Ander immediately started toward the inn where Karsish was still studying. He jumped from roof to roof, hardly caring who saw him at this point. There was only one thing to do if he wanted to keep his freedom, and maybe even his sanity. Damn. He was supposed to have two years. Two years to practise and be ready to face the nobles. He jumped down in front of the inn and burst inside, ignoring the chorus of confused yells as he sprinted up the stairs to Karsish’s room. The door was locked, but mundane wood did little to stop him at this point.
“Karsish, we need to go.” Ander said. Karsish was looking up owlishly from his book castle as Ander swept all the books into his inventory.
“What is going on?” Karsish said, bewildered.
“The High Lord just arrived.” Ander nearly snarled as a big smile broke out on Karsish’s face.
“Well that is great news! Isn’t it?” Karsish asked, finally picking up on Ander’s mood.
“It’s not the High Lord as such. His psionic powers are terrifying, but he wouldn’t hurt us.” at least, if that wasn’t a subtle effect of his psionic influence. “It’s the person he brought along.”
“Who…”
“Sir Mattheos. He is in some sort of position to draft men into his war against the High Lord’s wishes.” Ander said in a rush. “I do not intend to be here when he starts pointing and drafting.”
“But the High Lord…”
“He can’t. He couldn’t when I was drafted and he can’t now.” Ander gritted his teeth as he spoke, and it took a few seconds of silence to realise he had slipped.
“You were drafted?” Karsish asked.
“Long story, no time. We have to go now.” Ander said. “If you want to be free of them then come with me.” Ander approached Karsish, getting ready to store him in his inventory. He was surprised when Karsish backed away a step.
“Look, Ander, I appreciate the help you have given me, but I can’t run away. This is too good an opportunity for me.” Karsish said. “If being drafted is really a problem for you, then go. But as a scholar, I am low on the priority list for draftees. I have the opportunity to impress our Lord Father, and I can’t let that pass.”
Ander stopped, chagrined. He hadn’t seen this coming. Karsish had always gone along with anything he had said.
“Umm, ok. Didn’t realise you felt that way…” Ander unloaded all of Karsish’s books from his inventory. Ander had to admit he felt a little betrayed, though he supposed he couldn’t really expect Karsish to come into exile with him.
“Ander.” Karsish said. “Be sure to come back when they're gone.” Ander nodded and left the room. He immediately left the inn. He had stored all of his things before he left this morning, which meant that there was nothing holding him back. He was saddened by the fact that he wouldn’t get to go back for his scythe before they found some way to get rid of it, but his survival was far more important.
Ander snuck over the wall between passing patrols and sped off with all the wind boosted speed his running skill could give him. When he reached the tunnels however, his stealth was less than perfect. The wind roared behind him, echoing far down the tunnels. But for all the noise Ander made, it seemed to scare people off more than draw them for investigation. He encountered nobody along his path.
Ander made it to his treasure room hideout in record time, throwing open the door and flinging himself inside. From the moment he passed the threshold, he was storing things in his inventory. Books, furniture, everything. It took him only 20 minutes to clear out the entire place. He then looked down the hall to where the relay node floated in its alcove. He ran over and snatched it, but didn’t immediately store it. Instead, he went to the remodelling options and started to erase all the evidence of his tampering. If anyone saw it, they would know he had a relay node, and he couldn’t have that.
It took longer than he wanted to fix what he had previously done. Instead of filling in the extra rooms, he simply built a stone slab over the entrance, and then set to smoothing the walls, and putting it back the way it was the time Sir Argvald had seen it. The process made Ander grimace. It hurt to destroy what he had created, but this was a better option than the secret getting out.
“I suspected you had a relay node, but I am glad to have it confirmed.” Ander turned his head to see Sir Argvald standing in front of the open door. Had he forgotten to close it? Ander stared in horror as Sir Argvald held a key up that was identical to Anders.
“Sir Argvald! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Ander said, anxiety permeating his voice.
“No, I suspect you weren’t, but when you didn’t show up for your appointment, and I got reports of a roaring noise coming from one of the tunnels, I had my suspicions.” Sir Argvald looked at him disapprovingly. “Why do you attempt to flee? Our meeting was not just a summons from me, but a summons from the High Lord Torden.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“I figured.” Ander said. “I don’t want anything to do with nobles. Now, if you will excuse me.” Ander tried to move past Sir Argvald, but Sir Argvald stepped in his way.
“You have received a summons from the High Lord, and I am honour bound to see that you meet with him.” Sir Argvald looked puzzled. “I really don’t see why you are so against this. Any other commoner would jump at this chance.”
“You have no right to keep me here.” Ander said. “Get out of my way or I will go through you.”
“What you say makes less and less sense.” Sir Argvald had gone from puzzled to fully confused. “In any case, I will have to deny you. You may not leave unless it is to attend to your summons.” Ander attacked.
A sudden gale blasted through the room as the air grew cold, and water condensed in heavy droplets carried upon the swirling wind. Ander’s longsword appeared in his hand, and the blade grew as vortexes of wind and water formed along the edge. Ander shot forward toward Sir Argvald at incredible speed, swinging his word in a wide arc at the man. Sir Argvald lifted one arm and stopped the incoming blade. A hail of water bullets slammed into him, but only managed to rip his clothing. Sir Argvald grabbed Ander’s blade in his bare hand, jerking Ander close as a greatsword of incredible proportions appeared resting on Ander’s shoulder.
The wind went still and Ander stared wide eyed at the slab of metal laying on his shoulder. The other end was gripped in Sir Argvald’s steady hand. There was not a single waver in the blade as it sat on Ander’s shoulder. The thing had to have weighed well over a hundred pounds, but Ander felt only the barest pressure. Ander’s gaze travelled up the blade to meet Sir Argvald’s hard gaze.
“You have an impressive suite of talents, Ander.” Sir Argvald said. “But I have a legendary ability of my own. You will never defeat it with an ability, what, still in the single digits? My skill level is well over a hundred. That will take you years to achieve.” Ander simply stared at Sir Argvald. He had expected something, anything other than this. He had not necessarily expected to win, but he had hoped to be able to get past him. But to be so completely shut down?
“Well over a hundred huh.” Ander couldn’t think of anything better to say.
“Yes. Your build would be difficult for me to deal with, if you had a few more skill levels.” Sir Argvald said. “You have good melee potential, as well as built in ranged support and regeneration. One day you will be one tough bastard. But for now, you are still a trainee of The Pit. Which means you do what I say, and more importantly, what the High Lord says.”
“Please,” Ander begged as he fell to his knees. “Don’t make me go. I just need more time.”
“More time?” Sir Argvald frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“Yes! Just a bit more time to get my mental defences up to snuff. I already know the creatures I have to fight to learn to resist the pull, I just need time to find them!” Ander’s eyes were wide, mania glinting in them as he pleaded with Sir Argvald.
“Is that all you are afraid of?” Sir Argvald asked, exasperated. Ander Looked at him with disbelief.
“No, but that should be enough.” Ander snapped back at Sir Argvald, who stored his massive sword in his pouch.
“Tell me the other reason.” Sir Argvald said. “I can’t believe you are worried about the High Lord’s aura of fealty, but if you have another reason, I may accept it.”
“How are you not afraid of this Aura of Fealty?”
“The other reason. Now.” Ander glared at Sir Argvald.
“It’s Sir Mattheos. Happy?” Ander glared at Sir Argvald who stared back impassively, seemingly unsatisfied with Ander’s explanation. “Sir Mattheos manages the drafts for the war. If I stay, I more than likely get drafted. And since I have no real mental defence, there will be nothing I can say about it.” Sir Argvald raised his eyebrows and sat down in front of Ander.
“How do you know about that?” Sir Argvald asked.
“It’s a secret.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“I haven't even told Karsish, why should I tell you?”
“Because you don’t have a choice. Where is Karsish by the way, I expected to see him here.”
“Back at town, at the Dusk’s Rangers inn.” Ander said. “He decided to stay behind.”
“Interesting. That secret now?” Sir Argvald pushed.
“You won’t believe me.” Ander said. “You will call me a liar and then take me to the nobles to have them get it out of me.”
“Try me. I have heard plenty of crazy stories in my life, and some actually ended up being true.” Sir Argvald smiled in a way that Ander supposed was supposed to be encouraging.
Ander didn’t feel very encouraged.
“Fine. Fine. You asked for it.” Ander said. He wondered where to start so that he wouldn’t give away too much. “Before I start, you will promise not to tell High Lord Torden or Sir Mattheos what I say, or anybody else for that matter.”
“You know I can’t make that promise, though I will not bring up anything if I am not asked directly.” Ander opened his mouth to protest, but Sir Argvald raised his hand. “You are lucky I am giving you this much consideration. You did just attack me.” Ander reddened at sir Argvald’s words, but nodded and accepted them.
“I hatched a little over three months ago.” Ander started. “But Sir Mattheos immediately barged in and drafted a bunch of us straight out of the hatchery. He enjoyed rubbing it in The High Lord’s face, and the High Lord could do nothing.”
“I heard of that incident, but how did you get away in order to be included with the hatchlings in this round?” Sir Argvald asked.
“I didn’t” Ander said, hesitation written all over his voice. “He marched us for days on too little food and rest. We were dying just from the march. I managed to survive.” Ander told him of fighting the pirates, though he still found it odd to have fought pirates on land. He then told him of falling into the chasm and having to fight to survive. He omitted the part about the ship, saying only that he found a spatial tool like Sir Argvald’s pouch and looted the facility there.
“But then, I somehow caused the entire place to collapse, and it came down on top of me and killed me.” Ander finished. Sir Argvald raised an eyebrow.
“You died. How are you here then?” He asked. Ander simply shrugged.
“I died, and then was reborn in this most recent clutch.” Ander shrugged. “I don’t know why or how, I just was.”
“What level were you when you died?”
“23.” Sir Argvald shook his head.
“Like a wolf in the sheep's pen.” Sir Argvald said. “Normally I would discount your story, but given the level of skill you have shown, this is really the only answer that makes sense.”
“Now that you have heard my story, will you let me go?” Ander asked.
“No.” Sir Argvald said. “I will keep my promise, and keep your secret as close to the chest as I can. But you still have to meet with the High Lord.” Ander hung his head in defeat.