Rise of the Grandmaster

by Bradford Bates

  A foolish one.

  Tim put the finishing touches on his molds and moved them to the coals. With the molds set, he started measuring the silver rings he would have to melt down for five bars. The silver went into the cauldron and he headed for the bellows. Maybe one day, he’d be good enough at this to have someone pumping the bellows for him.

  The next twenty minutes passed in a blur of sweat and heat. His arms were shaking from the effort. Tim let the bellows go and peered into the cauldron, to see the silver melted and the impurities in a puddle in the middle. Careful not to waste any of the silver, Tim scraped the mess away with an iron spoon.

  Then he repeated the process.

  Now when he looked into the cauldron, everything was uniform in color, which was exactly what he wanted. Using the pulley system, he moved the cauldron above the first mold. All he had to do was pour the silver out slowly until the mold was full and move to the next one. Tim focused and lined up the spout so it was over the mold before he started to pour.

  As the silver was cooling in the molds, Tim returned to the bench to get his next five molds ready to go. With his next set of molds in place, he measured out the silver and dumped it into the cauldron before turning his attention to the bars he’d already made. One by one, he pulled them from the embers and moved them to the workbench.

  Four of the bars were perfect, but one had a blemish in it. Maybe a small air bubble had gotten trapped, or it was possible that he dripped sweat into it. Whatever the case was, he knew Ironbeard wouldn’t listen to any whiny bullshit. There wasn’t room for excuses in the dwarf’s shop, there was only perfection. Nothing moved out the door until Ironbeard was satisfied it was the best.

  In business, your reputation was everything.

  It was a good lesson to learn and one that needed to be reinforced more often. Tim didn’t even struggle with his choice as he put together a sixth mold. He placed it in the embers with the other five and started working the bellows. Once he was satisfied that the impurities were gone, he added the misshapen bar to the cauldron and went back to work.

  An hour later, he was sitting at the bench, looking at ten perfect silver bars. Hopefully his surly companion would agree with him about the quality. He was ready to take a bath and start making plans for their nightly excursion into the caverns below the inn. They’d done well on their first attempt, but they had to push harder.

  There was no way for Tim to know how hard the dungeon would be to clear. It could have a lockout timer, or just be ridiculously long. The last thing he wanted to do was wait for the last few days and have to scramble around like a crazy person in the hopes of evading Malvonis long enough to finish.

  Half-orcs weren’t known for their patience.

  Ironbeard walked into the back of the shop toward the pile of ten bars. He picked up each one, examining it meticulously before setting it aside. When he was satisfied with all of the bars, he turned to Tim. “How many did you have to make twice?”

  Tim was expecting more of a job well done and not a question about how many times he failed. “One of the bars came out a little funny, so I poured it again.”

  “Just the one?” Ironbeard asked, raising his bushy eyebrows.

  Tim was insulted until he realized the dwarf was trying to give him a compliment. There was a tone of disbelief in Ironbeard’s voice, as if he’d never had an apprentice do so well on his first try.

  Tim just shrugged. He wasn’t very comfortable with compliments. “Yep.”

  “And if on your second batch you had another bar, would you fix it, or try to pass it off so you could go home on time?”

  “I’d fix it.” No one liked to stay late at work, but when there was a problem, you had to buckle down. It wouldn’t be as bad in this case because he’d also be learning something new that could potentially earn him a living down the line.

  “Good.” Ironbeard favored him with a rare smile. “A smith is only worthwhile if their product is consistent.” He waved an arm around, indicating the shop. “And my consistency is excellence.”

  Tim knew exactly what he was saying. Nothing in his shop went out the door unless it was perfect. There wasn’t a bargain bin or a place for cast-offs. Anything that wasn’t perfect got melted down. It was the kind of thing you wished every business did, instead of a normal business where they try to force the cheapest product on you at the highest price.

  Nodding his head, Tim said, “I understand.”

  “By the goddess, I believe you do, boy.” Ironbeard slapped Tim on the shoulder, almost making the boy stumble. “I’m putting you on bar duty for a while, and once I’m satisfied, maybe I’ll show you how to swing a hammer.”

  Tim started to smile. He was finally getting somewhere. Sure, maybe in a month or two, he might only be able to make a crude sword, but in a year or two, he might be able to make the highest-level adventurer swoon.

  “Whenever you think it’s time, I’m ready to learn.”

  Ironbeard watched Tim as he ran a hand through his big, bushy beard. “That time is coming, but it isn’t today. Today you’re done, so get out of here before I put you back to work.”

  “See you tomorrow.” Tim didn’t wait for a response. He switched out of his gloves and apron and into his regular clothes as he ran out of the shop. If he made it back to the inn early, he could take a bath before anyone else showed up.

  There was something to be said about staying clean in this game. It took effort with all the work he did, but at least he didn’t have to pay someone to clean and repair his clothes. As he stepped outside, Tim noticed the breeze coming off the ocean had a tang to it. It might as well have been a whiff of the freshest mountain air after being trapped in the forge all day.

  Tim turned toward the market. He didn’t think anyone was following him, but the man in the orange sash was still out there somewhere.

  He had to be careful.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  The water was hot.

  At least that was something. If he couldn’t take a shower, he’d settle for a hot bath. If nothing else, it scrubbed the sour smell of dried sweat from his skin. It also provided him some time to relax away from the rest of his team. Even the leader of a motley crew needed a few minutes to himself to decompress.

  A bath was also the perfect place to check on his stats. He’d dismissed the notification window before bed, but now that work was done, he might as well get ready for tonight.

  He was still level seven, so he didn’t have any stat points to allocate yet, but he did have one skill that received an upgrade.

  Skill increase: Healing Orb

  You have reached apprentice rank four. Your healing orb is now 13% more effective and applies 16% of the original spell’s healing as a heal-over-time bonus. The HOT is now applied over six seconds.

  Tim was looking over his skills, wondering which one was likely to level next, when he saw one at the bottom he didn’t remember getting. The spell was called “snare.” He’d never used it, but it was the kind of thing that might come in handy. He put a mental checkmark next to the spell and hoped he’d remember to use it in one of their upcoming fights.

  Killing monsters didn’t seem nearly as fast a way to level as completing quest lines. Thankfully, he had two quests outstanding that should provide him with a decent bump in his progress. Finishing both of them might get him close to level ten, and then he’d have some tough decisions to make. What class would he chose, and would he become an adventurer?

  Tim dunked his head in the water and started to scrub behind his ears. As he surfaced, Tim realized someone was pounding on the door. “Never a moment’s peace,” he mumbled before looking at the door of the bathroom.

  “What!” Tim bellowed. This was the only time he had to himself for the entire day. All he wanted was to be left alone for a few moments.

  Ernie ran into the bathroom. “We’ve got a problem!”

  Tim shook his head. Couldn’t the problems wait until tomorrow? From the look on
the innkeeper's face, they couldn’t. “Lay it on me, Ernie.”

  “There is some woman out here saying you promised her a job.” Ernie starred at Tim, face flushed with anger.

  Oh, shit.

  “I might have made an offer to someone.” Tim thought about dunking his head under the water to avoid what he knew was coming.

  “Now?” Ernie stared daggers at him. “With all we have going on?” He moved toward the tub. “And I’m not exactly comfortable with a woman of her profession in my establishment.”

  Now wasn’t the time to remind Ernie that the inn was about to become his. “You have something against barmaids?”

  “No, I’ve got something against hookers. The Blue Dagger has never been that kind of place.” Ernie stomped his foot. “And I want to keep it that way.”

  Tim stood up, holding out a hand for a towel. “Liz was looking for a change of professions, and she provided me with invaluable information on a quest I was completing for the temple.”

  Accepting the towel from Ernie, Tim quickly dried off and re-equipped his clothes. “I’m sorry, Ernie. I should have talked to you first. I might be buying the inn, but this is your place.”

  Ernie watched Tim with an appraising eye. “Don’t hire anyone else. I don’t even know how I’m going to pay her.” He looked exasperated. “It’s not like we have a lot of customers.”

  “Just give her a room and make sure she’s fed. I’ll take care of the rest until we get the inn running again.” Tim clapped the man on the shoulder. “And I’ll make sure not to make any more decisions about the inn’s future without talking to you.”

  “Fine, but no more funny business.” Ernie frowned. “Not until you get what Malvonis wants and get the deed to the inn in your hands.”

  “Thanks, Ernie.” Tim opened the door so the innkeeper could exit first and followed him into the hallway.

  “Don’t thank me yet. This could all turn to shit.” Ernie moved toward the main room.

  “Well, at least one of us is staying positive,” Tim snarked as they moved into the tavern.

  Liz was sitting at a table with her bags on the floor at her feet. She looked different than the night before, maybe because she wasn’t wearing a corset and her hair was tied up in a no-nonsense ponytail. She wasn’t smiling, but it wasn’t like she’d had the warmest introduction to the place.

  “Hey, Liz. I’m sorry for the confusion.” Tim sat at the table. “I left for work this morning and forgot to tell Ernie you were coming.”

  She tapped her nails on the table. “I’d be mad, but at least I’m out of that shithole.” She looked around the inn. “Although this place looks like the other inn made me feel.”

  Tim glanced at the unpainted wooden walls and the scratched floor. “We’re currently under renovation.”

  “So, what? You don’t have any customers? How am I supposed to live?” She looked from Tim to Ernie. “How long do you think these renovations will take?”

  Tim winked at Ernie. “We’ve got about six days to get everything sorted out.”

  “Five and a half, really.” Ernie looked worried. “Not that I’m counting.”

  “Don’t worry, Liz. Ernie is going to set you up with a room and board until we get things rolling again. I know it’s not much of an offer, but it’s the best I can do right now.”

  She looked around the room. “This place could really use a woman’s touch.”

  “That’s what I’ve been telling them.” ShadowLily appeared out of nowhere and her eyes locked onto Tim’s. “Who’s your new friend?”

  Tim felt the icy grip of despair wrapped around his heart. “Our newest hire.”

  Liz stood up, watching ShadowLily warily. “I’m Liz.”

  “ShadowLily,” the half-elf replied stoically. “How did you two meet?”

  “Funny story…” Tim’s voice trailed off.

  Gaston strutted into the room and took a seat at the table. “This is going to be good. Ernie, bring me some popcorn.”

  “If you want popcorn, you can make it your damn self,” snapped the innkeeper.

  “Now I’m starting to see why this place is so popular.” Liz chuckled.

  ShadowLily thrust a finger into Tim’s chest. “You didn’t answer my question. How did you two meet?”

  Tim looked at Gaston quickly, realizing no help was going to be coming from that corner. Ernie couldn’t help him, and Liz was kind of the source of the problem. What in the fuck was he going to do?

  “So, you remember last night when you went out with Cassie, and I went with Gaston?”

  ShadowLily lifted her hand and twirled her index finger in the universal gesture that meant hurry the fuck up.

  “I kind of had a job I needed to do, and Liz helped me.” Tim finished lamely.

  “Helped you how?” ShadowLily crossed her arms and glared at him.

  “With the information, of course.” Tim looked at Liz, hoping she’d back him up.

  Liz was smirking at him, her eyes filled with amusement. “As much as I’d like to throw him under the bus, Tim was honorable.” She rolled her eyes. “I know. I couldn’t believe it either, a man who kept it in his pants.” She gave a tense smile at the half-elf’s growing frown. “But the reason I’m here now is he offered me a job.”

  “Did he?” If looks could kill, ShadowLily’s would have sent Tim six feet under.

  “Not that kind of job.” Tim held up his hands as if to ward off an incoming punch. “Liz is just going to be helping out around the inn until we get things rolling.” Tim looked at Ernie. “Right?”

  “I have a firm policy of not messing with women that carry small bladed weapons. Tends to keep all my man parts just where I want them.” Ernie rose his bushy eyebrows in a way that let Tim know this was payback for not talking to him first.

  Tim swiveled toward Gaston, eyes pleading for help.

  “I just let you get the information. I didn’t think you’d offer her a job.” The burly assassin shrugged. “Not that I’m complaining.” He sent a friendly wave at Liz. “She’s a good deal better-looking than our current server.”

  Liz’s smile disappeared. “Listen, if it’s that big of a deal, I can just go.”

  Tim looked around the room. Ernie looked exasperated, ShadowLily was still fuming, and Gaston looked as if he didn’t have a care in the world. When it came down to it, though, it was really his choice. He was responsible for Liz after he helped her out of her contract. At the very least, he owed her a place to stay until she found something better.

  Tim pointed at Liz as she started to stand up. “You’re staying.” He turned to ShadowLily. “I made her a promise when she risked her livelihood to help me. She deserves a chance.”

  ShadowLily seemed to think about it for a moment but nodded her head as she came to some kind of decision. Striding across the room, the half-elf extended her hand. “Hi, I’m ShadowLily. Welcome to the Blue Dagger.”

  Liz took her hand and gave it a firm shake. “Thank you.”

  Tim felt an unsure smile spreading across his lips. It looked like everything was settled, at least for now. He knew from previous experience that he’d probably catch an earful later, but for the moment, the turbulence was over, and he’d come out the other side just fine. It also meant it was time to get to work. All they needed now was Cassie.

  “Ernie, why don’t you show our newest employee to her quarters?” Tim pointed at ShadowLily, then himself. “We can start ironing out a plan for tonight.”

  Liz got up from the table and followed Ernie from the room with her bags. Tim watched her go and wondered if he made the right choice. When it came right down to it, he didn’t know much about her. He’d always been a pretty decent judge of character, but inside the game, the rules were different.

  It was easier to hide.

  As he took a seat at the table, Tim made the decision not to worry about it. Ernie was distrustful enough of strangers that he knew the innkeeper would keep an eye on her. That made things eas
ier for Tim. All he had to do was focus on making it to the dungeon. Once they could get a look at what waited for them inside of the dungeon, everything would get simpler.

  He looked up from the table and his thoughts before he motioned for the others to sit as he started going over his plan for the night. The two thieves nodded along as he spoke. All they were waiting for now was Cassie.

  Where in the hell was she?

  Chapter Forty-Five

  “This is Sparta!”

  Cassie kicked the last kobold in the chest so hard it flew across the cavern and hit the wall with a crunch. The creature tried to stand, but Gaston stabbed it before it reached its feet. As the burly assassin stood up, the group eyed each other, smiling. They were making real progress tonight.

  The best part was, the kobolds from the night before hadn’t respawned, so the group didn’t waste the first hour killing the same monsters. The party was farther into the maze of caverns than Tim would have thought possible. There was no way to know for sure, but they had to be getting close to the entrance of the dungeon by now.

  “We have to be getting close.” Gaston echoed his thought as he wiped his daggers on the kobold’s filthy smock.

  “As long as there are more of them, this experience is amazing.” Cassie twirled her bo staff before slipping it into the harness on her back.

  Tim hadn’t even thought about checking his own experience gains since they entered the caverns again. Last night’s experience was enough to get him close to another level. By the time they cleared the dungeon, he might even be level ten.

  Then he’d be able to use his free class-change token. Although he wasn’t sure what he wanted to play yet, a few of the classes really stood out for him. It was going to be a tough decision when he had to make it. Once you made that choice, there was no going back.

  Tim couldn’t worry about his class choice now. They still had work to do, so, it fell on him to get the group back on track. “Gaston, scout ahead and let us know what’s going on.”