Master Pacore the Deathless’ Point of View: Some might not know this about me, but I was a simple man with simple tastes. I enjoyed the same
Master Pacore the Deathless’ Point of View:
Some might not know this about me, but I was a simple man with simple tastes. I enjoyed the same things as everybody else: life or death battles, being the first into said battles, alcohol strong enough to affect me, you know, the usual things your average person appreciates.
What most people don't know is that I had some rather unusual peculiarities hidden under my everyday wants and needs. For example, I loved to dance under the moonlight when nobody was around to watch me—shocking, I know. I could spend hours dancing alone and never tire of it, and I would do it every night if there weren't always someone annoyingly watching me from a distance.
Similarly, I take great pleasure in people trying to lie to me, not the lying itself, but the moment when people try to— that was exciting. In my youth, I despised anyone who wasn't always 100% honest with me, especially nobles and politicians. But as I grew older and more powerful, and people started fearing lying to me and stopped altogether, I found I missed the experience.
Nowadays, I treat lying like a game. I was never the person lying because I had no reason to; if I didn't like something or disagreed, I made my displeasure known upfront and to their faces, no matter who they were. Instead, I enjoyed trying to spot other people lying to me or those around me.
Eventually, I got so good at it that I earned a lie detection skill for my efforts, though I never bothered to train it, as leveling it too much would make the game boring and unplayable.
So, when Aaliyah stopped to pour herself a drink of water from the jug on the small table in front of us, I immediately became excited— Well, more excited. I swear, if my heart beat any faster, I might consider the possibility that there was something wrong with me.
From the moment I watched young Aaliyah and my apprentice, Tabitha, walk through those gates, it's been impossible to calm the rapid beating in my chest. I was so surprised when I first saw them that the first thought I had was that something was wrong with my ability to judge other people's levels, because that was more likely than what I sensed from the two of them. I might have even believed it if General Pitz hadn't stood beside me, equally dumbstruck.
I had been anxiously waiting for this moment since we sat down— No, since I was forced to come to terms with the fact that Aaliyah was now somehow level 97 and my precious disciple was now 112.
One Hundred and Twelve!
How was she going to do it? What was Aaliyah going to say to justify their ridiculous levels? How was she going to lie to me!?
"Oh, come on, you can't stop now," the headman's daughter says, voicing what all of us are thinking. "What happened next?" She asks excitedly, doing her best to lean forward in her chair despite her current condition, while Aaliyah takes her time sipping her water loudly.
Finally, Aaliyah put her cup down and schooled her features. Yes, come on; I shivered in anticipation.
"There isn't much to tell." Aaliyah's casual air makes all of us, even me, freeze. "I used my skills to defeat the soul horrors and protect Tabitha. It's that simple."
For a solid minute, we all stare at Aaliyah in utter disbelief. It isn't until my breath catches that I realise I can't stop laughing at her audacity. At the same time, I'm close to tearing up since gods know when the rest of Aaliyah's audience is less understanding of her deliberate vagueness.
“And what does that mean?” Her brother asks, sounding slightly offended.
"I don't know what to tell you," Aaliyah shrugs lazily. "I can't tell you how I did it; I just did."
To my left, I notice General Pitz biting her bottom lip so hard that a trickle of blood was leaking from the corner of her mouth. At the same time, I stealthily glance at my apprentice standing behind us. I've snuck several such glances since I've sat down, but she did her utmost to hide her emotions from everyone, including me. Even I was having trouble reading her subtle expressions, and I practically raised the girl ever since she left her family and joined under my tutelage.
Other than my apprentice and Aaliyah, only General Pitz and I understood the full gravity of what Aaliyah was claiming. Soul horrors weren't your common everyday undead. Killing just one took a group of relatively high-level individuals with specialized gear and skills, and that was against one.
According to Aaliyah, she killed dozens of soul horrors by herself, and with no such equipment. Magic could harm spectral undead to some degree, but I seriously doubted she knew that kind of magic, despite what she showed the village earlier.
By all accounts, the two of them should be rotting at the bottom of that shaft with their souls ripped to shreds, and here Aaliyah was, telling us to ignore how she did it. I'll give her this: she has guts.
Their survival had to do with something they found in the ruins, some piece of magic equipment lost to time that allowed them to beat the odds— but for the life of me, I couldn't spot it on her person. Maybe Aaliyah was keeping it hidden underneath her clothing, but earlier she said her skills let her beat the soul horrors, and I confirmed she wasn't lying.
What happened to them down there!?
"Can I finish my story?" The girl sitting across from me folds her arms sassily with a grin, staring at me challengingly. Her eyes barely flicker to her brother and the others in the room. She knew what she was doing and was daring me to call her on it. I was half tempted to, but I could be patient when I needed to—this was a battlefield like any other, and I would win.
"Please, continue," I gesture casually for her to resume with a wicked smile of my own, silencing any more questions from the people around us.
I was in a battle of wills with a young woman a fraction of my age— How exciting!
From there, Aaliyah breezed through the aftermath of them surviving an impossible battle with a nonchalance you'd expect from a warrior many times her age. It was interesting to hear her thought process regarding survival with so little to work with, but at the same time, I couldn't stop speculating how she overcame so many soul horrors by herself.
I thought I had more time to think about things, as this was the part of her story where Aaliyah explained outside that she and Tabitha found the chamber at the bottom of the ruins, but again I was proven wrong— And I had a sinking suspicion this wasn't going to be the last time today.
Aaliyah was franker with her description of the skeleton guarding the chamber and recounting how they defeated it. She deliberately left details out of the fight a few times, but not to the point where I could reliably say anything with any certainty.
She then told us about her idea to bury the bones they found, which I nodded along to approvingly. It was a warrior's duty to honor the dead. I'm sure if any of them had been alive today, they would have been overjoyed to hear that they were given a proper funeral, if basic. Aaliyah's friends and family agreed with me and praised both her and Tabitha for their decision to take the time to do so.
Everyone was interested in Aaliyah's retelling of the statue they found in the back of the chamber afterward, its effect on them both, and what happened when she touched it. General Pitz asked multiple questions about the city she described and how it was destroyed, but all I could do was shake my head in disappointment.
To leave such a message behind, what weakness. At just a casual glance, any child of Scholl could tell you that whoever the robed figure was, he wasn't anyone deserving of sympathy or pity. His side lost—end of story, and rather than leaving a message congratulating the victor or leaving an inheritance behind, he asked for help to slay his likely already dead enemies. What a fool. What arrogance.
Wait! What if he did leave something behind? That could explain how they survived the soul horrors, or their levels, though I have no idea how such a thing would even work. And again, I could tell Aaliyah was leaving out a few key details from her story. It was vexing—
Marvelous! Keep giving me more hints. I would like to know if I can unravel this mystery myself.
Now, only if they stop talking about pointless history.
"Are you saying you don't know any of this?" Aaliyah gawked at General Pitz for her lack of knowledge.
"We know some of it," Pitz looks apologetic, which I find hilarious, though I wish they would hurry it up. "We know there used to be a large city where the crater is now, but as far as we know, this is the first time anybody has found the arena you are talking about."
“Really?”
"I'm afraid so," Pitz replies awkwardly. "After all, the eastern part of The Endless Forest has been explored much more than the rest."
"And how does that work, exactly?" Aaliyah asks, stretching this already painfully long conversation. "If the crater is the heart of The Endless Forest and its mana source, why does the magic-dense region stretch so far eastward?"
"Nobody knows for sure, but it's speculated that the destroyed city was built above a mana vein," General Pitz does her best to explain. "Capital cities are often built above such things as it helps fuel magic circles and other magical fortifications. It's theorized that the mana vein was corrupted in the explosion, and since it likely stretches eastward—"
"Then the entire vein is overflowing with the same water mana," Aaliyah happily concludes.
"Precisely, it's why The Endless Forest is as big as it is. I see you are as bright as I was led to believe," General Pitz nods with an encouraging smile. Suck-up.
I wasn't the only one vying for information, though, unlike me, General Pitz had a second reason to be extra courteous. Before, Pitz was trying to lure back a talented individual; now, she was fighting me for possession of a budding dragon in human skin.
The phrase 'dragon amongst men' is often used to describe particular individuals of promise, but I'm positive no one has earned the title more than Aaliyah.
The brightest and most skilled individuals reach level 100 before age forty. At the rate she was going, Aaliyah would surpass level 100 before her seventeenth birthday, possibly sooner. This was more than something one could chalk up to talent. The girl directly in front of me was well on her way to becoming a monster—one greater than I ever was.
I had to have her on as my apprentice, if only so I was mentioned in passing when people inevitably wrote about her in the history books. Fifteen years old and already a dragon killer— I don't care if it was a lesser dragon, for a woman her age to help slay a beast over level 130, she earned the title more than most.
That's why I had to hear for myself how this story ends. "Not that this isn't fascinating, but can we return to the story, please?" I insist, reminding everyone why we were here in the first place.
“Yes,” General Pitz clears her throat awkwardly. “I suppose we have gotten off track. Please continue,” she politely asks Aaliyah.
"Why, got somewhere to be, old man?" Aaliyah doesn't miss a chance to take a verbal swing at me, looking smug while she does so.
"Aaliyah, behave," her mother pats her hand reproachfully.
"Fine," she groans before continuing her story— and what a story it is. I might not be a craftsman myself, but I held a deep appreciation for anyone who made armor for others, and the fact that Aaliyah managed to make Tabitha a new shield without any of her usual tools was impressive, no matter how you looked at it.
The small, misshapen buckler on my student's left arm didn't look like much at first glance, but my instincts told me it might be as durable as my invisible armor, and wasn't that a frightening thought.
"I wish I could've had more time to work on it," Aaliyah grumbles across from me, staring directly behind me at my apprentice with a far-off look. "I don't suppose you'd let me try and touch it up a bit now that we're back?" She hesitantly asks my apprentice.
A crisp no from behind me has me smiling again. So, she's already attached to her new shield; it must be quite special.
"You're as stingy as ever," Aaliyah puffs up her cheeks, making a childish face at my student.
"Alright, enough playing around. Finish the story," Tabitha sighs deeply, and I need to do my best not to turn around and stare at her. I did not expect her to respond to Aaliyah's teasing. I was lucky to get her to react to me when I said something snarkily, let alone other people.
Exactly how close have they become? That was another thing I had to find out. This day continues to be full of surprises. Sadly, I'll have to revisit this topic later as Aaliyah continues speaking.
“We were quickly running out of supplies. We found some stagnant water we could boil, but by the time I finished Tabitha’s shield, we were almost completely out of food.” I could hear the frustration in Aaliyah’s voice and could sense Tabitha straightening her posture behind me.
"We had no choice but to leave or risk growing weaker. So, we finished what preparations we could make and left." Everyone in the room was hanging on Aaliyah's every word. I could practically hear everybody's heartbeats speed up to match mine.
From there, she went into a much more in-depth walkthrough of their fight with the winged serpent, and by the end of it, I couldn’t convey with words how proud I was of Tabitha for her role in killing the beast or how surprised I was with Aaliyah's level of involvement.
Outside, Aaliyah made it sound like it was primarily Tabitha who contributed the most against the winged serpent, but now that I knew the whole story, I understood that none of it would've been possible if she hadn't been there to deal with the snake's venom. She also didn't confirm it with words, but I knew from experience that my student finally unlocked her first tier 5 skill. Combined with her new level, her rapid progress was impossible to overlook. They were both going to draw a lot of heads when we went back to Scholl.
We all sat in silence as Aaliyah described building the sled they used to haul everything back to the village, and the difficult time they had processing the lesser dragon with only Tabitha’s sword.
Everyone processed this information at different speeds. Aaliyah gradually slowed the story down as she talked about their less exciting return trip home and how long it took them to return to the village. The bit about her pointing the goblin tribe towards the winged serpent's territory got a chuckle out of me, but mostly, that was it.
“Oh, baby girl,” Aaliyah’s mother exclaimed after Aaliyah was finally finished, pulling her daughter tightly against her while Aaliyah's father rubbed her back affectionately.
"I like this version of the story better," I tell her honestly, with a rare smile that lacked any secondary meaning.
"Thanks," Aaliyah deadpans, not recognizing my gesture for what it was. Oh, well, I'm fine with that.
"Maybe I should contact a scribe to record it from the beginning?" I can't help but tease, knowing how she would feel about something like that.
“Do it and see what happens, old man,” she doesn't hesitate to threaten me.
""Aaliyah!"" Her mother and Tabitha berate her at the same time.
"What, he knows he deserves it," she tries to defend herself to both women.
"Be that as it may, you should address Master Pacore with proper honorifics. This makes the second time you haven't done so," Tabitha tells Aaliyah in her usual bland voice, though I quickly noticed she lacked any of her usual subtle outrage. Why did it sound like she was simultaneously scolding and agreeing with Aaliyah?
"Whatever," the girl pouts again, refusing to look at me. "Well, you heard our story; can we go now? I've been craving my mother's cooking for over a month now, and I have a date with my bed." She folds her arms defensively.
“Soon, soon,” I reassure her, before narrowing my eyes. “You’re free to go once you finish your story.”
"It's already finished," she looks up at me defiantly.
"Yes, but you left out some key details." I clasp my hands together patiently in my lap.
As expected, Aaliyah pretends not to know what I'm talking about. "Such as?"
“Oh, off the top of my head, how about you tell us how you leveled as much as you have?" I try to sound playful, but can't keep my real emotions from bubbling up to the surface.
Aaliyah doesn’t so much as flinch. Excellent response. “No,” she tells me plainly and calmly, much like how Tabitha might respond to one of my unreasonable demands.
"You leveled again, congratulations," Aaliyah's pregnant friend beams happily. "Once or twice? Knowing you, I bet it was more."
"Oh, you know, I leveled a few times," the girl across from me does her best to deflect, as subtly as one would expect of someone like her— Horribly.
“A few times, she says,” I can't help but roar with laughter, startling most of the room. "A few times," I repeat, wheezing out of breath.
“I don’t understand,” Camden’s daughter frowns at me, not understanding what I found so hilarious.
Next to me, General Pitz straightens in her seat, but doesn't say anything, probably hoping I'll get Aaliyah to give up the information she wants without being seen as the bad guy.
It takes me a minute to control my laughter, but even when I do, I still need to cough into my hands to clear my throat before I can find my voice. "It's funny because saying 'Aaliyah leveled a few times' is the understatement of the century, "I chuckle to most of the room's shock. "It's like me saying, I'm only somewhat strong," I joke as all heads turn to Aliyah, who's started blushing in embarrassment.
"Really? How many levels did you gain?" Aalyiah's friend asks again, now extremely curious like the rest of them.
"Well, a lot happened," Aaliyah tries to justify herself before giving a number. Part of me enjoyed seeing her squirm, but I didn't have all day….
Plus, I wanted to be the one to give the news and see how they all react.
“She’s level 97 now,” I casually reveal, like a mage throwing a siege fireball spell into a group of unsuspecting soldiers. Funnily enough, the reaction I got was almost the same.
"What!!!!!" most of them screamed as one, but the best reaction was from the stone kin, who looked like he was choking on his tongue. It's unsurprising considering Aaliyah has now surpassed him in level.
"Aaliyah!" Her mother gasped loudly next to her. On the other side of her, Aaliyah’s father looked torn between being shocked and proud.
“How is that even possible?!” Aaliyah’s friend asks/yells.
“I think that’s what we all want to know,” I smirk.
If looks could kill, I'd be a dead man a few times over. "Isn't it rude to reveal other people's levels?" Aaliyah hisses at me, her fists balled up at her sides in rage. "How would you like it if I told everyone your level?"
"Me?" I bring my hand up to my chest as if surprised. "I don't know how I would feel," I reply sarcastically, before growing serious again. "If you really want to know, I have no problem with others knowing my level. Unlike most, I believe we should be more open with such details to promote healthy competition. I, for example, am level 152," I casually announce to the room.
Of course, I was exaggerating a bit. I didn't mind anyone in Scholl knowing my level. As for confirming my level around foreigners, I was slightly more hesitant. The only person in the room I should be overtly suspicious of is General Pitz, and Aaliayh already revealed my level to her when we first met, so it wasn't much of a secret.
In fact, no one in the room was overtly surprised by my revelation. Most still flinched like most do when reminded of my level, but no one was shocked, meaning Aaliayh had already spread such information to her family and friends long ago.
“I could tell more people.” She threatened when Aaliyah noticed I wasn't bothered, and the mild reactions of the people around her.
“And you’re free to,” I bluff with a casual smile. “It won’t hurt me.”
“You’re the worst,” she grumbles sourly.
"I've been called worse," I reminisce fondly. Over my lifetime, I've been called many names I hesitate to think about, let alone say in good company. Whatever Aaliyah could come up with would be a complement by comparison.
“You—" Aaliyah bristles and moves to stand up, but her parents keep her seated. Interesting, even in a rage, she has the presence of mind to hold back around her weaker parents, especially her mom.
“If you want to leave so badly, tell me how you two leveled as much as you did, and you’re free to go,” I taunt.
“Not going to happen." Aaliyah growls, showing me her immaculate teeth.
So, she really won’t say. What to do? What to do? I could push harder, but I don't want to anger her too much….
“Fine,” I stand up suddenly, pretending to give up. Aaliyah's eyes narrow, unconvinced— smart.
"Jelen shit, I don't buy it," she calls me on my bluff to her parents' shock.
“Believe what you want,” I grin down at her. “There’s more than one way to skin a dragon. Tabitha, with me," I order, taking special notice of the way Aaliyah sends my apprentice a pleading look and how she responds with her own conflicted one. As I suspected, Tabitha knew everything I needed.
I almost skipped out of the room but held back for appearances' sake.
“Pacore—,” Aaliyah growls wrathfully as I'm leaving, but General Pitz interjects before she can say anything else.
“Let him go, Dear,” Pitz gestures for the angry young woman to remain seated. “Besides, once he’s gone, we can have a private conversation without him lurking and smirking every five minutes annoyingly.” The general was facing away from me, but by the tone of her voice and body language, I could tell she was smiling even wider than I usually did. Hypocrite.
"We have some important things to discuss between the two of us," she chirped cheerfully, making me pause in the doorway, but I was rewarded for my hesitation.
"If it's all the same with you, can we talk later?" Aaliyah doesn't hesitate to shatter my peers' hopes and dreams. "I'm tired and hungry, and at this point, I just want to spend some alone time with my family. Can we talk tomorrow, or maybe the day after? Aaliyah counters, and I struggle not to snicker from the doorway.
But that doesn't mean I remain silent. "I think we've both overstayed our welcome," I call out to General Pitz. "Care to walk out with me?"
General Pitz ignores me, like she usually does. I could leave, but instead, I stuck around to watch her nod amicably to Aaliyah. "I understand," Pitz tries to say with a straight face, but I can hear the frustration in her voice, and I'm sure everyone else could too. "It's late, and our conversation can wait until later."
With that, General Pitz stood up and briskly headed towards the door I was blocking. I smirk as she pushes past me, shoulders shaking. She's fast but doesn't have time to accelerate before she must stop to open the headman’s front door, allowing me to catch up.
"At least she didn't say no," I can't help but tease her as we walk outside together.
She waits until the door closes behind us before turning towards me with visible fire in her eyes. "Don't pretend you've won yet," she says before stomping off towards the woods.
“Where are you going!?” I shout after her curiously.
“To shoot something with my bow," I smile understandingly at her frustration. "Care to join me? You can be my target."
Pitz doesn't allow me to respond before disappearing into the distance with a movement skill. “Maybe next time,” I mumble happily to myself. “Let’s return to camp,” I say without looking back, positive that Tabitha was following behind me dutifully.
"It was quite the story— Both of them," I try to make small talk while we walk to the front of the village. "From what I could tell, you did your duty admirably," I praise.
"Thank you, Master," Tabitha replies quietly behind me.
"Still, I would've never imagined you two would get up to so much trouble," I chuckle. "Or come back so strong," I add leadingly, but Tabitha remains stubbornly silent behind me.
**********
The rest of the way back to camp is spent in silence— Glorious. Glorious. Silence.
Not a single Escort Knight appears in front of us. They only need to hear me coming before they scatter like insects in the light, proving I've really outdone myself this time. It was typically impossible to get them to stop fussing over me; no matter how much I openly berated or mocked them, they never left, almost as if they fed off the attention.
But this time was different; with one look, they ran off with their tails between their legs, never looking back. I didn't need to yell or threaten them, which never worked. It turns out that the answer to all my problems was hard work, like it always was; I only needed to ensure they were too tired to fret over me. It was a stroke of genius to offer their service to the village like I did.
Last night, I fell asleep in my tent, grinning as I listened to my tired Escort Knights complaining to each other about how many laborer skills they were unlocking and how quickly they were leveling them— It was music to my ears.
The trick was keeping them busy. As soon as any of them completed one task, I assigned them another, until they eventually started avoiding me altogether. They would come if I summoned any of them, but they no longer hovered around me like moths to a flame. The skills were just bonuses.
“Maybe I should have them build walls more often?” I chuckle happily.
So, it wasn't a surprise that our campsite was empty. If anyone had been here, they escaped before I could see them. That was good, as I didn't want any prying eyes around for my discussion with Tabitha.
I briefly pause to smile at the sled overflowing with materials I ordered to be brought here before continuing deeper into our camp.
My tent was at the center of our campsite; it towered over all the others and was made from stronger magic-beast hide than the rest. The inside was large and sparsely decorated, just as I liked it. I didn't need many creature comforts; I could sleep on a pile of rock as easily as a high-class bed and would never feel the difference.
The only thing I needed was a chair to drink in and relax. Thankfully, Aaliayh's village helped me obtain one. Aaliayh's father, Darrius—good man—made the frame himself once he heard I was looking for one.
All I needed to do was drape a pelt over it, and I was happy. It didn't even creak when I sat in it too fast, a testament to the quality of wood he used.
I'll have to take it with me when we leave.
Relaxing in my chair, I looked down at Tabitha, who started kneeling before me as soon as I sat down. Her head was bowed, and she refused to look up at me.
"Relax," I tell her. "It's almost like you expect me to yell at you." Reaching beside me, I grab my waterskin and uncork it, taking a drink.
"I failed you, Master," Tabitha says solemnly, still refusing to look up at me. "You charged me to look after the girl, and I put Aaliyah in danger."
"So, you're on a first-name basis," I note with a hint of a smile, before schooling my features. "I was mad initially, when I arrived, only to learn you were missing. I would've been even madder if you forced my hand and I had to search for you myself—"
"But I'll look past all that, considering how triumphantly you returned, though there will be consequences for your actions." Finally, Tabitha looked up, still a trace of worry marring her otherwise blank face. I wanted to tell her how relieved I was that she was okay, but as her superior, it was my job to dole out punishment when needed.
“When we return to Scholl, we’ll start your training from scratch,” I say harshly. “You’ll spend days doing repetitive drills until your arms fall off.” Not really. “You’ll hate every minute of it.” No, she won’t. “And I’ll oversee every minute of it.”
Tabitha's eyes widen a fraction before slowly smiling. "You are most generous, Master," she says, closing her eyes and bowing her head again with a knowing look.
"This is a punishment," I stress, but we both knew it wasn't. Punishing Tabitha was just an excuse I'll use to justify helping her train. Many people would be vying for her attention once we got back, and this was my way of protecting her for a time.
“Of course,” Tabitha plays along, still smiling brightly.
"Now that you're passed level 100, I'm going to push you harder than I've ever pushed you before," I warn her.
"Yes," she replies, no doubt salivating at the opportunity I was giving her.
"Alright, I did my job. Stand up," I order Tabitha. She stands, saluting me, making me snort. "What are you going to do once I'm dead and gone and you're reassigned to someone less forgiving?" I lean back in my chair, relaxingly.
“It won’t matter because I’ll have died of old age,” Tabitha blandly jokes, making me shake my head tiredly.
"I don't think that's going to happen," I grunt, but Tabitha isn't swayed.
"You are going to outlive all of us," she declares resolutely.
"Gods, I hope not," I joke, but my student doesn't laugh. If she had her way, I'd live until the end of time, but no one is immortal but the gods. We all must greet Ebeon eventually, and I've lived longer than most. The only reason I hadn't bowed out early was because of disciples like Tabitha and the duty I still feel towards His Majesty.
I suppose I should also add Aaliyah's name to that list while I'm at it. I won't be around to see what heights she reaches, but I'll enjoy strengthening her foundation. Speaking of which—
"How much has my future disciple grown?" I ask and watch as a light I've never seen enters Tabitha's eyes.
"She is remarkable, Master." Tabitha didn't mince words and rarely praised others, so I knew she wasn't exaggerating. "I've never seen someone improve as fast as her. She's hardworking, a little too compassionate at times, but loyal— Extremely loyal," she feels the need to stress.
Tabitha's words have me sitting up in my chair. "You care for her," I say, genuinely shocked.
"She saved my life, Sir. Multiple times. Aaliyah refused to leave me behind, no matter how much I begged her to." Tabitha turned silent after her confession.
Aalyiah mentioned none of this in either of her stories. How many details did she leave out?
"Well, I'm glad she didn't," I say honestly. "I don't trade my disciples' lives. Her life isn't worth more than yours."
I want Tabitha to agree with me, but she doesn't. "We both know that isn't true, Master Pacore. Aaliyah— Aaliyah is worth more than all of us combined. She's Scholl's future."
"You sound quite sure of yourself," I frown a touch sadly.
"I am." Tabitha stands stone-faced with the kind of resolve she usually only shows when talking about me. That fanaticism of hers has always bugged me, but seeing it directed at somebody else truly worried me. I didn't want to see anyone taking advantage of her—
That’s why it hurt so much to ask my next question.
"If that's the case, you must convince me." I stop smiling, and Tabitha fidgets in place as I stop holding back. I don't direct my killing intent towards her; I don't need to.
I don't have a speck of talent for magic. I've been bombarded with countless spells during battle, I've walked through literal seas of magical fire, and still, I couldn't sense mana even when it was at my fingertips. I've always had to rely on others to charge my gear; heck, it was a miracle I could activate any of it by myself—
So, the fact that I could conjure a mana zone by simply relaxing vexed a lot of individuals.
"I see you think highly of her," I note as I calmly stand up from my chair. In front of me, Tabitha did her best not to crumble under the weight of my authority. Aaliyah spoke of the winged serpent's mana zone and how it affected them, but mine wasn't anything like that of the fledgling lesser dragons.
I couldn't project my mana zone hundreds of feet in every direction like a dragon; I was lucky if I could extend it ten feet on a good day. It improved my senses, but not by much. What it did do was boost the ease at which I could use skills by a small degree and hamper anyone close to me.
My presence altered the world around me. The mana took on my attributes for nine feet in every direction, essentially becoming an extension of my body. From what people have told me, my mana zone made the mana around me feel heavy like iron sand drifting through the wind. You couldn't absorb it; no one could.
It took me a lifetime and a half to reach this point, but that was neither here nor there.
“Tell me, how have you come by so many levels?” My voice slams into my apprentice, making her knees wobble. She wanted to kneel, to collapse, but my mana zone wouldn’t let her.
Time seemed to freeze as I stood before her, Master in front of disciple. Tabitha's face was blank, but I could see her mind spinning behind her eyes. For a brief second, I thought she would try to lie to me— Me of all people! But as soon as the thought enters my mind, I dismiss it. Tabitha was too loyal to do something like that.
Slowly, my apprentice's legs stop shaking. She regains her balance and stands tall. I could see her inner turmoil a moment ago, but now I only see resolve.
Her voice was a whisper, but it sent me stumbling nonetheless. "I cannot."
“What? Are you refusing an order?" I ask dumbly as I retract my meager but mighty mana zone.
Now free, Tabitha stands even straighter, meeting my eyes with determination. “Please don’t make me, Master Pacore.”
"Make you?" I couldn't believe what I heard; this went beyond Aaliyah and Tabitha simply becoming friends. Never in a million years would I have even considered the possibility that Tabitha wouldn't follow one of my commands when I was serious!
"So, you know the answer I seek and refuse to tell me?" I ask again, only to buy time for my brain to process what was happening. But Tabitha's reply only makes me spiral further.
“No,” she says as if that was supposed to clarify anything.
"No, what!?" I can't help but raise my voice unintentionally, which isn't like me.
I almost scream when Tabitha moves to bow her head again. “I have the information you seek, Master; she clarifies. “And if you force me to, I will tell you what you want to know.”
"Then—" I try to interrupt her, but she keeps talking.
"But I ask that you do not force me…. Please. Don't make me choose between the two of you."
“You’ve only known her for a few months,” I can’t help but say in disbelief. “You would choose her over me?”
"Never," Tabitha's head snaps up fiercely. "I would never choose anyone over you, Master! I only humbly ask you not to make me betray Aaliyah's trust."
With that, I collapse back into my chair, startling my disciple, who takes a tentative step towards me.
“She means that much to you?” I ask listlessly once again.
Tabitha nods deeply. “She does.”
"Haaaaaa," I learn my head back and let out the longest sigh of my life. The answer to the biggest secret of my life is in front of me, one that could change the world— I could feel it, and I'm forced to choose between it and my favorite apprentice, and yes, Tabitha was my favorite. I trained many a soul and was proud of each of them, but none have been like her. Until I met Aaliyah, I had planned on throwing everything into training Tabitha before my death— And I still felt that way.
If I forced the issue, she would tell me what I so desperately want to know, and in the process, a part of her faith in me would die, a core component of who she is—who I made her. I only had one option….
…..
"Fine, keep your secrets," I tell her, and immediately Tabitha breaks out into a humongous smile brighter than the sun. If only I could make her smile like that more often.
Sadly, her excitement doesn't last long. Far too quickly, she remembered that I was here and once again bottled up her emotions like she had been told a good soldier should in her youth before I took her in.
"Thank you, Master Pacore, I'm eternally grateful," she says with little emotion. Baby steps. At least, I've found someone other than myself to help her grow.
“You should be. You’re making me feel like an old man,” I grouchily slump into my chair, pretending to be angry. Tabitha immediately recognizes the difference and visibly relaxes.
“But you are an old man, Master,” she deadpans.
"That hurts a lot more coming from you," I pretend to be sad for a second before smiling lightly at her. "You're slowly changing," I note, wishfully, making Tabith faintly blush.
"I don't know what you mean." She looks away, embarrassed.
“It’s a good thing,” I happily reassure her. “People change; we grow. It’s how we improve.”
"You don't," Tabitha quickly rebukes me, making me laugh.
“Trust me, I’ve changed a lot over my long lifetime. I’d doubt you’d recognize me if you met me in my youth. I was brash, hard-headed, quick to pick a fight.”
“You’re still all those things, Master Pacore.”
"Yes, but not nearly as bad," I boast, making Tabitha sigh in defeat.
This was nice, much better than our previous topic. I continue to laugh, spurred on by Tabitha's faint smile, which she desperately tries to hide.
"I still want to hear your side of things," I tell her once I calm down. "And none of that stuff you did outside. I'm not a new recruit fishing for stories. I want to hear your side of things, what you thought, what you felt. All of it."
"I'm still not telling you Aaliyah's secrets, Master," Tabitha deadpans again, as her eyes narrow suspiciously.
"I wasn't asking you, too," I grumble as if offended, but based on her expression, she wasn't buying it. "Fine. Whatever, start from the beginning."
"As you command, Master," Tabitha nods with just a hint of sarcasm, before again donning her blank mask. "But before I begin, can I ask something of you?"
"You wish to ask me for a favor, after what I just agreed to?" I ask incredulously, to which Tabitha simply nods. "You're going to put me in an early grave; you know that, right?" I sigh. "Fine, what is it? It better not be anything big."
“Thank you, Master Pacore. But before I answer, may I ask one more question?”
"Just spit it out already," I groan tiredly.
“Alright. How many days are you planning on staying here? When are we leaving?”
I hummed, stroking my beard. "Well, I planned on leaving in three days, like I told that Escort Knight. I take it if you're asking, you think we should wait longer," I frown.
This village was fun. I might even go so far as to say that it was the best village I've ever seen, and I've visited many villages in my time, some of which who naturally grew into impressive towns. Those villages had all the same things Spotted Creek has, more even, but they lacked the drive I've noticed here.
It wasn't unilateral, but most people here genuinely wanted to improve their village. If they didn't, they couldn't have completed a fraction of what they had before we arrived. These villagers embodied Scholl's core principles more than most, more than some nobles I knew back home.
I would see this village prosper, but staying here any longer than three days is asking for a lot, and I told Tabitha as much. “You know His Majesty is waiting for our return,” I remind her.
“I do,”
"Gods, help me," I try to rub my eyes, forgetting about my invisible armor shielding them for a sec, failing miserably. "How long?" I finally ask. If it's a few extra days, it might be okay, I contemplate uncorking my waterskin again. If—
"A few weeks," Tabitha cuts off my thinking, and thank heavens she didn't wait any longer to ask me, or else I might have spit out my precious alcohol.
"A few weeks?" I roar, completely forgetting my open waterskin in my hands. "It can't be done. We're supposed to be back in Scholl by then!"
"I am aware," Tabitha doesn't flinch at my yelling, just like I taught her. "But it's important to Aaliyah," she states emotionally.
That cuts my tirade short. "Explain," I demand, trying to keep an open mind.
“I promised her I would ask,” Tabitha tells me. “She wishes to be here for the birth of her niece or nephew, and to spend what little time she has left with her family.”
“I see, but why should any of that matter to me?” I ask as a test.
Tabitha doesn't miss a beat. "It would go a long way in repairing the rift between you two," she tells me. "And…." She pauses, making me give her a confused look. I was curious what other reason she had for delaying our departure.
“And I want Aaliayh to see you as I do.”
…
…..
“What?” I ask over the ringing in my ear.
“I want Aaliayh to know you aren’t like other nobles,” she clarifies. “That you aren’t taking her away from her village for your own benefit— That you care for those under you. That’s the man I see, that’s who I follow!”
…..
"Geeze, who taught you to strike a man's heart like that?" I joke, trying to clear some of the awkward air around us.
“You did, Master,” Tabitha tells me proudly.
"Ugg, how am I going to explain this?" I moan into my hand.
"If I may, Master," Tabitha steps forward directly in front of me, clearly already having an idea. "Why not leave in three days like you said? I'm sure Aaliyah won't be able to relax with her family with you around, reminding her of her departure. You can take the Escort Knights back to Drey and send word to His Majesty that we'll be a few weeks late. Tell him that there were some unforeseen circumstances."
"You wish for me to lie?" I raise an eyebrow challengingly.
"Not at all, Master, circumstances are delaying us, but I'm sure the corpse of a monster over level 130 will more than adequately smooth things over."
Who was this woman in front of me? The Tabitha I knew would never devise such a well-thought-out strategy outside of battle. But I had to admit, the winged serpent was a good excuse, and I didn't need to lie to His Majesty, per se. The corpse of such a strong magic beast, a lesser dragon no less, would silence any backlash kicked up by the Traditionalists. It could work.
“So, you want me to leave with the Escort Knights, and where will you be?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
"I will stay behind and continue watching over Aaliyah," Tabitha confidently tells me, trying to hold back a smile. "Once her friend gives birth and she has adequate time to say goodbye to her friends and family, I will personally escort her to Drey, where we will leave together."
Her plan had a lot of holes, but nothing I couldn’t smooth over with the winged serpent’s corpse and my reputation.
"And you think this will bring us closer together, truly?"
“I know it will,” Tabitha states firmly.
"Fine, we will go with your plan— Gods, just saying that is weird. Now tell me everything about your adventure," I again lean back into my chair, nearly draining my still-open waterskin as Tabitha narrows her eyes again. "Almost everything," I correct myself, rolling my eyes but smiling afterward.
The little combat-obsessed girl I picked up was finally growing up, I think to myself as I listen to Tabitha talk. She wasn't as good a storyteller as Aaliyah, but she knew what I wanted to hear and did a decent enough job describing things from her point of View.
She never did tell me how they leveled up as much as they did, and I’m positive she deliberately left something out after they buried the skeleton together, but I tried not to let it bother me.
Tabitha would tell me what I wanted to know if it were an emergency. I had faith in her.
That, of course, didn't stop me from tossing and turning all night afterwards!
"Why did I have to be the bigger person!? I'm an old man. Kids these days," I grumble as I finally start to drift off.
I'll follow Tabitha's advice and show Aaliyah I'm somebody she can trust and rely on, then she can tell me her secret herself. Yeah, I liked the sound of that. And together we can annoy— I mean, help Tabitha grow together.
And when it's finally time for me to rest eternally, I'll be able to do so knowing Tabitha isn't alone anymore.
**********
Third-Person Point of View:
Pacore slept peacefully through the night, a considerable weight lifted from his old shoulders.
Meanwhile, Aaliyah was snuggled up with her parents in their bed after a night of quiet celebration with her family. Darrius' feet were hanging over the side to make room for her, but they all slept soundly together, like when Aaliyah was small, knowing everybody was safely home.
Inside the headman’s house, Tabitha smiled while asleep in Camden’s spare bedroom, happy that she managed to keep all her promises to Aaliyah.
Everything was peaceful in Spotted Creek Village….
For now, as there was no telling what tomorrow would bring, that's what kept life interesting.
**********
Author’s Notes:
What! A morning release! What is this?
I'm just kidding. For once, I finished a chapter early, partially because this chapter was fun to write and partially because I'm going to see my grandpa tomorrow. I wanted to finish and schedule another chapter for release while I'm gone before then.
Why am I telling you all this? So that I can get your feedback, of course. What do you think about me spacing chapters out when I can, or do you want me to post whenever I have something ready, and deal with semi-periodic intervals where I don't post anything for four or so days?
Tell me below, and as always, thanks for reading, and stay safe out there.