Rise of the Grandmaster

by Bradford Bates

  Tim had to admit that whatever had just happened was pretty awesome, but he also didn’t want to join a cult. At some point, he wanted to go out and adventure. Being stuck in the temple working for someone else wasn’t his calling.

  “Thank you for the blessing.” Tim reached up, feeling the light circlet now resting on his head. It felt wrong to take it off and examine it after Paul had put so much effort into the item’s presentation. He casually touched the circlet. “And for this.”

  The doors to the high priest’s room started to open. “You might not be thanking me very soon.” Paul frowned as he looked at the man entering his chambers unannounced.

  Cardinal Jepsom stormed into the chamber, his face tight with righteous anger. “I demand an audience.”

  Paul looked at the open doors. “It seems as though you have one, granted or not.” The high priest sat down on his chair. “Explain your intrusion.”

  Jepsom at least had the good sense to look worried by the tone of Paul’s voice. “I’m sorry, Your Eminence. I did not mean to intrude, but I wanted to catch this imposter of the faith while you were present.”

  The cardinal glared at Tim. “It has come to our attention that this initiate is healing the citizens of Promethia outside of the temple.” Jepsom frowned. “In some cases, he isn’t even accepting payment. It’s preposterous.”

  Paul looked at the man with open disdain. “Is it not our job to bring the lady’s light to those who need it? To spread her word where it is needed most?” The high priest stood from the chair, eyes burning with rage. “Maybe you’ve grown too comfortable inside these walls. A pilgrimage might be in order.”

  Jepsom fell to his knees. “Your Eminence, I only strive to follow the rules you have set for this city. To make the temple a beacon that shines throughout the world.”

  “And to line your pockets.” Paul’s voice was filled with holy fury. “It would be wrong to presume I don’t know everything that happens inside these temple walls.” The high priest clicked his tongue. “But it isn’t my place to judge you. Eternia will handle that. I can only hope to steer you away from folly.”

  Rising to his feet, Jepsom stared into the high priest’s eyes. “There is no folly in banishing one who cannot follow the rules.” The cardinal turned toward Tim, his grin dripping with malice. “I did tell you not to heal people outside of the temple, did I not?”

  The high priest seemed to be on Tim’s side, so there wasn’t any reason for him to lie. “You did.”

  Paul shook his head in disgust. “And your punishment for this young man is to excommunicate him from the temple because he defied you?”

  Jepsom smile was almost nauseating. “No, Your Eminence, for defying your rules. An example must be made.”

  This back and forth could go on forever. Tim didn’t have time for it. At some point, he had to sleep, or he wouldn’t be able to work the bellows tomorrow. Despite what Ironbeard had said, he was determined to be at work so the dwarf would know how important the job was to him. Without his job at the forge, he wouldn’t be living up to the terms of his contract.

  Tim needed this game, but what he might not need to be successful was access to the temple.

  An idea started to form in his mind as the two men bickered. At some point, a confrontation between these two was inevitable. Jepsom wouldn’t wait much longer to seize power, not if Paul was able to get messages out of the temple. Once the cardinal was out on his ass, the high priest could probably restore his privileges.

  Now wasn’t the time to get caught between the two men, not if he could avoid it. Tim dropped to one knee, looking up at Paul. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused Your Eminence. As long as our previous contract remains intact, I will gladly forego my access to the temple.”

  “You will?” Jepsom starred at Tim in disbelief. The look on his face made it clear that he never would have considered giving up the temple as an option.

  Paul looked unhappy but nodded his acquiescence. “The terms of our arrangement will still be honored, but you can no longer train inside these walls.”

  The cardinal cut Paul off before he could continue. “No more unsanctioned healing or there will be repercussions.”

  Waving his finger at the cardinal, a smile returned to Paul’s face. “But not by us. Tim is not bound by temple law, and we will not spend resources to stop him from helping the injured.”

  “But, Your Eminence!” the cardinal whined.

  “Enough!” Paul screamed into the man’s face. The two guards hidden in the shadows moved forward. “You forget yourself, Cardinal. The Goddess Eternia makes the rules, and I give voice to them on this plane of existence.”

  Paul poked Jepsom in the chest hard enough to make him back up a step. “So when I tell you the boy shall not be harassed or harmed in any way, you should consider those words may not be my own, but a command from the Goddess herself.”

  Turning away from Jepsom, the high priest strode back to his chair and sat down. “Now, get the fuck out of my chambers.”

  “This isn’t over,” Jepsom hissed at Tim, low enough to make sure no one else could hear him.

  Tim dipped his head and then looked up, meeting the man’s hate-filled eyes. “Thank you for your kindness, Cardinal. I’m sorry to have disappointed you.” Sometimes I just can’t stop myself from twisting the knife.

  With a flash of his robes, Cardinal Jepsom stormed from the room as dramatically as he entered them.

  “You’ve made a powerful enemy today.” Paul looked at the doors as they started to close. “But you’ve also made a friend.” He clapped his hands. “Vigo, see that Tim makes it out of the temple unmolested.”

  “As you command, so it shall be done.” Vigo motioned for Tim to follow him.

  Paul called out from behind them, “The future of Promethia is balanced on a razor's edge. I’m counting on you to make sure we don’t get cut.”

  Tim followed Vigo out a door at the back of the chambers. No big deal, just the fate of the whole fucking world to carry around.

  But who wanted a boring quest? Sure, he was delivering letters, but he was also spreading insurrection, or helping to quash it, as the case may be. Tim didn’t know what he’d been expecting when he entered The Etheric Coast, but it sure wasn’t this. Still, the longer he played, the more interesting things got.

  If his first full day in the game was this much fun, he couldn’t imagine how great the next twenty years would be.

  Chapter Eighteen

  There were at least three people following Tim now.

  Fuck, how had he landed himself in this mess? He’d been so careful when he left the temple, sticking to the main streets, then making a detour through the market to ward off any potential followers, and yet somehow, he was still being followed.

  What’s the worst that could happen?

  He could get stabbed to death in the alley. Not a fitting end for a hero. Maybe he wasn’t a hero, or maybe he should just be thankful they weren’t trying to light him on fire.

  Tim’s heart was racing as he ran down the cobbled streets. Where were the guards? You’d think more of them would be out at night, but the streets were deserted. He might as well have been walking through a ghost town. Even the players seemed content to call it a night when the sun set.

  A bright light bathed the street in a warm glow as someone exited a tavern. The roar that followed the man outside gave Tim an idea. Darting past the confused customer, Tim pulled the door open. As he stepped inside, he un-equipped his robe and re-equipped his shirt and pants.

  Stepping up to the bar, he tossed down a few coppers. “Beer!”

  The bartender sloshed an earthenware mug down in front of him, then slammed a red-hot poker into the beverage. “Steamed cider is what we’ve got.”

  Tim took a sip from the mug, then a much larger swig. “Then steamed cider it is!” He took another sip before turning toward the entrance and casually scanning the crowd.

  The man with the orange sash
swore as his eyes darted wildly around the room. Leaning back against the bar, Tim took another sip of the cider. This is pretty good. He kept his eyes moving but looked back just in time to see four men shoving their way to the back of the building.

  I never even saw the fourth one.

  After polishing off the cider, Tim licked his lips, savoring the taste of cloves and fall spices that lingered on them. All of his pursuers were heading out the back, so he’d leave through the front. Hopefully, the distraction would be enough to get him safely to Lady Briarthorn’s house.

  But what would happen to him once he delivered the letter? All the man in the orange sash would have to do is wait for him to leave. He might not have the letter, but they could still take him out. How was he going to get back to the inn safely? “Probably more running,” he grumbled.

  At least Ernie will have food waiting for me.

  Tim’s stomach growled as he exited the tavern and started running back the way he’d come. After a few minutes, he turned down another street and started making a slow loop back toward the Street of Thorns. Finally, when Tim thought his legs couldn’t possibly run another step, the lady’s house came into view.

  Tim rushed up the steps and raised his hand to pound on the door, and it swept open.

  Reginald ushered him through the door quickly, closing it behind him. “Hurry up, we’ve been waiting for you.” The manservant grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him deeper into the house.

  Lady Briarthorn didn’t stand up as they entered. Instead, she simply held out her hand for the letter. Tim pulled the sealed envelope from his pocket and placed it in her hand.

  She scanned the contents quickly and then looked up to meet his eyes. “It seems the high priest puts a lot of faith in you.” She frowned. “I, on the other hand, do not.”

  Lucy Briarthorn stood and walked toward the fireplace to toss the letter into the flames. “Not yet, anyway.” She turned away from the fire and watched Tim like a lion hunting a gazelle. “If you want to earn my trust, I have a task that needs to be completed.”

  “You mean being chased through the streets to deliver this letter wasn’t enough to prove my loyalty?” Tim didn’t even know what the two sides were fighting about. All he knew was that he liked Paul a metric fuck-ton more than Cardinal Jepsom.

  Reginald moved from his post by the door, but Lady Briarthorn waved him back with a laugh. “I can see that you aren’t without charm, but I need to know if you have steel underneath that pretty exterior.”

  She flipped a coin at Tim. “A gift from Paul. He said not to come back for your reward just yet.”

  Tim looked at the coin, which had the number ten on it. Maybe he could use this at level ten and skip the whole rigmarole that normally came with a class-change quest. It would put him way in front of the other players, and it made almost dying worth it.

  Quest Completed: Deliver the high priest’s letter (again)

  Reward: Level Ten Class-Change Token

  Level Up: You’ve reached level four and have two stat points to distribute. No one can say that you aren’t an overachiever.

  Title Granted: Two for One

  This title doesn’t provide any bonuses, but now you can be called Two for One Tim whenever you want.

  Did that mean some titles granted bonuses? It was just like this game to bury the information behind a ton of snark. Most players probably skipped the messages entirely and missed the subtle hints. Gaining two levels also meant he had two more stat points to distribute.

  Once Tim got back to the inn, he could sit down and think about where he wanted to allocate the points. For now, he just wanted to ensure he made it back safely. Maybe he should just dump both points into endurance instead of intelligence or wisdom? Being able to run farther and faster than the next guy was his bread-and-butter move right now.

  The skill was especially valuable when the guy chasing you had a knife.

  Tim gazed past Lady Briarthorn into the roaring flames. Was this his fight? Did he really want to be involved? That was the crux of the issue. If he took this quest from Lucy Briarthorn, he would cement himself on their side of the fight.

  This was his chance to turn back. All he had to do was say no, and Tim could show up to work in the morning and just be a normal citizen until he found something else to pursue. It would delay his plans, but restoring the slums was inevitable. Having Lady Briarthorn and the high priest on his side later might make all the difference.

  Plus, Jepsom was a giant dick.

  The cardinal’s syrupy-sick smile flashed through his mind, and the decision practically made itself. “Tell me what you need me to do.”

  Lady Briarthorn extended her hand toward Tim. “Tomorrow night, I have a most unpleasant task for you. A man working with Cardinal Jepsom to steal funds from the Goddess’ temple is in town. We need someone to take him out.”

  Murder.

  “You want me to kill someone?” He’d heard that same speech from the gangs back home and managed to turn it down flat, every time. You shouldn‘t have to kill someone to be accepted.

  Lady Briarthorn turned away from him and stared into the fire. “As distasteful as it is, the job needs to be done. I’ve heard you travelers are quite adept at killing.”

  Of course, we are.

  Since gamers were little kids, they’d been conditioned to kill everything in the game that awarded experience. Killing in games might as well have been hard-wired into their DNA at this point, but this wasn’t your average game. Things felt real here, and Tim wasn’t sure if he could cross that line.

  At least not with a human.

  Line up some rabbits for target practice, or a goblin or two, and he’d be all for it. Sure, it was a game, and Tim knew he’d have to kill things, including people, eventually, but not so soon. He’d always preferred to let the others do the killing in games, while he did his best to keep his party alive. Right now he was a party of one, so he’d have to man up if he wanted to continue.

  Jepsom had sent men after him twice now, and one thing Tim knew from experience was if you let a bully kick the shit out of you, it emboldened them for next time. It was a fallacy that bullies got bored when you gave up since every asshole wants a dog to kick around. Tim was tired of being the dog.

  Maybe it was time someone gave Cardinal Jepsom a taste of his own medicine. “Just send me the details,” Tim nearly growled.

  Lady Briarthorn made a motion with her hand. “Done.”

  Quest Received: Fleecing The Righteous

  “Dapper” Don Diego is waiting aboard the Mary Lou at the docks. Sneak aboard his ship and put an end to his nefarious ways.

  Bonus for any recovered items or treasure.

  Success: Kill Dapper Don Diego

  Failure: Fail to Kill Dapper Don, or to recover any of the stolen items.

  Reward: Ten percent of the take and a new weapon.

  If Jepsom was the kind of prick Tim thought he was, ten percent of the take might be an astronomical number—just what he needed to turn his new shed into a proper place to heal patients. With enough money, he could do more than make it suitable. He might even be able to rival the temple’s services.

  This quest chain seemed slightly advanced for someone at his level, but the game sure knew how to throw you right into the action.

  Accept the quest:

  Tim hit the Yes button and immediately felt the weight of his decision. He was about to kill someone for money. Sure, the cause was righteous. Holy, even, but did that make it right? He was sure the crusaders all thought they were doing God’s work slaying the Muslims, but when we look back on those days in history, it isn’t with pride.

  However, this was a game, and in most games, you leveled by killing things. Maybe he could find somewhere to practice his flame burst spell. It might not be enough to kill someone at such a low rank, but it would make a hell of distraction, and then he could crack him over the head with his scepter.

  Tim followed Regi
nald to the door, completely lost in his own world. This was it—his first real mission. Hadn’t he just been bitching about being a glorified messenger a few hours ago? Now that he had a real job to do, Tim was worried about that too. Maybe instead of worrying, he should lose himself in the role.

  He was on a secret assassination mission for the Goddess Eternia.

  HOW FUCKING COOL WAS THAT?

  Reginald opened the door for him, and Tim stepped out into the night. The streets were clear, but that didn’t mean much. He was sure his tails would find him soon enough, and then it would be down to whether he could outrun them.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Almost there.

  Tim quickened his pace as the familiar stone archway came into view. He hadn’t seen a soul since leaving Lady Briarthorn’s house, and getting home was starting to feel a bit too easy. At least the guards were there, but he wasn’t sure they’d actually try to protect him from an attack after they hadn’t helped him with Freddy last night.

  But having witnesses might deter someone from getting to close if they were still trailing him. Tim looked at the guards’ stoic faces as the torchlight danced across them. Might as well be statues. Still, Tim gave them a jolly salute as he walked through the arch. If the plan he was hatching worked, they might need the guards on the other side of the arch before too long.

  The rain started as soon as he stepped into the slums. Maybe there was something they could use all this water for? If this was the only part of the city with a constant supply of fresh water, they could use it for farming, or supply it to merchants and crafters. There were plenty of ways to monetize the excess water if they just put in the effort.

  Ideas ran through Tim’s mind like Olympic sprinters. There was a way he could make this part of the city great again, he just knew it. The people here worked hard, and they deserved to live in better conditions. If he could find a way to make that happen and pocket some coin while doing it, everyone came out a winner.