After introducing Arduwan and Wraith…well, reintroducing, at least one of them remembered…we discussed how we were going to visit the Oracle of Vale and see if he could help us figure out anything at all. The barbarians gave me a full report of how they smashed Davol’s minions and overwhelmed his fortress before he could even attempt to raise his dead army. King Ardu was in possession of the Great Horn again and had instructed all barbarians that they would listen to my command.
“Good work,” I told the messenger, “I want the four of you to return to your village and tell the king that Arduwan is with me now and we’re going to try and sneak into Vale. Have his scouts watch in the east for when I return. I may need his help in the near future.”
“At once, my liege,” said the barbarian before he and his comrades mounted up and left the spring.
“Okay, Arduwan. Call us up some horses. We gotta find a merchant caravan.”
She did just that. And we did just that. That evening, we found a merchant caravan and by using how Thieves Cant skill we were able to identify a guild member amongst them. She put us in touch with her family in a nearby village and they made arrangements to sneak us over the border into Vale the following day.
* * *
The bustling city of Vale, nestled deep in the forest east of the desert. A large wagon carrying supplies in from a foreign land made a stop at the center of town. On board were three extraordinary barrels. They were not extraordinary because of what they were made of. It was because of what was inside of them. Instead of water or wine, grain or fruits, these barrels carried myself, Wraith, and Arduwan.
When the coast looked clear, the three of us popped up from our wooden pseudo-trojan horses and quickly fled the scene. Once we got our bearings straight we headed towards the place we knew we would find the Oracle. The receptionist took us in right away for an audience. “Hello!” said the jolly, chubby, balding man, “I knew you’d come. Sorry, just some Oracle humor.”
Funny the first time, not the second, didn’t even acknowledge it this time. “Hi, Mr. Oracle,” I started to say.
“Please, call me Oracle,” he corrected.
“Okay, Oracle. You don’t know us, but I assure you that we’ve met before. In fact, the three of us have been here two times before. I can’t explain what’s happened, but something is messing with the time continuum and…well…I seem to have lost an entire year.”
“Lost a year?”
“Yes. A few days ago, I woke up in my bed and the entire past year had been completely wiped clean. I have all my memories and because Princess Arduwan here has a Barbarian Life Debt pledged to me, she also remembers everything. But Wraith doesn’t…and you don’t. Is there any way to help me? Or is that beyond the scope of your power.”
“Hmm, that is an interesting dilemma. First, we need to discuss the matter of payment.” Here we go.
Before another word was said, Arduwan threw down a bag of money. That’s right! When I first met her she had a ton of treasure from adventuring. Since she didn’t need to buy me and Wraith gear…or a fricken camel, she had plenty to spare.
“Oh. I see,” he said, as he examined the bag of coins, “not quite my fee, but a hefty sum nonetheless. I find you all to be an interesting bunch. Allow me to look into your lives a little bit so I may better assess your situation.”
Hmm, this was a new one. Maybe this is how he treated normal people who didn’t quite have the fee. He just sat there humming with his eyes closed for a moment before saying, “I see. No further payment required.”
“What? Are you sure?” I questioned, wondering why he wanted to feel up Arduwan before but this time he made no such request.
“I know what you’re thinking. You said we’ve met a few times before and you’re probably wondering why I’m not asking to caress Princess Arduwan’s ample bosom.”
“Well, yes, to put it bluntly.”
“That’s because I really like you guys and when I looked into your life I saw that you were constantly surrounded by attractive women. Don’t get me wrong, Arduwan is simply the best,” he made a chef's kiss with his fingers before continuing, “but in the interest of not becoming a tired trope everytime I’m in your presence, I’ve decided to accept your bag of gold alone this time.”
“Wow, really? That’s great!”
“On one condition! Next time you use my services, I want you to bring me one of those women you share a roof with.”
“You must be joking,” I said, with furrowed brows.
“No no, I’m being quite serious. I foresee that there was a dark and brooding one, a sweet quaint one, and even a petite framed one with a lively personality. I don’t care which but we’re doing this on the honor system.”
“Err, fine,” I said, “as long as you help me figure out what the hell is going on, I can make it happen I guess.”
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“Oh I’ve already figured out what happened to you.”
“You have! What is it?!”
“Well, it seems you’ve caught the attention of a very very menacing foe. Your escapades around Callist led you to eliminate both a former and current general of the Devil King in the other timeline. Once he became aware that a world walker was here, he remembered stories he heard about a world walker long ago eliminating a past Devil King. So he got scared. He used an extremely powerful curse to try and stop you.”
“A curse?”
“Yes. He wanted to stunt your growth until he could find a way to kill you without endangering his own life or any more of his top aides. This type of magic is very difficult to wield and can only be used once in a lifetime, for it would kill you to use it a second time.”
“Well, what is it? How does it work?” The suspense was killing me.
“The Devil King sacrificed half of his power in order to roll back an entire year of your progress. The only people in the universe who were aware of the rollback are him, you, and
Arduwan by extension of the Life Debt.”
Wow. This is unbelievable. He must have really thought I was something if he did all that.
True, I did kill Davol, but all I did to defeat Apollo was beg for him to leave everyone alone. Still, he must’ve been pretty freaked out when he found out we stopped a zombie horde and an attack force of orcs.
“So here’s a question,” I proposed, “let’s say I killed the Devil King. Would that undo the curse?”
“No, I’m afraid not. What’s done is done. However, in his weakened state, there’s never been a better time to kill him than right now.”
My heart began to ache. I knew it was a longshot when I asked. But I had hoped that would’ve been enough to bring Emily back and restore everyone's memories. But that just wasn’t going to happen. No magic rods or cleric spells were gonna save us this time. She was dead and all I could do was swear to avenge her.
“Alright, is there anything you can tell me that might help me defeat him? Even if he’s weakened, I’m not an elite warrior or anything. Arduwan is, but Wraith is also disadvantaged by the rollback.”
“Hmm, let me see,” he squinted his eyes and meditated for a moment, “the events of the Devil King’s demise are hazy, so that means they’re not in the near future. But not to worry, that doesn’t mean it won’t be you who defeats him. I can, however, see that there’s a special book that can help you on your quest. It’s…a Tome of Wisdom.”
“Tome of Wisdom?” questioned Wraith. I glanced over at him as he rubbed his chin in contemplation. But then I looked back at the Oracle.
“Yes, I can see that it would lead you to a possible way to kill him. Though I can’t see if that particular method would be successful or not. The threads of fate don’t extend that far. I’m
sorry.”
“That’s okay. You’ve told me quite enough. Can you think of anything else that might help?”
He reached his hand up and pressed his finger tips to his scalp as he squeezed his eyes in contemplation and said, “maybe, if something soft were to plant itself on my lap…something, like the voluptuous bottom of a barbarian woman…”
Arduwan started to step forward, but I put my hand up to stop her and said, “Nice try. I don’t suppose you could offer anything else without a lecherous demand?”
“Let’s see…you’re going back to the barbarian lands right?”
“That’s right?”
“Ever wanted to be carried by a giant eagle?”
Of course it had to be that damned bird again!
* * *
“Look! Yonder to the eastern skies, a giant eagle approaches!” said one barbarian scout to another as we flew overhead on a trajectory to Arduwan’s village.
Soon after we would be let down and released from the large roll of carpet that we were wrapped in. We were just outside the village and the king came out to greet us.
“Arduwan! My lovely daughter. You have returned with your betrothed safe and sound.”
“Oh, father, he’s not my betrothed,” she blushed, “I like Sir Wraith.”
“What?!!!” Wraith expressed. This was news to him. This version of Wraith had only known Arduwan a couple of days and as far as he was concerned, she was way out of his league. Shame he didn’t remember all the shit he did to trick her into thinking he was a decent guy.
“King Ardu, I have a favor,” I said.
The king knelt and signaled his daughter to kneel next to him before saying, “at your command, Sir Noble.”
“Is it outside the parameters of my life debt to ask for some of your men to follow me into battle in a distant land?”
“Not at all. We would send every man woman and child in our ranks to their deaths on
your behalf!”
“Ha!” I laughed, “I don’t think all that will be necessary. I’m just wondering if I could take an expedition of some of your finest warriors to face the Devil King. I don’t need them to do anything too crazy. Mostly just ensure my safe passage into his domain and draw some of his forces so I can get a shot at killing him myself.”
“It would be an honor for me to handpick those warriors myself, Sir Noble.”
That night we celebrated our alliance and rested at the barbarian village. The king insisted I sleep in the same quarters as Arduwan, which really wasn;t unfamiliar to me at this point, but I guess he wanted something to happen out of it. However, the next day, it was time to get serious.
* * *
“Sir Noble,” the king announced, as we stood at the center of the village before a lineup of tough looking barbarians. These were a cut above the average ones I had encountered since my very first visit, “these are one dozen of the finest warriors in all of the barbarian lands. Not just my village. I present to you, Throd, newly elected Chieftain of the Batta clan.”
A particularly large chested barbarian man with long brown hair approached me and knelt with his fist against his chest and said, “Sir Noble, it will be my honor to lead these men by your side into victory.”
“Throd’s father was one of my dearest friends and strongest allies. He was recently killed by a suspected spy for the Devil King and so it is fitting that his son help you lead the expedition.”
Wow, a spy, among the barbarians! Apollo had said something about the Devil King’s reach being vast but not quite to the Grasslands yet. I guess with Davol here, his spheres of influence must have been growing quicker than even Apollo thought.
“I’m glad to have you in my service, Throd.”
Ardu smiled and quietly said to me, “Throd once sought the affections of my daughter but was rejected by her in favor of another man. He goes not only to uphold our people's life debt, but to protect her as well.”
I looked over and saw Arduwan with her nose turned up and avoiding eye contact with Throd. The look on his face was pitiful.
Ardu slapped his arm across my back, nearly knocking the wind out of me and said, “with these warriors and Arduwan with you, I have no doubts that you will crush the very skull of the Devil King! You’ll incinerate his innards and let the wind make merry their dust! You’ll make a crown of teeth and cartilage plucked from his face and wear it as a memento of this crusade for all your days!”
“Haha! Well, I was just planning on killing him!” I joked.
“Hahahahahaha! You’re my favorite outsider, Sir Noble. With or without the Life Debt!”