Rise of the Grandmaster

by Bradford Bates

  “No. The entire purpose of the tank is to keep the bad guys focused on them so the DPS can do their thing. How they keep the enemy’s attention is up to them.” ShadowLily gave him another weak smile. “I’m sure she can handle it.”

  Her smile didn’t fill him with confidence, but he didn’t know anyone else, so he was willing to give it a try. “Tell her she’s in.” His girlfriend beamed at him, and he knew he’d made the right choice. “Why don’t you have her meet us later tonight?”

  “Why wait? I bet she could be here in a few minutes.” ShadowLily looked angry. “Unless you weren’t serious about giving her a chance?”

  Tim smiled at the woman of his dreams. “I’m a hundred percent committed to giving Cassie a tryout. With you and Gaston dealing damage, all she has to do is make it easy for you. Who knows? She might even work out better for us than a traditional tank.”

  “How so?”

  “If Cassie doesn’t take a lot of damage, I might be able to help the two of you fend off the horde of kobolds.” The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. He could help them kill the kobolds until Cassie took a hit, then he’d switch to his staff to heal her before returning to the killing field.

  “That would be kind of nice since we're still short one person for a full group.” ShadowLily shrugged. “Unless you have someone else coming to join us.”

  “I’m sure we’ll find the right person eventually, but I think we can handle this with just the four of us.” Tim smiled, but his mind was already thinking of what kind of roles they needed to be fulfilled to round out their group.

  “Whatever you say. You’re in charge of this little mission.” She got up from the table. “I’ll go meet up with Cassie to fill her in and see if she needs any gear before we get started.”

  “Awesome. Let’s plan on meeting here at eleven and spend an hour in the tunnels before calling it quits. We can do more tomorrow.”

  “Let me guess—you’ve got another one of your super-secret temple missions to take care of?” ShadowLily looked at him appraisingly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to get rid of me for some other reason.”

  Tim thought he saw the tiniest hint of jealousy in her eyes. It was a good look on her. There was something to be said for being wanted by the person you were falling for. He looked at the quest, and it didn’t say anything about having to solo. “If you want to come along, I might be able to take care of more than one part tonight.”

  She pretended to think about it for a moment, but Tim knew she already had an answer. “I think I’ll keep it a girl’s night, but don’t think I won’t come with you one of these times.”

  “It’s a standing offer. If I ever head off for a quest, you are always free to join me.” Tim smiled, closing the distance between them. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, then a much longer version. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”

  ShadowLily slapped him on the chest as they broke apart. “Don’t you forget it!” She turned to the door. “And don’t be late. One of us has to be up for work in the morning.”

  “See you at eleven.” Tim gave her one last wave as the door closed before turning around and bumping into Gaston.

  “Did you say you needed some help?” the burly assassin asked, eyes pleading for the answer to be yes.

  “I think I’m fine,” Tim replied. He wasn’t going to give Gaston the easy out he was looking for. Someone had to stay here and take care of Ernie.

  “You hear that, Ernie? The kid needs help with something!” Gaston shouted. “We’ll be right back.”

  The assassin put an arm around Tim’s shoulders and ushered him to the door. “Let’s get the fuck out of here before he starts chasing us around with that bell.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  “I wonder how long he’ll ring that bell before getting out of bed?” Gaston laughed. “He’s going to be so pissed.”

  “Well, he did just get stabbed.” Tim looked at his burly companion. “It couldn’t have felt very good.”

  “A mere flesh wound.” Gaston’s smile turned more serious. “That’s the trick of magical healing. The body recovers instantly, but the mind takes a little longer to catch up. So, tell me, fearless leader, what kind of trouble are we getting into tonight?”

  Tim was shocked. He hadn’t thought Gaston would be allowed to help him on his quest. That he was just using this as an excuse to get away from Ernie. If the assassin wanted to help, Tim wouldn’t turn it down.

  “There are a few things I have to take care of.” He shared the list of names with Gaston.

  Gaston looked at the names, and when he reached the end, he frowned. “I can help with the first two, but I’m not allowed at the Stiff Tart anymore.”

  There was a story there, and Tim wanted to hear it. “You have to tell me more.”

  “Let’s just say there was a misunderstanding involving a pineapple.” Gaston shivered. “And I’m not going to be welcome there anytime soon.” His frown disappeared. “Not that it wasn’t totally worth it.”

  Knocking two of the names off the list would be amazing, and with Gaston’s help, he just might be able to do it. Tim was sure Gaston could kill both men without breaking a sweat, but there was no way the game would make things that easy for him. In almost every game he’d played, you had to contribute to the kill to get a share of the reward. At the very least, Tim figured he had to participate in his own quest. Otherwise, it felt like cheating.

  “Which location is closest?” Tim asked. He just wanted to get this done so he could meet up with their tank in time to get some sleep before work in the morning. The faster he wrapped up this quest, the more time he could spend focusing on the dungeon.

  “The Lamppost Inn is closest, but I think we should go to the other address first. The houses there have a little more room between them. Should make things easier for us.” Gaston looked at Tim and waited for him to make the decision.

  “Lead the way, Gaston. I’m looking at this as a learning opportunity. It’s not often you get to watch a master at work.” Tim followed the assassin as he walked down the street.

  “Grandmaster,” Gaston corrected. “I might not be a full grandmaster yet, but I’ve sure enough earned the title.”

  Tim bowed dramatically. “Then the honor is all mine.”

  “Fuck you,” Gaston growled.

  “Sir, I am aghast that you would use such language.” Tim laughed at the confused look on his face. “Starting to wonder if you would have been better off staying with Ernie?”

  “At least this way when I stab someone, no one will complain.” Gaston tied his hair back in a ponytail before glancing back at Tim and noting his concerned expression. “You know, because it’s a quest and not for fun.”

  “Oh, I thought you might have been talking about stabbing me for giving Ernie that bell.” Tim wasn’t quite sure how to take Gaston yet. Did he really stab people for fun?

  “I could always change my mind.” Gaston grinned like the Joker. “But not tonight. Tonight we have darker deeds than stabbing our friends to handle.” He put his arm around Tim’s shoulders again and led him toward their destination.

  “Fuck, you’re heavy.” Tim huffed as Gaston climbed onto his shoulders.

  “But I’m also strong enough to pull you up after me,” Gaston fired back as he reached the top of the wall surrounding the estate.

  Tim jumped, caught Gaston’s outstretched hand, and let the assassin pull him up. A moment later, both of them hit the neatly trimmed grass of the estate’s inner courtyard. No guards called out shouts of warning. In fact, the estate’s grounds looked deserted.

  They were in.

  Now all they had to do was find Jonathan Duncan and get out of there before anyone noticed them. Tim looked up, ready to ask his burly companion what was next, only to see Gaston sprinting across the yard in a low crouch. The assassin went from one inky-black patch of darkness to another like a ghost.

  “Litt
le warning next time.” Tim jogged after Gaston. This was his quest, after all. Shouldn’t he at least try to keep up? Tim started sprinting, trying to follow the same path as the assassin. Every time he moved, Tim expected a guard to call out or an arrow to spear him from some unseen archer.

  As he reached the last tree before the house, it dawned on Tim that there might not be any guards. How many people did you really want in the loop of your infidelity? Loose lips sank ships, and the only way two people could keep a secret was if one of them is dead.

  Could they really be this lucky?

  Gaston circled the house until he found what he was looking for—a trellis of ivy ran up the entire back wall of the house. The assassin glanced in both directions before jumping onto the trellis and ascending. The burly assassin reached the top and pulled himself onto the second story balcony before waving Tim up.

  With the coast clear, Tim followed Gaston up the trellis. The entire time he was climbing he wondered why anyone would have one of these on their home. Sure, it looked awesome, but it made things much easier for people of a criminal nature to break in.

  Tim joined Gaston on the second-floor balcony just in time to watch his teacher pick the lock. Picking locks was a handy skill Tim was going to have to learn if he had to keep sneaking into places. There was a part of him that longed to put these assassination missions behind him so he could focus on what he really wanted to do.

  Healing.

  In Tim’s heart, he was a healer through and through. He wanted to control the ebb and flow of the battle by keeping his teammates alive, not by sneaking into houses in the dark to stab people in the back. Not that there was anything wrong with rolling an assassin; it just wasn’t his cup of tea.

  Most of the time in life, just like in games, you had to pay your dues before you got to the next level. The inn, everything he wanted to accomplish in the slums, all of it was possible because of his work for Lady Briarthorn and Paul. Without their help and their gold, Tim wouldn’t be in a position to do much more than kill orcs.

  With their help, he was in a position to create a dynasty.

  For him, the choice was simple. He’d keep his head down and do the work, and when he was ready, he’d reap the rewards of his labors to get back to doing what he liked best.

  Gaston opened the door and peered inside the house before motioning for Tim to follow him. When they were both inside, Gaston closed the door and led them deeper into the house. When they entered the hallway, the assassin held up a finger to his ear and pointed to their left.

  Now that Gaston pointed out the noise, Tim couldn’t get it out of his head no matter how much he wanted to. Coming from the room next to them was the unmistakable sound of two people going at it. Part of him wanted to laugh. It almost reminded him of being back at the house on campus. Thin walls and twelve roommates made for some incredibly interesting breakfast conversations.

  Gaston grinned as he opened the door leading toward the noise. The assassin stuck his head into the gap he made and froze. Ever so slowly, he pulled his head back and edged the door closed. Looking at Tim, he held up two fingers and motioned to either side of the door.

  Guess there are a few guards here after all.

  Tim motioned for Gaston to go back the way they had come in. There was another terrace outside the bedroom. The gap between the two was about seven feet, and they’d have to be able to jump across in a single leap from a standstill. If they could handle the jump and get through the other door quietly enough, they might not have to fight the guards.

  After Tim climbed onto the railing, he wobbled a bit. He waited until he felt centered, then flexed his knees and sprang forward with everything he had. The open space below him passed by in an instant, but it took long enough that his heart was hammering. After clearing the rail on the other side, he hit the balcony and rolled.

  The noises coming from the bedroom stopped.

  “Did you hear something?” a female voice asked.

  “Just the sounds of your delight,” a man growled. “There is nothing to worry about, Maria. I’ve got two men at the gate, and another two outside this room. You’re as safe here as if you were sleeping in the palace.”

  “Wouldn’t that be something. I heard the sheets smell like rose petals.”

  “You’re my rose petal.”

  She giggled, and Tim heard kissing noises. They were about to forget the world again, and Tim was going to take advantage of it. Gaston casually jumped across the gap and landed as softly as a cat on the other side. The assassin pointed at the white fabric billowing in the breeze.

  The doors were open.

  Probably trying to cool the room, like they had done a hundred times before. Only this time, Tim and Gaston were there to take advantage of their lax security. Creeping forward, Tim caught the sight of the woman’s back as she moved on top of his target.

  How in the hell was he going to knock her out and kill Jonathan Duncan without the guards noticing?

  Tim looked back at Gaston, only to see the man smiling as he watched the two in bed. “Perk of the job.” He grinned and reached into a small satchel tied to his belt. His hand came back out with a throwing dart.

  With a flick of his wrist, Gaston tossed the dart, striking the woman on the back of her neck. Her back arched and she cried out as if in ecstasy before slumping on top of the man.

  Tim rushed forward. There wasn’t a lot of time left before the man completely freaked out. Already the man was shaking Maria, saying her name with greater and greater urgency. He was about to lose it, and when he did, the guards would kick in the door, giving them a new set of problems.

  Tim’s daggers seemed to appear in his hands as he crossed the space at a run. His target didn’t even look up as Tim plunged the blades into him. A scream tore from his target’s lips, and the door to the room slammed open. The two guards stormed in, brandishing their swords.

  “Check on Duncan,” one of the guards shouted as he faced the two assassins.

  The other guard started moving toward the bed as Tim backed away. “No need to check on him. He’s never getting up again.”

  The first guard let out a throaty war cry and charged at Gaston. The assassin simply ducked under the wild swing and cracked the guard on the back of his head with the handle of his dagger, sending the man to the ground in a heap.

  Watching his companion go down so easily seemed to take all the fight out of the remaining guard. His sword clattered to the floor. “Please don’t kill me.”

  Gaston hit the man on the temple. “The thought never even crossed my mind.”

  Tim looked at the assassin. “One mark down. One more to go.” Tonight couldn’t have been going any better if it had been scripted.

  Gaston beamed at his friend. “Let’s get a move on. The night is young, and if you want your second kill, there is still a lot to do.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Cassie waved at ShadowLily as she came through the door. It was good to see her friend in better spirits than she had been the last time they ran into each other. Maybe Cassie already knew she was there to entice her into tanking more.

  “So, you couldn’t get enough, could you?” Cassie asked ShadowLily as they sat at the bar.

  “You know me. I’m never satisfied with a one-time performance of anything.”

  “Let’s start with a beer, then.” Cassie pointed toward the waitress and held up two fingers. She turned back to the half-elf with a smirk on her face. “And some food. You look like you need to eat.”

  “As delightful as that sounds, I kinda had other plans for us tonight.” ShadowLily lifted one eyebrow to the sky in a flirty manner.

  The waitress set down their beers, and Cassie flashed her a smile before the woman moved to the next table. “Do tell.” She took a sip from her mug, eyes watching ShadowLily intently.

  Leaning in close enough for people to think they might be more than friends, ShadowLily whispered to her. “I might have found a dungeon.”


  Cassie sprayed beer all over the table. “A dungeon? You’re fucking shitting me. No one’s even seen one yet.”

  Eyes from around the room turned toward them, and ShadowLily gave her friend a death stare as she leaned back in her chair. Then she grinned at her, playing off her earlier statement as a joke. “Yeah, but wouldn’t finding a dungeon be cool?” she said loudly enough for the people around them to hear.

  A quick glance around the room as ShadowLily sipped her beer confirmed that most of the patrons had already turned back to their conversations.

  Tossing a silver coin on the table, ShadowLily stood up and motioned for Cassie to follow her. “Let’s go somewhere quieter so we can talk.”

  “My room’s upstairs.” Cassie stood up and started walking toward the stairs.

  Damn, her room was pretty nice. It made Tim’s look like a flophouse from some kind of gritty crime drama. Cassie’s bed was of the four-poster variety, and she even had her own bathroom. It wasn’t quite as nice as her quarters, but ShadowLily had been upgraded for recruiting her friends into the game.

  Outside of the gold she split with her friends, the upgraded quarters were the biggest bonus she received. Funny how she had the nicest inn room in the world, even came with its own concierge, but all she wanted to do was go back to Tim’s room and rock his world until they broke the legs off his rickety bed.

  But right now, Tim had other things to worry about. “Have you decided if you are going to make tanking your permanent class yet?”

  Cassie watched her friend closely and looked for any sign of what she wanted to hear. After a moment she decided to tell her the truth. If Sierra didn’t want her in her group because of her tanking style, that was fine. She’d find a way to deal. “I’m fully committed to being a tank.”

  ShadowLily beamed at her. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” Looking her friend over, one last question came to mind. “Have you upgraded any of your gear yet?”

  Cassie looked at the floor. “Not really.” When she glanced up, her eyes brightened. “But I did turn in those rings, so I have a little bit of money. Not to mention your half of the proceeds.”