Elsewhere

Duke appeared right where he had planned, in the center of the vault. He was so surprised that it worked that he just stood there waiting to be attacked for a full 30 seconds before relaxing slightly and looking around himself. The vault was nearly exactly as it had been in his vision. The only difference was another rack of shelves piled with wealth had been added. After a quick scan with both his DUNGEON SENSE and SENSE MAGIC running, he found the room was filled with magic items and warded with countless runes. Only slightly nervous at seeing so many runes carved into the walls, he began to loot everything.

Entire racks of items were pulled indiscriminately into his INVENTORY. He pulled everything he could in and then made sure to pull each and every spike out of the wall to make sure he not only got the one he was looking for but to get any others that may be similar. It took all of ten minutes to loot the entire vault. Duke was elated.

He knew the two guards were floating outside the door as that is what his DUNGEON SENSE told him, but he wasn’t sure what lay beyond, so he pushed his sphere larger and larger, taking in more of the castle above him. There were several more subterranean chambers that he now could see. Some had purposes that were easy to determine, others were not. Duke contemplated raiding or exploring but he was on a very specific mission – he was here to rescue and steal a bit too. He did not have time to explore every chamber underneath the castle, but he did commit what he saw to memory.

Having taken longer than he had planned to observe, he decided it was high time he left. He considered altering or damaging the runes carved into the walls, but he had so little knowledge on the subject that he figured he would likely blow himself up before he did anything useful. Instead, he crossed his fingers and TELEPORTED to his next destination.

Again, Duke was stunned that he made it without issue. Baslin’s magical cloak was working as he hoped, and he was now standing in front of a door he had entered a few times in the past. He knocked on the door.

“Enter.” The voice was calm, but somewhat strained. Duke’s mood elevated upon hearing it. He opened the door and entered the classroom-like chamber, seeing his favorite satyr standing, stunned with his mouth agape.

“Duke? What are you doing here? Didn’t you escape from the arena? Oh no, did they re-capture you?”

Duke smiled at Gefolich and swept the satyr in a hug. “You were one of the first in this world to show me any form of kindness and I have something for you.” Duke pulled a very specific item from his INVENTIORY. It was a series of runed brass pipes connected in ascending length woven together in a flat series by golden filaments. He handed it to Gefolich who held it in his hand reverently, tears forming in his eyes.

“The instrument of my line, my flute. I never thought I would see this again. You have no idea what this means to me, Duke.”

“It means that you have the means to walk free from this place.” Duke’s PURPOSE flared within him in full agreement.

“It does, Duke. It does. But there are so many more that are still trapped by the king’s leverage.”

“Well, since I just emptied the king’s secret vault, let’s go visit them and see if I have the keys to their freedom as well. Yours was the only one I had a good description of, so I came to you first.”

“You stole from the king? Emptied his vault?” Gefolich marveled at the sheer audacity of the man standing before him. He shook his head in wonder and disbelief. “He is going to be enraged. Nothing is going to stop him from coming after you for this, you know.”

“I’m kinda counting on it. I’d rather fight him and his army on the field of my choosing than try and break him in the seat of his power.”

“You have changed. Sure, you were cocky and more than a bit self-assured when you first came to me but this – this is on a completely different level. Let’s get you to the others and see if you have what they need. This could be a wonderous day. Truly wonderous.”

The two of them rushed out of the room and down the hallways to Jablach’s room. Gefolich burst through the door, surprising the demon and the students he was instructing. All eyes shot to the door and Jablach’s irritated gaze changed to one of confusion as he saw Duke enter the room.

“Jablach, look who came to visit, and look what he brought me!” Gefolich held up his flute for Jablach to see.

“That’s wonderous. At long last, you are free. This brings me such joy, my friend!” Jablach gestured for his students to “go do something useful” and rushed to join the pair in the entryway.

Duke gave Jablach a firm handshake which got the demon to squeeze harder with a look of surprise on his face. The pressure from both increased until Gefolich clapped them both on their backs. “Enough of that. We have things to do!”

Jablach released Duke’s hand as they both smiled at each other. “You have gotten a lot stronger, Duke.”

“I’ve been busy. Very busy. But what I need to know from you is an extremely personal but relevant question – what does Chopie have over you that is keeping you here?”

“That is, indeed, very personal. I trust you, Duke, but that’s a lot to ask.”

“Just tell him, Jablach.” Gefolich interjected.

With a glance to Gefolich who nodded enthusiastically, Jablach answered. “Chopie holds my gate stone. Without it, I am trapped in this realm. It is my only way home to my family.”

“Can you describe it?” Duke asked, mentally pouring through the items in his INVENTORY to see if he could find something that fit the bill.

“It is a black stone engraved with crimson runes. It is the keystone of an arch so is curved on both the top and bottom with the bottom being smaller than the top.”

Duke produced a stone that fit the description from his INVENTORY and watched as Jablach’s mouth dropped open. He handed the stone to Jablach who held it gently and lovingly in his hands.

“It is my gate stone. I can feel the draw to my realm from it. I could leave at any time now. I owe you much for this, Duke. How can I repay you?”

“Jablach, Gefolich, you both took me under your respective wings and taught me how to survive in the arena, if not this entire world. I am merely settling the debt I owe you both.”

Both began to protest but Duke interrupted them. “Who else might have had something in the vault that Chopie was holding over them? I don’t know how much longer we have before anyone thinks to check the vault. Could be minutes. Could be months. I don’t know, but I want to get as many deserving souls out of here as I can before then.”

Before anyone else could move, another figure darkened the doorway. An exceedingly average-looking man stood there with a curious expression on his face. “Well, is anyone going to say something, or do I have to start figuring it all out for myself?”

“Axis! You remember Duke, don’t you?” Gefolich asked.

“Of course I do and from what I remember, there is no way he would want to be back here with us. Left with an Archmage, if I recall. Please do explain.”

Duke answered. “I’m setting as many of my friends free as I can before this city goes completely to shit. It’s already being overrun with vampires and other undead. There’s more but now is not the time to go into it.”

“I have my flute.” Gefolich added.

“And my gate stone.” Jablach joined in.

“I may have collected other leverage that Chopie is using to hold others here. I mean to set as many as I can free.”

Axis’ face lit up with a smile. “That’s incredible news! How did you manage this feat?”

“I stole the king’s vault.” Duke responded, deadpan.

“You stole the king’s vault. The whole thing. Like casually, walked into the castle and walked out with his entire vault on your shoulder?” Axis asked incredulously.

“Not quite like that, but close enough for our purposes. I have already returned two items that Chopie was using as leverage. If there was anything else in that vault that is holding someone here, I want to return it and help you all get out of this city before it is completely overrun with undead.”

“Slow down, Duke. That’s way too much information coming too fast. Gefolich, Jablach, gather everyone held by leverage and bring them to my office. Duke and I are going to be having a conversation.” The two trainers practically ran out of the room, followed by the students who definitely had not been listening in on the conversation. Not at all.

When Axis and Duke were alone, Axis continued. “Duke, you say the city is about to be overrun by undead. Explain.”

“OK, but there’s a lot of background to this so I’m going to give you the highlights for now. Chopie’s pet mage is a necromancer and has been ordered to create an undead army which is gathering in the catacombs under the city. They are taking people from the streets and their homes in the poorer districts and making undead out of them to build the army. Most of the night watch are now vampires. It’s getting bad out there, and it’s only going to get worse. We have to get everyone out of the city that we can but I cannot afford to have any undead come with us.”

Axis listened to what Duke had to say, becoming more and more agitated as time went by before finally speaking up. “You have set something in motion that will destroy this arena and all it stands for.”

Duke looked seriously at Axis, remembering his reputation for extreme violence, and preparing himself to defend himself or even flee if necessary. “I am doing what must be done. This city, this kingdom itself, is going to fall. I will not allow those who have aided me to be washed away with this tide of evil.”

Axis’ gaze narrowed and Duke prepared himself. “You had no obligation to aid any of us, Duke, yet you come to us unbidden with aid for many of us. I cannot, will not, stand in the way of such an act of heroism but I cannot join you. It is no simple object that Chopie holds over me. He holds my family hostage.”

Duke nodded in understanding, tension draining from his body as he realized that he wasn’t about to get into a fight with the man of whom seasoned gladiators were terrified. He pulled an object he had borrowed from Elaine out of his INVENTORY. He held the Wonder Window out to Axis. “Here, focus on your family and an image of them will form in this glass. I will search for them and rescue them if I can. Do you have any idea where in the city they are being held?”

“On the annual visits I am allowed to have with them, they are at the castle under heavy guard.” Axis responded as he handed the window back to Duke.

Duke looked at the window, comparing it to what his DUNGEON SENSE had picked up when he examined the castle from below. The woman and three daughters sparked his memory. “I may know where they are. If I can get to them, what can I say to them to convince them to come with me?”

“Can you truly do this, Duke?”

“I can. I have grown much more powerful than I was when I was here. There is nothing I have encountered that can stop me when I set my mind to it.”

Axis gave Duke a considering look before he pulled a delicate golden necklace from around his neck, handing it to Duke. “Show this to my wife and tell her that she still owes me a moonlight dance. She will know you are sent by me.”

Duke gave Axis a reassuring smile and TELEPORTED away.