Spear of Destiny by James Baldwin (little bear else holmelund minarik .TXT) 📕

Myszno is back to full operational capacity, we’ll see what I can do here as Voivode to grant special status in Vlachia. Depending on what your goals are, there’s posts available here for good people. You can also just use Karhad as a base to adventure from, if you want.”

“Sounds good to me… us. We don’t really get what’s happening in Ilia. We’re just really just looking for a place to figure out the game,” White Max said. “Feels like we’ve been running all over the place since the Helpdesk went dead.”

“Did you work at Ryuko?” I asked.

“Yeah. HR department. Nothing technical, unless you count staffing as ‘technical’.” The Maxes nodded.

“My wife was a programmer in the military division down in Texas.” Kylirra pinned her ears, tail lashing. “She didn’t make it, and I’ve just been drifting ever since. Kon here has been really supportive, but honestly, I just want somewhere to settle down and put my life back together.”

Kon grunted, crossing his arms.

“What about you, man?” I regarded the barbarian apprehensively. “You, uh... got any goals?”

“Uh? Oh.” He sniffed and scratched his nose, scowling up at the roof of the Great Hall. “Yes. After we crush the decadent Ilian dogs, I would like a position at the University of Karhad.”

“You want to… work at the university?” I resisted the urge to rub my eyes. “Teaching…?”

“Law.” The big man’s mouth sloped across to one side. “I was about to finish my second doctorate before HEX.”

I blinked a couple of times.

“Security, Conflict and Human Rights. Focus on child welfare,” he added, helpfully.

“Well. Sure. I think we can arrange something.” I was about to propose some kind of Barbarian Harvard idea when the doors to the Great Hall opened, and Suri strode in ahead of Taethawn, Zlaslo, and Kitti. When Kon saw Suri, his eyes got very big and very dark. He sniffed, straightened up, and dusted off his loincloth.

“Hey there, partner.” Suri kissed me on the cheek, the turned to the group of Starborn and shook hands with each person. “Suri Ba’hadir, Voivodzina of Myszno. You’re the players we booked to handle some of our Kingdom Quests, right?”

“Yes. Yes ma’am.” Kon cleared his throat, shooting me a beady-eyed glance. I grinned back at him, making sure to show fangs. “Lady Ba’hadir, the tales of your great beauty have-”

“Oh, knock it off, mate. I appreciate it and all, but I don’t know you from Adam.” Suri brushed him off, shaking hands with Nethres next. “Don’t know if I recognize you, either.”

“Nethres. Just Nethres.” She gripped Suri’s hand firmly. “A Valkyrie of Gilheim.”

“Can always welcome more strong arms into Myszno.” Suri smiled at Kon, who was still trying to scowl despite his red cheeks, and then at Nethres. “Now, sorry to break this up, but Hector and I just got back from a big mass combat and we need to get ready for an appointment with His Majesty.”

“If you can handle the prep for that, Nethres and I need to catch up in private about our time in Ilia,” I said. “I know her from way back. We met at dragon school.”

“Yeah. I was wiped out in the first round of Trials,” Nethres added, her slow eyes shifting to me.

“Ooh, do you know what’s really happening in Ilia, then?” Kylirra’s tail curled into a curious arch. “I’ve heard so many horrible stories.”

“Nah. We just need to catch up about some old friends,” I lied. “By the way, if you guys are interested, there is actually a decent-sized quest that needs handling. There’s been reports of monsters and bandits in the ruins of Karhad University, and we can’t rebuild it until they’ve been thrown out. How do you feel like teaming up to handle it?”

“Sure. Seems like a good way to settle in and build some Renown.” White Max nodded in time with his clones.

“I approve,” Kylirra said, squinting happily. “Can’t wait for those university taverns to open back up!”

“Yes. I accept this challenge.” Kon gave me a curt bow of his head. “Issue the quest.”

I went into the KMS, found The Vaunted Halls of Karhad University, and assigned it to them. “Done.”

“Excellent. We will destroy these monsters and bandits.” Kon cracked his knuckles, sneering on one side of his mouth. “And after the university is rebuilt, I will teach from a lectern adorned with their skulls.”

Chapter 29

There was a time difference of three hours between Myszno and Taltos, the capital city in the province of the same name. That meant there was a bit of wiggle room to sit down with Nethres and find out what she knew—and why she was here to begin with.

“You sure this place is private?” She asked, once we took our seats in the Ducal Suit. The place was looking bare: volunteers had already stripped out the images of Bolza and his family, as well as all the green and silver furnishings. “No way that Hyland could spy on us?”

“It’s as private as we can make it. Why?” I gave Rudolph a nod of thanks as he set down a Turkish coffee set on the table between us. The seat I’d had her take put her back to the door and gave me the best position to find cover, just in case. Nethres hadn’t ever struck me as being the kind to lie or randomly PK people, but you never knew.

“Hard to explain.” She pressed her lips together in a tight line, watching my butler as he discreetly, but efficiently left through the door to the suit and locked the two-way deadbolt from the outside.

“Don’t worry, okay? Rudolph is basically a walking picture of discretion.” I said, once silence had settled over the room. “How’s things been?”

“Difficult. I couldn’t say any of this when were in the hall, but I came here for more than