Ultimate Level 1

“Sir! I must protest! You cannot do that here!”

Max shook his head and didn’t pull back the healing potion he was offering the older woman whose face was stained with tears.

“Are you saying that Phaius couldn’t have instructed me to come here and help his people?”

The woman’s cheeks turned red, and her face matched the color of her hair. Everyone nearby focused on her, not the man who had been giving out gold and potions.

“No! I mean yes! I—”

An older woman with solid white hair came up from behind her. Her robes were purple, and Max could see the blue eyes that were locked on him almost sparkling.

“He is right, Juileana. Sometimes, our protector sends those we might not expect to assist. Now then, allow him to do as he has been led, and I will handle this.”

The younger woman huffed, took a deep breath, nodded once, bent her neck, and turned to leave, her yellow robe swishing as she strode away quickly.

“Take it. Go heal your granddaughter.”

Nodding, Max smiled and watched as she moved quickly toward the temple’s entrance. He could already see the line growing as others joined the throng, hoping to get something from the man inside who gave it away freely.

It took enough time…

A test in many ways. Still, you have the attention of everyone here. Perhaps even the god himself is watching.

Before the next person in line could approach, Max held up his right hand. Two coin bags appeared in his left hand. He turned slightly, ensuring that his position near the base of the gold statue was where he wanted it to be.

“Phaius has directed me to give the rest to the caretakers of his home!” he shouted, his voice traveling through the space they were in. “For now, if you have a need, take it to Phaius and then speak to the attendants. They shall be tasked with ensuring this gift is used as he desires.”

A few moaned, but others cheered as Max turned and handed both bags to the older woman, a small smile forming on the corner of her lips.

“You are wise for one so young. Tell me… What is your name?”

He shook his head slightly and motioned to the crowd, which still seemed unsure if they should press forward and ask Max for a few more things.

“Not here, lest I cause a greater commotion. Let your attendants handle this. We can discuss that in person. Perhaps somewhere private.”

Gone was the slight smile, replaced with one large enough to show teeth as she stored both pouched and clapped her hands.

Immediately, half a dozen attendants moved to get between Max and the others, and she motioned for him to follow her.

As they walked past the statue and toward some doors he had seen when he entered, neither said a word, each studying the other.

Max could tell she moved gracefully and had no physical problems that his Sonar could detect. Each step was perfectly placed, her robe barely moving, a controlled stride, one most likely learned after many years of practice. ℝÄ𐌽ô𝖇Ёʂ

A pair of burly attendants in robes that did little to hide the chain armor underneath it stood by a door, each of them watching him until the slightest shake of the white-haired woman’s head stopped their gaze.

One bowed while the other pushed open a wooden door.

She moved into the hallway, matching stones continuing into a plain-looking area. No pictures or other art lined these walls. Only the lightstones that illuminated the area were present, but at the end of the six-foot-wide hall was another door.

Before it were four guards, two men and two women, each in plate armor and holding a sword and shield.

Only their eyes could be seen, all four fixated upon Max who barely stood taller than the one leading him.

None said a word as they moved past. The metal door they stood before shimmered as the older woman touched it.

“Follow me, please,” she said as she pushed it open.

Inside, he saw that the room was nothing special. Again, no fancy or expensive artwork or sculptures were present, merely a plain desk, hundreds of books lining shelves on a wall, and a pair of ordinary-looking couches off to one side.

Without stopping, she moved to one of the spots on the closest couch and sat down, motioning for him to take the other.

Max moved to where she had motioned and slowly sat down, feeling the gray-colored cushion with his fingers. It wasn’t soft to the touch like Everett’s, but the padding was almost perfect as he leaned against the back one. The wooden frame didn’t creak at all as he got comfortable.

They sat in silence for almost a minute, still measuring up the other.

Finally, the older woman broke, her slight grin reappearing as she shook her head.

“For one so young, you play this game well. While I do not want to discount the fact that Phaius may have sent you to do what you did, years of this role have taught me that sometimes people make such claims for different reasons. Tell me, why have you come?”

“I need to speak with Phaius again.”

Her smile vanished instantly, and a frown appeared as both eyes narrowed. Slowly her head leaned sideways, and both lips parted for a moment before closing.

She is waiting… you are so evil.

He couldn’t help but grin at Bob’s words, which only caused the older woman to lean back on the couch a little. Slowly, she brought both hands together and intertwined her fingers.

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“Again?”

Her disbelief at such a statement was evident from the tone, but Max simply nodded.

“Surely you have spoken to him at least once? You know how he looks in that tan clothing that changes colors between white and yellow as he moves.”

Her eyes widened, and Max could see her fingers turning white as she tightly gripped her hands.

“You… you have seen Phaius?! When? Why?”

Her outburst was so different from the facade she had put on all the other times, and Max could sense she hadn’t asked the important questions.

“Let me help you out, and then we can talk about how you can help me make this happen. I’m Max Hoste, also known as Seth Pendal. I’m the one he was looking for.”

The couch made a screeching noise as she pushed back with her legs and jumped to her feet.

It slid a few yards along the floor, and a glow began to form on the older woman’s outstretched hand. Fear filled her eyes.

“Don’t… please. It won’t work, and I really don’t want to have to hurt you,” Max said, leaning a little further back on the couch and draping an arm over the side. “He didn’t kill me, and neither did Ockrim. Now sit. We need to talk.”

Her arm shook, and the orange glow that covered it didn’t go away. Seconds ticked by, and a bead of sweat began to form along her brow.

“You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep trying to hold that spell and the mana in it,” Max informed her. “If you want, let it go. See what happens. Just know when the guards come, you will be responsible for their deaths if they attack.”

Like a leaf in the wind, her arm seemed to be spasming, and a loud crack came as she canceled whatever spell she had. Power flooded across the room, sending her back a step.

The door swung open, all four guards rushing in quickly, weapons out and moving around the room.

“STOP! DO NOT ATTACK!”

Her voice was filled with fatigue, but the silver-haired woman held up a hand, panting.

“Do not attack. I am fine. It was a test.”

“Are you certain, Mother?”

She nodded and motioned to the door.

“Thank you, sister. I shall be fine. Now go. We must talk in private.”

All four moved as one, lowering their weapons, and strode out of the room, leaving the couch where it was as they closed the door behind them.

“You’re really him? The boy he was searching for?”

“I am. Now, please. I told you my name; tell me yours,” Max replied, having never shifted from his relaxed position on the couch.

A single cough came, and then she shook her head, wiping the sweat from her brow.

“My name… most call me Mother but that won’t work for you. I am… Kathleen Searnen. A name I have not shared in so long. Now tell me… Max Hoste… why have you come?”

She paused and glanced at the couch behind her, and a slight hint of red filled her cheeks.

Without missing a beat, she moved to the couch and pulled on it, sliding the object easily to where it had been and took a seat.

“I need to tell him something, and I’m afraid it may cause problems on our world, but he needs to know,” Max replied, leaning forward as he spoke. “Last time I somehow summoned him it caused a lot of damage in Windsor Wheel, and I—”

“That was you?!”

Her face showed the angst of that news, and he wondered what information had been gleaned about him so far.

“It was… an accident, I promise. That is why I am here. I need to see him without that problem happening here. Surely, you must have some way of making that happen.”

Her face scrunched, and hidden wrinkles appeared, the only other sign of her age beyond the color of her hair.

“I… we could most likely make that happen, but it is rare. The power it takes is great, and we do not often initiate that part. He did show up a little less than a year ago on his own and tell us about you… or what little he knew.”

Kathleen cleared her throat and frowned.

“Are you as dangerous as he said?”

“Only to those who try to hurt me or my family. I’m sure you witnessed or heard how the elves who continually hunted me or attacked my Faction have fared.”@@novelbin@@

He could see her eyes moving. The truth of what he spoke was most likely connecting dots, and those blue eyes widened as she leaned back and put a hand over her open mouth.

“You… you were him… that Seth Pendal!”

Tapping his bald head, Max grinned and nodded.

“Everyone needs a name, and I figured why not choose one who was known for being a hero. Hopefully, I did the name justice.”

Yes… I mean… You did, but…”

Multiple times she started to speak and stopped, shaking her head and blinking rapidly for a few seconds. Eventually, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, smoothing her robe as she did it.

“Forgive me… you have caught me off guard, and for so long I believed that if we ever met, I would be fighting for my life. Yet now, the man I see before me is nothing like we feared. Phaius couldn’t have been wrong about you?”

“Was that a question?”

She chuckled and shook her head.

“I’m acting like a starstruck fool! Forgive me. It has been so long since I have been surprised like this. My brain is reeling from all the things that suddenly make sense, and my heart is still trying to slow down.”

He smiled, having already felt the pace at which her heart had been racing, wondering if she might pass out or die if it had gone any faster a minute ago.

“You don’t have to apologize. I have a thousand questions, limited time, and a dozen other things I must do before I depart tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? I… I’m unsure if I can get the items I will need to try and summon him by then! I’ll need tower crystals and—”

Max’s grin grew as he pulled out two large purple tower crystals, one in each hand, and held them out.

“Would these work?”

Like a crazy person, Kathleen started to cackle, howling with laughter as tears formed in the corner of her eyes and raced down her face.

After catching her breath, she nodded and sniffed, wiping away the wet lines.

“Max Hoste… if you do not stop doing this, I swear my old heart may give out. Now, yes, those will work. Come, let’s head to where we’ll need to go.”

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