The boots were most welcome of them all. My old boots felt stiff and were hard to walk in, like newly bought hiking boots. These made me feel like I was walking around barefoot, but offered all the protection of a heavier shoe.
When I fastened the final lace in the boots, I received a notification.
You have equipped a full set of armor: Nurturer’s Regalia. +20 armor bonus. +20HP, +20MP, +10% mana regeneration, 25% threat reduction.
Standing in front of the mirror, I recalled the last four months of my life. I had come so far since I woke up naked in the woods. I ran my fingers over the slave mark on my shoulder. In less than twelve hours, the magic contained within it would activate. Only the spent scar would remain.
Clifford stood behind me, both of his hands on my shoulders. We stood in front of a mirror, thinking about how far we had come. In less than four months, this man developed an uncanny ability to understand what I was feeling. He made sure that I was not feeling alone.
"Are you ready?" he asked, pressing himself against my back.
"No. I'm not. But that's not going to stop me."
We left his bedroom for the final time, its fireplace cold. The room was both unnerving and dark. It was as far from the sanctuary it had become for me. Some books were missing, filed away in Clifford's inventory. Aside from his clothing, he hadn't packed much else.
The home was missing its usual flurry of activity. Darkness and silence enveloped the entire estate. The last seven days saw Clifford's house transformed into a stop on an underground railroad of sorts. Every morning, a master arrived with a group of slaves from his or her household. Cilden, Moga, or Baridorne escorted them to Nott's Sanctum and helped them purge the dungeon of all threats. They used our stronger healing potions to bring down the jefat. Once there, the group remained with enough food and water to last the remainder of the week.
Each visit to the dungeon spawned a new instance. By the end of the week, almost 250 slaves were waiting patiently, ready to exit when the time was right.
Rose and I had been able to create hundreds of invisibility potions and healing potions, distributing them among the remaining slaves who were going to sneak their way to the barrier in less than ten hours. I didn't gain a new level, but my Herbalism skill increased to rank 45. We had planned for household guards to escort them in groups of ten. A city guard would be less suspicious if he saw a private guard walking down the street. Convincing them wasn't difficult. Their pockets were lined with more gold than they earned in a decade.
We also distributed food, seeds, weapons, and tools to each adult slave. One slave even agreed to fill his entire inventory with a single anvil. They carried everything we needed to establish a new home and sanctuary in the woods, well outside of the watchful gaze of the masters in Elatha.
When today rolled around, there was nothing left to do besides waiting. So I did. We all waited in the courtyard with the gates closed. I took the time to observe each of my friends.
Junta was sitting with his father in silence. He was old enough to understand what we were doing. His face was sullen, apprehensive at the idea of experiencing the same pain he felt when he received the brand. He scratched at the scar on his shoulder. Earlier in the day, I had given him my old bracers and chest piece. Although he was only six, the human half of him made him nearly the same size as me. He was built much like his father, with a long and wide torso. Cilden helped him fit the armor, pleased that his son would have more than enough health to see him through the barrier with only a single healing potion.
Neeta was sitting between Rose and me. The little girl was playing with shiny rings on her fingers. We had to tie them all together with string, anchoring the rings to her wrist like a glove. They would have otherwise slipped off. The idea of her daughter losing the rings made Rose nervous, but I played a little game with Neeta where I had her hold onto a "magic stone." I told her that if she clutched it in her hand and remained completely silent, the stone would turn into a gold coin in five hours. She loved the idea of the game. It would keep the rings from sliding off and keep her silent at the same time.
Moga was perched in his usual spot; shoulder pressed into the cold alabaster pillars by the front door. He had nothing to say. Hell. He had nothing to do, waiting eagerly to be gone from this place.
Baridorne was playing a card game with some older children in the group. I wanted to move all of the children ahead of time. Nila overruled me, though. The guards were already suspicious. Moving all of the children would risk exposing our plan. She was right. I found myself trusting her guidance more every day.
Petey sat on the edge of the fountain beside me. I had come to know the young Trisian quite well in the prior months. He was born a slave. In his short years, he worked in the mines. He was once sold to a whorehouse to pay off his owner’s debt. Nila saw him one day and felt pity for the boy. She bought him for twice his value only to save him. I spent a few days with Petey over the last few months teaching him new healing techniques. He was thrilled to learn them, excited to be seen as something more than a slave. He even earned validation and respect from our household, running potions and messages from one ally to another.
Clifford and Nila were standing at the front gate reviewing the final details of the plan. The two were hashing through last minute details. Clifford cracked the front gate open, surveying the square in front of his soon to be abandoned home.
"I could have resurrected anywhere," I said to Vindur. "And if I were, these people would be slaves the rest of their lives."
Vindur and I haven't talked much in the last few weeks. He spent more and more time off my shoulder. I was grateful for having him in my life, but he was my guide. What would he do absent guiding me? The moment the thought entered my head, the lemur shot up.
"I wondered how long it would take you," he said to me with a smile on his face.
“You mean you could hear my thoughts this whole time?”
"Yes. I learned enough to know you haven't needed me for a while now. I only stuck around until you realized it." He jumped from his resting place between my legs and wrapped his arms around my neck, nuzzling his cheek to mine.
"I have every confidence, my young friend, that you will transform this world. You will make it better again, first in Vros and then beyond. That is why Balama put you here. She also named you Slanaitheoir. This is an ancient name. The goddess poured through thousands of tomes while your spirit was asleep. She looked at your life on earth. She looked at your actions in Fjorgyn. She gave you this name to signal the rebirth of goodness into the world. Her choice took almost a century to make. All the while, your spirit rested in a gentle sleep."
His words struck me more than they should have. It didn't matter what amount of time passed between my death and rebirth. It drove the final nail into my earthly coffin. Even if I were to somehow return to earth, there would be nothing and no one to return to. Tears started to fill my eyes. Some escaped, sliding down my cheek to end up trapped in the corners of my mouth.
"Don't be sad, my dear man. Those you left behind on Earth lived lives full of both sadness and joy. You have nieces and nephews who know your name. They still think about their uncle, wishing they had known you."
Clifford had walked over. He and Rose saw me starting to cry and tried to comfort me. I willed Vindur to appear to them. Rose withdrew at first, frightened by the sudden appearance of the creature.
A bell started ringing in the distance, signaling the invitation to the palace.
"And so it begins," Vindur said. "This is going to be your brightest hour yet. I would see you to the very end, but you know you don't need me." He began to fade away. I reached out to him.
"I don't want you to go," I said, choking back the tears.
"And that is why I must," the little lemur responded, his hand wrapped around my index finger. "My purpose was to serve you while you needed me. You no longer do. You have other guides to help you." He nodded towards Clifford and Rose.
&n
bsp; "Goodbye, my friend."
"Farewell, fried chicken."
Vindur let out one final laugh. A silver light encompassed his body and turned it to dust. What remained of him was carried away by a wisp of wind.
The moment clouded my mind. My first real friend in Fjorgyn was now gone. I was on my own. And I wasn't. I wiped the tears from my face and looked at both Rose and Clifford. "Let's do this."
------
There was a flurry of activity outside Clifford's estate after the bells started chiming. Masters were being called to the palace, this time without their slaves. Some were walking on foot. Others had horses. Some were carried in litters, guards straining to carry the weight of their obese lords. Each master had a look of smug satisfaction worn on their face. I wanted to punch each and every one of them. I only hesitated because I knew doing so would break the invisibility effect.
There was a problem with my plan that became immediate. Aside from the occasional footprint in the mud, I couldn't tell where anyone was. I could only feel Neeta pressed into my chest, her hand clutching the same "magical stone" I had given her earlier.
"This stone better work," I thought to myself. It was going to cost me a gold piece.
Even Clifford and Nila took the potions. They couldn't be seen moving away from the palace against the flow of traffic. This would raise suspicion. They would be turned back by the guards.
We reached the first wall. A giant red gate was left open on its hinges. The wall itself was fifty feet high. Four main gates leading into the inner ring were our only known escape. Even then, we were limited to only two. The others were too far from Nott's Sanctum.
Our escorts stopped when they reached the gate to be questioned by the city guards. I held air in my lungs, afraid that my breathing would reveal me. One of our escorts made an excuse about leaving the inner ring, suggesting that slaves from his household were still at the market.
"Either they get a lashing when we get back, or I do. I don't have time for this. My Lord demands his slaves be back before he returns." The man pulled at his chest plate, engraved with the owl sigil of the Grey household. He pressed a few coins into the city guard's hand as a bribe.
While this entire exchange was going on, the guard was distracted. We took this opportunity to sneak through the gate. Or I did, at least. I couldn't see anyone else. I had stopped to wait for our escort when an invisible force bumped into me.
"Michael?"
"Cilden?"
"You have Neeta?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Let's go."
Before a full hour had passed, I gave Neeta one of her invisibility potions, taking the time to drink one of mine. In the corner of my vision, I saw the countdown renew. We earned sixty more minutes of invisibility. The palace bells had stopped ringing. The ritual itself would begin soon. We had three hours to complete our escape and were still an hour from Nott's Sanctum.
As we continued to walk, I bumped into other invisible forces. First I found Rose and Junta. Rose was clutching her son's hand afraid to lose him. Ten minutes later, I bumped into Nila. I only knew from the smell of her: a lavender perfume that reminded me of the gardens in the inner ring. I tried to ask her where Clifford was. She hushed me. Her footprints trailed away.
Upon reaching the outer ring, the stone buildings gave way to wood. I couldn't see any guards. As I thought, they were all pulled into the inner rings to keep an eye on the slaves while the masters were away. By this time, the markets had closed. Stalls were empty, and corridors were deserted. I saw dozens of footprints in the mud, some fresh. I could hear whispers and chatters around me—other groups of slaves making their way to the dungeon.
Neeta and I took our third and final invisibility potion. Our goal was within reach. We approached a fork in the road and saw a city guard talking to one of our escorts. Behind him, I assumed slaves waited, ready to pounce on the guard should he become suspicious.
"I told you. I'm waiting for the young master of my house. They're down at the Sanctum. Should be back any minute now."
"Nonsense! You said he went there this morning. Either your lord is dead, or he doesn't exist. Since there hasn't been a reported death at Nott's in years, I demand you tell me the truth!"
I thought the slaves were about to escape when I saw Clifford appear down the road, running up to the two guards.
"Ahh, my escort. There you are! I thought I told you to wait by the entrance to the dungeon. What are you doing up here?"
The escort was at a loss for words. The deception was shallow. The guard wasn't from his house.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the inner ring? If any of my father's slaves attempt an escape tonight, you'll be sorry! What's your name? Who is your commanding officer?"
The city guard stood erect when confronted by an aristocrat.
"As I thought. Go on, then! Get back to your post before someone misses you."
The guard almost dropped his spear when he spun around and took off. Once he was a safe distance away, I walked up to Clifford and poked him in the side. Watching him jump was enough to make Neeta laugh. His yelp echoed down the side of the valley leading towards the dungeon.
I reached out and took his hand, pulling him behind me.
It took us thirty minutes to reach the bottom of the hill. By that time, the area was crowded with slaves, each one hugging the face of the cliff. They stayed as far away from the barrier as possible.
Once we were sure that no guards would spot us, I pressed my hand into a sharp rock on the side of the cliff, breaking my skin and taking minor damage. I looked awkward, clutching a still invisible Neeta in my arms. Once I became visible, others followed suit: Rose first, then Junta, then Nila, Cilden, Petey, Moga, and Baridorne.
I did a rough head count to be sure. All twenty-five slaves from our household were present. I couldn't count everyone, but there were at least one-hundred more waiting, the barrier repelling them to the cliff.
More started pouring out of Nott's Sanctum by the minute.
My friends were looking at me, baiting me to take charge.
"Alright," I said, loud enough for everyone around me to hear me. "Let's begin by saying the obvious. We have to pass through this barrier. And we need to do it quickly. It's going to hurt. I'm not going to lie about that."
Some people clutched their shoulders when I said this. Many still remembered the pain they experienced when receiving the brand.
"It's important that none of you try to cross the barrier without verbal approval from a healer. The moment before you cross it, drink a healing potion. We will be watching you. If you need one, we will cast a healing spell on you. If you need another one, that will also happen. No one is going to die tonight. We're going to make it."
The crowd's energy improved. I even saw some of them smile. I spotted another thirty to forty heads appearing out of thin air.
"It looks like we're all almost here. And no alarms are sounding. This is good news."
"This is the most important thing I have to tell you. Whatever you do, do not cry out in pain. I know it'll be difficult. Bite into your shirt if you must. Scream into your arm if it helps. Crying out will make noise. And noise will attract the guards."
I handed the still-invisible Neeta to Rose. Her potion would wear off at any minute. I could feel her shake and cry.
I pulled the core group aside. We walked up to the barrier.
"Alright. Take our most advanced healers and spread them out. Two healers every thirty feet. You all know what to do." Neeta's invisibility faded. The girl was crying, her head facing away from the barrier.
I pulled Rose and Cilden aside. "I need the children to come through after me. And then you two. I want the others to see the children get through alive." The two were both hesitant but nodded their consent.
Kneeling down next to Rose, I put my hand on Neeta's head.
"Uncle Mike, I don't want to do it."
"It's okay, sweet girl. Remember when that nasty man made th
at mark on your arm?" She nodded, snot dripping from her nose. I wiped it away with my hand. "This is scarier than that. But it won't hurt as much. I promise. It's important that you don't yell, though. Can you do that for me? Can you be the brave little girl I know you are?"
She smiled at me and raised her fist up, still clutching the magic stone I gave her. I offered her a little fist-bump, a gesture I taught her months ago.
"Excellent. Now I'm going to go through first just to show you there's nothing to be afraid of."
I pulled up my character screen for good measure.
Secret name: Slanaitheoir (savior)
Character name: Michael Dian-Cecht
Race: Spirit Elf
Age: 27
Class: Undefined
Talent: Undefined
Level 8 (314xp to next level)
Health: 260 (180)
Mana: 355 (180)
Stamina: 180
Fatigue: 35%
Armor: 80 (1.1% damage mitigation) - 2.1% damage mitigation with skills.
Strength: 12
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 15
Constitution: 16
Agility: 12
Luck: 6
Alignment: Chaotic Good (+1)
Racial Traits: +5% to herbalism, +5% to all non-metal crafting, +5% to nature-based healing and damage spells, +5% to mana regeneration
Profession: Undefined
Company: Undefined
Modifiers: +20% movement speed, Spirit Elf (+10% to all damage and healing done. -10% to all magical damage taken. +10% increase to all physical damage taken), 25% threat reduction, +8% to damage and spells (gear)
I did some quick math in my head. The brand dealt 117 damage. With my new gear and my level increase, I would make it through the barrier with 26 health remaining. I wasn't comfortable with so little health remaining. I pulled out a healing potion and became ready to cast a healing spell on myself. I turned to Clifford and kissed him on the lips. Some of the others "awwed" at my loving gesture. He blushed a little. That didn't stop him from kissing me back.
Fjorgyn: A Rebel Rises Page 16
