Maverick found sleep difficult. His body was exhausted, but his mind wouldn’t stop racing. It frustrated him more when he tried to quietly talk to Sir Percivale throughout the night without getting a response to his many questions.
He woke up early to Ptero neighing in his face. He quickly rose to his feet ready for anything. He looked about though and saw the others still sleeping. He shook his head at Ptero thinking about the sleep he lost and went to go lay back down. Before he could, he saw a blue glow of light in the distance. He quickly picked up his sword and went to investigate.
He found himself running towards the light, but he didn’t know why. It could have been the glow of something dangerous for all he knew, but that didn’t stop him. As he closed the distance, he finally slowed up and looked around him. It was pitch black and he was in grass that reached his hip, hiding all kinds of potential threats. The only light available to help him see was the light from the pale moon and the growing blue glow of the mysterious light in front of him.
He decided to push forward. He had gone too far to stop now. The blue light was now ten yards away, and as he got even closer, the light began to materialize into a solid form…the form of a beautiful woman. She was tall, almost as talk as Maverick, and had blonde hair that flowed down to the small of her back. She was dressed in robes that reminded Maverick of how strange a world he was living in now; they were a dark burgundy with gold fringes and a long black cape, which was pinned to her robes with a silver brooch shaped like an eagle.
Maverick was at a loss for words as he laid eyes on her, stumbling over himself as he forced himself to say, “Hello.” The woman in front of him barely seemed to acknowledge his presence, but Maverick had a sneaking suspicion that she was there specifically for him.
“Sir Maverick,” the golden-haired lady finally said, “I am the Lady of Light. I have been summoned by the one who came before you to initiate you into the Order of Gaderian.”
Order of Gaderian?! What the heck was this now? “Ummm…thank you my lady…what is that?…the Gaderian?”
There was no reaction on the Lady of Light’s face, just a straight answer without any apparent emotions. “The Order of Gaderian is what has kept our realm safe from all the evils of this world.” She started to talk matter-of-factly, in a way that reminded Maverick of his boring history teachers back home. “Founded over seventeen centuries ago, the Gaderian is a merit-based upgrade system available to only a few, and with rewards that many have died to obtain falsely. If you accept my offering, I will always be with you, helping you overcome the struggles you will soon face and advising you on the best and most appropriate course of action. Be warned! This is not for the faint of heart. You will feel pain like never before and you will beg at times to be free of me. Know that this is a request I cannot grant.”
That last bit gave Maverick pause. He, like most people, was not a huge fan of pain…and what did she mean by ‘never be free of her’…would she follow him everywhere, always? The benefits sounded awesome though! An upgrade system? What did that even mean? What would be upgraded?
"This…upgrade system…what is that? What does it mean to be upgraded?"
"I cannot afford you anymore answers. You either accept or you decline…"
“Ummmm…I guess I accept?” He said, sounding entirely unsure of himself.
As soon as he said ‘accept’, the Lady of the Light disappeared and Maverick felt her blue light flowing into him, invading every atom of his being—almost in the same way that Sir Percivale had, but worse—far worse. He felt her attaching to the thin optic nerves behind his eyes, the strands of his muscles, the roots of his hair, in his toes, and coursing through the veins under his skin. But most painful was her connection to the neurons and synapses of his brain. It was worse than a headache, worse than the worst migraine imaginable. He felt his neural network growing, branching out to double its previous size—and he could see it. His mind’s eye showed him the paths of the blue light as his body collapsed to the ground, his eyes closing in a terrible, painful sleep.
----------------------------------------
He awoke with a start—painfully—atop his horse, laying facedown across its unsaddled back. He slid off, somehow landing on his feet, then immediately collapsing to the ground, and grasping at his head. A group of people instantly jumped off their own horses and rushed to his side, people he soon recognized as the Companions when he finally forced himself to look from between his fingers, still grasping his head.
Sir Rurik placed his hand on Maverick's shoulder while Sirs Baderic and Casimir stood nearby, looking on with concern.
Maverick could feel the Lady of Light still pulsing through him, but it was more subdued now, as if his body was accepting the changes and becoming accustomed to it. He looked up at Sir Rurik and barely eked out, "Wha…happened…?"
Sir Rurik got down on one knee, his hand still on Maverick's shoulder, and said, "We found you in the field, far from camp, your pulse weak and non-responsive. I knew you had seen the Lady of Light—Sir Percivale went through the same shortly after I met him years ago. There was nothing I or anyone could do for you, so we continued our journey."
"Aye," chimed in Sir Casimir. "And that was five days ago we found you."
Five days?! Maverick looked around him. They were high in the mountains, traveling on a dirt path that was formed by years of trampling hooves and feet. It was then Maverick noticed the cold…and it bit through him to his bones. He started shaking uncontrollably before Sir Baderic fetched a thick blanket and threw it over him.
"I…d..d..don't know w…what…to do…" Maverick stuttered through clattering teeth as he tried his best to fight off the cold.
"You have the voices within you now, Sir Maverick," Sir Rurik offered. "Let them guide you."
They stood him up slowly so he could walk around and try getting warm. Sir Casimir blew a horn to let the other riders know they were making camp, and Sir Baderic set about making a fire. Sir Rurik stayed by Maverick's side, ready to help in any way possible.
Sir Baderic soon had the fire roaring, and Maverick got as close as he could without catching fire, finally warming up. It was only then he could concentrate and try to figure out what had happened to him in the field with the Lady of Light.
"Hello…" Maverick said to himself with his inner voice. He had no clue what to do or how to do it.
"Greetings, Sir Maverick. I am Zalara, formed by the Lady of Light to be your Kemora.”
Maverick was shocked by how loud Zalara’s voice was and jumped a little bit... “Ummm…yeah, hi…What is a Kemora?”
“Kemora are entities almost as old as time itself. We live in the pale blue light of the moon and only do the bidding of the Lady of Light.”
“But what is it you…do?”
“I am your guide as you upgrade and gain new abilities. I have meshed with your core and can now provide you with a Heads-Up-Display which will show you, amongst other things, your current level, abilities, health, and eventually your honor. As you level up your honor, you will gain access to magic.”
Maverick couldn’t believe what he was hearing…he would be able to do magic through honor…and he would have a meter on his HUD that showed him his level of honor. And it showed him his level? What was that about? He had to check out the HUD.
“Zalara…how do I use the Heads-Up-Display?” trying not to sound too eager as he said it.
“Think about one of the items it displays, such as your health, and it will bring them all into your field of vision, with the item you thought of bolder than the rest.”
Maverick tried it immediately and was unable to contain his excitement as he saw the graphic pop up before him. A large red bar in the bottom left corner showed him his health, and it said 957/1000 in yellow font floating above it. The bottom right corner showed a quarter-filled green bar that had 50/200 in blue font floating above it—with no explanation as to what the bar meant. In the top left corner hovered a large blue number 1. Over in the top right corner was a faint graphic of a sword.
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Maverick was curious about the sword and thought about it, unintentionally selecting it, which brought up a different screen floating in front of him. It was a great tree, with roots and branches extending everywhere he could see. The entire tree seemed to be subdued except for the ends of the six glowing roots. Maverick mentally zoomed towards the glowing roots and hovered over each one, excitement coursing through him as he read each one.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
DRAGON SLAYER
Fire got you scared? What about razor-sharp teeth the size of your arm? No need to fear! Find yourself the reckoner of the largest—and scariest!—creatures to fly these ancient lands! Receive a 30% boost to Health, 20% boost to Honor, and a temporary 50% boost to Perception.
-Class Emphasis: Daring
-Drawbacks: 15% decrease against water-based attacks, 5% decrease in Intelligence.
-Trait: Warrior
Select Yes to continue…
HIGH KNIGHT
Whether it’s an opponent’s mace flying at your face or a surprise attack by ruffians, we got you covered! Receive a 40% boost to Agility for the duration of a fight, a 20% boost to Speed for the duration of a fight, and a permanent 10% increase in Honor.
-Class Emphasis: Hero
-Drawbacks: 10% decrease in Wisdom, 5% decrease in magic.
-Trait: Historian
Select Yes to continue…
ADJUDICATOR
Are things getting a little…illegal around you? Have robbers, thieves, and/or bandits turned your paradise into a land of perdition? Dispense justice as you see fit. Receive a 60% boost to Persuasion while communicating, a 30% boost to Stealth when most needed, and a 20% boost to Honor.
-Class Emphasis: Justice
-Drawbacks: 10% decrease in Fighting skills and attributes, 10% decrease in Magic.
-Trait: Sheriff
Select Yes to continue…
WIZARD
Are Orcs and users of black magic your main concern? Has a wicked spell hit you one too many times in the face, only to come back around and hit you while you’re down? You’re in luck! Banish black magic from the lands as you progress through the levels and receive a 40% increase in Magic, a 15% increase in Honor while engaged in battle, 20% increase in Wisdom.
-Class Emphasis: Scientist
-Drawbacks: 20% decrease in hand-to-hand combat, 15% decrease in fire resistance.
-Trait: Seer
Select Yes to continue…
ROGUE
No judgement! You like to go it alone and take what you want, when you want it, from whomever you want! Receive a 30% increase in Speed, a 25% increase in sleight-of-hand techniques, and a 20% increase in Intellect.
-Class Emphasis: Cunning
-Drawbacks: This class paints a target on your back…You will forever be alone and deemed untrustworthy by others. 60% decrease in Honor.
-Trait: Politician
Select Yes to continue…
RANGER
So you lost the enemy…you were fighting and the stealthy rascal just up and disappeared. It’s all good! Gain enhanced Tracking skills available only to this class with a 40% boost in Stalking, a 30% boost in Perception, and a 20% boost in Shadow-Walking. Boosts are active at all times.
-Class Emphasis: Guardian
-Drawbacks: A 20% decrease in fighting non-humanoid opponents, a 15% decrease in Charm.
-Trait: Pathfinder
Select Yes to continue…
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Maverick just sat there, staring at all the choices, unable to make a decision one way or another. They all sounded so good! Except for Rogue…Maverick hated being alone. He thought intensely about each one, then an idea popped into his head.
“Hey, Zalara…you there?”
“Yes, Maverick, I am always here…”
“Oh…okay…weird. Anyways, if I choose a Class, is it permanent? Am I stuck with that Class the rest of my life, or can I change if I get tired of it or it’s not working out?”
“Only once can you choose a class, no matter your future feelings towards it.”
That brought Maverick down a little bit. It would have been awesome if he could level-up as a Wizard to receive the 40% boost in Magic as he was just going about life, then switch over to another Class like Dragon Slayer, High Knight, or Ranger to fight the dragon Scaldris.
“Is there no way to switch between classes? Maybe I want to be two Classes to fight different enemies?”
“Only once can you choose a Class, no matter your future feelings towards it," Zalara repeated.
“Fine…well then, how long do I have to choose?” I don’t want to make the wrong choice…”
“You have as long as you need, Sir. Though be aware, any quests, events, or battles you complete or win during this period of indecision will not count towards your Class experience. You must choose a Class before XP is granted.”
Maverick didn’t plan on taking that long. He just needed a little more time to think about it, maybe ask the Companions what they thought.
Maverick thought about the first screen he saw on his HUD, then it appeared before him. He looked over the bars again, homing in on the green bar in the bottom right corner that had 50/200 floating above it in blue font.
“Zalara, what is this green bar?”
“That is the amount of Honor you have at this time.”
“I already have Honor? I thought you said I wouldn’t see that yet?”
“I misspoke, Sir. There are only three people in all the history of Glorindal who have seen their Honor before choosing their Class…the first Black Knight, Sir Gawain, the seventh Black Knight, Sir Tristan, and you, the thirteenth Black Knight, Sir Maverick. The first two were the greatest knights in Glorindal.”
That only made Maverick uneasy. It sounded like a lot to live up to and he didn’t feel as if he had it in him to be listed amongst the greatest knights of the land.
He didn’t answer Zalara, instead he looked at other details on the screen floating in his vision. Then he saw something he didn’t notice before…an arm flexing a large bicep in the middle of a silver shield. He thought about it, and it opened for him, showing him exactly what he wanted to see…his data table. Maverick loved Pokémon, and he was happy to see the data table was similar to his favorite game.
Name: Sir Maverick the Black Knight
Species: Human
Class: TBD
Reputation: None
Level: 1
Immortal: None Selected
Stat
Current Level
Description
Progress to next level
Honor
1
A combination of respect/being proud/and honesty-must increase to level 5 to access magic
50/200
Agility
1
Improves dodge and movement
0/1000
Magic
1
Special gifts to manipulate the impossible
0/1000
Perception
1
Improves ranged damage and chance to see the unseen
0/1000
Charm
1
Ability to attract others to your cause
0/1000
Strength
1
Improves damage with melee weapons and carrying capacity
500/1000
Intelligence
1
Improves amount of honor able to hold and spells able to learn
600/1000
Endurance
1
Improves stamina and stamina regeneration
450/1000
Wisdom
1
Improves memory
0/1000
Persuasion
1
Ability to persuade other creatures and objects
0/1000
Speed
1
Rate of movement
0/1000
After looking over the chart, he had so many more questions.
"Zalara…I have a lot of questions about this stat chart. First, why does it say Immortal, then 'None Selected'?"
"Because you have yet to select your Immortal, Sir Maverick."
"My fault…I'll ask a different way. What is an Immortal, Zalara?"
"Immortals are the primordial beings who created the Ethereal…the world you now live in, where the continent of Glorindal resides. Even I don't know exactly where they come from, but they are fortified with Spyte—the elemental which magic spawns from."
"And why must I select one?"
"All great knights select an Immortal to protect them and offer immense rewards for completing their personal quests. Through their gifts, you will be able to rapidly increase your level."
Maverick liked the sound of that. He needed to basically select a deity who he would swear his fealty to, then he would gain massive rewards!
"Okay, sounds good so far! Second question…why is my Honor, Strength, Intelligence, and Endurance not at zero, but everything else is?"
"That is the mystery, Sir. All others that Kemora have bonded to start with all their stats at zero unless you have been gifted Elixir from streams of Glalindir. This mystical elixir allows the drinker to gain abnormal abilities."
"And…"
Zalara cut him off before he could ask another question. "That is all I can offer you now, Sir. I am connected to you, and as such, I am weak from the lack of Wisdom you contain. I must rest now…farewell, m'Lord…"
Maverick didn't want her to leave. He still had a lot he wanted answered and he knew he wouldn’t be able to rest without those answers. He tried to call out to her a few more times but she wouldn’t answer. He finally gave up trying and got lost in the screen still floating in his vision.