by Eric Ugland
“If you have a family,” I asked, “why adopt me?”
“I am the last of my line,” he said with more than a bit of sadness in his voice. “The only family I thought I would have were my soldiers. I promised them a place to bring their families. A place where there will be peace to raise good people. I thought I had more time to make all of this happen, but I fear my life will end soon. The Emperor’s brush with death is known, and his enemies are circling. It is only a matter of time before—”
“I get it, but I just don’t see how I fit in.”
“May I try to explain, sir?” Nikolai asked Cleeve.
Cleeve waved his hand. He took a moment to drink his ale before offering the table to Nikolai.
“Look, fool,” Nikolai said, “there are only three things you need to understand. One, we need to get the land claimed as a dukedom before Cleeve and the Emperor die. Two, there needs to be a legal heir to the dukedom before Cleeve dies, or the next onto the throne will just appoint someone else. Three, the duke must be strong. Strong enough to withstand the political ambitions of the other nobles in the realm, but also the outside world. He must be a beacon that will bring good people to his hold, be fair, and just. He must be a terrible combination of things that you most definitely are not, but that you must become. For this to be a place worth having, we must have a leader who is stronger than anyone else in the Empire.”
I frowned, tapping the table with my fingers. This didn’t feel right. Why would Cleeve and Nikolai want to do this? What would they gain? And for that matter, what was I going to gain? A title? Land? A ridiculous amount of responsibility?
“Guys,” I said, “I’ve always been more of a follower—”
“And how has that worked out for you?” Cleeve asked.
I must have looked shocked, because the man seemed to know he’d struck a nerve.
“I take it there was a reason you left your world for ours. But I feel there is a strength in you. You have already shown, more than once, that you will put others before yourself. Ultimately, I will not force you into this; it must be a choice you make. But I know you will excel and make our world a better place.”
As I mulled over everything, I took my time with a long drink, enjoying the bubbly beer. Even if it was warm, it’d been a rarity in the Empire of Glaton. I opened my mouth to say something, but there was a knock at the door.
Owen stuck his head in the door. “The mayor is here for you two.” He nodded, then ducked back out.
“The time for a decision has come, my friend. What say you?”
“I’ll do it,” I said, “but Nik has to agree to be my advisor.”
Cleeve smiled.
“And be nice about it,” I added, also smiling.
Nikolai did not smile.
Chapter 53
Cleeve went off to do whatever it was he needed in order to formally adopt me and make me his heir. Nikolai took me back out into the tavern to talk to the mayor, a gnome named Nout Deuzemann. He was busy holding court, standing on a stool, talking about the danger the town had faced and overcome. His hair fell in golden ringlets around his jolly, round face, and he wore a velvet suit in the medieval style, with frilly sleeves and plenty of accent lace. He looked like a drunk cupid, minus the wings.
“And these are our heroes of the day?” Nout asked, sweeping his slightly watery eyes over to us. “I hope so — they are delicious.”
I gave a half-hearted smile and wave. Nikolai shuffled slightly so he was hidden behind my bulk, and then shoved me forward.
“The town of Saumiers is so appreciative for the bravery shown. We have been under the heel of those bandits for months now. They have ruined our trade and violated our homes.”
Nout reached a hand out and someone who seemed like his lackey put a heavy pouch into it.
“In honor of your great deeds for the town—” Nout said.
“And because a reward was promised,” Owen interrupted.
Nout shot the barkeep a dirty look, but kept going, “A reward. Forty crowns.” He proffered the bag towards me. As soon as I took it, he grabbed my wrist and raised our arms up together. “The heroes!”
The crowd cheered halfheartedly. Apparently Nout didn’t exactly have the townsfolk behind him.
He held my hand up for what felt like a full minute. It was remarkably awkward. Finally, Nout dropped my arm, hopped off the stool, and stomped out.
I opened the bag and peeked inside.
Gold coins, as promised.
I leaned against the bar. “How much to buy a round?”
Chapter 54
Apparently just a single gold. Not too bad. I was happy to share the wealth, so I bought two rounds for everyone.
Before I could even take a sip, I was led back to Cleeve. So much for being a leader.
He had a piece of parchment on the table held down by coins at each corner. On the edge of the table, a strongly-scented candle with a blue and red ribbon tied around it burned brightly.
“Uh,” I said, “this looks an awful lot like some weird ceremony.”
“It is a ritual,” Cleeve said, “and I cannot say how bizarre it might seem to you. ’Tis quite ordinary for us.”
Cleeve had me strip down to my underwear and sit. Then he did the same, sitting opposite me. The two of us sat there, mostly nude, fully awkward. For an older dude, Cleeve had some serious muscle, and more than a few scars. He’d lived his life in the jaws of danger, and only barely survived to tell the tales.
He put his right hand on the parchment. He nodded at me, so I did the same. It felt warm. Like it was, I don’t know, alive somehow. Ew, or maybe it was skin. Discomfiting either way.
Nikolai, who stood just out of view off to the side, did something with his hands. A deep indigo light pushed out from the parchment for a heartbeat before it was sucked back in. Instinctively, I tried to pull my hand back, but it was held tight, stuck or something.
“What the—”
“Hush,” Nikolai said sharply.
I felt a prick on my palm, and knew I was bleeding. I could feel the wetness, but it got pulled away quickly. The parchment was absorbing it.
A prompt in red letters appeared in my vision:
RECOGNIZE: The Elf-lord Benedict Coggeshall (aka Cleeve Dye) has offered to formally bring you into his family and recognize you as his heir. Do you accept?
Yes/No
I selected Yes.
A noise rang out, something like a gong. But given the manner in which it sounded, I’m guessing it was only in my head. Or maybe my head plus Cleeve’s.
The parchment began to fill with red lines, intricate filigree spreading out from our hands. Letters formed as the lines met, almost like someone had pre-written everything and we were merely providing the ink. Faster and faster, the lines spread across the document until there was a bright purple flash. It was done.
Then Cleeve’s upper body seemed to fill with tattoos. Marks popped up everywhere. I was about to ask if they were Indicium, but then I recognized the Legion mark on his shoulder, what he had shown when I’d asked. So I kind of assumed they were all different Indicium.
A burning, itching pain spread over my right pec. I looked down, peering through my beard, and saw black lines spreading across me, connecting to form a symbol on my chest. It was very much like a creature, but one I wasn’t particularly familiar with. A bit like a wolverine, but with more teeth and a longer neck. Let’s just say it looked badass. Fierce. The lines were dark and clear and perfect, more so than any tattoo I’d ever seen.
BOOM. You’ve been granted the incomplete Indicium: Coggeshall Heraldic Achievement. This Indicium is only available to the direct line descendants of the Coggeshall dynasty. You are granted permission to enter family buildings, granted permission to access family funds, and granted permission to use the family name. Note: The other bonuses of this Indicium are locked until the Heraldic Achievement is complete.
RECOGNIZE: The Elf-Lord Benedict Coggeshall has formally des
ignated Montana as his heir and a member of the Coggeshall Dynasty. Know this: you are formally known as Montana Coggeshall. Know this: you are the final link in the Coggeshall Dynasty chain. If you perish before you designate an heir, the Coggeshall line and dynasty will end with you. All assets of the dynasty and all honorifics of the dynasty will revert to the land itself.
The parchment shoved me away, and I looked at my hand. There were a few small cuts on my palm, but as I watched, they healed over.
Blue flames roiled over the parchment, melting the candle and the coins. Somehow, the ribbons stayed whole. The way the blood spread over the entire parchment, and seemed to soak into it was both amazing and disturbing. The ribbons and coins disappeared into the document for a moment before popping out the bottom, hanging on as if the parchment was a papal bull; it was as if the document had sucked the ribbons and medals and coins into itself so it could rearrange everything perfectly. It looked pretty damn cool. Everything was still for a moment. Finally, the parchment rolled itself up and sat there.
Nikolai grabbed the document, slipped it into a tube, and disappeared it onto his person.
Cleeve, or Benedict Coggeshall, extended his hand across the table. We clasped wrists.
“Welcome to the family, son,” he said with a wink and a smile on the last word.
Chapter 55
Cleeve said he had business to take care of, but I couldn’t imagine it had to do with the adoption and the parchment, because Nikolai never passed the tube over. Before he left, my new dad basically ordered me to get some sleep. We’d be heading off at dawn, westward bound. It made me wonder what kind of a boat we might take. I was hoping for a setup where I’d be able to laze about during the sunny portion of the day, and fish during the remainder.
Nikolai guided me outside through a back door, and we emerged near the stable. Darius was talking softly to the horses. We waved, he waved, then he walked away. Nikolai did a sweep of the barn and came back over to me.
“You have passed fifth level and tenth level today, yes?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
“So your first Choice is upon you. In a sense, your first Choice was stolen from you, but your actual first Choice is nigh.”
“Choice,” I said.
“Right now you are a Level 10 Nothing, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“That is because you have yet to make a Choice.”
“What’s a Choice, man?”
“The Choice details who you are, in a vocational sense and in a life sense.”
“So I could be a baker.”
“I doubt your skills would allow it.”
“Dude.”
“The Gods will give you three to five options, and you must choose one. That becomes who you are for the next five levels.”
“What are you?”
“Not something you need concern yourself with. As you advance, you will find there are more specializations with greater advantages and disadvantages. Right now, I imagine they will be simple. You will likely be offered Warrior. Perhaps something else. You have mostly martial skills, but can cast magic, so that might be something that trips the Gods up, and you will have greater choices.”
“You cast magic too.”
“I do.”
“Can you—”
“No. Not now. Perhaps not ever.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”
“I can make a guess, and I know my answer. For the time being, do not cast any spells where anyone can see you, beyond myself. Do not call Cleeve his real name, and tell no one of the adoption. As far as the Choice goes, this first one is not crucial. Go where your heart tells you. But remember what your options were. When we speak tomorrow, tell me. We can tailor your training so that when you reach level 15, your options will better match what you need for the future. Was there anything else you needed to discuss with me, your nice mentor?”
“Ability points.”
“Yes,” he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at me. “It is odd, your ability scores are through the roof and your skills are not. You are going up very quickly, which could be very good, but I fear could wind up badly. We must tread lightly. And speaking of light treads, you move like a drunk ox. Put those points into agility.”
“All of them?”
“As much as you feel comfortable, but I would suggest most. You need speed. Anyone who sees you knows you are strong. They will try to best you with speed, and you must not let them.”
“Okay.”
“Good,” he replied. “I must get this to where it needs to go.” He held up the document tube, and twirled it around once for good measure.
I opened my mouth, and raised my hand half-way. Nikolai stopped moving, and sighed.
“What?” he asked. “Spit it out.”
“The Indicia I got—”
“The family heraldic achievement, I gather. What of it?”
“It says it’s incomplete.”
“Of course it does.”
“Okay, but why is it incomplete?”
“The Heraldic Achievement must be individual to every family member. You must do something worthy of being included in the lineage, whether good or bad, before the indicia will complete itself.”
“I thought I was included just by being, you know, his heir.”
“You are included in the family, but not yet in the lineage. To fully belong, you must do something of note for the Coggeshall dynasty. What that is, I do not know. I doubt Cleeve can tell you exactly what you need to do. But perhaps if you ask nicely, he will tell you his tale.”
Nikolai tapped the tube on his head in a mock salute, then walked off into town.
I stood there a moment, and then pulled up my ability scores. Nearby, a horse farted. Ah, the rural life.
Attributes
Strength: 55
Agility: 17
Dexterity: 19
Constitution: 52
Wisdom: 13
Intelligence: 13
Charisma: 19
Luck: 27
Unassigned points: 36
Agility. I wondered what the difference between Agility and Dexterity might be, and as I pondered that, a little window popped up and gave me the definitions.
Agility
Agility is the measure of one’s ability to move the limbs and body quickly. It has a direct effect on your movement speed and weapon speed, and, to a lesser degree, your stamina drain.
Dexterity
Dexterity is the measure of ones ability to perform tasks, especially with the hands. It has a direct effect on many skills, especially as they pertain to ranged weapons.
Neat. So yeah, agility seemed like a good place to dump some points. But everything?
I popped ten points into Agility.
One point into Charisma, just to get a nice round number.
Ten into Dexterity.
Twenty-one down, fifteen to go.
I was a bit stumped. Luck seemed like something I should try to up as much as I could. Almost nothing better than being lucky. But Intelligence was definitely lacking, and if I was supposed to be a leader, I’d need to be smart. Or did I need to be wise? Or likable? I felt like I needed everything.
Ten into wisdom. I needed to do better. Be better. And maybe wisdom would help me lead better. Finally, I put five into intelligence.
A confirmation prompt popped up, and I thought Yes. All of a sudden, I felt different. Poof. It was always a bit weird. I felt lighter on my feet, that I could move better. My feet seemed to know where to go. It was nice.
Attributes
Strength: 55
Agility: 27
Dexterity: 29
Constitution: 53
Wisdom: 23
Intelligence: 18
Charisma: 20
Luck: 27
Unassigned points: 0
I felt exhausted. It’d been a long day. I hadn’t slept, and even though it wasn’t dark out yet, all I want
ed to do was pass out.
Clearly, despite the fact that stamina no longer applied to me, fatigue still did. Sure, I couldn’t see a numerical value anywhere, but I noticed a small symbol off to the side denoting a fatigue debuff. I peeked into the tavern. It was still packed. I didn’t think I’d be able to handle anyone talking to me, whether it was about me being a hero or just me being me. So I went through the back door, crept upstairs, and slipped into my little room.
I took half a minute to chuck all my pouches and bags under the bed. Then I stripped down, washed myself off as best I could with the provided pitcher of water, and dropped into the bed.
Despite barely being able to fit in said bed, it was the most comfortable I’d ever been. I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking I’d just rest a second before doing some pre-sleep stretching. But of course, I was out.
Chapter 56
It felt like I’d slept exactly one heartbeat when I woke with a start. But I wasn’t in my bed. Nor my room.
A deep blue sky had taken the place of the inn’s ceiling. I was lying on my back, in grass, and there was the soft soothing sound of water lapping nearby while leaves rustled in a gentle breeze. I looked over to my right and saw a large oak with a massive crown, its longest branch dangling perfectly over azure waters.