“I apologize, your majesty. You would not have been able to forgiven me if I had held the information that I have one moment longer than absolutely necessary. Please allow me to close the doors. This is for your ears only. Do you wish your Champion to stay?” the Earth Mage, Leonard, asked.
“It is a champion. Of course it can stay. It is bound to my will and could not betray me even if it wished to do so… and it does not. Secure the room if you believe it necessary. I will cast a privacy spell,” the queen said.
“I do, your majesty,” he said as he secured the doors. When the room was made private, the queen motioned for her mage to kneel before her and give his report.
“Your majesty, did you feel the quake immediately after the conflux?” Leonard asked.
“Yes. As far as I know there were no fatalities and very little damage. It was mostly on the waterfront,” the queen said.
“That's correct, your majesty, but the true cost of that quake is going to be so much greater. I can't begin to calculate how many will die because of it,” Leonard said. Slamming her hand down on the arm of her throne, the queen interrupted him.
“What do you mean the true cost? What happened?!” the queen demanded.
“The shifting we felt on the surface was nothing compared to what happened deep in the Moon. It will be a global cataclysm, but it will not be felt immediately. I don't know how bad it will be everywhere else, but for us it will be catastrophic. Our lake, Lake Powell, lost the source of heat that made it an oasis for us. With your Grand Place of Power, I'm sure you can keep the capital livable, but as for the rest of the kingdom, eventually it will become frigid. There's enough residual heat in the land and water that people won't notice the change for months, but you have decisions to make, my queen,” Leonard said as he bowed his head. The queen took the news like the wise powerful leader she was. She would mourn and consider the implications later, but now she would act.
“How many know what you know?” the queen asked.
“I don't know, my queen. It cannot be many. If I hadn't been in a state of deep meditation, I wouldn't have noticed the change myself. However, I am not the only Earth Mage in our kingdom,” Leonard said.
“Do you know about the other lakes within striking distance? Have they lost their heat source also?” the queen asked.
“I was lucky to be able to sense the change in our lake, your majesty. Only time will tell with the others,” Leonard said.
“We will mobilize our armies and prepare for a mass exodus. I just hope I can hold enough of the kingdom military together to provide a new place for our people. I will inform the Emperor of what has happened once I've cemented my control. Who knows, maybe for once he'll be able to do something to help our kingdom. Mind you, I highly doubt it. This part of his Empire has been neglected so long, I doubt he would notice the death of this kingdom,” the queen said. Changing her focus, she looked back at her beautiful golden Champion.
“I should have asked for your skin to be blood red. For now I'm sure it will be stained that color soon,” the queen lamented.
The Wild Mountains.
Champion of the Way’s bind point.
Day one, later in the morning.
“I smell like what?!” Joe exclaimed, making an effort to smell himself. “Are you kidding me?! I smell like mothballs and old medicine!” Joe said with great aggravation in his voice as he looked accusatorily toward Spooky.
“It's not that... well… okay. Yes, you do,” Spooky said, shrinking from his gaze.
“Break character for a sec, Spook. Why do I smell like this?” Joe asked.
“Character?” Spooky said, looking perplexed.
“Come on! ...What was that phrase you used when you were ticked off about her binding you?” Joe asked Moes.
“I used a phrase?” Moes asked.
“Dark Stars,” Spooky filled in.
“Yes, that was it. DARK STARS, Spooky! Why do I smell so bad?” Joe asked. Spooky flew close, so she could whisper in Joe's ear.
“Don’t know. Maybe it’s because you're nearly a hundred years old. Or, something to do with the summoning,” Spooky said, becoming defensive, “I'm trying to figure things out just like you are, buddy.”
Joe took a deep breath, recognizing he was not going to receive an answer to his question. “Spooky, stay here with Moes and get more info. I am going to explore the castle and see if I can find a shower,” Joe said as he turned and began walking toward one of the multiple sets of stairs.
“You can't explore all by yourself. You don't know if it is safe,” Spooky said.
Not turning from his course, Joe replied, “Don’t know? You know what I don't know? Why I smell like menthol and ground up ibuprofen!” He stopped and began to consider all the stairs of different sizes.
“Joe, do you think maybe you are overreacting a bit about this?” Spooky asked. For a second, Joe looked like he was going to fire back a retort, but then he took a deep breath.
“Yes, maybe I am. Sorry,” he said, having turned his head to look at her, “I just don't like this game making fun of me. But I am still going to look for a bath. Before you begin again about how dangerous this castle is, I have to tell you, I know you're wrong. I feel a connection to this castle; it feels safe,” Joe said.
“At least let us come with you,” Spooky said.
“Thanks for the offer. I just want to walk alone for a bit. This has been a whirlwind. Saying goodbye to family for the last time, then getting in a crazy pod and committing to this whole experience. I want to walk. Truthfully, it will be fine. At first, I thought this game was going to be all about one man roving the countryside, fighting to save the world. And I still think that there will be some of that, but through feeling my connection with this castle, I see another aspect to this game. I can sense that the power of this location is increasing. It will become a refuge,” Joe responded, feeling the truth of what he said. Opening his Holdall, Joe located his Book of Useful Information, pulled it out and looked through it.
“I just have a bad feeling,” Spooky said.
Joe started laughing.
Spooky pursed her lips in annoyance and responded firmly, “Joe, from what I understand of human interaction, we were having a conversation and it's generally considered rude to pull a book out and just start reading it in the middle of said conversation.”
“Sorry, I get that, but this book has relevant information. When I first received it I hadn’t realized how true its name would be. This may be the most useful information I have ever received,” Joe said.
“Why? What does it say?” Spooky asked, now eager to learn. Joe turned the book to face Spooky and Moes. Spooky read. In big letters it said an awful phrase.
HE IS RIGHT. YOU ARE WRONG.
With that, Joe closed his book, picked the stairs that fit his size, and disappeared down them, leaving the halfling and fairy alone.
“I don't see why that information would be the most useful to him. It's not useful to me. Why would it be useful to him? That message was for me and I don't know why he was laughing at it,” Moes said.
“Moes, it is a magical book. What did you read?” Spooky asked.
“It said that I was to teach Joe all the magic I knew, as fast as I could- with an emphasis on combat magic. Which is not my focus, by the way. It also said that I needed to change my preconceived notions and stop being such a rude pratt. That book is absurd. And not only because it called me a pratt, which I am not… but also because magic is something one is born with. To be taught any kind of magic you have to have been born with the seeds. I cannot grant these seeds. As close as Joe was to me, I would have felt it if he had any seeds. He’s seedless. …Well, of the kind of magic I know anyway,” Moes said, stopping and looking directly at Spooky, “Why did he say this was a game? We're dealing with serious life-and-death issues. This is real life, not some childish board game. I don't know what it's like where you were summoned from, but this is my only reality. Is he taking this ser
iously?” Moes asked.
Spooky's computer mind began spinning. Since the conflux she had been trying to assess true facts, but there were so many questions. She had no protocols to deal with these situations. Not knowing what to do, she fell back on old protocols. Protect the patron; give him a good gaming experience. Even though, at this point, that might just mean a good experience. Moes could be helpful in creating a good experience, or he could be a detriment. It all depended on how he was dealt with. She had to use as much truth as possible when dealing with Moes, otherwise things would eventually fall apart. She knew Joe better than anyone who had ever existed. What truths about Joe would be helpful here? Joe believed in strategic thinking. Not just applying strategy in games, but rather thinking strategically about the whole of your existence. All of this took Spooky microseconds to consider.
“Be careful what you say, Moes. Your preconceived notions can lead you into trouble. Joe takes everything he does seriously, even though to others it might look like a jest. On Earth, where we're from, they have an expression the game of life. It means a lot of things, but in this context, it has more to do with thinking strategically. You should be happy that he thinks of it like a game as it will make him more successful, and it will accomplish much for the Way. When he refers to this reality as a game, understand it's his way of stepping back and trying to see the whole game board- to use your analogy,” Spooky said. Moes was noticeably soothed.
“See the whole board game. That is an interesting way of looking at life. I guess I can see how it might be useful. Though it is a bit callous. Okay, he asked you to get information. What do you want to know?” Moes said.
***
Joe's connection with his castle was already becoming useful. As he walked down the stairs, he began to wonder which way he should go. When he came to the first door, to exit the stairwell, he had a feeling it was where he was meant to go, so he went through it. Traveling through the subsequent hallway, he saw quite a few doors but knew instinctively that none of them were the doors he specifically wanted. He walked to the end of the hall, having past over multiple doors. At the end, was a set of double doors with beautiful spiraled art carved into the wood. Something unknown led him to feel that this was the room made for him. Looking at the doors, they both opened out toward him seemingly on their own. Joe had not even touched them. “That's a handy feature, self opening doors,” Joe said to himself.
***
“So, you believe there are ley lines running through this place and that's what created this building?” Spooky asked.
“Yes, that is what I have been saying. Now, if you will just let me analyze your mithril altar, I am sure I could confirm that,” Moes said. He took a step toward the box, but fast as a fairy, Spooky was blocking his way.
“As I said, it is not an altar, just a box. And not one you need to concern yourself with,” Spooky said. Knowing that her core was inside the box, she was uncomfortable with anyone doing anything to it. “Once Joe knows the spell, he can confirm it,” Spooky chided.
“I spoke the oath. I am bound to obey the king's laws. I will not harm his altar,” Moes said.
Spooky could tell that this halfling had no genuine loyalty to Joe beyond the oath, it was clear.
“Box,” she corrected, “And I know that you won't, because you won't touch it.” At that moment, on a lower level, Joe came up to the doors that would be his work space and sanctuary. Spooky seemed to sense it.
“Well, what do you know? Joe was right. We are connected to this castle. In fact, I feel like I'm a little part of it, and it's a little part of me. I wonder if I could…” Spooky said, staring off into the distance, not seeing Moes, who was slowly sneaking around her. With a small force of her will, she opened the doors in front of Joe. As the doors swung wide and Joe walked in, she could observe him and the spectacular room before him. Though the room was not on the top floor, it had the feel of being a penthouse. The windows clearly took up one whole section of the pentagon-shaped castle. Joe saw a waterfall type shower behind frosted glass and ran for it, quickly stripping and hopping in. Spooky left him to it, and looked around the rest of the room. It seemed to have a stone theme. There was a work area with multiple granite tables and a huge stone kiln. Not too far from that area, there was a large anvil near a forge. This did not make sense to Spooky, as the physics of it did not work out. This room was not the top floor. Where did the smoke and excess heat go? As Spooky asked this question, she could almost feel the answer. She sensed that the forge’s power and heat came from a ley line just as Moes had discussed. Then suddenly, and with a powerful concussion, Spooky was knocked out of her remote viewing. Spooky's vision returned to her avatar form just in time to see Moes fly backward past her, sliding once again across the dome’s slick stone floor.
New Fact
45- I have instinctive defense mechanisms regarding my mithril core.
“Blood, stars, and acid!” Moes screamed as he quickly cast the small healing spells he knew on his burnt hands. Spooky looked behind her to make sure that the mithril box was okay. It looked untouched and peaceful, unlike Moes, who was more battered than before. She flew over to him as he fussed over his injuries.
“What did you do?” Spooky asked.
“Look at my burnt hands. Look at my nearly busted body. And you’re asking, what did I do? What about what your castle did? You were right; this is not a safe castle. It is a mean castle. Though, very powerful. The truth is, it's powerful enough that it's going to be a problem. As far as I can tell, it's not a small place of power. This means it cannot be completely hidden. The mountains around us will give us a certain amount of protection because beyond them people won't be able to get a perfect fix on the location of this place of power. But the moment a traveler with any kind of magic sense at all travels through these mountains, the secret will be out. Even if we had all the people of the Way, who are now gathered at the cave, here to help it would not matter. They couldn't stop the armies that would come and try to take this. We're in trouble. But more than that, I don't know what this means. New Grand Places of Power, like this, don't just spring up. And maybe this is not the only one? Did this one coming into being, mean that another Grand Place of Power had to disappear? And, if so, what will the large armies who have been guarding them do? Is the balance of power going to shift on the whole Moon? The potential for blood and death, as the powerful move their armies, and warriors to try to gain back what they have lost is incalculable. I have studied the history of the conflux. Nothing I have read pointed to anything like this,” Moes said as Joe ran up the stairs holding his towel around his waist with one hand and his Holdall in the other.
Running up to the fallen halfling, he said loudly, “Moes, what did you do?!”
“Look at my burnt hands. Look at my nearly busted body. And you’re asking, what did I do?” Moes once again evaded.
“Answer, Moes,” Joe said with the authority of a king.
“I was trying to analyze the mithril altar and the multiple ley lines that run through it. I don't even know how many there are. I was able to complete part of the spell, which showed that it is a Grand Place of Power with a living being tethered to it. When I tried to delve further and get more information, a powerful wave of heat and force knocked me away. Either I stepped too close, or I was not allowed to know more,” Moes said.
“Okay, well, good information to know. But honestly, it would have been great if you had waited to do something crazy until I had at least washed my hair,” Joe said. At this, Moes noticed that Joe's hair was all lathered up. The shampoo was dripping into one of his eyes causing it to twitch slightly.
“Sorry about that. You smell a little better…” Moes placated. Joe smiled despite the situation.
“Okay, do you need anything else to fix your burns?” Joe asked.
“No, they were not terrible. The small amount of skill I had in healing was enough. I can tell they will be better soon,” Moes admitted.
“Good.
I'm going to go finish my shower. But before I go, here is an order. Moes, lay down and don't move until I come back from my shower or four hours have passed, whichever comes first. Don't perform any spells, other than healing spells on yourself, until then. Just relax. Spooky, continue gathering info. Get comfortable, Moes, as I’m going to be a while. I’ll probably read a book or two,” Joe said. Keeping a tight grip on his towel, Joe left the frowning halfling to be interrogated.
Making his way back to his shower, Joe rinsed his hair, then got the rest of himself washed clean. As he stepped out of the shower and dried off, he found a black bath robe. He saw a silver light at the edge of his vision. As he tied the robe closed, he clicked on the message.
Daily Quest Completion
You have discovered and completed the daily quest, ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness.’ While the waterfall flowed over you, the grime and worries of life lessened. For the next 24 hours, your natural scent is reduced by 95%. Also, your ability in dealing with stress increased 25%. Experience received: 200 for discovery and 100 for completion.
Joe laughed at that. His first completed quest was a shower. In his soft comfortable robe, Joe pulled out his book and began learning some useful information. Some of the information was simple geographical characteristics of the Moon. Much of what he read was on the races and cultures of people who inhabited the land. Realizing he had read for perhaps too long, he stood and received another quest completion message with 300 xp. Would he complete quests for every part of his daily routine? Then, as he thought about it, he realized it might be that simple. Joe looked for a place to do all the hygiene type tasks he could think of and found a round basin with a mirror. In a conveniently located cabinet, he found all the hygiene and style tools he might need. Joe shaved and brushed his teeth and hair. This discovered and completed two more daily quests netting 600 more xp.
You're Not Allowed to Die (The Twenty-Sided Eye Series Book 1) Page 8