Rise of the Grandmaster

by Bradford Bates

  Tim grinned as he thought about the quests he had to turn in and how they should be enough to push him above level ten. “I’ve got a few quests to finish, but I’ll meet everyone back at the inn and we’ll figure out what to do about the goddess’ quest.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Cassie slung her bō staff into the holder on her back. “I need a beer after being in my own episode of The Strain.” She shrugged. “Fighting face-sucking monsters isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

  “I second the beer comment but am reserving judgment on the monsters. I love a good horror flick.” JaKobi grinned. “I mean, who doesn’t want to save the world from monsters?”

  Gaston raised his hand. “I just want a quiet life. A place where I can drink beer in peace.”

  Cassie smashed her elbow into Gaston’s ribs. “I’m not buying that shit for one second.” She smiled at the assassin’s wounded expression. “Don’t be such a baby. The first round’s on me.”

  Gaston’s mood brightened substantially. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

  JaKobi gave Tim and ShadowLily a wave. “See you guys later.” He shook his head as he turned away. “I swear, these guys run into the craziest shit,” the fire mage mumbled. “I fucking love it.”

  Tim looked at the woman of his dreams as the guards started coming back into the space to see what happened. “You should go with them. I don’t know how long this is going to take.”

  “Not a chance,” ShadowLily smirked. “Last time I left you alone, you ended up in prison.”

  “At least you know I can satisfy your bad-boy craving,” Tim responded with a flirty grin.

  “The only thing you’re bad at is staying out of jail,” ShadowLily ribbed him.

  Tim’s grin got even bigger. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

  ShadowLily slapped him on the arm. “Not everything I say is a sex thing.”

  He couldn’t stop himself from laughing but he gazed pleadingly into her eyes. “How about this one time? You gotta let me have this one.”

  “Fine.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Sex was included in my previous statement, but it’s not much of a compliment. I only said you weren’t bad at it, not that you were great.”

  “But I am great, right?” Tim needled as they kept walking.

  “Well, you’re pretty good,” she agreed reluctantly.

  “A win’s a win,” Tim grinned from ear to ear. “Speaking of winning, as soon as we wrap this up, maybe we could do that one thing?”

  “You want me to put on the pants I wore to the Stiff Tart again, don’t you?” ShadowLily shook her head in mock disdain.

  Tim only smirked at her. “See, you get me.” Tim wrapped an arm around her as they headed toward the temple. “That’s why we’re perfect for each other.”

  ShadowLily paused and turned so she was looking directly into his eyes. “You really think so?”

  “I do.”

  “Me too.” She gave him a quick kiss and started pulling him toward the temple. “Let’s get this over with. I’ve got a hot date and some tight pants to wriggle into.”

  “I’ll do my best to make it quick.” It was all Tim could do to not start running toward the temple. Getting back to the inn was now his highest priority.

  Chapter Eighty-Three

  Now that he was out of combat, Tim’s notifications were going crazy.

  He pulled ShadowLily to a stop as they entered the temple. “Let me take care of a few things before we see Paul.”

  She nodded her head and started pulling up her own notifications. “Just let me know when you’re done.”

  “Will do,” Tim replied as he started looking over the data.

  He’d almost hit level nine and still had a few quests to turn in. He’d be level ten by the end of the day for sure. A smile spread across Tim’s lips as he thought about his team’s future. They were almost at the point where things were really going to take off. The future was looking bright.

  Tim pulled up his first notification.

  Quest Completed: Something Wicked This Way Comes

  You have discovered what was plaguing the prisoners and put an end to it. Not all of the prisoners survived, but at least the immediate threat has been curtailed.

  Reward: Three gold coins

  He’d give every one of those coins back to have Baron and Henry alive again. Tim would have wished them back to life for the simple fact that he wouldn’t have to deliver their letters. It was one thing to know you were responsible for someone’s death, and another thing entirely to have to explain your failure to their loved ones. Not that he had a choice now.

  Those letters would get delivered.

  No matter how much it hurt, it was his duty to get the last words of the sheriff’s victims to their family members. So Tim would do it, and after stepping away from the situation for a few days, he’d re-examine every last bit of what happened to make sure those same mistakes were never repeated.

  Maybe there wasn’t anything he could have done. It wasn’t like he could have stayed in jail, not with Lady Briarthorn outside demanding his release. Knowing their deaths were not his fault didn’t make him feel any less guilty or the two men any less dead.

  Without his new spells, Tim knew he wouldn’t have been able to stop Jon Hobbs. The man had survived being immolated by JaKobi and having his chest filled with knives. Alone in the dark and without his new spells, Tim wouldn’t have stood a chance.

  There was a part of him that would always feel guilty about what had happened to Baron and Henry. Maybe he could talk to the high priest about doing a monthly healing in the Hole. It wouldn’t bring the two men back, but it would ease his guilt. There was something to be said for paying penance. It helped keep the wound fresh so you would never forget what you were fighting for.

  In this case, all of Promethia was on the line. Baron and Henry had been the first casualties of war, and their sacrifices wouldn’t be forgotten. He’d deliver the letters, and make sure their families knew what they’d done.

  Tim brushed away the You’ve Reached Level Nine notification.

  He would worry about assigning his stat points after talking to Paul. With all his notifications taken care of or minimized, Tim turned toward ShadowLily. It felt kind of weird coming out of a fight without leveling at least one skill.

  “Probably because those new spells were already apprentice level,” Tim mumbled to himself.

  ShadowLily dismissed whatever she was looking at. “Did you say something?”

  Tim smiled as he looked at the most beautiful woman in the world. He didn’t feel like explaining his thoughts about the fight, so he tried to get them focused on the next task they had to complete. “Let’s go.”

  Walking deeper into the temple, Tim found one of the boys to escort them to Paul’s chambers. As they walked through the dark and winding passages, he thought about what had happened over the last few days. Things hadn’t gone exactly as expected, but in the end, everything had worked out.

  At least, everything he could control.

  What he couldn’t control were monsters sent here to feed off people. Tim wasn’t even sure what the bastards did. Jon Hobbs certainly wasn’t sucking the blood out of the men, so the sheriff must have been feeding off of their essence somehow. That was some scary shit.

  Hobbs had looked just fine in the sunlight too.

  Monsters not being able to walk around in daylight was the thing that normally saved humans' asses in supernatural situations. It was a huge advantage to only have to worry about being attacked during half the day, and it was an added bonus if sunlight killed the monsters.

  The sheriff had stood in broad daylight without so much as a blemish, as did Baron and Henry. That meant these wraiths could be hiding anywhere. Hobbs had been one hungry bastard, though, so maybe the way to track these new monsters was by looking for victims of their feedings.

  Finding the wraiths and eliminating them was a problem for anoth
er day. Tim still had plenty of work left to do before he could move on to the next task. There was a conversation with the high priest to be had and two letters to deliver before he could focus on the goddess’ new quest.

  Not to mention a district to revitalize, his job at the forge, and the healing shack. Tim’s dance card was pretty full without having to track and hunt the wraiths, but he’d find them. Once Promethia was secure, they could take the fight to Vitaria.

  Their runner dropped them off outside of the high priest’s chambers. Unlike every other trip Tim had made to visit the high priest, the large golden doors were open. With Jepsom out of the way, Paul seemed more confident in his security.

  “The hero of the day returns.” Paul clapped as he stood up and walked toward Tim. “Your ability to take control of the situation and save the day was very impressive.”

  Tim shook Paul’s hand. “I was just doing my part.”

  “And humble. Most heroes are braggarts by nature. They seek out the jobs that will put them in the spotlight.” Paul dropped Tim’s hand and smiled warmly. “But not you. The goddess truly shines within you.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Tim stopped when ShadowLily elbowed him in the ribs. “But her light does guide me.”

  “As it does for us all.” Paul motioned for Tim to join him by the throne. The high priest started digging around in the chest behind his chair. “I believe a reward is in order.”

  Quest Complete: Wrath of the goddess

  Cardinal Jepsom met his untimely end, and while it wasn’t done by your hand, his death wouldn’t have been possible without your influence on the events leading to the deed. You’ve also managed to stoke the embers of peoples' beliefs into righteous flames of faith for the goddess’ salvation.

  Reward: Fifty gold coins.

  Paul smiled as he handed Tim the giant sack of coins. “I’ve also restored your privileges in the temple and awarded you the rank of Honorary Brother. If ever you find yourself in need, the temple will always be a place of refuge.”

  “Thank you for doing your duty to the realm and the goddess. I am sure you have plenty of questions, but in the aftermath of the attack, I have a lot of work to do. If you need help with research or just general information, seek out Brother Colton in the library. If anyone can shed light on what’s happening now, it’s him.”

  Tim shook Paul’s hand again. “Thank you.” He paused after letting Paul’s hand drop and quickly added. “Before I go, I wonder if you have the time to consider a simple request.”

  “If it’s in my power to do it, it will be so.” Paul’s eyes bored into Tim with feverish intensity.

  “Without the help of the two men Jon Hobbs murdered for his attack today, I wouldn’t have made it out of the Hole. I was wondering if you could grant me some kind of special dispensation so I could heal the inmates once a month.”

  Tim looked at the floor, not sure why he was seeking validation for his idea and not just the approval to carry it out. “It would be a nice way to pay back the memory of two men who tried to do the right thing.”

  “This is why I like working with you.” Paul beamed. “You are always coming up with new ways to spread the goddess’ light. I will help you get the documents you need, and I would be honored to preside over the services of the two men.”

  “Thank you,” Tim replied. He pulled Paul into a heartfelt hug. “Having their loved ones honored by the temple might bring their families some peace.”

  Paul waved away Tim’s thanks. “It is the least I can do.” He clapped his hands, and one of his personal guards stepped forward. “Please show them out.”

  “Right this way.” The guard pointed toward the door and led Tim and ShadowLily out of the temple.

  Chapter Eighty-Four

  Completing Paul’s quest had made Tim level ten.

  All he had to do before becoming an adventurer was pick his advanced class, but there would be time for him to worry about that task after completing his last open quest. The delivery of his first letter to a very gruff and unimpressed Felix Hardgrove hadn’t gone nearly as well as Tim would have liked.

  Snatching the letter and slamming the door in Tim’s face wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy.

  While a warm and fuzzy response wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting, he was caught off-guard by the abruptness of the entire interaction. Given the news Tim had to deliver, he was willing to give Felix a pass. He didn’t know how police and doctors could constantly deliver bad news to grieving families and not be broken. Tim had only done the deed once, and it was enough to make him want to crawl into bed for a week and live on a diet of ice cream and pizza.

  Now they were halfway to Helen Peters’ house, and Tim was preparing himself for a tough conversation. Maybe getting the Jehovah’s Witness treatment earlier had been a blessing in disguise. At least he didn’t have to explain himself and deal with the aftermath.

  Nothing sucked the fun out of the room faster than a death.

  Tim stopped at the edge of the path leading to a small cottage and pulled ShadowLily into a hug. “Thank you for staying with me.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to come to the door?” the half-elf asked as she watched him with concern.

  “I’ll be fine.” Tim scuffed his boots in the dirt. “I just have to pull off the Band-Aid.”

  ShadowLily spun him so he was facing the door. “Then do it.”

  It was just the kick in the pants Tim needed to get moving. He started walking up the well-maintained path toward the house. ShadowLily was hanging back by the gate, so he had the space to handle the delivery himself. The warm and fuzzy feeling he was getting right now was from the knowledge she’d be right there waiting for him no matter how things went.

  Life was so much better when you had at least one person you could always count on.

  Tim stopped in front of the door, his heart racing. There was really no good way to deliver bad news, and drawing it out only made it worse for everyone. So did lingering on someone’s doorstep. No one liked it when a random stranger was hanging out in their front yard.

  Taking a deep, calming breath, Tim knocked on the door.

  A few minutes later, a plump middle-aged woman opened the door a crack. Peering out of the opening, she gave Tim a quick once-over. “Can I help you?”

  Tim dug deep into his emotional toolbox and managed to generate a weak smile. “My name is Tim. I’m a friend of Baron’s.”

  “There’s a name I haven’t heard in ages.” Helen Peters opened the door a bit wider. “What’s that old rapscallion have to say for himself?”

  The smile vanished from Tim’s face. “I hate to be the one to have to tell you this.” He took his eyes off of hers and looked at the ground. “He’s dead.”

  Helen looked shaken but not taken off-guard. “You know, I always thought I’d see him again.”

  “I was with him the day before he passed. He gave me a letter.” Tim fished the letter out of his cloak and handed it to her. “I’m not sure what kind of life Baron led before I met him, but he was a friend to me when I needed one, and he died fighting for the people of Promethia.”

  “That doesn’t sound much like the Baron I knew.” Helen eyed him suspiciously.

  Tim wasn’t sure what to say. His brain defaulted to sarcastic whenever he was nervous or in trouble. His mouth opened, and the words came tumbling out. “Well, he was in prison at the time.”

  Oh, shit! Here he was delivering a death notification, and now he was cracking fucking jokes. Was he the worst person in the world?

  “That sounds more like him.” Helen slapped her thigh as she laughed. She looked up, the glimmer of a memory lighting her gaze. “But you say he died doing something good?”

  “He died trying to save all of us from a threat. The high priest is going to preside over his services.” Tim smiled warmly. “No matter his faults, in the end, he was a good man.”

  Tears streaked Helen’s cheeks. “That he was, young man, that h
e was.” She clutched the letter to her chest. “Thank you for coming to tell me.”

  Tim gave her a little bow. “It was my pleasure to do this for him. If you ever need anything, you can find me at the Blue Dagger Inn.”

  “That place in the slums?” Helen questioned.

  “The very one.” Tim laughed. “It might not seem like much yet, but we’re working on it.”

  Helen patted him gently on the arm. “I doubt I’ll need anything, but if I do, I promise to call on you.” She gave him one last smile and went inside to read the note.

  Tim turned and walked back down the path. He felt lighter than he had when they reached Helen’s home. She seemed like such a sweet lady. Tim wondered if Baron had gone off to make his fortune only to never return. There was a story there somewhere, but it wasn’t the right time to ask.

  ShadowLily wrapped an arm around him as he drew closer. “That seemed to go well.”

  “It did. I get the feeling they hadn’t talked in a while, but it was one of those relationships that no matter how long it had been since they saw each other, it was as if only a few minutes had passed.” Tim pulled ShadowLily against him. “It might sound sappy, but I don’t know what I’d do if you just disappeared and I had no way to find you.”

  “I’d burn down the world to find you?” ShadowLily said with a hint of anger in her voice. It was the kind of tone that implied anyone who fucked with her man better get the hell out of dodge, and quickly.

  Tim laughed. “Maybe start with something a little more subtle.”

  “Said no one ever.” She stopped him and looked into Tim’s eyes. “Haven’t you seen Taken, you’ve got to be on top of this shit before it’s too late.”

  “The next part is very important. They are going to take you,” Tim intoned in his best Liam Neeson impression. “I like to replace the word take with tickle, though.”

  ShadowLily started to sprint away from him. “Oh, no, you don’t.”

  “The next part is very important,” Tim yelled as he chased after her. “I am going to tickle you and there is nothing you can do about it.” He held his hands up fingers extended. The digits twitched slightly in anticipation of touching woman-flesh.