Gargrim opened his pack and pulled out a piece of dried sausage and some trail rations. Victor marveled at him for a moment his jaw just wide open as he quietly asked. “How? Do large stat gaps cause it to be that easier for you?”
Gargrim answered with a question of his own. “How long have you been adventuring?”
“This is day 2.” Victor answered.
Gargrim nearly choked. He finished swallowing and took a sip of his water. “Son, you’re not cut out for this. I came here and picked up a cool 500 gold artifact. The Golden Goddess church in the neighboring kingdom will pay for any Sphere of Undeath.” He held up a small slightly glowing green orb. “That skeletal mage was using it for an eye to let him raise other skeletons.” Victor held up his book and Swordie immediately pulled it up without anything being said.
Sphere of Undeath Rank 3
Rarity: Rare Item
Permanent Artifact
A deadly small green orb used to power necrotic magic. Each necrotic spell consumes some of this item’s power and mana in exchange for improving its rank. This recharges over time but recharges instantly when a creature is killed nearby this item. Can only be destroyed at a sanctified site of a good god or goddess by a devout worshiper of the god or goddess.
“I can see why a goddess wouldn’t want something that makes undead stronger going around but how could they have that much money just laying around?” Victor asked.
“The churches are loaded. People give them so much money freely for their faith so the churches in the cities are huge and always open.” Gargrim shrugged.
“What level are people typically in this country and the nearby one.” He asked.
Gargrim shook his head. “Why don’t you know this kind of thing?”
“I’m not from around here. I grew up in an area my curse prohibits me from talking about, but I don’t even know what questions to ask my book. His name is Swordie.” Victor held up Swordie still open.
“Hello, Gargrim. This is Victor my charge in this world.” Sprawled across the page Swordie added to little reaction from Gargrim. “He asks others questions he could ask me because he likes talking.”
“Right. Always with that.” Victor sighed wanting badly to shout. ‘No you idiot. I ask it because I want to use you to cross reference for differences between the perception of this world and the reality.’
Gargrim answered. “Generally speaking if there were 100 people in this country 40 or 45 of them would end up in tier 1, 20 or 25 in tier 2, 10 to 15 in tier 3, 5 to 10 in tier 4 and 5 or less in tier 5 and 6. Tier 7 to 9 would have nearly no one in it mostly nationally renown people. I don’t know enough about this country but to the north there are a few like Lightbringer Luke a holy warrior in Peria to the north where I am from.”
“What about tier 10?” Victor asked.
“I’ve heard stories that Deox the Destroyer, the gods, and the void lords are tier 10. Some even say they are tier 11. Other than them I’ve never heard of a person reaching tier 10. If they did and they stuck around they’d be able to level countries in a day, conquer the world in a week, and dominate other realms like heaven and hell in a month. I have no idea why people that powerful don’t just dominate everyone on the planet because they definitely could.” Gargrim added. “My turn for a question, for the book this time, Swordie are you intelligent or just producing knowledge he asks for?” He took a bite of his jerky.
“I am more intelligent than my holder.” Swordie pierced Victor once more.
“I should drop you.” Victor glared.
“Then I would be more intelligent than one of the living creatures within reach of me. I refuse to say which one.” Swordie added.
Gargrim slapped his leg. “I like this book. Why is his name Swordie?”
“My preferred form is a shifting sword. However I will not be able to return to that form for a long time. While I do not approve of everything my holder does, I do approve of his mindset, mostly, typically, when he’s not being manipulated.” Swordie attempted to write out the last part but the last two words appeared to be massively distorted to Gargrim.
“What is going on there? I can’t read the end of it.” Gargrim pointed.
“Apologies, I am unable to explain due to interference from an incompetent abomination far that for the moment exceeds my ability.” Swordie added.
“Ah that does make sense.” Gargrim nodded. “I don’t need to know too much about curses so I’ll leave it be.”
“Do most Artifact Hunters travel alone?” Victor asked.
“No.” Gargrim got quite.
“Why are you alone?” He asked.
Gargrim chewed his jerky a bit and paused before taking another bite and remaining silent for a long time. “Most groups don’t accept what I hate. They call it disruptive even though it’s the right way to adventure.”
“You said secrets, immortals, and I think doors right? I don’t really understand it but is that disruptive?” Victor asked.
“Elves are common adventurers, though they often hide their true intention with illusion. Most people refuse to divulge their secrets to adventurers they may only adventure with once or twice. Doors, especially wooden doors…” Gargrim sighed. “When I was a child about 30 years ago now, I was in a dwarven school. In this school we learned many great dwarven traditions in addition to basic math and other subjects. It was a good school carved into the side of the mountain cave. The doors were made of wood as so many other doors in this world are. It is cheap material it closes the opening it seems to make sense.” Gargrim paused as his voice started to shake. “In the middle of the day, creatures attacked the city. I learned later that demons had attacked the city. Demons are naturally immortal and live until they are killed. Those demons easily smashed through the wooden doors of the school and ripped children limb from limb. At the time I hid in a suit of display armor for a game of hide and seek facing the front door. I can still hear the screams of my classmates when I go to sleep.”
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“God…” Victor drifted off.
Still a little choked up Gargrim nodded at Victor. “It was actually worse than you expected because one of the things that stood out to me was the absolute chasm between what happened to some houses. Those with wooden doors had a home painted red. A mage’s home had rune’s carved into a stone door and had no damage what so ever. Rich people had steel doors and while I did see one broken the other steel doors merely had claw marks as though the demons didn’t care enough to enter or that they couldn’t. When I reached the lowest part of the city where the castle sat the steel had broken but it appeared that it took a very long time with multiple siege weapons setup. Those wooden doors killed thousands of dwarves. If a door doesn’t protect you from something outside it or keep something in the door is pointless. It exists for nothing but secrets.”
“So they all died because the city bought cheap doors? That’s terrible.” Victor shook his head.
Gargrim took a deep breath clearly trying to avoid tears. “It’s gets worse. I petitioned the king immediately that same day in front of his court and yet the king disagreed saying I was a child and didn’t understand anything. I made some foolish statements and hung my head as the king banished me from the kingdom after I told him the prince would still be alive if it weren’t for that. It enraged him and perhaps I did go too far. I’ve not been back to the Goholt kingdom since then.” Gargrim wiped his face. “I am sorry for getting emotional.” He paused. “Also 50 wooden door mimics later you learn paranoia.”
“It’s okay.” Victor nodded. “Thank you for sharing.”
“I’ve accepted I will die far from home, likely in some dungeon completely alone but I will not compromise.” He nodded. “That will be a long time from now though so don’t worry those bandits are dead as soon as she wakes up we can go.”
“Uhg… my head always feels so light after doing that. “Serena rubbed her head.”
“She’s awake. Let’s get walking.” Gargrim stood up.
Victor helped Serena hobble to her feet. The three of them started walking away as Cawthorn screeched returning to Victor’s shoulder. “FOOL YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE ME!”
“I wasn’t escaping. I thought you were done with me. You got what you wanted.” Victor looked at Cawthorn.
“FOOL I SHALL BE YOUR FAMILIAR SOON!” Cawthorn proclaimed with his wings spread out.
“Familiar?” Victor pulled out Swordie.
Familiar Rank 1
Rarity: Uncommon
Requirements: 10 Mana, Cost 5 stat points
Sustained Spell: Reduces maximum mana by 2
Bonds a spellcaster and a familiar. This bond allows the spellcaster to share their level with the familiar, cast spells from the familiar, and share their mana with the familiar. The familiar may allow the spellcaster to use its senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. Allows you to speak to the familiar regardless of language.
Victor asked. “I didn’t even know about familiars until just now and what makes you think you’d be my familiar?”
“I AM THE GREAT CAWTHORN! IT SHALL BE I WHO REACHES THE APEX OF THIS WORLD WITH YOU!” He cawed in Victor’s ear.
“You keep calling me a fool why would you want to be the familiar of someone you find to be foolish?” Victor asked.
“A foolish spellcaster is most easily molded to become the greatest spellcaster of all time.” Cawthorn seemed to smile. “YOU SHALL BE GREAT BY MY WING!”
“What is the bird saying?” Gargrim asked.
“He wants to be my familiar.” Victor explained.
“You should do it.” Serena nodded. “Familiars are powerful additions to a mage if you find one that actively wants to be your familiar. Most spellcasters enslave a creature to make them a familiar so they cannot break the bond.”
“The bird likes you? Are you an elvish princess?” Gargrim tilted his eyes upward.
“I definitely am human, and am not a princess. Very well Cawthorn when I level up I shall spend those points on the familiar skill and form a bond with you.” Victor looked to Swordie.
“Not binding your familiar without performing the bond ritual is a poor choice, as expected of my charge. The bird could break the bond and you’d be unable to use the skill until you spend points to rank it up and find another familiar.” Swordie noted.
“Cawthorn are you going to leave me like you left your flock?” Victor asked.
“NEVER! I WILL BE THE MOST POWERFUL BIRD TO EVER LIVE AND YOU SHALL BE THE SPELLCASTER I ASSIST!” Cawthorn proclaimed.
Victor chuckled. ‘Luzuzal’s skill is really effective at gathering allies. I guess what he meant by plausible is that the goals were achieved not the methods used. I wanted to save the kidnapped people, leveling up was nothing more than a means to that end. I still need to level up clearly to 10 since the specializations are extremely strong and I’m not going to be able to do anything until I am able to actually defend those in trouble.’ He took a deep breath. “I will be happy to have you join us Cawthorn. You may be disappointed by me though.”
“EXCELLENT! YOUR WEAKNESS IS NOTED! I SHALL MOLD YOU INTO THE GREATEST MAGE TO EVER LIVE!” Cawthorn proclaimed.
Serena nodded. “Goddess I hate exhaustion.”
“It sucks. Overdrawing your stamina is normally a non issue because if you have enough rigor it regenerates within a minute or two at most.” Gargrim added. “That skill is brutal on you because it always greatly overdraws your stamina and causes you to collapse for a very long time.”
“I wish I had never learned it. It’s such a waste of points.” She sighed arm still around Victor. “Thanks for coming with us Gargrim. I really appreciate your help since it keeps this guy from making an incredibly stupid decision that would get him killed before I ever had a chance.”
“A chance to what?” Victor asked.
Gargrim raised an eyebrow. “Is this guy for real?”
“Yes.” Serena smiled at Victor as the three of them reached the cross roads and turned toward the town. “Very real, trust me I’ve spent most of the day trying to make sure I won’t wake up in a violent sweat to a horrible reality.”
Victor asked again. “A chance to what? I don’t understand.” The two of them laughed at him and so did Cawthorn. “I’m so confused.”
“Swordie do you get it.” Victor asked.
“She wishes to engage reproductive acts with you sir.” Swordie answered.
Victor’s eyes opened wide. ‘I definitely like her but is she the girl for me? I should try to set reasonable expectations and be honest with her like people have been telling me.’ He took a deep breath. “Before we reach the northern border to Peria I will definitely decide on that matter.” He tried not to turn red, failing so spectacularly that his skin could be mistaken for that of a devil.
Gargrim and Cawthorn laughed as Cawthorn literally fell off his shoulder swooping to the ground and screeching. “YOUR FUTURE WIFE IS EAGERLY WAITING!”
Serena kept her eyes on him trying not to smile. “I do appreciate you two helping out.”
Gargrim laughed. “I always enjoy watching young love. It’s so much fun to watch two people come together and truly enjoy each other’s company.”
“I’m not saying I don’t like her I definitely do. I’m just…” Victor trailed off. “I promise I will give you a definitive answer before we reach the northern border to Peria. You said that will take about 10 days?” Victor said.
“I’d be willing to wait as long as it takes.” The short tan girl with hair far shorter smiled at him ear to ear. The group continued on with some gentle ribbing toward Victor and Serena as they approached the devastated town.
Gargrim angrily clenched his fist seeing the burned buildings and the blood across the roads and walls. “I do not like bandits. Take me to their camp.”
Jaya passed by them. “I see you’ve found a dwarf.”
“Where are the bandits?” He asked.
“What? Are you planning to go die near them? Don’t do that. They will come back for more.” Jaya insisted.
Gargrim grabbed her shirt pulling her down to his eye level. “No. There will be no survivors. Where are they?”
His forceful glare caused Jaya to point to the road Serena and Victor reached the town from. “In that direction about half a mile, take a left into the woods, they will be in a small wooden encampment. They killed all our adventurers over the past couple days before slaughtering my town so we didn’t have a chance when they raided us. I suspect they have many traps on the way to their camp.”
Gargrim released her shirt. “Thank you.” Gargrim started walking and the two of them followed behind. “Well shall we go avenge this town?”
Victor looked at his mana fully restored. “Time to correct my failure.”
Cawthorn proclaimed “ONWARD TO VICTORY AND MY NEW MAGE!”