Rise of the Grandmaster

by Bradford Bates

  Tim had formed a rudimentary plan, but there wasn’t anything set in stone. Some of what he planned on doing depended on who was in the stands and how Jepsom responded to their initial attack.

  “I think I’m good.” Tim reached out to shake her hand. “Thanks for getting me out of here.”

  Lucy gave Tim’s hand a firm squeeze. “If you come through for us tomorrow, it will have been well worth the effort. I’ll let you see to your final preparations. Have a good day.” She dropped his hand and walked to the exit.

  Davros caught up to him just before he reached the others. “Sorry about the…” He paused and mimicked punching Tim in the stomach. “No hard feelings, I hope.”

  Tim was pissed at first, but maybe there was a way he could use this man. “The sheriff isn’t what he seems. The prisoners are in danger.”

  “What do you want me to do about it?” Davros moved a few steps away from Tim as if standing too close to him might get him in trouble.

  “Just keep your eyes open, I might need your help when I come back.” Tim went to shake his hand but stopped himself. He was sure there was more than one pair of eyes on them.

  “No one ever comes back.” Davros gave Tim a lopsided grin. “But then again, no one has ever left before.” He leaned close before whispering, “If you come back, I’ll help you.”

  Tim couldn’t have his inside man watched too closely, but at least he could get a little payback. He took a swing at Davros. His fist connected with the man’s stomach. “Fuck you, too.”

  He leaned over the winded man like he was going to mock him and whispered, “Be ready.”

  Lady Briarthorn’s carriage was already rolling as the gates closed behind them. The rest of the guild formed a half-circle around him. Tim could tell by the looks on their faces they were genuinely happy to see him.

  Cassie poked him in the chest. “You had us worried, asshole.”

  Tim held up his hands. “Not a lot I could do about it. I’m just happy you weren’t there when they came for me.” Tim looked from his fiery little tank to the woman of his dreams. “Where were you two, anyway?”

  ShadowLily wrapped her arm in Tim’s and started pulling him toward the inn. “It’s a long walk back. How about we fill you in on our adventure, and then you can tell us what’s next?”

  “Well, about that…” Tim stopped as ShadowLily put a finger to his lips.

  “Our story first,” the half-elf purred into his ear.

  “And it’s crazy. There was a giant lizard, and Cassie kicked its ass.” JaKobi doubled over as Cassie punched him in the gut.

  Tim chuckled. There seemed to be a lot of stomach-punching going around.

  “It’s better when I tell it.” Cassie brushed some imaginary dirt from her shoulder. “Now that I’m an adventurer.”

  “Congrats.” Tim was excited. Half his party had taken the plunge. It was making his choice easier to see how excited they all were about the opportunity.

  “Now listen closely because I’m only going to tell the story once.” Cassie paused. “Who am I kidding? You’re going to hear it like a million times. So there we were…”

  Tim started to tune her out when ShadowLily leaned her head against his shoulder. “It’s actually a good story the first time. On listen number fifteen, I started to find it lacking.”

  He pulled her close and kept walking toward the inn. He felt so comfortable here with his friends that he never wanted to leave. Back in the real world, there were no more dragons to slay or things to conquer, but in The Etheric Coast, there were infinite possibilities. Life in the game was whatever you wanted to make it.

  People were going to be talking about what he created for years.

  It felt so good to step into the inn.

  The Blue Dagger felt like home. You know that feeling when you catch a scent and it gives you a huge hit of nostalgia. That was how Tim felt right now. Who knew the smell of stale beer and sawdust would make him feel so comfortable.

  All it took was one night in a dungeon to make his little room look like a palace, and there was beer. Potato vodka was okay stuff, but beer was where his heart was. Plus, he could drink a few of them and drive. If he hit the hard stuff, he had to call a ride. One thing he never did was drive when he was drunk.

  If Tim went out for a night on the town with the intention of drinking more than a few, he took a cab. The twenty bucks it cost to get from campus to the bars was worth it. He could get drunk with his buddies and not even be tempted to drive. Or if they were at home, you could have just about anything delivered. Why risk hurting someone else or yourself when Taco Bell was only a few clicks away from your door.

  The inn didn’t have an app, but it had a Liz.

  The woman he’d helped out of her previous job had a beer in his hand before he was five steps inside. “Welcome back.”

  Ernie came out of the kitchen with a tray of food. “I thought you might be hungry.” The innkeeper pulled a letter out of his pocket. “Mr. Applebottom left this for you.”

  He had a beer and potentially good news in his hands. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to get rid of the sheriff and Jepsom. This was a problem that he ran into a lot. He loved the storylines of quests so much he always took on way too many of them. To be fair, Tim thought he’d be in the dungeon for a few days, but things hadn’t worked out that way.

  ShadowLily dragged him toward a table. “Do you really think your plan for tomorrow will work?”

  “I don’t know. The only thing we can do is go for it.” Tim took a sip of his beer.

  JaKobi grinned after taking a sip from his own mug. “Kicking ass and taking names.”

  “Distraction duty isn’t fit for the Destroyer of Lizards.” Cassie gazed into her beer as if it would reveal the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

  “Trying out new nicknames for yourself?” Tim snorted. “Is distraction duty good enough for the Lady Who Talks too Much?”

  Cassie picked up something from the food tray and threw it at him. “It’s a good thing you just got out of prison, asshole.”

  Tim grinned at her as he started making a plate of food. “I get the feeling this is supposed to be a mano a mano fight. My final test before making the first-class change.”

  “Seems dangerous is all,” Cassie replied before starting to put together her own plate of food.

  “Like a cage match with a giant ass lizard wasn’t?” JaKobi stood up, grinning like a mad man. “You should have seen her, Tim. I would have been shitting myself trying to run away, but Cassie went toe to toe with that monster.”

  “A man who can shit and run at the same time has many talents.” Gaston nudged JaKobi. “Read that on a bathroom stall once.”

  The fire mage nodded. “Sage advice, my friend, sage advice.”

  Tim looked around the room and thought about how much fun he was having. Sure there was always tomorrow’s fight looming over his head. It was stressful, but knowing that he had these awesome people in his life made it so much better. When the shit hit the fan, his entire guild came running. That was the kind of support money couldn’t buy.

  The bonds of friendship could be stronger than Gandalf facing down a Balrog.

  Chapter Eighty

  Tim pushed his bowl of oatmeal away.

  The meal reminded him too much of the last one he’d shared with Baron and Henry. Thankfully he had a giant glass of rumpleberry juice and a plate of bacon.

  Wasn’t life always better with bacon?

  Smiling to himself as the salty meat melted in his mouth, Tim looked over his team. Each of them looked calm. Why shouldn’t they be? They had conquered every task they’d ever taken on. If he had to be honest with himself, the Blue Dagger Society was pretty badass.

  Still, there was that tiny bit of worry worming its way into his skull. Deep down, Tim was a worrier at heart. He liked to have a plan and several backup plans in place for different scenarios that might derail his original options. He didn’t like to go into a
fight unless there was a possibility of controlling all the variables. He knew all the logistics of today’s ceremony.

  So he should have felt confident.

  Instead, Tim felt worried. There were so many things that could go wrong. If the fight raged out of control, innocent people in the crowd could be hurt. That’s why his plan revolved around getting as many people away from the ceremony before his attack as possible.

  The only way he’d stand a chance to win was if he didn’t have to worry about the crowd. They might just be NPCs, but killing innocent bystanders wasn’t something he wanted to do. At least Gaston had been able to replace the daggers he’d given away, so Tim had something he could use to try to kill that bastard Jepsom. Otherwise, he’d have to rely on flameburst, and while he’d dedicated some time to leveling the spell, it wouldn’t be the thing that tipped the scales against the cardinal.

  Tim wanted this fight to be up close and personal.

  He was ready to kill the fucker. Jepsom had gone out of his way to make Tim’s life harder just because he’d taken the time to heal a peasant who couldn’t afford the temple’s services. They say no good deed goes unpunished, and sometimes it was true, but fuck those people.

  Tim wasn’t going to stop helping others just because people wanted him to stop.

  There was a feeling that he got when he selflessly helped someone. You never know what a person’s going through; doing something small like covering a dollar when they were short at the register could make all the difference in their lives. A small bit of kindness could be all it takes to make someone’s day.

  Polishing off the rest of his juice, Tim leaned against ShadowLily, his mind already jumping to the business of the day. “Ready to go?”

  She winked at him. “As long as you are.” She grabbed Tim’s chin and forced him to look her in the eye. “We’re all going to be there for you. So get out of your own way and just do your thing.”

  Cassie placed a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “We’ve got this.”

  “What she said.” JaKobi grinned at them as he shoved the last three pieces of bacon in his mouth at once.

  Gaston twirled one of his daggers on a fingertip. “The real question is, why don’t you want us to do more?”

  Tim couldn’t put his finger on it. There was no rule that said he had to fight Jepsom alone, but he’d learned to trust his instincts a long time ago. He might be overly cautious, but he was rarely surprised. He was also prudent and didn’t want to lose because of his pride.

  “Oh, I’m counting on all of you to bail my ass out of the fire when the shit hits the fan. They say no plan survives first contact with the enemy. So if you see Jepsom get the upper hand, feel free to help out.” Tim looked around at their smiling faces.

  “So much for doing this alone,” Cassie chided.

  “My pride can take the hit of having help, but not of letting him win.” Tim grinned. “So don’t wait too long if I’m in trouble.” He stood and walked toward the door. “Let’s go.”

  Once their group made it out of the slums, they headed in the direction of the temple. Outside of the massive building, there would be a stage set up and some seating erected for those too wealthy to stand with the huddled masses and one lowly assassin with friends in high places.

  The high priest would give a speech, and Jepsom would accept his reward before giving a speech of his own. It was during his speech that Tim planned to make his move. Lady Briarthorn had arranged for him to have a seat in the front row, virtually guaranteeing him access to the cardinal.

  As they reached the temple steps, the group split up. Their plan hinged on them not being noticed together. Anyone traveling with Tim could be marked by Jepsom’s people and someone might remember a group of five coming to the event together if there was an attack.

  And there was going to be an attack of epic proportions.

  Jepsom and his reign of terror were going down. Who knew how many lives that bastard ruined by refusing to heal people. Imagine having the ability to cure any disease, to mend any broken bone, and then denying access to the people who needed those treatments. No one should have to die so someone could turn a profit.

  He wished there was more magic in the real world. Too many great people died of cancer. That shit was the king of all motherfuckers. Ryan Reynolds had said it best when he’d simply stated, “Fuck Cancer!” If the choice was to heal what he could or be called a criminal, Tim was going to keep healing.

  They had called Rick Simpson a criminal too.

  Now he was the hero of a revolution. Tim might not believe you could kill cancer with cannabis alone, but he’d seen too much evidence suggesting it helped to ignore it. If he ever got the Big C, he’d be taking his normal treatments and as much pot as he could handle. If the choice was death or eating a bunch of Rick Simpson Oil, he’d get a penchant for edibles real quick.

  It was the logical choice.

  Thankfully for him, the cardinal wasn’t something he had to fight a long, agonizing battle with. Whatever happened between them would be settled today. Jepsom was a tumor that had latched itself onto the temple, and he needed to be cut out. Once the cardinal had been removed, Paul could run the temple in a way that benefited all the citizens of Promethia.

  When you were a healer, you cared about more than just billing or selling certain medications for kickbacks. Wanting to help people live their best and longest lives was a calling. Not everyone was made for it. That was why when people found a doctor who really cared about them, they would stay their patient forever.

  Finding someone who cared about your health as much as you did wasn’t easy.

  That was why Tim tried to spend a little time with each of his patients instead of just throwing a Healing Orb at them and taking their money. Part of the process was healing their minds from whatever incident had occurred.

  Having a broken arm one instant and a fully functional one the next, wasn’t something everyone was used to. Imagine having the mental trauma from a major accident but your body was fine. It took folks time to process their recovery, and he was there to help them with that as well.

  With the high priest’s and Lady Briarthorn’s help, Tim could offer those types of services. Shit, even Ironbeard had given him extra time to focus on his healing. Everything was working out perfectly.

  Not to mention his plan to buy out the buildings next to the inn. In his inventory, he held a signed letter for the properties. As long as he had the gold in the account within five days, he’d be the proud owner of every single building he wanted. He didn’t know how Applebottom had secured them all, but it always paid to hire the best people for the job.

  Sometimes the best cost a little more, but savings in peace of mind were not measurable.

  Tim moved through the crowd until he found his seat in front of the raised stage. He sat down and waited for the ceremony to start. It wouldn’t be long now until his future inside of The Etheric Coast was decided. He’d either kill Jepsom and move on or die trying. There wasn’t room for any middle ground.

  He fanned himself with the program for the event and casually looked around. He spotted JaKobi and Cassie but not his thief or assassin. Granted, if they were easy to spot, they wouldn’t be very good at their jobs. Tim trusted that they were in the right positions and everything was in place.

  The next few hours would decide his future, and Tim was ready to embrace the challenge.

  Chapter Eighty-One

  The crowd quieted as the high priest took the stage.

  Paul stepped up to a small podium and looked over the grouping. “The goddess is truly blessed to have so many dedicated followers. Using her light to guide us, we must all strive to be the best versions of ourselves. To truly embrace the divine, one must be not only devoted but compassionate and charitable.”

  After another review of the masses, the high priest continued, “Let the words of the goddess direct you in all things. Her teachings serve us all. Her words fill us with hope for the futur
e.”

  Glancing toward the men seated on the stage, Paul motioned to Jepsom. “We’ve come together today to honor one man who exemplifies the will of the goddess, our very own Cardinal Jepsom.”

  Jepsom inclined his head to the high priest and offered him the slightest of nods.

  Paul smiled warmly as he turned back to face the crowd. “Today, we honor the cardinal for a job well done. With his guidance, our temple has truly become the envy of the continent. Every high priest around the realm is trying to recruit him into their service.”

  He slammed a fist on the podium. “But I said no! The cardinal is too valuable of a resource for us to part with. The people of Promethia deserve the best.”

  “Thus, we celebrate the man who thinks of others before himself in every situation. Who would give the very last coin in his purse to help someone in need. A man who would do anything to better the lives of friend and foe alike.”

  Paul paused for dramatic effect. “I present to you the newly minted Cardinal of the Seven Seals.” The high priest started clapping, and the cheering crowd swallowed up whatever was said between the two men before Jepsom claimed the podium.

  A smug smile twisted the cardinal’s lips almost into a sneer. He looked directly at Tim before turning to face the adoring masses. Tim looked at where the cardinal had been sitting and was shocked to see the high priest sitting next to Jon Hobbs.

  Lifting a hand to silence the crowd, Jepsom started to address the gathered masses. “In the spirit of giving, a good friend of mine has asked that I preside over the funeral of two local inmates. I thought it would be appropriate to welcome these men back into the goddess’ embrace before thanking you all for this glorious position.”

  Jepsom’s smile turned warm and caring, something Tim wasn’t sure the man was able to accomplish until that very moment.

  Two caskets were carried onto the stage. Tim felt a sinking sensation in his gut. The sheriff was here, and there were only two other men who knew his secret. Were Henry and Baron in those coffins? He looked away from the two white boxes and back up at the podium. The cardinal winked at him before scanning the crowd with a sorrowful expression on his face.