by Logan Jacobs
“I don’t know his name,” I said. “But he knows a name I think you’ll find very interesting.”
“Oh?” The king raised his eyebrows as he peered down at the tied-up assassin.
“Go on,” I urged, and I nudged the kneeling assassin with the toe of my boot. “Tell the king what you told me.”
The albino assassin spat at the king’s feet and scowled at me over his shoulder, but he didn’t open his mouth to fulfill my request.
“Fur,” I said, and I flourished my flame before my prisoners eyes.
“Dumas!” the assassin suddenly shouted. “Dumas the wizard hired me to kill the God of Time’s three women.”
“No!” the king gasped, and his jaw fell open. “It cannot be true.”
“Trust me, Your Majesty,” I growled. “I caught him in the act.”
“Oh, no, I am so sorry for your loss,” the king said in a sympathetic tone.
“No, no, he did not succeed,” I laughed. “What do you take me for? Some second-rate god?
“My apologies, Sir Sebastian.” King Frederick inclined is head. “So, Dumas is guilty of treason. This is horrible news.”
“That’s not all,” I said. “The Duke of Edinburg, the Duchess of Mistvale, and her court wizard Zorya are all working together to undermine your rule. They’re the ones responsible for the attack on Viceroy and the assassination attempt I thwarted during my journey to Vallenwood.”
“I only heard one name from your would-be assassin’s mouth,” the king informed me. “Did he name the others?”
I inhaled sharply. “No.”
“Then there is no proof of your claims.” The king shook his head. “Unfortunately, we cannot accuse the upper nobility without having solid evidence. Otherwise, chaos would ensue, and possibly civil war.”
“But I heard them scheming with my own ears,” I argued.
“They spoke in front of you?” The king frowned in confusion.
“Well, they didn’t know I was there,” I explained. “You see, I took one of Zorya’s invisibility potions, and after I drank it, I followed Zorya and Dumas around. They made plans against you and I with their masters, so I know the duke and duchess are in on the plot. You have to believe me, Your Majesty.”
“Sir Sebastian,” the king said in a warning tone. “You snuck around, stole from the wizard Zorya, and invaded the privacy of the duke and duchess. You should be ashamed of yourself. Furthermore, your actions are criminal, and I ought to press for your arrest.”
“You’re making a mistake, Your Majesty,” I sighed. “I’m the one trying to save your kingdom here. You need to trust me.”
“I have trusted you implicitly.” The king’s frown deepened. “And this is the thanks I get. You abuse your office, and you should be stripped of your titles at once.”
“All this over a little theft and invasion of privacy?” I laughed. “You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to let you do that.”
Then I reset back to my save point so the king wouldn’t remember my confession.
Time to try again.
I waited for the assassin alone once more, and I managed to capture and freeze him even faster this time. Riondale woke up again, watched me torture Dumas’ name out of the assassin, and requested an audience with the king for me. After we’d tied up my prisoner, I carted him through the hallways, but this time I threw the slightly smaller man over my shoulder so I could get to the throne room a little faster. At the very least, I didn’t have to deal with the albino assassin attempting to wrench his arm out of my grasp, but he did do a lot of wiggling around while he was slung over my shoulder.
I went through the same dialogue tree with the king, but this time I kept my mouth shut about the other players in the scheme against the crown. I would have to find other ways of dealing with my remaining enemies later, but for now, I was content with removing Dumas from play.
The king summoned twenty guards to the throne room, and he sent ten of them to fetch Edinburg’s court wizard.
“I trust you to foresee any funny business the wizard intends to pull,” the king said under his breath while we waited for the necromancer to arrive.
“I’ll keep you safe, Your Majesty,” I replied.
We waited for what felt like hours, and I was worried for a moment the necromancer had already evaded capture, but then I heard the clink of chainmail and metal boots in the hallway as the troop of guards returned to the throne room with the court wizard in the middle of their formation.
The necromancer’s eyes went straight to the tied-up assassin, but his face remained well-controlled and neutral-looking. He carried a tall staff with him, and the bright red crystal at the top seemed to glow from within. His gray-black hair swished with each step he took closer toward us, and his black robes flicked around his legs. There seemed to be no hesitancy or fear visible in his body language, and I was impressed with his ability to keep his cool.
The guards parted to let Dumas through, and the court wizard bowed low before the king before he nodded in my direction.
“Your Majesty,” he said in a respectful tone, but his voice turned sardonic as he looked at me. “Your Grace.”
“Master Dumas,” the king began in a serious voice. “Do you recognize this man who stands restrained before you?”
“Why, no, Your Majesty,” Dumas replied with the most innocent expression. “Why is he tied up? Has he committed some crime?”
“He says you hired him to kill my women,” I explained and glared at the necromancer. “I caught him in the attempt, but fortunately he was unsuccessful.”
“That is… most fortunate,” Dumas said in a hesitant tone. “But I regret to inform you this man has lied to you. Like I said, I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” I growled, and my hand leapt to the hilt of my feather sword.
“My apologies, Your Grace,” Dumas said in a rush. “I didn’t mean to offend, only defend myself. You are accusing me of attempted murder, after all. I would like the chance to speak of my own whereabouts.”
“You were the one who hired me,” the albino insisted, and I gave the king a pointed look.
“Your Majesty, come on,” I urged. “You have to side with me on this, or you’ll be letting a murderer walk free.”
“Attempted murder,” the king corrected with a frown. Then he jerked his chin to signal the guards, and the armed men moved to surround the court wizard. “But Sir Sebastian is right. I believe his word and the word of his witness. Master Dumas, you are under arrest.”
“Damn god…” Dumas muttered a curse under his breath, and he waved his staff around in a broad circle to ward off the guards. A beam of red light erupted from the crystal at the top, and it bathed the guards in its ray.
Cries of pain filled the air from the men affected by the crystal’s magic, but I wasn’t quite sure what was happening. I ripped my sword free from its sheath as I prepared a spell in my left hand, and I scanned over the scene as I thought about what to do.
All the guards hit by the crystal’s light were falling to the ground and writhing in pain, and Dumas was aiming his staff at the remainder.
“Call for more guards,” I urged the king, and then I dashed toward the necromancer.
One of the guards leapt up from the ground, and his eyes glowed with a strange red color as he stood between me and the court wizard. The guard growled, pulled out his sword, and lunged clumsily toward me. It was like he was being mind-controlled, and just as I parried the blow of his sword, two more red-eyed guards moved to surround me.
Dumas chanted some words in a strange tongue I didn’t understand, and all the red-eyed guards grunted in unison like they’d just received a command.
This wasn’t good.
I kept my eyes locked on the court wizard, and I saw him hesitate halfway between the throne and the door.
“Get back here, Dumas!” King Frederick shouted, and that seemed to convince the court wizard of a
course of action, since the next thing I knew the necromancer had disappeared through the doorway.
Fucking Dumas was gone, and the king and I were left outnumbered by twenty zombie guards. This was bad, but I knew I could handle it, even if it took me a thousand lifetimes to figure out how exactly.
I grinned with battle lust as I twirled my feather sword around in my grip.
The God of Time was about to kick ass and take names, but first, I wanted to get the upper hand, so I reset back to my save point again.
Chime.
Chapter Nineteen
I was back in bed with my three wonderful women, and while I’d just finished reassuring them all was well, I knew the truth was slightly different. Not only was an assassin going to attempt to take my beloveds’ lives, but Dumas the necromancer would unleash his power upon anyone around when he was confronted with his treachery.
I had to find a way to capture Dumas before he could use his staff to turn the guards into zombies, since killing all the red-eyed men coming at me hadn’t felt like the right choice. They were being mind-controlled and not making their own choices, so it didn’t feel good to think about fighting my way through them.
I could use my ice spell to freeze them in place, but with how many guards the king had summoned to the throne room, I would soon be worn out magically. While I’d mastered the spells, casting them cost energy, and I didn’t have an unlimited amount.
I carefully slid out of the bed, and I prepared to capture the assassin. I’d done it so many times now I wasn’t worried about being successful, so as I pulled on my clothes and strapped my weapons to my side, my thoughts were mainly focused on the issue with Dumas.
I’d just have to tell the king not to summon the extra guards since it only gave the necromancer something to work with.
I waited by the entrance to the west wing until the assassin showed up, and then I captured him with my ice spell. After I’d gotten him to confess Dumas’ name with my fire magic, the assassin and I were on our way to the throne room alone. I’d considered bringing Riondale with me, but there was a chance the necromancer would turn him against me with his staff, and I didn’t want to have to fight off my right-hand man.
“If you’re going to kill me,” the assassin hissed in my grasp, “just do it already.”
“Nah.” I grinned. “I still need you. You’re going to share your little tale about how Dumas hired you with the king, as well as any other details you may have neglected to give me.”
“I know nothing,” the assassin insisted. “Only targets’ names and location. I was paid half up front, and the other half was promised upon completion.”
“Save it for the king,” I growled, and I shoved him down the hallway ahead of me.
King Frederick questioned the assassin and then announced his intention to arrest Dumas, but before he could request the presence of more guards, I raised a hand to stop him.
“Your Majesty, that is a bad idea,” I informed him with a solemn shake of my head. “The wizard Dumas has a staff with the ability to control minds. The more guards present, the more enemies we will have to fight through to get to him. I can handle him myself, but if you summon a bunch of guards to the throne room, it’s going to be harder.”
“How did you even know I was about to request more guards?” The king’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t even spoken the words out loud yet.”
“You seem to keep forgetting I’m the God of Time,” I pointed out with a smirk. “There’s not much I don’t know.”
“I am fortunate to have you on my side,” the king allowed. “I shudder to think of you as an enemy.”
If he would only put that energy into believing me about Edinburg, Mistvale, and her wizard Zorya, then it would save me a lot of trouble, but he insisted upon proof, so I would comply.
The king called for Dumas, and we waited in the empty throne room in the middle of night until the necromancer made his appearance. While we waited, the assassin muttered some choice words at me and eyed the entrance in hopes of an escape, but I kept him close to me and ignored his taunts.
After what felt like an entire lifetime, the necromancer appeared surrounded by the ten guards the king had sent to go get him. Dumas’ pale-green gaze landed on the assassin, but no spark of recognition lit up in his eyes. I knew he was going to play innocent, but it wasn’t going to do him any good.
I eyed the staff he carried curiously, and the red crystal at the top shimmered in the candlelight with each step he took. It almost seemed to radiate light from within the stone itself, and I wondered where Dumas had acquired it.
“Your Majesty,” the necromancer greeted with a respectful bow of his head. “Your Grace. May I ask what causes you to summon me at such an hour?”
“Master Dumas,” the king intoned, “do you recognize the bound man before you?”
“Not at all, Your Majesty.” Dumas shook his head. “Should I?”
“Yes, indeed.” The king nodded slowly and dramatically, and I had to admit he had a flair for theatrics. “According to this man, you hired him to assassinate the Archduke’s women on this very night.”
“He lies,” Dumas said simply, and his eyes narrowed as they darted to me. “The Archduke could have paid him to accuse me. I suggest you kill him and be done with it.”
“That’s not true!” the assassin blurted out. “You hired me, Master Dumas.”
“The Archduke has convinced this man of his own lies,” the necromancer countered in a sympathetic tone. “It is sad to think I would be so easily accused.”
“It’s sad to think you have no remorse over your actions,” I shot back, and then I gave the king a pointed look. “Of course, he denies it, he wants to save his own neck. You have to believe me, Your Majesty.”
“I side with the Archduke,” the king announced in a decisive tone, and he nodded to the ten guards to arrest the necromancer. “Restrain him and take him to the dungeons.”
“You will never capture me!” Dumas spat as his calm facade crumbled. “Your petty attempts are no match for my power.”
I spun to face the necromancer, and I saw him struggling against the arms of the guards. Then he waved his red staff in a broad circle, which knocked back a couple of the men, but he brought the end of it down against the floor while he chanted words in a strange language. The eyes of the ten guards turned red, and they released the court wizard before they turned toward the king and me.
The mind-controlled men guarded the wizard’s escape as he jogged toward the entrance of the throne room, and a loud cackle escaped Dumas’ throat just before he disappeared from view.
I had to stay and protect the king first, but I didn’t want to kill these men. Maybe I could tie them all up, but that would require a lot of rope, and I wasn’t prepared to do so during this attempt.
I’d have to kill them and then figure out a way to make it not necessary, but I couldn’t stay with the king and chase after Dumas at the same time.
“I have to kill them, Your Majesty,” I informed the king in a regretful tone. “I’ll figure out a better way next time, but right now I just need to know you’re safe before I go after the wizard.”
“It would be treason to leave me,” the king replied, and he pulled the ceremonial looking sword from the sheath at his side. “But you won’t have to fight alone.”
“Good.” I grinned. “Then let’s kick ass together.”
Then I turned, drew my feather sword, and summoned my ice spell all in the same breath. I shot out ice at the feet of the guards closest to the throne dais, and I nodded my chin toward the frozen enemies.
“Those are yours, Your Majesty,” I said before I darted off into battle.
I met a sword with mine, blazed a ray of fire in the guy’s face, and then knocked his feet out from underneath him. As he fell to the ground, I began to coat his arms and legs in the ice restraints I’d grown fond of using, but I didn’t manage to cover his entire body before another red-eyed guard came at me.
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The guard on the ground beneath me was frozen enough to not be able to move, so I turned my attention to my new assailant. I brought my feather sword up over my head to catch his downward blow, and then I shot a ball of ice right at his most sensitive area.
My opponent doubled with pain for a brief moment, but his face didn’t register any of the emotion when he met my gaze with his red eyes. It was like he was wearing a mask or something and didn’t really feel anything. He came at me again with a low, menacing growl, and I backed away slowly.
Time to use some of the awesome new magic I’d learned at the banquet.
I summoned a vine in a spot where my opponent would be stepping within the next few breaths to give myself some time to help it grow, and the tiny bud of green poked out through the lush red carpets like a dandelion growing up through a crack in a sidewalk. The vine uncurled and stretched upward, and it was roughly twice the size it had been when I first summoned it, but was still too small to accomplish much.
Fortunately, I didn’t need the vine to do a whole lot for me this time. I merely needed it to be a slight encumbrance to my target.
The guard lunged forward with sporadic jerky movements, and right when he stepped beside my vine, the green tendril shot out and curled around the red-eyed guard’s ankle. That was all the upper hand I needed to coat his arms and legs in heavy, restraining ice.
When my vine’s duty was completed, I thanked the tiny growing plant for its service, and I sensed a feeling of gratitude from my summons in return. It was such a strange connection, but I was looking forward to experimenting more with my vines in the future. With enough time and effort, I could get them to be as big as the Wild Land’s shaman’s were.
I repeated the process of fighting off then restraining with ice on the remaining guards, and the king ended up disarming two of them by himself. He tied them up with the sash of his robe, and his eyes were bright with battle lust when he met my gaze across the room.
Once the ten men Dumas had mind-controlled were eliminated as a threat, I saluted to the king and turned to chase after the necromancer without another word.