Salvation

Same as yesterday, there were barriers lining the back wall of the hall with letters over them. Wow, that was just yesterday. It feels like it was twenty years ago. So much in such little time. Then again, I guess that is the Abyss in a nutshell.

He hesitantly entered the barrier marked ‘A’. “John Newman! Can I just say what a genuine pleasure it is to see you here again? After what I heard, I’m sure you went through quite the ordeal.” The Magician got out of his chair and around the desk to eagerly shake John’s hand.

“How did you… know about it?” John was comforted by the handsome mentor’s presence and attitude, taking the man’s hand gratefully.

“Your friend Abigail is telling me about it as we speak - I’m meeting with her as well. You stepped in a few minutes after her, a few seconds outside if I’m correct. It sounds to me like somebody within this guild is conspiring against you, or more accurately, your sponsor. This doesn’t surprise me, and I have a couple suspects in mind. Namely Strength or The Chariot. Normally The Chariot is a level-headed fellow, but… he has some issues. I want you to know that you always have an ally in me, and I am doing my best to ensure that something like this never happens again,” Alvaro finished, sitting back in his chair. He looked to be briefly considering something, and his eyes glowed a brilliant blue that overtook them completely. After a moment, he heaved a deep sigh.

“So, what can you tell me about the woman who attacked you?” the man’s eyes, now normal and gray once again, rested on John with a piercing gaze.

“Her name was Lucille Palmer. She claimed her ID number was... 9581, with the codename the Prodigy. I used a scrying spell named Stellar Witness on her which requires somebody’s real name to work, so I’m led to believe that’s her real name. It only works when they’re outside though.” John could tell The Magician wanted to speak, so he left a lull in his words.

“Odd, as nobody named Lucille Palmer works as a Sword. And the man with that ID number is a combat evaluator by the codename of Crossfire. She could have registered with us under a false name, as unlikely as that is. Worse still, after Abigail consented to letting me pull an image of the girl out of her memories, I didn’t recognize her. I have a photographic memory. If I had a meeting with her, I would know. Curiouser and curiouser…” The man drew a rectangle in the air with his fingers, and a picture of Lucille in the forest formed.

“So, we know that she’s an agent of ours - or she is an extraordinarily powerful fateweaver who could bypass the whitelist of people allowed into our barriers at any time, or is allied with such, though this is a very, very unlikely possibility - that was tasked with stopping you. We know she isn’t registered on the list of Swords properly. We know what she looks like, unless she’s a changeling. Use Stellar Witness now.” The man stretched his arms up, the roof of the barrier-office disappearing and revealing the sun.

“Lucille Palmer!” John said, attempting to activate the ability in question. To his dismay, naught but an error window appeared.

Error! The ward applied to the target is a higher level than Stellar Witness!

Interpreting his face, Alvaro could tell the spell didn’t work. Instead of the sage wisdom John was expecting, the man merely said, “Bummer.”

“So what do we do?” John expected that he was going to have to fight this, spend some time figuring out who wanted to eliminate him and why.

“We do not do anything, John. You shouldn’t have to worry about being attacked by your own guild, that’s ridiculous. I’m going to take care of it. It shouldn’t happen again, but if someone from our guild attacks you, speak my full name. You don’t have to worry about a thing other than the normal duties expected of you as a Sword. Speaking of which, let’s move on, unless you have any further questions regarding your assailant?” the man leaned back in his chair, giving John the floor. Though he was reassuring, John did have one additional question.

“Well… what’s going to happen to her?” John asked, unsure about the future of the elf, if she even was an elf. Though she had hunted him, and hurt him, he just couldn’t bring himself to hate her. Especially if she was just following orders.

“Well, it depends somewhat. If she’s an external agent, she will be captured, interrogated, and possibly killed. Not only for the murders and attempts at such, but because she was able to infiltrate us. If she’s an internal agent, it becomes somewhat of a mess. We’ll need to launch a full investigation into the matter, and you may be called on to testify. But let’s not worry about that right now. This is a happy occasion! You passed with flying colors! I’ve been told that not only did you assist in the completion of four tasks, but you also eliminated four applicants without killing them. That’s a performance worthy of Class B, and I’m suspicious that you weren’t placed there to begin with, but also glad.”

“I’m happy to hear that, so what level of Sword am I? What do I need to know?” John was eager to get to the core of this meeting.

“You have been evaluated as a Four of Swords. That is the highest level available to Class C. As such, you have a spot in a Four of Swords dormitory. Now, you can choose to simply live there or discuss erecting a permanent residential barrier within it with the Wands. You can also choose not to live there at all. As long as you complete four contracts a month - which is the minimum for a Sword of your level - the space will be free for you to reside in. You will have to negotiate making a barrier in it yourself,” Alvaro tore down the floating picture of the elf, and a small model of a dormitory made out of what seemed to be clouds replaced it.

“How do the contracts work?” John asked, utterly confused by most of what the man had said to this point.

“Well, that’s a whole other beast. Contracts will be posted to a database as we receive them, which you can access from the screens in the lobby. Your card will be upgraded the next time you speak with the secretary to reflect your rank. Much of our work is analog for security reasons, so you may want to begin carrying writing utensils with you if you don’t already. You will have clearance according to your rank. Occasionally, contracts will be assigned to you. You will work closely with a group of Swords detailed in that contract to complete it. Any month in which you work on an assigned contract, you are free from completing the minimum. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to reject a contract assigned to you. The reward for completing a contract - after the fees taken by the guild - will be posted at the bottom of the information. Though we take, we also give. All fees from mirror teleportation concerning contract work are waived, and for personal use you have a 25% discount that also applies to your immediate family. Generally, if you are one of us, you will find our services discounted, though it ranges from service to service and person to person,” Alvaro explained, paying careful attention to John to see if he had any questions. The Gamer wanted nothing more than to keep listening, so The Magician kept talking.

“In terms of difficulty, it is suggested that, if you are the lowest rank detailed on a bounty, you take a team of three with you. Generally, it is left up to the Sword to take the information provided to them and decide whether or not they’ll be right for the job. Should you fail a contract and live, you will have an official hearing with your peers and your punishment will be decided on an individual basis. Should you fail a contract and die, well, then it’s out of your hands. Personally, I’d advise against it,” Alvaro smiled as he said the last part of his speech, keeping John’s rapt attention.

“After our meeting, you will receive a schedule of meetings that will span over the next couple of days. I think you will find tomorrow’s particularly interesting - you have been assigned a member of the Wands to personally assist in developing equipment. You will meet in their workshop, and their fee for designing the first piece of equipment for you will be covered up to $150,000. Your ID card will be your ticket in and out of buildings and will decide what floors you can visit via the elevator in the main building.” Alvaro, amused, took note of the way John’s eyes bugged out when he mentioned the price figure.

“One-hundred and fifty thousand dollars?” John asked, in disbelief that something like that would just be given to him. “And I just get that to spend on whatever this person will design me?”

“That is correct. You may request they develop a single item or multiple. That is for you to negotiate. I believe that concludes matters regarding where you will fit in with us going forward. Talk to the secretary on the second floor of the main building, she’s there day and night, to request a roommate. As you were at the top of your class, you will have some priority. You may wish to surrender your dormitory after all. Either way, please keep any further questions regarding the Rider-Waite system to her. You may also request an official handbook. If you have any other questions for me, I would be happy to answer them.” He looked like he genuinely meant it; the man was eager to hear John speak further after his practiced, long-winded speech.

Seeing this as an opportunity to learn more about the magical items he held, John seized it, “I’ve been doing some research, and I have learned about a set of eight magical ciphers. Do you know anything about that?”

“Well, I’d wager you’re referring to the eight Ciphers created as a monument to the eight major races of an unknown Kingdom. An interesting topic. I’ve spent years researching the same. Nobody knows their Kingdom of origin, but it is said to be a powerful one. The Ciphers were made, one by each race that resided there, to commemorate their peaceful coexistence,” he drew a circle in the air, sections cut out of it glowing to represent the ciphers. Each separated from the circle as he discussed them.

“The humans created the Diamond Cipher, supposedly made with advanced technology.” John recognized the cylinder immediately as it detached from the circle, it was the same object in his inventory. It was a light blue, a color more associated with zircons than diamonds.

“The dwarves created the Molten Cipher, forged deep in the core of the Kingdom.” The object appeared to be nothing more than a mass of shifting magma. Deep, angry shades of orange spiderwebbed through it.

“The centaurs created the Celestial Cipher, made of solidified moonlight.” It looked to be pure silver as it detached from the rest, an ethereal glow surrounding it constantly. It gave off a cold light that filled the room.

“The wood elves created the Wooden Cipher, carved from an Ancestor Tree.” John recognized this one too, as it was a smooth wooden object unlike all the others. Whereas all the rest had shifting numbers or letters (none English) on them, this one was completely smooth.

“The merfolk created the Crystalline Cipher, grown in their farms.” This is what he would expect a Diamond Cipher to look like. Completely clear crystals grew and shattered in a constant cycle on the surface.

“The high elves created the Mithril Cipher, shaped by their nobility.” Whereas the Celestial Cipher had an ethereal glow of a supernatural origin, the overwhelming sheen of this one had to be all natural. It stood apart from the others in that it had a clearly visible button on the top of one end.

“What’s the button for?” John asked, reaching out to the image of the treasure. To his surprise, it solidified to his touch.

“Well, that is the only Cipher I personally own. I’m not entirely sure, but I believe this activates the others. Ancient texts lead me to believe that when it is pressed in the presence of the seven others they activate. My personal theory is that it creates a portal,” Alvaro explained, an unseen **** lifting the Mithril Cipher out of John’s hands. The Spaniard took it in his hands, clearly admiring the object. “It was given to me as a personal gift from a fellow scholar. Onto the others!

“The dark elves, or drow, created the Dark Cipher, created from their shadow magic.” The object mentioned was cloaked in inky black, and John couldn’t make out anything of it except for its vague shape, as if all the light going through that space disappeared.

“The tieflings created the last Cipher. All of the others I’ve recreated from descriptions, illustrations, witnesses, and pictures of them. The tiefling Cipher is rarely mentioned and rarer yet described.” The Magician didn’t look particularly enthused by this fact, though he looked at John curiously. “Odd that you bring this up, most of them are thought to have been randomly scattered about the Abyss long ago. Where did you learn of them?”

“Well, you’ve shown me yours, so I guess I’ll show you mine.” John had a wide grin on his face as he summoned the Wooden Cipher and Diamond Cipher into his hands from his inventory.

The Magician’s jaw dropped when he saw the two objects John was holding. For the first time in his life, he was speechless, “You- you have two? Two of the Ciphers? Here? Now? In front of me? May I? Please?”

John handed the objects to him without a word. A lens appeared in his hands out of nowhere, a piece of purple glass surrounded by a golden rim inscribed with wiry runes. He first observed the Ciphers through them, then put it into his sleeve. He extended his pinky and index fingers on each hand and narrowed them, a dark sphere appearing in the gap between his fingers. One floated into each Cipher, and his eyes glowed their brilliant blue again, this time they remained that way for at least a minute. John stayed silent, not wanting to disrupt the master’s work. A cascade of emotions passed through his face - anger, curiosity, skepticism, sadness - until he finally rested on understanding. “Of course, of course…

“Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention, John. It is truly astounding that someone so young has already learned and achieved so much. This is a lot to ask, but I would consider it a close personal favor if you would loan me these two for… a week, at most. Shorter if you have need of them. You can have them back at any time. I noticed you have a pocket dimension. That’s good. There are those who would kill dozens of people just to see these objects. I… wouldn’t tell anyone else you have them.”

“Right, of course. Just… you’re very knowledgeable, and I had to pay you some way for telling me their story. You may hold onto them; you can keep them better protected than I can, I'm sure,” John replied, bowing to the lord in front of him.

“I appreciate the compliment and the opportunity. You’ve renewed a search for knowledge long thought to be over, and that is a gift greater than I could ever hope to give. Enjoy the rest of dinner.” The Magician bowed back, despite the absurdity of the gesture, grinning from ear to ear. John opened the door, and stepped back out