Of Roses and Revelations

John completely zoned out as the whole room turned to him. His brain seemed to disconnect from his body as he tried to process what he’d heard. Ela said something, but he couldn’t understand it. Moira turned to respond - more muted sounds that his ears didn’t take in. Ringing echoed through his mind.

A strange uneasiness settled upon him - a realization that far weirder things had been going on around him than he’d known. A thousand questions ran through his mind. Why him? Why game powers? Why now? He began to hyperventilate slightly - did he even want those answers? The sheer overwhelming confusion almost led him to nausea.

The Gamer shook his head. “I- I’m sorry, what?”

You can’t really be that shocked. You only heard of me like yesterday.

’That- That’s WHY I’m so confused! Last weekend the biggest thing that happened was getting some games from my mom for my birthday and getting to video call my dad. Where did any of this come from? Why would some all-powerful goddess from a world of magic that I’m not even in pick me?’

OK, well, it sounds worse when you put it like that.

“How else should I put it?” He let those words slip, and the room around him paused.

“John?” Ela’s voice finally broke through the fog around him.

He paused, looking over at his friend. “Sorry… I- I’m just a little overwhelmed right now…

“Are you sure that you’re… sure?” The Gamer asked, looking over at the Warden and her father. “Wh- why would I have gotten powers from ‘The Lady?’”

“I assure you that my testing was quite thorough,” Cornelius answered, speaking up from where he’d been silently observing in the corner. “You and your items both resonate with an aura of magic that I have only before seen in the Wardens and their armaments.”

“We have verified his findings with the other branches,” Lord Brighton continued. “As to why she chose you - that is something none of us can answer, yet.”

I thought I already told you that they were right? Oh yeah, the achievement for learning my name is buried under that huge pile of stuff you got earlier.

A familiar orange box popped up in his vision as an achievement skipped the line of his notifications, drawn forth by his benefactor - the Lady Gaia, he reminded himself.

’So… is it the Lady? Is it Gaia? Lady Gaia?’ he asked, mentally. ’Is there a difference? Or are they all correct?’

Yes.

“Got it.” He sighed, looking up at the people around him. He blushed slightly, realizing that he’d been hopping around between two conversations and ignoring them. “Sorry about that. She’s… talking to me, I guess.”

“She really talks to you?” Moira asked. “Casually?”

John reached around to scratch the back of his neck. “I mean, yeah? Like I said yesterday, sometimes I get comments in my head, and a lot of the windows I get have little quips in them - from her, I suppose. I promise that she’s mostly just making fun of me…”

The Warden narrowed her eyes in confusion at that. “Are you sure that she isn’t giving you some sort of message hidden behind her words? No direction for what you should do with these abilities she’s granted you?”

Ah, I do love this one. So faithful.

John held back a groan as a faint giggling echoed inside his head. “No… I, uh, I’m pretty sure that she hasn’t done anything like that yet. She, uh, was just confirming that you all were right about who she is.”

’How am I supposed to explain “your almighty Lady is trolling me” to her order of paladins?’ he thought, nervously pondering the question.

You can’t!

’No chance you’ll just tell me why I ended up with these powers, either, I’m guessing?’

That’s a pretty good guess.

John sighed, accepting defeat again. ’I suppose being told “no” is something, at least.’

His stomach settled somewhat as he gave in to the unknown again. A single thought floated up - one he’d had all the way back on Monday, what felt like a month ago now. ’I’m already in this deep. It’s easier to just swim down.’

“Yeah, I mean, I promise you will be the first people I tell if I get some kind of significant goal or something,” he sheepishly replied. “For now, most of my quests have been either learning things about the Abyss or trying to clear my dungeon barriers and get stronger.”

Moira seemed to take that into consideration, pausing her questioning to think that over.

“It has been more than a thousand years since the Lady last chose to bless the world with her influence directly,” Lord Brighton said, looking back between his daughter and John. “Perhaps we are not yet meant to understand.”

Or maybe there is no reason.

John could only smile at that. None of this made any sense to him, but, if he was gonna have a voice in his head to go along with these powers, at least she had a sense of humor.

The Lord-Protector of the Order paused, looking at the sudden exasperated look on The Gamer’s face. “Perhaps it would be better to continue this conversation another time. I’m sure you are all exhausted from the events of the day.”

“This is just… a lot to take in,” John said. “On top of everything that happened earlier.”

“Of course,” the older man responded, allowing his expression to soften some. “I should remember that you were only awakened to the Abyss mere days ago. I would request that you both return tomorrow, though, so that we can finish discussing everything.”

Ela nodded. “Of course, Lord-Protector.”

“Will that work for you, John?”

“Um, like after school tomorrow?” he asked, before he thought about it. “...That sounds really silly, doesn’t it?”

John took a moment to think that over. An **** attempt on a real life paladin that had also almost taken his own life - and the life of the first real friend he’d made in years, someone he genuinely cared about - should so clearly eclipse his school work that it seemed ridiculous to have even asked. His brain simply hadn’t made that adjustment yet.

“Ashcroft will be closed to students for the remainder of the week,” Lord Brighton said, bringing The Gamer back to reality. “We have negotiated a closure to allow us to investigate how this happened, so you need not worry about missing any classes.”

“Right,” John muttered. “I suppose you all ought to have that ability, given everything else I’ve heard so far.”

“The Order has connections that can allow us to excuse you from classes as well, should it be necessary in the future,” the graying redhead continued, closing the folder in front of him. “I will make note that we encourage all of our members to continue to pursue their education, despite the money that can be made in the Abyss. It is good to be a well-rounded individual.”

John paused to scratch his head. “That makes way more sense than I’d like it to.”

The Lord-Protector pursed his lips, carefully threading his fingers together in front of him as his tone shifted. “Now, before we part for the day, there is one more matter that does need to be discussed immediately.”

The aging paladin reached over to take the silver dish in his hand, the one that John had seen as he entered the room. The gem within rattled slightly as he brought it to center, resting on his desk directly between himself and The Gamer. John caught his breath in his throat for a second as he waited for the man to continue.

“This was recovered from the scene of the battle - one of the ‘skill gems’ you described to us yesterday, correct?” Lord Brighton asked, tilting his face ever so slightly down towards the gem.

“Yeah… At least, I’m pretty sure it is,” The Gamer responded, trying not to let his nervousness bleed through too badly into his words. “I, uh, never got to see it before I passed out.”

“It is truly a marvel of magic, as you described it yesterday. Contained within is the concentrated essence of a spell itself. I was able to feel the kind of magic that it holds as soon as I touched it.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop considerably as the man’s severity increased. Moira and Ela sat back in their chairs, deferring to the overwhelming presence of the Lord-Protector.

“Blood Magic,” John all but whispered, meeting Lord Brighton’s gaze.

“John?” Ela inquired, nearly as quietly, thoroughly confused. “What do you mean?”

The Bookworm Knight and the Warden both turned to look at him, piercing eyes full of questions. The room around him seemed to close in on The Gamer, tightening in, squeezing him to ****. Pressure grew, both within and without. John simply let it all wash over him… then it passed.

He’d already made peace with what he’d done - he just had to remember that.

“During the fight, I ran out of mana. The ice dome was going to collapse, so I tried something,” he said, surprising even himself with his steadiness. “I… reversed the healing spell that Ela taught me yesterday, pulling mana out of my own life.

“It gave me just enough strength to keep the barrier standing until Moira and Ela woke up.” John tilted his head somewhat, tasting his next words before he said them. "I don't regret it. Not at all."

"Is that all it can do? Draw mana from your own blood?"

"As far as I know, yes," The Gamer answered, considering his response carefully. "Though, to be entirely honest, I can't be sure of its limits."

The Lord-Protector exhaled deeply, a hundred-year-old sigh that seemed to chase away the tension. "Your honesty is appreciated. I cannot deny that you may be correct that it was your only option, but the Order takes this kind of magic very seriously."

Silence passed for one unending second.

It was Moira who broke it. "Did he not prove his character today, Father?"

The older Brighton closed his eyes in consideration. Meanwhile, John turned, unable to conceal surprise as he locked eyes with the Warden. She smiled again as they awaited her father’s response.

“It does not need to be the boy’s character in question,” he began, his voice a low rumble. “I have seen the best of men falter in the face of dark magic. The distinction here is the source - never before have I heard of the Lady herself creating such a spell.

"I weigh my sense against my faith, in that case," Lord Brighton continued, rising from his seat. He picked up the silver tray, looking down into it intensely. "I have never known blood magic not to lead to ruin."

The man sighed, slowly walking around his desk, the afternoon light casting him in shadow. "Yet, today, it saved my daughter’s life."

He crossed the room deliberately, each heavy footfall echoing around the study. As the man came to stand in front of The Gamer, he tilted his head ever so slightly, bright oranges of the sun illuminating his sharp features.

Slowly, he lowered the dish to John, offering him the gem. "The Lady gave this to you. It is not my place to take it away."

The young alchemist nodded, gingerly picking up the bright red skill gem. It was just faintly warm to the touch, and shimmered as he held it in his palm.

"Thank you for trusting me. Hopefully I won't need to use it again."

The Lord-Protector pursed his lips, allowing the faintest smile of approval to grace his normally stoic appearance. "I believe you to be a good man, but remember this, John Newman - the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

He turned, walking back to his desk. "That's a lesson the Order itself must be reminded of, from time to time."

The Gamer quickly stashed away his skill gem in the bag in his inventory, his anxiousness finally catching up to him again. He had no idea where he'd found that momentary flash of confidence. John took a single deep, shaky breath, and tried to **** himself to decompress.

"You are all free to go, for today," Lord Brighton said, once more seated behind his imposing bastion of mahogany. "Reginald can take you all home, since your own transport is gone for now.

“Thank you again for all that you have done today.”

“Um…” The Gamer started nervously. “Can he come get me tomorrow as well? I don’t actually have my own car, and it’s quite a walk over here.”

The Lord-Protector laced his fingers together in front of him before responding. “Of course. That offer extends to you as well, Knight Grzmot.”

John and Ela both nodded, agreeing to return to the manor just after noon the next day.

The Bookworm Knight stood up after that, slinging the bag she’d set down over her shoulder. It took The Gamer a moment to find the strength in his legs again before he, too, rose from his chair, stashing away the bag of his equipment in his inventory. As Ela exchanged some final goodbyes with the Lord-Protector, Moira stood from her chair, walking around her father’s immense desk to join the pair.

“Can I see them out, Father?” the Warden asked hopefully, looking over her shoulder. “Reginald can meet us in the foyer.”

Lord Brighton allowed himself a much more genuine smile. “Of course.”

Cornelius, too, bid them farewell, and the trio departed from the study, heading for the front of the building. There was a comfortable silence between them as they moved - something that would have been foreign to John even a few days ago. It was so nice to finally have people that he could simply exist around without his anxiety immediately taking over. He could get used to having friends.

’Does Moira count as my friend? I’d like to think so.’

You have the observational skills of the average cucumber, you know that?

’What’s that supposed to mean?’

John received no answer, so he filed the comment away as something to think about later. Unfortunately for him, the trio’s journey was quite short - at least it seemed that way to him. Before he knew it, they’d arrived in the entryway, where Reginald awaited them. While the Order’s most trusted butler assisted The Gamer in setting up an account with the Abyss Auction, Moira and Ela stood off to the side, having a hushed conversation.

“So… I just need to put my palm here?” John asked, looking at a tablet that Reginald had presented him with.

“Indeed,” the older man replied. “The Auction registers individuals based on the signature of their mana - similar to a fingerprint. Once your registration is complete, you will be able to access their services from a multitude of devices.”

“Gotcha.”

It took a few minutes for John to finish connecting himself to the Auction’s servers, setting up a username, password, and registering for a type of Abyssal two-factor authentication based on his mana. Once he was done, though, he was able to move money between his mundane bank account and his inventory, browse and order magic items and services, and dozens of other things he wasn’t even entirely sure of yet, all from his phone.

“This is really convenient.”

“The Auction is the backbone of most Abyssal economies,” Reginald said, closing the tablet and stepping back. “I’m sure you will find them most useful to build rapport with, going forward.”

The man turned to address Moira. “Warden, we are done.”

“Right…” Moira said, somewhat dourly. “I suppose that I should let you both go. Reginald has many things to do, I’m sure, beyond taking you both home.”

“We have enough time for you to say goodbye,” Reginald answered, knowingly. “I will go and start the car.”

The Warden blushed lightly as the butler departed through the oversized front doors of her family’s manor. “I-”

She sighed in resignation. John furrowed his brows in confusion, finally taking note of Moira’s expression - was this what Gaia had been talking about? What did that mean?

Ela interrupted that line of thinking. “Goodbye, Moira. It was an honor to fight alongside you today, but nicer to get to know you after.”

“I should be thanking you more, Ela,” the Warden started. “I’m not sure I would have made it without your healing magic.”

“I would not have made it without yours.” The blonde smiled. “If I do rejoin the Order, I hope that we will be able to work together again.

The redhead nodded. “I promise - I’ll make sure of it.”

The Warden and the Bookworm Knight exchanged more serious looks, a silent understanding reached between them. With that, Ela waved goodbye and moved to head out the door and join Reginald in the car, leaving John and Moira alone in the manor’s entryway. They stood in silence for a moment, but a much less comfortable one than before. The Gamer was unsure of what to say and he almost chose simply to walk away before Moira began speaking, more uncertain than he’d ever heard her.

“I was wrong about you.”

“Huh?” John blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I misjudged you yesterday,” she continued. “You didn’t fit what I would have expected from a late bloomer, let alone one of the Lady’s chosen.”

“I mean, you don’t really need to feel bad about that. I’m still wondering why she chose me,” John said, almost chuckling, defaulting to his normal self-depreciation. “I’m just some random guy”

“You don’t need to wonder,” she stated, her voice resolved. “I saw what she must have seen in you, earlier today.”

The Warden turned to him with a genuine smile, her eyes meeting his. “There’s a hero in you, somewhere. She made the right choice.”