I was ready, though. Only Vindur knew my secrets and although the lemur was good and all, I wanted a non-primate friend. I wanted someone who knew everything. I couldn’t explain it. I wanted him to know the real me.
“I’m going to tell you this from start to finish. You can ask questions when I’m finished.”
He nodded his consent.
“I wasn’t born to this world, Clifford. I was born Michael Semione in a place called Earth.” I decided to forgo the fact that his world was a video game.
“Earth isn’t like here. There are no levels. There are no attributes or skills. People don’t measure themselves in rank and disposition. There is only one sentient race on Earth, and I was one of them. We called ourselves human.”
I went on to explain the differences between groups of humans (religion, ethnicity, nationality). I explained how we dominated the earth and created incredible scientific advances. I told him about my parents and my siblings, my work and my hobbies. I explained our art and literature. Hours had passed, and he sat there in silence, never shifting his eyes away from mine. I couldn’t tell if he believed me.
“And then I died in a storm. And I woke up here one month ago. I was naked and alone in the woods. Aside from Vindur, I had nothing and no one. When I woke up, I was still Michael Semione. I was given the choice of selecting a race more appropriate for this world, and I chose the elf I am before you: Michael Dian-Cecht. I also have some passive effects on my skills page that you can’t see.” By this point, Clifford’s shoulders relaxed. His face had grown warmer.
“I received a blessing from the goddess Balama. She granted me more attributes per level, faster healing, a boost to all experience I earn, and the ability to resurrect. She also gave me immortal life.” Clifford gasped a bit when I said this, but I continued. “I also received a curse from Mannana—you’re familiar with him. He limited Belama’s blessing. I can only receive two attribute points per level up to level until level 20. He cursed me with a one week delay between death and resurrection. He required I eat, drink, and sleep and subjected me to fatigue. He also took away the gift of immortality. I will age like you. Only much slower. Most importantly, Mannana forbade me from telling anyone who was not my ally.”
Clifford mulled over what I said to him. I was confident he understood. I was not sure if he accepted it.
“I have one question. You’ve explained most things. I know why you were such a low level. I know why you are increasing in level and skill so quickly. I even know why you resurrected. How, though, were you able to dual-cast and what did you do to make your healing spell so strong?”
I thought about his question, wanting to be careful in mentioning the game.
“People in my world invented a technology that let us transport our minds into alternate realities. Many of those realities were like yours. I spent weeks of my life in one such world where I learned about magic and spell casting. I’ve retained this knowledge.”
I could tell he didn’t get it. But he accepted it. The moment the last word left my mouth, we both received notifications.
You have completed the quest: “Furry Lemur and friends.”
Reward: +120xp, your standing with Clifford Grey II has improved.
Clifford was smiling more than me. He was now level 18. We compared our experience gains. I learned that I was earning twenty times the amount of experience compared to him. Usually, he said, shared quests give the same amount of experience despite level.
"I'm glad we've had this talk," Clifford said. The way he was looking at me made the room feel smaller and more intimate. I had just spent the last few hours pouring my heart out to him. When I talked about my parents and sisters, I even cried. Being separated from them still broke my heart.
By the time I finished regaling him with my life's story, our backs had started to hurt. Resting back on the bed, we both lay there in a comfortable silence. I could tell Clifford wanted to say something. He was still guarded.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He hesitated to respond, chewing on his lip to relieve anxiety and tension.
"When you saved me, I was overwhelmed with grief and guilt. I was meant to keep you safe. I brought you in there with the best of intentions. I was distracted. I forgot to warn you about Nott." Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He turned his head away from me.
"Hey, don't be like that." I put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him, drawing his gaze back to me. "I saw you, you know. The spirit realm overlaps this one. For the entire week, I could only stay in the courtyard or the front rooms. I saw you grieve. I wanted to tell you it would be alright. I tried to when you were sleeping, but couldn't break through."
Clifford blushed a little after learning I saw him in bed. I could almost feel the heat from his cheeks from a foot away.
"If I had to go through all of this again, I wouldn't change a thing. Even if I were never to resurrect, I would have saved you. I'm a healer. That's what we-"
The tense man lunged forward, closing the space between us with warmth and moisture emanating from his body to form steam in his chilly bedroom. He gripped my head in his hands and kissed me on the lips with a fervor. For a brief moment, I was shocked. That faded when the heat of passion overwhelmed me. The room around me darkened until all that remained were his large hands and imposing torso. I was sure he could feel my heart pounding against his hands. I kissed him back. He tasted of salt and soap and honey. Although it seemed like hours had passed, it had only been a few moments. Before I lost myself to our combined passions, he slid his hand down my neck to plant his palm on my chest.
Clifford pushed himself away from me, shooting out of bed. He stood with his back facing me, looking at me only through the mirror. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." The man was embarrassed and dismayed at having lost control.
I reached out to him and grabbed his hand, forcing him to turn around.
"It's alright. I sensed your feelings before. And they're not unwelcome. It's just been a while for me." I pulled him back to the bed and had him lay down beside me, our heads both propped by his feather pillows. A few quills poked out and scratched my neck. "Can you just be here with me? It's been a week since I've felt anything or anyone."
The young man smiled, putting his arm around me and pulling me closer to him, my head resting on his chest. He kissed the top of my head with care and tenderness. I haven't been this comfortable with someone before, man or woman. That is what I loved most about Fjorgyn. On Earth, many people had expectations about behavior, decorum, and proper relationships. That didn't translate here. This world was rough and full of opportunities to die. People embraced passion and love wherever they could find it.
"Michael, I don't take intimacy like this lightly. While I lost control a moment ago, I want you to know what this means to me. I believe in you. In such a short time, you have become my dearest friend. I will follow you anywhere but only if you're willing. Do you accept?"
I thought about this. When I met Clifford, I figured he was a spoiled elitist. I have never been more mistaken in my entire life. Here was a vigorous and beautiful man who, despite owning me, committed himself to freeing hundreds of slaves because I wanted to. He mourned for me not as a man who has lost a slave, but as a man who had lost a lover. What he was suggesting was not a reversal of roles. It was a commitment to an enduring bond of friendship. Would I be willing to offer him the same in return? His body tensed, waiting for a response.
I tilted my head up and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I accept, my friend. We will follow one another anywhere and everywhere."
Congratulations! Your expression of true friendship and love has changed your relationship with Clifford Grey II. Your disposition with him has increased from Ally to Companion. Your interests and fates are now intertwined. Do not forsake your companions. Doing so comes at a great cost to you both. +150xp received.
I was wholly content to rest in the nook he created for me: the top of my head pressed against his stubble and my
face anchored against his collarbone. He smelled of jasmine and musk and earth. I fell asleep to the feeling of his hand stroking the side of my head from my temples to the point in my ear. For the first time since arriving in Fjorgyn, I slept the sleep of contentment. I dreamed of brighter days to come. And of good days with my family and friends. And of Clifford and our newfound companionship.
Chapter 11
I woke up to a room filled with darkness. Of course it was dark; it's always dark. The only source of light was glowing embers in the fireplace opposite the bed. I was laying on my side, sheets wrapped around me like a tortilla encompasses a burrito. I felt Clifford's weight shift beside me; his arm draped over me as if to keep me safe. Turning to look at him was enough to draw him out of sleep. He had gotten up in the night to put me under the covers and get himself ready for bed. He slept on top of the covers with only his shirt off, although I knew that his preference to sleep was in the buff.
"Good morning," he mumbled, stretching his long arms and arching his back to push out the sleep. Was it morning? I could never tell.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Fourteen hours."
I did some quick math. It was now around 10 AM the next day. I felt a pang of guilt having slept so long. I was sure that he had to get up for food and to lock down the house for the night. Clifford made a point to check the house was secure. This prevented nosy masters from discovering what we were up to. I had also not talked to Cilden or the others. I hope they weren't mad at me.
Clifford sat up. There was a look of ease on his face that I haven't seen before. Yawning, he looked at me and quietly said one word, "Breakfast?"
I nodded and jumped out of bed, almost tripping over the sheets in the process. I had one leg planted on the ground and the other shackled by a knot in the bedsheet.
My friend started laughing at my predicament and helped me free my leg. With both feet now on the ground, I stood there in triumph having escaped my nasty, linen tormentor.
"But first," he said while pointing to my lower half, "you should take care of that."
I looked down with confusion only to realize why he was laughing. I was pitching a tent, the burden every man has when waking up in the morning.
"You know, you're kind of big for an elf."
I smiled at him, pushing my erection down with my hands. My cheeks were on fire when I responded, "Yeah. I got to choose what I looked like. And I decided to keep my... human anatomy".
I hesitated briefly while I slithered away from the bed, Clifford just shaking his head at me in humorous resignation. I turned away and headed for the bathroom to void myself.
His bathroom, like his bedroom, was spotless. I half-expected the room to be disgusting. He never let his slaves clean it. The entire room screamed "luxury." If I didn't know better, I would half expect to see this bedroom featured in a design magazine on Earth. The tiled floors and walls were cut into perfect rectangles. Elatha had indoor plumbing and an advanced sewer system. Heating and moving the water was both mechanical and magical. I raised my arm up and sniffed myself. Although I wasn't dirty, I smelled different. I smelled metallic—a clear consequence of being encased in ancient magic.
I turned on the faucet to the tub and stopped the drain. The water came out the perfect temperature for a bath. While it filled, I relieved myself and disrobed. Full of excitement at the prospect of my first hot bath since my arrival in Fjorgyn, I rushed into the water, completely submerging myself in its wonderful warmth. The heat of it penetrated deep into my body, caressing my very bones.
When I came up for air, Clifford was standing in the doorway. Before I could motion for him to join me, he discarded his clothes on the floor and jumped into the oversized tub. It could have easily fit three more people. Or Baridorne. I was not about to call him up here, though.
We splashed around and cleaned ourselves for another thirty minutes before the water started to lose its warmth. Before shrinkage set in and our fingers pruned beyond repair, we escaped the water and wrapped towels around our waists, returning to his bedroom with our clothes in hand.
The bedroom was warmer. Clifford had added more wood to and stoked the fire. The light of it danced across the walls casting mystical lights and shadows. With the warmth of the bath still enveloping our bodies, we both put our clothes on and got ready for the day. I stood in the mirror for far too long to arrange my silver hair. Clifford had also put out a plate of bread, cheese, and fruits for our breakfast. I stuffed my face with the food while he looked on in bemusement.
"What? I haven't eaten in a week," I said, my cheeks packed with grapes and bread.
By the time we had finished everything, it was already 11 AM. I had to start the day. I had so much work to catch up on if we were going to plan our escape. Pleased and in high spirits from my evening and morning long retreat from the world, I motioned for us to leave the room.
"Are you forgetting something?" he asked while pointing to his neck.
"It's broken." I knew I had to wear my collar but resisted putting it back on.
Clifford pulled a new collar out of his inventory and handed it to me. It was different. It was softer and lighter. It also had a hidden latch in a seam so it could be removed with ease if one knew how.
"Last week, I removed everyone's collar and offered these replicas. Some of the other masters are doing the same. The new ones will fool any master or guard. None of them look at slaves long enough to notice the difference."
I nodded my consent, allowing him to slip the collar around my neck, showing me how the latch worked. When he finished, he offered me a soft kiss and ushered me out of the room, closing the door behind me with a promise to see me later. When I heard the door latch shut, I was dismayed. The previous evening and this morning were perfect. I had nearly forgotten about the tasks at hand or my prior death. And for the first time in a month, I didn't have nightmares. I didn't wake up missing my old life. Shaking the negative feelings from my mind, I went looking for the others. I also had to find Vindur. I hadn't seen him since my resurrection.
As I walked into the basement, a miasma of dried herbs punched me in the face. It smelled like my grandmother's house. The bedrooms and the washroom were all empty, but the kitchen and lounge were as busy as ever. In the last week, the group had managed to install an apothecary cabinet. Each drawer was labeled with herbs that were prepared and ready. The remaining ingredients were hanging in bundles on the wall waiting to be dried.
Rose was leaning over a pot, shaking her head in frustration. I could smell the herbs burning at the bottom of the container. I startled her with a cough, my attempt to vacate from my lungs the vile concoction.
"What are you making? It's awful!"
She waved a wooden spoon at me. "I'm trying to make your healing potions, you ungrateful little elf!" She glared at me. I glared at her. Before long, laughter exploded from our lips. Rose dropped the spoon and met me in the middle of the room, embracing me in a kind (and clothed) hug.
"I'd ask you where you've been, but I can see from your glow that you didn't spend last night alone. Neeta's been looking for you."
Rose and I spent a few minutes pouring over what they accomplished last week. The root cellar was filled to the brim with all of the herbs we needed. Clifford had sourced them from a few dozen vendor markets scattered about the city to avoid drawing unwanted attention. He procured all the vials we need from his friends. Neeta and Junta spent their days gathering more herbs from the estate gardens. They had both gained two levels and committed their new attribute points to Constitution as instructed. Neeta had objected. She wanted to be wise, like her mother. Baridorne, Cilden, and Moga had all been granted permission to run Nott's sanctum with other slaves. They ran it multiple times a day, instructed by Clifford to avoid the healing branch. In the prior week, they had each gained two levels as well.
"And what about you? Why aren't you increasing your level?"
Rose frowned at me. "I'm trying, but I can't make a poti
on. I tried to remember your recipe. Every time I try to make it, the pot boils over and the herbs burn to a crisp."
She sighed, having lost more confidence in our plan. It was impossible without the healing and invisibility potions.
"Anyhow," she continued, "it doesn't matter much." She held up two uncommon class rings that offered +30HP a piece. "If I wear these, I should have no trouble with the barrier. I can then throw them back to others to wear. They're not soulbound!"
"Rose, that's brilliant." It surely was. I hadn't thought that the health boost could come from gear as well. Having enchanted gear made the plan much more likely to succeed. Only, not without the invisibility potions.
I strolled over to the cauldron hanging over the fire and analyzed the liquid. I gagged after spooning a little into my mouth.
"There are about six things wrong with what you're doing, Rose." She joined me at my side, intertwining my arm and hers as though I was escorting her to a grand ball. She glanced at the pot, then to me, then back to the pot, then to me again. I let out a sigh and did my best to avoid laughing at her.
"First, you used dried jasmine. It needs to be fresh. Second, the water is way too hot. You need to keep it at a low simmer, watching it regularly to make sure it doesn't become too hot or cold. Third, I said to make a tea, not bath water. There's way too much water here."
I stirred the contents of the pot with my finger. It scalded my skin a little. Yanking it out, I tasted the mixture again. "Fourth, and this is my mistake. You've used ground water. While that does meet the definition of fresh, it is also laced with minerals that change the solution. You need to use free-flowing water, perhaps from the canal running behind the house. Fifth, you can't start out with invisibility potion. You need to increase your Herbalism skill to at least rank 30 to be able to make an invisibility potion successfully. Even then, it will fail nine times out of 10, destroying the ingredients in the process. The rate of success and potency of the drink is determined only by the maker's skill."
Fjorgyn: A Rebel Rises Page 11
