Now that Nyra understood becoming a player wasn’t an automatic death sentence, she looked on the notion more favorably. In fact, if the eager glint in her eye was anything to go by, the prospect excited her.

“You know,” I said as we strode through the city, “you’re going to be New Haven’s first player and probably the only one for some time.”

She nodded absently, not looking away from the thin, tall spire of the Mages’ Guild peeking over the city’s horizon.

“It may prove a hefty burden to bear,” I mused.

This captured her attention. “What do you mean by that?”

“Once we reenter the Kingdom, you will be the only player we have to protect us,” Algar said. “Assuming you don’t run away again, that is.”

Nyra glared at him. “What about him?” she asked, jerking her thumb at me.

“Oh, I’d help,” I replied cheerfully, “assuming the council wants anything to do with me after today. I suspect, though, that they won’t.”

“You don’t know that,” Algar protested. “Elron believes in you, and his words still carry weight with the families.”

I shrugged, not as optimistic as Algar.

To my surprise, the captain had remained by my side after leaving the fortress. Apparently, he was under instructions by the new First to chaperone me until the council concluded its meeting.

Still, I was grateful for his presence. Algar would prove useful in gaining access to the mages’ store of artifacts.

Each of us lost in our own thoughts, we made the rest of the trip in silence. At the entrance of the guild, I waved Algar forward, and he strode into the foyer.

There were two blue-robbed apprentices at the front desk, both of whom I recognized from my previous visit. Noel and Corin. The pair fixated on Ghost the moment she walked in, barely noticing the rest of us.

“Is that... a stygian?” Noel whispered.

“No, haven’t you heard? It’s that player’s familiar,” Corin replied.

“A familiar? But he isn’t a mage!”

“Shh,” Corin said, shushing him. “They’ll hear you.”

Algar stepped in front of Ghost. “We’re here to see, Horlick,” he announced.

Corin shook himself and refocused on the soldier. “The archmage is busy,” he replied. “Will you prefer to wait or come back—”

“Tell him it’s Captain Algar,” he interjected. “I’m here on council business and at the behest of the First himself. Horlick will make himself available—immediately—and escort us to the vault.”

The apprentices’ eyes widened at the mention of the First and the council. “Of course,” Noel squeaked and hurried away.

Wordlessly, the captain rejoined us where we waited near the door.

“At the First’s behest?” I murmured. “Really?”

“No, not really,” Algar replied, seemingly untroubled by the falsehood he’d just uttered. “But if Elron knew the nature of your request, I'm sure he would not deny it.”

I grinned. “Of course.”

✵ ✵ ✵

Not long after that, we were escorted to the seventh floor. I looked around curiously. This level and the one below were the only two I’d not explored during my previous visit to the Mages’ Guild.

“Looks different, doesn’t it?” I remarked, studying the sparkling array of wards through the sorcerer’s coif. They covered nearly every door we passed.

“I don’t like it,” Ghost replied, wrinkling her nose. “It stinks of magic and the possessed.”

Her comment gave me pause. “Are there any around?” The wards curtailed my mindsight, limiting me to only what I could perceive with my physical senses.

“No. It’s an old smell. The possessed left here long ago.”

I nodded, relieved. Just then, our escort came to a stop before a large stone door. A single figure stood waiting before it. He, too, I recognized. It was Horlick, the city mage who’d angered Avery on my last visit. He’d clearly been promoted in the interim.

The archmage focused on Algar. “Captain,” he greeted. “I am surprised to see you here.” His gaze flickered over the rest of us, pausing the longest on Ghost. “And with guests.”

“It is the guests that bring me,” the captain replied. “This is the player, Michael, and his companions, Ghost and Nyra.”

Horlick frowned. “Michael? I thought the player was named Taim.”

“An alias,” I replied before Algar could. “A precaution, you understand.”

“Wise of you,” Horlick said, nodding slowly. “But what brings you here? It’s surely not in the hope of finding Game artifacts. Our guild keeps no items that would be suitable for a player of your level.” He glanced at Algar reproachfully. “As the captain should’ve informed you already.”

I shook my head. “It’s not for me, but for—” I gestured to Nyra, “—my apprentice that we’ve come.”

Horlick studied the young assassin for a moment, then his eyes widened. “The surrogate!”

I nodded, waiting patiently for the archmage to get over his alarm so I could explain the situation. He surprised me, though.

Smiling from ear to ear, Horlick stepped forward to grasp the startled woman’s hands. “At long last! I’d been hoping you would’ve found your way here sooner. But now is as good a time as any, I suppose.”

“You have?” Nyra asked, bewildered.

The archmage nodded. “What the possessed did to your kind—what they attempted to do to you—was disgusting, and I’m appalled that our city tolerated it for so long.” He tugged her forward. “But come, I assume you are here for the Class stones?”

Nyra looked at me.

“She is,” I replied, seeing the confusion in her gaze.

“Excellent,” Horlick said. He waved his arm, and the stone door guarding the vault rolled back, revealing a cold, windowless room.

Following on the archmage and Nyra’s heels, I inspected the chamber. There were a dozen tables spread across the room, neatly arranged in three rows. Most of them held an assortment of items, some partly deconstructed, some in the process of being painstakingly rebuilt. Shelves lined the perimeter of the room, and these too, were cluttered, holding all sorts of magical components.

This is a workshop as much as it is a vault, I thought.

Horlick led us to the only table not overflowing with random bits of gear. It held three items: a trio of slate-thin jewelry cases. Opening them one by one, he revealed their contents.

Bronze stones.

“Ah,” I breathed.

Nyra stepped back suddenly, a startled cry escaping her lips. “What’s this?” she asked, waving her arms erratically at the empty air in front of her.

“Easy,” I soothed. “It’s just the Adjudicator describing the Class stones.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“The Adjudicator?”

I nodded. “This is how Game artifacts will always appear in your mind’s eye when you inspect them.”

“I see,” she said, turning back to the table with a calmer mien. “What do I do?”

“Nothing—yet,” I replied. Inhaling deeply, I settled my thoughts. “First let me run you through the basics of the Game…”

✵ ✵ ✵

“So, I have to choose?” Nyra asked when I was done.

The young assassin, Algar, and Horlick had listened attentively—and with no little fascination—to my impromptu lecture on the Game. Only Ghost had evinced no interest. Flopping down on the floor, she’d gone promptly to sleep.

I nodded. “You are fortunate to have such a varied selection of Classes to choose from.” I gestured to the hundred odd Class stones in the jewelry cases. “Most of us begin with a far more restricted set of options than these.” I glanced at Horlick. “Where did these stones come from?”

“They’ve been here since the city’s founding,” he replied. “Brought by the first players accompanying the city’s populace during the exodus. Of course, over the years the stockpile has grown considerably smaller.”

“How did… how did the others before me choose?” Nyra asked.

Horlick winced. “None of the surrogates were given a choice. The possessed picked for them—randomly mind you.” He shook his head sadly. “You see, it didn’t matter what Class they took up. They were never going to retain their bodies long enough for it to matter.”

A shadow passed over Algar and Nyra’s faces. This part of their city’s history was painful for all three.

Nyra turned back to me. “When you offered me a choice before…” She pointed to the Class stones. “Was this what you meant?”

I shook my head, surprising her. “No. That choice will come later—after you’ve become a player. But it is not something I will speak openly about yet.”

Seeming to take this as a hint, Algar said, “We should leave you two then. Give Nyra space to make her choice, and you the privacy to explain whatever you need.”

Inclining my head in thanks, I watched Horlick and Algar go before turning back to Nyra. She was still staring impassively at the Class stones—struggling to hide her uncertainty, I thought. “If you wish, I can offer some advice.”

Relief too sharp to hide flickered across her face. “Please do.”

I stepped up beside her. “Before I do, tell me which Class attracts you the most.”

Unhesitatingly, Nyra pointed out a stone.

Picking up the bronze marble in question, I inspected it.

This is a basic Class stone. It contains the path of a spy. This Class confers a player with three skills: daggers, deception, and insight. This Class also permanently boosts your Dexterity attribute by +1 and your Perception attribute by +1.

I chuckled. “I’m not surprised. It seems to suit your current skill set perfectly!”

Nyra’s stiffness eased. “Then you think it’s the right choice for me?”

I set the stone down on the table. “Actually, I don’t.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Reaching into my backpack, I drew out the dagger I had the sergeant confiscated from her earlier. “I’m assuming you’re quite good with this already?”

She nodded.

I handed the blade back to her. “Then, you don’t need the daggers skill from the Game, not to start off with, anyway. Your existing knowledge will serve you well enough for now. Although, after some time—presuming you want to master the weapon further, of course—you can still acquire the skill.”

Nyra pursed her lips. “That makes sense. What do you advise then?”

Picking out three other stones from the jewelry cases, I set them down on the table. “I suggest acquiring one of these.”

This is a basic Class stone. It contains the path of a sniper. This Class confers a player with three skills: longbows, sneaking, and focus. This Class also permanently boosts your Dexterity attribute by +1 and your Perception attribute by +1.

This is a basic Class stone. It contains the path of a spellslinger. This Class confers a player with three skills: wands, fire magic, and two weapon fighting. This Class also permanently boosts your Dexterity attribute by +1 and your Magic attribute by +1.

This is a basic Class stone. It contains the path of a sharpshooter. This Class confers a player with three skills: shortbows, chi, and telekinesis. This Class also permanently boosts your Perception attribute by +1 and your Mind attribute by +1.

Nyra’s eyes flitted from the stones to me. “Why shortlist those three?”

I smiled. “All of them have one thing in common: they offer you a ranged attack, and considering where we are now, that’s to your advantage. There are no low-level foes in Draven’s Reach for you to fight, and believe me, you don’t want to go toe-to-toe with anything here.”

I pointed to the sniper stone. “This will enable you to attack from so far away that most foes won’t perceive you, even after you’ve hit them, and that’s not even considering the added boost sneaking provides to your stealth. Sneaking will also allow you to inflict burst damage, while the focus skill will give you the ability to replenish your lost stamina.”

I turned to the spellslinger stone. “This one is a little different. With it, you can dual wield wands, attacking rapidly from range. It does, however, lack any skills that allow you to retreat or escape—so there is that to consider. But magic is versatile, and once you hit level one hundred and gain a mage’s shield, defense will not be something you have to worry about.”

“And finally, there is the sharpshooter Class,” I said, gesturing to the last stone. “Shortbows will give you a ranged attack, telekinesis will allow you to rapidly reposition, and with chi, you can buff yourself in various ways, depending on the situation.”

“All three stones are good,” I concluded. “And either one will serve as a solid foundation for the rest of your Class, but in the end, you should choose whatever appeals to you the most.”

“Uhm…” Nyra said, shifting uncertainly. Reaching out, she let her hand hover over stones.

“Take your time,” I said gently.

Retracting her hand, she swung around abruptly. “You still haven’t told me why you’re helping me. And don’t tell me it’s all from the goodness of your heart!”

I grinned. “Not entirely.” I glanced in the direction of the vault’s entrance. The stone door was closed, and Nyra and I were alone. Still, I hesitated. Telling her what I was about to, was a risk, especially if she rejected my offer, and I hadn’t meant to go down this path until she took up her Class and became a player.

“You can trust her,” Ghost said sleepily.

“I didn’t realize you were awake,” I replied.

She snorted. “I’ve been trying, but the girl’s thoughts are painfully loud.”

I threw the pyre wolf a sharp glance. “Did you read her mind? Is that why you think I can trust her?”

“I did,” she admitted.

“When?”

“While you were in the council hall. I had occasion to lean against her.”

“Ghost,” I said despairingly, “you should know better than to read her mind. It’s invasive. We don’t do that—not to friends and allies, anyway.”

“I know you said to treat her like Pack,” Ghost replied contritely. “But she was paid to kill you. I had to make certain she wasn’t going to try.”

“What if she sensed what you were about?” Then, any goodwill I’d earned from Nyra would likely have vanished.

“But she didn’t,” Ghost replied stoutly.

I sighed, deciding not to belabor the point. “Alright, done is done. But please don’t do it again, not without speaking to me first.”

“Yes, Prime.” A pause. “Do you want to know what I learned?”

“Go on.”

“The girl is grateful to you, both for not killing her and shielding her from the city watch.” Ghost sniffed. “Not that she wants you to know that. Nyra has been on the run for two years and is tired of living on the streets, but she is also suspicious of those in power, especially after Carnien. He double-crossed her, refusing to pay her what he owed her for Sienna. Anyway, from everything I’ve sensed in her, the girl is not treacherous. If she gives you her word, she is not likely to break it.”

“Thank you, Ghost,” I said, musing over her report. It was certainly comprehensive, and as much as I disliked the manner in which the pyre wolf had obtained her information, I couldn’t deny it made my next decision easier.

Turning my focus outward, I found Nyra staring at me.

“Talking to… Ghost?” she guessed.

I nodded. “We were discussing how far we can trust you.”

Nyra’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing as she waited for me to go on.

“Before I explain, I need you to give me your word.”

“Word on what?” she asked warily.

“That you will not reveal what I am about to tell you to anyone.”

She laughed. “I’m an assassin. I’m used to keeping secrets.”

I studied her carefully. “Are you?”

Confusion flickered across Nyra’s face. “Am I what?”

“An assassin,” I clarified. “Sienna was your first kill, wasn’t she?” Ghost hadn’t told me so, but the pyre wolf’s information had helped me complete the picture that was Nyra.

She was not the cool, confident, killer I had first marked her out to be. Her skittishness now made sense, and her fear was not completely feigned as I’d assumed. She had most likely spent the last two years sleeping on the streets and perpetually half-starved.

More than anything else, it was desperation that motivated Nyra.

Desperation for a better life. This was something I could both understand and sympathize with.

Nyra, meanwhile, was scowling at me. “What makes you say that?”

“This is not the time to be defensive,” I said mildly. “If you want me to share my secrets with you, you will have to be open with me too. Now, was Sienna your first kill?”

She hesitated, then nodded jerkily. “She was. What of it?”

“Was it hard?” I asked, ignoring her own question. “Killing someone?”

Discomfort flickered across her face. “Yes,” she said shortly.

“Good, it should never be easy.” I inhaled deeply. “Now, as to the choice I offer you: do you know what a follower is?”