’Where are you going?’ Barna asked Pi’ve, looking at him through the corner of his eye. It was clear that Barna had raised suspicion about Pi’ve’s abrupt attempt to exit.
’I am leaving,’ Pi’ve said simply.
’No. Leaving? If it’s true that Murgun has been illicitly listened in on meetings, then you will have to attend the impending hearing as a witness.’
’I understand— I will write the report, and then my job is finished. This is Terler’s case. There are enough witnesses. I wish to leave.’
’Where are you going? Pi’ve, you are the main witness. You have all the information about this case.’
’I have some of the pieces to the puzzle, but even if I lay out all my pieces, you will see that I don’t have the edges. I will put everything in that report, and you may get Linda to accompany me when writing it to verify that what I tell is the truth.’
’Pi’ve…’ Barna said, shaking his head. ’I am not throwing you out, if that is what you think.’ Barna paused and looked intently at Pi’ve for a few seconds. ’I— why— Alright,’ Barna said, succumbing to Pi’ve’s will. He saw that Pi’ve had decided, and that there was no way to make him change his mind. ’Just know Pi’ve, that failing to show up to a hearing may have consequences for you later.’
’I am not afraid of the consequences to be frank, and I have the knowledge to understand that I cannot stay here. It was made plain to me that there are more than one wizard who are willing to take some serious risk, and I might be in trouble if I stay. I have just exposed a wizard who had the intention to steal a , and who knows how many others there are, and what they will do to avenge themselves… Well— and the older me will understand and accept the consequences of the younger me, thanking me for leaving. For a while at least. I am sure of it.’
Barna kept his eyes on Pi’ve, listening to his words. He nodded, realisation washing over him. It does not matter if Pi’ve stays, because there have come to light some greater, glaring faults in the wizard society. It occurred to Barna that the hearing itself may be inconsequential on a grand scale, and that there were more pressing things in Thergiam needing to be resolved. The revelation of Murgun did not expose one wizard, it exposed that there is something out there valuable enough for wizards to risk their own integrity.
’Go. Pi’ve,’ Barna said. His eyes were blank. Something major had made him placid. It had shaken him. ’I promise to give my honest words about your work. Just promise me to write the truth and nothing but the truth in that report. I will stand by your side again.’
And just as Pi’ve thought he would leave Thergiam with his relationship with Barna soured, he smiled, because he knew that Barna had come to the same conclusion that Tiselle had, and which Pi’ve agreed with. Things would change in Thergiam. Pi’ve would step away for a while. Once he returned, it might not be the same place he once knew. Pi’ve nodded, and then he left Barna’s office.
Back at his home, Pi’ve started working on his journey back to Gaudol. Going over the things he wanted to take with him, he found that here was little he needed to take with him back to Tharthillion. The only thing he would do before leaving, was to clean out his inventory, because this was a great chance for him to start anew. Pi’ve emptied his inventory completely, and placed the items around in the living room. There were some obvious things he would not take, like the chairs and table and vases, but he was unsure about the armour from the royal guards of Oarios III.
Just to be sure that there were nothing special about them other than being old, Pi’ve took a full armour set, and took it on, one piece at a time. As he had put on the heavy chest plate, and placed the helmet on, the armour suddenly started shrinking, and before he could panic enough to start undressing, thinking that the armour would squish him to death, it stopped shrinking. It fit him perfectly. It was neither comfortable, nor uncomfortable, but he was surprised that this piece of armour was so nimble.
* Armour-slots filled, Full Armour-set bonus applied. [] has been activated. +20% to Toughness and Strength applied when full armour-set is equipped.
Pi’ve did not understand. Armour-slots? He opened his stat menu, but he saw nothing there, except the bonus to toughness and strength. He opened his inventory, and to the right of the inventory were several slots, which on closer inspection seemed to be separated from the inventory slots. The armour was there, and it showed the bonus it gave, and that it gave an extra bonus because of the armour being a full set. Here he also saw the , which he had pinned to his robe, and the stats it gave. It looked like the pin occupied another type of slot; for necklaces and rings and such. Accessories in other words.
Pi’ve was no warrior, but being that the armour seemed to give stats regardless of which class used it, it might come to good use either way. Twenty percent was a good addition regardless of what class you were, and it might prove useful later. It could mean fighting the monster-crab sooner, because he needed less levels to get to the strength he needed to avenge his father.
He took off the armour, and placed it in his inventory. Of course he would take— wait. Pi’ve had an idea. He had the inventory open, and saw the armour occupying one slot each. The armour slots were also in the inventory. Pi’ve mentally focused on the armour-helmet and dragged it across the inventory board. He then, in a way, let the helmet go over to the top-most armour slot. In that very instant, he was wearing the helmet. It was so quick and so effortless that he had to laugh. What would this look like from other’s perspective?
The king’s crown. He had forgot about that. He was going to keep that until a new king was placed in power, and then give it back to the kingdom. It was not his to keep. He took it up, and wondering if this also gave stats, he placed it on his head.
*DING*
[] The [] has been placed on your head. Do you wish to unearth the identity of the rightful heir to the throne, bringing back the line which was forgotten? []/[]
[Crown of Oarios III] gives 10% Wisdom and Willpower and 5% Intelligence while worn.
Oh…
Pi’ve was standing in the living room, unable to make any movements. He was leaving the city. He was at least supposed to be leaving the city. No, he to leave the city, but… He chose , and another prompt came the second it was decided.
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[] 17 generations separate the Forgotten King to his descendants living today. He is the son of the smith Treio’s wife, Arena Veara. They are the only living descendants of the Oarios bloodline.
Alert Arena Veara of the future king, her son, and let fate reinstate the king of old. []/[]
His first instinct was to throw the crown up in the attic and forget about it. He had caused enough damage… although, Pi’ve wanted to know what would happen if he chose yes. Maybe choosing no would end the line of succession completely. It may be that Arena Veara had no knowledge that her son was the direct descendant of the late king Oarios III, and that the fate of the common people again was placed in Pi’ve’s hands. The phrasing of the quest made Pi’ve believe so. Pi’ve had no intentions of going against the wizard code of conduct again. He understood that he was not the saviour of Thergiam. It was not his role. So, he disregarded the prompt, and placed the crown in his inventory.
He would obviously take with him his Pipe of Clarity and the tobac, because he still had some left. While thinking about it, he lit his pipe and had a toke; he had to buy some more. He was unsure if it was possible to buy tobac in Tharthillion. He looked over the other items and saw that he had to bring the blood of the Black Upir, as Gaudol was an alchemist, and he would probably have some use for it. All his flasks were being brought, and his money. Other than that, he was unsure what more he really needed. He was a simple man, and having become a wizard, he saw no reason to carry more than he needed. The rest of the stuff he did not bring he placed in the attic, covering it with tarp. He brought no sword or shield, leaving him with 83 of 100 free slots in his inventory, and 48 items total.
Pi’ve left his home, locking the door. He would have to come back once in a while to see to that his home was safe. If there were wizards out there who had felt threatened by Pi’ve’s antics in the past few weeks, his home was bound to be a target.
On his way down to the docks, Pi’ve bought two more pouches of tobac, but this time he bought some less expensive types. Being that he bought it from a common man, he also bought it using common coin. He bought some more rope, some clothes, and dried meat of stag, venison, pork and duck which he placed in different bags and stored in his inventory. He was sure that fish would be the most eaten meal once underwater.
He now had no more preparations to do, so he walked the final stretch to the docks. Passing a vegetable store, suddenly smelling the familiar scent of metal, Pi’ve saw something in the corner of his eye. Involuntarily he stopped, because he knew that this could be nothing good. His gut telling him that he should just leave. He could not. As he turned, he saw through the open walls of the smithy a man hammering a piece of metal flat. He looked up at the sign to the smithy, and sighed.
Pi’ve thought back to his first time coming back to Thergiam after becoming a wizard, and the reactions of the wizards after he had brought back the forgotten king Oarios III. He had been to a hearing for failing to follow the rules which wizards abided by, however, now he had a chance to finish what he started. He had not followed the aftermath of him bringing the king back too closely. There had been some riots, and some wanted the current king off the throne, but without someone to legitimately take the throne after him, not much could be done.
Pi’ve took out the kings crown, and knocked on the wall of .
’Come in, mage,’ Treio said, letting his hammer down on the anvil and standing up straight. He was a lean man with dark features. His long beard seemed to cover scars in his face. It was a kind face, yet a face which had seen some dark days.
’Thank you. I am here for your wife Arena Veara. Is she here?’ Pi’ve said. He saw that Treio had adopted a rigid stance, and he kept glancing down to Pi’ve’s hand holding the crown.
’She— she is,’ Treio said, yet he hesitated for a while before he walked tentatively through the curtains separating the smithy to the rooms behind the wall. After a few minutes, Treio came through the curtain again, and his wife Arena Veara came just behind, her son wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Pi’ve looked at the son, time seeming to freeze as he opened the prompt again.
[] 17 generations separate the Forgotten King to his descendants living today. He is the son of the smith Treio’s wife, Arena Veara. They are the only living descendants of the Oarios bloodline.
Alert Arena Veara of the future king, her son, and let fate reinstate the king of old. []/[]
Pi’ve chose yes.
The crown vibrated. Pi’ve flinched and brought the crown up to his eyes, seeing the crown being carved with elaborate designs, flowers and finally, a name.
’Maeros,’ Pi’ve said quietly into the air. It sounded kingly… Did she already know?
Arena Veara nodded. She knew! Pi’ve nodded back, understanding that this was what she needed: a symbol. An ideal for her child— something she could show him to impose on him the fate he had. This crown was something he would have to fight to earn. To deserve.
’I must leave,’ Pi’ve said. ’I was never here.’
Arena Veara eyes slowly panned down to her child and her face glowed of determination and purpose, while Treio looked bemused between the two. Pi’ve left without another word and walked over to the docks, which was only minutes away.
Sitting on the edge of the dock, Pi’ve watched as ships and boats left and came. The familiar smell of fish and oil permeated the air. It should have been a pleasant smell, which was why Pi’ve sat with his hands in his lap, with a small rock which he absentmindedly caressed. He shed a tear for his father, who was so supportive of his dream, even though that dream would never be his to witness. Pi’ve dropped the rock into the water, and a tear fell with it.
He was leaving his home city, Barna, new friends and colleagues. He had lost his father, his old friends and life. He had gained what he wanted, yet he had lost all he ever had. Now, sitting all alone on the docks of Thergiam Bay, he thought back on what he had accomplished. He had found a king which was only remembered in songs and tales. He had exposed a wizard vastly stronger and more infamous than him, and wizards would now tread a bit more carefully once they find out that this was not a one man scheme. He had found the descendant of the Forgotten King on his last day in Thergiam for a long while. Was he proud of what he had accomplished? It had all happened so fast that he had not stopped to take it all in.
Bubbles floated up from the deep water beneath him. He was sure that it was just air bubbles at the bottom of the sea which was released, but just as he was about to look away, the head of a man popped up.
’Pi’ve?’ the man said. A tail could be seen through the water, and it was made clear that the man was not a man at all, but a merman.
’Yes,’ Pi’ve said. ’Are you here to transport me to Tharthillion?’
’If that is what you wish, then that is what I will do,’ the merman said.
’I wish you to take me to Tharthillion,’ Pi’ve said, and he waited for a bubble made of fake glass to form, but it did not. ’Are you waiting for me to jump in?’
’Oh, my apologies. Take this,’ the merman said, and a small bottle of clear liquid was thrown up to him.
’What is it?’
’To breath under water. Gaudol calls it.’
Pi’ve drank the bottle, and instead of the liquid going into his stomach, it went into his lungs. Pi’ve began to cough and the liquid kept choking him. He had to sit down, feeling faint. ’Stop coughing. Stop breathing!’ the merman said, and with every stat point of willpower Pi’ve had, he focused on stopping the cough while his body involuntarily convulsed. It did not feel like water did on the lungs, but it felt wrong. When the coughing had stopped, he kept holding his breath, his hands on his chest, yet the internal pressure of the lungs made air seep out of his nostrils. The merman laughed. ’You will get used to it. Jump now.’ Son of a fish— could have warned me at least.
Pi’ve understood what the potion did intuitively right away. Normally you needed to breath in and out, to get air in, and to remove the used air, but with this potion the air was already there in liquid form, and the excess air could be exhaled only, making it possible to “breath underwater”.
’Achglet,’ Pi’ve said with liquid in his lungs. He coughed once, and jumped into the water.
