I’m not really feeling the cold that much, and less so after I gained the Cold Resistance Skill. Tyler doesn’t seem bothered by it, despite not having the Skill, so it’s probably some innate trait of his people.

Speaking of his people – the trip up the mountain took us two weeks to perform. We’re now approaching the gates to a city surrounded by walls of opaque ice. It’s really just really, really thick ice that isn’t clear, several layers of bricks of it, and that makes it impossible to see through.

We approach a gate formed of thin ice, but I get the sense that it wouldn’t budge to sheer strength.

Two guards in blue-white clothes stand at the gates, both with swords on their hips. I can’t sense their Mana, like I can with Tyler. They’re suppressing it.

I focus on trying to sense it, and after a few moments, can.

Skill Gained!

Mana Sense 1

Their Mana amounts are far lower than Tyler’s.

“Let me in,” Tyler orders as the guards stare at him, and they hastily salute as the gates begin to open.

We walk in, and Tyler mutters under his breath about how he hates being here, but a god only reinforced coming here. Apparently, Tyr actually talked to him, when granting us the Quests, and that is how he knew about the changes to the System. Though he says he didn’t figure out it was Tyr until after the god left.

We walk past buildings made of a whitish stone with a slight bluish tint to it, and people who watch as we walk by. A lot of them look at Tyler with respect.

On our way up the mountain, he told me that he actually is a prince – the king’s firstborn, specifically. He was supposed to be crowned the Crown Prince on his birthday, once he undertook the Quest of Heirs, but ran away instead.

Apparently, princes don’t have a lot of freedom here, and thinking about it, royalty doesn’t have too much back on Earth, either. They had to do what they were told, didn’t have money of their own, and basically had their lives controlled for them.

As we walk, I check out my Classes. Tyler and I have the same Classes, now.

Squire: +2 STR, +1 CON

Thief: +1 AGI, +1 INT, +1 PER

Ruffian: +2 AGI, +1 INT

Thief II: +2 AGI, +1 INT, +2 PER

Martial Artist: +1 STR, +1 AGI, +1 CON

Rogue: +2 AGI, +2 INT, +1 PER

Eventually, we’re going to do our Divine Dungeon so we can Advance. Since we can do it together, we’ll form a party and go in together, and hope we can survive it. Stat points disappeared from our menus while we were gone, with a notification stat all stat points added on from Levels have been revoked.

A lot of people are probably unhappy. From what I’ve learned, the System itself has only been in place around two hundred years. Tyr is probably still trying to figure stuff out for it.

According to Tyler, the way his people worked didn’t change after the implementation of the System. He’s not sure about the rest of the world, but I’m guessing it did.

Here’s the thing, though – people are stronger because of the System, so they have no right to be mad about something they wouldn’t have without it being revoked. Tyr probably decided that having hundreds of stat points to add on was unfair and made people too powerful, too fast.

Though I wonder how much harder Divine Dungeons are, now that he revoked the ability to add stat points every time we gained a Level. Tyler and I were going to do that, once we decided to do the Divine Dungeon to reach the Second Tier.

It isn’t until we reach the gates to a palace made of ice, snow, and the same white stone as the rest of the city that I realize that, for at least most of the walk to the castle from the gates, there’s been a voice singing in my head in some foreign language, and it sounds like Tyr.

“Tyr?” I ask, wondering if he can hear me.

“Yes?” Tyr responds, and the singing stops.

“Were you just rapping in my head?”

“You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“Rapping?” Tyler looks at me, confused.

“A really weird type of ‘music’,” I make air quotes. “From back home. I don’t like it, and am curious to know why a god was doing it in my head.”

“I was trying it out. You weren’t supposed to hear me.”

“I couldn’t understand a word of it.”

“That was the Divine Language,” Tyr says. “You wouldn’t be able to understand it.”

“Since you’re talking,” I say. “Can you please tell me why you approached Tyler, but not me?”

“Sorry, gotta go – Kirta found me! Guess I shouldn’t have been rapping while we’re playing hide-and-seek. Next time, I’ll just sing a ballad instead.”

“Tyr?” I say, and he doesn’t respond. “Seriously, Tyr?”

He doesn’t respond, and Tyler looks at me.

“He decided to not answer me,” I say, and Tyler snorts. “It was quite rude, you know!”

Tyler snorts again, then ignores the guards as he walks past them. We make our way past guards and other people in the castle on our way to the throne room, which is large, open, and has around twenty guards and a few various other people. Sitting on a throne formed of decorative ice is a man wearing a crown made of ice, several diamonds and sapphires set into it.

“I’m home,” Tyler basically grunts as he approaches the king.

“Welcome home, Tyler,” his father says. “You brought an outsider back with you?”

“He’s my best friend,” Tyler states. “Now why did you send a dying Michael to bring me back? Does it have to do with the demons that attacked Ultan?”

“Yes,” his father says. “And you know the rules about outsiders. We do not allow them among us. Their presence only spells disaster, unless they are slain quickly. You brought him here, you do the deed.”

“’You brought him here, you do the deed’,” Tyler mimics his father. “I’m not killing Colt – he’s my best friend. And if a single person even thinks about harming him, I will kill them and leave – leaving all of you to suffer whatever death the demons bring to you.”

“You will not be leaving again,” Father states. “You have lost all permission to leave the castle property, and every guard is well-aware of the punishments for allowing you past. You will not run away again. You have a duty to our people, and-”

“I don’t care,” Tyler shrugs. “I don’t want to be your heir, if it means having my life controlled. And you can’t keep me here – I follow a god who won’t be happy at all if you keep trapped. He won’t think it’s fun, and he likes fun things.”

I’m not sure how much Tyr likes people pretending to be followers of his, but I also think Tyr will probably find it funny.

“Gods,” the king says. “Don’t hold sway here, and you know that. In addition, gods won’t care if we keep you here. It’s not as if you’re a Paladin of a god, Tyler – you’re a mortal boy.”

Divine Quest: Paladin of Tyr

Become a Paladin of Tyr

Requirements: Assist Tyler zul Kielv in his Quest of Heirs

Reward: Massive Experience, Title [Paladin of Tyr]

“Fine,” Tyler suddenly switches modes. “I’ll do my damn Quest of Heirs. I’m taking Colt with me, if he wants to.”

“No,” the king looks really, really pissed. “The outsider will be slain. He cannot know of us, and nor can he be here. You have already violated the law by bringing him here, and-”

“Kill him,” Tyler says coldly. “And I will kill myself. If you try to force me to do my Quest of Heirs without him, and I will allow myself to die in there. I’m in a party with Colt. If I die, he will use Rising Flames to burn you and anyone else around him.”

“Rising Flames?” His father snorts.

“The fiery version of Rising Ice,” Tyler says. “And before you think you can simply hold me and take away any method for me to kill myself, should you harm Colt, know that that would require you to keep me from entering the Dungeon, take away everything in my Inventory, bind all of my magic, and have a constant watch on me while having me chained. You will have to force-feed me and force me to drink. In other words, you will need to strip me of anything that makes me your heir – or even worth having around in the first place.

“Colt will be assisting me,” Tyler continues. “In the Quest of Heirs because he is my best friend. I am allowed to take anyone I want in the Quest – regardless of what you want. To refuse to allow him to accompany me is to violate the Frozen Accords, set in place by the mountain centuries ago. In other words – refuse it, and not only will I die, but you will suffer the wrath of the mountain, and I don’t think you want to do that, not while dealing with the issues with the demons.”

“Speaking of them,” Tyler now looks amused. “What kind of threat are the demons, if a child with virtually ignorable INT can wipe out half a horde of them with a single spell? Have you all lost your minds and forgotten your magics?”

“I will not be spoken to this way,” his father growls. “The demons sealed deep within the mountain are waking, their seals breaking, and only Rising Ice can seal them away again. You will be going to your room, and you will not be allowed out until I summon you for dinner. As for the outsider – he can stay in a cell, and you will not be allowed further contact with him. You will not be killing yourself, Tyler. I know you too well to do that.”

Tyler and I are both grabbed by guards, and we fight against them, but can’t break free. I’m dragged down to the basement, into a stone cell with a metal door, and a couple of them hold me down, one of them ordering me to give them everything in my inventory. I refuse, and he chains me to the wall, punching me in the stomach.

“You have seventeen slots filled,” he says. “Give me everything, now.”

How does he know how many slots I have?

I spit in his face, and he punches mine, then leaves. A lot of time passes, and a guard enters with a bowl of mush, and practically forces it down my throat.

I’m not sure how long I’m in here for, but they force-feed me mush, and beat me when I refuse to cooperate. I think they come in once a day to order me to give them my stuff, but I refuse. Some of that came from Tyr, and I’m not giving any of that up.

While they do this to me, I begin to meditate, clearing my mind of pain. I meditate both to heal, and to strengthen my will.

Eventually, I will break out of here, either on my own, or with Tyler’s help. There isn’t a chance in hell he isn’t going to try to save me.

Just as I start to think I’m going crazy, a voice actually whispers in my mind, and I know that I’ve absolutely lost it.

“No, Colt, you haven’t.”

Yes, I have.

“No, you haven’t.”

Prove it.

A figure of ice begins to rise up from the floor, taking on the form of an elderly man leaning on a twisted wooden cane. His face is creased with wrinkles, and his body is scrawny, his tunic and pants barely hanging on to him. His eyes are bloodshot, and I’m thoroughly terrified.

“My name,” he rasps. “Is Kielv, and I am the mountain. I am also dying. The demons sealed within me have been poisoning me for centuries by their very presence. Taking on this form has drained me, and once I leave, I will sleep. I have but a few months of life left in me, at most.

“When I die,” he says. “You will find a Deity Core in the furthest depths of this mountain. I can be revived using it, however, I will be in child form – five years of age. I will not be strong enough to keep the demons bound.

“Before that happens,” he says. “You and Tyler will need to slay the demons. Together, you can do it. When you succeeded, seek out my core, and I will allow you to revive me. To revive me, you must flood me with the power sleeping within you.”

“The power sleeping within us?”

“Your magics, much like your auras, will work together,” he nods. “The fiery and frozen powers within you aren’t just destructive, but healing. When you come to my core, place your hands on it and merge your powers as you flow it in. That is all there is to it.”

He coughs several times, and I feel like he’s going to just drop right there. When he stops coughing, he looks at me. The mountain itself trembles as he coughs.

“I haven’t much longer in this form,” he says. “And will need to sleep soon. Complete the Divine Dungeon before the Quest of Heirs. You will make an incredible knight, Colt – don’t let the past haunt you, and always look forward to the new day and new fun. When you see Tyr again, tell him that I said hello.”

The chains holding me up break, and the door quietly swings open. My clothes are restored to a clean state, and I thank the mountain as he fades away.

When he does, I sense the mountain itself settle, almost as if going to sleep.

After rubbing my wrists for a moment and meditating after making sure the coast is clear, my pain fading, I step out into the hall. No soldiers around. I can hear some moving around.

I close the door on a whim and lean against it. The doors are set into the walls a couple of feet, so they can’t see me. I’m disappointed no one comes by after a few minutes, though, so begin wandering the halls until I come across a couple of guards, including the one constantly asking me to give him the stuff in my inventory.

“You guys were taking too long to bring me lunch,” I say when they stare at me. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten me.”

(Tyler)

Father has been forcing me to do whatever he wants, no matter how much I resist. I gave in – for now.

Right now, we’re eating lunch. Or rather, they’re eating lunch, and I’m poking the dead bird on my plate with a fork as Father tells me to stop playing with my food and eat.

The mountain took on physical form a little while ago, though I don’t think they know. I’ve no clue what he was doing, but after, he went to sleep. He’s weak, and dying. Unless there’s a way to heal him, the mountain will die within the next few months.

I hate being as sensitive to magics as I am, especially since Colt isn’t around. What’s the point of doing stuff when you can’t do it with your friends?

That’s probably not related, but whatever. I’m too upset to care.

A guard enters the dining hall and approaches father, bending down and whispering something in his ear, something about Colt.

“Did Colt die?” I ask. “If he died-”

“He’s not dead,” Father glances at me. “Now be quiet and eat your food,” he looks back at the guard. “What do you mean?”

The guard says something else, and I strain my ears. I can’t catch much of what he said, other than wandering and obnoxious, and I hide a smile.

Colt got out, didn’t he? I wonder how he freed himself.

Unless…

That what the mountain was doing – freeing Colt.

“How in the world did he get out?” Father asks a little louder than he probably meant.

“No clue,” the guard responds, also louder than intended, probably. “They found him wandering the halls, looking for them because he was hungry, he said. When they tried grabbing him again, he evaded them. He may not be strong enough to get free, but he’s definitely fast enough to evade it, when he knows it’s coming.”

“Have you tried hitting him with a binding spell?” Father asks.

“No offense, Your Majesty,” the guard says. “But if you’ve thought of it, we probably have, too. That boy has some deity’s protection. Magic is sliding right off of him, and he’s laughing at us over it.”

“I’d say,” I say, and Father and the guard look at me as they realize we could all hear their conversation. “That the mountain probably has an issue with your treatment of me and refusal to allow Colt to accompany me, when I’ve chosen him to, for my Quest of Heirs.”

The door to the hall opens, and in walks Colt, a big grin on his face. He sees me and runs over, and I stand up.

“You’re out!” I say.

“I am!” He says as we bump fists. “The mountain decided that your father was an idiot, and so let me out. He even mended my body, so it wasn’t all weak from their abuse. Oh, and he said that we should do the Divine Dungeon to reach the next Tier before going for your Quest of Heirs. He was all ‘your power is so cool!’ and ‘save my people!’ and ‘save me!’ and ‘kill all the demons!’, and it was pretty cool. He thinks it’s cool that your best friend uses fire magics.”