The First Archmage

(Gavin)

"Huh," I say. "He's not all bones and stuff. Weird. It's been, like, six months since we looted 'em."

"Thought you said it was a few months ago?" Interrupting Adventurer says.

Or is that questioning it?

Hrm.

Whatever.

"My natural lifespan is over double what an ordinary person's is," I tell him. "Is only natural for me to adapt to that frame of timeline. A few months really ain't all that much, and nor is six months, when you's gonna live a hundred years."

"Can I gag him?" Interrupting Adventurer asks.

"I've got one of those."

"No," Bryant looks at me, and I'm pretty sure he's trying not to smile.

+1 PER!

"His INT is high enough that it'll be useful to keep his mouth running," Bryant continues as I grin at Interrupting Adventurer. "Only once he puts us in danger will I consider gagging him."

"He's starting to really agitate me," Interrupting Adventurer complains. "And how powerful is the charm, anyway? I can't get a read on it at all."

"Try focusing on it?" I suggest. "It tells ya."

"It doesn't say how far out the range extends!" He snaps. "Or how long it'll last!"

"You've never seen a True Ward before, have you?" Bryant asks. "They don't have a duration, and never need buffing. I suspected when I saw it, but the corpse has confirmed it. This man was Gabriel Goldenlight."

"Dunno the name," I say. "He famous or something?"

"Are you sure?" Interrupting Adventurer asks, looking thoroughly worried.

"Positive," Bryant sits down, closing his eyes. "Our real mission in the wyvern territory was to locate him. How did he die out here, though? These wounds are monster wounds, but he was wearing the amulet-"

"It was in his pocket."

"So he wasn't even wearing it," Bryant mutters. "Of course, the monsters around here aren't that powerful, so he was probably just looking for the little experience he'd gain from killing them, if any at all, but still… there isn't much out here that should be capable of killing Gabriel."

"So who was he?" I ask.

"A Paladin," Bryant stands, looking at me again. "And one of the few who made it to the third tier of a Class. He was powerful – very, very powerful. To think that something could just kill him like this… what could have done that? He vanished around six months ago, and probably didn't make it to the wyverns' territory, which would be why I found no clues."

Pretty sure he made it there.

"So how comes his body's not decayed and eaten by animals and stuff?"

"He has the blessing of a god," Bryant answers. "Adventurers can take on a god's blessing, and when they do, it grants them special powers. Most Tier II Adventurers have the Blessing of a god. Gabriel was a follower of Aulor, the god of healing. His followers won't decay, and in death, their bodies will remain untouched by darker forces. This solves the mission we were assigned."

"I thought the mission was-"

"Only I knew the real mission," Bryant interrupts the Interrupting Adventurer. "The King ordered me to not reveal it unless we found what happened to Gabriel. Unfortunately, this happening six months ago means all signs of what happened were gone. Gavin – can I see his tome?"

"Sure," I say. "But it's got a bunch o' spells, and it's not his. The Grimoire of Tristan Lightblade is its name. Gots all kinds of spells in it, though I never bothered tryin' to learn 'em. Do ya think Access means they'll be a good idea for me to learn? It starts off with the basics, like magic missile and fireball and demon's blight."

"Demon's Blight?" He asks.

"Just kidding," I pull off my pack, then look through it for the tome. "Here it is! None of the spells are dark magic, I don't think."

"I've never heard of Tristan Lightblade before," Interrupting Adventurer says.

"He was a magician," I helpfully tell him.

"No shit!"

"Enough, Gregory," Bryant says without taking his eyes off the tome. He hasn't opened it yet. "Tristan Lightblade… to think ones his Grimoires was found."

"So who was he, then?" I ask.

"An old wizard," Bryant hands me the Grimoire back. "Keep hold of that, Gavin, as it's yours by looter's rights. The King might want it, when we return, but unless he says that, it's yours. Now that we've located Gabriel, we can go directly to the king to report it. Should be tomorrow night, as planned for our return, anyway."

We're that close? Huh. I never realized how close my village was to the capital. We never really leave it, and rarely receive visitors, so I thought it was a lot further.

"Let's make a stretcher," Bryant says, and then shows me how to make one with sticks and cloth and rope.

After we get Gabriel on the stretcher, they cover him with a couple of blankets, pick it up, and start walking. I pull my pack back on and follow them.

When we stop for dinner, the sun has long since fallen, and it's nearly ten in the evening. At this time, I'm usually trying to figure out where I should sleep and if I should whistle or not. Tonight, if we were back at the village, I'd probably join some of the others in a group cuddle to sleep.

It's pretty chilly out, and the group cuddle-huddle sleeps help us with the warmth. It's so cozy and warm with the thick, wool blankets over top of us and a fire burning in the hearth.

We settle down for dinner, and Bryant decides to tell me a little about Tristan Lightblade.

"He was an ancient magician," Bryant begins. "He never had access to the System, though with his power, he might as well have. He knew over a thousand spells, and each one was recorded in his Grimoires. He could judge his Mana amount as if he could see it, and supposedly recorded each cost in the Grimoires.

"Legend has it," he continues. "Tristan had figured out old magics – from times before recorded history – and hid them away, sealed within his Grimoires. He had five of them, you see – and each one was sealed with powerful magics. Magicians and Adventurers have been seeking them out ever since – over a thousand years, now – and none had ever been found."

"What happened to Tristan?" I ask.

"No one knows," Bryant shrugs. "He hid the Grimoires – then vanished. Rumors have it that he found a way to travel to other realms, and used his power to enter the realm of the gods, but there are also rumors that he went to a world without magic and the system, or that he went to hell to challenge the devil. There are dozens of versions of what happened, but the only thing that can be agreed upon is that he cannot be found in this realm. Just like his Grimoires, he's been looked for, but never found. Gabriel located a Grimoire… it's only a shame he's not alive to tell us where it was, or how he found it."

"He made five Grimoires?" I ask, and he nods. "So that's, what, two hundred spells each?"

"Roughly."

"This Grimoire has a thousand in it."

"What?" He looks at me in disbelief.

"Ya," I say. "It has a thousand spells in it, along with alchemy recipes, charms, enchanting, and stuff. Probably over two thousand total magics and concoctions. The book's magical – each page can have several things on it. It took me a month to read it all. I never tried any of the spells and magic and stuff, but the alchemy is fun to do. That was actually an available Class for me."

"And you didn't take it?" Interrupting Adventurer asks.

"Hush," I hold up a hand. "The interested are speaking, here. If he split his knowledge up, then that means that he really learned something like five thousand spells, don't it? And thousands more in alchemy, charms, enchantments, and such?"

"Yes," Bryant nods. "It does. You seriously never tried the spells?"

"I wanted to," I tell him. "Just like I've always wanted to try riding a Dragon. Ain't a good idea, that, and I didn't really see the need for magic. I's been happy in my village without magic, what's magic gonna do – make me more happy? Nah. Just mean I should probably join the war or something, so I didn't bother. Guess now I'm an Adventurer, magic'll be a good asset."

"The king," Bryant says. "Will likely want the Grimoire when we arrive at the castle. Until we arrive, you can try to learn spells from it."

"So I should just," I stand up.

"No!" Bryant exclaims, scrambling to his feet. "Do not just attempt a random spell from the book, Gavin! Aim away from us!"

"But how do I know how effective it is, if I don't get ta hit someone with it?" I ask. "Plus – it's not like I'm powerful enough to actually hurt one of you."

"No," he says. "But you really shouldn't be aiming your magic at people, anyway. Not unless you intend on killing them."

"What are you going to do?" Interrupting Adventurer asks. "Fire off a single shot, then wait until your Mana manages to restore enough? Isn't it ten Mana for a single Magic Missile? It takes awhile to regenerate, doesn't it?"

"Probably," I shrug. "And the book says ya to that. But I got forty-seven Mana, so I could probably hit ya with four of 'em before I run out. Can I try?"

"How the fuck do you have so much Mana?" He asks.

"I'm just that adorable," I smile at him. "It just flocks to me."

"Are you sure I can't gag him?" Interrupting Adventurer asks Bryant.

"Positive," Bryant says. "You're on first watch, I'm on second. Gavin – it's best to try to get some sleep now."

"How come?" I ask.

"You'll be doing second watch with me," he answers. "And you'll want all the sleep you can get when you're out in the field."

"Ah," I put my back down, then lie down and put my head on the pack for a pillow. "Wake me when it's watch time."

He does, quietly and gently.

"How quiet do we have to be?" I ask.

"We can talk normally," he answers. "Your charm ensures that, and anyone who'd dare attack King's Adventurers out here are fools, especially with a Tier 2 in the party."

"You?"

"Yes," he nods. "I've made sure the others are sound asleep, and they won't be waking for this conversation. On serious business, Gavin, I want to know how you managed to take on two Classes. You can't take on a second until you reach your second Tier."

"System told me to," I say. "Said to select two Classes, and to pick my Primary Class."

"Do you know how you gained Wizard?" He asks.

"It offered it to me. Duh."

"I mean its requirements," he says. "Even magicians don't get offered that, when they're granted access."

"It was just there," I shrug. "First thing on the list, then Scout, then-"

"First?" He asks in shock. "It orders them by how attuned to that Class you are – that is, which Class is best for you to take on, the one you're most qualified for. You can also change your Class, by the way, by making it to a Dungeon's Core. There, touch it, and you'll be allowed to change Classes. That's only if your Class hasn't reached Level 5 yet. Your current Level with it is memorized, and you keep the stats you gained from its Level. You'll likely be asked to move into the Squire Class, when we arrive at the city."

"How comes?"

"It's complicated," he says. "But after gaining the two stealth Skills, which you've done, there isn't really much use to having something like Scout or Thief, and warriors are stronger and more resilient. Thank you, for not sharing you had Wizard."

"Should I hide it from the king?" I ask.

"No," he answers. "But do not share it with others. You got lucky that I was the one you showed it to, and not one of the others. There is corruption deep within the king's forces, and he trusts only a few. As a Wizard, you'll be invaluable, but you'll also be vulnerable to exploitation. The king and I want to reshape this kingdom into a land that is glorious and powerful – powerful enough that monsters will think twice before coming at us, as well as enemy nations. However, we also want it to be a peaceful place."

"The forced service-"

"The Council pressured his father into it," Bryant shakes his head. "They are, essentially, running the kingdom. Due to certain complications, the king can't simply arrest them. Each member of our party, save for the two of us, are paid by one of them behind the king's back. We lost two who couldn't be bought, and I know I'm supposed to be dead as well. Fortunately for me, it takes more than a couple of wyverns and first-tier traitors to kill me."

"Unfortunately for them," I say, and he smiles. "So what's that mean for me? I can't let people know I'm a Wizard, and I'll pretty much be forced to switch to Squire and pressured into working for one of the Council behind the king's back."

"Easy way to avoid that," he smiles. "Each member of your party, when you go into the dungeon, will probably work for a different member of the Council. They'll each talk to you alone, and try to get you to see that the one they work for is superior to the others, but they won't say they work for them. This is just a forewarning."

"Ah," I smile. "So that's how I avoid it immediately. They'll work on me in the long run, and as I prove myself to be superior in every way, they'll start fighting each other."

"No," he says. "That's not what I was saying. They'll work on you over time, if you say you'd like to get to know their Councilman a little bit better, to form your own opinion, and-"

"Isn't the goal," I say. "Long-term, to get the Council to basically make it obvious to the public they work for themselves and not the king?"

"Yes," he says. "But the Councilmen work together, because together, they're stronger. It's only once they have complete control that they'll start to backstab each other, until only one of them is left in charge – as king."

"Indeed," I say. "So cause chaos now, let them bicker over me when they realize how superior I am to any of their puppets, and they'll screw themselves over. Got it."

Bryant gives up, but I know my plan will work. I'll have to make some huge decision changes, though, for it to work. And he'll be mad at me.

But if the king really is a good guy, then he, the king, will understand my plan, and forgive me the chaos I cause.

The rest of our shift goes smoothly, and in the morning, we begin the trek to the city. After lunch, the city's massive stone walls enter our view, and we begin to walk pass merchants and others making their way into the city as we draw near to dusk and paths merge into a single wide, paved road.

No one really says anything, though – King's Adventurers are guaranteed entrance into any city, town, or village within the nation.

As the sun touches the horizon, when the gates are to close, we arrive at the gates, the guards waving us through.

For the first time in my life, I am in a city.