by Jez Cajiao
“Ah, of course…” I said, relaxing slightly. “I remember hearing that once; my apologies. I’m glad to learn that it is true, Lord Hannimish, Baron Joshua. I’ll look forward to meeting you then.” I gestured to the door, and they hurried out, gathering up their people and leaving the clearing quickly.
“Romanus, I want their camps watched… oh, thank you,” I said tiredly as he handed me a potion of ‘Legionnaire’s Might’ and watched in a sort of sick fascination as I popped the top off and downed it, chugging the horrible concoction as quickly as I could before grabbing a pitcher of water and washing it down.
“It will be done, my lord. Restun?” Romanus asked, and the Centurion Primus saluted and disappeared from the tent as Romanus turned back to me. “I’ve never seen anyone actually ask for one of those,” he said, smiling faintly. “It usually takes a direct order to make someone take it, and even then, I’m always reminded of advice I got as a young officer.”
“Oh?” I asked curiously, swilling my mouth out and making a face. “Gods, that shit’s nasty.” I forced myself to take a bite of cheese to try to cleanse my palate. “What advice?”
“Never give an order you know won’t be obeyed.” Romanus said, shrugging.
“Hah, well, yeah, I can see why.” I grimaced, shaking my head and sitting back in my chair. Taking Oracle’s hand again, I reveled in the feeling of her cool fingers as they intertwined with my own and offered silent support and reassurance. “What do you think of that, then?” I asked him.
“Well, it could have gone better, admittedly, but I’ve had dealings with Faustus and his brother before, so I have to say, I’m not unhappy about the turn of events in the slightest.”
“Really?” I asked him, grinning. “I’m not the only one that hates the nobility, then?”
“Gods, no, but you’re not allowed to hate the nobility anymore, as you’re one of them.” Romanus snorted. “They’re only nobles at your sufferance. Dispossess them of their titles and raise new ones up in their stead, and watch how fast some of them start pulling their fingers out and following the laws.”
“That’d get their attention, wouldn’t it!” I chuckled, picturing the panicked chaos.
“It really would!” he agreed with enthusiasm. “Mind you, I know you’d want to watch their faces when they find out, but why haven’t you done it with at least a few by now?”
“Done what?” I asked.
“Dispossessed them of their titles?” Romanus prompted, and I blinked, eyeing him in surprise.
“I can actually do that?” I stared from him to Oracle and back in astonishment.
“Of course!” Romanus said, frowning at me in surprise. “You’re the Imperial Scion, and they bear Imperial titles, even if they sully them by using them. You have only to order them stripped of it, and it’s done.”
“How… how do I do this...?” I asked slowly, a grin spreading across my face, and Romanus started to grin in response.
“You issue a proclamation, that’s all; like you did when you Declared War on Barabarattas.” he explained, and I searched Oracle’s eyes questioningly, grinning when she nodded in confirmation. I closed my eyes and whispered to myself, “Oh, this is going to be awesome…”
I concentrated, and I felt her guiding me, pushing my attention to the side, where there seemed to be a space, a sort of blank area hovering before my mind’s eye. I could feel the notifications buzzing for my attention, but I ignored them and instead reached out, pouring my intent into the space. I could feel Oracle making slight adjustments, altering it from my normal speech to a more formal, dignified one, suitable for this purpose.
“Seems a bit pretentious?” I mumbled, reading it over, but Oracle disagreed, her rich, throaty laugh washing over me as she finished editing it, and I felt her asking without words for permission to send it.
With no reason to postpone, I wordlessly agreed, and my vision was assaulted by a new box that opened without my permission as mana was torn from me.
The prompt was black as pitch, encased in a golden scrollwork-covered frame, the letters pulsing in golden smoke that flowed to form words:
Attention, Citizens of The Territory of Dravith!
Lord Jax, Imperial Scion, Master of the Great Tower, and High Lord of Dravith, today and effective immediately, revokes the title of High Lord Barabarattas, stripping him of lordship of the City of Himnel, all additional titles, and possessions, and declares him outlaw.
Let no citizen offer the criminal Barabarattas succor, lest their titles be stripped from them and their lives declared forfeit.
All Hail Lord Jax of Dravith!
I read it, hearing indrawn gasps from others around me as everyone saw the same message, then I sat back, waiting. I was somewhat surprised I’d not received a message in response to my actions, like I had last time.
After several seconds, I pulled up my notifications and read through them, wondering if it had been subsumed into that location by mistake.
Warning! You have activated an Imperial Ability, but without sufficient authority, and now you must pay the price!
All stats have been permanently reduced by two points, and your body has been damaged in ways small and profound. Think carefully before you overreach again.
“What the hell?” I growled, feeling Oracle slip into my mind to examine the notification. Her shock at the high price pierced sharply through my brain. The act had literally cost me nearly three levels, at two points off each of my ten stats. I growled in fury, but I also acknowledged the little voice in the back of my head that had seen the slaves freed of their bonds, and I knew I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Just… maybe not today.
I pulled up my stat sheet and double checked, grumbling under my breath as I saw the damage.
Name: Jax Amon
Titles: Strategos: 5% boost to damage resistance. Fortifier: 5% boost to defensive structure integrity, Champion of Jenae
Class: Spellsword > Justicar> Champion of Jenae + Imperial Magekiller
Renown: Unknown
Level: 18
Progress: 86,810/265,000
Patron: Jenae, Goddess of Fire and Exploration
Points to Distribute: 0
Meridian Points to Invest: 0
Stat
Current points
Description
Effect
Progress to next level
Agility
41
Governs dodge and movement.
Average speed + 310% (+10% increase in darkness, -20% in daylight)
46/100
Charisma
21
Governs likely success to charm, seduce, or threaten
Success chance +110%
71/100
Constitution
34
Governs health and health regeneration
HP+460, regen 25pts per 600s (+10% regen due to soul bond, -20hp, each point invested now worth 20hp)
36/100
Dexterity
29
Governs ability with weapons and crafting success
+ 19% chance to wield weapon successfully, + 19% chance of crafting success
48/100
Endurance
32
Governs stamina and stamina regeneration
STM +460, regen 23pts per 30s (Each point now worth 20STM)
08/100
Intelligence
54
Governs base mana and number of spells able to be learned
+420 mana, spell capacity: 27 spells (-20mp due to soul bond)
15/100
Luck
23
Governs overall chance of bonuses
+13% chance of success in areas luck affects
15/100
Perception
23
Governs ranged damage and chance to spot traps/hidden items
+130% ranged damage, +23% chance to spot traps/hidden items
44/100
Strength
<
br /> 24
Governs damage with melee weapons and carrying capacity
+14 damage with melee weapons, +140% carrying capacity
91/100
Wisdom
33 (28)
Governs mana regeneration and memory
+230% mana recovery, 1.6ppm, 230% more likely to remember things.
41/100
Congratulations! Your Class: Justicar, has interacted with your Rank of Imperial Scion and evolved due to your acceptance of your role, as well as actions taken to begin to right ancient wrongs! You are now an Imperial Justicar and gain a one-off bonus of five points to Perception and five points to Wisdom.
*
Congratulations, Imperial Scion and Justicar!
You have followed your Soul’s demands for Justice and have fulfilled the first step on an evolving Class Quest!
As both Imperial Scion and Justicar, you have been given a unique Quest by the Spirits of the Realm.
Quest: Return the Rule of Law, Bring Freedom to the Enslaved, and Peace to the Unquiet Dead
Note: This Quest cannot be refused without losing your class as an Imperial Justicar.
Punish Breakers of Imperial Law: 67/10
Free Unjustly Imprisoned Citizens: 114/10
Grant Uneasy Revenants their Eternal Rest: 76/10
Reward: 50,000 XP, Access to Second Tier of Evolving Quest
Note: Because you have gone above and beyond the base requirements, your achievements will be accepted toward the following tier, minus this tier’s requirement.
*
Quest: Return the Rule of Law, Bring Freedom to the Enslaved, and Peace to the Unquiet Dead
Note: This Quest cannot be refused without losing your class as an Imperial Justicar.
Punish Breakers of Imperial Law: 57/50
Free Unjustly Imprisoned Citizens: 104/50
Grant Uneasy Revenants their Eternal Rest: 66/50
Reward: 250,000 XP, Access to Third Tier of Evolving Quest
Note: Because you have gone above and beyond the base requirements, your achievements will be accepted toward the following tier, minus this tier’s requirement.
*
Quest: Return the Rule of Law, Bring Freedom to the Enslaved, and Peace to the Unquiet Dead
Note: This Quest cannot be refused without losing your class as an Imperial Justicar.
Punish Breakers of Imperial Law: 47/250
Free Unjustly Imprisoned Citizens: 104/250
Grant Uneasy Revenants their Eternal Rest: 66/250
Reward: 1,250,000 XP, Access to Fourth Tier of Evolving Quest
“Hell. That’s a serious chunk of XP…” I muttered softly, realizing that it would go a long way to replacing the lost levels, just as the additional points in Perception and Wisdom began to take hold. I groaned, screwing my eyes shut and covering my ears with my hands. Sounds were suddenly magnified insanely, my eyes burning as they altered again, and I gritted my teeth against the explosion of sensations.
With each point that I gained in Perception, the world around me changed in a thousand ways, many minor, some major, but the more points I gained in that Stat, the more those changes hurt.
Now, my brain ached, my eyes burned, my ears bled, and my skin shrieked in agony as each fresh breeze felt like a cheese grater being dragged across it. Finally, my sense of taste and smell, well… I suddenly really missed toothpaste and mouthwash, and resolved to find a way to make a magical equivalent damn fast.
When the adjustments were eventually over, I sat back, wincing as my raw nerves screamed at me. As I cautiously opened my eyes, I found myself looking into the faces of Augustus, Hellenica, Nerin, Denny, and Lydia, who had all joined Romanus in the tent. I felt Oracle’s gentle hand resting on the back of my own.
“Ouch,” I said distinctly, and several people snorted out a laugh while Nerin stepped forward to look at me, her eyes shifting to glow a fierce silver.
“Jax,” Jenae’s voice and the sense of her presence suddenly blossomed around me, and I smiled, turning my eyes up to the sky.
“Great to hear from you, Jenae,” I said, closing my eyes in relief. “Sorry. Okay, everyone, that is the Goddess Jenae, Mistress of Fire, Exploration and Hidden Knowledge.” I caught the confused and surprised looks on the faces of the nearby Legionnaires, as well as noting, further out, the way the nearby people faltered and stopped in their motions, gazing about as though trying to figure out what was happening.
“Thank you, Jax. It is good to see you survived. I was concerned,” Jenae said, and I caught the amusement in her voice at my apology for tossing her a casual general greeting after promising I’d show more respect in the future.
“It was a close thing a few times…” I admitted casually.
“I know; I felt your injury and checked in on you, only to find that your new healer, backed by a Djinn Clan Mother, already had things in hand. Good choices on your allies there,” the Goddess commented, and I nodded, still facing upwards.
“I was damn lucky to get them, I know that much,” I said.
“More than you know, considering the agreement that binds the Clan Mother. But I digress; do you remember, after the incident with the Valspar, when I promised to lead you to a cache of knowledge that would aid you in facing them?”
“Yeah…” I said, rubbing the back of my head. “Sorta. I was kinda having a bad day…”
“Understandable,” Jenae replied with a slight chuckle. “You had just destroyed a section of a major city, followed by tearing out your own guts and nervous system. Most sentients would define that as a bad day, I’d expect.”
“With cause… I didn’t just do it for shits and giggles, okay?” I said quickly, anxiously watching the small group with me, and the much larger group of people that were slowly drifting in to listen.
“You did,” Jenae agreed. “Anyway, part of that cache is nearby. The Prax, or War-Cities, depending on how they translate in your race’s tongue, were created to be able to enforce the Emperor’s will across the realm. That meant that, in addition to all the facilities a mobile platform of war required, such as production centers, food, and barracks, they also contained Vaults. These were maintained by a resident wisp, and while I am weaker than I’d like, I sense the presence of knowledge buried deep here. I… cannot discuss my current situation, Jax, not now. But soon, we must speak at length, both about your path ahead, the effects of my naming you as Champion, and about your Quest to return the Gods…”
“I’ll look forward to it, Jenae, and thank you,” I answered respectfully as her presence vanished.
“Was… was that really her? The Lady of Hidden Knowledge?” Romanus asked, blowing out a heavy breath and studying my face. “By the gods, her presence… it was…”
“Powerful,” I said, and he nodded his agreement.
“Truly, there can be no doubt that She is Divine. The sense of her mind was… and she talks with you?” he asked, and I nodded, looking to Augustus.
“You didn’t tell him?” I frowned in confusion.
“Oh, I did; it’s just not the kind of thing that people accept at face value, Jax. It’s something that people need to experience.” He smiled as Denny clapped him on the shoulder wordlessly.
“You still stand by your word to introduce me to Ashante, boy? The Goddess of Nature and Life?” Nerin demanded, and I reassured her that I intended to keep our agreement. “Good, because every time I turn my damn back, you do something that’s either insane, or impossible, or both together.” Nerin crossed her arms, a look of wonder on her face. “I was aboard the ship, dealing with a young slave girl that had been… abused by her past masters, I was trying to figure out how to remove restraining bolts that had been joined to her shoulder and hip bones to lock her into place, when lightning tore through the hull and smashed into her. I panicked, trying to save her, and found, much to my surprise, that she was being healed, not hurt. The bolts were melted to slag, reduced to puddles of metal on the floor. I watched the r
emnants running across her skin without so much as singeing her. Every single one of my patients from the city, all of the enslaved that I’ve treated so far, at any rate, are healthier than they have any right to be.”
“Okay, why do I feel like I’m getting told off for this?” I asked in confusion.
“Because you shouldn’t be able to do it! I know how many people were hurt, boy; it’s my job to know all about it. I also know the depth of your manapool, and I thought… your capabilities. There is no way you could cast a spell like that. Honestly, I don’t know how any being short of a God could wield that kind of magic, and you just throw it around like a child!” she snapped furiously.
“Hey!” I retorted. “It costs me to use that shit! I don’t just toss it off, you know!”
“Exactly! Points are missing from all of your stats!” She paced in front of me, clearly agitated at my reduced state. “I told you, boy, I know you! I know when a patient of mine changes, especially in a way that shouldn’t be possible! You directly converted life-force and experience into power, while draining the ambient magic from the area, and still, that shouldn’t have been sufficient to do what you did!”