Hunter awoke, his head throbbing at the slightest movement. As he opened his eyes, he found himself awkwardly seated, propped against something rigid. Chin to chest, agony shot through his neck as he attempted to raise his head. Nausea churned in his stomach, and his surroundings spun in a sickening blur. The only thing preventing him from face-planting was a rope snugly fastened around his chest, tethering him to what he assumed was an unseen pillar. Pitiful groans nearby told him he wasn't alone in his predicament.

Pheres!

Given the dire circumstances, Hunter was oddly relieved to have him nearby. They stood a better chance, if worse came to worst and they had to escape, if they shelved their differences. Convincing Pheres of that, however, might be a problem.

Ignoring the pain, Hunter craned his neck to look at Pheres who’s back rested against a pillar. "Psst, keep it down, would you. We don’t want to alert Agathos that we’re awake just yet."

Pheres responded with a blustering cough, turning his head over his shoulder to glare at Hunter. "As if I'm going to listen to you. Your advice is about as welcome as a fart in a hoplite's helmet. I wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you."

Hunter, testing the rope bindings around his hands, found them tightly secured. "Complaining won’t loosen these ropes. You know Agathos much better than I do. Once you explain who you are, he’ll probably set us free. I can show him my referral letter from Orcus tucked away in my ring."

Pheres fell into an ominous silence, casting a shadow over Hunter's hope.

Dread settled in Hunter’s gut. "I take it you knew the shortcut and had that magic stone to get through the maze because Agathos gave it to you."

"Gods give me patience; you’re about as sharp as a marble..."

Hunter growled. "It was a fair assumption. You took it then?"

"I borrowed it; there’s a difference. My father acquired it. Don’t ask me how; the prick tells me very little. I was going to use it to prove I was capable of..." Pheres trailed off, seemingly realizing he'd already spilled more than he intended in a misguided attempt to boast. Disgust curled his lip. "Look at you; why explain myself to you? You’re a bloody mess!"

Hunter frowned. He’d been so close in learning something crucial about Xuthos’ shady dealings. Holding his gaze on Pheres’ mud-streaked face and hair, he’d more than looked like he’d taken a nap in the dirt."So what if I am? You look like you were dragged through the hedge maze backward."

It was a low blow, but Hunter hoped Pheres would take the bait and reveal more. "At least I’m not bleeding from every orifice. You can’t handle that poison; you don’t have a robust cultivator's body like me. And now that scoundrel has confiscated our belongings."

Hunter's breath caught, and he inspected his hands—his storage ring was missing. He couldn’t leave without it. While it was soul-bound to Hunter, making it unlikely Agathos could search its contents, he felt like he was missing a limb without it on his finger.

"Okay, we're not getting out of here without explaining who we are and why we came through the maze so close to nightfall. I don’t think we'll gain Agathos's favor if the two of us are fighting. Let’s put our differences aside until we get out of here."

Pheres struggled against the bindings and clucked his tongue. "You might have been exiled for more than a decade, but you still believe you can charm your way out of everything. My father always said you Filo’s are so used to having everything your own way!"

Hunter rolled his eyes. "So says the self-entitled, rich, arrogant bastard."

"My father was a self-made man. I respect him enough to want to follow in his footsteps as a warrior and then a businessman when I retire from service. But unlike you ‘golden boy who can do no wrong,’ I’ve had to work for every shred of progress I've ever made. I’ve never been good enough in my father’s eyes."

This time, Hunter stayed silent, sensing the undercurrent of hurt and grief soaking Pheres' tone despite his attempts to conceal it. “I’m—”

"Don't! If you say you know how I feel, I will strangle you when I’m free. Your situation now is not even close to mine. The only person who ever cared or thought anything of me is gone. She died along with my sister, leaving a bitter man to raise me. I think he wishes it had been me instead of them." The strain in Pheres' voice hinted at a belief that his father might be right.

Hunter remained silent; he wasn’t one to kick a man when he was down.

Pheres didn’t feel quite the same way. "Your mother might be ill, but she is still alive on some island for the privileged, unlike the wretched bastards with no coin or political clout, sent to Death Island."

Hunter turned away. "You know nothing about me, so don’t pretend like you do." If Pheres knew what really happened to his mother on Death Island, perhaps he might have a heart, given his own love for his mother. "You're not the only one to have lost a loved one."

Pheres snorted. "Are you talking about your father? Rumor has it he didn’t die a hero’s death but deserted his allies."

Hunter ground his jaw. "You’re lucky my hands are tied. I’d punch you in that big fat lying mouth of yours."

"A pitiful threat.” Pheres laughed. “I’m not as physically weak as you. I could snap these ropes if I wanted to. Nor am I worried about Agathos, and I’m certainly not worried about fighting you. You're not worthy to waste my energy on. A lion doesn’t fight a bug, after all."

It felt like time had reversed, and they were seven years old again, slinging insults before fists flew in the schoolyard.

The rope shifted across his chest as Hunter turned back to face him. "I bet your mother would be so proud of the man you’ve become."

He immediately regretted the low blow when he saw Pheres' head hang low. "You know nothing."

Hunter opened his mouth to apologize, but he was cut off by a booming voice.

"Silence! You insolent pups! Your incessant whining is giving me a headache."

Hunter spun his head around to find an old man entering the chamber. On second glance Hunter realized he wasn’t old, he was ancient. His withered frame revealed skin stretched taut over a thin skeleton. Wisps of wiry, silver hair clung to his scalp and a few tufts of silver sprouted from his chin.

He moved with deliberate slowness, leaning on a gnarled wooden staff. Each step echoed the measured pace of a cultivator who cared little for the hurried tempo of mortal life. Despite the frailty of his appearance there was an aura of quiet power radiating from him.

Pheres didn’t seem to notice the power, but kept his voice only for Hunter’s ears. “I’ve seen more life in a corpse.”

“Whispering is for cowards; I can hear everything you say you dung beetle. It’s a miracle you made it as far as you did in my maze even with the key and stone.”

“How dare you insult me. I am Pheres Andenos, son of--”

Master Agathos scoffed. “I know exactly who your father is. Whether you come from noble stock or not, it matters little to me. You still have the look of someone who couldn't find his ass with both hands and a map."

Hunter snorted a laugh but stopped short when Master Agathos looked at him.

"I see your sense of humor is better than your sense of direction or taste in companions."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Excuse me!” Pheres raised his chin. “We are not friends. In fact, I despise him and everything his family stands for."

"Is that so?" Master Agathos kept his eyes on Hunter. "Does he speak the truth?"

Hunter nodded. He didn’t want to put into words how he truly felt about backstabbing Pheres or his lech of a father.

A note appeared in Master Agathos' weathered hand. "This referral letter is the only thing that saved you both from dying a dog’s death in my maze. Before you ask, yes, I took all your belongings and thoroughly searched them." He leaned his gnarled staff at Pheres. "You are as bland as they come, as is your storage ring inventory. Belly lint would be more fascinating to collect. The only items of interest I found were from the one who reeked of a rooster. A nice collection of fascinating monster cores."

Hunter froze.

There was nothing frail about this old man. If he could unlock a soul-bound storage ring, he was much more powerful than Hunter’s parents combined.

Pheres wore Master Agathos' insult with a grimace. “What’s so special about monster cores? Surely they're worth no more than a copper coin to an alchemist like you?”

Master Agathos snapped his fingers. “Be quiet, you fool, or I will cut out your tongue and feed it to my Tiger plant. You’d both be dead by now if I hadn’t given you the Red Skull antidote. I know. I’m sure you’re suffering the side effects, which are, some say, as bad as the poison, but being cultivators, you will both purge it from your system. You’re lucky you’re not mere mortals; otherwise, there’d be nothing that would bring you back.”

Master Agathos handed the letter to Hunter. “So it seems we have a mutual business deal with Orcus, one he has laid claim to as well. Don’t look so worried. I’m a man of honor. If you just wandered in here, I’d have confiscated everything from your storage ring for my collection and let the magistratus deal with your trespass on my property.”

Pheres seemed slow to learn not to interrupt Master Agathos. It was as if his pride overruled logic. “How is it that the mighty Master Agathos is worried about not honoring an agreement with that scathing alchemist Orcus?”

Master Agathos pressed Pheres with his aura and he shrank back against the pillar, shivering with beads of sweat on his brow.

“Fear has nothing to do with it, you insolent dog. I’m a man of my word, and I’ve had business dealings with Orcus in the past. Like you, he has the personality of a dung beetle, but his alchemy skills are the best in Delphare. A mutual friend introduced me to him when I moved here.”

Hunter’s curiosity spiked. “Anyone we might know?”

“Yes." Master Agathos' answer came in clipped tones. He didn’t volunteer any more information. But the icy look he gave Hunter said, 'I dare you to ask who it is and see what happens.'

With a quick flick of his gnarled cane Hunter’s bindings loosened and fell into his lap. He didn't waste the opportunity to be rid of them. Gathering his strength to stand, he resisted the urge to show weakness in front of Pheres and rest his hand on the pillar.

“Hey!” Pheres’ head thrust forward as he tried to pull his body free from his own ropes. “What about me?”

Master Agathos ignored his shrill protest and beckoned Hunter forward. “Walk with me.”

Hunter stumbled with the first step as the numbness in his legs retreated. Following Master Agathos out of the room, Hunter didn’t glance back. Pheres burst into a struggling fit in a bid to free himself while cursing like a demon.

“Don't leave me tied up or you'll be sorry you did!” Pheres’ voice echoed into a hallway lined with iron dragon sconces separated by inlets carved into the walls.

Glancing from one inlet to the next, they each displayed an ancient collection of items from around the empire. Hunter's gaze stopped on the shining armor resting on a stone Hoplite statue.

Now that’s the type of armor that could really give me the edge when fighting the heavy hitting gate bosses. Hunter bunched his fist by his sides, resisting the powerful urge to reach out and touch it.

Master Agathos smiled in approval at his interest.

“Jakob, it seems you have a keen eye for the extraordinary.” Master Agathos waved his hand. “I'm a high level cultivator who’s lived for more than 500 years. While I've never seen an ascension tower myself, my grandfather told me all about one he encountered in his youth. I believe it set him on the path to success. It enabled him to be one of the few from this continent who ever ascended to the heavens as an immortal cultivator.”

“Ever since I could remember my father told me about the legends involving such towers.” Hunter continued and stopped next to Master Agathos as he looked at a scroll resting on a holder.

“Then I'm sure you've heard, as I once did, of Ascension towers in distant lands. Where many cultivators went inside seeking to become powerful warriors. My grandfather told me that all those who entered the tower when he did perished inside. Many disputed his claim that he was the sole survivor, but I always believed him.”

Hunter nodded. He could tell that while Master Agathos was cautious of ascension towers he also had a deep respect for the opportunity it presented to young cultivators willing to risk their lives in the pursuit of growing stronger. “It sounds like to me you don’t fear the tower that appeared outside our city unlike the majority of Delphare’s citizens.”

The end of Master Agathos gnarled cane lifted, pointing at the scroll. “I recognized one similar to this in your inventory. Are you interested in trading it or one of the other items such as the Lucky Rabbit’s Paw?”

Hunter's heart raced. It was clear Master Agathos was an avid collector but there was no way Hunter was going to let him take his divine scroll. He held his voice firm as he looked Master Agathos in the eye. “No, not at this time but I thank you for the offer.”

Master Agathos scratched his silver haired beard. “Personally, I don’t need those items myself but I know people who would be most interested in trading with you. Your eyes tell me you're worried. I won't take them from you. I'm not a common thief.” He waved his hand again, gesturing down the long hallway. “Everything here has been obtained with honor and with consent from the original owners.”

Hunter raised brow, hesitating because he was unsure how he should respond to an advanced cultivator with such power. Could he be telling the truth? Even if he wasn't, there wouldn't be much Hunter could do to stand against him. Master Agathos could easily take the items by force if he desired. So why give him an option?

“Your wheels are working too slow even for me at my ripe old age.” He tapped his cane on the floor, the force of the echo rustling the stand where the scroll rested. “I've been honest with you, but you're not been honest with me. I know you're not Jakob of the House Tanneros.”

“Oh really?” Hunter's chest tightened, but he wasn’t about to give in and admit he'd been caught posing as someone else.

Master chuckled. “Yes, I've met him. You needn't worry that I'd tell anyone that you've been inside that tower either. I'm not like those superstitious fools who believe it is cursed by the death cultists.” He nodded in Pheres' direction. “I'm one of the few who are all for that tower being summoned to the city.”

Hunter crossed his arms deciding whether or not he should reveal who he really was. If he did, his sister might be at greater risk and he only had Master Agathos’ word—how could he trust it?

Master Agathos’ brow raised in amusement. “Vassilus’ guards are on their way as we speak. I'm sure he'll have the means to find out who you really are without me getting my own hands dirty.”

“What the hell?” Hunter stepped back, wanting to get out of there soon before he encountered the magistratus again.

Turning his back and leaning on his cane, it seemed as if he were testing Hunter to see if he’d attempt to escape or attack. Neither option was a risk Hunter was willing to take.

Master Agathos sighed and glanced back over his shoulder. “I already mentioned I had high level security. You should have figured that out when you encountered my hedge maze. Vassilus already received an automatic alert before I discovered your referral letter from Orcus. I recommend you leave soon.” He turned and faced Hunter his stature taller than before as a scowl replaced his expression. “Why don't you tell me who you really are! I like to know exactly who I'm dealing with, especially those granted the privilege of seeing my private collection. There are no secret identities kept from me.”

Straightening his posture with pride, he glared back at Master Agathos. “Hunter, son of Auberon and Katina Filo.”

The scowl on Master Agathos’ face shifted as his mouth fell open, the first time Hunter had seen him hesitate. “I've heard of them, very honorable people. I only found out about their kindness after I'd arrived in Delphare under General Eratos’ rule.”

Hunter tilted his head as he recognized Master Agathos’ tone held reverence for his parents that seemed absent as he spoke his uncle’s name. He tapped his fingers on his arm. “So, you mentioned Vassilus and his men are on the way. I'd rather not be here when they arrive.”

“Well, you can leave on one condition.” Agathos opened his fist, the storage ring resting in his palm as he extended his hand toward Hunter. “There’s nowhere else on this continent that I can obtain monster cores of such divine caliber.” He scratched the tufts of silver on his chin. “I haven’t had an interesting project that is as challenging to me as this since my arrival here. Bring me a larger monster core.”

“You didn’t find enough in my inventory?” Hunter slid the ring on his finger, the feeling of comfort lessened the tension he’d been holding in his shoulders.

“After many failed attempts, I managed to refine one pill, but it took all the monster cores you had in your inventory. Don’t worry about Orcus—I’ll send him a message on my progress and he’ll be more than satisfied with the results. His cut from the percentage will be assured, especially when you bring me more. He can trust me, and I hope I can trust you to return.”

“It seems my choice is limited, but I'd much rather deal with you, than Orcus. Besides, I too am a man of my word.”

Master Agathos’ eyes twinkled. Hunter wondered if he was amused that at eighteen years old he’d professed he was a man.

A chime echoed throughout the hallway, and Master Agathos’ eyebrow raised. He pointed towards Pheres. “Best you collect your unsavory companion and leave to gather the monster cores. Vassilus’ men are near, and he isn’t too keen on trespassers. If you linger and they find you, then it’ll be out of my hands and into his.”