Kaden followed Yituri through the castle, leaving behind the business portions and entering halls that looked personal. The guards here were no joke, Centurion warriors who appraised him and rapidly calculated their options and his odds if he was a threat.
Yituri wasn’t even remotely intimidated. “This way. That way is the Queen’s private quarters and if you go there, there aren’t enough vouchers in the world to have you survive.”
Kaden waited while Yituri knocked on the door, which swung open as an [Assassin] stepped out. She wore a monk’s robes and carried smooth silver spikes. “Yituri. Guest. The King will see you now.”
“Evan!” Yituri said, so much more relaxed now. “What can’t wait for tomorrow? Are those monsters from the Vivomancer Guild chewing your ass that badly?”
Evandor’s gaze would have given Kaden [Mana Burn]. He looked to the wizened man sitting next to him. “Forgive my cousin, Grand Dean. Kaden Birch, this is the Grand Dean of the first College of Vivomancy. He has a proposal regarding your [Burning Dream Queen.] I would appreciate you hearing him out.”
The Dean stood and dusted himself off. “I’d heard rumors there was another [Beast Master]. Such a useful class with such terrible mechanics. Of course, if you consider the history of the class, it’s not surprising.”
Kaden recognized the tone from long afternoons in Beast Control. “I don’t know the history. I barely know the present, but I was told by Professor Treadle the key to learning was knowing when to listen.”
“Treadle Barnes. Genius. Madman. I sometimes regret having him banned. It was only one city, after all, but he’s right. Your class is thought to be from the third iteration of the System. Back then, reaching level twenty five was the goal. Fifty took an miracle. Seventy Five was near unheard of. Centurions were near gods. The Class isn’t balanced. Like [Rune Master], it scales far faster than it should, and those bond mechanisms are the only thing keeping it in check.”
“I see. It’s a fascinating viewpoint and one I’ll consider.” Those were the magic words that calmed the Profressor. “So, are you here to bid on my [Burning Dream Queen]?”
“No.” The Dean stood, almost half Kaden’s height. “I’m here to buy it. But you and your ridiculous asking price. Two hundred thousand gold? Who do you think you are?”
“The man who owns the only [Burning Dream Queen] corpse.” [Negotiation] kicked in, telling Kaden how to press his advantage. Hopefully telling him when to stop. “So, my starting price was two hundred thousand gold, but now I understand that an Assassin of the Nova Star order could use the Fire Mana to make the kind of weapon we’d all live in fear of. Perhaps—”
“The Nova Star Order was obliterated six hundred years ago, young man. Unless their ghosts are coming to bid, you won’t find a better offer.”
Kaden had made the sect up, but then again, with so many different Assassins and so many different sects, it was likely that almost every good name was taken. “What’s your offer?”
“Two hundred thousand gold. Fifty thousand now, the rest over four years.”
[Negotiation] pushed him to ask for more, but there was a different kind of tension. And Kaden had something else he wanted. “Treadle’s damn near a genius, but kicking him out of your colleges was an idiot move that only caused more damage. At least when he was a member of your groups, you had some idea of what he was up to. Do you want to know what he created?”
“I knew [Gigantorrod] was too convenient,” the Dean muttered. “Did he pay you to give it a potion? I know you ‘woke’ the beast. I knew of your association in minutes.”
Kaden shrugged. “If I did, I would probably be under an oath of some sort. You know the kind.”
“I do. It’s a hell of an application monster. But you don’t understand. He’s been kicked out of all five colleges.”
“Then make a sixth. Put him in charge of it, so you have an excuse to constantly watch him. For all you know, he could be tampering with the System Limits on Obedience Bindings. Wouldn’t you sleep better knowing his assistants—assistants who work for you—would tell you when he starts doing something?” Kaden knew it was an advantage. “Two hundred thousand gold over four years, and I want Professor Treadle imprisoned—I mean, reinstated—with round the clock assistance. And in return, I share with you a fact that will let you plan your research.”
“You’re confident. Interesting,” the Dean said. “What fact alone would change our research plans?”
Kaden took the [Burning Dream Queen] egg out of Inventory. “Don’t ask. There’s no amount of gold you can offer me. The [Druids] are working on a location for me to release it. You’re dealing with the only known specimen now.”
The Dean stared until Kaden put away the egg. “We have a deal. Tell me, are you interested in Quests to tame a few monsters—I mean—specimens—who may have gotten out of control?”
“If Ignus Malachor says so, I’d probably be open to taking those Quests.” Kaden was starting to understand how this world worked.
“Very good, very good.” The Dean excused himself with the King, heading to a private FarPortal.
Kaden wanted to leave, but the bored, non-attentive Assassin positioned herself in such a way it just exudeded ‘you-dont-want-to-try-to-step-past-me’ vibes.
A moment later, King Evandor returned. “I didn’t expect that to go so easily. I expected I’d need to coerce you to take a deal. And trust me, I can be quite coercive. As a [King] I have to deal with all sorts. Some are sweet, some are savory, some are less savory. All are essential. Once I was a man with principles. Now, power.”
“You can have both,” Kaden said.
“Only up to a certain point. Why mention Ignus?”
That Kaden had an answer for. “The Vivomancers are always losing control of monsters. Now they’ll go through Ignus to request me. Which means Ignus gains favors, which means he owes me.”
Evandor seemed pleased with that answer. “From here, where does your party go? Not that I’m kicking you out, I just want to understand.”
“North, there’s some [Beserkers] I have to make a deal with. Actually, probably to return that shell first. Then a [Grove] for training. North for [Beserkers]. I have a Griffin I need to check up on, and Sara wants to go to the Souther Islands to meet the [Captain] of our trading ship.”
So much to do.
Asking for help with the [Slaver] was the smart thing to do. Proving the man was a [Slaver] beforehand would be difficult. Trella could see him but no one else could, which meant, from their standpoint, he was just another citizen. Just another Centurion.
“Thank you for your assistance.” Kaden bowed before him. “And you, too, Yituri. I probably will have the Dragon hide made into a bracer. Can I ask a question? How did you create that domain?”
Evandor actually grinned. “The spell that resets the bosses is the result of a [Wish] from a Goddess. We collect the most unusual of fire bosses. It costs a hundred thousand gold at least to move some here. The [Fire Boa] was just an egg. I can imagine a greatly restrained or reduced [Burning Dream] nest. You were correct, not all of the workers were destroyed.”
That had Kaden worried. “You—”
“I sent a team of Centurions in not twenty minutes after your party returned. A few dozen workers, no queens, not even one egg. The Dragon is not my pet nor part of the trial, he simply finds the Domain comfortable for resting.” Evandor paused as the [Assassin] appeared by his side, whispering. “Oh, excellent. If you don’t mind, I have matters of state to attend to.”
Kaden didn’t mind. In fact, he’d expected exactly this.
Yituri went with him. “You don’t seem upset.”
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“Two hundred thousand gold over four years is a fortune,” Kaden said. “And I expect the King has to repeat this three hundred times a year. Lavish attention on the latest Party bringing treasures and then move on to keeping the city calm and prosperous.”
“Try seven hundred times a year, maybe more. Tomorrow, when you go to spend those vouchers, remember, an item from the most skilled craftsman in our city and one from the newest graduate cost the same voucher. Patience can be rewarded.” Yituri shut the doors to the royal quarters and guided Kaden through the maze back to the corridor where his rooms were. “Tomorrow, if you have any problems while shopping, reach out.”
Kaden would. He knocked on the door to his own room and waited for Trella to answer, pulling him inside. “I’m sorry. This is all new to me. Mistress Scylla was very clear. I stick to my Quest and my Quest only. She will handle killing the bastard.”
“Do you know who it is?” Kaden asked.
“Eve and Sara aren’t back. What did you do?”
Kaden explained about the meeting. “I have a thousand reasons to hate Professor Treadle but this way, he’s watched. He’s guarded. When do you attack the [Slaver]?”
“I don’t. We get one shot at him. I’m going to gather information. I already sent word to the Sisters and Senior Sister herself issued a Quest. I used to dream about this moment. Now that it’s here, it’s scary.”
Kaden held her close and told her the most apealing lie. “It’ll be fine.”
Trella pushed him away abruptly.
“I’m sorry, I just want to comfort you,” he said.
She batted at her head. “It’s not that. Your lizard set my hair on fire.”
Now Kaden put the lizard back in its cage. It should have felt like victory. Now it felt like the start of a war.
###
Sara and Eve didn’t return until nearly dawn, and Sara burst into the room without even knocking, ignoring the fact that neither Kaden nor Trella were dressed. “Get up, we found information for you. Also I need your help, Kaden.”
Vip was overjoyed to see Eve and demanded to be held while Kaden dressed and Trella showered. “What did you find? And what do you need?”
“There’s a caravan wagon covered in bees stuck at one of the gates. I need you to tame them, move them, slaughter them and we can collect a Mecari Quest.” Sara waited impatiently. “We’ll be right back!”
Kaden left Skully to guard, summoned Trinity and ran through the streets of Trunistan with Trinity enjoying the morning stretch. They crossed the city, running along side a canal loaded with barges and crossed at a bridge.
Sara had left out a few details.
“Wagon” was a term for anything with wheels. This was like a house with wheels that stood fifteen feet tall. The doors on either side hung open, revealing honeycomb that filled the house.
“Bees” were also a term. Each of these was the size of Kaden’s fist and the house was covered in them.
And Quest was probably the most accurate term he’d heard since nothing was moving in or out of the gate. The Colony had a furius hum to their wings, and Kaden didn’t doubt their stings would hurt. “What do you want me to do?”
“The Quest is to clear the gate.” Sara pointed to either end. “The mobile cabin was empty, or so they thought. It’s been stuck here three days.”
Kaden wasn’t afraid of a few stings. “This is going to take a bit. Move back, don’t come with me.”
He began to [Soul Bind] and release individual bees, few at a time. If they buzzed near, he prioritized them. One landed on his arm and stung before Kaden could [Bind] it.
[Resist Poison] made it nothing but pain and a hundred points of health.
Foot by foot he grew closer. [Beast Soul] showed him the truth. There was only one [Beast] here, and it was the colony as a whole. [Bind] and release, Kaden focused until he was close enough to climb the ladder with slow, careful steps
Kaden looked back, only to realize now the air was so thick with bees he couldn’t see Sara.
[Giant Honeybee Colony]
This colony of Giant Honeybees found a quiet home in a perfect place in the woods, a place where it could settle down, raise a few thousand larva, and make a quiet life. Then, while they were sleeping through the winter, someone stole them—and their home—and dragged them far away. Now, they’re mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore. They’re not sure what ‘it’ is, but not taking it at all, and if that means buzzing menacingly and stinging anyone who gets close and stays close, so bee it. * Beast Knowledge: The best mead on earth is made from Giant Honeybees. We got drunk for three years straight. Had a hangover for a decade. 1/10, do not recommend.
Kaden took [Identify] as a clue. [Soul Binding] the colony was a gentle affair and required that he first bind over half the workers, so he took his time, reaching a truly calm state where his only concern was the pattern of bind and unbind.
You have bound an Entity (Giant Honeybee Colony).
Now [Beast Soul] let him express an emotion. *Calm.*
He projected the image of the bees returning to the colony. Of him protecting it. The air grew quiet as the bees clustered on their home. “Sara, tell the workers to unchain both ends of the wagon.”
“That’s not going to happen, I’ll handle it.” Sara ran forward, working the pins that kept the wagon chained together until the front released. “Move, move. Clear off,” she shouted. Her pseudopods offered differing directions to illustrate all the ways people could choose to move the front of the caravan that were anywhere but here. “Is it safe?”
Kaden set another pulse of *peace* “It’s sort of safe, you can duck under the side by the gate. If there are dead workers, try not to step on them. The smell will upset the colony. If we can get this car separated, I can probably move it out into a field beside the city.”
“The owners will want the bees removed.” Sara moved slowly, picking each step with caution, then lifted herself up on the other side of the wagon-house. “This will take a moment, and there may be some recoil when I release the other side.”
Concepts like ‘some recoil when we release’ didn’t translate to Giant Honeybee, so Kaden instead pictured a storm shaking the colony, and the bees keeping close and clustered to protect their young. With a crack, the caravan’s rear detatched, and the entire colony raised a split-second roar of wings before Kaden once more stilled them.
“Give us a few moments,” Sara said. “It’s not as easy backing up a caravan as you might expect.”
Kaden was telling a story in thoughts and pictures. Of the colony gently rocking as the wagon moved out. Of them being free to soar out and find flowers. Of the flowers being ‘away’ from the city. The concepts were ones the colony grasped. He was free to walk carefully to the back of the wagon, still outside the gate and hop down. Broken chains hung down to the ground, and Kaden grabbed one and began to pull. Like most cities, Trunistan had vast walls to protect against Surges, and kept the fields just beyond mostly clear.
Sara rushed to take the other chain, gripping it with both hands and both pseudopods. “How far do we need to move them?”
“The Colony doesn’t actually care about people. Point the wagon north-south along the wall and they’ll fly away from the wall.” Kadens’ injured hand kept slipping. He wrapped the chain around it and strained, forcing the wagon to roll over grassy land. Every rock, every branch, every rabbit hole required him to stop and re-assure the colony.
At last, he was confident. “That’s far enough.”
The mental image he send to the colony was of them flying free, out toward the fields and forests. And most importantly, ignoring the woman in green armor with the not-snakes on her back. Sara hid in his shadow as the rumble of wings grew louder and louder.
Kaden carefully guided her until they stood twenty feet from the wagon home. Unbinding the colony didn’t turn it hostile. “Well? Quest status?”
“Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Sara ran to the gate, where the (shorter) caravan was already moving. Down the eastern road, wagons backed up as far as Kaden could see.
Your party has completed a Quest: My Kingdom for a Gate!
Quest Master is Active.
You have received 4x: Mercari Faction Tokens.
Your favor with Faction (Mercari) has reached a new threshold.
You have gained experience.
Kaden wasn’t impressed with the gain.
Sara emerged from the gate with a trio of men and women following close behind. *We have a new problem. Probably a new Quest.*
Kaden saw this coming. “You three own that wagon house?”
“Our village does,” the woman said. “We were’t expecting to move again so soon, and after Rada and her family died of the fever, no one was checking it. But money is money, and a caravan moves when it has to. When it got warmer here, we didn’t think the whole house was invaded.”
“The house is covered in wax,” Kaden said. “And sticky inside. And also it’s full of giant bees.”
The man to the right spoke. “I’ll authorize a Quest. Kill the bees, recover the house. Ten silver sound right?”
Sara opened her mouth to speak—then stopped as she studied him.
“Say I wanted to build one of those for myself. How much would it run me?” Kaden asked.
The third woman, an old woman with white hair answered. “Two thousand gold. Living in an actual house while you move makes us a village. It protects us from monsters at night. You’d need at least two more for form a traveling village.”
Kaden had seen prices in villages outside Verona. Five hundred gold would buy a new mansion built from scratch. Odds were this was as much about the family that had lived there as the house or the massive wagon it was built on.
“I’l buy it from you,” Kaden said. “You have a [Builder] build you a new one. That one’s mine.”
You have offered two thousand gold to the Istavi Caravan for one bee-infested singlewide mobile home.
“Done.” The caravaners laughed and cheered to themselves as they headed back to the gate.
“Kaden.”
He ignored Sara’s tone, watching his bees take flight. “It’s going to be fine.”
“Must I ask?”
He was already thinking of everything that would go into it. “I need a permit from the city to keep it there. I need you to hire a [Beekeeper]. And a single wagon with horses. And arrange a FarPortal shipment to our shipping station. And provisions for the trip. And someone to transport the colony back to Verdant Vineyards.”
Sara had gone silent.
“That colony produces honey. And it pollinates. And the wax. And we can move it around Verona to pollinate wherever is needed. We could make mead. Broker a deal with Verdant Vineyards—”
“Stop!” Sara said, her voice filled with excitement. “I just—I should have seen it. But there’s so much more. Oh, so much more. You can’t just pluck a rolling home filled with giant honeybees from one continent to the other. There are protocols for this type of transfer. [Vivomancers] have to sign off that we’re not transporting disease or competing with them to unleash rampages. [Beekeepers], I don’t even know where I’d find one!”
For someone listing problems, she seemed awfully excited.
Your business, S&K Holdings has expanded operations into: Monster Transport and Meadmaking.
Kaden froze as a black messenger crow landed on his arm, speaking in Trella’s voice. “Eve found him. Come see the [Slaver] we’re going to kill.”