by Tao Wong
“So like your group,” Kino accuses.
I glance back at Harry and Bolo, then turn back to the group and shake my head. “Not exactly. Those guys are more hangers-on.”
I admit, I cheat. I use the security cameras installed in the meeting room to watch Harry’s and Bolo’s reaction to my dismissal of their loyalty. Bolo glares at the back of my head, as if he could bore through with just his gaze. Harry’s steadier, shrugging as if what I said was true. I know Dornalor would agree. It’s not as if he’s ever made any bones about his loyalties. It’s a good thing that I’ve got the Credits.
And he’s one of those rare, rare pirates. He stays bought.
“But you guys aren’t me. You’ve got friends, comrades, brothers in arms. People you’ve fought with that you can draw upon. Your job, what you’re going to do, is quite well-defined. At least in societal terms. They know what they’re getting into.” I lean forward, looming over them, the feel of the hard light table cool against my touch. “And if you don’t have anyone, I suggest you start thinking really hard about what you’ve done to achieve that in your life.”
“After all, even this mutilated corpse of a human has one person who’d follow him into the depths of hell,” Ali helpfully adds.
Mikito coughs into her hand, trying to hide the laughter that bubbles out. Bolo and Harry don’t even bother, guffawing behind me. The initiates are a little more wary, but they do all crack a smile.
“Five Master Class monsters. That’s quite a number.” Anayton shakes her head before regarding me fully. “Do you really expect us to survive doing this?”
“I do. And so does the System.” I pause, then admit, “At least, some of you.”
“And you did this? You beat five Master Class monsters?” Magine says, eying me up and down. There’s a glint of the competitive Duelist there. And something more.
I raise a hand and waggle it side to side. When they frown, I explain. “Probably. The Quest was the same. Mostly. But I was in the Forbidden Zone, so Levels were a little weird. I mostly just killed the biggest, baddest city-stompers I could find and hoped that it was enough. We couldn’t even check that often.”
“You and your team?” Kino says.
The other initiates are already shaking their heads, remembering details, but I answer him anyway. “No. No team. The Champion tossed me in alone.”
Those words bring a long, long silence.
Kino shifts, little rocks trembling across his body, ground dust falling. Magine continues to eye me, and I wonder if maybe I shouldn’t have reminded him. He only gave Mikito that look—as if she was worthy, unlike me—until now.
The other two are silent, possibly reviewing their own chances. Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure how I survived. A hell of a lot of stubbornness and a good dose of luck. My affinity helped, that I know.
“But this is the System Quest. Kill, defeat, or otherwise deal with five Master Classers while you’re in Advanced Class. I adjusted it a little for the Dungeon World, but the goal is the same. Do more than you think you can,” I say those last words, facing each of the four initiates in turn, meeting their gaze and weighing them. “You have a week to get ready. Build your teams, bond them however you wish. Pass the information to me. We meet in a week. And we’ll Portal you straight in.”
I don’t tell them I’ve already decided where they’ll each go. It doesn’t really matter. It’s a big world and there are a lot of monsters. Dividing them up across Earth will keep them busy and out of each other’s way. And give my allies a few more favors to call in in the future.
Seeing that I’m done speaking, the group troops out. Ali’s already deposited the basic information they need, but for the rest of it, they’ll have to do their own research. No handholding this time.
As the last of them trundles out, leaving rock dust in his wake, I feel a weight leave my shoulders. I’ve done everything I can for them. Now…
It’s time for me to deal with the rest of my obligations.
***
Ayuri finds me lounging on a deck chair beside the pool in my residence. I’ve had to reconfigure the building a little, replace the basement with the deck chair and diving pool. Finding pool water was an interesting experience. Especially when the building offered a million and one different variations. From seawater from different atolls and planets, to different kinds of spring water, specially curated and oxidized H20, and more. It was kind of annoying, especially when I realized that I had to add some chlorine anyway. Thankfully, Ali swept in and helped with the reconfiguration before I blasted a hole in the building itself in exasperation.
So.
I lounge beside my pool under an artificial sun conjured from the holographic projectors hanging overhead. Blue skies and rolling wisps of clouds float by, while the occasional caw of birds and insects blare from the speakers.
“This is where you are?” Ayuri says, glaring at me.
I smile at the tall champion and raise my glass at her. “Pina colada?”
Ayuri eyes the blended, pale-yellow slushy of a drink with vague interest before she shakes her head. “I’m here on business, Redeemer.”
“Your loss.”
“You gave the initiates their Master Class Quest.” Ayuri says.
“You here to kill me now?” I reply, mostly in jest. After all, they still need my help for one other thing. Though rumors are that the Queen is doing pretty well. She might last another couple of decades before someone kills her.
“Obviously not. I do think you should be raising your Level instead of lounging.” Ayuri crosses arms, glaring at me. “Or are you waiting for your indulgence?”
“Indulgence?”
Ayuri raises a single eyebrow, skepticism and suggestion written across her face in broad strokes.
I laugh, shaking my head. “I think Catrin would find being called an indulgence amusing. Don’t you?”
I open up Society’s Web and stare at the numerous lines radiating out from the Champion. There’s a very thin line that touches upon my current flame. Nothing like the thread Ayuri has to Saimon. A lot of old feelings there, between her and the Seeker.
“Are you using that Skill on me?” Ayuri says, anger flaring. She steps toward me, fist clenching. “Don’t you know that’s rude?”
“Actually, pretty sure it isn’t.” I sip on the pina colada, ignoring her show of temper. This isn’t the time or the place for a fight. Nor is she gonna commit. “So what are you doing here? If not getting drunk?”
Ayuri stares at me for a second more, then snorts and flops down. Seconds before she hits the ground, a floating, cloudy chair forms, catching her in its pillowy goodness. She twists her hands, making a drink from the sidetable float over before she pours herself a glass. Only when she’s suitably seated does she speak. “The cover is blown. Add your acts against the nobles and… well. You’re in danger.”
“Heck. As if they weren’t pushing it already,” I say, chuckling a little.
Mana mourns, I’ve had to fete the two major contenders. Then there are the half dozen other wannabes who have made their way over, watching our training, offering suggestions, Credits, and other less subtle bribes.
Spuryan has been much more subtle, sending members of his congregation to meet me, to talk to us quietly whenever they have a chance. Just small ways, messengers and other documentation, to show that his people, his way can work too.
I’m not looking forward to the hard press. But I need to speak with them all more. See the other options, learn a little more of their world. I’ve only seen a half dozen worlds so far, after all. There’s more to learn, more to fight.
“You need that level.” Ayuri says rather firmly. “On top of that, Unilo has something to talk to you about too.”
“About time she asked for her favor.” I wonder what she needs from a poor benighted soul like me. “Anything I should know?”
“You know, she is my teammate,” Ayuri says.
“That a no?”
> I watch as Ayuri fights herself. Loyalty to the Empire warring with loyalty to her friend. In the end, the Empire wins out. It always will with someone named the Champion. “She’s a noble, as you know. But the family has been in disgrace for years. What she might ask will benefit her family more than herself.”
“No hints on that?” I continued to prod.
“No.” There’s a little doubt, a little concern in Ayuri’s voice. I wonder if she even knows. She tilts her glass back, draining it, then pours herself another. “What is this astringent taste? And why is it so enticing?”
“Pineapple.” I go into the building menu. A second later, a pineapple pops into existence, teleported here by the System. I wince at the extravagant cost. I catch it and hand the whole fruit to her. “This one’s unmutated. Which, by the way, makes it a premium product these days.”
Ayuri dubiously eyes the spiked, bright pale-yellow fruit. Eventually, she puts it into her inventory. And then, she downs another glass.
“Let her know I’ll see her tomorrow. And get Mayaya to come so that he can port me over directly.” I stand, leaving my glass behind. As I walk over to the water, I add, “You know, your pet Paladins might not be what you think they are.”
There’s only silence from behind me as I approach the edge of the pool.
I stare at the pale blue waters, rippling from the artificial breeze I have blowing through the room. “But that’s the thing about people, isn’t it? They can always surprise you.”
I don’t let her answer before I dive in. Letting the cold wrap me. Letting the fear of the water clutch at me as old wounds, old memories rise up. But this is a fear I’ve learnt to deal with. I’ve learned to live with. It clutches at my chest, stutters my heart, and makes it beat faster. It consumes my mind.
As for all my other worries, of the Empire and the games being played? Those get driven out, at least for a time.
Chapter 21
We step out of the Portal together, dubiously eyeing the small island we’ve arrived on. Already, Ali, who had gone ahead, is updating my minimap, giving me location data and information about the surroundings. He’s blocked off from a lot of information and restricted in his flight paths, but basic geography and the Galactic equivalent of GPS is fine. All of that tells me we’re on another planet, though I could have told you that from the shift in gravities. Three times Earth normal, which means little when your Strength is in the hundreds. But annoying anyway.
“Paladin. Thank you for coming,” Unilo says, greeting me when I walk forward. The Erethran is clad not in her military uniform but something more relaxed. It’s a mixture of a corset, floofy dress arms, and ultra-tight pants, all in dark pink and lined with white fur.
That’s the other thing. The crisp, freezing air tugs at my exposed skin, leaving ice crystals. The temperature is just above -40 Celsius, not including windchill. Sadly, I have to admit, it reminds me of Whitehorse.
Not that I’m a native. I still think of Vancouver as home more than Whitehorse. But that city—really, a town—is still central to who I became. And so my memories of it dominate. Including the damn cold. On top of that, the white snow that layers itself over the landscape, the snow glare the makes my pupils shrink, is another reminder.
“Unilo. Good to see you.” I give her one of the Erethran salutes, sloppily done because, well, no one ever told me how to do it properly. Also, I must admit, I never bothered to find out. “Your invitation was… expected.”
Unilo sniffs and turns, popping open a Portal. She steps in, and Ali and I follow. Harry is the only other member of my party who decided to join, raring at the chance to see another planet. One that isn’t trying to eat his face.
Dornalor decided to spend the week running another job, wanting to test out his ship on a more routine assignment. Those were exactly his words. I really didn’t want to ask.
Given the choice between lounging around and joining Dornalor, my friends ran off. Even Mikito. I feel insulted, but I’m not a fan of politics either.
To my surprise, rather than leading me to a board room, Unilo brings me to the entry courtyard of her residence. Then she keeps walking, past servants and a doorway to a living room. The entire place is tastefully done, luminescent pale blue and white, shades of a dark purple accent highlighting the wallpaper. The couches have a light brown accent with yellow trim and are placed in a rectangular circle with one end open and sitting tables alongside each couch.
Unilo takes a seat on one of the chaises, and I take a more traditional couch diagonally opposite hers. Harry, on the other hand, is taken by the arm and guided out by a waiting servant, to be shown around the estate.
The moment he walks out, both spatial locks and privacy locks appear. Surprisingly, there are three in place. One for the room, one for the residence, and one for the planet. Powerful enough to stop me from jumping out if I need to and to keep the vast majority of our conversation hidden.
“So what is this about?”
“One second. We’re waiting for one more person,” says Unilo.
She turns her head, and a man saunters in. He’s older, lines on his face, his neck, and his hands. He has tattoos all across his face, branching swirls reaching from his neck and up to his face, highlighting the coral on his ears. And his hair is shorn short, unlike the common flowing locks I’ve seen sported by most Erethran nobles.
He’s also sporting an assortment of Mana enchantments. Multiple rings, bracers, anklets, something around his chest region, more attached to his belt. And they’re not low-level enchantments either. At least three are Master Class level.
“John Lee, Paladin of Erethra. I present to you my older brother, Kilgave d’Cha, Warden of the Thrilsala System,” Unilo says.
Kilgave bows to me, while I offer him a half-hearted wave from my seat. Ali slips around, coming to hold a position just slightly behind the man as he stops next to Unilo’s seat. Ali’s out of their direct line of sight though. Only I can see him directly. This gives him an opportunity to stick out his tongue and waggle his fingers in suggestive ways.
Kilgave d’Cha, Warden of the Thrilsala System, Champion of the 631st, 632nd and 648th Mithril Man Competition, Monster Bane, Slayer of Goblins, Hakarta, Movanna,… (Level 33 Sundered Champion) him (M)
HP: 8480/8480
MP: 5230/5230
Conditions: Warden’s Reach, Broken End, Aura of the Sundered Champion, Mana Warden
“Sundered Champion?” I send to Ali.
“Disgraced? Might be better. It’s not exactly right. There are a lot of cultural connotations involved. I think disgraced is a little too much.” Ali shrugs. “It’d take a bit to explain. But he’s the ex-Empire Champion. Class got changed.”
“I thought there was only one.”
“There can only be one.” And because he’s Ali, he plays an all-too-familiar riff. I snort, but he doesn’t take too long, considering the two of them are blathering at me with the usual pleasantries of our meeting. “He had the job before Ayuri. Before his fall.”
“Oh boy.”
I tune back into the conversation, something about the drink and snacks that have arrived. A part of me has been busy chatting with them, grunting and making tasteful, social noises. And stuffing my face with the little lemon bar snacks they’ve put out. Of course, they’re not really lemon bars, but a close enough Galactic equivalent.
As they talk more, going into detail about the recipe, I trigger Society’s Web. It takes minutes before I gain an understanding, watching the way the many, many threads fly out from Kilgave and touch others. The only people I’ve ever seen with more threads are the Queen and Ayuri herself.
I guess that’s part and parcel of being a Champion.
I’m almost tempted to ask about his Skills. A surge from the library has me almost choking on a bite as I struggle to pin down the incoming information. I don’t need another download right this second.
After swallowing the bite, tasting the astringent sourness and sweetness,
and washing it down with a gulp of flavored water, I gesture at the pair. “All right. Enough already. What is it that you guys want?”
Unilo almost makes a face at my abrupt change of topic. She looks exasperated, but the former Champion laughs.
“I was beginning to wonder if the stories were true. I’m glad they are,” Kilgave says. “It’s simple. My niece tells me that you owe her a favor. We are here to collect.”
“I’m not going to kick Ayuri out of her place,” I say. “I don’t even think I’m allowed to.”
“I would never do that to my beam sister,” Unilo says, looking scandalized. She’s so angry that the cup she was holding cracks before dropping to the floor and shattering.
We’re all distracted for a second, before the cleaning bots sweep and tidy it away.
By that point, Unilo’s got her temper back in control. “We want you to do something else.”
“Yeah, I don’t really have daddy issues. At least, not like that,” I say.
Ali, over and behind him, is flipping in circles, choking on laughter. It’s a nice contrast to the two who just looked very puzzled.
“Stop talking nonsense, Redeemer,” Unilo snaps. “We want you to give my brother the Paladin Master Quest.”
“Huh.” I lean back, sinking into the chair as I regard the pair. I could say it was a surprise, but really, when she brought him in, there weren’t that many other options. Well, other than me being dragged into a random, erratic quest for justice. “Why?”
“It doesn’t matter. You owe me,” Unilo snaps.
“It does.” I cross my arms, fixing the pair of them with a firm gaze. “Talk, or I won’t do it.”
“You’ll break your word!” Unilo says, raising her voice for the first time.
“Yep.”
Before Unilo can dig herself any deeper, the man puts a hand on her shoulder. She subsides almost immediately. There’s no doubt who’s in charge of this little conversation.
“It’s very simple, Redeemer. I might be old, and my honor might be questionable to some. But I still serve the Empire,” Kilgave says. “This, this opportunity is the best that I can find.”