Chapter 19 – A Change of Seasons

He awoke in complete darkness. Only a small red light on the side of a large capsule illuminated the room. The piece of technology seemed out of place in his plain room.

Rubbing his eyes and stretching his tired limbs, he shook off his sleepiness and turned on the lights to clear his mind.

When he fell into his bed, he never checked his watch. He felt as if he had barely closed his eyes, even though the clock told him it was Sunday evening.

‘Damn, I have class tomorrow.’ It would not be the worst option to simply turn around to catch up on some lost sleep, but he heard his stomach growl. It was a signal for his body to remind him of what he neglected. Thirst, hunger and the dire need to visit the toilet forced him to jump out of his comfortable, soft bed.

Smelling himself, he decided to take a quick shower. Of course he was completely awake and ready to take on the world when it was time for everyone else to get rest for the next day.

Shrugging, he decided to go for a run. His stiff muscles yearned for some exercise after he discarded his initial plan concerning cooking, sleeping and training almost instantly.

Though he didn’t feel bad about it. It has been the same before. An important task at hand will always take most of his attention. Planning, managing his time and balancing his life; those weren’t his strong points. Instead he focused, pushed forward and would reach whatever was ahead of him.

Nobody taught him how to achieve his goals, so he did it his way and if necessary he would pave the path he decided to take. Unfortunately that meant missing what lay past that road, be it people, relationships or simply a beautiful view.

Only at rare moments did he manage to forget. Forget everything, cast out his demons, his worries and all his thoughts.

So he ran through the chilly night, breathed in the cool air and let drops of sweat drip from his face. The city around him was already covered in the darkness of the night and the streets were empty, only few people hurrying home, rushed by the dropping temperatures of the season.

Frank ignored them as he entered a park that was close to his home. It wasn’t huge, but it had a small lake and lawn used to relax or to hold a barbecue during the warm months of the year. There was even a playground that was always full of yelling children throughout the day.

Running was all he ever did in the park. Sometimes he scared away ducks that waddled between the trashcans and the lake, or drew the gazes of playing kids and tanning girls.

Of course he was focused on his training and his thoughts were far away. Now though he always kept an eye on his surroundings, almost expecting goblins or skeletons to hide behind trees, their weapons raised and ready to attack.

A strange feeling crept up on him, neither eerie nor frightening, but somehow unnatural, a sensation he felt before. Experiencing a breathtaking story or a magnificent tale and then returning to reality. In some way it made him feel out of place.

Everybody around him just went on with their lives as if nothing had happened, and yet there was this whole other universe where marvels and wonders occurred. One that only he alone knew. This time the feeling was stronger, more tangible and difficult to shake off.

After around two hours, he entered his small apartment and hung his wet clothes out to dry before taking another quick shower. There was about half a day left until he had to show up at his university. So without wasting any more time and with a wide grin on his face, he logged back into the game he could not get enough of.

When the darkness around him faded away, he was greeted by a smiling Lily. The room around them lost all traces of menace it carried during the battle. Apart from the blade that felt slightly warm against his back, there was no trace of the carnage that occurred not too long ago.

Even the cracks in the stone walls disappeared along with the blood and stench that filled the chamber. Shrugging, he stood up and grabbed Moira who began to talk inside his head.

“It took you long enough to return, I hope you are prepared.”

Hall couldn’t help but imagine a young woman puffing her cheeks, her hands on her hips and tapping her foot impatiently.

“Oh forgive this worthless one for resting after only defeating one measly fallen angel, it won’t happen again.” He chuckled and heard a loud sigh inside his head.

“All is well, I waited for centuries and so few more hours won’t matter.”

Hall nodded and carried the book to the empty pedestal that stood in the middle of the untouched room surrounded by torches that spread warm light.

Lily approached the pedestal from behind and lightly nudged it with her fingers without any result.

“How is it talking to you? Why can’t I hear it?” Before Hall could answer her, another voice appeared interrupted him.

“I still feel the presence of a familiar beside you, even if I can’t see it. It seems you are not talking to yourself, how comforting.”

Hall shook his head and sighed. “You two, please keep it quiet for a moment. Moira tell me, how do we form a contract?”

Lily was not happy that she had to be left out for now, but the advancement of their classes and the gathering of strength was of utmost importance. So she waited patiently, observing Hall as well as their surroundings. Especially inside a dungeon where danger was always near.

“Very well, it’s simple, but you should listen carefully. Place your hand on me, concentrate all the power you can gather and pour it into me. It will take an enormous amount of your soul energy to establish a contract, even… in my state.”

Moira hesitated and her dejected voice softened. After centuries she was weakened, her strength seeped away and the power necessary to form a contract was reduced greatly.

“Though your energy has to be not only plentiful but also pure and it has to be transferred fast. Which means you can’t hold back, not even slightly, as you only have mere moments to establish the contract.”

Nodding, he stroked over the grimoire’s leather binding. “What if I fail?”

After a moment of silence her voice returned, carrying the sneering tone Hall grew to find annoying. “Are you already certain your strength is insufficient? Perhaps you should be more worried about the consequences of an established contract.”

Personally Hall never understood how asking for possible ramifications could be considered a sign of weakness. It was a matter of being prepared for every possible outcome, so he waited for Moira’s answer.

“If you fail to form a contract with me you will die, there won’t be another chance for you and I will probably cease to exist soon after.”

The consequences were grave and he would put Moira’s very being at risk but he didn’t plan to back down, not after all that happened.

“And why should I be worried about the ceremony’s success?” Hall asked when Moira didn’t continue to talk. There was only silence, but he waited patiently until she answered, her voice filled with a hint of sadness.

“We will form a link between our souls. As I will take in yours, you will take part of mine. The price for a connection such as this is a harsh one. You already left the path of humanity, Harbinger, and this will lead you further down the road to become… something else.

Something others will fear, even hate. You will be shunned by society and alone you will face darkness and evil. Instead of the gratitude you deserve, you will be rewarded with gazes of terror and hostility.

So I ask of you, Hall, First Harbinger of Death, here and now, will you forsake your humanity?”

Breathing in deeply, he closed his eyes for a moment and pressed his hand on the book’s cover. There was no need to think, no need to contemplate. He already chose his path and even now he felt Lily’s presence. From here on out he also had Moira beside him. He was not alone, not anymore.

He remained in this position for several seconds before pulling back and lowering his arm.

“What are you doing?” Moira asked surprised and even Lily stared at him in confusion. Without uttering a word, he undressed his upper body and drew the blade of the soul weaver from his belt.

It happened before, when he was close to death or when Lily sang for him. His energy increased, his power grew. His strength was tied to his will.

Furrowing his brows, he raised the blade and while grinding his teeth he rammed the dark sword in his stomach. The shadows formed black flames that licked his bare skin and scorched his flesh.

Moira and Lily let out screams, but instead of explaining his actions, he pulled out the blade and cut open the skin on his arms and chest, reducing his health with each strike until he saw the message he waited for. 

In my Time of Dying has been activated 

+100% Willpower

+30% to all stats

+30% speed

“Lily, would you mind singing for me?” Hall’s request cleared away her confused look. The properties of her song allowed him to raise his willpower and together with his last resort skill, it would increase the strength of his soul energy considerably.

The moment Lily’s voice resounded in the torch lit room, Hall placed his palm on the grimoire again.

He focused on the pulsating warmth Moira exuded and his hand began to give off blue radiance. Without transferring the energy he accumulated, he charged up his body.

Releasing the seal as if breaking a dam, Hall let blazing blue light rush through him and channeled it to his hand. It entered, invaded, overwhelmed the grimoire and soaked its pages, its mind and its very soul.

Moira moaned as she was enveloped by blinding light and took in all his energy. Centuries of drought left her parched, countless years of starvation made her forget the joy of forming a bond with another soul, of not being alone.

She had not felt like this since she gave herself to Grim. The sensation of warming light showering her skin let her cry out in joy. Not her pages nor her leather binding, but the body she once had, the body she still felt, was enveloped by Hall’s comforting embrace.

Simultaneously Hall’s senses were flooded with images, he remembered movements he never learned, abilities he never had. He forgot things he knew and learned what had been lost in time.

It was an intense rush and when he shook off the overwhelming feeling of disorientation, the light around him dimmed. A long sigh inside his head and a deep breath from him signaled the end of the ceremony.

Several moments passed and the tension among them rose. Hall counted the seconds while clenching his fist until he relaxed after finally seeing the anticipated message.

*Ding*

You have entered into a contract with Death’s grimoire, one of the 72 Revered Tomes of Power created by gods, devils and beings beyond.

Due to your connection, the grimoire cannot be dropped, lost or stolen. As long as you share a soul bond, it will always find its way back to you.

You chose to forsake your humanity and to follow the path of Death, Non Player Characters will be initially terrified or feel threatened by you. Gaining their trust will be difficult.

Merchants may refuse to do business with you or raise their prices exponentially.

‘This could become a problem…’ Hall furrowed his brows while he flipped through the windows.

Your skill Ancient Knowledge has been consumed by the grimoire!

Your skill Ancient Languages has been consumed by the grimoire!

Your skill Sorian Knowledge has been consumed by the grimoire!

Your skill Sorian Language has been consumed by the grimoire!

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Death’s Grimoire (passive)Beginner118%Knowledge is power! Currently weak, this tome can be filled with information and wisdom, granting great power to its partner.

Effects:

Damage of skills related to Death (class skills) increased by 1.5%

Range and effect of skills related to Death increased by 1.5%

Defense against skills related to Death increased by 1.5%

Moira already mentioned she lost most of her might, but it still was a surprise to Hall. Even after consuming the knowledge he gathered, which took him considerable time, Moira still only gained a fraction of her power back.

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Turn the PageBeginner10%Carrying the grimoire that is bound to your soul grants you strength.

Grimoire has to be equipped in one hand.

Skills of familiars and pets are also enhanced.

Effects:

Damage of skills related to Death (class skills) increased by 15%

Range and effect of skills related to Death increased by 15%

Defense against skills related to Death increased by 15%

Your skill Marked for Death has been consumed by the grimoire!

Your skill Death to Everyone has been consumed by the grimoire!

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Bad Moon RisingBeginner212%Your enemies shall tremble in fear. Your opponents shall grovel in the dust beneath your feet. Nothing may stand in your way as you tear through every obstacle.

Darkness will fall and only the light of death shall illuminate your battles and bear witness to your power.

Effects:

-1% accuracy for enemies

-5% stats for enemies

-10% movement speed for enemies

-15% health, stamina and mana regeneration for enemies

Effects doubled if an enemy stands alone against you

Effects reduced depending on the enemies will

Range:20m

Hall couldn’t wait to test this skill. He had to give up two of his abilities that affected his opponents with debuffs, negative effects, but it was more than worth it.

The darkness created would significantly weaken his enemies, even reducing their accuracy while fighting. Though how exactly the system calculated evading and missing, accuracy in general, was still a secret of the developer, Sphinx. Players debated it vividly on different forums.

Many assumed the AI worked in the background, using the player’s stats to influence battles to a certain degree. It remained speculation and even after testing it out by experimenting only few reported of noticeable changes after equipping gear that increased the correspondent stats.

You have gained a new title!

Title : Somewhere I belongYou stood up to gods and devils, to angels and demons, and with your soul at stake you formed a contract, binding your being to another. By forsaking your humanity you gained a powerful ally that you saved from vanishing into nothingness.

After giving part of your very soul to your familiar, you now shared it a second time, bringing light to the hopeless and forgotten.

+5 willpower

When equipped:

Your trusted companions, those inseparably bound to you will benefit from the home, the purpose, you give them (includes familiars, contractors and pets)

+5% range of skills

+5% effectivity of support magic

+5% resistance against all magic

Heightened resistance against crowd control effects

+5% experience gain

Quest: Alice in Chains

Quest complete:

Facing gruesome trials, overcoming your inner turmoil and defeating unimaginable darkness, you entered into a contract with Moira, Death’s grimoire.

Rewards:

Contract with Death’s grimoire and all resulting consequences

You have leveled up!

You have leveled up!

You are the first player to establish a contract with one of the

72 Revered Tomes.

+3 Intelligence

+2 Wisdom

+50 Fame

The bombardment of messages finally ended and left Hall with mixed feelings. He gained levels, stats and skills, but Moira didn’t understate the toll it took.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

It would be a lot harder from here on out to establish trust with NPCs. Support, quests, equipment, from now on it would become difficult to acquire those.

‘There is time to worry about that later, we should get out of here first.’ Before he could motion Lily to follow him, a voice resounded in his head.

“I honestly didn’t expect you to achieve this feat and I assume congratulations are in order and… thank you… so very much.”

Hall almost didn’t catch the last part. Her voice softened until he could only hear a faint, exhausted, but also relieved sigh.

His lips formed a smile when Lily rushed at him with big eyes. “What was that voice? Is that who you’ve been talking to? It’s the book right?”

He couldn’t blame her for being curious. For a while now she’s been patiently waiting for an explanation. “Yes Lily, her name is Moira, from now on she’s our companion and will travel with us. Moira, let me introduce Lily to you.”

It felt somewhat strange to introduce a spirit to a book, but Hall already came to terms with uncommon occurrences inside Novus Vita.

“Now I can see her too, your familiar spirit is quite the beauty Harbinger, and she shows a lot of skin. Why am I not surprised?”

Moira’s shyness and timidity was already gone and was replaced by a considerable amount of haughtiness. While Hall only rolled his eyes, Lily wasn’t about to let the comment slide.

“Hey, what is your problem? It’s not like I can change the things I wear.” She snapped at Moira who answered in an instant.

“Well and I’m not a book, I’m a grimoire, that’s different.” Hall could imagine her puffing her cheeks while quibbling with Lily.

“Just get along you two.” His attempt on calming the waves was completely ignored and with a loud sigh he put the grimoire in his inventory. Before they began their ascent to the town above, he had one more thing to do.

Hall approached the blade that pinned down Benmal’ach while his two companions continued to bicker. It was still stuck in the ground and though not even the powerful demon could free the scythe, he still had to try.

Again he perceived the familiar sensation, the feeling of comfort, as he touched the black metal. After all these centuries, it was still sharp, still lethal, but he didn’t feel threatened. It was as if the blade belonged to him.

Ignoring the noise around him he focused a small amount of energy in his fingertips and poured it into the weapon. Without any resistance it was absorbed and the blade emitted a faint aura of darkness, shadows so thin they were easy so miss.

With a smile Hall pulled the scythe blade out of the stone that imprisoned it for so long. No resistance, no struggle, it waited for him, all these years.

“Identify.”

Identification impossible!

‘That’s new, shouldn’t it say failed?’

Scratching his head he tried again, but the result didn’t change. “Hey Moira…”

“Not now! Listen to me familiar!” “I told you my name is Lilith.” They were still at it. Without any regard for Hall’s problem his companions continued to squabble over every little thing. No amount of yelling or pleading could get their attention. Slightly annoyed, he shook his head and finally left the torch lit chamber.

Hall began to miss the silent descent as he ran faster and faster, almost flying through the tunnel, only wanting to get out of this place where there was nothing but darkness and conflict.

Where he needed several hours before, it didn’t even take him two now and although he was completely exhausted when he arrived at the crossing, he felt relieved.

Yet he hesitated before going further and leaving the catacombs. It was possible the desecrated grave was guarded and he didn’t want to risk a lengthy battle.

“Ladies, I shall take my leave again and when I return, we really have to work on our communication.”

The only answers he received were irritated noises and so he logged out. The exchange between the two was more exhausting than the battle against Benmal’ach and he wanted to catch some sleep before class.

Without wasting any more time he brushed his teeth and went to bed. As he slept in his underwear anyway and developed the habit of wearing nothing else while playing Novus Vita, he didn’t have to wash a lot of clothes before going back to university.

He soon fell asleep and dreamt of being assaulted by sonic attacks until his head burst into a thousand little pieces. It wasn’t a pleasant dream.

--------------------

Although it was the middle of the night, Alexa couldn’t afford the luxury of sleep. A veil of nervousness covered the city, tension so thick it was almost palpable and even the cold night did little to cool the heated atmosphere.

For weeks and months many people, NPCs and players alike, were unsatisfied with Roselake’s government and its reign over the city as well as the kingdom. Those who spoke up were quickly silenced, either with the help of bribes or using less civilized means.

The city was in bad state even before the players, the voyagers, arrived. Now with more parties involved, the situation became even more complicated.

The pressure, the tautness inside the city built up, slowly affecting everyone no matter the social standing. The nobles rarely left their part of the city, the curfew caused resentment amongst the general populace and the slums became even more dangerous.

Yet something changed. Reports of nobles slaughtered, royal guardsmen massacred and the rumor of a forming resistance turned the city from a mass of disgruntled murmur into a powder keg. All it would take was a single spark and the whole city would be drowned in the fire of rebellion. A civil war was not out of the question any more.

That’s why she was still awake. Ever since an unknown player killed one of the royal guards during the bonfire festival, media attention has risen. The king increased the amount of soldiers on duty and punished even small crimes without mercy.

A kingdom on the brink of tearing itself apart. War, blood, death, that’s what people want to see, that’s what they always wanted to see.

Alexa herself had mixed feelings about the situation. She wanted things to change in Bredon and Roselake, but she feared the consequences, the chaos that would swallow the kingdom and the immense death toll.

Of course that was only her viewpoint as a player, but things weren’t less complicated when she looked at it as an employee of SGTV, Sphinx Gaming TV.

The job right now was nothing more than a step on her way to the top, but she was sick of mundane and boring reports, tedious interviews and meaningless articles.

Now that the media coverage finally shifted towards Bredon, she could get her foot into the door, make some headway and get noticed by her superiors. Her avatar in Novus Vita was sufficiently different from her real appearance so only her close friends, of which she had none, would recognize her. It was something she already considered while creating her character.

A yawn escaped her while she planned her next moves. She had to contact her sources in the underground, the royal court, as well as the merchants and bar tenders who always heard the latest gossip.

There was also an interview scheduled with high level players who currently stayed in Roselake. Their reputation was questionable, but their success couldn’t be denied.

That was something she didn’t look forward to, not one bit. She already knew they were some spoiled rich brats. Not only did they want an interview inside the game, but one in person too and instead of coming to the station they insisted the reporter would come to them.

Unfortunately, these players seemed important, both in the game and outside, and so they got their will. Just like rich brats always do.

She sighed as she rubbed her tired eyes. The interview was scheduled for tomorrow evening. The players were actually attending the private university she couldn’t visit due to monetary reasons. The same university she saw everyday while she went to the public one next to it.

She clenched her fists and grinded her teeth at the mere thought of the next day, but it was part of her job. At least she was able to attend the university party where the interview was supposed be conducted. She never was interested in parties, drinking or going out in general, but it was something that was on her list.

So far in her life she has always been too busy with work, studying or finding excuses and as a result her private life was nonexistent.

At least she didn’t have to do the interview herself. However due to her close proximity to the school, she was chosen to accompany the reporter as part of the crew.

She closed the message window in front of her. It showed a journal containing her plans, tasks and appointments. A handy little feature of the game most players never used.

Sighing loudly, she leaned back, her old chair creaking, and gazed at the spruce wood ceiling of the room she currently rented. She closed her eyes and her thoughts wandered to the stranger she saw on the day of the bonfire festival. Terrifying, merciless, but also without fear, he left a deep impression on her.

“I’d really like to interview him…”

--------------------------------------

Frank tried not to show the annoyance on his face. Because he overslept, he didn’t have time to check the prices his auctions were about to fetch as they were only two hours from closing. Hurrying, he forgot his cell phone at home and by now his items should have been sold, but because all sites dealing with Novus Vita were banned on the university computers, he couldn’t look it up.

Additionally the gazes he received were filled with either pity, surprise or spite. Tapping his fingers on the keyboard before him, he waited for the professor to show up. Instead two of his friends, at least the closest thing he had to friends, approached him.

“Finally, you’re back. Damn it, Frank, are you alright?” The one who asked him was one of the few guys who he kept in more or less regular contact with. He met Tom during student orientation and he was the first one who approached him. Except for his sharp mind, he was an ordinary guy. Average height, average looks, average hobbies.

It was thanks to his intelligence and his parents’ management position at Sphinx Pharmaceuticals that he was able to study at an expensive private university. Behind him stood his little brother Levi, a quiet kid, half a head smaller than Tom. He was not only clever, but brilliant, which allowed him to enter the same classes as his older brother.

Though already 17 years old, he looked a lot younger thanks to his frail figure and blond hair which he kept at shoulder length. Usually shy, he looked up to Frank, who was never intimidated, never afraid.

Now he seemed honestly worried and waited for a response to Tom’s question.

Frank only raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Why wouldn’t I be alright? I told you I’d be gone for a bit.”

An uncomfortable moment of silence spread between them before Tom finally continued. “Yeah, I didn’t really ask before, but rumor has it you were shot down by Jane. Brutally and without mercy. But did you really lash out against Steven and his crew? I mean, that would be awesome, but you really should be a bit more careful.”

Frank sighed and put his forehead on the table. The rumor wasn’t new, but he hoped it would have been forgotten by now.

‘Guess that stares the glances I’ve been getting all day…’

With a quick motion he raised his head again and looked at Tom and Levi, trying to sound calm. “No reason to be worried, really. They just screwed me over in Novus Vita and I didn’t take it so well. I’ve written to you that I’ve been playing the last two weeks, you guys really shouldn’t be this surprised.”

Their eyes and mouth wide open, the two brothers gaped at him for a moment before Tom began to laugh and even Levi joined him while Frank could only shake his head.

Before they settled down, the professor entered the lecture room and they were forced to leave Frank alone for now. “Hey, I want to hear what happened in detail, you know we play too, so let’s talk later.”

Everyone had an assigned seat and a personal computer, additionally the classes were small to guarantee a close relationship between both students and teachers. Unfortunately that also meant Frank’s long absence didn’t remain unnoticed by the professor who stared at him with piercing eyes. It wasn’t necessary to attend lessons, but it was recommended, especially because some teachers didn’t take it well if their students bailed on their classes.

“It’s good to see you’re feeling better Mr. Arms.”

Frank furrowed his brows. “Sir?”

“Well considering you accumulated an absence streak of now…” The professor looked inside the little book he always carried around. He was one of the few people who still used paper to keep notes. “Two weeks, I just hope it was nothing serious. We wouldn’t want your grades to drop.”

Frank swallowed hard. Professor Dreer was well known and feared, even among other teachers he held a special position. He held a lot of respect for the man, also because Dreer may be strict, but he was always fair and missing classes could easily be compensated with two things, knowledge and understanding.

“Thank you for worrying about me Professor, but I’m alright.” A few people around them grinned in silence. Not many dared to speak to Dreer in the impish tone Frank just used.

“Great, then you won’t mind telling me how scientist solved the problem of stagnating processing power of microchips in the early 21st century when Moore’s law lost its validity.”

It was the topic of today’s lesson, The History of Computer Science, so the students wouldn’t know it yet. Of course Frank was prepared, he studied the recommended reading material even before the first day. Leaving the army and having months before university started left him with nothing but time.

“After the limitation of silicon based microchips slowed down the progress for a long time, scientists came up with several different alternatives. The technologies that prevailed were the replacement of silicon with single layer graphene as well as the use of lasers that used photons instead of electrons to represent the flow of data, so called optical computers. Several years later the implementation of quantum microchips as part of common computer systems paved the way for a fast progress in technology.”

Dreer nodded while Frank talked and without looking the slightest bit impressed he addressed the whole class. “Correct, now let’s begin, does anybody know why the use of quantum microchips was preferable to quantum computers in the late 2020s?”

Frank sighed in relief as he escaped the scrutinizing gaze of his teacher. The rest of the lesson was nothing new to him, but it was fairly interesting so he paid attention.

When it was over, he heard a few whispers about him. How he seemed fine, even though he was supposedly dumped. How he clashed with Steve. How he was an arrogant bastard.

‘Well, I hope the rumor soon disappears and… wait, who said that last part?’

Lost in thought, he flinched slightly when Tom and Levi showed up behind him and looked at him with questioning eyes.

“What is it?” They only had a few minutes until the next lecture, so he didn’t want to waste any time.

“Come on, tell us about your character in Novus Vita. I’m playing a guardian class and Levi here is a cleric, we’re around level 85 and are currently questing a couple of days west of Heideborg.”

Raising an eyebrow Frank turned his full attention toward them. Gaining 85 levels since launch wasn’t easy and they chose classes that fit their personality. He shouldn’t discard the idea of some teamwork down the road, even though they were still far away from him.

Heideborg was the capital of Norland, a vast country that shared a boarder in Bredon’s eastern part, massive mountains that were difficult to cross. With a width of over 1000 kilometers and covering the land between the north ocean and the south sea, it was one of the larger monarchies. Different from Bredon’s ruler, the king was appointed for 5 years by the lords of the 9 biggest cities.

“That’s not too shabby guys, I’m only in my mid-forties, playing a warrior class. Well, not exactly, but close enough. As I said, it was a rough start, but it’s alright now. My starting kingdom is actually next to yours, Bredon. I just arrived in its capital Roselake. So if you guys are around, give me call.”

The two brothers hesitated for a moment while they exchanged worried glances.

“I guess you haven’t heard?”

Frank slowly shook his head, waiting for Tom to continue.

“Looks like things are heating up in Roselake, I only heard a little, but it seems the king is recruiting players in Bredon, and not only the good kind. He offered pardons and rewards to several members of the Shadow Wraiths in exchange for their service in suppressing the kingdom’s enemies. I assume you have heard of them? You know, the chaotic guild in your kingdom, even the officials in Norland try to avoid them.”

It was new information to him and it didn’t help to improve his mood. He closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled heavily. “How do you know?”

Tom let his gaze wander through class before answering with a softer voice. “Alright, listen, I only heard it today, but I did myself, so it’s not just some rumor. Jane and Steve were recruiting people in the cafeteria this morning. They never hid where they started so there were actually a lot of students who followed them to Bredon and are in or around Roselake now.

I think they just began their enlistment of players, but I guess whatever they are up to, it happens soon, so be careful alright?”

The next class was about to start and the news he just received left Frank with little room to focus on the teacher. He had to adjust his plans. Targeting nobles, acting out of the shadows, striking when nobody was expecting it, it all just got a lot harder. The resistance would be fierce, his allies scarce.

After another lecture he was finally done for the day, his thoughts already in the world of Novus Vita, but before he could leave the class, Tom caught up to him. “Hey, how about you come to the university party this evening? It’s in the cafeteria, it won’t be too wild, because there are classes tomorrow, they canceled the first one by the way, but you haven’t shown your face a lot, so what do you say?”

Usually Frank would just turn him down, friendly and with a smile of course. It was time for the annual winter celebration. The holiday season was about to start and soon everything would be decorated nicely, jolly music would sound from store fronts and radios and even the university would be closed, except for the library.

He wasn’t much of social butterfly and preferred to drink alone, yet he hesitated. For years he spent the holidays in solitude. He only saw the joy and love others shared, it was a time for families after all and although he knew how petty he was, he couldn’t help feeling jealous.

To his own surprise though, there was no resentment in him this year. He had a place to be, plans, a purpose, even if it wasn’t in this world.

The corners of his mouth showed a faint smile, easy to miss for those around him. “I’ll think about it.”

PREVIOUS CHAPTERBack to Main PageNEXT CHAPTER

------------------

Author’s Note:

Another Chapter done, hope you enjoyed it, a bit more real life this time :grin:

As always, please rate, follow and favor, it means a lot

When you discover any mistakes, have suggestions or just want to ask something, I’m always happy to listen (PM, posts, chat)

Thanks for all the ideas and comments I get from you guys, it helps a lot and thanks to Miner and Nijus for helping me by proofreading this chapter

I hope you all had nice holidays and I wish you a happy new year, hope to see you all in 2015 :bye: