Grand Game 296: A Primed Discussion (Patreon)

“Primes? Never heard of them,” Cara replied offhandedly.

I nodded. “I’m not surprised. Few have.”

I’d come to Cara mainly because I needed a mage—someone to open a portal to the hidden sector and keep the nether at bay while the wolves transitioned to the guardian tower’s tundra.

There were other options besides Cara—namely Moonshadow or a BHG mage—but those choices were fraught with peril too, and while I’d met my fair share of players in the Game, there weren’t many who I thought I could trust with a secret this dangerous.

I didn’t have to tell Cara about the ancients or my bloodline, of course. But I couldn’t very well expect her to abandon Kesh and the Triumvirate’s protection without understanding the consequences of her choice.

Yes, she was forsworn, so the consequences likely mattered less to her than most. But that did not automatically mean she cared for the Primes or a return to the old ways. She had been sworn once and had believed enough in the new Powers to bind herself closely to one, and perhaps still did. In fact, unlike Anriq, Cara had far less reason to look favorably on House Wolf.

But it didn’t matter.

Telling Cara the truth was the right thing to do.

It might be easier to spin a tale and convince her to join my cause with lies, but while I had no scruples about lying to my foes, I would not do the same to my allies.

I inhaled deeply before beginning. “I’d hoped to have this discussion with you much later, but now, I’m out of time. The Primes—some call them ancients—are those who came before. They were the original rulers of the Forever Kingdom, and each had their own House populated by players—only they called them scions.”

I paused and glanced at Cara. By her stillness, I gathered she was listening avidly. “The new Powers overthrew the Primes, but despite their victory, the Powers still fear the ancients’ return—so much so that they’ve wiped all traces of the Primes’ existence from history. However, there are still hidden pockets of ancient lore scattered across the world. I… stumbled across one and it has set me on a different path.”

“What path?” Cara asked.

I glanced at her. “You must know I’m neither Light, Dark, nor Shadowsworn.”

She nodded. “It’s unusual but hardly criminal.”

“True,” I conceded. “But it hides a deeper truth. I’m… you could say, sworn to Wolf.”

“Wolf? As in the animal?”

My lips quirked. “I’m not sure why, but the Primes modeled themselves after beasts. I am a scion of House Wolf, and if I continue evolving in the manner I have, I will eventually become Wolf Prime. That is by no means guaranteed, though.”

Cara tilted her head. “Did you say evolve?”

“That’s right, and I suspect you know what that means. I’ve undergone a few evolutions already. Each time my Classes have grown stronger, or I have gained powerful new traits.”

“Evolution is the same means by which players transform into Powers,” Cara said.

I nodded. Sulan had told me much the same thing before I’d awakened my blood.

“It is a topic much discussed amongst the sworn,” Cara added. “Those who have experienced an evolution are marked for greatness and are always carefully—if jealously—watched. Only they have the potential to become Powers.”

“What about those who don’t evolve?”

She shrugged. “The best they can hope for is to become envoys.” She looked at me. “Are you sure it’s a… Prime you’re becoming, not another Power?”

“I am,” I replied and went on to explain about my awakened bloodline, the blood memories, the Wolf trials, and the fallen scions. I even relayed my plans for the future and what I hoped to make of House Wolf. I refrained from relating any specifics, though, and made no mention of Anriq, the dire wolves, or Ceruvax.

The truth was that there was a second more calculating motive behind my honesty. Telling Cara about the Primes and my path was a test. If she wanted to betray me, the information I had given her was in itself ample reason to do so. And at the back of my mind was the thought: if she is so inclined, better she does so now.

The fallout would be less.

If Cara ran to the Triumvirate with what I told her today, the new Powers would learn I was a scion, but they would not discover the location of the hidden sector. And right now, as the chosen site of House Wolf, it was the more important secret to protect.

“Thank you for sharing that,” Cara said when I finished. “I finally understand what you meant about being a fugitive.” She paused. “Still, I’m not sure why you’ve told me all this.”

I leaned forward again. “I want you to join me.”

Cara appeared startled. “Join you? I’m not sure I understand. From everything you said, my own path is sealed. I’m still bound to Light, even if I’m no longer sworn to the goddess. How can I become a scion of House Wolf?”

“You can’t,” I admitted. “But that does not mean there won’t be a place for you. A place where you are neither forsworn nor hunted.”

“What are you saying?” Cara asked carefully.

“I want you to relinquish the Triumvirate’s protection. I want you to join me as the combat player you originally were and help me build House Wolf into a refuge, not just for scions of the old ways, but all fugitives from the new Powers’ so-called justice.”

Cara stayed silent so long that I began to worry. “That’s a tall ask,” she said finally.

I opened my mouth, more arguments at the ready.

“But a worthy cause,” she finished before I could voice any of them. She raised her head to look at me. “I think… I think I will join you.”

✵ ✵ ✵

“Are you sure?” I asked after I overcame my shock. “That seems awfully…”

“… fast?” Cara finished for me, amusement tracing her voice.

I nodded. “You mind if I ask why you’ve agreed so readily?”

Rising to her feet, Cara began to pace. “The truth? Ever since I met you, I’ve been restless. Don’t get me wrong. Being Kesh’s agent has earned me a nice, quiet life. I’ve been content. But watching you level, growing in leaps and bounds each time you returned to the shop, it reminded me of… the old days. When I was the one doing the leveling.”

She laughed. “In hindsight, that is likely why I slipped up the other day—too much time spent daydreaming of my old dungeoning days.” Her stride quickened. “When I first became forsworn, I was scared. Lost. Terrified. My fate seemed certain and without hope of escape. So, I grabbed the lifeline Kesh offered.” She spun to face me. “Now, after years of reflection, death—even final death—doesn’t seem so bad.”

“I’m not proposing a suicide run!” I objected.

Cara laughed again, sounding happier than I’d ever heard. “I didn’t think you were. But what I’m trying to say is that it wouldn’t matter. A life not lived is not a life worth living.”

I nodded slowly, understanding her.

“I have one request, though,” Cara said, resuming her pacing.

I eyed her carefully. This was a different Cara from the one I knew. She had always seemed so… contained before. Now, she appeared revitalized and possessed of boundless energy. “Go on. I’m listening.”

“We must tell Kesh,” she said, coming to a halt before me.

“Absolutely not,” I replied immediately. “The more people who know, the greater—”

“Not about you,” she said, stopping me. “About me. That I’m leaving the emporium.”

“Ah.” I rubbed my lips, contemplating her request. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“I don’t want to remove my robe without Kesh’s blessing,” Cara said. “Doing so would feel like a betrayal. She saved me when no one else was willing, and I will not repay her kindness without so much as a farewell.”

I sighed. Cara didn’t seem like she was going to budge on this point. “Alright, I have to head back to Nexus, anyway. How soon can you be ready to leave?”

An errant thought snuck up on me. If Cara did want to betray me, Nexus would be the best place to do it. I squashed the suspicion. It did not do her justice.

“I’m ready right now,” she said, surprising me.

“Then let’s go,” I said, turning towards the door.