Chapter I: The Death of a Wizard

I had been on the road for seven months when I met Nikolas. He towered over my five-foot-ten frame and was briskly walking past me. He had a thick brow and a long and dark, yet well groomed, beard, but it was his attire that caught my eye. He wore a thick brown cloak, a yellow habit and most peculiarly an orange hood. These were the traditional robes of a faustian wizard, not an uncommon sight far North, but just a few hours from The Yellow Wizard Haven, it was strange indeed. I didn't want to interact with the man, but passersby in this area were a scarcity, and I would soon be dead without aid.

"Hey!" I called out, hoping he would care to answer me.

"Yes?" he answered in a deep voice with a heavy accent and an inquisitive look on his face.

"Could you direct me to the nearest settlement?" I asked. "I was riding from Green Wizard City to meet a colleague at Alessar's on the Chronomancer's Riviera, but this piece of junk won't start." I kicked my motorbike.

The man ignored my question and stood in front of me, brushing the dirt off of my blazer. I didn't like being touched and pushed his arm away with my elbow. "Hello?" I asked, frustrated. He stood there a bit longer and then began to chuckle. Soon he was bent over, dying of laughter. I stood still, my annoyance turned to confusion. He waved his hand over my bike, and the dashboard lit up.

"Merlin's Beard!" I exclaimed. "You're actually... a wizard?" He ignored me again and continued to walk into the desert. It was then that I realized how strange it was for a man (even a magical one) to be walking alone, seemingly without purpose, deep in the desert. Despite my newborn curiosity, I hopped on my bike, calibrated the GPS, and started the engine. I was still two hours away from Alessar's and if I wasn’t there on time, Crom would probably kill me. I was about to drive away when my curiosity about the wizard started to consume me. "Wait!" I yelled at him, as he was now a good distance away. "Who are you?"

"I'm Nikolas," he answered calmly, but loud enough.

"What are you even doing here?" I yelled as I parked my bike and hopped off of it.

"I came to help you with your bike," he replied, matter of factly.

Is he joking? I wondered. But his tone seemed so serious. I shrugged it off and hopped back on my bike. I looked down and restarted the engine, but when I looked up, I nearly fell off my bike in shock. Nikolas was standing in front of me, his face veiled in a blank expression. He had seemingly teleported.

"Grab your bag," he demanded calmly. Either out of fear or curiosity (I'm still not quite sure), I did as he asked. "Good." He grabbed my arm firmly as I began to regret not driving off when I had the chance. He said nothing for a good fifteen seconds while I tried to release his grasp. Then I began to feel dizzy, and my whole body started to spin with his. I felt a blast of air hit my face as I ascended into the sky and then into a black void. I heard the sound of harsh wind all around me and then, silence. Woosh! I heard as I stumbled onto a brick pavement. I opened my eyes and began to aggressively blink. When my vision was restored, I saw a bright neon sign that read, "Welcome to the Chronomancer's Riviera."

I looked around in disbelief as Nikolas walked past me, his robes rustling against the wind. I had so many questions for him, but I couldn't find the words to ask. How had he teleported me here? What kind of wizardry was this?

As I followed him through the crowded streets, I couldn't help but feel out of place. The Riviera was a luxurious hub for magic users and wealthy noblemen. It was littered with fashion boutiques, casinos, brothels, and expensive restaurants. Everyone was dressed in weird robes, and the streets were lined with sports cars and limousines. Immediately, I realized I had a rifle hanging from my pack, but when I turned around to cover it, it was already gone. Nikolas glanced over at me and revealed the gun under his robes. The gesture made me all the more uncomfortable. He led me through alleys and shortcuts until we arrived at a small cafe.

Nikolas gestured for me to sit down at a table, and I obliged. The cafe was dimly lit, but I could still make out the intricate designs on the walls and the strange symbols etched into the tables. Nikolas ordered us both coffee, and we sat in silence as we waited for the drinks to arrive.

I took a sip of my coffee and immediately regretted it. It was bitter and tasted like burnt toast. Nikolas seemed to notice my distaste and chuckled to himself. "I know it's not the best coffee, but it's the only place around here that serves it," he said, still chuckling.

I couldn't help but smile at his good humor. Despite his strange behavior, he seemed like a kind and intelligent man. I decided to take a chance and ask him some questions. "How did you teleport us here? I've never seen anything like it," I asked.

Nikolas looked at me intently, his eyes seeming to glow in the dim light. "Teleportation is a simple spell, but it can be dangerous if not performed correctly.” I nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. "And what were you doing out there in the middle of the desert?"

"I was looking for you," he said.

"Why would a wizard, a real wizard, be looking for me?" I asked, my tone implying that I didn't believe him, yet I was hoping what he said was true.

"You were traveling here to meet Cromwell Knightly, correct?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm here to meet Crom. What does it matter? He's a nobody sleazebag that I owe some money to, simple as that." I replied.

"Cromwell is a dangerous wizard…uh…what is your name?" he asked.

"You can call me Red," I said, “and Crom is no wizard.”

"Cromwell is a dangerous wizard, Red. One who must be dealt with urgently," he said quietly.

"Dealt with, like killed?" I asked, a little too loud as I started to panic. He hushed me as I thought, Who even is this Nikolas? Can I trust him? Crom’s a bitch but I don’t think he needs to be killed. All sorts of jumbled thoughts began to intrude my headspace.

"Yes, 'dealt with like killed'," he answered me in an annoyed whisper.

"Why?" I whispered.

"Do you know Iprix Morningstar?" he asked.

"Who doesn't?" I replied. Iprix Morningstar was the founder and CEO of Morningstar Technologies, the largest company in the world and a leader in the MagiTech sector. Iprix was a White Hat from the wealthy and famous Morningstar lineage. He was generally well-liked and didn't pertain to my conversation with Nikolas in any way. "And?"

"Morningstar is not who he says he is, and Cromwell is one of his associates. I can get into more details later, but for now, trust me, Red," he replied to me in an even softer whisper. Nikolas stood up and scattered a few silver coins onto the cafe table, a huge overpayment for the two cups of coffee we ordered. I followed him out of the building as we walked towards Alessar's. It was a few minutes before I was supposed to meet Crom, and I was extremely nervous about both him and Nikolas.

“Stop,” Nikolas said, as we were now standing at the entrance to Alessar’s.

“Reservation?” A tall and broad man asked us. He must have been Alessar’s bouncer.

“Just stopping by to see a friend, we’ll be out in a minute,” Nikolas said, dropping a gold coin into the bouncer’s coat pocket inconspicuously.

“Be quick,” the man replied. Nikolas nodded and led me into the building. Club music echoed throughout the place as people partied hard.

“Where is Cromwell?” Nikolas asked me in a whisper. I had already spotted him on a couch in the corner of the building and nodded my head toward him. Nikolas and I walked over to Crom and he looked up at us.

“What’s up, Red? Got my money?” He chuckled. But before I could respond Nikolas grabbed him and pulled him up from his seat. “Get the fuck off me!” Crom yelled, pushing Nikolas aggressively off of him. The club went silent for a second before the party resumed.

“Follow us,” Nikolas said, revealing my rifle in his coat. Crom begrudgingly complied, he must have forgotten his own firearm. Nikolas took us into the men's room and forcefully threw Crom into the wall. Crom crashed down and then stood up angrily attempting to run at us. However, Nikolas seemed to be magically restraining him, as Crom was running in place. “I’m sorry Cromwell,” Nikolas said, pulling out my rifle. He held it with both hands and scoped in on Crom who was now pushed against the wall.

Cromwell began to speak, “I-” Bang! Nikolas pulled the trigger, blowing a hole into Crom’s abdomen. Crom yelled and squatted onto the floor, clutching his wound. Crom began to gasp and Nikolas lowered my rifle back onto Crom. Nikolas glanced at me with the corner of his eye, hesitated and then fired the rifle five or six more times. As Crom's lifeless body slumped to the floor, I stared at Nikolas in disgust. Our standoff was broken when the sounds of screaming and the clattering of tables and chairs began to consume Alessar's.

We ran out of the bathroom and Alessar’s was in chaos. Nikolas grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the back door. We burst out into the alleyway, running as fast as we could. As we rounded a corner, Nikolas stopped suddenly, causing me to crash into him.

"Wait," he said, looking around. "Someone is watching us."

"Who?" I asked, panting from the exertion.

"I don’t know," he replied. "But we have to move fast."

We continued to run, dodging through alleys and side streets. Finally, we arrived at the docks, where Nikolas led me to a small boat. "Get in," he said, pushing me towards the boat. "I'll take care of the rest."

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I could trust this man. But the sound of approaching footsteps made my decision for me. I quickly climbed into the boat, and Nikolas pushed it off the dock.

Entered by: 0x1E4e…3C0F and preserved on chain (see transaction)