Elsewhere

Duke spent the rest of the day getting himself acquainted with all the equipment and facilities. He quickly found that there were sections for most every form of combat training and that there were golems set up to spar with. The golems were fairly tough but could be destroyed with enough effort. They would be rebuilt within the next hour so Duke found little need to hold back as he trained.

He found that some things still came easier to him than others. He still was a disaster with a sword in his hands. No matter how hard he trained, he still couldn’t seem to figure out the right angles to strike with and nearly slashed his own forehead open when the sword twisted in his grip and deflected off the sparring golem – right at his head! He decided to switch to something else. Anything else.

His magic, as usual, was the star of the show. The power he could channel into his magic Abilities was frightening but there was one thing that bothered him significantly. Every time he used a magical Ability, it now hurt. Not tremendously, but enough that he could feel it, anticipate it before each use like a rifleman anticipating recoil and destroying their own shot. He knew that would cause all kinds of problems if it didn’t fix itself. He carried on regardless.

LIGHTNING was still his favorite and most developed magical Ability, but he was having fun with his newly evolved LIGHT Ability. When he really focused on it, he was able to bend a focused beam of light around obstacles. It took his full concentration, but he was able to strike a target behind an obstacle. He didn’t think he was quite ready to try that in a fight, but it opened up some intriguing possibilities as he trained.

Three days had passed nearly in the blink of an eye to Duke. His Endurance allowed him to keep going for longer than he had ever imagined in the time before. His Ability to CLEANSE himself was key to his comfort in this time. The fact that he had also stored so much food in his INVENTORY also helped him keep going. Today, however, he decided it was time to do something different.

He sat upon the bed and removed the Gem of Germination out of his INVENTORY and considered it carefully. He had two paths he could take with this Gem. Technically, there was a third path – do nothing, but he knew for sure that path was not for him. He was either going to repair his Seed or cause it to germinate. One path was safe, the other offered potential power. How much power, Duke was uncertain but always knew what path he would ultimately take.

“Throttle up, baby. Time to punch it through the sky!” He activated the Gem of Germination to cause his Seed to Germinate. The initial sensation was one he had felt before in flight training as his vision tunneled down to a smaller and smaller picture, racing towards unconsciousness like a 12G turn he was drilled to never take. The difference here was that the only movement was him collapsing onto the bed and once his vision narrowed to a pinprick, it turned inwards. His next moment of perception started with a system message:

***You have evolved your Seed of Anomy and caused it to germinate. The seed that was planted within you is now sprouting and growing. The conflict of Law and Chaos within you had been transformed into a seed of both. Now, you grow a tree within your Soulspace that contains both aspects. You have stepped down the path of duality – you have forever tied yourself to the concepts of Entropy and Order, Chaos and Law. You are now even less a being of the world you inhabit but more of a being of the greater universe. The potential to become a Power now rests within your soul. Nurture it well or you will wither and die. ***

Duke really didn’t know how to react to that message. He was not sure what was meant by becoming a Power – he noted the capital P and that it had some sort of additional meaning. But, again, he had no idea what that really meant. He hoped it might be a good thing for him.

Well, the die is cast. If this screws me, at least it was because I chose something rather than let someone choose for me. What the hell does it mean about a being of the greater universe, though. That could mean just about anything. Hmmm…time to phone a friend.

“Hey Baslin, got a minute?”

“For you, yes. For the army marching on my tower, not so much.”

“Wait, what?” Duke responded incredulously.

“It seems King Chopie didn’t take well to my snatching you out from under him in the arena. He sent some soldiers to express his displeasure.”

“I’ll be right there!” Duke responded.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. It’s not like they could get into my tower if I don’t want them to come in. This is a simple bullying tactic by someone with a vastly overinflated ego. But, yes, leave that horrible dungeon and get back here.”

“I was thinking of staying but with the soldiers there, I should come back.”

“Why in the world would you stay there?” Baslin asked, exasperation in his voice.

Duke took a moment to gather his thoughts. “It comes down to a few things. First, I am getting more experience here in this dungeon than I have gotten the entire time I have been in this world. I’m already up to level 33. I might just be able to make it to level 50 by staying and completing the dungeon. Second, the loot is pretty spectacular. I just got an item that, according to the system, gave me the potential to become a Power.”

“It did what?” Baslin exclaimed.

“Yeah, I thought so too. Not something I was expecting, but it is something the dungeon made for me as a reward.”

“Duke, are you telling me you used an unknown magic item created specifically for you by a dungeon that has been trying to kill you without at least having me check it for hidden curses?”

“Um…yeah. When you put it like that, it sounds pretty stupid.” Duke thought about the messages he had received but could think of nothing that resembled a curse message. Then again, would he even know what one would look like. “Guess I screwed the pooch yet again.”

“You did what with what?” Baslin was getting even more agitated.

“Fucking idioms. I screwed up. Made a bad mistake. That sort of thing.” Duke explained.

“I absolutely do not ever want to know the etymology and origin of that phrase if that’s what it means. Ever. Regardless, you should be more careful. After the previous floor’s ordeal, how can you not see that the dungeon is unfriendly at best?”

“Well, it apologized.” Duke responded, chagrined.

“Oh, that makes it all better now. Really?”

“OK, I get it. I’ll be there shortly.”

The dungeon, patiently waiting for Duke to finish, interjected. “Duke, please don’t leave. My apology was and is still sincere. You will not run into anything like the previous floor again. I was truthful about the circumstances surrounding its existence.”

Duke nodded, got a wicked grin on his face and asked, “Play it again, Sam?” He did not wait for a response before he TELEPORTED out of the dungeon. It took him a small series of TELEPORTS, but he arrived in front of Baslin’s tower in the forest. While Baslin had told him that there was an army marching on the tower, Duke had not expected was for there to be an army surrounding the tower. One he appeared right in the middle of.

A voice with some apparent authority shouted, “Seize him!” moments after Duke appeared. He felt the soldiers reach for him and instinctively TELEPORTED into the tower.

“Glad you made it. Run into any difficulties on the way?” Baslin’s greeting was far more casual than Duke had anticipated. There was absolutely no concern in the man’s voice.

“There’s an entire fucking army out there!” Duke had reflexively activated his TONGUES Ability as he pointed back towards the door and the army beyond.

“So, there is.” Baslin responded. “Oh, do you think they are even an inconvenience? No, they are nothing before the power of an Archmage. I simply do not act because I have no need or desire to do so. You can if you like, but that might escalate things between you and the king. He really seems to have it out for you. Did you murder his child or something and forget to tell me?”

“Unless his child was an orc or a half-giant gladiator, I’m going to go with no.” Duke hoped that wasn’t what was going on here.

“No, I don’t think even the royal brat is twisted enough to make a bastard to throw in the arena.” Baslin quipped.

“You’re not even the slightest bit worried? There’s like thousands of soldiers out there.”

“Not in the slightest. They wouldn’t dare try even if they could hurt me. After all, the idiots are standing in my grove. Besides, I basically am unable to leave the vicinity of the tower. Since I’m not leaving and they cannot get in, what should I worry about?”

“You mean the grove of oddly uniform trees surrounding this place?” Duke asked.

“The same. Good of you to notice. They are all constructs of mine. Really, a passing experiment of moderate success. I could animate them in an instant if I so chose but that’s just an amusement. My defenses are much stronger than anything they could bring to bear, even if the king’s pet mage involved himself. So, let’s do the proper hermit thing and ignore them. Shall we?”

Duke turned to follow Baslin to the study, shaking his head the whole way. Just too bizarre. Way too bizarre.

“Duke!” The voice from the study was familiar but Duke didn’t place it in the shock of hearing a voice that wasn’t Baslin’s inside the tower. He looked across the room only to be hugged from the side by Elaine and clapped on the back by Grat. The druids had arrived!

“God, it’s good to see you! When did you two get here?” Duke found himself smiling involuntarily at the sight of his friends. Although he may not have known them long, he considered them friends and after the ordeal in the dungeon, Duke really needed some friends right now. He felt tension drain out of his body.

“We got here right before the army and Baslin welcomed us right in. He said it was exciting to have more company again.”

“I did indeed.” Baslin came back from across the room with a meter-wide silver platter of food and drink floating beside him. “Anyone care for some food or a refreshment? I haven’t entertained in quite a long time, and I’m so excited to do so again. I must thank you again, Duke, for sending your friends here!” Baslin was practically glowing with his smile.

“Glad we’re all together. But things are getting weird.” Duke added. “There’s an army camped outside, and I’ve been delving in a dungeon. What have you two been up to?”

Elaine spoke first. “We went to the Council and told them of all we found. They agree that the Umbral Portal was what they had sensed as the ‘great evil’.” She shrugged. “Personally, I’m not convinced that they really knew what they were talking about in the first place. It’s all politics in the Council now and somehow there are representatives from the king there. They are not druids, and they should not be there.”

Grat joined in. “If the Council is getting in bed with the kingdom, terrible things are afoot. We know that the king is an oppressor but living outside any of his cities lends us freedom not to care about it. If he is invading the Council, then his oppression may overtake all the land. We have to stop it.”

Baslin stroked his chin. “Perhaps then, this army is meant to serve two purposes. One to keep me here even though I could not leave anyway. And two, to keep the pair of you away from the Council while they finish taking over.”

“It is to keep me here, I think. Not you, Baslin.” Duke added.

Baslin smiled and nodded. “Yes, that makes more sense. They have no idea of the range of your TELEOPORTATION as they have only seen it in the arena. They are seriously underestimating you. Perhaps it is time for you to return to the city since their army is out here?”

“Oh, because that worked out so well last time. No, I’m not returning to that goddamned city until I can free those wrongfully trapped, imprisoned.” Duke responded sarcastically.

Baslin chuckled. “I think it might be a bit better trip this time. And you could have friends along too.”

“No offence, Baslin, but we just arrived here. We have no wish to leave so soon if we can help it. The city, certainly, is no place for us.” Grat shook his head with revulsion at the idea.

“Yes, love, I would rather brave the depths of the dungeon than set foot in that foul place ever again.” Elaine added.

“I could possibly arrange that, you know.” Baslin added with a wry grin.

“Are you tying to get rid of us?” Duke jumped in.

“No, I am not. But I am enjoying the banter. It’s been a long and lonely time and having others here is fun. Do you realize that it has been more than a decade since I have cast a spell that actually meant something before Duke arrived here. If I was the dangerous, evil wizard that I am sure the king is making me out to me, I would have reached out and burnt his entire army to ash when they arrived.”

“That’s pretty drastic. Scorched ground tactics and all.” Duke said.

“I said that I could. Not that it was my first choice or even something I would normally consider. It’s just infuriating to sit here and do nothing. So, it is through watching your exploits, Duke, that I can even feel like I’m doing something. That, and I am waiting for you to get a spell up to a level I can use to officially graduate you and end this exile.”

“I’m working on it – making good progress, I think. I have my TELEPORTATION all the way up to Practiced 30 already.”

“That is good progress, indeed. Mayhap I can graduate you before the year is up if that progress continues unabated.”

“Sitting here waiting is slowly killing you, isn’t it Baslin?” Elaine asked.

“Truly it is. Slowly and painfully, but Duke is giving me some hope. A way out.”

Elaine looked meaningfully over to Grat and he nodded slightly. “Duke, you have to go back to the dungeon and take us with you. From what we have seen, it is the fastest way for your growth and your growth is the key to Baslin’s freedom.” Duke felt the stirring of his PURPOSE at her words. She continued, “Duke, both Grat and I feel the same stirring of PURPOSE as you in this regard. We can help you. We must help you.”

Duke pointed at the wall. “Army, remember? Last time they saw me, whoever was in charge decided that I needed to be their prisoner. I’m not going to ever be a prisoner again. I’ve had too much of it. So, walking out the front door with you two isn’t exactly in the cards unless you want me to fight the entire army out there. Probably would be good experience, though.”

“If you really want to go back to that thrice damned dungeon, I can portal the three of you to it.” Baslin said resignedly.

“You two really want to go to run the dungeon? The last level I was on, well, it left more than a few emotional scars.” Duke said, his voice trailing off with the remembered anguish.

“You go, we go.” Grat responded. Elaine nodded in agreement.

“Then we all go, I guess.” Duke responded. “But I’d better empty my INVENTORY before we leave.” Baslin’s eyes lit up at the prospect of new ingredients to play with yet again.