by Charles Dean
Siegman glowered at Augustus for a moment longer then sat back down in his chair, making a commotion as he scooted it forward and slammed the palm of his hand onto the table. “Well then, shall we discuss our first order of business?” he asked, his face still distorted with vexation from the earlier confrontation.
“We could,” Lenfers, the God of Architecture, said from his chair as he slouched back and looked at Augustus. “Or we could talk about why this is the second meeting in a row that Mary and Augustus have shown up together. I think that gossip might be very interesting to hear, especially since their Heralds are supposed to be killing each other soon. After all, her Herald is making a straight line toward his, for some reason, as if . . . as if she wasn’t going to kill someone but meet an ally.”
“That’s nonsense,” Siegman exclaimed. “We all know that alliances in the competition are severely frowned upon and an even bigger break from tradition than killing a Herald at the start. All but one Herald dies in the end, so that’s to be expected eventually one way or another. However, an alliance? How can that work where there can only be a single winner?”
“Numbers can rise in more than one fashion,” Sord, the Loot God of Rising Numbers said. He was obviously hinting at a fact that Siegman seemed to be overlooking altogether: the world stone fragments.
Each competition might have dozens and dozens of Heralds, but there were only nine world stone fragments. They were rarely acquired because of the difficulty of the trials surrounding them, trials that directly challenged the aspect of the gods the Heralds represented, but when they were gathered, they gave massive boosts to the Herald’s stats: a flat 5% increase in the three primary stats as well as a boost to the god’s latent abilities. On top of this, if a Herald acquired all nine world stone fragments, then he would have the chance to win the competition, even if another Herald still lived. It was the only way to prevent a sole survivor situation.
“Indeed, they can,” Lenfers added, nodding along. “Although, if it were that simple, things wouldn’t be playing out the way they are. I’m wondering . . . Mary, Augustus, why are you two suddenly so close? What are you two up to that has you spending so much time together?”
“Ah.” Mary looked at Augustus. “Well, you see . . . It’s that . . .” She stuttered over her words as she tried to find an excuse. Augustus knew that she would never use the truth, who he was, to explain why she was so docile and obedient around him, but he also knew that she was terrible at coming up with believable lies as deceit was a thing she rarely practiced.
He watched her squirm for a minute, trying to explain away what was happening as she verbally flailed around, searching for a word, before deciding that he had milked this teasing enough and that it was time to change the pace of things. “There’s no reason to be shy,” Augustus said, changing to the form of a full-moon lycanthrope, his closest non-human but still-functionally-human form. He stared into her eyes, doing his best to make it look as if no one else at the table existed but her. He knew his real form would sell this far better, but it would also give away the truth at the same time.
“I’m . . . I’m not being shy. It’s just . . .” Mary looked flustered. “Why don’t you just tell them for me then?”
“Okay, if that’s what my darling wants,” Augustus said, watching surprise dance across her face as he said the word ‘darling.’ “The real reason we’ve been spending so much time together,” he continued, looking directly at Mary without taking his eyes off the tormented girl’s face for a moment, “is because the two recent deaths have made us realize that there was no point in hiding our emotions any longer. She came to my home, and I showed her my true form and told her how I really felt, and she practically hasn’t left my place since.” He was lying with the truth. “It’s been so helpful in this turbulent time to have someone who truly understands me.” His wolf-like jaw pulled upward into a smile as he looked at the prey he was enjoying.
Eric bolted upright, stopping him from going any further. “Wait! You mean. . . You two are--”
“Yes,” Augustus answered without letting the other god finish his question. He wanted things kept as vague as possible so that he didn’t actually have to lie. “We’re going to be together for the foreseeable future. I expect we will be spending a great deal of time with each other, watching, as she would say, true love unfolds.”
Augustus had to work very hard to suppress a snicker as Mary’s face contorted. To everyone else in the room, Augustus was talking about a beautiful future of love and happiness with Mary. She, however, knew that he was merely referring to watching Lee’s romantic life on Earth and eating popcorn. He also knew that she knew that he’d be cackling at her and the whole situation right then if he didn’t have to keep up the performance.
Siegman sighed defeatedly. This was Augustus’s second attack against the arrogant god who sat at the head of the table since everyone but Mary knew that he had a crush on her, that he had wanted to be with her for countless eons. “Well . . . You really do choose poor company, Mary,” he said, bitterness pervading his every word. “Well, let’s just move on to the next order of business.”
“That’s fine. My darling and I are in a rush to get back.” Augustus changed back into a panther and nuzzled his large head into Mary’s lap before moving back to his seat. For her part, Mary just petted his head a bit, clearly shell shocked, while staring blankly at some distant point that no one but she could see.
Chapter 1
Name: Lee
Race: Human
Class: Herald - None
Level: 26
Health: 360/360
EXP: 3001/37000
Primary Stats:
Power 36 (39)
Toughness 36 (39)
Spirit 36 (39)
Secondary Stats:
Charisma 25
Courage 20
Deceit 26
Intelligence 161 (177)
Honor 3
Faith 32721
Personal Faith 233
Skills:
Unarmed Combat Initiate Level 7
Swordplay Novice Level 8
Sneak Journeyman Level 2
Cooking Initiate Level 7
Trap Detection Initiate Level 6
Knife Combat Initiate Level 8
Mental Fortitude Initiate Level 1
Sleight of Hand Initiate Level 3
Blood Shield Initiate Level 3
Glass Smithing Initiate Level 10
Divine Skills:
Golem Sculpting Journeyman Level 1
Appreciative Drunk Novice Level 8
Nectar of the Gods Initiate Level 4
Spirit Smithing Initiate Level 3
Faith Healing
Divinity Powers:
Life in Death
Titles:
Cheat Code Fighter
The Great Deceiver
Lee couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he breathed in the fresh air and rolled over to look at the woman next to him. Callipygian. It was a word he had seen plenty of times, but it was one whose definition had never been fully appreciated until he had seen Masha’s naked figure. Callipygian and perfect.
“You look happy,” Masha crooned as her eyes opened with a flutter.
Lee let his eyes roam over every part of body her but her face. “Well, from where I’m sitting, there are at least two good reasons to be happy.”
“My eyes are up here,” Masha muttered as she caught his roaming gaze.
“I know,” Lee replied, but he didn’t stop his ogling for a second.
“Well then, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to stop looking and put on clothes sooner or later,” Masha warned as she got out of the bed and started pulling on the dress she wore yesterday. “We’ve got brunch with my dad, and we can’t be late.”
Lee waited until her outfit was on before reminding her of the obvious. “You know you wore that yesterday, right?”
“Yeah . . .” Masha said slowly, failing to unders
tand what Lee was hinting at. “And?”
“And your dad saw you leave in that dress to what was supposed to be your friend Olga’s house . . .” Lee explained, trying to lead her to realize the issue with a few breadcrumbs.
She looked at him confusedly in the mirror as she fastened straps and adjusted her hair. “And? He expected me to stay out, so why wouldn’t I come back in the same clothes?”
“Have you ever come back from Olga’s place in the same dress?” Lee asked patiently, then pushed again. “Or do you usually have a different one? You know . . . one that she lends you?” He had known Masha long enough to know that she always came back in a different but still-cute outfit every time she hung out with Olga. The two of them loved to play dress up whenever they got bored and ran out of movies to watch.
“Oh . . .” Masha’s milky skin seemed to pale even further as she caught on and scrutinized how she was dressed. “Oh no . . . he’s going to know right away. How will he not?”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too.” Lee nodded knowingly as he crawled out of bed and walked over to his closet. “That’s exactly why I got you this,” he said, pulling out a beautiful dress.
“You . . . bought me a dress?” Masha took her ensemble off again, unfastening the straps and letting it drop to the floor before swaying over to Lee and taking the garment from him. “And how did you get my size right?” she asked after quickly checking the tag.
Lee grinned mischievously. “That would be Olga’s doing. She helped me out the other day and made sure I had everything ready just in case.”
“Just in case?”
“Just in case we--”
Masha’s pale skin suddenly flushed as red as a freshly-cooked lobster, and she suddenly seemed to be too embarrassed to even allude to what they had done, much less talk about it. She pulled the dress over her head and buried her face in a layer of clothes as if she were trying block out the sentence Lee had left unfinished. Then, as if sensing that he was no longer going to make reference to the night’s activities, she finally continued clothing herself after a moment.
“So, where are we meeting Olga?” Lee asked, reluctantly climbing out of bed at last. He shuffled over to the closet and began pulling on clothes of his own while Masha finished dressing. “And where are we supposed to pretend to have run into her?”
“She’ll meet us at the coffee shop next to the house, and we’ll walk together from there. She’s got a date, so it’ll take less time that way,” Masha explained.
The dress was incredibly beautiful on her, and Lee was happy that he had taken the time to get Olga to help pick it out. His mind was still stuck in the world of practicality and the competition of Heralds, so he likely would have gone with something plain and drab, but Olga had insisted on bright colors. She had encouraged him to pick out something based around one of his favorite colors, green, and then she had matched it with a beautiful floral pattern that had long leaves and hanging orchid flower prints that perfectly matched Masha’s pale-white skin tone. The dress was tight and form-fitting around the chest and torso and then flowed outward once below her waist, and it was stunning on her. It was so entrancing, in fact, that Lee nearly forgot what they had been talking about.
Lee blinked a few times, trying to collect his thoughts again. “Huh? Sorry, you were just-- Wow. The dress makes some women; you make that dress.”
“Well, focus.” She waved her hand in front of his eyes, pulling his gaze back to earth. “We gotta get going, or else we’ll be late. My dad wanted to start the meal as soon as possible, so there will be plenty of time for your little ‘post-jentacular’ games of chess, whatever that is. He keeps saying he’s going to beat you this time, even though everyone knows he always goes easy on you.”
“He means after-breakfast chess games, but we’re doing brunch this time . . . and he doesn’t go easy on me,” Lee protested. “I have to work hard for those wins.”
“Of course you do, my dearest.” Masha gave him a faux-sympathetic look and patted him on the shoulder. “Of course you do.”
“Hey! Don’t start that, or I’ll have to spank you,” Lee threatened.
“Mmm . . .” Masha didn’t give a proper response. Instead, she simply winked at him before turning and swaying out of the apartment.
Lee quickly followed behind, and the two of them made their way out of his building and through town. The weather was dreary, but Lee took solace in the fact that at least the grey, overcast skies weren’t accompanied by a matching set of wind and rain and that the day was only hampered by a persistent, empty fog-like atmosphere.
“Really ominous weather . . .” Lee noted as he took off his blazer and draped it over Masha’s shoulders. He knew that the biggest downside to having a woman dress that nicely was being assured that she would need to steal his coat the second she felt a chill.
“Yeah, something definitely feels off,” Masha agreed, suddenly sidling in closer to Lee. “This is definitely the type of weather that . . . you know.”
“Proceeds an awful turn of events in any movie?” Lee asked, his mind immediately going to pop cultural references.
“What? No. This is the type of weather that calls for snuggling inside. Why would you think that? Don't say that. You’ll jinx us.”
Then, as if on que to startle them, Olga appeared beside them. “Hey! I almost didn’t see you two,” she said as Lee and Masha approached her.
“Well, you know, tall white guy with red hair next to a beautiful girl like Masha in this town . . .” Lee said sarcastically. “We’re very hard to notice, right?”
“You need to stop complimenting her,” Olga warned. “You’re going to make her turn an even darker hue than that hair of yours. She’s not used to compliments.”
“Not sure why. I’m surprised that every guy who met her before me didn’t just lay on terribly-cheesy pick-up lines the second they met her,” Lee thought aloud. “I certainly don’t understand why I’m her first serious boyfriend.”
“You have met her dad, right? You do know about her family’s--” Olga stopped abruptly and looked over at Masha with an ‘I’m sorry’ expression.
“Her family’s what?” Lee asked, glancing between them.
Olga shook her head. “Nothing, nothing. Forget I said anything. It’s just the umm . . .” She paused, pressing her red lips together so hard that they started to turn white. “The fact she needs bodyguards because she’s rich. That’s all it is. Let’s just get her home.”
“Ah, the wealth. Yeah, I don’t know how that’s a bad thing. I personally like the idea that I might one day have my very own sugar momma,” Lee said, pulling Masha in closer. His mind suddenly traveled back to the other world at the mention of money, and he was momentarily preoccupied with thoughts of how hard he was having to work there just to achieve the growth he wanted in Satterfield’s burgeoning economy. He had already pushed through various efforts to help modernize the small town, such as renovating Ramon’s old tavern and installing pipes there for running water as well as insulation, but with the costs of the new installations along with food purchases, maintenance and acquiring new weapons and armor, he felt like he had sunk a literal goldmine into the town. Lee was also pretty sure that he would spend the small fortune he had received from killing the Herald of the Goddess of Ice on Satterfield, so a life of ease wasn’t anywhere on the horizon back in the game. That being the case, he was perfectly happy with the idea of a lovely, young sugar momma for his vacations to the real world
“Your very own sugar momma?” Olga giggled. “If I didn’t know you well enough, I’d think you were a gold digger.”
“If you didn’t know me well enough?” Lee said. “Why, how do you know I’m not?”
“Because, with your tricks--that thing you do with forks and the beverages you can make--you could easily be richer than even Masha’s dad if you just wanted money,” Olga clarified.
“Tricks?!” Lee feigned indignity, channeling his inner Wolfe and pretending to b
e offended. “Why, I never! There are no tricks at all. It’s genuine magic, I tell you!” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the loose change, holding the coins up in his open palm so that the two girls could see them before closing both hands around them.
“Here we go again,” Olga sighed. “You’ve already gotten into her pants, so why must you do that silly trick for her?”
Lee just brushed her off as he channeled his spirit into the coins and melded the handful of nickels, dimes and quarters into the image he was holding in his mind.
“Alright, show us the twelfth statue of Masha you’ve magicked up,” Olga groaned as Lee began opening his hands, but quickly gasped in surprise when he revealed his creation. The small figurine just barely fit in the palm of his hand, and rather than Masha, he had clearly depicted Ogla and her longtime boyfriend. He had dressed her in an elegant evening gown, her boyfriend in a tuxedo, and he had shown them embracing each other in what looked like a waltz, the movement of their bodies suspended perfectly in time. The tiny statue captured every detail of the dancing lovers down to the small creases in their clothing and even the subtle nuances of their facial features. Given its size, even a good machine mold wouldn’t have been able to flawlessly produce the perfect features that Lee had.
“Well . . .” Lee glanced down at the figurine and then back up at her. “I was going to give this to you today, but since I apparently can’t do magic, I suppose I’ll just have to change it back,” Lee teased as he closed his hands around it.
“Wait! No!” Olga protested. “I want it.”
“But it can’t be real. It’s just a trick. I don’t know magic,” Lee teased. “So, clearly, I didn’t just make this with magic.”
“You did!” she acquiesced quickly. “Just let me have it.”
“Yes, just let her have it,” Masha also pleaded for her friend.
Lee sighed, opening his hand and letting Olga grab the beautiful trinket. He might have had fun teasing her, but he couldn’t resist Masha’s pleading eyes.
