Chapter One: Game Over

Late last night a ship bearing Old Guard member Spade the Thief sank off the coast of Moon Town. It is estimated that seven NPCs and three players lost their lives beneath the waves. Rescue efforts are underway but no bodies have been recovered. The AION Post reached out to the other illustrious members of the Old Guard guild yet no statements have been made yet. Spade was a founding member of the Old Guard, the famed guild which was the first to take down the Dark Lord 15 years ago in 969. Besides riding the fame of a prestigious guild, Spade was an OP player with nearly 10 separate contracts under his belt.

The article went on but Ghelion sighed, folded the AION Post, and tossed the paper on his desk. Ghelion checked the time on his wrist and decided the kitchens were well ready for orders. Before he stood up he glanced at the small door in his office which led to his bedroom. The sounds of heavy snoring came from within. He left his office and carefully locked the door behind him. His office was down a small hallway in the main building of advisors yet it was early enough in the morning that he encountered no one else until he had exited the building.

“Ghelion!” Said a voice. “Ghelion, did you see the news?”

“Morning, Tarry. And if you mean the news about this years Winter Festival then yes. Should be a great time I cannot wait to see the enchanted light show.”

The voice belonged to another advisor named Tarry, and he stopped in front of Ghelion with an awkward look upon his face.

“Um, well, no its something else. It’s about Spade he…well…um.”

“I’m only joking, Tarry. I saw the news about Spade.”

“Oh,” Tarry looked relieved. The Advisor was a gossip but never liked being the bearer of bad news. “Well, I’m really sorry, Ghelion. You signed Spade up yourself, what, over 20 years ago?”

Ghelion shrugged. “We have all lost players.”

“But Spade was such a famous player. Wish I had signed an Old Guard.”

“In my experience they were a touchy bunch,” Ghelion remembered. “Spade always haggled every line of our contracts together. So did all of them. I guess they learned it from Solomon.”

“The leader of the Old Guard,” Tarry’s eyes widened. “Did you ever meet Solomon?”

“A few times,” Ghelion’s mind turned back to breakfast and returning to his office. “Anyways, Tarry I really need to-“

“Is it true Solomon always wears a mask and no one has ever seen his face?”

Ghelion rolled his eyes. “I mean, he didn’t spawn with a mask on. He picked that thing up after leaving the island for some reason.”

Tarry opened his mouth to ask more but Ghelion placed a hand on his arm and quietly asked. “Did you see many people about? I want to get to the kitchen without attracting too many eyes. The island is going to be buzzing about Spade and I could do with avoiding the questions.”

“Don’t worry, Ghelion.” Tarry point down a side path near the entrance of the Advisors offices. “I just came that way and there wasn’t a soul around. Go get yourself some food and take it easy today, alright? I would say to ignore what people are gonna be saying about Spade, but, hey, he was such a famous player after all.”

“Thanks, Tarry. And don’t worry about me I have plenty of work today to keep me busy.”

With a wave Gelion left Tarry who was pouring over the Aion Post article.

Incredible, thought Ghelion. He’s known I signed Spade for close to 2 decades and it’s not until he dies that he asks about him.

The side path was blessedly quiet and empty of traffic. It wasn’t till he had left the path and was nearing the training area that he heard two voices conversing.

A male voice said, “See here, Claire? He was a member of the Old Guard. Thats the guild we read about.”

“You would think that such a powerful player wouldn’t die in a mere ship wreck,” responded a female voice.

“I mean even an OP player can’t fight the sea.”

“That’s true.”

Ghelion rounded the corner and found two players reading the Post. The newspaper was spread out on the ground and a young man was crouched over the paper while a women perhaps a year younger lay on the grass nearby by stretching her legs. Gelion had seen the pair training before and knew they both trained early every morning. He did not know which advisor would be assigned to negotiating their contracts but imagined they would be fine players one day.

“Hey you!” The young man called to Ghelion when he saw him. He rose and walked over to where Gelion had stopped. The young man was tall for his age and handsome. He seemed to stride with an easy confidence.

“I am ‘Advisor Ghelion’, not hey you.” Said Ghelion.

“Sorry, Advisor Ghelion.” He trust the paper towards Ghelion. “Have you read about Spade the thief? Did you ever meet him?”

Despite himself Ghelion found himself answering the young mans question.

“Yes, I did. What is your interest in him?”

The young man shrugged. “Saw he died. I’m interested in all the Old Guard members.”

At least he is to the point, thought Ghelion.

“Yes, I did know him.”

“What was he like?” Asked the boy as the girl came over to join him. “Was he a great fighter?”

“Spade? He was better than most. All the Old Guard are capable fighters. But his speciality was in the art of stealth. He was more likely to carry a dagger than a sword if you know what I mean.”

“What about hand to hand?” Asked the girl. She was much shorter than the young man and less attractive. Her face was wide and flat and her build was stocky yet strong. She seemed to carry a more serious presence than the young man.

“Hand to hand? Yes he was quite skilled at that,” Ghelion told her. He looked over her shoulder at the empty training grounds. “What are you two doing out here so early?”

“Training,” said the young man before the girl could open her mouth. “I want to be better than the Old Guard one day. I’m Brent, by the way.”

Ghelion shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Brent. And your friend?”

“This is Claire. She‘s helping me train.”

Claire blushed and looked at her feet.

“Brent and I want to get a head start on our first jobs. We are eligible to sign our contracts in about a month.”

A light reached Brent’s eyes and an infectious energy seemed to radiate off his skin.

“That’s why I’m asking about Spade the Thief, you see. Maybe I don’t want to emulate him so much but others on the Old Guard had to have started out like me.”

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“They sure did,” said Ghelion. “They all spawned on this island after all and used the same training grounds. I remember it as though it was yesterday. Every morning Solomon would be training long before another soul was up, player or Advisor.” Ghelion added, “soul being players but you know what I mean.”

“You remember Solomon?” Awe entered Brent’s voice. “And what about Karkren? When I read about the Old Guard I think he’s the one I’m most like.”

“Karkren spawned only a week after Solomon did. He was always physically stronger than Solomon. He made a good tank for that guild that’s for sure.”

“Wow,” said Brent, staring off into the distance. “Karkren was stronger than Solomon?”

Ghelion laughed. “Only at the beginning. Sometimes I think Solomon has surpassed every player and NPC in the game. But Karkren is a mighty warrior himself.”

“Brent said he wants to meet him one day and challenge him to a duel.” Claire glanced at Brent who was still lost in thought.

“It’s a good goal to have,” said Ghelion. “I am sure you will both go far if training is the first thing on your minds each morning.”

It was always good to talk to the new players and Ghelion always had more patience for them than for the other Advisors. Players were wide eyed and full of awe for this new world whereas to the Advisors it was all old hat. The best Advisors were often cynical and unwilling to get too involved with players as they had lost so many over the years. Ghelion had lost players before, who hadn’t? But allowing that to shun your emotions was a bad idea in his experience.

“Well, its been nice talking,” said Ghelion finally. “But I must be off.”

He started to leave but Brent snapped out of his reverie at his words.

“One more question, Advisor…”

“Ghelion.”

“Right. Advisor Ghelion.” Brent’s brow furrowed. “Do you think that Spade was murdered?”

A chill ran up Ghelion’s spine and if he were not robed he was sure that the hair on his arms would be standing up straight.

“Murdered? What gives you that idea?” He used his practiced neutral Advisors voice to respond.

“It’s just some stuff I read about Spade and the other Old Guard members. Spade had a different way of thinking compared to the others and maybe they wanted him out of the way.” Brent shrugged and looked at Claire for support.

“We think,” added Claire. “It’s a little odd that a ship carrying a controversial member of the Old Guard suddenly sinks into the sea. Maybe someone else had a hand in it.”

Ghelion half sighed and half laughed.

“I know most members of the Old Guard and while its true that Spade never got along with, well, most of them, there was never any indication that any wanted to murder him.”

Brent raised his eye brows. “Did you know him well? Do you have any idea why he was sailing from Moon Town? Thats the nearest port to the island. His ship must have gone down only a couple miles from here.”

Feeling the need to move along, Ghelion did not want to discourage the boys line of thinking but neither did he want to overly encourage it either.

“I knew him better than most, I suppose. As far as the ship goes I am sure it will be examined in short order and more will be written about it in the post. Brent,” he shook his hand and then clasped Claire’s as well. “Claire. It was good chatting to you but I really must move along. Come by my office sometime if you want to talk again.”

Both Brent and Claire looked dissatisfied but smiled when they shook his hand and wished him a good day. As Ghelion was leaving the training area he could hear them beginning their training. Even news which they were interested in could not keep them from their goals. Ghelion hoped they would seriously consider coming to his office. It was always good being Advisor to such dedicated players. They made life, such as it was for an Advisor, much more interesting. One of the highlights of being an Advisor to Spade was never knowing where he was and having to track down the whole guild in order to meet with him. When ever he saw him he expected a long tale of whatever the thief and his compatriots had been up to along with updates on their adventures.

Walking the final stretch to the kitchen Ghelion encountered more people. Some where huddled in groups whispering and would hush when he walked past. Others were alone sitting at a bench and lost in the AION post. Players and Advisors alike smiled overly much when they could not avoid him and one Advisor awkwardly patted him on the back and gave him some useless platitude about the death of loved ones. Ghelion barely extracted himself from that near conversation and was thankful when he finally entered the kitchen. He could over hear voices.

A grown man said, “You need to get all the soap off otherwise it will streak and our soup will taste funny.”

“Too late for that,” retorted what sounded like a young boy. “Your soup tastes so funny it could be a one man show.”

“Just for that, Thomas, you’re gonna stay through lunch time. Hope you like cleaning ovens because mine needs a deep clean.”

“That’s not fair!” Said the boy and Ghelion heard water splashing.

“Oi! Watch yourself, boy.” Again the sound of water but this was much louder.

Ghelion rounded the corner and was confronted with the sight of a sopping wet Thaddeus the Chef holding the shirt collar of a young boy of around 8 who was similarly dripping with water. Both turned their heads when Ghelion entered as though they had been caught.

Thaddeus let the boy down and said, “Advisor Gelion! Good morning. I was just disciplining young Thomas here for going out of bounds this morning.”

“I was just going on a walk,” said Thomas indignantly. “Where is the law written that I can’t stretch my legs when I need to? Those dormitories are too crowded and by dawn the snoring’s so bad I might as well be sleeping around a bunch of baboons.” Thomas looked up at Thaddeus with an innocent look. “I’m sure you would be comfortable there. Aren’t some of your families members monkeys anyways?”

“Why you little-” the big chef’s face darkened. Despite being an NPC Thaddeus had served on the island for just as long as anyone. Most NPCs were not equipped to deal with such strange questions but after seeing countless children spawn he must have learned to finally ignore such statements. He took a deep breath and after exhaling smiled almost fondly at the little boy. “Guess you wanna stay through dinner. Be my guest.”

Ghelion held his hands up as Thomas began to protest.

“Where was the boy going, Thaddeus?”

The chef stood up straighter at the question. “He was sneaking around the docks, sir. No doubt up to some mischief. Young Thomas is always playing pranks,” he added.

Sneaking around the docks, Ghelion thought. He tried to stay calm. Would not do to pique the boys interest if he thought Ghelion was overly interested in that bit of information. Ghelion studied the boys face. He was a small and sandy haired lad and likely one of the youngest on the island. It was rare for a player to Spawn under the age of ten yet it was known to happen. Ghelion imagined it was tough for the boy to make friends when all the other players were older.

“Why were you around the docks, Thomas?” Ghelion tried to sound aloof and slightly exasperated.

Thomas shrugged. “I dunno. Hadn’t been there in a while.”

“Did you see anything…interesting?” Asked Ghelion. He saw Thaddeus’ eyebrow raise.

The boy stared at Ghelion for a long ten seconds before responding. Thomas seemed to be thinking about something.

“Nope. Just wanted to see the ocean. I was not playing any pranks by the way,” he added. The chef rolled his eyes.

“Don’t worry, advisor,” said Thaddeus. “I’ll put him to work today. He will think twice before going out of bounds again.”

“It’s alright, Thaddeus. Let him go about his day.”

“But, sir, I—”

Ghelion raised his hand as the chef started to protest and Thomas beamed. “It was just some harmless exploring, isn’t that right, Thomas?”

“Yes, sir!”

“And it won’t happen again?” Ghelion tried to sound stern. “When a place is out of bounds its for your own safety, Thomas. You are not a prisoner here but the sea is a dangerous place.”

Thomas placed his hand over his heart. “I promise to never return to the docks without express permission. Ok?”

Ghelion sighed. “Alright, now go along Thomas.”

The advisor and the chef watched Thomas whoop with joy and scamper out of the kitchen.

“It’s none of my business,” began Thaddeus. “But—”

“He’s just a boy, Thad. We sometimes forget how human children act. The adults are unreasonable and illogical at times but at least as children humans are so transparent. I am sure he was just bored. There aren’t too many other children on the island right now either so let’s cut him some slack.”

“You might think differently if you are ever on the receiving end of one of his pranks. Just last week a bucket of flour fell on my head when I opened the door to my room. I can’t prove it of course but I know it was that little rapscallion.”

“If it happens again let me know.” Said Ghelion but despite the chefs frustration he could tell the man was fond of the boy. In a world where few children existed those which did were often given more leeway than they otherwise deserved. “Anyways, I would like a pot of coffee and a tray of biscuits. Some sausage and a tin of butter would be appreciated.”

“Yes, sir,” said Thaddeus. As he went to work gathering the requested items and setting them on a tray he seemed to remember something. “I nearly forgot what with Thomas. Sorry about Spade, Ghelion. He was a sharp one. Young Thomas actually reminds me of him a bit. Spade was around that age when he spawned as well I remember.”

“Thanks, Thad.” Gelion didn’t feel like going into it again about Spade. Then he remembered something. “Actually the last time I saw him he asked about you.”

“You don’t say?”

“I traveled to Hard Knock to meet him maybe six months ago. Talk about his current contract.” The memory came back to him suddenly. Spade had been sitting on a window ledge overlooking the mountains. “For some reason he was reminiscing about the island and mentioned he always missed your food. Especially the beef strew.”

A smile split the chefs face. “Well ain’t that the nicest thing. Tell you what, in his honor we’ll have that stew tonight.”

“I think he will appreciate that, Thad.” Gelion met the man’s smile. “I mean would have appreciated, of course.”

“Of course, I know what you mean.” Thaddeus lay the tray with the coffee and food on the table and wished Ghelion a good day.

Ghelion made his way carefully back the way he had come. The path to the Advisors office was more trafficked now but most people didn’t recognize him as Spade’s Advisor and the ones who did saw that he was busy balancing a tray and thought better of disturbing him. When he was finally standing outside his office he noticed the snoring had stopped. Gingerly he moved the tray to one hand and fished in his pocket for the office key.

Door unlocked, he pushed it open.

“Took you long enough with that coffee, Ghelion.”

“Sorry, Spade. The entire island is buzzing about your death. I must have been stopped half a dozen times.”