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  The process took Keran half an hour to complete. Finally, he reached out, grabbed the shimmering plant, and jerked it out of the ground. There was a gong, and a message popped up in front of Tailyn:

  You found an Amilio and helped extract it.

  Analyzing character…

  Tailyn Vlashich has yet to complete the initiation process. Adjusting…

  Herbalism specialty unlocked.

  Amilio unlocked (1).

  ***

  Amilio. Description: a very rare plant that does not grow like other flowers. Used for unique and rare recipes. Current search skill: 1. From now on, you will see flowers within a radius of 26 meters. [Search skill * 10 + magic attack].

  Tailyn groaned and collapsed onto the stony ground. Pain gripped his body, though it wasn’t as bad as when he’d gotten alchemy. The mages stared.

  “The god just gave him herbalism,” Keran said in shock, activating his perception skill.

  “It thinks he deserves a share,” said Forian, completely unsurprised. Once the boy had pointed at the picture of the amilio, he’d been prepared for anything. Even for the boy to unlock a new skill without doing anything for it. “Who’s taking the flower?”

  “I need it more. You know what the dean thinks of me—the flower will soften him up.”

  “An amilio will do that, yes,” Forian replied. “Just remember, the god decided the boy deserves a share.”

  Keran sighed, though he didn’t push back. His partner was right. There was no other explanation for what had happened.

  “Here’s three thousand, three hundred, and thirty-three gold,” the healer said, materializing a coin and holding it out to Forian. “A third of the flower’s value.”

  “Where have you seen amilios going for ten thousand?” the latter asked in surprise. “I think I’ll go pick up a few!”

  “Come on,” Keran exploded. “I’m not going to give that nobody a third of the real value! And you and I can come to an agreement.”

  “No, my friend, no agreements here. I’m not going to risk my second investigator rank by going against its will. It sees all, and anyone who should be on the side of truth but ignores a crime will get their just desserts. Either you give the boy his rightful share, or we give the amilio to the god. That’s it.”

  His partner’s fanatical adherence to the god’s injunctions always got under Keran’s skin. If the mage wasn’t free to make his own choices, he was no better than a slave in chains, though he decided to let his partner get the win when he saw the unpleasant flash in his eye.

  “Thirty thousand.” After a quick change of the settings, the coin in Forian’s hand glistened even more brightly. “A third of the amilio’s market price…when one hits the market.”

  “The starting price, you mean,” Forian replied, though he accepted the offer. “I’ll agree that you paid me my share for the flower.”

  But after thinking for a moment, he continued.

  “The last flower that was auctioned off went for three hundred thousand. Oh, and I wouldn’t give the boy gold—it’s useless to him. If I’m correct, thirty thousand gold is worth three skills and three upgrades to level two. The god unlocked a new skill for Tailyn, and you’re the best herbalism instructor I know, so I’d say that would about do it.”

  “Forian, I knew you had something up your sleeve!” Keran exclaimed. “Admit it—you engineered this whole thing so I’d teach him. Since you can’t handle that yourself, you decided to make me pay for it? Do you know how hard it is to get your hands on training points?!”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Forian replied with a laugh. “What, you think I grew the amilio there and organized the whole thing just to help some piece of street trash? Tailyn is nobody to me; I’m just following the path the god has placed in front of us. And since it so wished to give the boy herbalist, it’s not for us to stand in its way. We just have to help. Finish up here so we can head back to the city and get down to the real work.”

  Tailyn, who had long since recovered, was sitting there listening to the mages with his mouth hanging wide open. The boy’s world had been turned upside down. Not in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that he’d be given the opportunity to learn how to collect divine plants.

  “Come here,” Keran said to the boy with a sigh. “Tailyn, I’m going to teach you three new herbs and boost them to the second level. In return, you need to agree that I paid you your share for the amilio. Got it? Nod if you understand.”

  The boy quickly nodded, afraid the mage would suddenly change his mind.

  “You can be proud, you little delinquent—it took me two years to save up these training points! I’d been planning on taking on some students and giving them to whoever proved most worthy, but it looks like I’m just going to be handing them over to you. Close your eyes and keep hitting yes. Nod if you understand…”

  Tailyn nodded again as he squeezed his eyes shut so tightly they hurt. All he cared about was making sure the mage saw him following instructions.

  Keran Tisor, a level 2 trainer, would like to teach you three new skills:

  Herbalism—Ordinary Loach, Ordinary Dairy, Ordinary Lavender.

  Would you like to accept the changes?

  Tailyn mentally tapped the yes button, and his body once again doubled over in pain. Only that time it wasn’t nearly as bad. It was over a second later, too.

  Keran Tisor, a level 2 trainer, would like to give you skill points to promote Herbalism: Ordinary Loach, Ordinary Dairy, Ordinary Lavender.

  Would you like to accept the changes?

  Of course, he wanted to. Tailyn was so overjoyed he very nearly forgot to hit yes. It was a miracle. That very day, he was going to run to the temple and pray to the god on behalf of the two gentlemen who’d been so generous to him. His curiosity getting the better of him, the boy opened the first description.

  Ordinary Loach. Description: an ordinary plant growing in mountains and other stony areas. Used in ordinary and rare recipes. Current search level: 2. From now on, you can see all plants within a radius of 36 meters [Search level * 10 + magic attack].

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Keran asked, and Tailyn quickly replied with a hiccup.

  “I agree that I received my share for the amilio.”

  He looked around and couldn’t help a quick shriek of joy—a loach was shimmering not far away. While Tailyn had missed it his first time around, he could see it and a couple other flowers with his new skill. He was heading over to add to his supply when Forian’s menacing shout stopped him in his tracks.

  “Not right now! We have to head into the city, and you’re coming with us.”

  “Yes, Master,” the boy replied, not even squeaking when the mage grabbed him to fly down off the ridge.

  The guards had finished loading Dort up and were patiently waiting for the mages to finish whatever they were doing in the city of the ancients. They’d all been there when they were young, some of them spending booze-fueled weeks in search of ancient treasure. But it had all been in vain. Dead for millennia, the city had already been looted clean.

  “Let’s go.” The mages settled onto the covered wagon, unwilling to trouble themselves by walking, and gestured for Tailyn to join them. Yet again, the boy felt a pang of frustration. He wanted to try out his new skill, but the stubborn mages just wouldn’t let him go. It was like they were laughing at him.

  Still, as soon as he sat down in the wagon, he forgot everything but curiosity. Dort was shrouded in a blue glow, his neck was wrapped in strange, thick cloths, and his head was held stiff and high. And while he was sleeping, his face made it abundantly clear that his dreams were anything but pleasant. The muscles twitched; the boy moaned.

  “You didn’t finish the mission in time, so you’re not getting a reward,” Forian said as soon as the procession started forward. “And I shouldn’t be doing this, but you did collect fifteen flowers before you found the amilio and lost track of time. That’s not bad for someone without t
he right skill. So I’m going to give you these.”

  Forian pulled two cards out of his inventory and held them out to Tailyn. The boy stared wide-eyed at the mage, not daring to take them. Magic cards were something he’d never once heard about before that day. And the mage was going to give him something that valuable?

  “Take them,” Forian said with a laugh. He understood the boy, for whom the simple cards were invaluable. “And learn how to use them.”

  With shaking hands, Tailyn accepted the cards. And he just about dropped them when a description popped up.

  Electric Strike-I. Description: an ordinary magic card that can be activated to do damage equal to the holder’s magic attack. Distance to target: between 0 and magic attack * 2 but no more than 100 meters. Includes 50 charges. Charges remaining: 50. Can be recharged.

  ***

  Enhanced Shield-I. Description: an ordinary magic card that can be activated to increase shield level by magic attack for 12 hours. Includes 50 charges. Charges remaining: 50. Can be recharged.

  “To use them, you need to say the key phrase, warm the card, and blow on it,” Forian said. “The default phrase is on the back of each card, though I’d recommend changing it immediately. If an opponent gets their hands on a card, you wouldn’t want them being able to use it.”

  “How do you change it?” Tailyn asked, scaring himself with his own audacity. The terrifying academy mage was turning out to be just as human as everyone else. He was just stronger, more experienced, and burdened with important work.

  “Hold the card up to your mouth and blow on it. That should warm it up.”

  Would you like to change the settings?

  Tailyn shot a quick glance over at Forian and decided to make the change. Once he hit yes, another message popped up:

  Current card owner: none.

  Current key phrase: “Activate card.”

  Would you like to make changes?

  After pausing for a second, Tailyn made himself the owner and changed the phrase to Alchemist Tailyn Vlashich, whispering it to the card.

  Changes made.

  Current card owner: Tailyn Vlashich.

  “Don’t you dare forget your phrase,” Forian continued. “If you do, you’ll have to reset the card, and you won’t be able to handle that yourself. Oh, and don’t use them unless you have to. They only have fifty charges, and while you can recharge them, you need a special skill for that. You can get it as an alchemist, only nobody will teach it to you until you’re a student at the academy. You’ll have to be studying in our department, too. Okay, does that all make sense?”

  “Yes, Master.” Tailyn repeated the process with the second card before dropping it into his inventory. They were going to be his secret weapons. And even though he didn’t know what he’d ever need them for, just the fact that he had something magic up his sleeve gave him a thrill.

  “You have seventy-nine packets of arcane dust in your inventory. What are you planning on doing with them?”

  “I’d like to give them to Master Isor,” Tailyn replied with a measure of embarrassment. He hadn’t been expecting that question. “But I can give them to you if—”

  “Give them to the god,” Forian said. “Today, go straight to the temple and sacrifice them to it—all of them. If you do, it’ll give you eight thousand gold.”

  The boy gasped.

  “But you have to be smart about what you do with the gold. As soon as the god gives it to you, ask for its indulgence and four attributes. You need intellect, mysticism, armor, and wisdom. That will cost you four thousand. Spend the rest on clothing. It doesn’t matter what, but you need anything you can find that will boost your magic attack or add extra mana. Where you find it is up to you. Make it yourself for all I care. Got it?”

  “Yes, Master.” It was astounding, but Tailyn somehow knew exactly why he needed those attributes. Intellect increased his mana level; mysticism restored his mana; armor was for his shield; wisdom let him use higher-level magic cards. Forian had given him level one cards, which meant there had to be level two and higher ones out there.

  “That won’t make you an actual mage, of course, but it’ll open the door to the academy. In a year or two, we’ll be back to see how you’re doing. If you’re still alive, you’ll come with us. Do you have an idea what you’d like to spend your time doing?”

  “Yes,” Tailyn replied. He actually had been thinking about that. “I have herbalism and alchemy, so I’ll make a thousand potions to unlock level two.”

  “What are you talking about?” Forian replied with a frown. “I’ve never heard of anyone leveling-up by working their fingers to the bone like that.”

  “That’s how all my friends do it,” said a surprised Tailyn. “Some are already up to level two; others are still getting there. Of course, they’re not alchemists. They’re herbalists, lumberjacks, masons, farmers. But all of them say you get level two as soon as you collect a thousand units of whatever material you’re supposed to find, and that’s exactly what happens.”

  “Oh, that’s what you’re talking about,” Forian chuckled. “Yes, they do. The god gives a task to everyone who’s initiated correctly, aligning it to their class. Your friends apparently all got a task that has them collecting materials. The second mission will be for ten thousand, the third for a hundred thousand, and so on. Don’t forget to ask the god to finish your initiation, and you’ll get a mission like that, too, probably for potions—you’re right. Though it definitely won’t be for a thousand. You don’t have enough mana for that.”

  “Master, we’re here.” The curtain was pulled back, and Motar peered into the wagon.

  “Finally!” Forian looked over at Tailyn one more time. “Don’t disappoint me. I’ll be back in Culmart a year from now, and I’d like to find you alive. Okay, get out—you’re not going any farther with us. Get to work on yourself.”

  Tailyn hopped out and watched the wagon trail off. Everything in him wanted to dash off and tell his friends about his loot and new skills, but he knew all too well that he had more important things that couldn’t wait. Master Forian had told him exactly what to do. And there was no way the boy was going to disappoint him a second time.

  It was time to head over to the temple and speak with the god for the first time.

  Chapter 4

  THE TEMPLE WASN’T far from the central square. It was the biggest, most beautiful building in the city, even the elder’s palace lagging far behind its grace and elegant lines. In fact, every time Tailyn walked by it, he wondered if the city had been built ages before around the existing temple. It looked too unlike the buildings around it.

  Tailyn paused by the entrance. He’d never been inside—they said the god didn’t like empty talkers or loafers. You couldn’t get inside just because. Looking around and looking for some kind of support, the boy noticed the wagon. The mages had gotten to the square much faster and were already in a meeting with the elder. That kicked Tailyn into gear, as he remembered Forian’s instructions. He couldn’t disappoint the mage. Sighing deeply and still looking for a source of bravery, he remembered the two cards in his inventory. They were perfect. Pulling them out, he felt much more confident just holding them, almost like he was a real mage. As he gripped them tightly, he stepped firmly up the stairs. Nothing scared him anymore.

  “Where are you going?” The guard came to life and held out a hand. The boy replied resolutely.

  “I have an offering for the god, and I’d like—”

  “No entrance! Come back after the attack,” the guard jumped in, dropping its arm and turning back into a statue. Tailyn froze in confusion. He’d never heard of the god refusing to let someone into the temple, and he wasn’t sure what to do. What attack was he supposed to wait for?

  As if in response to the question in the boy’s head, the city’s hustle and bustle was interrupted by a hysterical shriek.

  “Lixes!”

  It was a simple word, but everything inside Tailyn froze in horror. Once
in a while, usually every two or three years, Ringold’s green lixes built up their forces and attacked the border cities. Eleven years before, their army had even swept through Culmart, Tailyn’s native town, though the raids since then had spared them. The people had grown soft. And it was in that moment that the green beasts showed up.

  Three shimmering circles appeared in the square, lixes beginning to jump out of them. And since Tailyn had never seen the terrifying beasts before, he froze, unable to move so much as a finger.

  In a way, the lixes were similar to people: they had muscular, humanlike torsos featuring two pairs of albeit shriveled arms. But that was the end of the parallels. Their hind legs and heads were more reminiscent of awe-inspiring dogs that had been through more than their share of battles. All of them were riddled with scars, they were pockmarked, and sharp fangs peeked out of their open jaws. They moved around on four legs, the front and hind ones, while the middle legs were used to grab hold of their victims. And as the enormous red eyes of the nearest monsters stared at Tailyn, the boy felt something warm begin to trickle down his legs. The beasts roared, crouched, and leaped toward him.