Grand Game 589: Sharing Truths

I took my time rejoining the brotherhood, my thoughts largely preoccupied with how to approach the forthcoming conversation. It was not going to be easy, especially when it came to making sure I didn’t reveal too much.

I found Kartara and her officers waiting exactly where I’d left them. 

“Welcome back, Havick,” Duskar said with only the faintest trace of sarcasm.

Nodding absently, I scanned the battlefield. There were no longer any stygians in sight, or at least none that were free. All those that remained had either been slain, fled, or captured. 

The rest of the brotherhood army was not standing idly by either. Except for the four officers waiting for me—Fiona and Heglin were not with them anymore—every other player had been pressed into service looting the dead stygians or corralling the captured ones—presumably with the intent of taking them back to the brotherhood’s castle so that they could be shackled with obedience collars.

My gaze focused on the six dozen mages crawling over the harbinger’s corpse. “How long is it going to take them to retrieve its netherstone?”

Cait shrugged. “They’re nearly done, but I will supervise the final stage myself.”

“Which reminds me,” Kartara said. “What do you want us to do with the nagas you killed?”

My brows rose. “You’re offering me their loot?”

She shrugged. “It’s yours by right. They’re your kills.”

I shook my head. “No, they’re not. I promised your people the spoils from the nagas. It doesn’t matter that I killed them. They’re yours.” Besides, it was largely my fault that many of the nagas had fled. Then too, the forerunners already had a tidy haul of scales from the nagas I’d slain on the other side of the rift.

“Thank you,” Kartara said simply.

Nodding in acknowledgment, I glanced at Senzo. “Any sign of movement from the south?” The four hours I’d allocated for this mission was about up, and if the mature tree had sent any reinforcements—beside the three dead harbingers—they would be showing up soon.

The spymaster shook his head. “None.”

“Good,” I said, relieved, and turned back to the huntmistress. 

“You ready to begin?” she prompted.

“Almost.” I took a second look at the surrounding dunes but failed to spot any brotherhood corpses amongst the dead. Kartara’s people must have recovered the bodies already. “How many did you lose?”

“Eighty-three,” she replied.

I sucked in a breath. The number was low, fantastically low. Still, their sacrifice had been real. That was eighty-three players who would not be coming back—ever.

I ducked my head in respect, before meeting Kartara’s gaze again. “I am honored by their sacrifice. Without your people’s help, without the sacrifice of the eighty-three fallen, me and my people would never have succeeded in doing what we set out to. No matter what happens from here on out, I promise I will not forget what the brotherhood has done for us.”

For a long moment, Kartara said nothing. “I can say the same, Havick,” she said finally and with equal gravity. “We have lost fewer people on this expedition than we have on any previous major rift dive, and that is due in no small part to your own intervention.” She inclined her head. “You have my thanks, Havick.”

On the tail end of the huntmistress’ words, a surprising Game message unfurled in my mind.

Your task, Brotherhood Obligations, has been updated. By the huntmistress’ own words, you have completed your first expedition with the brotherhood, albeit under the guise of Havick. Revised objective: Join the brotherhood on 2 more nether expeditions. 

“Well, the Adjudicator has spoken, it seems,” Kartara said lightly, breaking the solemnity of the moment. “I guess that is one less expedition you owe us.”

I smiled. “I will not begrudge you the remaining two I owe you.” I paused. “Although, I am not so certain you will want my help after you hear what I have to say.”

Kartara’s smile faded. “Then, shall we get down to business?”

“Yes, but before we do—” I glanced at Cait—“can you cast a shield of silence spell?” 

“I can,” the elf replied. “Why?”

“What I have to say shouldn’t be discussed out in the open.”

Duskar’s brows drew down. “Why the hell not? There is no one here but us!”

“That’s not quite true,” I murmured. “There are spores aplenty in the vicinity.”

He blinked.

The cause of the orc’s surprise was not what I assumed it to be, though—as I soon learned when Cait shook her head. “The spores have been dealt with,” the nether witch pronounced.

It was my turn to evince surprise. “You’re sure?”

She nodded. “I am. Go ahead and check for yourself if you wish.”

Not quite willing to take her word for it, I drew stamina. “I’ll do that,” I said and released the casting I wove.

You have cast vanish. You are invisible. Duration: 5 minutes. 

“Huh, fancy that,” I said as the spell activated without a hitch, and without any telltale notices from the Game that I’d been detected either. 

“So?” Duskar demanded impatiently when I reappeared after letting the buff lapse. “Tell us what you came to say.”

“One moment.” I turned to Cait. “I’d still like you to raise that shield of silence.”

Rolling her eyes, the nether witch glanced at the huntmistress.

“Do it,” Kartara replied. “I don’t think Havick is going to talk otherwise.”

The elf closed her eyes, and a moment later, another Game message opened before me.

You have been enclosed in a ward of silence. This is a sound barrier and will prevent any noise from intruding or escaping.

“Satisfied?” Cait asked.

I nodded. “Very.” I sank down to the ground, sitting cross-legged on the naked sand. “Sit, everyone. This is probably going to take a while.”

✵ ✵ ✵

You have sealed a Pact with Kartara, Duskar, Senzo, and Cait. For the next hour, you will not speak any falsehoods to them.

A quiet sigh went around the circle formed by me and the four brotherhood officers as the Pact I’d decided to enact went into effect. More than anything else, it would convince them of the truthfulness of my words.

“So,” Senzo exhaled. “It’s true then. You are a Powerful Initiate.” 

I understood the reason for his remark. Pacts were the domain of Powers and even the least amongst them—a Powerful Initiate like me—could form one.

“I am,” I replied simply. 

“What level are you?” Duskar asked quickly.

“Level two hundred and eighty-two,” I answered. That made me higher leveled than their huntmistress. I stole a glance in her direction, but Kartara’s face was devoid of expression.

“What ascendant Class did you adopt?” Cait asked curiously.

“I won’t answer that,” I said evenly.

Duskar’s brows drew down. “Why not?”

“Because not only will it endanger me, it will endanger your lives as well.”

“Nonsense,” the orc scoffed. “How can just knowing your Class be dangerous?”

“I won’t answer that either,” I replied equably.

Duskar’s face devolved into a scowl, but before he could retort, Kartara raised a hand, stopping him. “What about your other Classes, will you tell us what they are?”

“No.”

She nodded, seemingly unperturbed by my refusal. “Because it will be dangerous too?”

“Correct.”

“What about your name?” Kartara asked. “Can you tell us that?”

“There is nothing inherently dangerous about knowing my true name—” I began slowly.

“Well, thank the Powers for that,” Duskar muttered.

“—but I prefer not to share it all the same.”

The orc gnashed his teeth in frustration. “Goddamn.”

Ignoring him, I address Kartara again. “Knowing who I am may lead you to figure out things about myself that I prefer to remain secret for now. However, knowing my true name is not necessary and will have no bearing on the other truths I have to share.”

“I see,” the huntmistress murmured. Sitting back, she drummed her fingers on her leg. “Then perhaps it's best if you told us what you deem necessary before we question you further.”

I inclined my head in acknowledgment, then inhaling deeply, began, “So, obviously, my name is not Havick.”

“Obviously,” Senzo murmured.

I threw him a wry look. “What you need to know is as follows.” Holding up my right hand, I raised one finger. “I am a human Powerful Initiate and belong to a faction with only one other Power. She, too, is a Powerful Initiate like me. We are not allied with any of the Game’s other Powers. Our faction has discovered a hidden sector, one already cloaked by a shield generator, and which I fully expect to see claimed by tomorrow.”

I paused, scanning their faces. But none of the four evinced more than mild surprise. They had guessed or surmised for themselves much of what I’d just said.

I raised another finger. “When I said earlier that it would be dangerous, I was not being precise. Let me rectify that now. If knowledge of what I am spreads, I believe every Power in the Game would bestir themselves to see me and those allied with me dead. That includes Loken, Arinna, Tartar, and the Triumvirate.”

Cait gasped, Senzo’s eyes widened in alarm, and even Duskar paled. Only Kartara showed minimal reaction. But for the slight tightening of her lips, her expression remained unchanged.

I ticked off another point on my fingers. “Thirdly: I am committed to fighting the void. As is my faction. We believe them to be one of the biggest threats facing the Kingdom. If they are not stopped, they will consume the whole world.” 

My pledge and heartfelt words seemed to please the brotherhood players, and I could almost see the tension ease from their shoulders.

“Fourth: there is more to the void than you think.” I paused, deliberating silently with myself on whether it was really necessary to reveal the next bit. But the brotherhood had a right to know the nature of the threat they were facing. 

“The trees are sentient,” I stated badly.

The four said nothing, waiting for me to go on, but when I didn’t frowns creased their faces.

“Uhm, we knew that already,” Cait said delicately.

“Then perhaps you mistake my meaning. What I’m getting at is that the trees can talk.”

Palpable silence.

“What do you mean, they can talk?” the huntmistress asked carefully.

“Just that. The young void tree spoke to me in my mind.”

Alarm shot across the face of Senzo, Duskar, and Kartara. Only Cait appeared unperturbed by the news. “What did it have to say?” she asked eagerly.

I smiled. “He, not ‘it’,” I corrected. “That’s how the tree perceived himself. As for what he had to say: surprisingly little of value actually. But I did manage to gather he was the one to have created the nagas.”

“Oh my.” The elf sat back, biting her lip. “Are you sure about that?”

I nodded. “As sure I can be under the circumstances. It was why he got so angry at their destruction.” 

“And it is also why you attacked the nagas in the first place, isn’t it?” Kartara guessed, composed once more. “You were trying to attract the tree’s attention.”

“Correct. It worked too.”

“That explains a lot,” Senzo whispered.

“It does indeed,” Kartara murmured. She focused on me again. “What else can you tell us about the trees?”

I hesitated again, wondering if I should go on.

“What is it?” the huntmistress asked, watching the play of emotions across my face intently.

“The young tree wasn’t the only one to speak to me. The mature tree did as well.”

More silence, and this time there was a profound and dangerous quality to it.

“Relax, he did not subvert my mind.”

Duskar inhaled sharply. How can you be so—” 

“—sure he didn’t?” I finished for him grimly.

He nodded warily, looking more than a little worried.

“Because if he had, I would be dead,” I said bluntly. “I shut down the mental link between us before he could complete his spell. And my familiar has since scoured my mind. She is certain nothing is amiss.”

“Your familiar...” Kartara began. “That would be the stygian wolf?”

I nodded.

“How did you manage to acquire a stygian for a familiar?” Cait demanded.

I smiled tightly. “That’s another one of those questions I won’t answer.”

She sighed. “Can we see her at least?”

“Not right now. She’s… busy.” I raised my right hand anew, splaying all my fingers again. “But back to my list. There’s one more thing you all need to know. The fifth and most important.” I paused, leaving my words hanging there.

“What’s that?” Senzo prompted.

I drew in a deep breath. They would not like what I had to say next, I was sure. 

“Half of the Endless Dungeon has already fallen to the void.”