Ean's heart hammered against his ribcage like a war drum, convinced he was being watched. Unease prickled his skin as imaginary, unseen eyes observed from the shadows. Every creak, every rustle, every whisper set his nerves on edge, as his imagination morphed every passerby into a potential threat. What if he were discovered, or worse, captured by an agent of Brindle? He couldn't afford to make a mistake, not when so much was at stake.
Eager to be rid of the gnawing sensation, he quickened his pace, darting his eyes around and scanning the people and their movements. His mind churned, desperate to piece together the puzzle that Samuel had presented him. He was certain that the other half of the message was hidden somewhere in this park, but where?
He delved into the park, studying each nook and cranny with the intensity of a hawk zeroing in on its prey. Bushes, trees, and benches became objects of suspicion. He crouched, sifting through the undergrowth and discarded trash, searching for anything unusual.
His first find was a wine bottle, a sensible place to stick a message, but it was empty. He cast it aside with a sigh, his frustration mounting. A torn newspaper, an empty jar, a broken toy—none yielded the missing piece.
Ean fought to tamp down his growing impatience, knowing haste could lead to mistakes. He drew a deep breath, reminding himself failure meant a shameful return to the family farm and a lifetime of plowing fields.
As he recalled hours of traipsing back and forth behind a horse-drawn plow, a thought struck. I should be combing the park methodically. He tracked from one end to the other, scanning only the ground in front of him. His persistence paid off.
Concealed beneath a clump of overgrown weeds lay a small, hollowed-out log. A piece of parchment stuck out of a broken end of the log. Ean's fingers trembled as he retrieved it, his excitement tempered by caution. Could this be the remainder of the message?
He turned the scrap over and recognized the reversed writing. Against all odds, he'd found the one piece of scrap parchment in the kingdom he most needed. It was where Samuel claimed it would be, proving the old man was indeed the master spymaster the king had spoken of in reverence.
Now to combine the scrap with the fragment at the bookshop.
message_scrap added to Inventory
Ean rushed to the bookstore and, breathless with excitement, burst through the door. "I found the rest of the message."
Samuel looked at him. "Go on then," he urged. "Put the pieces together."
message_scrap removed from Inventory
Ean aligned the torn edges and the full message revealed itself before their eyes.
"HTIW AINOGRA," Samuel read aloud. "Using what I taught you, what does that mean?"
"With Argonia." Dread washed over Ean. "The entire message is 'Brindle prepares for war with Argonia'." He looked at Samuel, his urgency growing. "I must inform the king."
Samuel held out his hand, palm out. "Not yet," he cautioned. "Recall what I told you about only providing leaders with facts? What additional information would he want to know?"
Ean thought for a moment. "When and where Brindle will attack."
"Very good. To answer those questions, we need to reestablish your former master's spy network. By now, they know he's dead. We need to send them a message that you've been appointed to take his place."
Ean's mind tripped over itself, trying to take in the deluge of information he'd received in a few short hours. Never had he imagined the world of espionage to be so complex. The thought of contacting spies he had never met filled him with a mix of trepidation and excitement. Even with the safety of the kingdom at risk, would seasoned spies accept an inexperienced farm boy as their new spymaster?
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His voice betrayed his uncertainty. "How would I even contact them?"
"Most spymasters and spies never meet," Samuel explained. "They communicate only through dead drops."
Ean nodded slowly, his mind grappling with this new concept. "What should I say?" he asked, eager to prove his worth.
"The message must be short but not ambiguous," Samuel instructed. "Remind them of their service."
QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-003 Encrypt Secret_Message-01
Ean scribbled furiously on the slip of paper that Samuel had provided. His hand quivered, knowing this message could determine the fate of Argonia. With successful care, he encoded the words 'The kingdom needs your service' using the Reverse The Word cipher.
QFK: Use the Reverse The Word cipher to encrypt the message:
the kingdom needs your service
NOTE: Printable copies of the Activity Pages are free at: www.neuralsplyce.com/free-stuff
Once the message was complete, Ean looked up at Samuel, his eyes filled with both anticipation and trepidation. Now the success of his quest rested on the shoulders of a network of unknown spies.
Secret_Message-01 added to Inventory
QUEST COMPLETED: Q-003 Encrypt Secret_Message-01
SKILL UPGRADED: Reverse The Word +1 (2/3)
QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-004 Deliver Secret_Message-01 to dead drop in Argonia Central Park
* * *
Argonia Central jammed together over twelve thousand people during the day. Locals, residents of the other regions of the kingdom, and traders and diplomatic staff from the countries of Brindle and Creston all jostling elbows. Ean slipped into the bustling crowds, blending in with the throngs of people. Paranoia had taken root in his mind, whispering that he wasn't alone, that unseen eyes were tracking his every move. His eyes darted from one face to the next, searching for any sign of recognition or suspicion.
Placing the message in the dead drop only partially relieved him. The constant strain of maintaining such high alertness left him wired and on edge yet exhausted by the time he returned to the bookstore.
QUEST COMPLETED: Q-004 Deliver Secret_Message-01 to dead drop in Argonia Central Park
Reward: +1 XP (3/3)
CLASS RANK INCREASED: Spymaster +1 (3/3)
# # # CHARACTER LEVEL UP # # #
Gain increased Intellect
+ + + CLASS LEVEL UP: Spymaster Rank 2 + + +
Identify dead drops easier, increased encryption & decryption speed
His questbook vibrated the entire walk back. The intensity and duration hinted at a significant stat change, but he feared opening it in public. Back in the safety of the bookstore, he opened it to see how his personal stats had changed.
Personal Stats
Name: Ean Fleming Level: 2
Experience Points (XP): 3 / 3
Points to next level: 3
Gold Pieces: 7
Active Quests: 0
Completed Quests: 4
Failed Quests: 0
CLASS: Spymaster Rank: 2
Reverse The Word (2/3)
He was no longer a common farmer, but a rank 2 capable spymaster. There was still plenty to learn, and he knew his progression relied on learning from Samuel.
"I placed the message in the dead drop. Now what happens?"
"The hardest part of being a spymaster, waiting and hoping your spies are not discovered," Samuel replied.
"There is something that has been bothering me about this. Why do we have a spy network inside Argonia? I thought spies only did their work in other countries. Spying on our own people seems unethical."
"The job of a spy is to research on enemies and potential enemies," Samuel explained. "Other kingdoms place spies in Argonia for the same purpose. Therefore, our spies are spying on their spies… and any Argonians who may be helping them."
"So our spies inside Argonia are more like informants?"
"With one major difference, spies are not interested in illegal or immoral activities," Samuel continued. "In time, you will find a significant part of your job is as a filter – discarding information not relevant to the security of the kingdom."
Ean gave a whisper of a smile. "I think I understand now. A spymaster determines if information is just gossip and palace intrigue or a threat to the kingdom."
While pondering everything he'd learned, he flipped through his new questbook and was impressed with how many entries and quests it now held.
His daydreaming turned into dreaming and the notebook fell to the floor. He jolted upright.
"You've had a long day Apprentice Fleming. Why don't you go home and we can resume tomorrow?"
"Home! With all that's happened today, I forgot the king told me to avoid the castle until it can be determined how my master was poisoned. Is there a place nearby I can rent an affordable room?"
"You're welcome to sleep in my guest room tonight. We'll discuss long-term arrangements tomorrow."
"Thank you. Good night, Samuel," Ean said as he wearily made his way to bed. "All this excitement has—" He yawned "—worn me out."