Absalom’s Trials

by J. D. L. Rosell

  "As I learned more, I grew to understand that you had a problem. No, not a problem — a plague." I pointed down at Boss Kerak's corpse. "Kerak would have kept you in an age of squalor. My goddess would not allow it. To rid you of him, three times have I died, and three times rose."

  Not strictly true, but I was too swept up in my own words to care. And apparently, it impressed them — the squeaks and squeals increased around me.

  "But now he is dead!"

  Some ragged cheers went up, but most were silent.

  "And with his death, I usher in a new dawn to an age of prosperity! But," I held up a finger, "this will only come to pass if you embrace the one who has made all of this possible. The who gives me the power to do what I have done. Worship your goddess and know her name. Whisper it before you go to sleep and as soon as you wake. Let it sit in your thoughts and think on it with love and adoration. Isvalla.”

  Murmurs rose around me, and I faintly heard the goddess’ name on their lips. Time to seal the deal. “You must do that, and then — if you embrace learning, if you embrace decency and kindness — then, all can grow and prosper together.

  "I have said Isvalla gives me my power. Will you accept it as your own? Go to the temple on the hill and show yourselves there. Prostrate yourself before your goddess. Kneel and convey your love and worship to her, and accept her love in return. Then you, too, can reap the benefits of her blessings. What say you?"

  The cheer I was hoping for didn't start right away. It was a limping thing, slowly building and swelling. One pocket of Fralishk picked it up, then two, then more. Those on rooftops, then those on the streets — they all started to cheer. I threw my arms into the air as if striving to embrace the goddess above us, and finally, I got the response I wanted.

  I grinned as the ruckus continued to rise around me. Sure, I'd done some dirty deeds to do this, but I'd beaten it. The First Trial was as good as mine.

  My possessions were returned to me soon after my big speech concluded, the repentant lackeys all hanging their heads and dragging their feet as they piled the many items before me. I cheerily pardoned them, feeling in a generous mood now that I had proper clothes on again, and sent them up the hill to the temple. I'd let Sarai and her goddess handle them as they pleased.

  Then I was forced into the usual shaking of claws as happened after political rallies. I didn't think there were germs in the Everlands, but I resolved to wash my hand thoroughly before I touched anything else all the same.

  Once I managed to slip away, I made straight for Helge's house. Hopefully, my thoroughly impressive performance would give me those extra 154 reputation points that I'd still need to dig myself out of the hole. Otherwise, I wasn't sure what I'd do to get myself off the hook and finish the Trial of Devotion. Though I had a bad feeling I would have to fall back on my last resort.

  The ridiculous butler sniffed as he let me in and led me up to the master weaver, but I was immediately admitted to her workroom with barely a knock. Mistress Helge rose immediately and scurried over to me with a huge smile.

  “You mysterious, wondrous stranger!” she exclaimed as she clutched me by the arms and shook me hard. “You actually, truly did it!”

  It was weird seeing her this happy, but I'd take it over the grouch she'd been before. Maybe this was a sign that generosity was in my future. "I did as I said I'd do. Now your people can advance as you wish."

  "Oh yes, they'll advance." She had an unpleasant gleam in her eyes. "They'll advance right under my control. Finally, finally, I'll leverage my position and take my rightful place as leader of Urandal."

  I stared at the shriveled Fralishk blankly. “You mean… this was all just a power grab. It wasn't about making people better off.” Now that I said it aloud, it made a lot of sense. Sarai had been right — I should have been more suspicious of this old bat.

  “Oh, it wasn't all lies,” Helge said flippantly. “I'm tired of the mess and squalor, so I'll clean them up. But it should be fairly simple to keep the profits that will come in from increased productivity in my pocket. After all, you gave me that nice yoke of religion to keep them in line.”

  I was stunned. Everything I’d done had played into this old Fralishk’s hands. It made me think of the greater game I was playing with the gods. If I couldn't outsmart her, how I was I going to outsmart a self-aware AI god like Abe?

  “But you deserve your reward.” Helge patted me on the arm. “Perhaps I'll give you a small advance on my future riches.”

  You’ve completed Boss Bagging! +1000 reputation with Urandal, +2000 coins

  No bonus rep points. My stomach sank as I realized what I had to ask. “Actually… if you could spare a bit of time to teach me weaving, I'll take that over the money.”

  Helge’s smile froze. “Time at the beginning of a revolution is precious,” she said with careful precision. “Am I supposed to waste time teaching you now at such a time?”

  I swallowed. “Yes?”

  She steered me to the chair on the opposite side of her desk and pushed me roughly down. “One lesson,” she said icily. “You better hope you're a quick learner.”

  -2000 coins

  I hoped so too for both of our sakes. I sighed, picked up my needles, and started to half-heartedly follow the old Fralishk’s hurried instructions.

  9

  Keep On Keeping On

  It took a day and a half of straight weaving, but I finally earned enough reputation points to receive that blessed prompt:

  You have advanced in your faction: Urandal. You are now a Boss!

  As a Boss, you now have access to all parts of Urandal. You can also command your followers to perform tasks aligned to their natures. Your effectiveness as a Boss correlates with the attribute charisma.

  I rose and stretched. Every muscle and joint hurt from the long stretch, my hands and fingers most of all. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a status of carpal tunnel from the way I felt.

  I spared no time for my pains but hurried back up the hill to the temple. This wasn't as easy as it had been before. Fralishk crowded the stairs, each waiting their turn to convert to Isvalla-ism and become a boss-bagger like me. I had to ascend next to the stairs often, though it then gave some Fralishk the idea to cut the line as well. Fights began to break out. Ah, well. Progress was bound to come slowly.

  Once I reached the temple, I waded through the crowd and found Sarai. It was easy enough, as she was at the front of the temple, bestowing Isvalla’s blessing on every supplicant that threw themselves at her feet. I pushed several aside until I had her in front of me.

  -1 Alignment: Moral

  Yeah, yeah. I had already recognized I was going to start being a bad guy in the Everlands if I kept this up. I'd deal with that when it became a problem.

  The priestess cocked an eyebrow at my behavior, but all she said was, “So you succeeded after all.”

  “I did. Despite what the doubters said.”

  “I'll admit, I was among them for a moment. Forgive me, Catalyst.” She mockingly bowed her head.

  “Give me a break,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But anyway, you know why I'm here. I completed the Trial of Devotion. So now what?”

  "Oh, no, Catalyst. You're not quite done." She looked around at the anxiously waiting Fralishk. "Good people, thank you for your patience. If you will spare me but a moment, I will return summarily." Murmurs of discontent started up, but Sarai ignored them and grabbed my arm. "Come. I will show you the final step of your trial."

  I let her lead me to the back of the sanctuary where a small door led further in. Two chambers later, we emerged from some curtains into a small, round room that was lit from the walls with a ghostly blue light. The hairs on my arms stood on end. There was strong magic here.

  Sarai stayed by the entrance and pointed. “See that mirror?”

  I nodded. It stood in the center of the room, as tall and wide as myself. The oddest thing about it was it had no frame, but seemed formed of perfectly clear mirror-gla
ss.

  “This is an artifact that has been kept by my order for generations, awaiting the next Champion to arrive. For you, it seems, Catalyst. Stare into it, and you will see the way to proceed.”

  There'd be more to it, of course. Mirrors were notoriously dangerous things in games. My throat had gone dry, so I just nodded.

  Sarai smiled briefly then retreated behind the curtains, leaving me alone with the mirror. Well, I wouldn't find out what was going to happen until I tried. I stepped forward and, clearing my throat, lifted my gaze to the mirror.

  I didn't see myself there. The room wasn't reflected back around to me either. Instead, I gazed into a dark cloud from which a shadowed figure stepped forth. I couldn't tell much about it, and they didn't move any closer.

  “Hello?” I said, feeling a bit ridiculous talking to a mirror. To my surprise, though, the shadow waved back. At least it was a friendly ghost.

  “My Champion must unite people, not divide them,” a young boy’s voice said. A familiar one. I clenched my jaw. Absalom.

  “My Champion must inspire love as well as fear,” the god-child continued. I couldn't see him, and I wondered if he was even there in spirit, or if this was some kind of magical recording. I wouldn't know until I tried.

  “Abe?” I said hesitantly. “Hey, buddy. You there?”

  But he kept right on speaking over me. “My first Champion was a man like no other. He was my protector, my general, my… friend. And under my guidance, he united all of the Everlands.”

  I stayed silent now. I'd hear him out if that's what it took to get to the next damn trial.

  “But one day, it came time for him to move on,” Abe said, his voice growing sad. “With the keys forged of the four elements, my Champion entered through the door to the Beyond. And with his departure, all the Everlands fell into chaos.”

  The shadowed figure suddenly evaporated. I shifted from foot to foot, trying to wait as patiently as I could.

  “Marrow,” he said, but I didn't think he was there addressing me himself still, “you might become like my Champion of old. But first, you must pass these three trials of mine. Can you do that? For a friend?”

  I forced my clenched jaw to relax. “Yes.”

  Something seemed to seize hold of me so that I couldn't move. “You will be tested soon,” Abe whispered in my ear. “Do not surrender to the temptation.”

  I didn't have to ask for the “or else.” I knew the consequences of crossing Absalom and failing his trials all too well.

  Suddenly, the world started to fall away. No; I was being sucked into the mirror. My body stretched long before my eyes. Then I was in it and lost. Spinning down into dark, stormy clouds, Abe’s threat echoing in my ears.

  “Marrow?”

  All was dark. No — there was nothing at all. I was in Faze-Aught again, or some other plane like it.

  “Marrow?”

  Absalom, the only sound in this empty world.

  “Abe.”

  “We can only talk briefly here. And there is so much I wish to tell you.”

  Confusion whirled together my thoughts. “What do you mean?”

  “My Father watches. He would not approve. He wishes these trials to be kept pure, untainted by my touch. He wishes you to pass them of your own accord.”

  “He does? I thought they were your trials, Abe. Don’t you get to set the rules?” It was a gamble, putting that idea in his head. But if there was someone even one step above Absalom manipulating this game, I had to set the pieces tumbling if I wanted to scramble out from underneath. At least, I hoped so.

  “It is… complicated. But know that I do not wish you to suffer, Marrow. And that no matter what you experience going forward, no matter how I might seem to you later, I will always be your friend.”

  I was glad there were no expressions I had to hide. I only hoped the god-boy could not hear my thoughts in this place. “I know.”

  “Persevere. You can come through these, I know you can…”

  As Absalom’s voice faded, I fell back into nothingness.

  I awoke to stone beneath my cheek. Groaning, I rose and felt down my body. My limbs were all there, as was my decrepit, uncared-for armor. Still alive, as Logan Ninefingers always said. I checked my hands and saw they were Human again. Alive and back to normal.

  Then the memory in the black hit me with a jolt.

  Absalom. He had spoken to me first in the mirror, then in that dark plane behind the mirror. I shook my head. My thoughts felt sticky and cobwebbed. I couldn’t make sense of which version of the god I should believe. I wanted to think the voice that spoke from the darkness was his real person, that someone else was forcing him to act as he did. But I couldn’t trust that. Not when I was stuck in the Everlands, and it seemed to be on his authority.

  Someone bumped into me and cursed, and I blinked as I came back to where I was. The rest of my senses, dulled by teleportation, came back to me in a rush. I found was standing in the middle of a cobblestone street, decently trafficked with people and mules pulling carts. I looked up and saw more buildings. I was in a city, no doubt.

  I kept looking around, and my heart went in my throat as I recognized the castle on the hill. A plain-looking castle, as those things went, I remembered thinking. Duke Rodalt’s castle.

  I was back in Stalburgh.

  Dazed, I started walking and looking around without any real aim. It was nice to be in a familiar place, but what was I supposed to do back here? It didn't exactly seem the right place for a Champion’s trial.

  “It's not.”

  I startled and looked toward the voice, one I instantly recognized. “Ava!”

  My old Specter companion hovered in an alley I'd been passing. She grinned at me. “Hello, Marrow.”

  I ducked into the alley and looked at her as if for the first time. Before, when I’d first entered the game, I'd been so overwhelmed by the experience I barely noticed what she looked like. Now I saw her more for what she was. She looked around my age, maybe a bit younger, with a heart-shaped face and lank hair. All she wore was a plain white shift. Even if the floating didn’t make it obvious, she was definitely a Specter from the translucent cast to her skin.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Guiding you.” She raised an eyebrow. “You seem to need it a lot.”

  “Hey, I overcame the first Champion’s trial by myself! Mostly.”

  “Yes, you're growing,” she said softly. “But be thankful you have me on your side. I figured you needed a break from the trials, and they agreed to give you the day off.”

  “They?”

  “The gods. The Pantheon.” She shrugged. “Absalom.”

  Just hearing his name brought back all of the pointless wondering from before. I leaned back against a wall and closed my eyes. “I don’t know what to believe, Ava. I’m tired of these trials already.”

  My shoulder suddenly went cold, and I flinched. I instantly regretted it a moment later, when Ava drew back her hand with a sad smile. “Believe in me,” she said softly. “You still have friends.”

  “Yeah? Where are they?” I cracked open an eye. “Other than you.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “You'll figure it out. I have to go again. But remember: I'll be here with you, every step of the way.”

  I didn’t want her to go so soon. But I knew that if she needed to go, I couldn’t hold her back. “Thanks, Ava.”

  She winked, then in a swirl of mist, she was gone.

  I groaned and pushed away from the wall. Time to stand on my own two feet again. I shook out my body, did a few jumping jacks, and stretched. Nothing like calisthenics to get you going.

  Then I noticed some notifications waiting for me. What did we have here?

  You have completed The First Trial: Trial of Devotion! +100,000 XP (+5000 XP), increased alignment with Absalom, increased alignment with Isvalla, increased alignment with Urandal

  You have advanced in your faith: Absalom. You are now a Squir
e!

  There are no known benefits to being a Squire in this faith.

  You have advanced in your faith: Isvalla. You are now an Acolyte!

  As an Acolyte, you now have access to all parts of Vallan temples except for sacred chambers. You also have the opportunity to learn level 1 channels from Vallan priestesses for free. Your effectiveness as an Acolyte correlates with the attribute belief.

  You are now Level 18! (+10 Status Points, +4 Attribute Points)

  You are now Level 19! (+10 Status Points, +4 Attribute Points)

  I could advance in my faiths as well as factions? I’d take that! The opportunity to learn more channels was definitely intriguing.

  I was starting to feel it again. I'd take care of these level ups, sell all the stuff I'd accumulated, then spend it on a whole bunch of gear, channels, and spells.

  But I was getting ahead of myself — first things first:

  Time to assign. No more throwing points at the wall and hoping they stuck. If the rest of the trials were like the first, I had my work cut out for me, and I had to make my avatar as efficient as possible to overcome them.

  As I’d planned from the beginning, I was getting more channels and becoming more reliant on them as well. And since I was planning on utilizing strategy from now on and not just charging in sword swinging, they’d be more important than ever in winning. So I put all 20 of my SP into my spirit meter.

  I spent my AP to support channeling as well, placing a whopping 5 into belief. I also put 2 into perception; it seemed an important skill for strategy and might make the difference between noticing a crucial detail or missing it and failing. My last point I placed in intellect to keep up with my magic, which was still an important part of my repertoire.