by C. M. Carney
“She would have stabbed you in the brain,” Vonn said.
“Yeah, probably right,” Lex said, then muttered under his breath. “Woulda been worth it though.” He saw Gryph’s expression. “Anyway, I leveled up a bunch and then I got real depressed, so I gave up and let the Agent take me.”
“The Agent?” Grimliir asked with a sour pout on his face, evidently not a fan of Lex’s rambling story telling style.
“Yeah, some crazy badass chick sent by Aluran to find me.”
“To what end?” Tifala asked.
“To get to him,” Lex said, jabbing his goat laden fork at Gryph, before cramming the piece of meat into his mouth. “He is damn afraid of you buddy, and I got no idea why cuz the man is a complete badass. Like multiple skills at Master level.”
“How could you possibly know that?” Ovrym asked.
“Cuz I’m a Master of Analyze.” Lex said and paused, awaiting accolades. He got none. "What, you don't believe me?" He stared at Ovrym for a moment. “You are a xydai and an adjudicator. Not sure what either of those are, but you have some nice skills. And you’re level 38.” He turned to Vonn. “He’s higher level than you buddy.”
“It isn’t a competition,” Vonn said, easing a slice of apple into his mouth.
“Sure it is,” Lex countered and looked back at Ovrym. “You, my gray and grumpy friend are a badass. Glad you’re on our side.”
“It is rude to Analyze someone without their consent,” Ovrym said, a sharp tinge to his voice.
“Yeah, so I’m told.”
“Do you have any other Master level skills?” Gryph asked.
“Come on dude, do you have any idea how much grinding I had to do to get the one?”
“The solo kind, not the kind with the ladies,” Vonn said.
“Yes, exactly. Wait. Dammit.” Lex grumbled, realizing he’d made himself the butt of a joke.
“Okay, can we get back on topic,” Gryph said annoyed. “You met with Aluran?”
“Yeah, I got real down and out, so I let the Agent take me. Aluran claimed he wanted to train you how to use the …” He paused and looked around, suddenly realizing that Gryph’s Prime Godhead might not be common knowledge. “To … ummm … use your talents.”
Tifala and Ovrym looked from Gryph to Lex and then back to Gryph again. So far both the gnome and the xydai had kept his secret. Could Gryph risk widening the circle of those who knew? He turned back to Lex. “Hold that thought. There’s something I need to do so we can speak freely.”
He gazed upon every face seated at the Round Table. Some he called true friends, others he'd only just met. But, each one had tied their fate to his by agreeing to sit on this council, one that bound two kingdoms together. It could not be overstated, that everyone here was placing their lives, and the lives of their families and their people into the hands of all the other members. It was only fair that they had full knowledge of what they risked by allying themselves with him, but he required some assurances of his own. Gryph looked at Ovrym and Tifala, and both nodded in silent agreement.
He then stood and cleared his throat. “As all of you know, I am not from the Realms. I am a player, an outsider. Some of you rightly consider my kind invaders. After all it was a vast army of players who helped the Pantheon conquer the Realms. But I did not come to conquer. I came to your world with one, and only one goal. I came to save my sister.”
Gasps filled the chamber, and fearful looks exchanged. A dozen voices yammered, turning the Nexus into a buzzing hive. “Does he mean to abandon us already?” came one low voice. “We stood by ye, ye cannae leave us now,” came another.
“Let the man have his say,” Grimliir roared above the din, but even he sounded apprehensive. Gryph nodded and worked to set all their minds at ease.
“I did not come into the Realms to make friends. I did not come to the Realms to find a family. I did not come to the Realms to lay down roots, to take command of a city, to find a home. But all of these things have happened.”
A few nods of agreement appeared around the table.
“Now, with the return of this man,” Gryph pointed to Lex, “I am faced with a choice. Do I abandon this city when it needs me most to find my sister, or do I leave my sister to a horrible fate?”
Gryph met the eyes of every man and woman at the table.
“It is an impossible choice, and I do not believe in impossible choices and I will not choose what is easy over what is right. I will not abandon those who need me here, nor out there. I choose to rise above both choices and do both because I believe that we are stronger together than we are apart.”
The nods around the table grew in frequency and confidence.
“Dar Thoriim and Sylvan Aenor once fought side by side against a great evil and I believe to survive we will have to do so again. So, members of this Round Table, I propose that we form a bond between our two people, one stronger than the compact that bonded the Alliance against the Prime. I propose that we build a twin to this table in Sylvan Aenor and meet at least once a month, alternating between the two cities, to discuss matters that affect us all.”
Several cheers of agreement rose along with numerous fists smashing the stone of the table. Gryph stood and drew his dagger.
“I propose that the Regent Barrendiel and I, Gryph, the Stone Lord of Dar Thoriim, with the aid and council of every one of you, share rule of this new alliance. When I am absent, Barrendiel will be the final voice, and when Barrendiel is elsewhere, I will take that burden.”
Several nods and a few voices rose in agreement.
“Will you join me in a Binding Vow, a vow to hold faith with one another and with our two kingdoms? Will you vow to fight for one another against all that wish to do us harm?” He sliced open his palm and let the blood flow. “I vow to fight for all of you, at the cost of my life if that is asked of me. I vow to keep your secrets and your counsel. I vow that while I live hatred, bigotry and greed will have no place here, whether it be from a pretender to the throne or a false god.”
A silence hung over the Council as the blood dripped from Gryph’s closed palm onto the newly mined stone of the Round Table. The virgin stone drank in the blood like a parched desert absorbing water as if some unknowable magic was at play, subtly altering the color of the stone.
A dozen pairs of eyes went from one member to another. Gryph’s heart was beating so furiously he was sure that everyone in the Nexus could hear it. Moments stretched as Gryph grew ever more nervous.
“I will give my life to save yours,” Tifala said and stood. Her small frame exuding an otherworldly confidence. She gazed around at the others. “I will give my life for any of you. We can build something truly wondrous here. A place not crushed under the thumb of hatred and oppression. A people who do not prostrate themselves before false gods.” With that she summoned one of her shimmering life blades and sliced open her own palm. Drops of her blood splattered onto the table, and as it had with Gryph’s blood, the table drank the viscous liquid like a parched man drinks water.
The nods became cheers and Gryph watched as every member of his Round Table stood and made the vow, tinging the white stone of the Round Table red.
All Members of the Round Table have made a Binding Vow.
Vows are powerful promises enforced by the ancient magics of the Realms. Anyone who breaks a Binding Vow will incur horrific penalties.
The members of the Round Table (the Advisory Council of the twin cities of Dar Thoriim and Sylvan Aenor) have made a Binding Vow to fight for all, at the cost of their lives if it is necessary. They vow to keep the secrets and the counsel of the Round Table. They vow that while they live hatred and bigotry and greed will have no place whether they be from a pretender to the throne or a false god.
Gryph hung his head in relief, thankful for the security the Binding Vow brought him. After a moment he looked up at his gathered compatriots.
“Thank you for all agreeing. We are now brothers and sisters, bonded by blood and by purpos
e. Soon, I hope, these obligations will lead to true friendships.” Around the table voices rose in agreement and then went quiet as they sensed Gryph had more to say.
“A few of those gathered here already know what I am about to tell you. For those of you who do not, I am sorry for the shock it will cause you, and I ask that you give me the benefit of the doubt. Look to those who already know. Ask them what kind of man I am. Will you do me this favor?”
The members of the Round Table all either nodded or gave their verbal assent, but all of them, including Tifala, Ovrym and Lex, looked nervous.
“When I entered the Realms, I had something in my possession I could not understand. I knew nothing about this wondrous world. I could not understand what I had. My ignorance led to an ill thought out action, an action that nearly cost me my life, the life of my NPC and any chance of saving my sister. That decision was equipping a Prime Godhead while an avatar of the High God Aluran watched.”
19
Gryph let the gasps of shock and the drawing of arms proceed as they may. If the Round Table believed they were betrayed and wished to slay him, he would not fight.
Above the din a powerful voice rose, commanding all to pay heed. “Be calm friends,” Barrendiel roared and then turned to Gryph, his voice lowering in volume but not in intensity. “Are you saying you are one of the Pantheon?”
“No,” Gryph said, eyes taking the full brunt of Barrendiel’s stare. “I do not know why I have the Godhead.”
“I think I do,” came a voice with a twinge of nervousness. All eyes turned to Lex. He paused, as if searching for the right words. He took a few moments to organize his thoughts. That uncharacteristic consideration made Gryph’s stomach churn.
“Ever since Aluran zapped me, I’ve been having flashes of memories. Some are from back on Earth. Others were from my time here in the Realms.”
“What memories?” Gryph asked. “A crazy time loop aside, you’ve only been here a little over a week.”
“I think it was Brynn.”
“Brynn?” Gryph said.
“And this guy Sean, who may or may not have been her boyfriend. I mean he totally wanted her, but she didn’t seem interested in him that way, but she is a modern girl so maybe it was just a friend with benefits kinda thing.”
“Lex!”
“Sorry,” Lex said grinning up at Gryph. “Lemme try to explain. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m not a normal banner, nor just a simple NPC.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I’m originally from the Realms and apparently I was once some kinda artifact called a Lexicon, hence the name Lex.”
Gasps of shock flowed around the Round Table, leaving Gryph out of the loop.
“A Lexicon!” Grimliir said in amazement. “Ye belonged tae one of the Old Gods?”
In the short time Gryph had known the Thalmiir artificer he had never seen such a look of shock and admiration.
“Yeah, I once belonged to some bloke named Cerrunos. Apparently he was some kinda god way back in the day, but the bastard up and died on me.”
Mumbles of shock pulsed around the table again.
“The Murdered God,” Gartheniel, the Steward, said in surprise and horror. “You are the Lexicon of Cerrunos? Legend states it was the greatest repository of knowledge the Realms has ever known.”
“That can’t be right,” Lex muttered, scratching his beard idly. “Though they told me I was special. And murdered? Now I feel kinda bad for calling him a bastard.”
“Even where I am from, we have heard tales of the Lexicon of Cerrunos,” Ovrym said and looked at Gryph. “If this is true, then he will be coveted as zealously as you and your Prime Godhead.”
“See, I’m wanted. Guess I am special,” Lex said.
“If the wrong people got their hands on you, they'll slaughter and dissect you,” Gartheniel said. “If you’re lucky, they’ll kill you then dissect you. Some would do it in the opposite order.”
“I don’t think I like you very much,” Lex said, his voice teetering into the whiny end of the vocal spectrum.
“What does Brynn have to do with this?” Gryph asked, focusing the conversation once more.
“Right. She and Sean melded my banner AI on top of the Lexicon and then stole my memories. Ever since Aluran zapped me I get bits of random images like flashes of half remembered dreams.”
“Brynn asked me to come into the Realms to save her. If you have information on where she is, or where this Sean is, why would they bury those memories?” Gryph asked. “Seems counterproductive.”
“You got me, man.”
“Is there no way for you to access the information?” Barrendiel asked.
“What, you don’t think I’ve tried that?” Lex said, angry. Vonn rested a hand on his shoulder and Lex calmed. “Sorry, it just feels like a part of me has been carved out, but I imagine none of you can understand.” Silence hung heavy around the table.
"Actually we all do," Barrendiel said.
“Oh yeah, that whole ‘I’m gonna take over the world’ mind control thing your cousin did. Sorry. So yeah, guess you guys kinda do get how I feel.”
“Some more than others,” Tifala said, and all eyes fell on her. It was clear she was struggling to contain her emotions, that they hovered like an imminent storm, set to smother the room in pain and guilt.
Gryph scrambled to find something that would pull Tifala’s mind from her torment but knew nothing could. Am I a coward for hiding from her pain? He could not let himself dwell on it and turned to Ovrym. “Do you think you can access his memories?”
“I do not know, but I will attempt to, if Lex is willing?”
“Sure, why not, it’s only my brain.”
“Worth the risk in my book,” Vonn said.
“And in mine,” Ovrym said and walked up to Lex and placed his hands at his temples.
“You’re not all that quick on the uptake with the sarcasm are you?” Lex said and tensed like a man about to get a prostate exam.
“This will be easier for both of us if you relax,” Ovrym said.
“I’m relaxed man. Chillin’ like a villain.”
“Lex, you’re white knuckling the table,” Gryph said, drawing his NPC’s attention to his hands.
“Oh, right.” He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head back and forth like a star athlete prepping for the big game. “Ok, go.”
Ovrym closed his eyes, and a distortion built around Ovrym’s hands as he channeled mana through his body and transformed it into thought energy. For several moments nothing happened.
“Huh, that feels warm,” Lex said, eyes closed. Suddenly he began to spasm like a man in the throes of an epileptic seizure. Ovrym screamed and tried to pull his hands away to break the connection, but his muscles locked up as if Lex’s seized muscles were sending electrical surges into his own.
Gryph jumped to his feet just as smoke rose from the contact points between Ovrym’s hands and Lex’s head. The smell of charring flesh hit Gryph’s nose just as he grabbed Ovrym’s hands. He tugged with all his might, and after a moment the xydai’s hands snapped from Lex’s temples.
The NPC’s eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over backwards impacting the ground with a dull thud. Ovrym fell to one knee, but while he was in obvious pain, he spoke. “I am fine. Tend to Lex.”
Gryph rushed to Lex’s side and felt for a pulse. It was there, strong and steady and making perfect time with his even breathing. A moment later Tifala was there, the green glow of life magic flowing around her hands. She held Lex’s head gently and Gryph saw the sooty burn marks at Lex’s temples heal. Silence hung heavy. Gryph was about to ask the gnome if Lex was okay when the short Ordonian surged into a sitting position.
“What the hell was that?” Lex screamed.
“Failure,” Ovrym said, leaning back against the dais of the control table.
“Sure felt like it,” Lex grumbled, his fingers digging into his temples. “We are not doing that again.”
“I may have an idea,�
�� Eadweanna, the human scholar chirped up. All eyes went to the slight, wrinkled woman. “I encountered a Lexicon once, a minor one possessed by a mage’s guild known as the Foundation. It was a cache of secrets greater than any I have encountered, before or since. These secrets were powerful, deadly. To protect them the Foundation locked their Lexicon. Perhaps you are locked up as well.”
“I have felt a little bound up since arriving in the Realms,” Lex said, shifting uncomfortably.
“That’s probably your diet,” Vonn remarked. Lex glared at him.
“So we need a key?” Gryph asked, ignoring the foolishness.
“In a manner of speaking, Eadweanna said. “But not a physical key, for there is no physical lock.”
Gryph noticed Lex shift in his chair as he breathed a small sigh of relief. “Finally, a bit of good news.”
“If there be no key then how can we crack this fella open and get at what he knows?” Grimliir asked. Lex glared at Grimliir, but the Thalmiir paid him no heed.
“You must prove yourself worthy,” Eadweanna said.
“Well, we’re screwed then,” Lex said.
“Very likely,” Eadweanna said, with only the slightest bit of mirth in her voice.
“How do we prove ourselves worthy?” Gryph asked.
“A quest is the normal path,” Eadweanna said. “But, I’ve never seen a Lexicon like him, so it is hard to say.”
“You mean this handsome?” Lex asked.
“If you call waddling about and blathering like a fool handsome, then sure.” Eadweanna said in irritation, but then took a deep calming breath. “This Sean was right, if you are the Lexicon of Cerrunos then you are very special. Try to behave like it.”
What Gryph saw next both shocked him and nearly made him burst out in laughter.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lex said in a humble tone.
“Good, there may be hope for you yet,” Eadweanna said.