After dropping Melissa at the hospital, it was edging close to noon. I didn’t feel like making lunch, so I decided to take the easy route. It had been a long morning walking through the woods, talking with someone I hadn’t had much time to get to know. I knew her a lot better now. Once Melissa realized she could use BACKSTAB, she really got into it.
If I needed a Healer, and she was available in the mornings…or at least part of the day…there was no reason not to help us both out. We needed more Healers with REVIVE. She was Level 5, so five more to go. If she sold her share of drops, she could upgrade her gear and have more protection than just my enchantments on it.
“Am I being selfish because I want her protecting Shadow as part of her squad…and helping me too?” I wondered as I pulled into the McDonald’s drive-thru near the hospital. Lunch prep wasn’t on my to-do list today. Two orders of McNuggets would keep me going until dinner…plus coffee, of course…and I had some healthier snacks back at home to balance it out.
“Yeah… for helping me, I am,” I decided while waiting for my food. “But also helping others too makes it not matter as much.”
After the Battle of Eddington, we’d found out that anyone who hadn’t created a dual class could still do it within the first 24 hours after choosing their first class and abilities. The catch was they had to have enough points left.
Melissa hadn’t spent all of hers, and with what she earned from the battle, she barely scraped together enough to qualify. Most people couldn’t.
The System wouldn’t even let me try to take a third class.
Driving back through downtown Eddington, I got a game chat message from someone I knew I needed to answer. Lunchtime traffic was back to normal, and I wanted to be safe about it.
The nearest parking lot belonged to a used furniture store. One that had been here since before I was a student. My wife and I had bought some of our first furniture there. I still had the couch and armchairs. It was as good a spot as any to reply…and sneak a nugget or two while they were still warm.
[MBledsoe:] [William of Brinsford] [The TV station agreed to let us use Tarcheski and the cameraman for something special tonight and tomorrow. No live broadcast until later. They get the exclusive on what she films. Blaze let me know what you have planned, and that you cleared it from up top. That true?]
[William of Brinsford:] [MBledsoe] [Thank you. Do you have her game name so I can contact her directly? I don’t remember it. The thing is mostly cleared. Final OK that it’s happening hasn’t come through yet. Still waiting for it.]
[MBledsoe:] [William of Brinsford] [I thought as much. I haven’t passed it up the line yet. I love my agency, but sometimes they leak worse than a sieve. Just remember, if anything goes bad, you won’t be seeing sunlight for a long time.]
[William of Brinsford:] [MBledsoe] [I know. I’m getting the Irregulars to make a perimeter around the area. And they’re our back-up if the 19th can’t do it. Maybe you better cover your ass and be there too?]
[MBledsoe:] [William of Brinsford] [I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Blaze says she’ll get me to Level 3 today so I can have the kitty version of STEALTH. Don’t let my bosses know I’m having fun on the job, but I am.]
[William of Brinsford:] [MBledsoe] [I’m sure of it. What’s Tarcheski’s Game contact? I need to make sure she has everything she needs. And when she can release things.]
[MBledsoe:] [William of Brinsford] [Still looking for it. Found it. Vaneski. The guy is Airmann. Two Ns for some reason.]
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
[William of Brinsford:] [MBledsoe] [Thank you. Now that you say it, I sort of remember that. I thought Airmann fit an Air Mage. If something comes up, let me know.]
[MBledsoe:] [William of Brinsford] [Roger that, as Blaze says.]
[William of Brinsford:] [MBledsoe] [grrrrrrr]
By then, my nuggets were cold. “I’ll nuke ‘em when I get home.” Shaking my head, I pulled out of the lot. “If even he’s going to start using that phrase….”
Not that it mattered. I’d given up on stopping it two days ago.
Of course, things happened the moment I sat down at my desk with coffee and reheated nuggets. Before I could even check for email worth reading, I got the chat I’d been waiting for.
[GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [The pigeon has flown the coop.]
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Do you guys really use cliché movie lines like that?]
[GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [Hahaha. No, but we do say the president has left the building.]
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Yeah. I bet you do. And they do that. So…you-know-who is on their way?]
[GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [They are. They’re making a stop on the way and shifting transport. Can you or Blaze meet them at your local airport? I’ll give you their ETA when I know it. We don’t want a caravan of black SUVs for everyone to comment about on the net.]
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Got it. Blaze’s car is the better choice. It looks like a lot of others. Being FBI should count as some extra security.]
[GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [Counts, but we’ve still got one of her personal detail with her and a car tailing. There’ll be a full team in town before she arrives.]
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Thanks. Do I tell Blaze or do you do it?]
[GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [You do it. I’ll be back in town before she gets here. I’m at your capital right now. Expect visitors before she arrives to check out your house.]
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [You or someone else? Is the password ‘Gunny sent me’?]
He didn’t answer.
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [OK. What about dinner? What can we fix?]
A couple of minutes, two pages edited, and three nuggets dipped in honey barbecue sauce later, he answered.
[GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [Don’t bother. The White House kitchen prepared it. You heat and serve. I’ll tell them to use it.]
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Got it. Same with drinks?]
[GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [As long as it’s non-alcoholic and her guard prepares it, no problem. She mostly drinks tea and coffee.]
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [That I have. Anything else?]
[GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [If there is, I’ll let you know.]
[William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Got it. See you tonight.]
“Now I have to let Blaze know. Good thing I can eat and type or chat at the same time. I finished off the last few nuggets, wiped a couple drops of sauce from my desk, and sent the chat message.
[William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [The bird is the word.]
A few minutes later, she replied.
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [The what?]
[William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [The bird is the word. Old song. Very old song. Gunny told me the bird flew the coop. She’s on her way.]
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [OK. I get that now. I don’t remember the song.]
[William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Good. You’ll live longer that way. He says he wants you to pick her and her protection up at the local airport and bring them here. They’re bringing food. We just heat and serve it.]
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Good. That means neither of us needs to worry about accidentally poisoning her.]
[William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Yeah. You don’t want your name attached to a headline saying ‘President poisoned by garlic overdose.’ She’s not Italian after all. Neither are you.]
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [No, but my grandmother on my mother’s side was. She said she wanted to teach me how to cook. She did. That’s why I’m a better cook than you.]
[William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Yeah. You are. No question about it. You can put away your little book of poisons for all occasions now.]
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Ha ha.]
[William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Anyway… look up how to get there and be ready for when I get her ETA.]
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Roger that. See ya later.]
Musical Interlude:
The Trashmen - The Bird Is The Word
We are on Rising Stars, Contemporary List. As long as we stay on it, chapters will be released daily. Please Follow, Favorite, and Rate how much you like it. And tell your friends about Mana Mage. That will keep it on the list and new chapters coming to you sooner. With your help, we can make the main list too.
We are on Rising Stars, Contemporary List. As long as we stay on it, chapters will be released daily. Please Follow, Favorite, and Rate how much you like it. And tell your friends about Mana Mage. That will keep it on the list and new chapters coming to you sooner. With your help, we can make the main list too.
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