Max slowly got to his feet. The dizziness he felt was gone, and when he looked, his friends were standing as well. None of them looked any better, even though they hadn’t taken a talon to the head.
“You are far stronger than you should be, and whatever it is that you did, even if I cannot find out how you have greatly impressed me. For that, you will collect all that I promised, and hopefully, we will not meet again for a few tens of thousands of years.”
Blinking, Max shook his head, trying to understand what the dragon was saying.
He watched as the dragon lowered its head and put a talon in its mouth. The sound that came as it ripped a tooth from its mouth was almost sickening, but in a few seconds, a tooth fell to the ground before him at his feet. The blood from it sizzled as it hit the stone, and Max jumped back, unsure of what might happen if some got on him.
It was longer than he was and almost as thick.
“A tooth worthy of impressing me. Not something I actually believed you could do.”
It then reached its talon up to its chest, digging underneath a scale and wiggling it until it slid under, popping a massive giant scale from its chest. With two talons, it pinched the scale and pulled it from its body, small connecting pieces of flesh stretching until they snapped, freeing the scale entirely.
Setting the scale on top of the bone, the dragon did something with its talon, drawing a rune of some sort in the air. A gem appeared, giving off a gold light as it rested on a pedestal of black metal.
“Touch it and claim the boon you have been promised.”
The four of them came together, each waiting. As Max held his hand out near the orb, he heard no warning and so nodded, each of them touching it. Warmth and power flooded through them.
[ Defense of the Dragon Acquired ]
Each of them smiled, nodding at the other.
“You three must go. Your friend and I need a moment alone for the last gift.”
“But—”
Bending its head till it almost touched Fowl, a growl came from the dragon’s snout.
“I said go. He shall not be harmed and will return safely to you in a moment. I have sworn and will not break my word.”
Stumbling backward, Fowl nodded and looked at Max, who motioned to the portal where they had first come in.
“I’ll be right behind you,” Max whispered as Tanila walked past him, brushing his arm with her hand.
She nodded and moved toward the portal, not looking back.
When the three were gone, Max felt the dragon enter his sphere of detection and turned to see it watching him.
“I will make a pact with you, something most will never offer, and you will be foolish to turn down. Collect your trophies first, and then come to where I am.”
Max paused momentarily, watching the gold dragon move off and lie on the ground. He went to where the scale and the tooth lay on the ground and picked them up one at a time, putting them in his storage.
Turning, Max saw the dragon watching him as he walked toward it.
“Come close, close enough to touch my head.”
Max tried not to stop as he continued walking, unsure what was about to happen.
“Take your glove off, put your hand on my head, and relax. This next part will be easy.”
“What next part?” Max asked, nervous as he placed his hand against the warm, gold scales of the dragon’s snout. They felt harder than anything he could remember touching.”
“We are going to make a pact. Do not share this with anyone, not even your friends, as it will not provide the same level of protection if you share it.”
“A pact? What will that do?”
Sighing, sending warm gusts of air and a few pieces of snot over Max’s head, the dragon groaned.
“I forget, you are not aware of these things. You and I will make a promise not to attack each other or directly oppose one another's moves in the game I play. Please wait,” the dragon said as Max began to open his mouth. “If what I experienced today continues to grow, eventually you will become strong enough for me to approach, but you must conquer the tower of your world. This pact will keep most of my children from attacking you on sight. This does not mean they will be friendly, but you may be able to converse with a few and come to an agreement with them. Just know the younger ones are less likely to agree to such things and will often warn you to leave before attacking.”
Max’s mind was reeling with questions, and he wondered if this was how Fowl always felt.
“Now, here comes the easy part. Keep your hand on me and speak your answer. If at any point you say no, the pact will be broken, and we will be done. Do you understand?”
Max nodded. “You’re not going to try and bind me to something to aid your cause, are you?”
A slight thrum came from the dragon's body, and a smile crept on the lips his hand was so close to.
“No… others might, but I will not. Just know, Max Hoste, someone is looking for you, and they are skilled in finding someone like you. That is how I knew who you were before we met.”
Groaning, Max nodded and pressed his hand harder against the scales.
“Do you, Max Hoste, agree to form a pact with me?”
A moment ticked by before Max realized it was time for him to speak.
“Yes.”
Where his hand was, a soft glow began to appear.
“Are you willing to agree that neither of us will directly oppose the other unless our lives or those we love are endangered?”
Nodding, Max smiled. “Yes.”
The glow began to get brighter, making Max have to squint to be able to see.
“I agree to keep your name a secret and hidden from all who might try to find it out from me. Is this something you desire?”
“Most definitely, yes!”
The massive dragon let out a slight growl, but the spot where Max’s hand was pressed against a scale was almost burning. The light was so bright that his eyes were closed, yet he could still see it.
The scale began to get hotter, and Max was certain he could smell his flesh burning.
“Push through this,” the dragon said.
Focusing on his breathing, Max willed his hand not to move. Time stretched on, and suddenly, the light and the burning sensation were gone.
“It is done. The bond is complete.”
Pulling his hand back, Max saw a slight shimmer on his palm before it disappeared. “What… what happened?”
Thrumming, the dragon lifted its head up and shook it. “You are marked. I will know where you are, and in time, you will know where I am. If you encounter one of my children, they will see the mark. As I mentioned, it is not guaranteed to grant you safety, but it might. Now go, Max Hoste. Be the piece that captures the players.”
His mind was still swirling with questions, but Max knew the odds of him getting more answers were probably zero. He gave a slight bow and turned, walking away as he stared at his hand a bit longer.
“Be ready. It won’t be long before they track you down.”
Turning around, Max saw the dragon flying high into the sky, his wings silent and far enough away that its golden scales looked like a sun rising upward.
“It still sucks you can’t share what happened,” Fowl groaned.
Max shrugged while gently squeezing Tanila’s hand. “I’m just glad things worked out. Besides, we all know how Everett and Tom are going to react if we ever give them those items.”
“Which I still say we shouldn’t,” Batrire replied. “The only problem is finding someone we could trust to craft them into something we can use.”
“I know some people,” Fowl said. “I’m pretty certain if we took that to my family, it would make up for how I left…”The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Sighing, Max nodded. “We got time to figure it out. For now, I’m ready for what’s coming next.”
Fowl bobbed his head in agreement and held out his hand, laughing when Max high-fived him.
“Gods, we’re doomed with these two,” Batrire groaned.
As the four exited the carriage, the driver called out, “You sure you want me to wait?”
“Yeah, we won’t be long. This will be quick!” Max replied, smiling.
The driver shook his head and then moved to where a few other carriages were waiting.
Looking upward, the four of them stared at the tower. It was massive, requiring them to crane their necks backward as it ran into the clouds above. Stonework, like an older style long forgotten, had massive pillars and arches on some floors. Others were made of one solid stone. A few had plants growing out the side, and ever so often, one even had water running down that vanished into nowhere.
“Who would have thought?” Fowl asked, his voice lower than usual. “All my dreams, and here we are.”
A group came from the path that led to the tower, and Max and the rest turned to see the party of three dwarves and two elves smiling and chatting as they made their way toward them.
“It seems like it is possible to be happy,” Batrire said. “If elves are laughing, it must be a good time inside.”
Talina shook her head, rolling her eyes as she glanced up again at the tower. “You’re certain you want to go in?” she asked.
“We’re not staying, just going to crush those gems we got. Then we can return to the Faction house and wait for our new teammate.”
“Enough waiting,” Fowl said, grabbing Batrire’s hand. “Let’s go!”
They all began to laugh and move toward the entrance, getting a few nods from the party they passed, who saw them laughing and smiling.
Max heard one of the dwarves say ‘newbies’ after they passed, getting a laugh from the others, but he didn’t care. They were new to this, and he was excited. His heart was pounding, and even though Talina held his sweaty hand, he was ready.
Outside the massive stone arch that shimmered with a vibrating hum, a pair of guards stepped forward with their hands out.
“Stop! You four need to check in first!” the female guard shouted.
The two guards were covered in very light-looking plate armor with pieces that moved better than the standard full pieces. Each had an emblem of the capital on their shoulder, and the shield they carried had a matching one on it.
“We just hit level fifty!” Fowl exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. “We are just going in for a moment and then coming right back out.”
The woman nodded, a slight smile on her face, while the man to her left remained expressionless. “I understand. I just need you to show me your level. After that, you can enter.”
Fowl went first, getting a nod from the guard as he moved past her, waiting on Batrire, who received the same nod.
Talina passed by quickly, and when Max showed his edited status screen, the woman smiled and motioned for him to join the others.
“Good luck. As you return a few more times, we will begin to recognize you and won’t require this every time.”
Laughing, the four of them raced toward the portal and stopped.
“This seems corny, but we can all hold hands,” Batrire stated. “Unless you don’t want to, that is fine.”
Fowl and Tanila each grabbed one of Batrire’s hands while Max and Tanila intertwined their fingers.
Stepping into the portal, they felt something inside them change, and their vision faded.
“Holy elf tits,” Fowl exclaimed before anyone else could get a chance. “This place is massive.”
Standing a few yards before an arch like the one they had come through, the dungeon turned into a massive, sprawling space below them. A ramp led down, and then there were different areas with grass, some spots with trees, and a few places they could make out with some mountains jutting out. A lake could be seen at the edge of their vision, and the light on this floor seemed to match the light outside.
They grinned as they realized that none of the dungeons they had ever been in could compare to this.
“You all got yours?” Max asked, holding a yellow gem between his fingers for the rest to see.
Each of them nodded, plucking theirs from storage.
“Count of three. One, T–”
“Wait on three or after three?” Fowl asked, cutting off Max.
Batrire groaned and shook her head. “On three! Always on three, you fool!”
“Okay… everyone ready this time?” Max asked again, looking at Fowl, who was grinning like an idiot.
“One, two, three.”
Each of them crushed the tiny yellow gem, and when they did, a surge of light rushed through their fingers, causing them all to jerk slightly.
[ Tower Affinity Activated ]
[ .5% Tower Experience Gained ]
“Holy elf tits,” Tanila joked.
Fowl laughed and nodded. “And those creatures below drop these?”
“That’s what I’ve been told,” she replied, glancing at Batrire and Max.
Rubbing his chin, Fowl began pulling out his plate armor. “I guess we should maybe verify that first? I mean, I’d hate to have wrong information.”
“What do you think, Seth? Up for maybe a few quick monsters?” Talina asked.
Max pulled Talina close, kissing her for a moment before releasing her. “I guess a few can’t hurt.
[Full Status Check]
*****
Max Hoste
-Year-old Human Male
Level 1
Exp 1/1000
Tower Experience: .5%
HP: 1630/1630
MP: 1140/1140
Stamina: 815/815
STR: 161
DEX: 157
CON: 163
INT: 114
WIS: 114
Defense of the Dragon - .5%
Defense of the Demon - .5%
Demon Essence: - 340
Leather Boots - 1 DEX + 5% Speed Bonus while running
Black Quick Pants - 2 STR/DEX +10% Movement Bonus
Ogre’s Black Tunic - 3 STR/CON/DEX + 10% Magic Resist +10% Attack Damage
Black Bracers - 3 STR/CON +15% Damage decrease slashing/piercing
Belt of the Golem - 4 STR/CON +25% Damage decrease slashing/piercing
Scout Spider Helm - 5 STR/CON/DEX. Invisible State, Grants Minor Poison Resist
Cloak of Spider - 5 Dex. Spider Walk - 5 mins / 24 hour cooldown
Green Ring - 1 DEX
Black Rabbit Ring - 2 DEX
Ring of the Golem Prince - 4 CON +25% magic resist
Black Boss Band - 20% Stat Increase
Skills:
Baking - Common
Consume - Epic
Melee Weapon Mastery - Rare
Shield - Rare
Berserker - Uncommon
Elemental Mastery - Uncommon
Stealth - Rare
Dual Wield - Rare
Power Strike - Uncommon
Backstab - Uncommon
Evasion - Uncommon
Archery - Rare
Haste - Uncommon
Festering Touch - Common
Death Magic - Uncommon
Conceal - Epic
Regeneration - Rare
Armored Warrior - Rare
Intimidation - Rare
Dark Magic - Rare
Rampage - Rare
Weakness - Rare
Demonic Magic - Rare
Demonic Summoning - Rare
Demonic Teleportation - Epic
*****