Thom’s reaction to the announcement seemed strange.

He didn’t react. He didn’t seem to care that he had been stripped of Rank and Power. Or that he was barred from contacting or seeing his family in the future. Perhaps he was resigned to the situation and had factored this possibility into his schemes.

I doubted it. He didn’t seem that intelligent. More likely, he was simply a sociopath and didn’t have the emotional capacity to process what this abandonment might mean for him. Either that, or he didn’t believe his banishment would last. Maybe he felt that once I left, his father would reinstate him.

Lord Kel sighed before turning to face those behind him. Resigned to his son’s behavior he began to examine those gathered in the hall. His scrutiny was thorough, searching for something. Since I had no idea who these people were, I couldn’t be sure what he was searching for. That is until Lord Kel gestured for one of the men to step forward.

“Were you involved in this lunacy, Goylen?” Lord Kel demanded.

I wasn’t surprised to see the man glancing at me. His expression stark, a hint of fear and acceptance quickly suppressed. He seemed to be waiting to see my response to Lord Kel’s question, but since I didn’t know who he was, I simply quirked an eyebrow. A satisfied smirk might have even crossed my face, but with Lord Kel’s back to me, only Goylen would have noticed.

‘Who is he?’ I asked Caraid.

[One of Thom’s most trusted Vassals.]

[He was often the muscle behind Thom’s schemes. Using fists and weapons to inspire fear and subjugation. He and another man, Dillon, were Thom’s enforcers.]

Extending my perception, I examined him, and Lord Kel.

[Rank: Knight – Name: Goylen – Level: 2 – Vassal: Thom]

[Rank: Lord – Name: Kel – Level: 8 – House: Kel – Fief: Kel – Vassal: A’Daoine]

The information I got from using perception was enlightening. Knowing a person’s level, house, and Vassal status would make understanding who and what faction I was dealing with much easier. Unless there was a way to hide that information or allow false information to be perceived.

There had to be a means. Otherwise, spies and thieves would have their affiliations easily detected.

Ignoring, for now, the possible shortcomings and advantages of perception, I watched the drama unfolding. Sighing in defeat, Goylen was resigned to admitting his participation as a co-conspirator. I doubted he would admit their part as they participated with Thom, but now that they had been caught, the option to lie was moot.

“Yes, Milord,” Goylen admitted.

“Dillon and I were tasked with getting Odharc to enter this room. Thom and his friends would be waiting for him and would compel him to attempt Ascension. We were supposed to leave and spread rumors that we had seen him sneaking around down here. Suggesting that he must be doing something he shouldn’t have been, even something dangerous or criminal if he was sneaking about.

“Meanwhile, Knight Thom would use command voice and his Right of Rule to open the Ascension chamber and have the others use force if he wouldn’t enter when ordered,” Goylen explained.

“Those who die in the chamber never come out, so there would be no corpse to dispose of. He would have just disappeared, with no one the wiser. The last anyone would know would be the strange behavior and the sneaking about he was rumored to have been involved in,” he concluded.

“Why?” Lord Kel asked in frustration. “What possible reason could any of you have for abusing guest privileges?”

“Thom was always reminding us that Duke A’Daoine forced you to elevate Odharc, if not for his interference, he would still be in the kitchen amongst servants and slaves where he belonged.

“He is a hybrid, the product of rape, he deserves no standing among those pure of blood!” Goylen finished fervently, the fanatical beliefs that had encouraged them to hound Caraid his entire life exposed and explained finally.

“His blood isn’t pure enough?” Lord Kel wondered.

“Strange then, how the Ascension chamber has elevated him to a Prince and revealed him to be descended from the God Beleros. His lineage and heritage are confirmed for the World to see.

“Not pure enough? And who gave you the right to determine worth?

“He is descended from the God of the Sun and Healing himself!

“Not pure enough?

“And you imbeciles with your pitiful understanding of obligations and consequences had the audacity to use Right of Rule to murder a guest and acknowledged family member.

“What hubris.

“What audacity.

“What stupidity.

“As a reward, I strip you and Dillon of your titles, lands, and possessions. If I could, I would strip your Rank and levels.

“I award Prince Mac De Beleros all monies, equipment, and possessions you and those he defeated in honorable combat owned.

“I banish you from my lands with the same equipment the outcast Thom was gifted.

“You have a single day, 30 hours to leave my demesnes or find yourselves hunted.

“Guards, confiscate their bags of holding, strip them of armor and weapons, and make sure they take only the clothing they are wearing and the 100 golds I have allowed Thom.

“Take them from my sight before I kill them myself!” Lord Kel demanded.

“BEGONE, you have brought such shame to our house that we may never recover or be healed!” Lord Kel ordered furiously.

***

Experience Gained – 10,000

Gold 2,000

Assorted Gear, Armor, and Equipment

5 Kelpie

***

“Take them away!

“Prince Mac, gather your possessions from your room and meet me in Thom’s former room, we will itemize what possessions exist, and move you to the Ambassador Palace,” Lord Kel said as he turned to me uncertainty gone, only conviction and decisiveness left.

He refused to even spare his former son a glance as the guards forcefully escorted Thom and Goylen from the room and quickly vanished down the hallway.

“Lord Kel,” I spoke up deciding to remind him subtly that I was no longer his to command, “I have been given a quest to report to the capital and present myself to King Lugh and Queen Mab. Perhaps we should postpone moving until we discover if our Monarchs have plans for me?”

Lord Kel looked at me for the first time with an expression other than fury or anger. He was honestly startled that I had questioned his orders, or that I had already obtained a quest to visit the capital.

I assumed the quest was standard for anyone elevated to the royal level. On Earth, things like Knighthoods and elevation to a peer were done with ceremonies that required monarch participation and acceptance.

I really hadn’t considered how rank advances worked in this world, I guess I was expecting that as people earned the ranks for Knight, Lord, Duke, and Prince they were given quests to present themselves. Lord Kel’s expression suggested that was not the case.

Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised. Why would rules of protocol and etiquette that might exist on Earth be the same here?

“Interesting,” Lord Kel mused. “No matter, it will keep. We will discuss the implications of this quest after you sort through Thom’s gear.”

“In the meantime, please excuse me, Prince Mac. I need to discuss recent events with my lady wife and our daughter.” Bowing his head, he turned and swept from the room without sparing the room, the damage that I’d done with my aura, or the signs of damage and death another glance.

Heading for the door, I realized I had no idea where I was going, “Caraid? Care to give me a hint on how to find your room?” I asked, realizing not having Caraid’s knowledge of this place or people might make traveling to the capital a bonus. No one would know me there, and my unfamiliarity with people and places would be expected.

Following Caraid’s directions, I headed left down the corridor, stopping when I realized that two men began following me as soon as I started walking. I turned and looked at them, deciding to be blunt, I asked them directly, “Why are you following me?”

“The Captain of Guards has appointed us as your body detail until you are able to recruit your own staff,” the one on the left replied.

Both men were identically outfitted and were wearing helmets, chain mail, and tunics with Lord Kel’s device embroidered prominently. Their outfit gave them a certain autonomy, and the helmets worked well to conceal their identity; there was no way for me to tell them apart.

That wasn't exactly true. There might be a way for me to check. Extending my perception, I attempted a quick scan to see if that made a difference. I wasn't certain if this would work, their armor might be able to block perception. But I thought it worth experimenting, even if perception failed. I would learn more about my abilities and possibly gain a sense if item enchantments existed.

Rank: Commoner – Name: Gil - level 10

Rank: Commoner – Name: Ril - level 10

Although that was not a lot of information, this knowledge would allow me to pierce their concealment, and make sure the person behind the helmet is who they were supposed to be.

It would be too easy for an assassin to kill and replace a guard whose identity was obscured in order to gain access to their target. That’s assuming the Sidhe used tactics like assassination. Who knows, maybe they consider those methods barbaric and provincial.

‘Caraid. Their armor. Is it enchanted?’ I asked.

[Of course. A network of crystal arrays are embedded that increase durability and strength. There are also enchantments that decrease weight, reflect damage, and control temperature settings.]

‘Why not add enchantment to hide identity? The uniformity of the gear looks like it was created to protect anonymity, an elite force of interchangeable men and women.’

[There is no real need. Those with perception strong enough to offset the natural concealing property of the metal the armor is fashioned from are few. Perhaps a few dozen. Maybe a few hundred. But not much more than that.]

“Your Highness?” one of the guards said, reminding me that I wasn’t alone and that I had somewhere to be.

“Why were you tasked with guarding me? Is the Captain of the Guard worried Thom may have left a few thugs around willing to kill me?” I asked.

“Sir, you have Ascended and are now a Prince. There are expectations and concerns that go along with your new Rank. Lord Kel would be remiss in his duties if he didn’t provide you with at least a minimum protection detail.”

“What are your names?” I asked, not wanting to acknowledge my abilities or their effectiveness.

“I am Gil, this is Ril, sir. We are ranked level 10 commoner with guardsmen as our focus.”

“Brothers?”

“Twins, sir. From a minor offshoot of the Kel family bloodline.”

I was coming to realize that bloodlines were everything in this world. I gathered being an offshoot of a major bloodline; in fact, any connection to a bloodline was desirable. I had no idea what benefits those connections garnered, but they had to exist.

Nodding in acceptance, I turned to continue my walk to Caraid’s room. The halls and stairs I traveled didn’t really allow for much of an impression to be formed about architecture, conveniences, or amenities. Built with stone and emanating a sense of permanence, the halls, and corridors were stark and constant.

I wasn’t sure if this stronghold was typical, but it was certainly devoid of the frivolous. I saw weapons and armor adorning walls and niches, but no ceramics, vases, paintings, or carvings. The walls, floors, and ceilings were practical, solid, and lifeless.

I had to traverse four sets of stairs by following Caraid’s telepathic prompting before he directed me to stop at a room farthest along a hall. The door was framed by a light that seemed to emanate from flickering balls of energy, set on either side of the door frame. Definitely an improvement over incandescent bulbs, but not as illuminating or as glaring as fluorescent lights from Earth.

As I entered the room, my escorts took up standard guard positions, moving to flank the entrance, each on one side of the door. They turned to face the hall intent on barring others from entering unchallenged.

It seemed I would be left to organize Caraid’s belongings in solitude. It made me wonder about those amenities that my Rank was supposed to demand. I had guards to ‘protect’ me, but not one servant to assist with the task of packing and moving? Just proof that Gil and Ril were either spies for Lord Kel. Or assigned to protect them from me. The first line of defense in case I went bat shit crazy and started slaying everyone.

Closing the door silently, I looked around curiously.

The room was tidy, with no clothes lying around, and no clutter. Bed neatly made. Linens and bedspread a neutral gray. This room, like the rest of the keep I’d seen, had no real life. Caraid had done nothing to imprint his personality, no hobbies, possessions, or pursuits of interest seemed to be contained within these four walls.

This was a room, a bed to sleep in, and that was about it. The room was functional, and not much more. Sleeping was all it was used for.

‘Didn’t spend much time here? Is there anything you even want to collect?’ I asked Caraid a hint of sympathy in my voice.

[In the closet, on the top shelf, there is a lesser bag of holding that contains a few gems, potions, and spell crystal arrays.]

[No need to store the clothes, you’ll need to purchase new. Since nothing is going to fit, you might as well leave them for the servants to repurpose. I would be very surprised if Lord Kel didn’t outfit you with new garments, armor, and weapons before we depart for the capital. It just wouldn’t do for him to allow you to make the trip in second-hand clothing and battered armor.]

‘Is there anything in here that I can make do with? Walking around in ripped clothing isn’t practical. And it’s a little embarrassing.’

[Grab one of the pullovers and a pair of exercise shorts. That should work until you can purchase something else.]

[Any of my footwear will work. They all have a minor crystal enchantment that allows them to adjust size and shape, so they are always a perfect fit.]

The mention of a bag of holding reminded me of the rewards System had gifted me after my Ascension. The problem was I didn’t know where the gold was, or where the items I’d purchased with the last of my Karmic Creation points might be.

“Caraid, didn’t I ask S-Prime to use the last of my character creation points for armor, a weapon and a bag of holding?

“Where are the items I purchased from System?”

[Maybe you meant to ask, but didn't? I don’t remember you every actually making that request. In any case, it’s doubtful those items were needed. And it would be hard to explain where you got them. As a newly Ascended Prince, Rank is easily explained. Ascending to Prince Rank and exiting the chamber with new armor, weapons, and bags of holding would stretch all credulity.]

[It’s never happened before.]

“But what about the gold System awarded?” I asked testily.

[Check your currency tabs.]

[Any gold would be placed, in abeyance, in the currency tab until you wanted to withdraw funds.]

Opening my status screen and finding the currency tab, I quickly realized Caraid was correct. I currently had 102,002 gold, 39 silver, and 11 copper. “Over 102,000 gold, how much did you have when you entered the chamber?”

[A bit over 2 gold. The rest has to have come from System.]

“Is that a lot? What can you buy with 102,000 gold?”

[A demesne containing a city, a manor house, and enough staff to run it for 10 years. The average commoner earns about 1,200 gold a solar. So, 102,000 gold is a princely sum] Caraid finished snickering at his pun, entirely enjoying his own joke.]

“How long is a solar, how many days in a month, how many hours in a day? It seems so strange asking that. And can you check and see if my ability to respawn shows up anywhere on my character sheet?”

[A solar is 260 days. There are 20 days in a month. 13 months in a solar. 30 hours in a day. And yes, if you open your status and select perks you will see - Respawn: the ability to combat and return from death once each solar (respawns cannot be saved and carried over between solars).]

[You also have a system message with an attachment you might want to open.]

Reading through my system interface, I quickly found the social tab that included features for messages. I wondered if messages were restricted to System or if everyone could send text or voice messages through the system.

Opening the message, the content was abrupt and to the point.

[REWARD: Congratulations on your Ascension.

ITEM: Activation Crystal for Ring of Hidden Depths]

[Accept: Yes / No]

I accepted the item and watched as a crystal, the size of my thumbnail, materialized in a burst of light and fell to the ground. The message auto-deleted after my acceptance and my HUD closed.

Reaching down to pick up the crystal, I began to examine it carefully. It seemed to be a blue aquamarine, emanating a slight glow. There was no heat, no real weight. But there did seem to be a purpose. It was waiting, patient, for me to act. It needed something to complete the creation process.

“Do you think there is something special about this crystal? I mean a Ring of Hidden Depths should have something special about it, other than the name, shouldn’t it?”

[You probably have to bind it, before you can figure out what qualities it has.]

“How do I bind it?”

[Blood, Spit, or Semen] Caraid said. [The item has to come into contact with your body’s essence. The connection you form, and the strength of that connection are based on which essence you use to infuse the item.]

Blood, Spit, or Semen? Was I supposed to have sex with the damn ring?