“Wakey-wakey!”

Far too loud shouting dragged Ted back to the waking world. “Ugh.” Blood pounded in his temples. Bright, piercing light filled the room. Aches and pains stabbed at his back. “Can’t I sleep more?”

“Nope!” Cara bounced from side to side, grinning. “We’ve got a dungeon to clear!”

“Right. And the risk of death is exciting because…?”

“Loot? Experience? Maybe even, dare I say it, new spells?”

Ted sighed and pulled himself upright. What had he gotten himself in for? She wasn’t even the one that could come back from the dead.

She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to leave this village to the vines, are you?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean I have to be excited about it.”

Aghast, she stared back like he was the crazy one. “What’s wrong with being excited?”

He pulled himself out of bed and massaged his shoulders. The tightness in them refused to give up, and Cara continued to stare. He shrugged. “You do you.”

She picked up Nibbles, petted her, and placed her safely away in her nest. “Who else would I do?”

Where to even start with that? Another idiom ruined. He shook his head. It wasn’t worth it. “I’ve been thinking about the fight last night.” That provoked a wide-eyed stare and bated breath. “No, not like that. Tactically, I mean.”

Cara exhaled and nodded. “Me too. I should have done better. My gear…” She looked down, redness creeping into her cheeks.

“You did fine.” He rested his hand on her shoulder. “I should have had Discern Magic up. I’d have seen it coming, stopped them dropping Gramok.”

“Maybe.” She scowled, her chin still down. “Everyone makes mistakes in battle. You were prepared. You had all those spells ready for it. Me?” She shook her head and growled. “Stupid.”

He suppressed a chuckle. She didn’t know what Jeremy had slipped him while she’d been off hunting. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. We all make mistakes.”

“Some of us more than others.” Her pause dragged on. She snorted and shook her head. “Don’t tell Jeremy, but…”

Here it was. Poker face time.

“… I wish I’d taken the gear he’d offered me.” She leaned against the wall, head in her hands. “I knew it at the time, but I thought… Now we’re here, it’s real, and I nearly got us both killed.”

“Well then.” Ted smiled and stepped back, just outside fist range. “I guess it’s confession time.”

Cara looked up and tilted her head. Her eyes widened. She stepped forward and shoved her finger in his face. “You—No. No, no, no, no, no!”

Ted leaped back out of reach. He lifted his pack up onto the bed and laid out the equipment Jeremy had provided for just this moment. Armor. Bow. Dagger. The works.

She watched, an explosion waiting to go off. Her nostrils flared. Her hands clenched and unclenched. “The presumptuous bastard!”

“He was right, wasn’t he?”

Her eyes narrowed as she approached. “And you were in on it.” She frowned. Her face reddened even further. “Is this why I’ve been carrying most of the supplies?”

“You said it yourself—you want this gear.”

Her growl didn’t disagree. She bit her lip and shoved her finger in Ted’s face again. “Don’t keep something like this from me again.”

She picked up the bow first and ran her finger along its length. Her scowl faded as she studied every inch of it. A smile grew on her face, and the coiled tension throughout Ted’s body stood down.

“It’s a good bow,” Cara finally said, completely failing at disguising her smile. “The armor and dagger, too.”

“I’m glad you like them and agree I made the right call.” At least it wasn’t real daggers she was throwing at him. “There was something else I realized—we need a tank.”

“Tank?”

“A big, burly fighter to keep the bad guys off me while I sling spells. I can’t move and cast well, and using only short-cast-time spells will hold me back.”

Cara frowned and shuffled her feet. “Guess I wasn’t much help, skirmishing rather than holding my ground.”

“You’re good at that—use it.” This wasn’t the time for her to get sidetracked. Gramok was waiting for them—not to mention breakfast. “You’re great with a bow, and you can hold your own. I was thinking of someone with heavy armor, someone we know is happy to help people for free, because, the Forest knows, we can’t afford to pay for it.”

“Spoken almost like a wood elf.” She smiled, but only weakly. “Ask him if you want, but be careful what you share.”

“I know. We don’t need everyone knowing I’m a Hero.” Dying and coming back would give the game away, but hopefully not for a while. “I’ll shoot the bow and listen.”

***

After a huge breakfast, that Gramok insisted upon paying for, they left for the ruins. They walked three abreast along a dirt path flanked on either side by seemingly endless farmland. Besides the occasional cart hand-pulled by orcs, and the odd birdsong that got Cara way too excited, there was little in the way of interesting—or even boring—distraction.

Enduring the slight dizziness it brought, Ted kept Discern Magic on constantly. Under it, Gramok’s armor glowed a magnificent gold, complementing perfectly its pristine shine. It was a work of art, and one that had saved Gramok’s life. Not that Gramok was a slouch—if it hadn’t been for the wand paralyzing him, odds were good he’d could have taken all eight of the thugs by himself. He’d make a powerful ally.

If he agreed.

Breakfast hadn’t been the right time to ask. Too much risk of being heard. Besides, there’d been stacks of bread and bacon-like meat just waiting to be devoured. The smell alone had been like an invitation to dine with the gods, and after days on end with the wood elves, that crispy goodness had not disappointed.

Now they’d left that all behind, along with any prying ears, but Ted still couldn’t bring himself to ask.

What if he got it wrong? People weren’t exactly his area of expertise, and they needed help badly. If he messed this up, the entire world might suffer.

With her every glance, Ted could hear Cara’s voice in his head. A shot not taken will always miss. Unfortunately, there was more than a little truth to that. Someone had to ask, and Cara was even worse with people than him.

He steeled himself and laid out the situation to Gramok, keeping clear of the riskier elements. Gramok didn’t need to know about Earth, the System quest, or that Ted was a Hero.

“Join you? Us three, try to save the world?” Gramok bellowed with laughter and clapped Ted on the back. “That’s a good one.”

“I’m serious.” He glanced at Cara for help. The panic on her face made clear no chance of that.

“Uh-huh, sure you are,” Gramok said, staring with an intensity that sent a shiver down Ted’s spine. “The level 6 human and the level 13 wood elf need the level 15 orc to save the world. I got that right?”

When he said it like that, it didn’t sound promising. But what else could they do? “We need all the help we can get.”

No response.

What else was there to say? Gramok had a point. The whole idea was crazy, doubly so without knowing Ted was a Hero.

Would telling him that help, or just make it vastly worse?

They kept walking, and it was clear the conversation was done, at least for now. Maybe seeing the two of them in action would win Gramok over. It wasn’t like he’d seen much last time before he’d hit the dirt.

Or maybe Ted would end up dying again. At least that would make the choice of how much to reveal a whole lot simpler.

Cara was the first to break the silence, pointing at a bird and asking if it migrated for winter. Gramok shrugged, but Cara wasn’t done. It was like a dam had broken—the age and species of every tree they passed, the mating habits of the birds, crop rotations used, the questions went on and on.

Gramok answered as best he could, but her curiosity vastly outstripped what little knowledge he had of the natural world. Crop prices and cycles he knew surprisingly well, but he quickly faltered again on how the actual farming process worked. Nevertheless, she nodded along to what few answers he had and asked ever more questions.

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Irrelevant or not, it gave Ted a chance to think. Would revealing that he was a Hero really be so bad? Did orcs hate them in the same way the wood elves did? It had been a long time, and far more generations for orcs than wood elves. Maybe they’d met more Heroes like Sigurd since.

He chuckled. Vikings would probably have gotten on well with the orcs. Perhaps Gramok would be okay with it, but the fewer unknowns, the better. What they knew was that Gramok was happy to help those in need. Surely, then, what they needed to do was underpin just how important this was, and show that they had a chance.

Cara asked another question about bird nest materials. How did she even think of so many? Not that her questions weren’t all at least mildly interesting, but wasn’t she tired of so few meaningful answers?

Gramok clenched his teeth. “They’re birds. Hay, maybe?” He turned away and took a long, deep breath. “So, Ted, you want to save the world?”

“Yeah.” At least they were back to the subject at hand. “I have a System quest.”

“A System quest?” Gramok raised an eyebrow. “They’re a myth, a legend. You sure you’re not still drunk?”

Of course he didn’t believe it. Sometimes, Ted didn’t either. “Not drunk, sadly. We’ve got a lead in the Divine Empire. That’s where we’re headed.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say? There’s nothing I love more than visiting an empire where the emperor does whatever he wants to whoever he wants, while his loyal subjects pray they aren’t next.”

An ice-cold shiver ran down Ted’s spine. Did this world really deserve saving, after everything it had done?

His chest tightened, and he swallowed. It didn’t matter. Deserve or not, they were doing it, and they needed a tank. What did Gramok want? What got him out of bed in the morning?

Ted went for it. “It’ll be an adventure.”

“I do love adventure, but do you know the best part about it?”

Ted kept smiling while his heart sank. “What?”

“Coming back and regaling your adoring fans with your tales of valor.” Gramok grinned and clapped Ted hard on the back again. “You’re a promising mage, but the Divine Empire? That place will eat you alive and spit you out.”

Cara spoke up. “We have to try.” Her voice barely shook at all.

More laughter, and Gramok clapped her on the back too. “You guys, you guys are crazy, you know that?”

“Thanks.” She beamed like that was the nicest thing anyone had said all day. “You in, then?”

“If I did something that crazy, my old man would go ballistic.”

A knife twisted in Ted’s gut. His smile only just held the line. “That’s a no, then?”

A toothy grin came back. “Chance to wind him up? I ain’t going near the Empire, but I’ll adventure with you guys for a while. Kragonkar knows you two could use the practice, not to mention a stunningly handsome front-line fighter.”

Shaking his head, Ted couldn’t help but chuckle. Self-confidence wasn’t a problem for Gramok, at least.

Cara’s lips pressed together. Ted met her gaze and raised an eyebrow, asking if she was okay with this. She nodded.

A genuine smile spread across Ted’s face. “Well, as I said, we could use all the help we can get.” He clapped Gramok on the shoulder. “Welcome aboard.”

The conversation flowed much more easily after that. Pointless speculation on the cause of the dungeon spawn threat, potential battle tactics, Gramok’s many adventures—some more plausible than others.

Eventually, Ted’s curiosity got the better of him. “I’ve been keeping Discern Magic on, just in case, and—” He paused, second and third guessing whether it was rude to ask.

“You’re wondering about my armor?” Gramok sighed and muttered something in Orcish. “Fine, if it’ll stop you staring like a starving child at a banquet. We can rest under the shade of this tree. I’m sure Cara wouldn’t mind getting a good look at it.”

“I would love to! Someone—” Cara stared at Ted “—wouldn’t let me examine the trees before.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t. I just asked whether it was really the best use of our time.”

She lifted her chin and smirked. “All work and no play makes Ted a dull boy.”

Why did he ever teach her that saying? “It’s Jack, not Ted.”

She shrugged and began studying the perfectly ordinary tree. “It’s true about Ted, too.”

Heat rushed into his face and ears. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t had a point. Not that it was his fault two worlds wouldn’t stop throwing shit at him.

Gramok laughed, propped himself up in the shade, and wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel from his pack. “Go for it. I bet you won’t be able to guess what all the enchantments do.”

The metalwork itself looked… like metal had been worked. The armor was certainly well polished, and a damned sight more protective than leather, but assessing the quality was beyond Ted. Touching it didn’t give any information on its stats, either, presumably because it was already being worn.

The ornate design was incredibly detailed in places, without even a single dent or smudge. Generally, that wouldn’t be surprising given the mundane and magical ways to completely repair gear, but surely it must have taken a battering the night before. When had he gotten it fixed?

The enchantment was tidy. Intricate, but not delicate. No loose ends, no signs of uncertainty, experimentation, or flair in its creation. Whoever had made it, Ted bet they had made many others before, an expert in their craft.

It didn’t hold a candle to the tangled webs of magic in the elven ruins. This was much simpler, much less artistic. That utilitarian nature made following the lines of magic to isolate the various aspects much simpler.

One aspect was very similar to the Repair effect, presumably its Enchantment cousin. Far from powerful enough to help in a battle, but strong enough the armor likely wouldn’t ever need maintenance without serious damage. The kind of damage that would make repairing the armor irrelevant to the wearer, unless they were a Hero.

The other aspect shared some similarities to Repair, but not any other effects Ted knew. It definitely wasn’t Armor or Absorb. What else could it be? What was he missing? There was a hint of the Light aspect in there, but that wouldn’t make sense, not when both were powered by a Transmutation aspect.

“Can’t see it, can you?” Gramok said, somehow mocking and jovial at the same time. How did people manage that?

Whatever the aspect did, staring at it more wouldn’t help. Ted held up his hands and shrugged. “I haven’t seen many enchantments. There’s a Repair effect in there, and something related, but I can’t for the life of me tell what it does.”

With a grin a little too wide to believe, Gramok put his hands on his hips, lifted his chin, and pushed forward his chest. “That, my friend, is a Cleaning enchantment.”

“Cleaning?” Ted blinked and looked again. It made sense now. Well, how the enchantment worked made sense, anyway. “That’s why your armor gleamed again toward the end of the night! I wasn’t imagining it.”

“Aye. Twenty-fourth birthday, my glorious father asks what I want. ‘Anything,’ he says, ‘for you are a Lord’s son.’” Gramok grinned, showing off his sharp teeth with aplomb. “Being an adventurous sort, and knowing full well my father didn’t approve, I asked for an enchanted suit of armor.”

Ted’s stomach tightened and twisted. A suit of fine armor from his father, and Gramok grumbled that it wasn’t enchanted the way he wanted. “So he got you this?”

“Ceremonial armor for a ceremonial son.” Gramok shrugged and chuckled half-heartedly. “Of course, the great Lord Kadora couldn’t stoop to buy anything poorly made, so, vanity aside, it is a very nice suit of armor.”

“Useful.”

Gramok paused. His eyebrows pulled in, and the bounding energy left his voice. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Your father—”

“I’m fine. Let’s get going again.”

Their eyes met, and for one terrifying moment, it looked like he’d say something. Instead, he nodded, rose, and called Cara back from bird watching to resume their march.

The two of them walked ahead side by side, chatting and laughing while Ted hung back.

He was fine. He was going to finish the damned quest and go home, and that would be it. He wouldn’t have to think about it ever again.

After what couldn’t have been that long, Gramok beckoned Ted up to the front and pointed to the unassuming stone building off to the side of the road. “Here’s the temple.”

It was stout, two stories high, little bigger than two basketball courts side by side. Despite being overgrown with vines, the crenellated stone walls looked sturdy as ever, no doubt thanks to the teal and gold enchantments laid into them. Between the arrow slits in the walls and the battlements above, defenders would have had ample opportunities to rain death down on any attackers.

Ted stared at the fort and tilted his head. “I was expecting something bigger, and less like a castle.”

Gramok snorted and grinned. “When your religion is fighting anyone and everyone, you make an enemy or two.”

“Guess so.” Multiple layers of magic were woven into the walls, too complicated to discern from a distance what they did, though Ted could make a few guesses. “It’s enchanted, some sort of repair magic, at the very least. Nowhere near enough power for an extra-dimensional portal, though.”

New bow in hand and an arrow nocked, Cara nodded curtly. “Good. That place gave me the creeps.”

Ted frowned. There had to be more to it than this, it was far too small to house an entire order. No doubt there’d be surprises, and not the good kind. “How do we get in?”

They looked to their guide, but Gramok merely shrugged. “I’ve never been in. What? It’s a battlemage dungeon. Mages don’t fight fair, everyone knows that. It’s probably crawling with traps, too.”

“Right.” Ted swallowed. “Traps.” He cast an Absorb and an Armor spell on himself and snuck forward.

His heart pounded in his chest. Every step might set off a bomb his overspecialized Perception didn’t spot. Being the Order of the Battlemage, any traps would probably be magical. In theory, that would let Discern Magic see them.

Unless there were enchantments to hide other enchantments.

The hard lump in his chest grew heavier. Yeah, invisible traps sounded about right.

He had been curious about what else Death had to say, hadn’t he? And it wouldn’t be too awkward with Gramok, explaining why dying didn’t stick. That, and why they hadn’t told him in the first place.

Ted swallowed hard. Better not to find out. “Stay back.” A quick glance revealed his warning was pointless. Even Cara had enough sense to let him go first.

A step forward. Nothing.

Another step. Still nothing.

Another step. Nothing—

Mana surged in part of the wall. Ted pulled his arms over his face and dropped to the floor.

Red fire engulfed him. Uncomfortably warm, but no burning flesh. Distant heat, as if happening to someone else.

0 fire damage received (298 absorbed)!

“I’m okay!” Ted said, recasting the Absorb spell and poking his head back up.

Cara looked doubtful. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

The aspect that had triggered the response resembled the Light effect, but in reverse. Some kind of magical sight? It connected up to a Fire aspect and what closely resembled a Projectile form. Now he knew what he was looking for.

He gulped. There were more of them along the wall. Each had a fully stocked well of mana, except for the one that had just fired. But even that one was nearly full again, mana flowing rapidly into it.

Adrenaline surged through him and he scrambled back towards safety, glancing over his shoulder.

Too late. The trigger activated. Ted flung his arms up over his face and turned away.

Another blast of fire engulfed him. The Absorb effect sputtered and failed. Red-hot heat seared his skin.

24 fire damage received (344 absorbed)!

Agony ripped through him. He screamed and sprinted back to the others. That had been just one trap. If he’d kept going and triggered the others…

At a safe distance, he healed away the burns. “They’ve got some kind of seeing aspect connected to a rapid recharge firebolt.” He looked back at the walls and grimaced. “And there’s more of them, too. I can’t cast enough Absorbs to get us past, not even close.”

“Mages.” Gramok shrugged, an irritatingly sunny smile on his face. “What’d I tell you?”

Cara rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Not. Helpful.”

“You try being smart with more injuries than Intelligence.”

It was a fair point. Cara’s face contorted and her head tilted from side to side, but there wasn’t really a good comeback for that. “Fine! So, Ted, resident intellect of the group, what’s the plan?”

Ted crossed his arms and pursed his lips. How did she make such pleasant words sound like insults? And now he had to come up with something, or look even dumber. Well played.

The triggers were all visual, as best he could tell. If line of sight was blocked, they might not go off. All he needed was a large, flat, and portable object to hide behind.

A weight lifted off his chest, and he smiled. “I’ve got an idea.”