So, we got some food.

  Not sandwiches, like Dane wanted. But it was still very, very satisfying to sit down and eat after a day like that. Benji, apparently an aspiring chef, whipped us up something that I can only describe as chicken nachos.

  Except chickens didn’t exist on this plane of existence and the chip-like facsimile was more puffy than crunchy.

  Regardless it hit the spot.

  During the meal, I poked through the loot I had gathered from the last brawl. There wasn’t much in uncommon goods. The Gort Aspet dropped a few stacks of metal fragments, a few common halberds, one bar of silver, a half dozen mana potions and twice that of health potions.

  One of the uncommon monsters had dropped an uncommon telescope and a pocket watch, which I find slightly confusing. Neither were magical, from what I could sense with my newly acquire Master Smith passive.

  We distributed the potions as equally as we could and decided to pool the loot in my dimensional inventory to be sold at a later date.

  That got us started on the economic system in this part of the world. Nothing was standardized throughout the continent, and the Kingdom of Schaldry used a brass-gold composite they called “Schaldrins”. The Frog Knight things had dropped two hundred and twelve of those, so we divided by four… yielding us fifty-three Schaldrins each.

  Apparently, these were comparable, if not a little more valuable, than the neighboring Kingdom of Finak and their resin coated diamond dust, “Aks.” I didn’t have any of those, but Benji enjoyed telling us all about the different currencies he had come to read about before he was taken by the Hoarfrost Gang.

  The gang, operating in at least four kingdoms in the southern lands of the continent of Trinulum, had chests full of all sorts of currency.

  Though the three had only heard of the strongboxes and not seen them for themselves. All of them were from the Kingdom of Schaldry, so they all had more familiarity with Schaldrins than anything else. Benji was about to tell me about the currency of the Kingdom of Bothel when Trelain returned, buzzing with excitement.

  “You did it! You actually did it! This is wonderful, absolutely wonderful. I owe you four a great deal, I know it. The wards are up, the forest is clear, and now the real work can be done. Oh, I’m so pleased,” he said.

  Trelain came over to sit at our table, Dane getting up to give him a space to rest his old bones out of respect. The Apostle had brought a jug of his favored apple cider and four extra cups. He began setting out the cups, pouring us each an ample amount.

  When he was done, he raised his own in salute, “To the work!”

  We all raised our cups, but save for Benji, did not return the words. After a few beats of looking at Trelain with a raised eyebrow, I remembered he never answered anything without being directly asked a question.

  And even then, it was a gamble if his answer would be clear.

  So, I just asked, point blank, “What work?”

  “Oh, my boy, what a wonderful question! Perhaps a better one might be, ‘which work’? Or even better, ‘whose work’? All of those are fine queries. Your first, of course, among them. But the work can continue with what you’ve done,” Trelain said, moving his cup up and about as he spoke with glee.

  “Alright then, you win. Which work?” Dane asked, grumbling a bit from his standing position behind Trelain.

  “The work will wait. I should have something concrete in regards to that, for you four to do, in a week or two. For now, I want you to work on getting stronger. Fill out your power suites, advance to Acolyte. And then we’ll speak on this again. Until then,” Trelain slapped four hefty tomes on the table and then said in a jovial tone, “Recompense! For a job well done.”

  Dane balked at the books on the table.

  “More?”

  “Trelain… there’s no way we can repay this generosity,” Benji said.

  “I hardly just got done with the first one you gave me, are you sure? Honestly, I hope you don’t take any offense. But, what’s the catch? I mean I know repairing the wards was Greg’s quest at first, and we hopped in. And it was a long one. Not overly dangerous, but certainly tiresome. Apostle, level with us… what’s in it for you?”

  Trelain chuckled a bit, taking a deep swing from his cider filled mug. His eyes were a little glossy but he was seemingly in a good mood.

  I winced in preparation for his response.

  I know his overt generosity was a bit alarming. The man clothed me, healed me, fed me, housed me, saved my life (via Bucket), and gave me magic. No one did all that without some sort of agenda. At least that’s what you’re taught in America.

  Not the magic part… obviously.

  But everything else would make a suspicious man think twice. I was a suspicious man, but my instincts had been screaming at me to trust Trelain from the jump. With his next words, he gave my dormant worries a metaphorical soothing gel.

  “Nothing salacious, nothing sinister. But you are right, my dear. I do want something from you. I want something from you all,” Trelain said.

  “Which is?” Dane asked.

  “Company! Support! The promise of youthful vigor! I’ve been after something for a long time, now. Something that could change the course of our civilization as we know it. But I’m not a young man any more. I have power, true. Lots of it. But I’m tired, my friends are long dead or moved on, and I am close…. so close I can taste it!”

  Trelain stood and handed out the books to each of us with a warm smile, and continued his little speech.

  “To stop now would be a waste of the last half century. I’ll tell you more, later. But it would take a lot to explain. Do not begrudge me a little mystery in this. Though the wards are up, there are those who watch me, still. I gave up my Dukeship, moved to the middle of this forest, and committed myself to this one purpose. I cannot risk it now. Observers! Everywhere. Please just trust me that you four will be very interested in the results, should we succeed. You will be the first of the new world order and you will know no equal but each other. Trust me on this. But for now, you must learn. Get stronger. Get to Acolyte as quickly as you can, and then we’ll go under. Under the mountain! That’s where the path leads. So, what say you, young Ms. Soli? Did I answer your question?”

  “Um… sort of?” She said, frankly.

  “So you’re saying you need us for a thing, but you’re being vague because… what? People are listening?” Dane asked.

  “That’s a little creepy…” I mumbled.

  “Imagine how I feel! I moved to this damned forest to get away from those cretins! My family would simply not let me live my life!” Trelain complained.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Wait your family are your biggest antagonists?” Dane asked.

  “It’s how the powerful stay in power,” I offered.

  “Precisely, my boy. So, trust me when I say this— you’ll want to be here. You’ll want to know what I know. I’m sorry I’ve been so,” Trelain waved his hands in little circles around his head, “Vague. And I’m sorry to say I will continue to be. But this is something worth keeping close to the vest until the time is right. Can you do that?”

  As he asked, he put another stack of books onto the table. Now there were eight in total, all resonating with different colors and slight auras.

  “This ought to get you at least part of the way there.” Trelain continued.

  Dane, once again, looked dumbfounded. With these piles, that would be two books (two powers) each.

  I, just now starting to understand the value of things in this new world, joined Dane in the stare down.

  “Are you shitting me?” Dane asked.

  “Dane!” Maleena exclaimed.

  “What?! It’s a lot to take in. I’m grateful, Trelain. Don’t get me wrong. I am extremely grateful. It’s just a bit much, is it not?”

  “Does feel a bit like a bribe…” Benji agreed, shly.

  “That’s exactly what it is, Mr. Black,” Trelain said.

  “It is?” I asked.

  “Of course it is. I need you for something, but I can’t tell you what it is because people are spying on me. But trust me that it’ll be good for you too if you just keep quiet about it until I say I need your help?” Trelain said, rather lucidly.

  “That’s the clearest I think I’ve ever heard you speak, Tre,” I said, “No offense or anything.”

  “None taken,” he said, smiling.

  “So, we continue to stay here as guests?” I asked.

  “You stay here as residents, should you wish. Your charming little treehouse, next to mine.” Trelain said.

  “A real home?” Dane asked no one in particular.

  “You set the wards. You made it safe again. It’s as much of your place now as it is mine.” Trelain said, warmly.

  “Well, I vote yes,” Maleena said, picking up two books from the stack and looking them over, “Can’t say no to something like this.”

  “So, we take these and we’re in? What’s to stop me from just walking out now? Never to return?” Dane said, and then added, “Respectfully.”

  “Nothing, I suppose. Save for the promise of more. I need us all strong for what’s to be done. And I’ll say this— when the time comes, I cannot go with you. Guide you, house you, empower you… sure. But this temple… only Acolytes….” Trelain stopped himself.

  I stood and grabbed two books that caught my eye. Now painfully aware no one else saw titles on these things like I did, I wondered how Maleena had picked hers. My picks were purely from their names. They read:

  ‘Nice Spell, Can I Have it?’

  And:

  ‘In the Jungle, The Mighty Jungle’

  Benji also concluded that accepting the bribe was his best option, moving forward, and took two books. His selections were dark velvet with occasional flashing trickling down the spines of the tomes.

  Dane, looking at the three of us with a playfully contemptuous glance, also grabbed his pick. His were silver, glinting and seemed metallic in nature.

  “So, I guess we’re in?” I asked, rhetorically.

  -

  At the end of the night, I excused myself to my room. I was barely getting used to the concept of living in this world, but now that I had a place to really call home... it felt more… comfortable. I had a found a home, I had made friends, I even somehow got myself a rich pseudo uncle figure.

  Things were looking up. For now, I looked to my new books.

  Would you like to read ‘Nice Spell, Can I Have it?’

  Larcenaturg [Active] [Mimicry Spell] [Domain: Mirror] Replicate any spell you witness within a ten second timeframe. Gain extra power for a shared Domain (Mana cost: variable)

  Yes/no?

  Yes.

  The power that flooded into me was less… unkind, then other times I absorbed a Mirror Domain spell. Not that previous acquisitions were hostile, by any means. They all felt incredibly energizing, and I always walked away feeling amazing.

  Well, except when I became an Initiate.

  But each absorption, each addition to my power suite in any of my three Domains strengthened me. The more spells and passives I had filling out my powers in a Domain, the easier the process was.

  Congratulations! You have advanced your Mirror Domain, bringing your total power in this Domain to: 3/6.

  Your progression to Acolyte is: 7/18

  I turned to the other book.

  Would you like to read ‘In the Jungle, The Mighty Jungle’?

  Transgenesis [Active] [Transmogrification Spell] [Domain: Fauna] While in human form, apply any physical traits from your Spirit Avatar or from a compatible Fauna Sample. Cannot acquire physical traits from other planar beings, other humans, or innately magical beings (Mana cost: variable)

  Yes/no?

  Yes.

  My body swelled with a greenish-brown power, feeling the magic of the Ward enhanced forest around me. My muscles felt tighter against my shirt, my eyesight focused, and I could have sworn I grew an inch or two.

  I made a note to go stand next to the gigantic Dane when I saw him next.

  I felt really, really good.

  Stronger than ever and almost… feral.

  Congratulations! You have advanced your Fauna Domain, bringing your total power in this Domain to: 2/6.

  Your progression to Acolyte is: 8/18

  With ten to go until Acolyte, I still had a lot of work to do.

  Trelain, my benefactor for those eight powers, insisted that more books would drop the more Dane, Benji, Maleena and I fought.

  Before heading to bed, he had marked a few spots on my map that a local had implored him to go check out when he was last in Schaldry. Reports of a roaming monster, townsfolk afraid to go out at night, people’s livestock exsanguination… that sort of thing.

  There wasn’t exactly a guild for hunting these sorts of things in Schaldry. That was left to the King’s guard.

  But the guard had their hands full with a rebellion in the South.

  And the neighboring Kingdoms didn’t lone out their own means of protecting their people. It was rumored that there was a club in Finak that roved the streets and hills, dispatching monsters and collecting bounties.

  I didn’t exactly want to do it for the money, per se. But if we could get some good drops, hopefully including some skill books, then we would be well on our way to making Acolyte.

  As I lay my head down on my pillow, I pulled up my character screen to take note of my newest power additions and see if I had missed any other changes.

  Gregory Zell

  Human Initiate

  Progression to Acolyte: 8/18 powers

  Disciplines: Mirror, Metallurgy, Fauna

  Current Power Suite: Mirror Door, Furnace, Spirit Avatar, Summon Sledgehammer, Mimic, Master Smith, Larcenaturg, Transgenesis

  Passive Perks: Reader, Dimensional Traveler, Mirror Affinity, Mana Burn

  Achievements: Literate, Basic Human Decency, Burning Body, So That’s Your Spirit, Portal Away, Power Isn’t Everything

  Inherent Skills: Triage, Calm Under Pressure, Emergency Intervention, Identify, Polyglot, Quick Skill

  Equipped Magic Items: Velveteen Moccasins, Aculeus, Riddle’s Reward

  Inventory

  Key of Stabilization: 1

  Mana potion: 13

  Health potion: 10

  Hygiene potion: 12

  Rations: 6

  Small hurricane lamp: 1

  Chunk of wax: 1

  Bolt of green cloth: 1

  Fork: 1

  Gort Varaz pelt: 3

  Guts: 4

  Boar hairs: 18

  Common military pick: 1

  Kris: 1

  Metal fragments: 25

  Metal fragments: 25

  Common halberd: 2

  Uncommon telescope: 1

  Pocket watch: 1

  Carrying capacity: 19/200 Currency: 53 Schaldrins