Rise of the Grandmaster

by Bradford Bates

  “I should be able to acquire most of the properties, but it won’t be enough for the renovations.” Mr. Applebottom looked at Tim with an appraising eye. “How would you like me to proceed?”

  “Let’s worry about securing the properties for as little as possible, and then we can talk about the cost of renovations. We’ll start with the buildings closest to the inn and move outward.”

  Mr. Applebottom stood and extended his hand. “It seems I have a lot of work to do.”

  Tim rose and shook the man’s hand. “Just keep me up to date, and tell me when I need to make the funds available to you.”

  “I’ll have my banker create an account that we can use for the purchases and to conduct the renovations.” He smiled from ear to ear. “Every couple of years, some young entrepreneur comes along and tries to turn this little wasteland into something special. I hope it works out for you.”

  “Me too.” Tim walked him to the door.

  Now that he had the place pretty much to himself, he headed for the bathroom and took a quick bath. Despite how much he’d enjoyed bathing since he entered the game, he’d have to talk to one of the contractors about installing a shower. Sometimes taking a bath was just too much work.

  Like right now, all he wanted was to take a quick shower to get the grime off before going to his second job. But instead of a three-minute shower, Tim had to go through an entire process. As he filled the tub, he wondered exactly how much adding a shower would cost.

  On the plus side, at least he had access to toilet paper now.

  The whole crap-and-piss-in-a-bucket thing left a lot to be desired. That was something they left out of Victorian movies. It wouldn't have been nearly as romantic if you watched people duck into stairwells to take a shit. No wonder there was always someone scrubbing the floors in those manors.

  How was it that the Romans had worked out plumbing but the rest of the world used chamber pots?

  It was one of the questions you had to ask when you studied history. Maybe people had just gotten to the point they were so busy killing each other that plumbing was the last thing on their lists to worry about.

  Every single history book seemed to skip over the famine and struggles of the poor during those days. Now we had a different system. We lifted up our poorest members of society just enough that they see what they were missing out on, while our CEOs raked in the cash.

  Not that Tim had anything against making oodles of money.

  When it came right down to it, he wanted to make as much money as possible. Not to buy fancy things, but to be in a position where the day to day concerns of how to pay for things went away. Once that happened, he could focus on living life instead of worrying about which bill was more important.

  Something that irked Tim relentlessly was how much of a pay disparity there was. Of course, the CEO should make a ton of money, but if the company spent a little more caring for their employees, they might be surprised to find out loyalty increased.

  You didn’t see people staying with the same company for fifteen or twenty years anymore, and it was not because people didn’t like their jobs or they were shitty at them. The reason people left to do the exact same thing somewhere else was that it was the easiest way to get a raise.

  When you factored in how much more work a seasoned vet in any industry could do versus a newbie, it was almost staggering how often a company let someone walk out the door. Not to mention the training cost and time investment. Wouldn’t it just be better to pay an above-average salary with great benefits, so people didn’t ever want to leave?

  If those same people got shit done, it was a win-win.

  Tim hopped out of the tub and dried off before equipping his healing outfit. He stepped out of the bathroom and back into the inn’s common room. JaKobi was waiting for him, looking a little flushed.

  “Sorry I was late.” He shrugged in a manner that said it couldn’t be helped. “ShadowLily asked me to look into something, and I lost track of time.”

  JaKobi was kind of a bookworm. If she sent him to do research on something, it was no surprise he’d zoned out. It happened to the best people from time to time when they found something new that captivated their interest.

  Tim remembered the first time he’d stayed up all night playing Final Fantasy. He’d walked out of the basement as the sun was coming up. His dad was making coffee in the kitchen and gave him a quizzical look before asking, “Were you down there all night?”

  The answer, of course, was yes, although Tim didn’t confess. Sometimes a little white lie and a long, sleepless day at school were better than losing access to the game. But that was the thing with passion. It didn’t matter what you loved, when you loved something and were driven to be the best, you put your heart and soul into it, even if it was just playing a videogame.

  When a person got wrapped up in something they loved, time was just a number.

  Tim smiled and waved away JaKobi’s excuse. “The way I see it, you made it here right on time.”

  The fire mage looked relieved. “Whatever you say, boss. You ready to head to the shack?”

  He wasn’t ready, not really. What Tim really wanted was a nap. Working two jobs wasn’t for the faint of heart, and if you counted leveling and running his fledgling guild, Tim had three jobs. It was a lot to bear, but if he put in the work for the next couple of years, he’d be able to enjoy the rest of his time in-game.

  Three jobs were nothing if it meant retiring in style at forty.

  People said to find something you love and you would never work a day in your life, but that wasn’t true. Tim loved a lot of things, but anything could feel like a grind. Some days he was sure even Brad Pitt woke up saying, “They want me to play another fucking crazy person?” But when you truly loved something, the passion always came back. There was a certain amount of energy that filled him, and he was ready to take on whatever the day presented.

  Tim was ready to embrace the work.

  “Let’s go.” Tim smiled as he stepped into the light drizzle. Things were really starting to come together. If he could get a little lucky, his future was going to be bright. Not just his future, but the futures of everyone in the Blue Dagger Society.

  Judy had all the people who needed healing lined up. Any injury that needed immediate attention was at the front of the line. After that came anyone he hadn’t seen yesterday, then anyone else who showed up.

  Tim beamed at the plump older woman’s efficiency. “Thanks, Judy. You’re doing an amazing job as usual.” He pulled out a small purse with thirty silver coins in it. “I believe I owe you a little something extra for the other day.”

  “It’s my pleasure to help.” She smiled. “I left a few of those cookies you like on the table in there. Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll send the first person in.”

  “I’m ready now, Judy.” Tim made his way into the shack, stuffed a cookie in his mouth, and got ready for his first patient.

  The man who came in had a steel rod through his arm. It almost looked like one of the long spikes they hammered into the ground when putting down railroad tracks. Tim hadn’t seen or heard any evidence of a train since he’d entered the game, so he wasn’t sure what the man had been up to. Sometimes it was more polite not to ask how the injury happened, so he didn’t.

  That didn’t stop his mind from creating stories about what may have happened to the man as he directed him to take a seat on the table so he could get a closer look at the injury. Tim motioned for JaKobi to join him. “Mind holding him down?”

  JaKobi came over from his position by the wall and helped the man lie down on the table. The fire mage put his hands on either side of the metal rod and used his weight to push down on the man’s arm. “I can tell you from experience that it hurts like hell when he rips it out, but you’ll be fine.”

  “Rips it out—” the patient stammered.

  “Trust me.” Tim wrapped his fingers around the steel rod and yanked with everything he had. Blood spr
ayed out of the wound, and the man screamed in pain. Trying to keep his laughter in as the man used a combination of swear words that would make his favorite fictional vampire blush, Tim healed the wound.

  The man thanked Tim profusely as he stood up and tested out his arm. He placed a small bag of coins in Tim’s outstretched hand. “Thank you.”

  “It’s what I’m here for.” Tim smiled warmly at the man and motioned for Judy to escort him outside.

  The older woman ran back into of the room, slamming the door shut. Her face was etched with fear. “There are guards coming down the street—a lot of them.”

  Knowing that he hadn’t done anything wrong, Tim wasn’t too concerned about the city guards making an appearance, although it did feel a little odd considering how much effort Barry and Chris put into not crossing the archway.

  “Why don’t we step outside and find out what they want?” He put a comforting hand on Judy’s shoulder. “I’m sure everything is fine.”

  Judy’s pale face didn’t inspire him with confidence. He was torn on the subject of law enforcement. There were a ton of great officers in the real world, men and women willing to put their lives on the line to keep us safe. There were also some bad apples in there. The way the news was, you often only heard about the bad apples.

  Being a college student with a fondness for beer and parties, Tim had met both kinds of officers. He tended to prefer the laid-back version. Unless there was theft, violence, or murder, Tim’s personal philosophy on law enforcement was to let people go. Don’t hurt, don’t kill, and be respectful of other people’s property, and your chances of having a negative encounter with the law went down dramatically.

  Tim personally liked his yearly total of encounters with the police to stand at zero.

  Glancing at JaKobi, Tim whispered, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  The fire mage had a pretty level head, but anyone who dabbled in fire magic had a short fuse. Something about working with fire made them temperamental. Tim didn’t know what JaKobi’s buttons were yet. It was best to not take a chance and give him simple instructions to follow.

  Tim stood on the small patio and waited to see where the guards were headed. It didn’t take long to see they were coming straight for the shack. There were twenty men, led by what must have been a commander of some type. You could always tell who was in charge by who had on the biggest hat. Or in this case, a hat with a giant feather sticking out of it.

  All twenty men had swords on their hips and spears in their hands. They were wearing some kind of hardened leather breastplates, but no other armor. It wasn’t the kind of crew you sent to get healing, and none of the men looked injured.

  Things were about to get interesting.

  “How can I help you today, gentleman?” Tim strode forward, making sure all of the guards’ attention was focused on him.

  Most of the people waiting for healing suddenly realized they had better places to be as the commander started to speak. “In the name of the crown, I have come to arrest the healer known as Tim.”

  This had to be fucking Jepsom. The asshole didn’t know how to accept no as an answer.

  “I’m Tim.” He gave JaKobi a quick nod, and the fire mage wrapped an arm around Judy’s shoulders and led her off to the side. “Can I ask what I’m being accused of?”

  The commander bristled. “Crimes against the temple. The cardinal has provided us with information regarding your illegal healing practice. We are here to take you in.”

  Tim kept his smile in place, but his mind was racing. With twenty guards, he didn’t stand a chance at getting out of this. Plus, he really didn’t want to hurt these men. Making an enemy of the crown didn’t sound like a very good idea.

  “When I spoke with the high priest this morning, I was under the impression that I had his blessing.” Tim kept his eyes focused on the commander. “But maybe the cardinal knows more than the man in charge of the goddess’ affairs.”

  The commander paused for a moment. “Please come with us. If what you say is true, I’m sure we’ll have this sorted out shortly.”

  “I hope so. Those people were waiting to be healed, and you’ve sent them away in pain.” Tim turned to JaKobi. “Find the others and tell them what happened.”

  “We’ll come for you as soon as they get back,” JaKobi promised, his eyes ringed with orange light.

  Tim stepped forward and immediately found himself surrounded by ten men on each side. The commander marched back to the front of the procession and led them into the city. Whatever was happening here wasn’t good. If Jepsom was looking to separate him from his friends, he’d done a masterful job.

  The cardinal was quickly becoming the one man in the world Tim didn’t have any reservations about killing. In fact, the thought of Jepsom’s death brought a smile to his face. Tim arched his shoulders back and kept his chin held high. If anyone saw him, he wanted them to know he wasn’t afraid.

  There was only one person who needed to be worried about their future right now, and these armed guards might be taking Tim directly to him. He had the feeling that when he got to his destination, Jepsom would be there to gloat. Tim, determined not to give him any satisfaction, continued to march as if this was his personal guard and not his prison detail.

  Sometimes you just had to roll with the punches.

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  At least Tim wasn’t in shackles.

  That was the only good thing he could say about his experience. Being escorted from the slums by twenty armed guards seemed like a little much to him. It was the kind of display that was intended to make a point. Jepsom was letting him know just how big a pain in the ass he’d become.

  Once he was delivered to the man in charge, Tim would simply explain that the whole situation was a giant misunderstanding. Whoever heard his case had to know that he had the full support of the high priest and that charges from the temple wouldn’t stand. Any logical person would have to let him go.

  The procession entered a massive courtyard. In its center was a ten-story tower surrounded by smaller buildings on each side. One of the buildings looked like barracks, but the other had guards stationed outside of the door. The tower itself didn’t seem big enough to house many prisoners, although it was rather tall, and the solid gray stones made it look very imposing.

  As the gate closed behind Tim, the twenty armed guards went back to whatever their duties for the day were. Only the head of his escort remained. He took Tim by the arm and led him to the tower.

  Tim didn’t see any other prison cells and started to think that maybe the prison was actually below his feet. Being in jail was one thing, being trapped underground in the dark was something else. Starting a new character didn’t seem like a bad option when the only other choice was to rot in the dark.

  A small shudder of fear made his shoulders tremble. Then he pushed the fear aside and focused on what was right in front of him. If there was any chance of him getting out of this before he saw the inside of a cell, he had to keep his wits about him. Succumbing to the fear of imprisonment now wouldn’t do him any favors.

  The man who was sent to collect him signaled to a guard by the tower, and the man opened the door for them. Tim went inside first and stopped in the wide circular chamber, unsure of what to do next. The door slammed shut behind him, and the bolt latched in place with a sound of finality that made Tim aware of how badly this could go.

  His captor led him to a small desk. The man behind the desk looked to see who had come in and smiled warmly at the officer. “Ah, Captain Reynolds, what brings you to us today?”

  Captain Reynolds stood stiffly as if there were a rod jammed up his ass that forced his spine to stay rigidly straight. “I’ve secured the package for the sheriff. Please inform him that it was done without incident.”

  “I should hope so. I’ve never seen a full detachment sent to collect one man. Rather unorthodox, if you ask me,” the man at the desk stated flatly.

  The captain looked
like he was about to answer when a man with a large belly strolled out of a room at the far side of the tower. “That’s why nobody asks you anything, Richard.”

  “Just seems like overkill, Sheriff. I mean, look at him. He’s a healer. What was he going to do?” Richard sounded petulant.

  “Oh, I’m sure there is much more to him than his profession.” The sheriff’s eyes roved over Tim. “Or maybe there isn’t. It’s not my job to question my orders, only to carry them out.”

  “If there is nothing else, Sheriff, I’d like to return to my post,” Captain Reynolds stated in a very matter-of-fact voice.

  Tim got the impression the captain wasn’t a big fan of the sheriff and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

  The sheriff’s eyes moved away from Tim and focused on the captain. He extended his hand to the man as a knowing smile lingered at the edges of his mouth. “Thank you for your service, Captain Reynolds. I’ll make sure to let your commander know that your performance was satisfactory.”

  “Thank you, Sir.” Captain Reynolds spun on his heel and left the room.

  The sheriff turned to Richard. “Send a message to Davros. Our newest acquisition will need to be shown to a cell.”

  Tim had been watching the proceedings silently, but he couldn’t hold his tongue a moment longer. “A cell? Shouldn’t there at least be a trial first?”

  The sheriff let out a long rumbling belt of laughter. “Did you hear that, Richard? He wants a trial.” All the humor faded from his features, and the sheriff’s eyes turned hard. “This is where they send people to disappear. There will be no trial. A judgment has already been made, and you will suffer for your sins.”

  All Tim could think was, Please don’t let me be the next Edmond Dantes.

  Richard frowned. “With all that’s going on, Sir, is this the right time to be adding another prisoner?”

  “We certainly have the space.” The sheriff smiled.

  “But with the unexplained deaths, shouldn’t we keep him locked in the tower?” Richard almost pleaded.