Between a Rock and a Hard Place

“Not again,” John moaned, thinking that this was going to be just like when he was in the Fae Hill Barrier. John raised his hand and prepared to use his skill Escape Barrier.

<Skill Failure>

Before John could start cursing his luck, a klaxon like alarm began blaring deafeningly. It was so loud that it nearly brought John to his knees as he covered his ears. He looked around to see if he could find what was causing the alarm, but there didn’t seem to be anything around. It was as if the barrier itself was making the deafening noise.

John turned around and tried to walk out of the barrier, but like before, he only hit the edge of the barrier. John started to panic, thinking he was going to be trapped in the barrier.

That is until people started appearing in the barrier with all sorts of weapons drawn. He could see swords, axes, hammers like the one Moira used, and even a few polearm weapons such as spears. What really worried him was that they were all pointed at him.

The noise stopped as suddenly as it had begun, as last two people entered the barrier with him and what he assumed were the guards of this place. John recognized Moira right away, but not the distinguished gentleman that accompanied her. He used Observe to try and get more information.

Lord William Brighton
Lord-Protector of the Golden Rose
???? Level ???
HP: ????/????
MP: ???/???
RP: -100

“Who are you and why are you trying to rob us?” Lord Brighton asked forcibly, his hands raised, both of them covered in cestuses.

“John what are you trying to do?” Moira shrieked, pushing through guards until she stood before John, grabbing him by the shirt collar and hefted her hammer menacingly.

“Do you know this young mage Moira?” Lord Brighton asked as he lowered his hands, and Moira nodded, cringing slightly.

“Yes sir,” Moira stated as she pushed John back from her, “This is actually the mage I was bringing to meet you.” John impacted against the barrier with a thud and an oof. “I don’t know how he managed get in here though.

“I-I might be able to explain it,” John said hesitantly, almost nervous to draw attention to himself. Lord Brighton nods at John to continue. “I seem to have the ability to walk into any barrier. It doesn’t matter what the barrier is. Since I have gotten these powers I have walked into a zombie infested barrier, a trap barrier where I met your daughter and Kelly Moonstone, a series of other barriers around my house, and the Fae Hill Barrier. I don’t know how I am doing it, or how to stop,” John pleaded his case to the Lord Brighton, hoping to get the patriarch to understand that it wasn’t his intention.

Lord Brighton thought the matter over before looking at his daughter. “You were in that desecrated place. Did you see him there?” he asked his daughter.

“I didn’t see him in there before we cleared the barrier, but we did run into the Barbarian, and it is possible that that crazed man could have escorted him out,” Moira explained to her father.

“This is a very serious issue,” Lord Brighton stated as he closed the barrier and brought all of the people out of the barrier, John included, to which John breathed a sigh of relief. “Guards, please escort this young mage to the study while I have a few words with the Warden.” The guards nodded, and with weapons pointed at John, the proceeded to escort him to the library.

Three guards stayed with John in the library, their eyes never leaving him as he wandered around, looking at the books. There were quite a few books that John recognized the titles of, and still far more that John had never heard of. John picked up a book and looked at the cover. He was surprised to get a pop-up from the book.

The Art of Ninjutsu
This book will teach you the basics of Ninjutsu.
If you choose to learn from this book it will change your fighting style.
Do you want to learn this skill?
<YES> <NO>

John was shocked by this but clicked <NO> as the book was not his, and he was worried about what would happen if he selected yes, and he put the book back where he got it from. He moved to the center of the room and sat down in a chair to await the patriarch.

A short time later, Lord Brighton and Moira walked into the room. John stood immediately so as not to offend the patriarch, or his daughter. Lord Brighton made a motion for John to sit again, and John sat as he was ordered to. Lord Brighton sat across from him, with Moira standing slightly behind her father.

“This is a difficult situation for the lot of us,” Lord Brighton started, his hands steepled in front of his face while he regarded the young mage. “The fact that you can enter any barrier makes it hard to keep several things closed that we have been trying to keep closed so that the Lady can correct the mistakes that mages have made in the past. For example, that desecrated barrier you wandered into the other day.”

John shuddered as he remembered the zombie barrier. “And the fact that you were able to just wander into what is our treasury barrier. This kind of thing this is something that we haven't seen before, and we would need to be able to protect ourselves.” The patriarch looked at John as he paused. “We are willing to overlook the entrance into our vault, and the desecrated barrier if you agree to be under our protection,” Lord Brighton stated, a document appearing in his now spread hands, which he then handed to John, as well as a pen.

“Can I look it over before signing it?” John asked as he took the document and pen, to which Lord Brighton nodded. John got a pop-up which he glanced at.

Achievement Unlocked: Reading the Fine Print
You have chosen to read a document before choosing whether or not to sign it.
+1 Wisdom

John closed the pop-up, and Lord Brighton raised an eyebrow at the action. “What was that you just did?”

John looked up at Lord Brighton. “I got a pop-up about choosing to read something before signing it.” Lord Brighton looked up at Moira with a raised eyebrow.

Moira sighed softly under her breath. “It is like one of those windows that comes up when you are suffering the internet sir,” she stated softly, in a stage whisper. The patriarch made a noise of understanding and nodded before looking back at John.

“Do you get these pop-ups often?” Lord Brighton asked, to which John shrugged. “Interesting. Moira would you investigate this further with this young man.” It was clear from the tone that it was an order and not a question, to which Moira simply nodded. “Good. Now, John was it?” John nodded his head, “I understand that you have a meeting with the Scarlet Witch, afterwards I expect to receive the document signed.”

With those words, the patriarch stood and left the room, without waiting for John to stand.