Day 4 of Michael’s Deadline

You have slept 8 hours. Your stamina, mana, and psi reserves have been fully restored, and your blood memories have recharged.

You have lost knowledge of the stolen spells: mana strike, disrupting ray, and fireball.

Ghost’s magma maw has reached rank 13, her ash armor rank 15, her death magic rank 11, and her nether manipulation rank 9.

You and Ghost have reached level 260!

I awoke, rested and refreshed, and to a surprising set of Game alerts. Ghost had obviously been fighting, and while I found the news initially alarming, I calmed quickly when I spotted no accompanying death message.

The pyre wolf was fine.

More than that, she was accompanied by the nagians. Elise and Lucius would not let any harm befall her. Sitting up and rubbing the sleep away from my eyes, I considered the rest of the Game alerts.

However, she’d done it, Ghost had earned us another level and, more importantly, a Class point each. Sadly, though, neither of my Class abilities were ready for upgrade. Advancing them would have to wait.

Swinging my legs off the bed, I rose to my feet. It was time to get the day started.

✵ ✵ ✵

The soft murmur of conversation greeted me as I made my way down to the former tavern’s common room. I picked out Safyre’s voice immediately, and then three more familiar voices. I sighed in relief. The dungeoneering trio had made it back safely from Korg.

A smile on my face, I entered the common room.

Six faces turned my way—Safyre, Terence, Teresa, Nyra and the two forsworn on duty.

“Morning!” Terence called out exuberantly.

“Morning,” I replied just as cheerfully. Nodding in greeting at the forsworn duo, I seated myself at the table with the other four.

“Where’s Sedgwick?” I asked Safyre after we’d exchanged pleasantries.

“Sedgwick?” Nyra asked, a curious look on her face.

“Our new merchant,” Safyre replied offhandedly. Receiving only blank stares from the trio, she smiled. “I’ll explain later, but there have been more than a few changes since you three left.”

“We can see that,” Teresa said, her eyes drifting in the direction of the two silent forsworn at the far end of the room.

“But as to Sedge,” Safyre went on, refocusing on me, “he’s returned to sector 18,240 to poke around the tunnels.”

I nodded in understanding before turning back to address the returning trio. “How was Korg?”

“Interesting,” Nyra replied laconically.

“Quite,” Terence echoed.

Teresa rolled her eyes. “These two… I don’t know what’s gotten into them, but they’ve been like this the past two days.” She turned to face me. “We had a few hiccups,” the young Lion admitted. “But nothing that we weren’t able to deal with, and in the end, we achieved what we went in for.”

“So… mission accomplished?” Safyre asked.

“Absolutely,” Nyra confirmed with a sharp nod.

“Most definitely,” Terence agreed.

Concealing a smile, I ran my gaze over the three, rechecking their analyze data.

The target is Nyra, a level 103 virulent witch.

The target is Terence, a level 117 arcane knight.

The target is Teresa, a level 119 priestess of the Blade.

The Game’s feedback confirmed the trio’s responses.

“A virulent witch. An arcane knight. And a priestess of the blade,” I pronounced aloud for Safyre’s benefit. “Congratulations, those sound like excellent melded Classes.”

Safyre whistled softly. “They’re bi-blends?”

Teresa nodded smugly. “We each still have one more Class to get.” She rubbed her hands together gleefully. “I, for one, cannot wait.” While the other two didn’t say anything, I could see the same hungry desire in their gazes.

They’ve grown, I thought. And in more ways than one.

Sitting back, I examined three anew. Besides their second Classes, Nyra, Terence, and Teresa had each gained more than thirty levels from their time in the dungeon. That was not the entirety of the changes the trio had undergone, though.

Each carried themselves differently, more… confidently. Their gazes were steady and their movements sure. Gone was Nyra’s tentativeness. Gone was the twins’ self-doubt. Often masked by their brashness, it had always lurked beneath the surface.

There was none of that in evidence now.

And even though I’d only just reacquainted myself with the trio, I was sure their new self-assurance was not a passing fad. They’d changed—permanently—and for the better. Now, Nyra, Terrence, and Teresa were players.

In every sense of the word.

I smiled broadly and in genuine pleasure. “Tell us about your new Classes.”

That drew a flurry of responses—even from the thus far mostly-monosyllabic Terence and Nyra.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I held up my hand, laughing. “Wow, slow down. Start at the beginning and leave nothing out. And while you’re at it, give us a rundown of your journey through the dungeon too.”

The three exchanged glances, then Teresa inclined her head solemnly in Nyra’s direction. “You should start,” she told my apprentice.

Nodding, the former assassin inhaled deeply. “I suppose I should begin with our shopping trip.” Her eyes found mine. “After you left us in Korg Major, we…”

✵ ✵ ✵

It took two hours for the trio to finish reciting their tale, and though I felt the press of time, I didn’t begrudge them their moment.

“Well,” I said, when they at last fell silent, “that is quite the tale.”

“You’ve done well,” Safyre added warmly. “All three of you.”

I nodded. “Agreed.”

The three stiffened proudly.

Smiling, I turned to Safyre. “You’ve given them their faction tokens?”

“I have,” she replied. “We are running low on them, by the way. There’s just one left.”

I grimaced. I would have to find the money to purchase more soon. “What about the farspeaker bracelets?”

“We could do with more of those too, but we still have some spares.” Safyre gestured to the trio. “I’ve given them their bracelets as well.”

“I don’t need it,” Nyra volunteered. “I have telepathy now!”

I grinned. “You do, true.”

Nyra’s second Class was that of a hedge witch, and in addition to granting her the herbalism and deception skills, the Class had also made her a psionic. She now had the same psi skills I had.

My smile faded. “That also means you can enter Atiras’ Mind Trials. Do you think you’re…”

“Ready?” she prompted when I ran aground.

I nodded.

“Yes.”

For a moment, I said nothing, measuring her resolve, then nodded decisively. “Very well. Inform Sulan you have my permission to enter the Rings.”

Safyre glanced my way. “You are not returning to the cave with us?”

I shook my head. “It’s better if I head straight to the brotherhood. Tell Adriel I’ll take the new nagians’ oaths when I return.” I had delayed my meeting with the Brotherhood’s Huntmistress long enough as it was it. “With every passing day, it becomes more urgent to find out where they stand.” And if they would aid us as I hoped.

Safyre sighed, but did not question my priorities. “What about Ghost?”

I grimaced. Hopefully, by now the pyre wolf’s anger had subsided. Still, as evinced by this morning’s Game messages, she appeared to be faring well enough. “It’s better she keeps doing what she is doing in the nether. The training will do her good.”

Safyre didn’t argue, but I could see she didn’t agree with my decision. “Very well. I’ll see these three back to base.”

“What about us?” Terence asked abruptly. “What are our orders?”

I exchanged glances with Safyre.

“We could use them,” she allowed, but didn’t push the matter further.

“The Eastern Marches?” I asked obliquely.

She nodded.

I bowed my head, pondering the matter for a moment, then blew out an exasperated breath. Only hours ago, I’d been admiring the twins’ newfound confidence, yet here I was hesitating to send them into danger.

Trust that they are capable. Trust that they can do what you ask.

Raising my head, I glanced from Terence to Teresa. “You recall what I told you of the Eastern Marches?”

Teresa nodded eagerly. “Every word,” she promised. “You were trapped there for days.”

“And you gave the sector to the Blades before you left,” Terence added.

“Not quite, but close enough,” I replied. “It’s been about two weeks since Nyra, Adriel, and I escaped from sector 75,172.” I paused. “You know what that means, right?”

Teresa nodded. “The Blades claim on the sector is still new.”

“Which means they can’t yet restrict who teleports into or out of the sector just yet,” Terence added.

“Correct—on both accounts,” I said. “But more crucially, it means our information on the sector is two weeks out of date. We don’t know what’s happened since we left. The Blades may not even be in control anymore. The Riders may have returned in force and kicked them out.” I shrugged. “Or, who knows? A third party like the Reapers may have decided to take a hand in matters.”

Teresa pursed her lips. “Alright, I get that. But why do you care? I thought we were done with the Eastern Marches?”

“That’s right,” Nyra put in. “In fact, the only relevance sector 75,172 has is—” Breaking off, she inhaled sharply in realization. “You’re bringing them back!”

Terence frowned. “Bringing back who?”

I turned his way. “Tomorrow—or perhaps, even as early as today—Ceruvax, Farren, the Pack of the Reach, and the Bane Wolves will exit Draven’s Reach and enter the Eastern Marches.”

Teresa’s eyes widened. “Oh my!”

“And as Michael has pointed out,” Safyre began, “we don’t know what they will find when they do. Odds are that nothing has changed at the portal tower. The town around it is probably still deserted. But it will be good to have confirmation.”

Teresa nodded slowly. “You want us to scout the sector?”

“Not the sector,” I corrected firmly, “just the environs of the town housing the exit portal. Once you’ve confirmed it’s still vacant, you’ll wait for Ceruvax and the others to arrive, then escort them back to sector 18,240.” I paused. “Do you think you two are up to the task?”

The twins stiffened to attention. “Of course.”

I rose to my feet. “Good. Then, you best be about it.”

✵ ✵ ✵

You have lost snake bite and ghoul maker.

Before the others left, I gave Nyra the two rank five daggers I’d looted from Sintar. She had the daggers skill, and they would serve her better than they did me.

The trio’s return was yet another worry shed from my mind. Now, I thought wryly, I’ve only three other things to stew over.

Shael and Anriq’s expedition.

Zekiel’s.

And the brotherhood.

Still, I had a fair idea what the outcome of the first two would be. The third though… that was the wild card. Notwithstanding Kesh’s involvement and Safyre’s assurances, I knew things with the brotherhood could go either way. Convincing them to help was crucial.

So, let’s hurry up and do that.

Drawing psi, I saw to my final preparations.

You have cast mimic, transforming your visage into that of Havick, a level 187 human scout and concealing your Powerful Initiate Mark. Duration: 10 hours.

You have activated the simple mode enchantment of the belt of the chameleon. Your armor and weapons are now hidden.

Disguise in place, I spun on my heel and made for the forsworn at the end of the room.

Safyre had given the two the coordinates of the sector where I was meeting the brotherhood. “I’m ready,” I told the pair.

Inclining their heads in silent acknowledgment—the two were some of the most reticent players I’d met—the first began chanting.

While I waited for the portal to open, my gaze drifted idly across the Roost’s shuttered windows. I’d not so much as glanced outside the building to see what was going on in the sector. And while I was eager—desperate even—to gain more insight into Saya’s fate, I knew now was neither the time nor place to investigate further. Until sector 18,240 was reclaimed, I couldn’t afford to be distracted.

Llewyn has opened a greater portal to sector 45,104.

“Thank you,” I murmured, turning back to face the newly opened gateway. This was it. The biggest unresolved piece for my grand plan. Would the brotherhood cooperate?

Time to find out.

Inhaling deeply, I stepped through the portal.

Transfer commencing…

…

…

Passage completed!