Stenson’s face was like stone.
Francis had seen this expression multiple tis in all his deaths, but this particular one was different. There was nothing more than a tiny narrowing of the brows, just barely brought closer, and the general’s lips curled in slightly. His jaw didn’t show the tightness it sotis held; instead, it barely reflected anything beyond teeth held together.
It was monts like this that Francis had been sent to the Spires, or when he had been told to attempt sothing new, that had resulted in leaps of improvent.
“How long do these conversations go?” Stenson asked. “I an, I think they must get longer each ti.”
“I try to keep them as concise as possible,” Francis replied. “Over a few thousand deaths, one learns what’s important and what’s not. Still, we’ve been talking for almost two hours, and you’re at the point where the questions you ask often repeat, or occasionally a new one cos along. Each ti I ntion a new skill or how these last few major fights went, I’m not always certain what you’ll say. I could try and repeat them as exactly as possibly, but I think I get more from you when I don’t. Kind of like how I ntioned how you shared your life a little and the conversations you had with the others from different kingdoms.”
“That might be why I am thinking what I am,” the general said. “Tell , Francis. Have I ever ntioned you going to the other kingdoms and training there for a while?”
“As in actually going, like right now or later at so point?”
“Right now. I'll get you so gear, and we’ll tell the King you need to travel to the northern kingdom of Tules to help us and them win against this enemy.”
“We had discussed it,” Francis said, standing. “You’re not wanting us to go back and fight this sa battle again and see if we can’t figure out what killed Baxter?!”
“Calm down and sit,” Stenson said.
Francis started to open his mouth and protest, but stopped, his mind reminding him of all the tis the general had asked him to do things that seed weird and yet they had paid off. Sighing, he sat down and waited.
After a mont, the older man grinned and then chuckled. “Francis Lancaster… you are an exceptional young man. I–”
“You give this speech a lot,” Francis interrupted. “I’m exceptional, you’re impressed, can’t believe what I have, think I’m the future to save us.”
Grunting, the general’s smile beca a frown.
“And you usually curse,” Francis stated.
“Well fuck … now I’m really unsure what to say.”
Francis laughed and shrugged. “The real question you’ll ask yourself is if I didn’t say what I did, would you curse or not?”
Both eyes started to dart as the general thought for a mont and sighed. “I don’t have ti for this esoteric shit,” Stenson said. “You need to go to Tules. I’m not sure how long you’ll make it before you die, but every ti you do and restart here, tell I said you should do this.”
“This is about the skills you’re hoping I might acquire there, isn’t it?” Francis asked.
“You ntioned I talked about things of legends… when you get to Tules, I’ll have a letter for you to give to whoever greets you. They will take you to et Glitvall Stormrend. He’s the war chief of Koldrak and will help you on this next part of your growth.”
“Wait, I’m sorry, you’re telling I can’t stay here and get strong enough to defeat what we’re facing?”
“I don’t think so,” the older man replied, frowning.
“But you told it might take ten thousand deaths or more. Why change it all right now?”
“I can see how I thought that,” Stenson replied. “But this loop, as you call them, I believe I was foolish. You need to go and see what a true warrior can beco in an environnt like Tules. Besides, it will also give you a chance to see what that army is facing and learn new ways to fight. Eventually, you’re going to have to learn a skill like mine. You need a way to reach beyond the length of your blade. I think with your Warrior’s Resolve, you also need to learn how to heal your own wounds, and only one kingdom is said to have ever produced a skill that could bring a warrior from the brink of death on their own.”
“So… every ti I die, you just want to open up with this?” Francis asked.
“I would. It might not seem like much, but it will save hours. Learn what’s important that I need to hear. If you need a break, take it. Find a way to enrich your life. Perhaps you can find a warm body to spend ti with over there.”
“Wow… not the advice I was expecting,” Francis stated.
“You’d be surprised what the right companion can add,” Stenson said. “A good night filled with a different kind of relief sotis last weeks in raising one's spirit.”
Francis started to chuckle and nod.
“Did we have this conversation before?” the general asked.
“No, but I might have done that once. And… you’re right. I was a bit happier.”
Stenson slapped his knee and then stood. “Good, now then, let’s get the king inford and get you prepared. I’m looking forward to the next ti we talk.”
***
Baxter’s fingers were interlaced, and the King was staring at the two of them.
His wife squeezed his arm and coughed.
“They’re being honest… or at least Stenson is.”
The king’s red eyes narrowed, and he glanced at his wife.
“She can’t read with her magic, my King,” Francis inford them. “I can stop her threads and if I wanted, could injure her for trying, but I don’t wish to do such a thing.”
Baxter’s attention snapped back to him, and the large man stood. “You can resist magic and hurt the caster?!”
The general and Francis nodded as the booming voice assaulted them.
“He can, and yet when I say he must go to Tules, know that I understand the potential ally Sage Francis is,” Stenson said. “I swear by my oath, my sword, my life, and the life of my daughter that what I am telling you is the path I firmly believe must be taken if we are to win this war.”
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“But… he can see the future! He knows so much and to toss that away–”
“ans nothing if the other kingdoms fall before we win our battle.” Stenson’s words cut off the King, whose frown slowly faded.
“Wise words as always from the man I am fortunate to have by my side and leading our army,” Baxter said. “Very well, what do you need from ?”
“Priscilla will need to send him, and you and I should both send a letter to Glitvall. While I believe mine might be good enough, yours would carry even more weight and help in getting him before the war chief. Beyond that, he could use another sword. I have already gifted him with the one you gave .”
A grunt ca from Baxter as he nodded. “I saw that on his hip and for a mont felt slighted, but now I understand why. And we won’t be giving him armor, will we?”
“Why wouldn’t I get armor?” Francis asked. “I thought we discussed giving armor.”
“I think it would be good for him to show up in armor,” Stenson said. “Lessons like that are best learned through experience, I always believe.”
Both n laughed, and Francis glared at the two of them. “I swear, I’m going to be upset if you two are doing sothing nasty.”
“Trust , Sage Francis,” Queen Auri said as both n continued to laugh. “They are giving you a life lesson that is best learned hands-on. You will understand it and it will cause no real harm.”
“No real harm,” he muttered.
Baxter clapped his hands and moved to where Francis was and held one out. “I shall draft this letter. You go with Stenson, and he shall have access to my vault. Are we… going to give anything else?”
The general shook his head. “No.”
“I trust your wisdom. Good luck, Sage Francis. Return soon, and may we one day drink in celebration of this war being over and us having survived.”
Having shaken the oversized hand of the King, Francis bowed and followed the general out of the tent.
“What else would you give?” Francis whispered once they were outside.
“Just wait, you’ll see, and I’ll explain later.”
Later wasn’t long, and Francis struggled to look at the items on the table before him.
“Magical rings, bracelets, belts… why… why don’t I get these?”
“Well, first, they are not common.” Stenson replied.” Ask how many enchanted items I have.”
“How many?”
“Three. Only three. And they are nothing compared to what lies before you. These will not win a war or a battle; they will simply aid you in being able to fight longer, strike harder, and provide other advantages. Had I given you these in previous tis, you wouldn’t be where you are. You’d be dependent upon them, and I doubt you’d have half the skills you do now.
“Magical items work… differently. For whatever reason, the rules we live under make it so that using them limits our growth. One cannot have a ring that provides extra strength and expect to wear it daily for every task and expect it to grow stronger. In so ways it would do the opposite. Nothing is designed for everyday use. These items are for monts when one must eek out the last bits of luck and power they can, knowing that tomorrow may an death if they don’t have just a slight advantage than before.”
Sighing, Francis nodded. “So had I used these with every loop, I’d have gained almost nothing. And the rings I trained with?”
“Those are so rare you cannot imagine how much they would cost to replace, if that were even possible,” Stenson replied. “You rember what they gave?”
“I do.”
“Those are over three thousand years old. The power inside them is different from what is made today. Had you worn them out of that training area, you would have died. Even now, if you tried, they would most likely make it so you could barely move. So sort of magic set within them is limited to training areas. I cannot tell you why or how, but that is just how it is.”
“And those boots and bracers?”
“Similar in age and power. Those are gifts passed down to kings to prepare them for battle. One can only get so strong in a training square, and there is a desire for the King to be one who can fight.”
“I guess my dreams of being outfitted in magical equipnt are just that… dreams,” Francis said with a sigh.
Stenson patted Francis on the shoulder and nodded. “You’re far more without them. Learn that first. A crutch is good while one heals, but if you keep using it after your body has recovered, it will cause more harm. You’ll never walk right again.”
“So this sword?” Francis asked.
“Is nothing special. The only magic inside it is the strength of the blade. It will not shatter or break unless sothing so powerful it could level a city strikes it.”
Nodding, Francis accepted the blade and followed the older man out of the tent they were in, wondering when the day might co that he would potentially wear those.
***
“Sage Francis, leaving already?” Priscilla’s tone was one he knew far too well, and he ignored her attempts at causing frustration.
“I am. The gods have ordered it. Now, if you don’t mind, open the gate and don’t be foolish enough to try and use a spell on as I leave.”
Her blue eyes widened, and she started to open her mouth, but Francis held up his hand.
“Don’t. Lying doesn’t suit you, and I know the bonds you’re bound with from the Concord. Believe what you want, but I know far more than I have ti to speak of right now. Ti is valuable and I have things to do in Tules. So, summon the gate.”
She stood there only a mont longer, blinking a few tis before she bent her neck slightly. “As you wish, Sage Francis.”
The light traveled along the ropes, and a gate appeared before him.
“Keep the King safe, and be careful walking the line you do between both sides,” Francis said before stepping through it. “I’ll return and perhaps one day be able to free you from the bond you’re under.”
She said sothing, but he didn’t hear what it was, having already entered the portal.
When the light faded, he found himself in a room made from ice. A puff of white ca with his breath, and it took only a mont to understand what Baxter and Stenson had just taught him.
God, it’s fucking cold!
The chain suit of armor started to absorb the coldness of the room he was in, and the thin layer of cloth between him and it did little the longer he stood where he was.
“A visitor!”
He turned and saw a massive woman wearing multiple furs and armor that looked like a patchwork of animal skins, studying him. Her blonde hair and blue eyes stood out against the black paint band across her eyes.
She was easily seven feet tall and made him think the gods had been unkind in making him so short.
“I have a letter from King Baxter and General Stenson from the Kingdom of Reevotort,” Francis said. “I need to see War Chief Glitvall Stormrend.”
She scoffed as he pulled out the two letters, each with a seal on it. “Bah, a waste of ti. We’re not coming to aid them!”
“I’m not here to ask for aid,” Francis replied with a grin. “I’m here to give it.”
Her eyebrow rose as she looked him up and down. “What could a man such as yourself hope to offer us? Can you cook and clean?”
“If you want, we can fight, and I’ll prove my worth.”
She grinned and laughed, the ice-covered room causing it to echo all around. “Well, at least they sent soone with balls and perhaps no brains, but let’s go, boy! To the Warchief, before I get to kick yer arse all over the snow!”
Final Stats - Book 1
[ Status ]
Francis Lancaster
Age 17
Strength: 47
Endurance: 49
Agility: 48
Wisdom: 28
Perception: 37
Magic: 10
Skills
Swordsmanship (Common) - 71 Elite
Shield Use (Common) - 58 Advanced
Tracking (Uncommon) - 11 Basic
Stealth (Uncommon) - 11 Novice
Traps (Uncommon) - 3 Basic
Rock Throwing (Common) - 7 Basic
ntal Resist (Uncommon) - 45 Advanced
Blood of the Undying (Unknown)- 100 Sage
Fast Learner (Epic) - 1 Basic (Locked)
Mace (Common)- 11 Novice
Horseback Riding (Common)- 11 Novice
Horseback Handling (Uncommon) - 6 Basic
Pain Resistance (Uncommon) - 58 Advanced
Poison Resistance (Rare) - 45 Advanced
Power Strike (Rare) - 54 Advanced
Brawling (Uncommon) - 38 Proficient
Strong Bones (Rare) - 56 Advanced
Magic Resistance (Rare) 53 - Advanced
Magic Feedback (Legendary) - 21 Novice
Quick Attack (Uncommon) - 44 Proficient
Guarded Stance (Uncommon) - 31 Advanced
Riposte (Rare) - 36 Proficient
Thick Skin (Rare) - 27 Proficient
Night Vision (Epic) - 38 Advanced
Iron Wall (Rare) - 26 Proficient
Dual Wield (Rare) - 42 Advanced
Flurry (Rare) - 22 Novice
Battle Sense (Epic*) - 15 Novice
Warrior’s Resolve (Legendary) 5 Basic
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