A Bored Lich

"You're certainly informed," Doevm said.

"I-I just heard it from the people around me," the driver hesitated, still speaking with eyes on the road.

"I see," Doevm nodded. 'I knew that voice was familiar,' he thought as he stared out the window. "Good thing Lance was so decisive. Now is the best time to enact such new policies."

"It was a long time coming," the driver responded.

"You are extremely well-informed," Doevm let out an exaggerated gasp. "The policy hasn't been announced yet."

The driver went silent.

Doevm decided to push one last time. "Have you been to the Virility estate before? I hear the goblins they grow are to die for."

"I've seen their goblins a few times," the driver huffed, then her head sunk into her calloused hands. "That was a test, wasn't it?"

"Is she someone you know?" Thomas asked.

"Yup," Doevm said. "Another fool to add to the bunch, aren't you Olpi?"

Olpi slowly turned to face them. "I didn't really have a choice," she said. "They kind of...kicked me out."

"Why would they do that when you've helped them for so long?" Doevm asked.

Olpi's pointed ears tilted downwards. "Trenton said I'd been in there long enough and that I needed to go out into the world. Menla said she would take over the leadership role. I tried to argue but the others dragged me into the carriage and threw my stuff in here along with a lot of gold pieces. Can I just go with you guys while I figure out what to do with myself?"

"What the hell? You're already here, aren't you?" Doevm shrugged. "What's one more to the Lich daycare?"

"L-lich?" Olpi hesitated. "What's that?"

"...I'll tell you later."

*Chapter end and new chapter start*

A carriage bounced down one of many, twisting, bumpy streets haphazardly placed throughout the outer district. The city gates lay just ahead, the point of no return. As dilapidated structure after dilapidated structure passed by the window, Doevm's frown deepened. "I feel like I'm forgetting something," he said.

"It's probably because we're leaving so fast," Thomas said. "We've been here for well over a month yet it feels like it's been both shorter and longer than that."

"Most of our time wasn't here," Frey suggested. "Maybe that's why."

"Still," Doevm insisted. "Something feels unfinished."

"Do you wish to turn around?" the driver's faintly familiar voice once again caught Doevm's attention.

"No, keep going," Doevm said. "I remember it now." He snapped his fingers and six magic circles and a black curtain covered the walls, ceiling, and floor. The sounds of the city slid off the barrier like oil and water, leaving the cabin in a pitch-black silence. "Compound Magic: Conspirators' Sanctuary."

"What was that for?" Elero's voice called out in the darkness.

"For all the prying eyes," Doevm said. "Patience." Dim balls of ethereal light rose from his palm like bubbles and clustered along the slanted ceiling. In his other hand was a small, red ball which he shattered. Elero jerked forward as if something foreign had been ripped from her, but it wasn't unpleasant if not a bit sudden. "That was another defensive measure, nothing harmful I promise you," he explained and Elero lowered a fist.

"At least warn me next time. What even was that?"

"Everyone has one," Doevm stated. "A mirror that the gods can look through to view their game pieces. I broke yours, mine, Frey's, and Thomas's because I don't want the gods overhearing my plan to kill them." He pulled an ancient scroll out of his spatial ring: a map. "Those arrogant beings have become far too much of a nuisance as of late with little understanding of repercussions...why are you guys so quiet?"

"I don't know how to react," Elero said. "I mean, you just said you would slaughter both gods."

"Actually, there's three of them," Doevm said.

Then he told them everything; his reincarnation, the soulmana, the sons of Maximus Draken, of their fate after a mysterious arrow interrupted a negotiation, of how the legendary hero made a god bleed, and lastly his goal. Frey and Thomas weren't as shocked as Elero, having known his secrets for much longer, but hearing Doevm's lineage was more than enough to compensate for that.

"The gods," Doevm continued. "are arrogant and hypocritical. They stole from my library, destroyed my family's life, turned me into a Lich, and probably a whole slew of other actions I have yet to discover!" He paused and found himself out of breath, looking into each of his friends' faces. His face burned in a way it never had, even when talking about those fucking humans.

"Take your time," Frey said. "We've all known something was happening behind the scenes." He scratched the back of his head. "We just didn't know it was this big." Thomas and Elero had their heads down, silently absorbing it all.

Doevm took a few deep breaths and the burning subsided, nearly. "The Demon King just happened to attack the academy as I was there? I don't think that's likely given I was only there for two weeks. In addition, no one just happens to come across another one of Maker's champions like I did with Jackal. I don't know the extent of the gods' manipulation nor their game, but I know I've had enough of their manipulation. I will be no one's pawn."

"Holy shit," Elero whispered. "I thought I had it bad. If I didn't know you, I'd call you crazy."

Thomas pointed at the map with a shaking finger. "Is that why we worked so hard for that map?"

Doevm nodded and held the scroll up for the rest to see. "The map to legacies left behind by Maximus Draken himself. With this, I can finally end this stupid game."

"So we're going to Vilbar to search for buried treasure?" Elero asked. "Really?"

Doevm chuckled. "It doesn't have to be buried but essentially, yes. I should add that this is only a secondary objective."

Thomas swallowed his saliva. "If killing the gods is the secondary objective then....what's the main objective? What are you planning?"