“What ya doing?” the gnome asked while looking up at me. “Oh, what were the other orbs? I got distracted back there.”
“Going to pile the dead boars over the bear in the back of the wagon. If anyone looks they will see dead random boars and not a prized body. As for orbs: a second mount, familiar square that was a single tiny boat, a bear roaring, and a sharp edge of a blade.”
The gnome grinned and clapped. “Nice. The boat is nothing special and at the same time desired by many. Not as nice as a cabin but much more reasonable to buy and therefore should sell quickly. I think if it was blue it could turn into a rowboat for eight with time. The roar is an area taunt. If it was blue probably worth using if you are going to buy tank gear. The sharpening blade is more for a smith and eats a lot of mana to use. Or if you do start a faction and hire a smith a must have essential. No idea on those prices besides the boat. Don’t judge me but I went to the store every week for years staring at this cabin on a shelf. Every week. It sat there for so long Jerrie sold it to me at cost to make room. There was a whole boat section that would give me pause. A dingy like that should fetch a few durca coins at least. The boss had a really good drop. Then again he roamed these woods for decades and rumor has stubborn notorious bosses give more. At least that is how it goes around the communal fire pits.”
“You think we have enough to slot up each of us with full rotations and gear?”
“With familiars no. With rare or below orbs probably. Gear is a whole other system. I wear robes for a reason. They are cheap, easy to replace, and have a slight mana regen boost,” Barq said and I grinned.
“Some yummy robes for the ladies!” I declared to light laughter. “Or some bikini armor with shields. Yes!!! Bikini armor… Ah. I am excited to get back into a city. Let us walk back to the other boar carcasses and I can power lift them.”
There was a light side chatter the whole walk back. The hand cart became angry when I loaded the final war boar on it but thankfully the wood held. We shifted all the hay to the front of the wagon and Barq removed Nicole’s boot. She nestled in the straw and I saw additional lower leg generate before she passed out. She would have a foot by tomorrow with the increased levels. I placed the bear in the wagon first against the wall and stacked boars on top of him. Mysti went up high in her perch. Barq and Zoey attached the cart and the three of us squeezed onto the driver’s bench when it was time to go.
“What is the timer on your water spell?” I asked and he pulled the orb out of his robe.
“Fourteen hours still. Why?”
“I want to get the blood off. I would rather not stop if we are racing for the city.”
The gnome replied by snapping the reins and adjusting to find a comfortable groove. I pulled my container off my back and saw I was down to three javelins left. I embedded them in the seat point down between Zoey and Barq. There was a good spot to secure the spear at our feet so I stuck it down there. Nicole was asleep with my sword so I got as comfy as I could to prepare for a nap. If bandits might be a problem I had three wooden sticks of death to hurl. I smiled at feeling prepared and closed my eyes for some rest.
∞∞∞
That day of riding was calm. We passed the inn without issue and no one sent a signal ahead or anything. The horses were happy to get away from where they were ambushed and once we got going they found a rhythm. By the middle of the night, I was on the reins and Barq was asleep in the back. Mysti was down with Zoey snuggled up beside the drooling gnome. That left Nicole and I awake driving as the four moons cast their reflected light.
“I have half a foot now. The extra mana and leveled self-heal are great,” Nicole said while rotating a partial foot for me. “I could probably finish the healing but I do not want to leave you alone.”
I smiled but stayed quiet. I was trying to be hyper-vigilant. After the werewolf ambush, I was on edge at night while in the woods. There were a few hoots from what I assumed was an owl. I saw a big spider we raced past and few night birds cast moon shadows while they flew overhead. The amount of moonlight made it easy to see and the road had been clear ahead of us the entire night. The air noticeably cooled with the darkness and I saw Nicole rub her cold exposed leg. The forest started to die off and transition between fields and then more woods. The tree density certainly was thinning giving me hope we were making great time.
“Thanks for keeping me company. In one of the bags, there are pants. Watch the wheel,” I said but she took the initiative and climbed up top the wagon to drop down. A few minutes later she returned wearing tan pants and a sock over her partial foot. “I am glad that is coming to an end.”
“Thank the retreating four right? Gryff!” Nicole hissed urgently and I jerked on the reins to slow the horses. “Two… somethings are blocking the road. They are far in the distance and hard to make out.”
“What is it?” Zoey questions groggily from the sudden jerk of the wagon.
“Everyone up. Prepare for combat!” I said forcefully while still keeping my tone down. My human eyes could not see whatever Nicole saw. I could hear Mysti, Barq, and Zoey rushing to get ready. “Have they moved?”
“Still stationary,” Nicole hissed.
“Good, giving us time. I am coming up and am ready with my bow,” Mysti said and I heard her climbing onto the roof. There was muttering and the sound of Zoey, then Barq being hoisted echoed across the night. “Not so loud.”
“Too late here they come. I can see clearly now. Horses with riders.” Nicole said while I readied a javelin. “Barq, thoughts?”
“King Erin allows no checks or stops at night for this exact reason. If approached you can legally defend yourself and your interests.” Barq said as he yawned himself awake. “Do I have time to piss?”
“Yup, they are moving slowly,” Zoey said as she positioned herself beside me.
The sound of urine splashing to the ground broke the silence. The spurting end of Barq’s pee was drowned out when Mysti shouted.
“We’re being flanked! Charge forward!”
I smashed the reins and forward we went. So much for avoiding bandits. We surged ahead and I saw the flanking horses for the first time. Mysti was arching arrows into the night that were soaring out of sight. A cry pierced the air over the sound of thundering hooves. The two mounted bandits in front of us charge with lances dropped. Wait…
“We are being charged by knights. Expect the unexpected!” I bellowed.
There was still a thousand feet between us but it was closing fast. If our horse or horses were injured we would be stuck fighting on poor terms. I pried a javelin out of the bench and watched my targets. Their lances were tucked in tight while riding completely straight. I don’t think they were concerned about arrows. Time to prove my theory.
We neared four hundred feet and closing fast. I lined up my shot, poured mana into my physical superiority orb and unleashed the javelin. The cracking boom sounded and both lancers diverted from their charge. My javelin was too fast and my target was too slow. The knight on the back of the horse was lifted off his mount from the impact and my shattered javelin erupted out of his back in a spray of red. The other horse darted into the trees before I could get a lock on them to throw. We rode by the dead body and the screaming ranting of a man in the woods. He glared daggers our way and I saw arrows ping off a shield he had that Mysti tried to get arrows through. I waited and watched behind us. Sure enough nine horses flowed onto the road.
They started to follow us. A thousand feet - closed to eight hundred - and then six hundred. I waited patiently and decided to see what that guy was worth. Damn. I was level fifty-two now. That would lead to some questions later. When they were four hundred yards and clumped I pretended to throw. They scattered and fell back. There. I picked out the one who ordered them back into formation. I let them recover the distance and faked again but yelled boom. Again they scattered and the same horsemen ordered another charge. When they were three hundred yards I spun Mysti in her ch
air as she rained arrows.
“Hold onto me, babe. My… Our lives depend on it,” I said and her hazel eyes peered up to mine in a perplexed expression.
I straddled her and she clasped onto me. When they were a dozen yards away and arrows whizzed by me I knew the timing was perfect.
I summoned Kor right on top of the boss and bandit friends.
“Kill!” I commanded to my friend
The hydra came into fruition with a vengeance. Four horsemen went splat in a moment and three heads yanked riders off horses. The last two horses thundered on and I passed out moments later.
CHAPTER 6
I awoke on a soft couch and managed to not gasp in shock when the Manipulator fishy alien was staring at me from a few feet away. There was a surprise when the others in my group were seated beside me. They sat with hands folded neatly in their laps and were creepily still as if they were waiting patiently instead of being frozen in place. I sighed and stood for a stretch. There was a bottle of whiskey on an end table I walked for.
The Manipulator was in a fancy black robe and he eyed me intently as I left my comfy spot. A clink sounded as I removed the glass stopper and swirled a large helping of whiskey into my cup. I gave him a salute with the glass in my hand and he gave a wicked toothy grin.
“Good to see you, Manipulator. Hey, so we kind of had a rushed meeting last time. Is there a name you would prefer?” I asked while sipping the whiskey; the brown liquid was divine. I snapped some fingers in front of Nicole’s face and she stayed staring forward with a blank glare. “Interesting.”
“Yes, they are here for you to see they are safe and secure, but they are not allowed to be graced with my presence. I like to go by James when not at work.” The fish alien said and I raised my eyebrows as I sipped the whiskey. To each their own. “The werewolves you encountered were a cheat. As were the Justicars you fought and defeated not far outside of Aeva. You are here for two reasons. I am moving you to a new world without any trace or comment to my assistants or other managers. Be wise in this Gryff. Use new names in public and say nothing of Yariw.”
I downed the whiskey in a single swig. Well, shit. That explained a lot.
“I see your frustration. We managers send reports out. I included that you arrived here and the result was another manager god told some leadership in the Justicar faction. You ran into one of the weaker guarding forces. I scoured the land after your battle. They had sent many teams out in a wide net. Bonwe is gone. As in, the village was torched to get to you. Only the fact that the Justicar own Barry and he is producing children allowed him to survive his interrogation. In short, Yariw is no longer safe and someone is trying to foil my third faction concept.”
A glance at my wrist and a wish for my level came up empty.
“I am not in the master verse am I?” I asked and James the aquatic creature nodded. “Hey, what do you call the master verse? Not others. What do you call it?
“The gaming verse,” James replied and I nodded in understanding.
“Did I reach level one hundred?”
“You did, what would you like to send home and who would you like to receive it?” He asked.
“Can I get a box and fill it full of stuff or only one item? Also, I never got a chance to buy anything. That was my plan in Aeva,” I muttered grumpily.
“That’s a fair point. I am an actual god Gryff. You cannot kill me and I can control a universe, an actual god. I am not a highly elevated being with trinket powers. Tell me what you want and I can will it here.” I did not think James could eye roll but he certainly became animated as he talked down to me. “One item. No box the size of a planet stuffed with junk.”
“There is an immortality potion. I want it wrapped in paper I can write on and ten minutes to pen a note.”
A bottle wrapped in a brown paper suddenly was on the table. Woah. Then a pen appeared beside it.
“Okay James. I like you a smidge more than before. Thank you for keeping your promise,” I said and then scribbled a love note on the side of the bottle.
Dear family friend and griffins.
The amount I miss you is so great it hurts. I am gifting you a potion of immortality. Find out how to convert it to our magic. The master verse is different. I wish I could explain it on this bottle… I love you and stay safe. I will be home as soon as I can.
Love Gryff.
“When do I get to visit you next?” I asked shifting my focus from the bottle. “And when I do win, I can take more than myself back... right?”
“You will see me next when you have a third faction that is equal to or more powerful than the other two factions. I see you flaring in anger. Hold on.” James waved a webbed hand wildly and a second aquatic replica of James appeared. “This is Aricindivar, we all can’t have an awesome name.”
They gave an odd watery laugh that creeped me out.
“Hi Aricindivar, how can I help you?” I asked and the alien walked over to my scribble on the bottle.
“I run Prox. On a vacation now! Hurry!” the fish person said excitedly and this time there was an eye roll from James. Aricindivar swigged some whiskey, gave a ‘whoa’ exclamation, and then used his robe to wipe his lips. “Thanks for cutting me off from the web of universes. Anyway, I am dragging this bottle back for you. Not sure how much James has said but we managers are allowed pure control over our universes. So James cannot come into my universe and start tweaking things. Well someone did that to James and they did it to stop you. Originally he asked me to set up a lot of meetings between you and your family to motivate you to get home. Instead, he has to keep you away until you achieve your goal.”
“The bottle goes to Empress Amber, she is still alive and in charge?” I asked and Aricindivar nodded. I let out a happy sigh. “If there is an active manager working against me I understand the caution.”
“Perfect. I am going to slow time in Prox. Ten to one slow in a universal comparison. One day back home is ten days here. You freeing Prox of the web of universes allows this. This way you can know if you work hard and utilize your time here wisely, your kids will stop sprouting so quickly. Clever idea this one was,” Aricindivar said while pointing to the bottle. “Those damn griffins will figure it out and you will unleash a new kind of population explosion. The scales of balance will find more equilibrium so I am grateful this is what you selected to send home.”
Aricindivar waved and then vanished with the bottle and my note. Shit. I had more space left to add to it, along with a thousand questions. I went to the whiskey tumbler and poured a sad whiskey neat. Then a second glass for those not here. I poured both out, not in disrespect of my host; in honor of those who could not drink with me. The liquid never hit the ground and the tumbler refilled. Truly a god.
“Thank you,” I said with a sad smile and meant it. I went and sat between my friends back on the couch waiting to get transported away. “Is there more?”
“Yes, I cannot give you fancy items to replace the gear you should be looting on Yariw. When the gnome wakes tell him the wagon was delivered safely with the bear boss body still in it. You have an account with the supreme bank of the creator. The marker for it is in her vest pocket,” James said while pointing at Misty’s bust. “Yup you remind me of me a hundred billion years ago. So eager to make babies. There is fair market trade value for the loot you would have received plus a little bonus for this inconvenience. Nothing too drastic but still significant. Your levels from the victory carried over.”
“Where are we going and what do I tell them? Barq has a wonderful family, could you send him home?”
“No to Barq. A Justicar already followed the trail to his home and learned he had not been there in years. The torture was brief and none died. Tell them all the truth, just do not mention the truth where others can hear. You will arrive in a city bigger than Aeva that you can blend into. Conceal your identity and be careful. This is your free start. You will not get another. Goodbye, and see you
at the finish line.”
∞∞∞
I suddenly was standing in a park with Mysti, Zoey, Nicole, and Barq. They started to panic when the sun here had a bluish tint and there were no moons or planets in the skyline.
“No one panic. There is a nice bench over here. Follow me and I will fill you in,” I said as I led us to an empty bench used to view a lake.
There were humans, cyclops, orcs, dwarves, and a few sprinklings of other aliens watching children play on the swings or go down slides. I saw mostly smiling faces and a few weapons. Everyone seemed very relaxed and having a good time. When we reached the bench that was not far away, I had everyone sit. We faced a lake with swans that were triple the normal size and a few four armed frog-headed aliens were fishing.
“I am Red. You will call me Red in public. Is that understood?” I said while I faced them and they nodded. “We are somewhere else. We will use the cover that our portal went to the wrong world. The truth is, someone found out where I was and sent the werewolves. They sent a lot more than some additional roaming bosses. I was told we were ambushed by a weak squad of Justicars. As in the top faction trying to eliminate me. Yup, that means we should not talk about it here. Sorry Barq, you are with us for now. Even if we sent you home you might wind up dead or worse.”
I saw him gulp and panic. “My family.”
“I do have news your family passed interrogation and are all alive. You should visit home more often. In this case, it helped that you did not. Those who were questioned before Bonwe was cleansed probably confirmed what your family said.”
“Cleansed?” Nicole asked knowing the answer.
I nodded and a somber sadness enveloped my team.
“Mysti there should be a token… trinket… he called it a marker in your plump rockets. Find it please,” I said and she patted her tits. She reached into her vest and removed the marker. She gave me a hazel-eyed seductive wink as she handed the black chip the size of a coin to me. “Okay time to find out where we are and where a bank is.”
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