in the game.¡± Mentally hitting enter Kale closed his eyes as he heard Creatiana whisper ¡°Good Luck Kale.¡±


    There was a sudden sensation of flying over the ground at a rapid speed and then slowing down suddenly Kale felt the ground and everything became visible as the darkness faded. Looking around Kale noted he was standing beside a large tree that offered shade to the road it was next to. The road was cobbled and showed signs of age; clearly, it had been in use for a long long time. Just up the road stood a city wall with a trail that circles the outside and a gate that the road traveled through. The forest that stood next to the city was old growth and full of colors, it was clear that fall time had arrived.


    The city itself was on the cusp of a mountain range; the peaks had snow on their slopes and towered over the city. Kale had chosen the city based on the fact that is had once been a city of the Old race. Also, it was cut off from the rest of Pangaea by several mountain ranges. The city was called Tempus and was the seat of the house of Asher. It was self-sufficient with no close neighbors; the kingdom encompassed about 45 villages and town. There was an inland sea that backed onto the far mountain range and many long valleys that threaded into the foothills and mountains of the kingdom.


    Walking up to the gate Kale observed that there were two guards stationed there and that they were alert and armed, their gear was plain but of good quality. The men looked alert and competent and the closest one to Kale called out, ¡°Hold up stranger, tell us what brings you to Tempus, and how long will you be planning on staying?¡±


    I am new here and was planning on staying a good long while, I need to find a job and a place to stay, I am hoping to make Tempus my home,¡± Kale observed the guards as they listened to him, they paid attention and then whispered to each other for a moment.


    ¡°Well stranger, welcome to Tempus, the priests has said that the world would be receiving visitors from other realms. I had not thought the Kingdom of Asher would have attracted anyone but here you are. Be welcome here and keep the peace.¡±


    Kale nodded and then shyly asked, ¡°Do you know of any work in the city, I am well read, somewhat educated but not afraid of hard work or getting my hands dirty. I just need to find a job and a place to stay.¡±


    The guards looked at Kale and then said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind shoveling shit, Innis is always looking for workers at his stables. Just follow the inner Wall road to the right for about a mile, you will come to a smaller gate, right next to it is Innis stables and his Inn. He is a good sort, who helps those in need. He expects fair work for wages but if you do your job you will have a place to stay and a job, he even offers two meals a day at the Inn. It is the best job I can think of for a newcomer to the city. Good luck, Kale.¡± With that, the guards lost interest in Kale and he turned and began to walk along the Wall road.


    It did not take long for Kale to arrive at the stables, they were large capable of handling fifty horses in the corral and at least twenty in the stables itself. Standing at the entrance of the stables were two men, they both looked about twenty-five and seemed to belong at the stables. Kale walked over and greeted them, he could see that they were both level 5 and were classed as stable workers. The larger one was named Thomas and the other was named Edward.


    Kale introduced himself and felt an acceptance from the two men, looking at Thomas Kale asked, ¡°I am looking for a job and the stables were recommended to me, I am supposed to talk to Innis could you direct me to him?¡±


    Thomas looked at Kale and smiled then said, Innis is in the inn, probably the kitchen, it is near lunch time, come on I will take you to him.¡± Leading the way Thomas walked to the back of the Inn and entered a small doorway that led straight into the kitchen. The kitchen was large with the back wall having two tables against it with windows set high to let in the faint light that the city wall and the mountains allowed. There was a center island with several sinks and on the left wall was a huge open oven that had at least ten rotisseries turning. Ham and chickens along with racks of sausages and racks of lamb were all being cooked.


    Next to the open oven were two wood stoves each with two burners going and on each burner were large cauldrons of both soup and stew. Beside the stoves was another oven that held at least twenty loaves of bread, light, dark and black. The smell in the kitchen was astounding, as soon as Kale had walked in he began to inhale the mouthwatering smells. Thomas looked at him and smiled then called out, ¡°Innis, come look at what we brought you, I think he wanted a job but now I think all he wants is to eat.¡±


    Kale watched as a large man turned towards them and began to walk over. He smiled at Thomas and Edward and then looked at Kale. ¡°Well he looks hungry; I guess I can feed him. Smiling at Kale he nodded and then asked, ¡°Lad did you come here for a job because I have one for you. Thomas needs another assistant for when he is off on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Edward is off on Tuesday and Wednesday. I need you to mind the stables from Tuesday to Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be your days off. I offer you a gold a week and two meals daily, all staff eat lunch and supper in the kitchen, not the Inn. You will take care of breakfast yourself. There is a small room adjoining the stables in the back that will be yours, it has a small stove for heat. We have a never ending pile of fuel in the winter for the stoves. Well, what do you say?¡± Holding out his hand Innis looked at me and smiled.


    I smiled back and said, ¡°Thank you, sir, I am glad to have a job and a place to live.¡± Innis smiled back and said, Thomas will get you squared away, do a good job lad and I will see if we can find more work for you. Now let¡¯s eat.


    Sitting down at the tables we started with bowls of stew and sandwiches made out of roast pork all topped with a strong cheese and salty gravy. It was one of the best meals Kale had ever eaten and he savored each bite. It was all washed down with fresh cold water from the well. Kale noted he had a well-fed icon appear that gave him a one hour buff to all his stats. Thinking that he would have a look at his stats as a PPC as soon as he had a moment Kale stood and followed Thomas out to the stables.


    Showing Kale the small rooms at the back of the stables Thomas pointed to the far one and said, ¡°That one is yours. It actually has a door that leads out the back into the passageway between the city wall and the property here. Taken the afternoon to clean it out and make it your home. Today is Sunday so you are off tomorrow, go explore the city and buy some bedding or any other supplies you need. Just follow the Wall road and you will come across the shops, the closer to the wall the better price you will get. Any questions, mate?¡±


    Kale smiled and said, ¡°Nope, but thanks for everything I will work hard and do a good job, Thomas.¡± Waving at the men as they walked out Kale had a good look at the room, it was rectangular with a small stove at one end and then a bed against the wall with drawers built into the bottom. The head of the bed was a desk with a chair rounding out all the furniture. Everything was very dusty and needed a good cleaning.


    Going out to the kitchen Kale grabbed all that he needed and then filled a bucket up with warm water and soap. Going back to his room he began to sweep the floor and then dust all the furniture, finally taking the hot soapy water he scrubbed everything down and then dried everything. Putting everything back Kale then went down the Wall road looking for a shop where he could buy some bedding and some rough clothing. He found what he needed in the third shop[ he entered and when he left he had a set of rough sheets and a thick blanket. He also had some soap and other personal gear along with two sets of rough work cloth and one set of nicer clothing.


    As Kale made his way back to the stables he stopped at a bakery and bought some bread and jam along with several buns and a small tub of butter. When Kale left the bakery he had 25 silver and a few copper left from his gold coin. The next stop would be a bank Kale thought,time to start savings; if you don¡¯t have money at hand you don¡¯t spend money. Once he arrived back at the stables he put all his items away and then made the bed. Stretching out Kale found that it was surprising how comfortable it was.


    Mentally opening up his Stats Kale observed that he was about twenty percent in his progress to level two. He had all the same attributes that a normal player had but they seemed skewered, his strength was higher than he thought it would be as was his agility. His intellect was average and his magic was at zero. Kales basic stats read.


    Strength = 75


    Agility = 70


    Magic = 5


    Mana = 50


    Intellect = 65


    Presence = 45


    Reputation = Friendly


    Racial = Quick learn a 50 percent chance to learn another racial buff


    Racial = Spiritual vision the ability to see into the spirit realm, only at night time.


    Combat = 5


    Unarmed combat = 5


    There were a few more things but they were all at 0 or 5, clearly playing as a PPC geared your stats towards working not combat, although there was probably some overlap. But without weapons training having a lot of strength and agility would not do a player any good. Not that it mattered, Kale thought, I am not here to be an adventurer. Closing his stats Kale smiled, it had been a good day, a job and a place to live had been found, and he would be working with good people who seemed to not have any issues.


    After setting the in game alarm to wake him at 5 bells so he would not be late for supper Kale soon drifted off into a relaxed sleep. As Kale slept there unseen to him a faintly luminous being appeared over his body, it was a female form that looked down at him and smiled along with a faint whisper that could be heard saying, ¡°At last, one of my children has returned.¡±

 Pangaea Chapter two

    Pangaea Chapter two


    Kale woke up and stretched allowing all his muscles to tighten up and then gently relax. He felt good, the clear fresh mountain air that enveloped the city of Tempus was invigorating. As the sun sank behind the nearby peaks the temperature began to drop. Grabbing his new cloak ale threw it on and then left his room, walking over to the kitchen entrance he opened the door and walked in. Thomas and Edward were already sitting down with cups of hot tea, there were several other people also waiting for supper, chambermaids and kitchen help Kale guessed. Thomas waved him over to sit across from Edward.


    Sitting down Kale greeted the others and was soon given a steaming mug of tea. Thomas said, ¡°Kale tonight you had better bring in some fuel for your stove, in the large bin out back of the stables you will find lots of dried horse dung, it is what we use for fuel. You can purchase some wood if you like but that costs. So, what do you have in mind for tomorrow?¡± Kale thought for a moment and then replied, ¡°I think I will explore the city and see the sights, I am really just going to take it easy. By the way, I should spend some time with you tomorrow to have you show me my duties and what you want me to do.¡±


    Thomas nodded and at that point, the supper trays began to arrive, A small bowl of lamb soup was brought out along with a plate full of ham and sausage sitting on some nice savory potatoes. It was delicious and Kale enjoyed it, as the meal began to wind down Kale asked, ¡°How is it that Innis feeds us so well, and the quantity of food being made here is astounding, is the Inn that busy?¡±


    Thomas laughed and said, ¡°I had forgotten that you are not from here, so let me explain,Innis is a retired Guardsman and a lot of his customers are Guardsmen. They all work hard and they like to eat, so Innis made the choice to provide good food good quantity and good company at his Inn. As word began to spread more and more people began to come to eat. Innis Inn is now perhaps the busiest eatery in the city and it does not hurt having guardsmen here all the time. Even ladies from High Town, the place where the nobles and the rich live come here to eat. They are safe and respected. I guess Prince Absaul started the trend of the nobility coming here, but that was before his fall from grace.¡±


    Kale looked up and asked, ¡°Prince Absaul and his fall from grace, Thomas I am sure there is a story here, it sounds interesting please continue.¡±


    Thomas laughed as he lit his pipe and then said, ¡°Alright Kale being new here you would not know the story, it is a sad tale of love betrayal and punishment. I will only say it here as one should not speak ill of the nobles, they have power over us common folk. Prince Absaul is the King¡¯s son fourth from the throne. He grew up in Whitewater town with his maternal family and once he became of age he moved to Tempus. He brought with him his cousin the beautiful maiden Tamar who quickly found favor with the nobles and the king.¡±


    ¡°The King''s first-born Prince Abran found himself infatuated with Tamar and constantly sought her out. Tamar, however, was not interested in Abran but he could not recognize this fact. After a year of trying to woo the maid, Abran decided to take matters into his own hands. He invited her to his home under the pretext of having a family supper, and when she arrived, well not to speak evil of the dead but he had his way with her. Then to make matters worse he threw her out on the street and from that point on scorned her, branding her a harlot and making sure she was ostracized from high society, in the end only her cousin Prince Absaul supported her. She moved into his home and has not been seen in three years.¡±


    Thomas continued, ¡°Absaul took his time once he realized that the King would not provide justice for Tamar. He waited for two years and then invited Abran to a hunt outside of the city. There he killed the heir and returned to the city. He confessed his guilt to the king and has been imprisoned since.¡±


    It was an amazing story and Kale was struck by the futility of it all, one bad choice leading to others. Also, the damage that was done to Tamar, someone innocent. He was not sure that Abran deserved to die, but then he had never had anyone close to him raped. It may all be a game but it provoked a strong emotion within Kale. ¡°Thanks for the tale Thomas, it I guess it shows that all our choices are important.¡± Saying goodnight to everyone Kale left the kitchen and went to his room, changing into his starter gear he entered the barn and began to stretch and do his Krav Maga warm up.


    Feeling his muscles relax Kale began to increase his speed and repetitions until he was moving at full combat speed. He continued to exercise as he noted both Thomas and Edward enter the stables and stop and observe him. Finally coming to a rest Kale nodded at the two stable hands as he stood to breathe deeply.


    Thomas grinned at him and said, ¡°Be the Gods Kale, you look more like a Guardsman than a stable hand. Where did you learn to fight like that, I have never seen moves like those?¡±


    Kale grinned back at Thomas and replied, ¡°My uncle taught Combat to the soldiers in my realm. I grew up watching him and soon I was being trained by him, now I teach with him when I am back at home. In Tempus though I am just an ordinary man, not an adventurer or someone seeking combat. I just want to do well for myself. Speaking of which, can you give me some advice, I want to do well financially how can I make that happen?¡±


    Thomas looked at Kale and smiled, ¡°If you are serious, in the springtime Innis sends out a caravan of traders who go through the kingdom,save your money and rent some space on a cart and then invest in trade goods, perhaps if you take up crafting you can make your own trade goods. At any rate that is the only way I know of to try to make some gold. Innis is fair and only taken ten percent of your profits. If you are interested wait a month or two and then talk to Innis. Morning comes early my friend so I am going to bed. Goodnight guys.¡±


    Edward also excused himself and Kale found himself left alone in the stables, walking over to the tow lanterns he blew them out and stood in the darkness. With a few seconds, his eyes adapted and Kale was surprised to find that he had much better night vision than he had expected. It must be part of the Old Race racial he thought. Deciding to explore the Spiritual Vision racial Kale stepped out of the stables and began to look around. The city glowed faintly with lanterns shining through windows and the occasional street lamp. Faintly superimposed over the streets leading up to the upper city were glowing areas that Kale observed. Deciding to explore at least one of these areas Kale began to walk through the city heading towards the nearest glow.


    Kale found that working his way through the city was more complicated than he had expected, the city had three streams that descended from a large spring located on the highest hill. Over the years this stream had been channeled into three manmade lakes that were joined by canals. Fortunately for Kale the glow was visible from almost all the streets he traveled on and when he finally began to climb the hill he realized that the glow was coming from a park which was located next to a graveyard.


    Upon entering the park Kale realized that it was full of ancient tombs many so weathered as to be almost unrecognizable. The stream ran through the park in between the buildings surrounded by small trees and bushes. The whole scene was eye-catching in the moonlight and Kale took a minute to appreciate the sight. Turning around he noticed the glow was coming from the stream near the top of the Park. Walking in the moonlight Kale soon stood on the bank of the stream, with the golden glow coming from the middle of the water.


    Focusing his attention Kale soon made out the dim shape of a skeleton, it was laying in the water near the bend of the stream. It would be almost impossible to see if you were not looking. Kale was faced with a choice, should he call the guards or should he investigate further. He knew if the guards came any chance of looting the skeleton would be gone. However, he would gain reputation with the city. Having decided to check out the skeleton, Kale stripped off his clothing and entered the stream, the water was cold but thankfully there was not much of a current.


    As Kale came closer to the skeleton the water became deeper. Taking a deep breath Kale dived under the water and swam to the skeleton. Looking through the water Kale observed that the Skeleton was holding a pack. Deciding to left the pack to the shore Kale grabbed it and began to swim towards the shore. Feeling resistance Kale glanced back and observed that the whole skeleton was with him, the bony fingers still grasping the pack.


    Finally reaching the shore Kale placed both the bag and the skeleton on the bank, then shivering badly he used his shirt to dry off as best he could and then dressed in the damp clothing. Finally feeling a hint of warmth returning to his flesh Kale walked over and observed the pack and the skeleton. To his surprise, the skeleton was not holding the back but rather had manacles attached to both his bony wrist and to the pack. Looking at the pack Kale saw that it was sealed and locked and on the front cover now visible was a Crest, the royal crest of the Kingdom.


    ¡°Holy Crap,¡± Kale muttered to himself. ¡°This is something I had better report.¡± Kale thought for a moment and realized he did not know where the guard stations were located and not wanting to walk all over the city looking for one he decided to go talk to Innis. The man used to be a guardsman and would know what to do. Looking around Kale was sure that no one would come at this hour to disturb what he had found. Turning he made his way as quickly as he could back to the Inn. Once back at the Inn he entered the kitchen and saw that the night baker was busy making up the dough for tomorrow''s bread. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Kale said, ¡°I need to speak to Innis, it is a matter of some importance.¡±


    The baker looked up with surprise and then said, ¡°I think he is still at the bar serving, go through the doors and down the short passageway, once you enter the big room the bar is on the right. It had better be important if you disturb the Master.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the warning, it is important,¡± Kale said as he walked through the doors into the back of the Inn. Following the directions the baker had given him Kale soon found himself next to the bar where Innis was conferring with two Guardsmen. Judging by the laughter the men were old friends. Kale walked over to the group and saw Innis look up and stare at him with surprise.


    ¡°Young Kale, what are you doing here?¡± Innis asked with surprise.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Kale began, I am sorry to disturb you, and I know that we are not to bother you here, but I have something to tell you and it is important.¡± Innis looked at Kale with surprise and then said, ¡°if it is that important then I suppose you better speak. Looking at the Guardsmen Innis smiled and shrugged, then focusing back on Kale he indicated that he should speak.


    Kale began by saying, ¡°After supper, I was restless and decided to explore the city a bit. Eventually, I came to an old park, it was full of ancient tombs and had a stream running through it. With the moonlight and the mist rising from the water it seemed a magical place. Walking along the stream as I explored I happened to glance down in the water. I saw a skeleton in the stream.¡±


    At this point, one of the Guardsmen interrupted Kale and said, ¡°Are you sure it was a skeleton boy? No doubts?¡±


    ¡°No sir, I actually entered the water and pulled it to shore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a brave lad,¡± The second Guardsman said. ¡°Not many would do that in a graveyard at night all alone. Go on with your story.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Kale responded, ¡°Perhaps the most interesting thing was the pack that the skeleton had attached to its wrist. It was manacled to him.¡± Hearing this all three men looked at each other and Innis said, ¡°That is interesting, continue Kale.¡±


    Looking at Innis Kale said, ¡°On the pack was a crest sir, the Royal Crest. I knew I had to report this but I did not know where to go, but remember that you were a Guardsman at one time I decided to come and let you know about this.¡± Kale was looking at all three men and could see the surprise on their face as they thought about what he had said.


    Innis spoke first, turning to the closest Guardsman he said, ¡°Go grab a patrol and meet us back here in half an hour.¡± then looking at Kale he said, by the Gods, you are blue Kale, that water must have been cold eh. Quickly go sit by the fire, I will have the girl bring you some hot tea.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Kale stood and walked over to the fireplace and sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs, soon a pretty barmaid brought him a hot tea that had a spicy taste and a strong flavor. Kale suspected it held more that tea leaves in it but the warmth it provided was comforting. Looking in the fire Kale relaxed until Innis and the remaining Guardsman came over to him.


    ¡°Sorry lad, I wish I could let you rest but this is the King''s business now and we need you to show us where this skeleton and pack is. Here is a cloak to help keep you warm, now we had better be off. The other men are waiting near the stable.¡± Standing up Kale followed Innis out of the front of the Inn and walked over to the group of eleven Guardsmen waiting. ¡°Men.¡± Innis began, ¡°We are going to be following this young lad to where he found some human remains and other items. Once we are there I want a search team to look for other items and a watch deployed. It Kale actually found what he described this might go all the way up to the King, so no screw-ups. Kale, if you would lead us?¡±


    Turning around Kale set off at a fast pace, the way to the park burned into his mind. Within half an hour they arrived and Kale led the way upstream till they came upon the skeleton and the pack. Once Innis and the Guardsman named Henry saw the pack they quickly walked off and conferred with each other. Coming back a moment later Innis strode over to Kale and said, ¡°Will done lad, it was a chance in a million that you could have found this poor soul. I need you to accompany me, we will be going to the King''s palace. I must inform the Chamberlain of what you have found here, and then he will take charge of what happens. Come, lad, if we hurry we might have a chance at breakfast in the palace.¡±


    Shrugging Kale nodded and began to follow Innis out of the park and up the hill. Innis knew the streets of Tempus and soon led Kale to the palace. Knocking on the door they waited a minute until the door opened and a Guardsman walked out. ¡°Innis what brings you to the palace at this hour?¡± the Guardsman asked.


    ¡°My lad here made a discovery, one that the Chamberlain needs to know about. The Guardsmen are already investigating but I think the Chamberlain will want to be informed right now.¡±


    The Guardsman looked at Innis and sighed. ¡°Alright, I will tell him, but if it is not important you had better be prepared to hire me.¡± Inviting them in the Guard pointed to a bench and said, ¡°Sit and wait here, I will fetch the Chamberlain.¡±


    After several minutes, the Guardsman approached leading the Chamberlain. He was a thin man with vivid eyes that radiated a strong intellect. Seeing Innis, the Chamberlain said, ¡°If it were anyone else I would have you in the drunk tank for disturbing me, so what is this issue, Innis?¡±


    Innis began to softly speak, telling the story from beginning to end. Halfway through the Chamberlain stopped and looked at Kale and said, ¡°Well done lad, the kingdom won¡¯t forget how you helped.¡± By the time Innis was done, the faint prelight of the approaching morning was lighting up the windows. Kale was very tired and began to yawn, seeing him both the Chamberlain and Innis smiled. ¡°Go back to the Inn lad and sleep, we will talk more of this later but mind you do not speak to anyone else about tonight.¡±


    Nodding Kale was led out of the palace and made his way down the hill towards the Inn, arriving just in time to grab a piece of toast Kale went to his room and was soon fast asleep, the half-eaten toast sitting on his desk. The day passed and Kale found himself awake as the cities bells toiled out four rings. Standing up Kale yawned and then the events of the past night came back to him.


    Sitting at his desk Kale thought of all he had seen and done, it was clear that something had happened. Thinking about it Kale decided that he had found the beginning of a quest chain and probably a big one, but because he was a PPC he could not receive it. That suited Kale as he wanted to continue to enjoy Pangaea, it was growing on him and he was enjoying what he had seen of the game so far.


    There was a sudden pounding on the door of Kales room and he heard Thomas call out, ¡°Get up sleepy bones, the Master wishes to see you.¡± Walking over to the door Kale opened it just as Thomas was about to start pounding on it again. Smiling he said, ¡°Hey Thomas, I am awake now. Give me a minute to wash up and I will be ready to see Innis.¡± Walking over to the sink located near the rooms Kale splashed ice cold water on his face, refreshing him. Drying off he turned to Thomas and asked, ¡°Should I go in the kitchen or the front entrance?¡±


    Thomas laughed and said, ¡°Innis is at the bar but I would go in the back and have one of the staff let him know you are waiting.¡± Kale nodded and then walked out of the stables and made his way to the kitchen, entering he saw one of the kitchen girls leaving to go to the bar, calling out to her he asked if she could let Innis know he was in the kitchen. A moment later Innis swept into the kitchen, catching sight of Kale he smiled and said, ¡°Follow me, lad,¡± then turning around he left the kitchen and walked into the bar, making a left turn he opened a doorway and entered his office.


    Sitting in a couple of chairs was one of the Guardsmen from last night and another man the Kale did not recognize. Innis pointed at the man and said, ¡°Kale this is Gorman, he is the King''s Mage and this is watch commander Alex. It is a pretty mess that you discovered last night and it has caused some movement on the hill. But that is not your concern, I have been asked to thank you and in my wisdom somehow have both Gorman and Alex here to help me do that.¡±


    Innis continued, ¡°You see Kale, while we can¡¯t let you know any of the details let''s just say that this is important and that the kingdom appreciates your discovery. Gorman here has examined the skeleton and has a few questions for you, and as it turns out Thomas mentioned that you were practicing a form of unarmed combat skill. That has Alex here interested, but first, tell Gorman what happened after you saw the remains. Every detail, Kale.¡±


    Kale swallowed and then looking at Gorman he began to tell the story of what had happened, Gorman interrupting him once when he mentioned pulling the pack from the river and noting that the skeleton was still attached. ¡°Did it seem like the skeleton had somehow grabbed you, Kale?¡± Gorman asked.


    ¡°It is possible, it was dark and hard to see underwater, but something seemed unnatural, almost like the skeleton struggled with me to hold the pack back, but it was probably my imagination,¡±Kale responded. Innis and Gorman shared a look and then Gorman prompted Kale to continue. After finishing the tale Kale looked at Gorman and asked, ¡°What is the interest in how the pack came out of the water?¡±


    Gorman looked at Kale and then said, ¡°You would not know this, very few do, but all the Kings couriers are buffed with a spell that helps them and their gear. It makes them tougher and stronger. That is why the bones of the skeleton were attached together and the pack had not rotted away in the water, although the chill of the water also helped. Once you had grasped the pack it activated another spell that had the courier continue to try to hold onto his pack even in death. His name was Francis and he was a good man, he left a wife and two small ones behind. We will make sure they are looked after.¡±


    If you would agree we would like to go back to the stream and attempt to scry the area, using your energy as a focal point. I am sure that Francis did grab you for a moment and I believe his spirit may have imparted some energy to you, with any luck we will be able to gather some information. This is strictly voluntary, but we would appreciate your assistance. What do you say, lad?¡±


    Kale looked at Gorman and then at Innis, then shrugging his shoulders he said, ¡°If this helps to identify what happened to Francis and brings some justice then I will be glad to help. What do you need me to do?¡±


    Gorman smiled and said, ¡°First we will head to the palace to gather some supplies, along with the way we will stop at the temple and pay our respects to the unknown Goddess and ask for her assistance then we go to the site. Once there I will perform some boring rituals and then take a drop of your blood, hopefully, the spirits will then allow us to see what happened.¡±


    Nodding Kale said, ¡°That sounds pretty easy, when do you want to do this?¡±


    Alex suddenly spoke up and said, ¡°You folks can do your magic later it works better at night anyway, for now, I have one of my men waiting, Kale, I would like you to spar with him, don¡¯t worry he is our best fighter. He won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Of course, you don¡¯t have to but I would appreciate seeing your skills.¡±


    Looking at Innis Kale asked him, ¡°What do you think sir, would it be alright to have a quick match?¡±


    Innis stared at Kale noting that the young man seemed self-confident and unconcerned about sparring with the Guardsman. ¡°Yes, I am interested in seeing your skills myself let''s go to the stable and see what you can do.¡±


    Everyone in the room stood and left the office, following Innis kale walked out the front door and around to the stables. There were several Guardsmen there and Alex walked over to one of them then calling Kale over he introduced the two men to each other. ¡°Kale this is my man Lewis, he is the champion of unarmed combat. Lewis this is Kale he is from a different realm and apparently is skilled in unarmed combat. He has agreed to a friendly match with you. We want to observe Kales skills and technique. Take it easy on him, he is helping us here.¡±


    Kale shook Lewis¡¯s hand and then said, ¡°Do you mind if I warm up first, it is always better to get the blood flowing before a match.¡± Lewis grinned and said, ¡°Take all the time you need, let me know when you are ready.¡± Kale nodded and then went to a corner and began to stretch. Taking his time, he began to do several Judo katas as well as some Karate moves. Finally feeling warmed up and ready he walked out to the courtyard in front of the Inn. Calling out, ¡°I am ready.¡± Kale waited for Lewis and Alex to approach.


    Alex looked at Kale noting the quiet self-confidence that he had. ¡°Let''s begin, this is a friendly match and no class abilities will be used. We want to see a basic match showcasing unarmed combat skills. Are you ready?¡± Seeing both men nod Alex stepped back and said, ¡°Begin.¡±


    Lewis rushed at Kale expecting him to retreat only to find as he swung his fist out that Kale grabbed it and twisted while shifting to the side, without being aware of it Lewis flipped over and landed on his back, saving himself from receiving a broken wrist. The Guardsmen who had been placing friendly wagers on how long Kale would last suddenly grew silent. Alex looked on with surprise, he had clearly not expected to witness Kale toss Lewis in the first few seconds of the match.


    Kale stepped back and giving Lewis a small bow waited for him to stand, once on his feet Lewis looked at Kale and smiled. The men began to circle each other each looking for some weakness to exploit. After several seconds, Lewis suddenly spun in a circle kicking out his left foot with amazing speed.


    Kale merely batted the foot to the side and then suddenly jumped in and from close range punched Lewis in the stomach causing him to fall to the ground clutching his belly. ¡°What the hell, are your fists made out of, stone?¡± Lewis asked as he rose to his knees. Waving off the other Guardsmen he began to inhale a deep breath and then charged at Kale hoping to catch him off guard. Kale stepped to the side but Lewis punched out and as Kale tried to avoid the hit Lewis suddenly vanished.


    Kale instinctively spun around and kicked out behind him catching Lewis in the stomach and throwing him fifteen feet back. Suddenly angry Kale rushed over to Lewis and grabbing his arm he quickly pulled the man into a submission hold. Lewis began to frantically tap to be released and Kale immediately loosened his grip. Quickly standing he called out to the approaching Alex, ¡°You asked for a friendly match and specified that no abilities would be used. Yet your man here clearly used a class based ability on me. What the hell.¡±


    Alex pulled up and watched Kale, he no longer looked like a raw recruit but had the eyes of a warrior, one that was pissed off. ¡°Kale my apologies, I had no idea that Lewis was going to disobey and cheat. Rest assured he will be dealt with. I offer you my word as an officer that this was not supposed to happen. I merely wanted to observe a different unarmed combat technique, and I must say you surpassed any expectation I may have had about your abilities.¡± Holding out his hand Alex asked, ¡°Peace.¡±


    Kale looked at Alex and then back at Lewis, he felt embarrassed at how he had made Lewis look inept and at the anger that had risen. Seeing Alex holding out his hand Kale shook it and said, ¡°Peace.¡± Turning to Innis and Gorman He began to walk towards them ignoring Alex as he began to berate Lewis.


    ¡°I guess I should wash up and change, then I will be ready to go if that is alright,¡± Kale asked. Innis looked at Kale and said, ¡°Of course lad, go ahead we have lots of time left and congratulations on your win, you made it look easy.¡± Kale smiled and nodded then headed into the stables to wash and change.


    Gorman looked over at Innis and said, ¡°That boy is something else, he has no class yet he defeated the City Champion without breaking a sweat. I feel that the Gods have their hands on the lad. He is not destined to be a stable hand, Innis. I wonder if his interests would be best served at the palace. I could use him as a page, the crown would gladly offer him a title of minor nobility for his service. He seems close to you, why don¡¯t you ask him.¡±


    Innis nodded, he agreed with what Gorman was saying, and he liked Kale, Thomas had told him that Kale was interested in making money, and trading goods on the caravan route in the summer. But being made a minor noble was in itself a notable achievement and would provide a small but steady source of income. Looking at Gorman Innis asked, ¡°What title would the young man receive?¡±


    Gorman smiled and said, ¡°Unfortunately we have three barons already, so that is out, but I think we could give Kale the title of Lord of the Western Valleys. It is a small holding that comprises about five villages in the far west end of the kingdom. The previous Lord had an unfortunate accident on the lake while fishing, a storm came up and the boat overturned. His body washed ashore a week later. Unfortunately, he never married and had no heirs, the title and land have been held by the King for two years now, it would be good for the Western Valleys to have a Lord over them once again.¡±


    Innis nodded and said, it is true that we owe the lad a debt, and he has been forthright with us, let''s do what we have to do tonight and then I will let him know. When will we have the official ceremony?¡±


    Gorman thought for a moment, then replied, best to do it this week, it is a journey of about three weeks to get there and the snow may fly anytime soon. I will inform the Chamberlain who will inform the King.¡±


    Innis asked, ¡°How is His Majesty, these days?¡±


    Gorman replied, ¡°He is well but his heart is still broken over what happened with Tamar, Abran and Absaul. He blames himself for not dealing with Abran when he should have, now one son is dead, one is imprisoned and a noble girl has had her life ruined. You know, Tamar¡¯s family is located near to Kale¡¯s lands, I wonder if we could have her travel with him, perhaps she would be more happy at home. It is something to think about.¡±


    At that moment Kale emerged from the stables washed and changed. Walking over to the two men he smiled and said, ¡°I am ready, shall we proceed?¡±