by Jez Cajiao
A knock came at the door, and as I called out permission, both Helena and Johan entered along with several other servants, all loaded down with my opponent’s gear.
I gestured for them to put it on the floor, as there was too much for the tables. They’d even taken Wilhelm’s armor. The damn thing must have weighed a ton, as it took three people to carry it! I asked Johan and Helena to catalog it all and tell me what was magical or valuable, and I turned back to the Baron. He spoke up quickly as he eyed the loot greedily.
“I’ll take care of our winnings, don’t worry. After all, you can’t carry it all with you. Maybe just take a few items from here, and I’ll see to it that the rest is cleaned and put aside for safekeeping…” I frowned at him. I knew he was trying to get away with something, but I had no idea what, and I was too tired to care.
“I’ll take whatever I want from MY winnings and dispose of the rest however I decide.” I saw him take a deep breath and went on before he could interrupt me. “But! Whatever I don’t dispose of is yours to do with as you please.”
“Excellent! That’s agreed. You can take what you choose, and the rest is mine. Now, why did Falco’s little bitch come here? What did she want?”
I felt my stomach clench. He knew who she was. Fuck. I thought quickly and said the first thing that came to mind.
“They wanted to do a deal to get his gear back. I said I’d consider it, but she didn’t want to pay the rest of the price. That’s when she stormed off and West interrupted me. She never even knew I didn’t have it. I didn’t fight him!”
“Hah! She’d have slit your throat after you were done, boy, and if she hadn’t, Falco would have! He might be quiet, with a tendency to watch rather than stepping up like a real man and taking what he wants, but he’s powerful. You’d have no chance if he came hunting you!”
“Great. Thanks for the warning, late as it is!” I snapped.
“Well, you’re welcome, boy. Now, we will be opening the portal in about two hours. You have an hour to prepare, then you’ll be brought to the portal chamber and given your equipment. Any last words or requests before I go? Anyone you want me to look after?” He smiled at me, as though I couldn’t see the obvious ploy. Anyone I asked him to ‘look after’ would be kidnapped and brought to his dungeons as extra leverage before my feet hit the ground on the other side. Sneaky bastard.
“No, there’s no one. What equipment?” I asked, my curiosity obvious.
“Don’t be foolish, Jack. The equipment will be the survival gear you’ve trained with these last months, plus food, weapons, and whatever other gear you choose to take with you. You are limited only by your ability to carry, but bear in mind that you may need to travel many hundreds or thousands of miles. Your trainers have put together a survival pack that should allow you to support yourself in the wild, and I will provide you with a small amount of gold, silver, and copper coins to allow you to purchase anything you should need on the other side. There’s no way of knowing where you’ll arrive, as many of the portals seem to be blocked or broken. You could end up anywhere there is an intact and uncontested portal: in the deserts of Jimbaii, the mountains of Egret, or even one of the city’s Great Towers.”
“Great Towers, what are they?” I asked quickly, thinking that Falco’s daughter had offered it as my destination.
“The Great Towers are as they sound, huge towers that once were our bastions. Grown by powerful magic over hundreds of years, they reached miles into the sky, housing thousands. They were maintained and managed by Wisps bonded to the houses and protected by the Imperial Legions. When we expanded our territory out into the unclaimed lands, where we were surrounded by enemies on all sides, we would build one to use as a forward base and conquer the surrounding area. Once we had civilized the land, we would build more comfortable residences. If you can locate one, it would have its own portal. If you can capture it and bind the Wisp to serve you, then you could bring in reinforcements from here. Depending on how well you do, I may accept that as an alternative to opening the Great Portal, but we will see. Do you have any other questions?” he asked. I shook my head and declined, stating that I needed some time to think, to absorb all the information and everything that had happened to me so far.
The Baron and his retinue left, leaving me with Johan and Helena, and I proceeded to look over the piles of gear strewn about the room.
“What items are magical in all of this?” I asked, and Helena directed me to a pile of gear off to one side. Stacked neatly were Wilhelm’s shield, Ora’s gloves, a pouch, a small dagger, and the bow and cloak from the first fight. I’d never actually heard his name, I realized. There were also a pair of boots, another cloak, a ring and a bracelet.
“Okay, how do we find out what all this crap actually does?” I asked the pair, and Helena responded.
“My lord, I was taught a basic identifying spell, by the grace of the Baron. I can tell you all you need to know.” I looked at her askance as I tried to make sense of that.
“How did you all learn magic? I thought not many could do it, but you both can, and Xiao. How many others?”
“Not many, my lord. All humans have the potential to learn magic, but our world is very weak with mana, so any spells we cast can take a great time to recover from. My ‘Identify’ spell is weak, but I have enough for three more castings. After that, it will take me several weeks to recover enough mana to be back to full strength again. I used it earlier on some of your other possessions. Ummmm….”
“Out with it.” I said abruptly, trying to figure out what I needed to identify the most. Definitely the ring; I knew the gloves were to help with casting spells, so I could find out whether they did anything else later. Maybe the pouch and the other cloak? Or the boots…
“You do know there’s more than this, right, my lord?” she whispered, looking embarrassed and as though she really didn’t want to say it.
“What do you mean, ‘more’?”
“The winners of the other rounds all won their opponents’ equipment and possessions, but when they ended up being killed, their winnings became the victors’ property. Then you killed them, and….”
“So where is it all?” I asked, a sudden suspicion coming to mind.
“The Baron…” She looked as though she didn’t want to say anything but couldn’t stop herself.
“That rat bastard!” I roared in anger, “He’s got it, hasn’t he?”
“Yes, my lord, I ... I would assume so…”
“And he just got me to agree that whatever I didn’t take with me or dispose of myself was his!”
I stood there for what seemed like ages, seething, as I realized why he’d accepted my lame reassurances with Falco’s daughter. He hadn’t wanted to see anything because he’d been too busy planning to rip me off! After a few minutes, I began to calm down. I couldn’t let this distract me. I had too much to do.
“Hell with it. I need your help with these now; I can deal with the Baron later.” I turned to Helena, all business again. “Identify the Ring first, then the Pouch, and finally…. Yeah, do the Bracelet,” I requested.
Helena crouched over the Items one at a time, placing her right hand on each one as she repeated a short phrase and gestured with her left hand. As she finished each incantation, the item glowed briefly with a soft white light before returning to normal.
“These are valuable items, my lord,” she said, straightening up and wincing as her mana bottomed out. “The Ring is a Ring of Healing, which grants fifty points of healing to the wearer twice per day. It has a requirement of a high level of Intelligence to use, however; higher than I possess at least. Secondly is the Pouch. It is a Bag of Holding and will reduce the weight of any item stored inside by seventy-five percent. It will also hold up to one hundred pounds of weight and can hold up to twenty-four separate items. Certain items can be stored as multiples, and it appears to hold several items already: there are ten each of Chamomile, Feverfew, Ginseng, and Milk Thistle. They each take up on
e space, as well as a mortar and pestle, several dozen small glass vials, and an alembic, as well as a large container of water. Lastly, there is the Bracelet. This is a truly valuable item, my lord. It is called the Bracelet of Spell Memory, and it will increase your ability to memorize spells. Most people can only remember a handful of them, but with this augmenting you, you will be able to remember two more than you should! It is a treasure indeed, my lord.”
I looked at the pile of other items that were still unidentified and decided I’d take my chances with it all. I couldn’t fit the shield into the Bag of Holding, since the bag’s mouth was just too small, but the dagger, boots, and gloves went in. I put the second cloak with my armor and bundled up the bow and cloak from the first fight. I told Helena to carry them, sliding Ora’s bow and arrows into the bag of holding as well. I had the Identify spell; it was one of my earlier choices, after all, but I also knew that in a couple of hours, I’d be going through the portal, and I’d need my mana when I was on the other side. I’d take what I could and Identify it when I was there.
I picked up the shield and weighed it in my hands. The damn thing weighed a ton, far too heavy for me to use with my Naginata, but I would not leave it here, plus taking it had the added advantage of pissing the Baron off. While I’d been busy looking over my loot, Johan had been occupying himself well, replacing sections of my armor with bits scavenged from the sets I’d won. It looked a bit less uniform and intimidating than it had before, but it also looked undeniably cooler when I put it all on and looked in the mirror.
I now wore a pair of boots that came to mid-calf, and black trousers with thin, strong sheets of metal sewn inside thick leather over the knees, shins, and upper thighs. My belt with the Razorwire was back in place, and a thick, padded long sleeve top was covered by a metal cuirass, with overlapping links of metal running down the arms in three slim lines. This reduced the weight and allowed for flexibility while still providing protection. My shoulders were covered by simple metal pauldrons that linked with my cuirass, and I wore my assassin’s helm, which covered my face as much as possible. The cloak draped over everything and hung to my knees, with the hood covering my head. My short swords were strapped onto my back and covered by the cloak, but I could move it quickly enough that they were still easily accessible. My hidden daggers had been secreted back in my bracers, and I had my naginata back. It had needed some repairs after the last fight, but they were minor and quickly done, thanks to modern equipment.
Once I was ready, I turned to my servants and thanked them for looking after me so well, then took the shield in one hand and my naginata in the other and set off for the Great Portal.
Helena walked behind me, carrying some of the gear, while Johan enlisted some help from my guards and a few other servants to carry the remainder.
As we entered the portal room, I gaped, stunned by the size of the facility. The circular enclosure was easily a hundred feet across and another hundred high, with three dozen raised areas surrounding what I could only assume was the portal. It was tall and rectangular, rising from the floor in the middle of the room, but it seemed twisted somehow. As I walked closer, I found it more and more difficult to follow its edge. It had an edge, I could make that much out clearly, but as I tried to follow it upwards with my eye, it twisted, seeming to move inside the structure somehow, but when I blinked, it would be clearly on the outside. The more I tried to follow it, the more confused I grew, and a migraine started to beat behind my eyes. I shook my head and forced myself to look away. I saw dozens of people wandering around and talking. Thankfully, the Baron was on the far side and seemed unaware of my arrival.
“Jack…” I heard West mutter, and I turned to find him staring at a tall, muscular man approaching. He was huge, with well-defined muscles evident even through his clothing, but he walked as though in pain and when he stopped in front of me, he was slightly out of breath. We stared at each other for a long moment before he gave me a grudging salute.
“Young Lord Sanguis, I am Wilhelm of House Granth. I…I thank you for granting me mercy, and I am here to uphold the terms of my surrender.” He spoke in heavily accented English, a Germanic or Russian background, I’d guess, judging from the harshness, but as I looked into his eyes, I found that he was another of the nobles that might not be all I had feared. He seemed genuine, as opposed to the Baron and many of his peers. I decided to act as though he was honorable, until he proved differently. It was the best I could do.
“Call me Jack, Wilhelm,” I said. I passed my Naginata to West and held out my hand. He looked taken aback, but after a brief pause, he grinned and clasped my hand in return, pumping it up and down with vigor.
“It is good to meet you, and see you are a gentleman after all. I had wondered, as unknown as you were, and being a Sanguis. Ach, I am forgetting myself.” He released my hand and reached into his cloak, and my guards tensed in reaction. “Ah, no! I bear your lord no ill will. I agreed to give him whatever I was going to take with me to the other side, yes?”
He pulled out three items. The first was a thin silver chain with a Saint Christopher on it, the patron saint of travelers, second was a ring, and lastly, a leather-bound book, heavy and old, with gilded pages that made my skin tingle as he deposited it in my hand.
“I agreed, Jack. Now you have a better chance, yes? ‘Stone-Sight’ is the spell. I never had much skill with magic, but this, I would have used. It grants the caster knowledge of the stone around him, and any metals and other elements inside it! The ring gives a boost to Wisdom, making your mana regenerate faster, I have heard. The Saint Christopher was a gift from my mother, to protect me, and now he will protect you.”
I shook my head and handed the chain back to him as I slipped the spellbook and the ring into the Bag of Holding.
“I’m not taking a gift that you were given by your mother, mate; not happening. I also brought your armor.” I gestured behind me at the servants burdened down with the items. “I trained in using it, but I prefer medium armor over heavy. Slows me down too much. You might as well have it back; I’m sure you can get it repaired. I can’t get away with your shield either. I know it’s magical, but I have no idea what it does. Regardless, it’s too heavy for me. Here.” I passed the shield back to the stunned man and ordered the servants to give him the armor. As he stammered and tried to find the words to thank me, the Baron finally saw me and came over.
“What is this?” he asked, glowering as he saw the armor and shield being taken away by Wilhelm’s servants that had rushed out at his call.
“I’m giving Wilhelm his armor back.” I said breezily. “You remember I told you I would dispose of my winnings as I saw fit, don’t you?” We locked eyes, and for a long heartbeat, stared at each other, the tell-tale red of the Baron’s anger mottling his neck and cheeks.
“Very well, Jack, but perhaps we should discuss it before you give any more away?” he responded between gritted teeth. I saw Wilhelm catch the tension and he bowed respectfully to the Baron before making a hasty exit. I winked at him and turned to face the Baron fully.
“I have a lot of winnings to dispose of; in fact, I haven’t even had time to see them all, just the little that was brought to my room. I wonder where the rest is?” The last was said in a flat tone that the Baron recognized. We both knew what had happened to it, and that he had tried to hide it from me.
I turned to West and took back the Naginata before asking the Baron to show me my equipment. He grumbled but led me over to a table set off to one side, where a large rucksack awaited me. I looked it over, searching through it and finding the expected survival gear, tent, bedroll, dried food, two flasks, equipment for making snares, and fire starters. There was even a decent first aid kit. It was exactly what I would need in the field, and not a single bit of it was magical. Not even a healing potion. I exchanged a long angry look with my ‘father’ before taking it all and putting it into my bag of holding. It was three quarters full now, but far lighter than it would have be
en. I also noted the lack of the promised coinage. That was fine, though. I had time for another dig, and a chance to maybe get some gear, too.
I told the servants to lay out the equipment they carried on the tables, and I raised my voice to the room at large.
“My lords and ladies, can I have your attention, please?” Various people turned to me and began to drift over.
“What are you doing?!” the Baron hissed at me, and I grinned.
“It’s called karma, Daddy Dearest. Haven’t you heard of it?” He went white with rage and raised his hands as if to grab me by the throat before a nearby voice shook him out of it.
“You have something to say to us, boy?” It was Falco, and beside him stood his daughter, eyeing me with, I hoped, feigned disgust. I looked around and saw that everyone had approached at least close enough to hear me now.
“Yes, I do. I killed your sons and daughters in the arena. It wasn’t my choice to fight, but that didn’t mean I didn’t respect them. Because of this, I’m making you an offer. I will need supplies on the other side, both magical and mundane. Give me what you think is fair for the equipment your children bore, and besides the few things I’ve claimed, I’ll give you the rest back.”
Muttering arose instantly, as the houses that had put children forward to fight saw an opportunity to get some of their gear back.
“Jack…” The Baron ground out through gritted teeth in warning, but I knew that here at least, he’d never dare to lash out at me publicly. I grinned back at him and replied.
“Yes, Baron? Oh, sorry. I should have mentioned this earlier, shouldn’t I? Never mind. Have your servants bring out all the equipment you put aside for me for ‘safe keeping,’ please, and put it on the tables here.”
Silence greeted my demand, and the Baron became almost apoplectic with rage, inflamed further by the snickers as the other houses figured out what was happening.
“Is there a problem, Baron Sanguis?” a man asked from one side, his poorly concealed smile serving to make the Baron so angry he couldn’t get the words out.
