“Enough.” Crox said, and Skree let the blade fall from his ragged fingers. “Lady lizard?” he said loudly, and Priestess stopped chasing Training Dummy, knives clutched in her clawed hands. “How many times did you hit the dummy?”
“Seventeen.” she said proudly.
He nodded again. “I expect you to hit him thirty times tomorrow.”
“I will do my best.” She said, putting her knives away.
~~~~
Over the next few days, the process repeated. Each morning, Skree would attend training with Priestess and Master Crox, and in the evenings, he would check in with each of his chiefs. Mills told him about Ruby and how fast she was making progress on the ram. It was likely the half-orc smith would finish it early. Skree was glad to hear their plan was coming together.
Moultry had promised to bring his own guns, and the minute Skree laid his eyes on them, he understood why. Made of a blackened steel, each cannon was an elaborate work of art. The Boom Crew‘s artillery did not disappoint. The chief gunner told him who each cannon belonged to and what they had done to earn it. The chief gunner commissioned every cannon here himself. It was something Moultry did for the men and women who earned their place on his team.
Elaina and Old Greg usually came together. Elaina provided detailed reports on every piece of fruit being loaded into the hold, along with excruciatingly boring details of exactly how much each piece of fruit had cost to buy and have loaded onto the ship.
Old Greg, on the other hand, provided updates on course adjustments based on news from recently arrived ships, along with lively gossip from around Theseldora. Skree had not or did not need to hear about Roger the Scallywag and how he got a bad case of crotch rot. Still, he found Old Greg to be much more entertaining than Elaina, but he appreciated how professional she was. They were a strange pair, but he felt they would work well together.
It was a busy time, and he was glad for it. Each day he drew closer to his personal goals, and the Great Rift. He had asked around, looking for more information but it was all rumors and conjecture. The only thing he knew for certain was its appearance as a towering wall of silver liquid, that never rippled in the breeze or cast a reflection. He had only grown more convinced he needed to see this rift with his own eyes.
Things were picking up speed and if he had learned anything from his training, it was to let the momentum carry him onward.
Chapter 44
Skree’s chased after Crox, his great sword cutting in balanced, fast moving arcs.Even with how much he had improved, he could never touch the weapon master. He dodged each stroke with the graceful moves of a dancer, leapt out of the way like a cat and always deflected his attacks with casual boredom.
“You have improved much since coming here.” Croz said, easily stepping out of the way of a heavy overhead chop.
“I have not broken through yet.” Skree said, using his weight to turn the blade in a wide horizontal swing. “Still stuck at rank twenty, even though I have earned rank thirty five in great swords.” He spun, becoming a cyclone of steel and Crox ducked, dipped, dived and dodged, avoiding each as if moving through a gauntlet he had memorized years ago.
“Training takes as long as it takes.” Crox said, stepping closer and driving a shoulder into Skree’s chest. He plowed into the sand, weapon falling from his grasp. “You still haven't learned to protect yourself.”
Skree dug the blade free, shaking off the coarse grit. “Because you haven‘t shown me how.”
Crox walked over to him, glaring angrily. “Listen here lady, let me share something with you. There are only three things I am certain of. If someone gets to the sausage stand and doesn’t know what they want after waiting in line for ten minutes, they should allow me to kill them. Two, you shouldn‘t need me to teach you. The only way to earn respect as a fighter, as a man, is to be an island. You are born alone, you damn sure die alone, isn‘t that right dummy?” Crox said, and the dummy stopped running from Priestess long enough to give him a thumbs up before a dagger impaled the back of its head and it collapsed into the sand, eliciting a whoop from Priestess.
Skree glared back at him. “I came to you for instruction.” He paused, “And that was only two things.”
“What?” Crox snapped.
“You said there are only three things you know for certain and that was only two.” Skree said, replaying the rant in his head.
The weapon master’s eye twitched, and he continued, “The point is, and you need to get this through your thick head, only the weak need help. Now run the drills again while I go get something to eat.” Crox marched out of pit, disappearing into his private chambers. Skree picked up the blade and started his forms again.
“Skree?” came a familiar voice from behind him. He whirled to see Fenna standing on the rim of the pit, an elderly dwarf standing beside her.
“Fenna? What are you doing here?”
“Mills told me you were training with Crox so I came to see the old bastard, maybe spend an afternoon training with you” She patted the old dwarf on the back. “I ran into him on the way here and imagine my surprise when he told me he had no new students.”
Skree opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself. “You‘re Master Crox?” he asked, staring at the ancient-looking dwarf.
The master bowed politely. “I am young man. Do you wish to train with me?”
“But, I have been.” Skree said, sounding confused.
Fenna and Crox exchanged glances. “I can assure you that is not true. I have been in the Free City of Lamb for the last ten days.”
“But,” Skree began, eyes darting back and forth as a torrent of anger washed over him. “I have been coming here every day for training, for the last eight days.”
Crox smiled warmly. “Perhaps you hit your head again? Fenna explained your condition to me on the way here.”
“I haven‘t hit my head! Priestess!” Skree shouted, startling the kobold. She rushed over.
“Hello Captain Lis, it is a pleasure to see you again.” Priestess said with a smile.“Who is this?” she asked, looking at the gray-haired dwarf.
“Priestess, this man is supposedly Master Crox.” Skree explained, gesturing at the supposed master Crox.
She giggled. “No he isn’t, that‘s Master Crox.” she said, pointing behind them where the younger dwarf stood, holding a plate in one hand and a sandwich in the other. They all turned to stare at the younger dwarf, and he dropped the plate. His eyes went wide, and he ran for the door. Skree could only stare mutely as the figure sprinted into the distance.
“If you’re Master Crox, then who the hell is he?” Skree snarled, pointing at the fleeing figure.
Master Crox sighed. “That was the groundskeeper.”
“The what?”
“He maintains the shrubs and bushes around the school.” He smiled up at Fenna. “My, my, his condition is as bad as you say.”
She grinned. “I told you, fresh as a newborn babe.”
Skree took several deep and calming breaths. “I know what a groundskeeper is. What I don‘t know is why he pretended to be you.”
“He has always enjoyed a good practical joke.” Crox said with a chuckle. “I will speak with him. Now, would you like to begin your training today? As a favor to Fenna, I will even offer you a discount. Fifty gold pieces and you can begin today.”
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He had spent eight days training with one of the most skilled fighters he had ever seen and paid him fifty silvers to teach him, a full gold for the pair of them. Now the real Master Crox shows up from vacation and tell’s him he’s been learning to fight from the janitor?
“Fifty gold?” Skree asked, utterly shocked by the price. “And that’s with a discount?”
“Good trainers are hard to find Skree, and Master Crox is the best.” Fenna said.
“I can’t deal with this right now.” Skree said, storming out of the pit and into the bright sun of a Theseldora morning. He needed time to think.
If he had just wasted eight days of his life on this groundskeepers foolishness, he didn’t know what he might do. Each day he grew closer to departing Theseldora, and he needed these weapon skills to battle more powerful foes.
What a nightmare this was turning out to be. He found a bench along the path and flopped onto it. Replaying the events of the prior week in his head. If the groundskeeper was that good, how powerful would the real master be? Would it really be worth spending fifty gold to train with the real Crox? No, that seemed like a waste of money. During his training with the mysterious groundskeeper, he had earned ten ranks in great sword and learned how to fight with more skill than ever before.
Despite his fury at being fooled, he realized something important. During the first days of their training, he had known with absolute certainty that the false master was who he wanted to train with. That hadn‘t changed. He had to trust his gut and his gut told him to find the false master again. First he wanted answers, then he wanted to complete his training.
He picked himself up, heading for a particular spot Jury had once told him about. It was only a short walk from Theseldora and led to a cliff overlooking the sea. He found the path and followed it easily until he broke free of the jungle canopy and discovered the most stunning vista he had ever seen. Down and to the right was Theseldora, and the hundreds or thousands of people going about their daily lives while ahead of him, the sea stretched for miles to the horizon. He looked down and shuddered, recalling the time he tried to jump through the waterfall on the Blue Stone Island. It had ended poorly, and he did not want to relive that moment, so he took a step back from the edge.
He found a soft patch of grass and lay down, letting the sun’s warmth fill him with joy. This was the quietest it had been since his arrival in Theseldora and he basked in it. No one needed him for anything. He closed his eyes, just enjoying the silence. Before he knew it, he was waking up to sound of brushes rustling loudly, and roars of profanity.
He lept to his feet, pulling his great sword from his Nearly Bottomless Bag. He fell into the stance the fake Crox had taught him and waited for whoever was approaching. He nearly dropped his sword when the false master burst through the underbrush, leaves clinging to his beard.
“By the Archon’s woman, why are you so hard to find?” the dwarf said.
Skree dropped his stance, resting the flat of the blade on his shoulder. “What in the… how did you find me?”
The dwarf brushed off his clothing and strode forward. “I watched you disappear into the trees. Not a lot here, but damned if I don‘t always forget how to find this place.”
“But, there is a path that leads right to this spot.” Skree said, pointing at the opening in the brush that lead back to Theseldora.
Crox glanced in the direction he was pointing and shrugged. “My way is shorter.”
Skree scoffed. “Whatever. Why are you here? Ready to feed me more lies about who you are?” He asked, driving the point of his sword into the dirt.
“I was coming to apologize, but I am already regretting it.” The dwarf walked past him, taking a seat at the cliffs edge, feet dangling over the precipice. Skree wanted to strangle him, but he could tell something was bothering the weapon master.
“Are you going to tell me the truth? About who you are and why you lied?”
The dwarf patted the ground next to him, beckoning Skree to sit. He begrudgingly pulled his sword from the ground, stuffed it into his bag and took a seat at the edge. A few minutes of silence passed before the dwarf began his explanation.
“First, I want to be clear. I never once said I was Master Crox.” Skree interrupted, but the dwarf held up his hand. “I know, I didn‘t say I wasn’t, but I didn‘t lie to you. As you presumably heard, I‘m the groundskeeper. I have been for over twenty years.”
“But what is your name? And why did you pretend to be the weapon master?”
“My name is Bozgrael, but my father always called me Boz.” The dwarf sighed as if resigned to his fate. "Every day, I watched the master practice. I watched him teach countless students. Every night, after he went to sleep, I practiced what he taught, I mimicked his movements.”
He stopped talking, staring down at Theseldora and Crox’s school below. “For years, I trained by myself and when I felt ready, I approached him with a simple request. Help me unlock the profession of weapon master. He flew into a rage, and we fought, a battle for the ages let me tell you, but instead of acknowledging my skills and accepting my strength, he struck me down again and again until I couldn’t stand. Said I was a thief who stole my skills.”
Skree met his gaze and saw the sadness in his eyes. “Why did you stay?”
The dwarf hesitated, considering his answer. “I wanted to be close to him.”
“Because of his expertise?”
“No, because he is my grandfather.”
Skree‘s eyes shot open in surprise. He hadn’t noticed before, but the dwarf shared an unmistakable resemblance to the real Master Crox. Same nose, same blue eyes. “Why wouldn’t he train you?”
“Crox hates my father. My mother eloped, had me and died a few years later. Got sick with the pox back in the CK. I spent years trying to remember her, but I never could. When I finally asked my father about her, he told me the story of their flight from Theseldora. How their love was stronger than blood. He had asked Crox for his permission to marry her, and he forbade their union.”
“What an asshole.” Skree said, head shaking in frustration.
Boz nodded in agreement. “He was. Still is. But when my father died years later, I came here seeking the only other family I knew of.” He stroked his head, plucking a stubborn leaf from the coarse hair. He stared at it, then opened his fingers, letting the breeze lift it from his hand and carry it out over the sea. They watched it whirl in the wind, and it reminded Skree of a certain television show he loved dearly back on Earth.
“When I came to talk to him, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him who I was. I mean, he was so impressive and the stories my father told me painted this larger-than-life figure. A dwarf of talent, skilled and imposing fury. Instead, I asked him if he was seeking an assistant. He said I could be the groundskeeper, and I took his offer.”
“And you never told him? In twenty years you never told him?”
The dwarf‘s eye twitched, and he glared at Skree. “Haven‘t you heard a word I said? I tried to impress him with my skills, and he beat me senseless. He let me continue working there, without pay mind you, for a few years while I paid him back what I had stolen.” he said, putting stolen in air quotes. “What do you think he would say if he found out that his grounds keeper was really his disowned grandson? A grandson that has been living with him all these years?”
Skree inhaled slowly, considering the situation. Based on everything the dwarf had said about Crox he could imagine how poorly it might go. He knew how hard it might be to face the weapon master, to tell him the truth, but they would both be better off with it out in the open.
“I still think you should tell him. You can‘t live like this forever.” He placed a reassuring hand on Boz’s shoulder. “You need to rip off that bandage. Perhaps he will be glad to know you are his grandson.”
Boz chuckled. “You are an optimistic sort aren’t you.”
Skree shrugged. “I would rather live my life honestly than pretend to be someone I’m not.” he said.
“That‘s easy for you to say, you haven’t been living a lie. Unable to admit who you are out of fear and cowardice.”
A pang of shame filled him. What he said to Boz was true, but he was doing the same thing. Everyone of his friends, including Priestess and Sawbones thought he was just a guy with amnesia. He hated lying to everyone, but it was the best way to protect them. Sitting next to Boz who had spent two decades living a lie, he understood he needed to come clean to his friends. He wanted them to know the whole truth of who he was.
They would either accept him, or disown him, but either way, he cou
ld finally face them with a clear conscience. More than anything, he needed time. Time to prepare his story. After explaining it to Tyfane in her spirit world, she hadn’t seemed to care at all. But she was dead and had been for a long time, so perhaps that gave her a unique perspective. Maybe people in Raiya were just used to the impossible.
“Not as easy as you think Boz.” Skree said, leaning back and staring up at the sky. “We are both holding a secret, and if you‘re anything like me, it is eating you alive.”
Boz turned, his expression serious. “Whatever you‘re mother told you, I am not your father.”
Skree froze, staring at the dwarf. “What, no, you‘re not my dad.”
“Thank the Archons.” Boz said, his lips curling into a smile, before laughing like a maniac. He stood, dusting off his pants. “Now are you ready to finish you‘re training?”
“More than ever!” Skree said, pushing back from the ledge and clambered to his feet. He stuck a hand into his bag, preparing to draw out his great sword when Boz stopped him.
“You won‘t need that.” Boz extended a hand, resting it on Skree’s forehead.He gasped as a flood of prompts appeared in his vision.
Congratulations, you have completed novice training in Great Weapons. You may now earn ranks up to 40 in Great Weapons without further training. At rank 40, you will need to pursue training with a weapon master of at least master skill level. Reward: 15,000 experience.
Congratulations, you have completed adept training in Great Weapons. You may now earn ranks up to 60 in Great Weapons without further training. At rank 60, you will need to pursue training with a weapon master of at least master skill level. Reward: 25,000 experience.
Congratulations, you have completed novice training in Great Weapons. You have unlocked the fighting style Unstoppable Force. Activating the fighting style Unstoppable Force increases your movement and attack speed by 15 percent.
Congratulations, you have reached levels 20-38 in Great Weapons. All Great Weapon damage increased by 38 percent.
Raiya- Early Game Page 31