“Eldren, are you listening to me at all?”

Eldren sat at a small circular table in the wizard’s tower eating a bit of bread and strawberry jam for breakfast that he had scrounged from Ardos’ cupboards. He had also found some coffee grounds, which the tortoise wizard had walked him through brewing using an intricate series of glass tubes and a hand crank to generate the heat.

He admittedly had not been paying full attention to Ardos who, trapped in the body of the small speckled tortoise Nurdle, stood on the table next to his mug lecturing him. The wizard had been rambling for over an hour, sharing intricately boring and mind-numbing details about the people and politics of Lord Ravelo’s court here in Nottengrad. It was very much like listening to the high school students he taught gossip about their own social lives.

He had not slept well. Anxiety had kept him awake, worrying about what lay ahead. Faking his way through the war council would be a challenge. Now, he was going to supposedly train to be a wizard with a man who had tried to possess his body not twelve hours prior. And it wasn’t clear how any of this was going to help him get home.

“You need to be prepared for the war council today,” the tortoise wizard said sternly, stopping the history lesson to scold him. “Especially for High Imperator Uther. He is visiting from the Capital and will be eager for a progress report on the war, especially on the health of the magical defenses.”

“The Capital?” Eldren asked, trying to force his mind to care. “I thought Nottengrad was the capital of Bakavia?” He was partly fascinated by the magical world he had stumbled into but had never cared for politics or palace intrigue. It was one of his least favorite parts of working as a teacher. He was constantly dealing with strong personalities; colleagues were always jockeying for the principal’s favor to get a better classroom for the next year or a more desirable time for their break period during the day. It exhausted him.

“Yes, but Bakavia is just one of the kingdoms in an alliance of several large kingdoms. That alliance is overseen by the Iron Square.”

Eldren almost asked what the Iron Square was but didn’t bother. He appreciated Ardos trying to teach him centuries of fantasy world lore in a single morning, but it was overload. He’d ultimately probably just have to wing it at court. He was more worried he’d be asked to do magic than recite history.

“What if I have to use a spell? They’ll know I’m a fraud,” he said.

“We’ll hope it doesn’t come to that,” Ardos replied.

“That’s your brilliant plan? Hope nobody asks the new court wizard to do magic?”

“You’re the temp wizard. Hopefully, you’ll be an afterthought to the proceedings entirely.”

Ding. Eldren glanced over toward the bedside table where he had left the crystal ball. He stood and crossed over to read the message.

New Quest:

Attend War Council in Nottengrad Keep

“Can I turn this thing off?” He turned and looked at the table.

“Ask it to be quieter,” the tortoise replied. Eldren stared at the tortoise and then rolled his eyes.

“Please be quiet,” he said to the crystal ball. It didn’t respond and he wasn’t sure if it worked or if Ardos was mocking him.

Half an hour later, with no particular plan in place, Eldren found himself leaving the wizard's tower and heading toward the main hall of Nottengrad Keep. Ardos had loaned him a set of wizard robes that were a tad too baggy and the tortoise was nestled into one of the deep pockets on the front of the robe and the hopefully quieter crystal ball weighed down the other pocket. As he entered the main courtyard, his eyes lingered over a large platform with wooden scaffolding. Two soldiers in gray chainmail and coifs were taking apart a wooden stockade from which a trickle of dark liquid ran and dripped sickeningly off of the platform, pooling on the dirt below.

"Soldiers from the Iron Square," Ardos whispered darkly from his pocket. "As I mentioned, the High Imperator is on an official visit to hand out the church's final judgment to criminals and spies. Just remember to say and do exactly as I told you.” Eldren gulped and suddenly wished that he had paid more attention during breakfast.

“Left,” Ardos hissed once they were inside the keep, quietly guiding Eldren to the council chambers. When they arrived, Eldren was surprised to see a small stone room that was almost entirely occupied by a massive, circular wooden table and stools. For whatever reason, he had been expecting a throne room. Or, at least something more ornate.

His pocket vibrated. After years of carrying a cell phone, he instinctively reached down to the vibrating pocket. It was the crystal ball. Silencing it had, improbably, worked.

Quest Update!

Attend the war cuncil in Nottengrad Keep

- Find the council chambers (1/1)

- Attend the council meeting. (0/1)

He was in the right place. Eldren sat and waited. He felt quite stupid. There was nobody else here. It was like showing up thirty minutes early to your first-ever college class. He was about to ask Ardos if he was sure this was the right room when the door opened. A woman, maybe a few years younger than himself, shuffled in. She was carrying a massive pile of oversized rolled-up scrolls and a few books. She propped the door open with her foot, trying to balance the pile she was carrying.

“Here, let me help,” Eldren said, rising and grabbing the iron door handle to pull it fully open for her.

“Thanks,” she murmured.

“Anytime,” he said.

The woman dumped her pile of papers and books on the giant table and turned to him. Her jet-black hair was tied back in a long ponytail and she wore a simple forest green jerkin, tan trousers, and dark leather boots that were caked in mud. She looked more like a hunter than a scholar. She turned and her emerald green eyes lit up as if noticing him for the first time.

“Are you the new wizard?”

“Er—temporary, yeah,” he said.

“Wow,” she said. “Leseter said something about Espella going to get the newly certified mage the assembly sent. Didn’t realize you’d be here so soon after Ardos left. Won’t miss that old codger much, to be honest with you. The name’s Illia but everyone just calls me Ink.” She extended her hand formally. “Glad to meet you!”

“Good to meet you too, Ink,” he said. “I’m Eldren. Eldren Pendergast.”

“Eldren,” she said. “Cool name.”

“Thanks. What’s with all the scrolls?” He was curious and figured she seemed friendly enough.

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“Oh! Right!” She flashed a big smile. “The reason that people call me Ink is because I’m the court cartographer. These are new maps, fresh from the eastern war front with those damn witches.”

“You’ve been to the war front?”

“Would be hard to draw the maps if I didn’t survey where I was mapping. Mind you, some of the older cartographers in the Capital and other places do draw maps without surveying but that’s shoddy work, most of the time. I s’pose they reckon they’ve seen enough of the world to draw it by memory. But things change. Rivers flood, forests grow, and rockslides tumble down. And, in wartime, new outposts and forts get built. Best to always go survey yourself.”

“Right,” Eldren said. He was about to ask to see the maps when the door flung open again. This time, a large man in studded leather armor and a pair of swords at his side strolled in. He was deep in conversation with another woman, older, and wearing all-white robes with two red stripes on each sleeve. The man’s curly golden hair shone, even in the dim light of the wall sconces in the windowless council room.

“Leseter, come meet the new wizard!” Ink called. The man cut off his conversation with the older woman and turned.

“Ahh, I didn’t think anyone would make it to replace Ardos so quickly,” Leseter said. “Welcome. I’m Leseter Sarval, Captain of Lord Ravelo’s guard.” He bowed very formally.

“Eldren Pendergast,” Eldren said, returning a bow.

“And, since Captain Sarval declined to do so, I’m Sister Elisa, head of the Nottengrad Surgery and Hospital.”

“Good to meet you, Sister Elisa,” Eldren said, nodding.

They lingered for a few moments and Captain Sarval and Sister Elisa wrapped up their conversation. Ink began laying out her maps on the table and Eldren returned quietly to his seat. Several more various aides and senior soldiers shuffled in, pulling stools to the far walls, away from the table proper. There was a sort of decorum to the proceedings.

Eventually, the door opened and everyone in the room stood abruptly. Eldren rushed to follow suit. A towering man entered, nearly two feet taller than Eldren was himself. His long red beard was braided and he wore a simple set of finely embroidered white clothes and no armor. He began to greet each person in the room warmly. He stopped at Eldren.

“And who might you be, joining us today?” He smiled as he extended a massive hand for Eldren to shake. Eldren’s hand was enveloped entirely.

Eldren tried to remember what Ardos had told him to say, his heart racing. Would the man demand to see some sort of proof that he was indeed a wizard?

“Lord Ravelo, my name is Eldren Pendergast. I am here, deputized by the Assembly of Magi to serve in a temporary capacity as your court’s wizard in residence. If you grant me the honor, I offer you my staff.”

The bigger man stood back, seemingly sizing up Eldren before breaking into another smile. “I don’t know why they always offer me their staff. I’ve not once seen a wizard carry one.” He laughed a booming laugh. “Well met, Eldren Pendergast. Welcome to Nottengrad. I do humbly accept your pledge of service.”

A wave of relief washed over Eldren. The first part was done and now, with any luck, attention would turn to the war updates and away from him. He might make it out of the meeting without alarming any suspicions that he was a fraud. Then he and Ardos could figure out what to do next.

“Where is my daughter?” Lord Ravelo boomed as he strode around the table to take his seat, which Eldren made note was no different than the regular wooden stools the rest of them sat on.

“Not here yet, my Lord,” one of the soldiers at the back wall answered.

“What will be her excuse this time, I wonder?” The room chuckled.

“No excuses, Father. Only duty.” The door opened again and Eldren’s stomach leapt as Espella entered in her bronze armor. “I was receiving a field report from a reconnaissance unit that just returned before dawn.”

General Espella was Lord Ravelo’s daughter. He marveled at the fact that she had not once indicated her royalty to him during their journey to Nottengrad.

“A good report, I hope,” Lord Ravelo asked.

“Not a bad one, at least,” Espella said, taking her seat. One of her military aides placed a stack of parchment in front of her, which she immediately began sifting through and reading as Lord Ravelo continued the meeting.

“First, we’ll see updated maps. Ink has returned from the front with new positions of the enemy.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ink stood. “As this council may remember, my last presentation included several maps that stopped at the Bride Water. The enemy had been pushed far enough east and south that I was able to sneak in from the northern part of the front and get to the river. This time, I’m pleased to share that I was able to not only get to the river but cross it.”

There was a murmuring in the room. It appeared that crossing the river was a big deal and almost everyone perked up, eager to see the sketched maps.

“I have shared this with General Espella who believes, with this intelligence to guide us,” Ink continued, “we will be able to launch a magical assault from the back line of the Covenant militias. And now that we’ve got our new wizard,” she said, casually gesturing to Eldren.

What?

His legs went ice cold as adrenaline rushed through them. Everyone in the room was turning to look at him. He didn’t know what to do or say. He felt his head nod instinctively as if to affirm that he was indeed here to launch a magical war-winning attack on a bunch of witches. His stomach churned and he felt like he was going to be sick.

“It is timely that the academy was able to certify a temp wizard so quickly,” Espella said, not looking up from her notes.

Before she could continue, the door burst open yet again. This time, forcefully. Eldren was immediately confused and he was not the only one. Eight fully clad soldiers in dark gray cloaks and chain mail filed in, imposing their presence on an already crowded room. The same soldiers he had seen in the courtyard.

“A little too timely, perhaps,” drawled a voice from the hallway. The gray soldiers parted ranks and a small, older man entered the council chambers. His bleached hair was slicked back and his facial hair cut into a crisp goatee. Blue eyes, cold and sharp, darted around the room quickly and landed, pointedly, on Eldren. He shivered involuntarily under their harsh gaze.

“High Imperator Uther,” Lord Ravelo said calmly, remaining on his stool. Eldren saw the man’s eyes narrow and the warmth drained from his voice.

“Lord Ravelo,” the High Imperator replied, his voice dripping with formality as he offered a half bow. The man wore no armor over his dark gray cloak. “It is good to see you.”

“It is an honor to have you in Nottengrad,” Lord Ravelo replied. His voice was mechanical and Eldren could tell he only offered what response was diplomatically necessary to gray cloaked man.

“I’m sure,” Uther drawled, smiling slightly. He strode up to the table but remained standing. “I just wish I was here with better news,” he said, now feigning dismay. “It has come to my attention this morning that, unfortunately, the wizard who is here is an imposter.”

Now Eldren’s heart wasn’t just racing but was lifting off like a rocket. How could this man know that? Had Ardos set him up for this? He glanced down and saw the turtle poking its neck out of his robe pocket. Ardos glanced up and, as if reading Eldren’s mind, shook its tiny head to suggest this was not his doing. Eldren gulped.

“An imposter?” Lord Ravelo rolled the words on his tongue as if they were thick porridge.

“Indeed,” sighed Uther. “I took the liberty of inquiring with the Assembly of Magi, out of curiosity, after Ardos’ sudden… departure. They have no record of anyone named Eldren Pendergast completing his certification for temporary assignment. In fact,” he paused, looking directly into Eldren’s eyes. “They have no record of anyone named Eldren Pendergast ever completing a single spell shrine during training.”

“Impossible,” interjected Espella. “I met Eldren in the Wyldwood and he arrived precisely where was specified by the Assembly’s correspondence. Are you suggesting the Assembly sent the imposter on purpose?”

“Nothing was abnormal about his appearance?” Uther asked.

Espella’s face fell slightly. “He was three days late,” she said, after a moment, nodding. The room fell silent and now heads turned to Eldren who froze. The High Imperator continued.

“So,” he said. “That means one of two things. This man is either a dropout from the academy trying to forge his way into mage’s work. Or, much more disturbingly, he is an unsanctioned practitioner of the arcane arts.”

Eldren’s mind raced. How do I get out of here? He still didn't know if he had stats in this game world. Can I talk my way out of this?

“And, if he is an unsanctioned practitioner," the Imperator continued. "Then it is likely that he killed the real Eldren Pendergast and is a witch-kind spy for the Coven. We’re here to take him into custody on behalf of the Iron Square for...questioning,” the High Imperator said, now slyly smiling. The emphasis he placed on the word 'questioning' made Eldren's hair stand on end. “We will get to the bottom of this, my Lord. Most assuredly,” the High Imperator continued. He seemed to be drawing immense satisfaction from interrupting Lord Ravelo's council.

Eldren watched as the Imperator produced a scroll from the folds of his robes, sealed with charcoal-colored wax. He started to panic as he thought of the executioner's platform and the pool of blood in the courtyard. The Imperator handed the scroll to Espella.

"I believe you'll find everything in order," he said. She slit the scroll open, read it briefly and nodded as she passed it to her father. After a moment, Lord Ravelo nodded to Uther as well. The Imperator gestured in Eldren’s direction and his gray soldiers began to advance toward him.

Eldren watched in horror, paralyzed by fear, becoming Cam again and unable to make his body act despite how stupid it was to stand there, staring. A sharp, stabbing pain in his upper thigh snapped him out of his frozen terror. He looked down to see that Ardos was staring up at him. The tortoise must have bitten him to get his attention.

“Run!” the tortoise said as the soldiers crossed the room. Against his better judgement, Eldren listened.