Book 3, Chapter 11

11. A Cuckoo

Thena has invited you to a party

Accept?

Yes

No

I quickly accepted, of course, and with my new interface I could see the details of my parties status.  I had foolishly hidden them before, whereas now they were off towards my left.  I had to glance with just my eyes to see them.  If I turned my head, the interface moved with me, so they’d never actually block my vision, and they would only actually appear if I looked for them.  That was how pro-dps set it up, at least.  Healers and tanks used a very different setup.

Stan was a level 52 warrior.  He had tanked for me previously, although we had both been much lower leveled back then.  Larissa and Thena had been in the group which had first saved me from goblins when I had run away as a level 1 [Child], and then Thena had convinced my grandfather to allow me to join their guild.  They had both reached level 58.  As for Corinth, he had defended me from an endgame assassin, earning for himself a boon which, to my knowledge, was so far exclusive, called [I’ll take a bullet for you].  He was now level 50.

The boon was very situational, but also very powerful.  When Corinth intercepted damage targeted at someone else, the damage was reduced by 90%, and his own damage was temporarily increased.  Corinth was a [Swordmaster], although he specialized in using large, heavy swords rather than lighter, more mobile ones.  Or at least so I gathered from his updated class and his gear.  When I had seen him last, he had been a lowly [Warrior].

“So I soloed that dungeon you created,” he bragged.  “Got an achievement for it on my goblin alt.  First in the world to do so, although it was almost entirely luck that I had the opportunity.  I’m starting to think I should start buying lottery tickets when I turn eighteen.”

“Congratulations,” I said, for those were mighty deeds indeed.

“I wasn’t the first one to clearthe dungeon of course.  Just the first person to solo it.  And it was only possible because I was playing a [Goblin Marauder] at the time,” He elaborated.

“I’m happy for you, but can we talk about it later?  Right now I need to challenge a captain in the royal army to a duel,” I said, and I nudgedShadow into motion again.

“Wait, what?” he exclaimed.

“I don’t usually echo Corinth, but yeah, what the hell, Hail?” Larissa said.

“It’s a long story.  He’s a cuckoo.  And he has a reputation as a duelist.  Thena, would you mind being our official healer for the duel?” I said as the others all made the motions required to summon their mounts.

“Okay, now I’m wondering what the hell,” Thena exclaimed.  “Seriously, what are you planning, Hail?”

“I can’t explain here,” I said.  “Spies.  Just trust me, okay?  I’ll duel Keithan, Corinth you can be my second, and then we’ll be friends and I’ll ask to meet his father.  His real one, not the merchant baron.  Oh, I maybe shouldn’t have said that where the spies could hear me.  Just trust me, guys, I know what I’m doing this time.  I think.  Oh, hey, Corinth, would you mind if I mark your armor like I did to Wesle?”

“Mind it?  Do you think you could do it to all of my gear sets?” Corinth inquired.

“I’m not certain that’s a good idea.  Wearing that seal means you represent me personally.  I like you, Corinth, but you’re ...” I trailed off.  “Anyway, Wesle’s seal will fade with time, and so will yours.  I think.  I’m not certain, I’ve only ever used that spell on documents before, but with the documents I’m able to specify an end date where the magic fades, and on Wesle I willed it to end in one week.”

Corinth winced a little bit at my honesty.  “Yeah, okay, I get it.  But yes you can totally mark me up with that awesome seal for this event.”

I cast [Magic Circle: Personal Crest] on Corinth, just as I had Wesle, and gained another two levels in the skill for it.  Since Corinth seemed to like it, I had willed it to last a week, just as it did for the [Assassin].

“Can I get one too?” Stan asked.

I grinned and shook my head sadly.  “I’m sorry, but I can only have one second.  You can come to the duel as a witness for House Jeoran, but to represent me directly like Corinth is would be unseemly.  Unless for some reason Keithan decides he wants two seconds, in which case I’ll be able to name you.  And before you ask, Larissa, Thena, I’m not marking you either, for mostly the same reason.  Thena, if you’re present as a healer, you’ll need to swear to Thedum on your objectivity to the outcome of the duel and intervene only at the designated health level.”

“Understood,” Thena said, pulling her horse up closer to mine.  “What’s this about?  Who is Keithan’s father?”

“The man who raised him is a baron who mostly gets by as a merchant,” I glanced around, wishing that I still had access to some of my convenience spells that I had learned as a [Child] to obscure my words by some means other than whispering.  “But his real father is Marquise Jorva Peori.  And I’m hoping to recruit him to my cause.”

“By challenging his son to a duel?” Stan asked.

“Yes.”

“That’s awesome,” Corinth declared.  “I’ll be your second any time, Hail.  What do I have to do?”

I pulled from my inventory an embroidered handkerchief, cast [Magic Circle: Personal Crest] on it, and handed it to him.  “I was planning to challenge him in person, but this is better.  The barracks are just up there.  Take this, and find a soldier, and inform the soldier that you are required to deliver this to Captain Keithan Selmy on behalf of Earl Hail Jeoran.”

“Didn’t you have like fifty people following you before we arrived?” Thena asked.  “Why didn’t you pick a second from among them?”

“Because there’s a chance that when Corinth delivers the handkerchief, he’ll be attacked on the spot,” I explained.  “I wouldn’t ask that of a noncombat Traveler.”

“Seriously,” Corinth exclaimed, kicking his horse to pull ahead of us towards the barracks.  “Moment I turn eighteen, I’m buying a lottery ticket.”

~~~~~~~

It took Corinth fifteen minutes to find a man who was willing to stand as Keithan’s second.  Finding Keithan himself was likely a goal beyond Corinth’s social standing, I had been intending to throw my rank as a noble around in order to get the attention of the officers.  This was more discrete.  After all, Keithan accepted duels from Travelers frequently.  It was one of the best ways to gain standing with the Royal Army.

The only notable bit was that we were in The Recent Past, and there were less than two hundred Travelers in that entire instance.  Like all Natives, I had a vague sense that there was a second instance stacked on top of me, which everyone was calling The Near Future, where the vast majority of Travelers resided.  However, I’m not certain how the other Natives viewed the two instances separately.  That was a bit beyond my understanding.  If I were storm, I would have begun acting against me the moment The Recent Past began to diverge.

Thomas had explained to me, somewhat, how things would go.  Arc created The Recent Past for me, and my actions would slowly bring Travelers into it, until finally almost everyone had made the journey.  Some Travelers might refuse, and depending on the number, the game might fork into two timelines.  One with me, and one without.

Except that it would soon be one with me and the Gemini twins, Lewis and Tarisha’s children, and one version without any of us at all.  Because Thomas assured me that I would be the only ‘digital child’ to grow up isolated from others of my own kind.  Thomas said that the ‘legacy server’ would grow smaller with time, as more Travelers took the plunge, but it might never go away completely.

There were things that they couldn’t bring with them, after all.  Buildings that had been constructed would be deconstructed.  Reputations would remain, but gold which had been spent on non-tangible things might be gone forever.  Anything equipped or in their inventory would be safe, though, and special bags of carrying were being prepared.  Thomas expected only a few Travelers would have an issue with it, and many of those issues would be resolvable with Admin intervention.

However, I had no idea how a normal Native, one without a seed of consciousness, would view this entire event.  Perhaps I would ask one of them.

Rain, I decided.  The next time I was alone with my brother, I would ask Grandfather’s spirit.  Yes, that is what I would do.

When Corinth came back with the Captain’s second, I quickly saluted the man, a hand to my heart and a nod of respect.  As appropriate for both our stations.  Or at least it had been, before my friends had started ‘teaching Irvine how to do everything wrong, on purpose.’

“I am Lieutenant Grives,” the second introduced himself.  “And you are Earl Jeoran.  I am surprised.”

“Did you not recognize my personal crest?” I asked.

“I recognized the crest,” Grives answered.  “I’m surprised that a royal bastard who grew up in the lap of luxury would decide to have himself humiliated in a public duel with one of the finest duelists in the kingdom.  Because as the challenged party, we select the grounds, and the grounds will be the barracks arena.”

“We do not challenge your selection.  As for my choice on the time time, while it is tradition for me to give you at least a week, in this case I do ask that you accept as soon as possible.  I am on something of a time limit,” I answered.

“Very well.  As to weapons, as the challenged party we choose swords, of course.  However, it is well known that you are a [Spellblade].  As such, we will permit the use of combat magic in the duel as well.”

I grinned.  This was going better than I had expected.  “Accepted, of course.”

“Now for the terms.  As the challenger, you may propose any limit, although we will refuse a duel to the death--”

“Is thirty percent health acceptable?” I cut in.

“It is,” Grives agreed.  “The rewards shall be honor, of course.  And one hundred gold to the captain, should he prove victorious.  Do you have any demands for a victory prize other than an equal amount of gold?”

“I do not care for gold.  I wish for my prize to be an introduction to Captain Keithan’s father,” I said.

Lieutenant Grives hesitated a moment.  “I cannot authorize that request on my own authority.  We may either delay the duel until I gain authorization, or proceed under the assumption that the request will be honored.  It is your choice.”

“We proceed,” I said decisively.

“Then on to witnesses.  You have brought three?”

“Two.  Thena is my healer.  She will intervene at the cutoff point,” I explained.

“The army has its own healers,” Grives said shortly.  Then he glanced at the sun, and he shrugged.  “But admittedly they’re not always readily available for duels.  If you submit to having the duel judged by the army, we will permit your healer to intervene at the cutoff point.”

“Agreed,” I said.

Then, of her own volition, Thena stepped forward.  “I swear, by Thedum and Lumina, to use my sacred power to preserve the life of both combatants in accords with the agreement reached by this meeting,” she said.  “Even should Lord Hail lose, I will abide, and not intervene before 30% health, and I shall accept all judgments made by the official judge.”

Grives just nodded as though this were to be expected, but I was impressed.

“So, a second, two witnesses, and a healer.  We provide a judge and two hundred witnesses.  Aside from your prize, are there any additional terms you wish to add to this duel?” Captain Keithan’s second questioned.

“No,” I said.

“Then meet us at the Barracks Arena in thirty minutes.  I will find Captain Keithan and present him your challenge.  If he agrees, we will both meet you there.  If he is unable to fulfill his side of the wager, I will answer for my presumption in speaking for him personally, and alone.”

“Understood.  We will meet you at the arena,” I said, and I walked off in that direction, not turning back to watch my Traveler friends follow me.