The First Archmage

(Gavin)

As I try to process the message, the Rift behind me vanishes. I spin around, then jump back in surprise. There's a large green thing made of metal standing there. I quickly appraise it.

Dumpster: A storage unit for nontoxic waste.

I don't understand the words. I mean, it's in Jozan, but nontoxic? And what waste? We do our best not to waste anything. As I focus on the last two words, a new message appears.

Toxic waste can can include bodily releases, such as urin, poop, blood, and vomit. Nontoxic refers to anything which is not toxic. Nontoxic waste is any waste that is not toxic, such as leftover food, everyday trash, and unwanted items.

Leftover food? Since when is food leftover? Food should never be wasted. And they would put it into one of these storage units? What, then? Does their magic enable them to just store it until they want it?

I walk forward to the dumpster, examining it further. It's boxlike, and has two big, black things on top made of some unknown substance. They're thin, and cover the entire top. I push it up, and immediately, my nose is assaulted by a foul stench.

I quickly drop it, jumping back.

They leave it to rot. I'm too short to look inside, and now I'm grateful for that. It smells so bad that I probably don't want to know what it looks like.

The buildings on either side of me seem to be built of brick, and the ground, some sort of strange, rough, grey stone. One end of the passage ends in another building, the other opens onto a street also made of the same strange stone.

There are strange noises coming from out there, and when I look that way, I can see a few people. Their clothes are nothing like mine. They look weird, and I'm a bit nervous to set foot out there. If I do, they'll probably question me.

I'm not even sure if I know the answers, and that's a problem. A huge problem.

Plus, they have big, noisy metal things moving by. Not all of them are noisy, just some, but they're scary.

I watch as they go by, focusing my eyes on a stationary one on the other side of the street.

Car (Vehicle): A mode of transportation powered by an engine within it.

Someone walks up to the one I assessed, opens the side of it, and enters. A few moments later, the 'car' moves into the streets and starts down the street. The person's hands are on the wheel. They all look human. I try out my appraisal on one of the people, who is standing by a tall, metal post, looking at something in his hand.

Frank, Human, Unclassed

People without access to the System still register through appraisal? I guess the message upon arriving here kind of told me that, since they simply don't have access to the System, but it's still here.

Five men enter the alley I'm in, and their eyes immediately fix on me. They all have magic, I sense. One of them speaks in some foreign language, and I can't understand a word of it.

He takes a step toward me, and I sense danger. I gained Threat Detection in the Dungeon, and at Level 4. I'm not surprised by that, and wouldn't be surprised if others from my village would gain the Skill and some Level above Level 1.

I summon a Magic Bolt in front of me, sustaining it as I stare him down.

They all pause, and the sense of danger weakens, but only a little. The violet light of my Magic Bolt gives the alley an ethereal glow. Magic Bolts are ordinarily bluish in hue, and I'm hoping that the color alone gives them pause.

One of them says something to the one in front, and I still can't understand a word of it, no matter how hard I try. Somehow, I seem to know a couple of their words, as if a language once known, but forgotten. I can't figure out what they mean, though.

I catch a name. Christopher.

The two men start arguing, and as I watch, my path out blocked, I gain a Level for Magic Bolt.

All five of them look back at me, likely sensing the slight increase in power that came with the increase.

The leader of them pulls one of those strange objects in people's hands out on the street, then puts it to his ear.

It's some sort of magical communication device? I can't sense magic in it, no matter how hard I try, and I even gain a Level for that as I try.

"Christopher," he says, then speaks in that foreign language.

A moment later, I feel a flux in space, and a man with eerily familiar blond hair and blue eyes appears in front of me, staring at me.

"Gavin," he says, and I take a step back, firing off my Magic Bolt in shot.

A shimmering blue barrier forms in front of him, my spell deflecting off. The man looks shocked for a moment. It didn't do anything to his shield, yet it wasn't until the impact that he looked shocked.

"My son," he says.

That, for some reason, I seem to understand.

Skill Gained!

English Human Language 1/10: The human language of English

Gaining a foreign language Skill has unlocked your native tongue's respective Skill

Skill Gained!

Jozan Human Language 4/10: The human language of Jozan

I'm only at Level 4 of Jozan? Really? That only shows me how difficult it is to learn a language Skill and its Levels.

I consider myself quite fluent in it.

The five men behind this man seem to fear him, yet the moment they said his name, the sense of danger vanished. This man…

Is he my father? His hair and eyes… I only recently saw mine, but his look the same. Plus, he knows my name. Chief says that when I was found, I knew my name. I was quite happy to share it, they said.

"Gavin Jakran," I say, and the five men behind him swallow, fear evident on their face.

Even more so than before they looked at my magic.

I can see why, though.

This man's magic is greater than even Natalie's, and she was the most powerful magician in all of Jozan. If this man is my father, and they had hurt me… what would he do to them?

"Begone," he commands without even looking at them, and while I can't understand the word, his tone makes me think it's an order to leave.

The five of them leave, and the man steps forward. I summon another Magic Bolt, just in case. I don't sense any danger from him, but he might be able to fool my Threat Detection.

He holds his hands up to either side of his head, but I don't let up on the spell. He's way stronger than me, but that doesn't matter. I'm not trying to scare him. I want him to know I don't feel safe.

He frowns, then focuses for a moment.

"Speak?" It sounds more like a question.

Does he… know I can't speak his language? But if so, why would he try such a simple word for me? Wouldn't that mean he… knew I might know some? It's been a long time since I've spoken this language, if this is my birthworld, that I've forgotten probably everything. Only with that Skill did I even begin to understand the few words I do know.

He frowns, then gestures to his mouth. He knows I can't understand him, yet he's trying to get me to speak.

He thinks for a few moments, then a message appears in my vision.

Personal Quest Available:

Source: Wizard Christopher Jakran

Quest: Say a few words

Requirement: Say a few words so I know if I know your language or not.

Reward: 5 Human Experience

Accept: Y/N?

He… has access to the System. And it says that he's a Wizard. Like me. He could see my name and Class. That's how he knew I had access to the System, and how he probably figured I couldn't speak his language.

The System message was all in Jozan, though…

Does it automatically translate Quests and stuff into my native tongue?

+0 INT!

Thank you for that, System.

+0 CHA!

"I accept the Quest you've given to me," I hope that's enough, and that saying it while accepting the Quest counts for the Quest reward, since it was technically after I accepted that the last four were said.

"Jozan!" He laughs in Jozan. "It's been many years since I last spoke this language, I'd almost forgotten I had it! Though, with the difference in time between worlds, and the instability of the passages, it's probably been many more years."

The Quest worked, too, putting my Human Experience up to 69 out of the 125 needed to gain another Level.

"You may not remember me," the Wizard says. "But I'm your father. When you were two, you simply disappeared from us. I found traces of a Natural Rift, but as it had already closed, I couldn't determine its passage. I'm glad you're safe, though, and that it was Jozan that you ended up in. It's a nice country."

"It doesn't exist anymore," I state. "At least, not until I return."

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Its king was killed while I was in the Dungeon that sent me here," I state. "When I return, I will find his heir, protect him, help him train, and once we're stronger, we will return to the land that once was Jozan, and I will return him to the throne."

"Unfortunately," he says. "Time passes faster there. It doesn't always flow at the same rate when compared to here, as sometimes, a hundred years could pass in a minute of our time, or in a decade of our time. It's highly possible that when you return, your companions aren't where you arrive.

"Especially," he says. "Since there are only two ways to pass between worlds: through Skills, or through Rifts, and the latter is risky. You're lucky, if you haven't encountered bad Rifts, but the majority of them are."

"I learn Skills quickly-"

"Because you're a Wizard yes," he nods. "Assess me."

Christopher Jakran, Archwizard (II) 25

"Archwizard?"

"The next Tier above Wizard," he nods. "I hid my other Classes, so you'd see that. Even for me, and all the bonuses of the Class, I have yet to bring any of the Skills that permit passage between realms and worlds to a Level that permits me to bring others along. You will need to train here, in this world, until you are powerful enough to learn one of those Skills, if you wish to return. And yes, I'm aware you'll want to – it's your home, after all. I'm sure you've already had many confusing and frightening encounters here, those fools not included."

"What was with them?" I ask.

"Those who can pass between worlds are few and far between," he says. "So the Mage Guilds of this world are always looking for any sign someone has passed through. They capture and torture and experiment on them, in an attempt to learn the secrets. They're unaware of the System, but they know that those who come from other worlds have far greater strength than those of this world can often achieve. They seek the secret to this. Unfortunately, the language barrier prevents them from finding out it's through the System, and that honestly amuses me.

"It will take some time for you to become more powerful," he switches back to that. "But as long as you continue to expand your Mana Pool daily, as well as train in magic, then I'm sure that, with your Class bonuses, you'll be able to return within a year. Would you be willing to come to my home? So long as you are under my protection, the Guilds will leave you alone. They know that I am more powerful than anything any of them can ever achieve, and so would never dare to harm those I protect. As you are my son, they will see you as a being to avoid at all costs."