Ultimate Level 1

“WHAT THE HELL!”

Max held up his finger and shushed Caleb even though Big D had said this room had wards to prevent eavesdropping.

“Stop yelling and sit down. Tell me why you are here and how you got here first!” Max said, pulling a chair over and setting it near the one he had pointed at. “How are my parents and my sister?”

Caleb’s mouth moved, words not coming out as he stood there a moment and then sighed, moving to the chair and plopping down.

“They are surviving. Your parents are taking it hard and Stacy… she…” Caleb paused, feeling Max’s gaze as he spoke. “She wasn’t happy when I left. I didn’t have a choice. I had to go.”

Caleb looked up and saw Max staring at him. There was no anger or rage like he had expected. His friend just stared at him. He was different. Nothing about how his friend was behaving reminded him of the old Max he knew.

“Surviving? Has the guild done something to them?”

“No… your mom hasn’t worked… or hadn’t… I mean, she won’t do anything but sit around the house since news of your death reached her.”

“My death?” Max asked, his head going back from the surprise of that announcement.

“Yes,” Caleb replied. “The advisors, Trina, the one who hit you, told everyone in town that they found your body in the woods. Stacy and I… we didn’t believe it but weren’t sure. I mean, how did you survive? How did you get here, get all those items, and take down a shade?!”

Max took a deep breath and then smiled at Caleb.

“It’s good to see you. I’m glad you got to leave even if it means Stacy is alone. I’m sorry for what you must have experienced for being my friend.”

Max leaned over and held his hand out.

Caleb eyed it for a moment and then shook it.

“Thank you for saving me. I never got a chance to really say thank you.”

Nodding slowly, Caleb looked at Max and saw the smile of his old friend on his face. Then he remembered what he had been wondering.

“Do you really have two skills?”

A tsk came from Max as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

“I do. I tried to tell you before, but both of you ran off. I don’t blame you but I wanted you to know. To understand that the advisors had lied.”

Rubbing his face, Caleb grunted softly as he tried to understand what Max was saying.

“But why? Why would they say you were unskilled if you had two skills? Two skills, damnit!” He exclaimed. “A commoner with two skills! Is that why they said that? Is that why the crystal was black?”

Max shrugged and took a drink of his ale.

“I don’t know. I don’t think most people they say are unskilled really are. I think it is something else. Something they aren’t happy about.”

His mouth moved again, yet Caleb found himself unable to say anything. None of this made sense. They should rejoice in people getting two skills like they did for nobles. The only reason not to was if they didn’t want common people having two skills.

“So you have the spear skill and [Baker]?”

Max nodded.

Caleb scratched his head, his fingers digging into his scalp as he tried to understand what was going on.

“Then why the new name? Why not show what you had in this town? Why not…” Caleb’s voice trailed off for a moment as he stared at his friend. “You were in Windsor Wheel.” When he spoke those words they were a whisper.

Nodding slowly, Max could see his friend was thinking about something as he blinked rapidly for a few moments.

“Your group killed a kobold boss! You died… I mean Seth Pendal died… murdered by elves or I…”

Max couldn’t stop the snort that came on its own, hearing Caleb at a loss for words.

“Yes I was there and yes I was part of a group that killed the kobold boss.”

Caleb watched Max waiting for him to continue but Max said nothing.

“You weren’t the adventurer the elves killed?”

“I’m alive aren’t I?” Max said with a shrug. “I must have left before all that happened. Elves killing an adventurer. That seems dark.”

It had taken great effort to keep his voice steady. Every part of him wanted to tell Caleb more but something was nagging at his mind. Since he had gained all those points in intelligence and wisdom it wasn’t just the magical arts they affected but he also felt wiser and could see how things somehow didn’t match up.

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“Let’s stop talking about me for a moment. How did you get here?”

Caleb’s eyes went wide and he sat upright in his chair.

“Uh… the adventurer advisor told me she felt bad for my skill being overlooked after… because of you being unskilled. So, I was sent with a party to Windsor Wheel for a few days while we leveled up and learned to work together. Right now, we are fighting in the lower dungeons here, perfecting our tactics as a group and…”

Caleb stopped talking and then blinked a few times quickly.

“What level are you?”

Max smiled and shrugged. “I thought we weren’t supposed to ask that question. Are you going to tell me your level first?”

Sputtering, Caleb nodded and then sighed. “I’m level nine. About halfway to level ten. The group and I have been clearing every dungeon we could up to the boss for the last few days. We only got to town three days ago.”

“How did you find me?”

“Oh, that was chance, I guess. I was in the adventurer hall when I saw you. I mean, I saw Seth Pendal. My teammate pointed you out and I stood there staring at you. You had your helmet on and that gods awful spike on your shoulder. Your face. I have seen it all my life. Even with that helm on I recognized you. Knew it was you and yet I couldn’t believe it. You were walking with some green-haired girl in leather armor.”

Caleb picked up his mug and held it in his hand, staring at the drink inside.

“So I followed you. I didn't believe it could be you, but I somehow knew it must be. You went into some warehouse on the south side of town. Then you came here. I couldn’t help it and so I came inside. Seeing you without your helmet I would have never thought it was you. That bald head…” Caleb paused, smiling as he looked at the freshly shaven top. “But there was no doubt it was you after I watched all that time here. So I took a risk. I figured the worst thing that happened was I was labeled a fool.”

Max had ignored most of what Caleb had said. What bothered him was the news that the adventurer advisors had sent him out with a group.

“Now what?”

Caleb blinked and cocked his head. “What do you mean ‘now what’?”

“I mean, you found me. You know I am alive. Now what?”

“Uh…” Caleb struggled to answer that question. “I don’t know. I never expected this. Never dreamed of running into you. And now, finding out you’re some famous warrior… I mean, do you have room in your group? We could adventure together, right?”

The look on Caleb’s face told Max that his friend understood why he was grimacing.

“We can’t Caleb, I’m sorry. It’s too risky for me and you.”

“What do you mean risky? Why would there…” Caleb stopped talking, his mouth hung open, and he slowly nodded his head.

“They want me dead,” Max stated. “If they found out I was still alive, and we were together, they would kill both of us. I couldn’t handle that happening.”

Again, Caleb’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Words failed him, as he knew the moment before he spoke that Max was right.

A minute of silence passed as they sat there, watching each other.

“Why?”

“Why what?” Max repeated.

“It makes no sense,” Caleb said, shaking his head as he put his mug on the small table near his chair. “Why you? Why did they say you were unskilled? Why do they want you dead? You are a nobody. We both are nobodies. Why would the gods curse you like that?”

“I have no idea either,” Max finally answered after a moment. “I went to the temple, prayed, and gave an offering. No answer came. All I know is I won’t go back. I can’t go back. To risk my parent's lives or my sister’s. I can imagine they are watching them. It makes sense...”

Max paused, cocking his head as he looked at Caleb.

“What?” Caleb asked.

“Did you tell anyone you were going to follow me?”

Max saw his friend's eyes as they moved side to side.

“No. I said I wanted to explore the town.”

Frowning, Max knew Caleb wasn’t lying. The tell he always showed when he did wasn’t there.

“You need to go. We can’t be seen together. The risk is too great.”

Max stood up, putting his drink on the table next to Caleb’s. “I’m sorry, but I can’t risk you. I won’t risk me.”

Caleb stammered as he rose to his feet, seeing Max’s face go hard. It was a look that reminded him of one Trina had a few times.

“Are you serious? We just found each other! Surely, we can meet here or somewhere else and talk!”

Max shook his head. That itch he felt when he noticed Caleb was back. Something was wrong.

“No. You need to go and now.”

Max retrieved a pen and his notebook out of his storage, tearing a piece of paper out of it and writing on it.

“Keep this, if someone from your group asks it will be why you were gone so long. Tell them you were starstruck and couldn’t resist.”

Caleb looked at the paper Max handed him. On it was written, ‘Good luck adventuring. May your sword always strike true. – Seth Pendal.’

He glanced up at Max, unable to believe what he had been given. “Are you serious?”

The look Max gave him didn’t need words to answer that.

“Deadly. If I’m right, I'm afraid you have already put me in great danger.”

“But–”

Max put his hand on Caleb’s shoulder, ignoring the height difference as he reached up.

“You need to go. You need to stay away. The adventurers guild wants me dead and I have no doubts they are not above using you to find me.”

Caleb felt Max squeeze his shoulder, felt the strength in his grip. He knew that his friend was far stronger than he was.

How is it possible that Max has gotten this strong?

“I’m going to go for a walk. Wait here for ten minutes. Then you can leave.”

Max moved to the door and paused before he opened it. He turned his head and smiled. “I’m glad you got your skill and things are looking up. Maybe sometime in the future, I can reach out but for now, pretend I’m dead. It’s safer that way.”

Max left the room leaving Caleb in there, still staring at the paper he had given him.

He was almost outside of town. It had taken a few hours as he walked, stopping at carts and vendors, buying a snack here and there. Max would always position himself while talking to the vendors so he could look behind him. Twice, he saw what he was afraid of.

Someone was following him.

Better to get this over with now… Gods, I want to wring Caleb’s neck… that fool.

Outside the walls, Max pulled out a paper and pretended like he was reading a map. The sun would be set in a few hours and he knew that whoever was behind him would soon make their move.