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| Malevolent Quest Complete: Give intentionally wrong directions to 10 lesser beings. +1 Active Ability, +2 Charisma. Forfeit all Benevolent quests. |
| Active Ability: Detect Lies |
Chapter 44
After Brando fell off his horse the second time, Fin recommended they pull off the road and set up camp for the night. The two found a secluded area near a mulberry tree with the road hidden behind a row of bushes. They peered over them and tried to listen for anyone following. The echoes of their travels still rang through the silence, but they pushed through the phantom noises only to hear the sounds of nature. Finally, they threw their blankets on the grass, collapsed onto them, and were asleep before noon.
Fin woke at dusk, collected fallen branches and twigs, and made a fire. He prepared sausage links and toasted bread, which Brando got up for, ate, and promptly passed out again. Unable to go to sleep so readily, he tended the fire until the embers turned to ash. Then he lay, gazing at the stars until the starlight glow, too, was extinguished behind his eyelids.
The two woke at the same time to the sounds of a struggle. Fin instinctively unstowed two swords and gave one to Brando. They crouched low against the battlement of bushes and cautiously stood to see over the top. What they saw mesmerized and froze them in a half-standing crouch. Fin stowed his sword and wordlessly reached over to take Brando''s, too.
Three tiny people climbed on each other''s shoulders, pushing up against the tree for balance. They could have been gnomes or young dwarves by the look of their short beards. Several attempts and failures sent the small people tumbling to the ground, but they got back up and tried again. They were trying to make a three-person tower. Fin''s leg started cramping, but he disregarded the feeling. He would not allow anything as trivial as leg and back cramps to ruin this perfect moment.
The tower wasn''t working, so the one on top moved to the bottom. He braced the tree in front of him while another climbed his shoulders and, in turn, also braced against the tree. Finally, it was the last one''s turn. Cautiously, he climbed, using braced arms, shoulders, and heads as handholds and footholds. Then, in a glorious feat of strength and agility, he reached the top, placing each foot squarely on the shoulders below.
Then came the hard part. The one on the bottom turned around and deliberately took one tiny footstep after another, adjusting for balance at each step. When the top gnome and or dwarf reached up and plucked a berry from the tree, Fin''s heart mushroomed with pride for the little people. Deep down, he forced an involuntary outburst of praise as another berry was picked and traded off to the hands below. In time, a third berry got plucked from the tree, and the three dismounted from each other''s shoulders, landing on their little feet and butts.
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Brando stood up and, with a big grin on his face, yelled, "You did it!"
The three startled and jumped so high they could have almost picked the berries themselves. They scrambled to their feet and ran as fast as their little legs would take them.
"Brando, you scared them!" Fin chided, picking up his blanket off the ground and stowing it.
"At least I waited until they were done!" Brando defended himself, reaching down to pick his own blanket up. He handed it to Fin, who glared at him.
Brando began picking berries off the tree. Fin finally came over to help. Without mentioning it, they only took the higher-hanging fruit. The berries were sweet and delicious. Soon, they were back on the trail, riding their horses with handfuls of berries.
The road began sloping upward between towering pine trees. The further the path stretched, the steeper it became. The warm air turned crisp as the two dismounted to lead their horses on foot. Soon, Fin, Brando, and the horses breathed heavily as they climbed.
Respite came as the path leveled off before twisting downward and around the mountain-studded valley. A bowl of trees, farms, and stone structures populated the valley below, with roads coalescing in front of a structure as magnificent as the mountain it was built into. At a distance, eight uniform pillars that appeared as large as Fin''s little finger propped up an entire mountain. Through the pillars, he could make out the vague shape of a courtyard.
Traveling closer, the pillars grew to a mammoth proportion, and the courtyard a bustling marketplace inhabited by dwarves, some humans, and sparse others. Brando appeared to be a mixture of awestruck and discomfort. Fin felt none the better.
"We finally made it!" Brando exclaimed in little more than a whisper. "First order of business?"
"Let''s get cleaned up and dressed and go tell the king everything we know," Fin suggested, unsure if horses belonged in such a metropolitan area. "Then, I suppose, we get our swords sharpened and look at armor for when we," He made a few stabbing motions with an invisible knife.
"Skewer some goblins?" Brando guessed and added, "Maybe the king will give us everything we need just for agreeing to help. We are nobility now, after all."
Fin agreed and they both set off for the first order of business.
Chapter 45
Having grown up on a farm, Fin had never really considered how he felt about crowds. When Brando started discussing his opinion about the matter, or rather, against it, Fin looked around and tried to decide his own opinion.
The air was warm, with varied currents of cooler air blowing in from outside. The noise level was perhaps loud, but not ''the chickens are under attack again'' loud. The sounds were a concurrent murmur, shuffling of feet and clothes, and various sharp sounds of glass, coins, and cutlery.
Being able to see over all the tops of heads in his surroundings, he could locate where each sound was coming from. Some shops sold trinkets, and others sold clothing. The smell of a wood fire made him look for the shops selling food. It wasn''t long before he found what he was smelling for. He got Brando''s attention and gestured toward a stall selling something skewered and roasted on a stick. Even though he stood more than several feet above the normal height, no one seemed to pay him any attention. While walking, he decided he didn''t share Brando''s views on crowds; he was pretty comfortable.
"Rewbies on a stick, five coppers a piece," an older-looking dwarf sang out behind his booth. "Good for a strong, healthy beard!"
"Excuse me," Fin said, placing ten coins on the counter. "I''ll take two. Also, can you tell me where we can find a good inn?"
The dwarf handed out two sticks with the mysterious-looking food speared through the middle. They were shaped like a twisted tear drop with a rough surface where it was rolled in nuts and herbs before roasting. Brando took a bite and blew residual steam from his mouth.
"You''re looking for The Traveler''s House. It''s a decent inn with a stable," The dwarf pointed over his shoulder with a skewer. "It''s over there a ways. Big sign with a horse; you can''t miss it. They have running water most days and beds for you long leggers."
Brando, seemingly oblivious to the conversation, blurted out, "It''s a potato."
Fin, remembering the stick he was holding, took a bite. The outer crust tasted sweet and bitter. There was almost too much flavor until his teeth sank further into something similar to a potato, allowing the flavors to spread out. It wasn''t a potato. However, there were some distinct similarities.
"It''s a rew-bee," the dwarf said slowly, annunciating the word as if he were talking to a child. "It takes twice as long to grow, has diamond-shaped leaves, and makes your beard shine better than any potato."
Fin held up his stick. "I bet I can grow a potato that''s shaped like this."
"It''s not a potato!" the dwarf bellowed, causing the traffic that flowed around them to studder.
Noticing how serious the dwarf had become, Brando changed the subject, "It''s called The Traveler''s House, then? Got it. Thank you for your time and this delicious vegetable on a stick that is certainly not a potato."
The two walked in the direction the angry dwarf had given, and before long, they were standing in front of the Traveler''s House. The outside of the building offered no insights into what was inside. The building matched the surrounding ones in all but size. It could only be described as square, grey, and having several windows, which were indeed being used to spy on their disappointed looks. Fortunately, the establishment did seem prepared to handle horses, notably by the hitching post outside. After their horses were secure, Fin leaned down, reached for the knob, and opened the door.
The inside of the building only made sense after thinking about it. Dwarves were universally recognized as among Erland''s best miners, craftsmen, and builders. The massive stone pillars built inside and out of the mountain are a testament to their abilities, but rumors of dwarven interior decoration had never circulated, and Fin could see why.
The common room was bare of any decorations save for a light brown blanket folded neatly on a chest. The short reception desk, though made of rich and marbled stone, had nothing on top of it. The walls were bare, the floor was bare, and the tables and bar were square, plain, and also bare. Nothing attempted to create a cozy environment.
Behind the reception desk, a female dwarf looked up at the men. "Welcome in. I''m not going to break my neck looking up at you, so take a knee if you want a conversation." Despite the rumors, her round face was completely without a beard. Her walnut-brown hair lay neatly over her shoulder in a series of braids. Her smile might have been charming if it was genuine.
"We''re looking for," Brando started before the desk clerk''s words registered. He stopped, crouched in front of the desk, and started over. "Hi, I''m Brando, and this is Fin. We are looking for a room and stables for a few nights."
"I am Velamy, and it is a pleasure to meet you two," she said matter-of-factly. "The tall-folk rooms are a silver a night, but I only have one left. The stables come with the room. I assume those are your horses?"
"Yes," Fin considered, crouching next to Brando. "Will we have to share a bed?"
Velamy laughed. "Only if you squeeze really tight. The beds are big but not big enough for the both of you, so I recommend getting your cuddles in before going to sleep."
Relieved at the implication that there was more than one bed, Fin ignored the quip and nodded.
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Brando needed clarification. "There are two beds, right?"
The room did, in fact, have two beds. It also had a dresser, a bathing room with running water, a clothesline, and no decorations. The walls were a textured mixture of white and brown paint that matched the blankets and pillows on the beds.
Brando collapsed on the bed and closed his eyes before jumping to his feet. "We have to go see the king."
Fin, transfixed with the lever that made water come out of a spout, agreed without looking up. "Let''s get cleaned up then."
When Fin and Brando exited the inn, the streets were even more busy than before. It took asking for several sets of directions, but before long, they found what they were looking for. Just ahead, a thick grated gate stood guarded between two defense towers. The towers featured dark and vacated slots suited for firing arrows.
"This time, let''s not pretend to be diplomats," Fin cautioned, speaking so his voice wouldn''t carry to the guard watching the gate. "Let''s make it simple and straightforward. We''ll tell whoever is in charge what''s happening and ask how they want to move forward."
When Fin was done talking, Brando smiled as if whatever Fin said was perfectly logical for something so wrong. "We are technically diplomats now, and we could get in trouble for not mentioning it right away. It worked before, and we have the documentation to support our story this time."
Fin sighed, "Okay, but first, let''s just ask to see the king. It couldn''t hurt."
Brando shrugged. "Fine, we''ll try it your way, but as soon as they tell us to kick rocks, we tell them whatever gets us through the gate. "
A dwarf standing in front of the gate looked up to the two men nearly at eye level with the tip of his spear. "State your names and business."
Fin collected himself and offered their names. "We are here to see the king."
"One moment," the dwarf said before walking away.
"See, I told you we didn''t need to make up a whole story," Fin beamed. "Simplicity is key."
The dwarf returned, carrying an empty wooden crate. He set it down and stood on top of it. "Sargeant Crispin, at your service," The dwarf offered, "I hope you understand that the king doesn''t just see anyone, what business do you have?"
There is a goblin slave camp south about a four- or five-day journey. We were told to come here and ask for assistance freeing the captives, one of which is a dwarf called Heidle the Hammer."
"That''s a whole different story altogether," Crispin said with a look of distaste. "One moment."
When the dwarf came back carrying a second crate, Brando smiled smugly, "It looks like he wants to be able to see the look of disappointment in your eyes when he turns you away."
Crispin stacked the crates and climbed on top, "I haven''t heard of this Heidle chap, but that is some grave business indeed. You said he''s a dwarf? Are there others?"
Fin nodded even though he had only seen the one. He reasoned that the more this dwarf saw them as trying to save his people, the more likely he would allow them to pass through.
"Unfortunately, this isn''t something that can be handled quickly. You''ll need to stop by the office of requisitions and put in a request to investigate your claim," Crispin explained. "It could take anywhere from three days to several months, though I''m assuming you''ll want this sooner than later. Requisitions will probably want to send a team down to take a look and make a report on their findings before approving the requisition."
"And they report their findings to the king?" Fin asked with a hopeful tone.
"Not quite," the guard responded. "The report goes back to the office of requisitions. Then, if it''s deemed a critical matter, which I''m certain it will, the head of, I don''t know, someone above my level would look at it."
Brando pointed away from the gated entrance, "Should we go start that process now? That way, we''ll be able to help all those people suffering in the slave camp in about a year or two. You don''t suppose there''s a tried-and-true method of speeding requisitions along, is there?"
"Afraid not," the dwarf responded solemnly, missing the hidden message in the words. "It will probably take even longer since the king declared war against Clive Rae this morning. No, I don''t think this issue will be addressed any time in the near future."
"The king what?" Brando asked, unsure he heard correctly.
The dwarf looked over his shoulder before talking. "We got word this morning that the derelict king had a champion defeat whatever violent things keeping us out of our ancestral mine. As soon as the mine was safe, he made a royal proclamation only allowing you lanks to dig, no offense to you, of course, just the other lanks.
"Since the first report this morning, we''ve gotten at least twenty more. After Clive broke the treaty, all Lokardale dwarves have been relocating here. The king made an informal declaration of war just today."
"If we are at war," Fin slowly formulated his question. "What happens to delegates of Lokardale?"
"Clive Rae doesn''t keep dwarven delegates," the guard nearly spat. "It''s a good thing, too; it would make me feel uneasy arresting my own kin and keeping them locked up until the war ended. The king is angry, but I''m unsure what he plans to do."
Fin gave Brando an ''I told you so'' look before agreeing with Crispin, "No way of knowing. That''s for sure."
"I probably shouldn''t be saying this, but you two seem like the best of the tall folk with your mission to rescue my kin from the goblins," the guard nodded his appreciation. "But don''t talk about any of this until it''s official."
After Fin and Brando promised not to mention a word of it, the guard offered as much help as he could, "If you''re just looking for some extra hands, you could visit the mercenary guild. You look like you have some coin between the two of you. They''re right behind the old market near the church of Loden. Tell them Crispin sent you."
Brando slapped Fin with the back of his hand, pointed at Crispin, and asked, "Are there any mines around here we could try our hand at? Who knows? We could make enough to where we could buy all the mercenaries."
"You don''t strike me as miners," Crispin said uncertainly. "But if you''re going to be waiting on requisitions anyway, I suppose there really isn''t anything better than uncovering the secrets of the earth, eh?" he cleared his throat. "There''s plenty of mines around, but only three main ones that are publicly accessible. I recommend the Dunkle mine. They take a larger cut, but it''s better suited for short-term excavations."
Fin was about to ask about its location when a series of sharp sounds came from behind the gate.
The guard glanced over his shoulder, "Changing of the guards. You better shove off. Come find me if you''re ever successful, and I''ll buy you a whole cask of ale for the story."
The two thanked the guard and left just as the gate started lifting.
"That was a balanced conversation of helpful and disappointing," Brando said with a chipper tone.
Fin agreed, "Yeah, but I feel sorry for anyone who openly admits to being a Clive Rae delegate. Remember, like you wanted to do?"
"We don''t talk about that," Brando said with a dark glimmer in his eye.
Fin smirked. "Because of the whole imprisonment thing or because I was right, and you were wrong?"
"Let''s forget about all that and go find an armor shop," Brando curtailed the topic, looking around as if he could sense one nearby.
Chapter 46
It took some time, but Fin and Brando eventually found what they were looking for. They opened the door of a small shop with a picture of a helmet on the sign instead of actual words. A makeshift bell above the door alerted their entrance with a single, non-melodic thud.
A young dwarf rounded the corner and startled at the sight of the two humans. "Loden''s boots, you surprised me! You don''t see too many long leggers in here. I mean, uh, what can I do for you today?"
Fin smiled at the dwarf''s discomfort. "We are looking for some armor that will stop a crossbow bolt."
The dwarf considered for a moment and then shook his head. "I don''t think we have anything that would fit you, but Master Olhoff has done some work for humans before. I''ll get him."
The dwarf left before Fin could protest, so he took the time to look around. Suits of armor lined the walls on racks. Shelves holding various helmets stood over crates of gauntlets, boot covers, and other undiscernible pieces. In the room''s focal point hung a complete set of armor that would make the wearer look like a wolf. It was all fascinating to look at. Only everything around was made to fit a dwarf, not a human.
"Hello, hello," an old voice walked into the room and, despite having been clearly told about the stature of the new customers, gave a less-than-subtle third, "Hello."
"I am Master Olhoff, at your service, and this is my apprentice, Tory." The old dwarf had a thick grey beard that he kept around the back of his shoulder like a scarf. A glass monocle stayed wedged in his left eye despite the surprised look on his face. He adjusted it before asking how he could help.
"We are looking for some armor that can stop a crossbow bolt," Fin said, resisting the urge to unstow said crossbow. "One for each of us."
"You''re looking for some thick steel then," Master Olhoff considered. "When would you need it by?"
Fin looked to Brando, who said with uncertainty, "One week?"
Olhoff''s monocle fell out.
"One week?" he snorted. "I can''t put my pants on that fast! I could maybe do it in a month if it was a rush job. If my mother''s life depended on it, I could maybe, maybe, do it in two weeks, but that''s just for my mother and just for armor for one of you."
"It doesn''t need to be pretty," Brando offered, holding up his hands in defense. "It just needs to stop a bolt from impaling my chest, that''s all."
Tory cleared his throat. "May I offer a solution?"
Olhoff held his hands in a way that indicated, "You have the floor."
"There might be some pieces we have already made that they can use. Their arms might be longer, but now that I''m looking at them, they are about the same width. If one of them lets me build their armor, I can do it in three weeks. It will also help me complete the certification for my journeyman." Tory sped up his speech before he lost anyone''s attention. "He said it himself; they aren''t looking for anything pretty. The crude design they probably want cuts at least a week off of the time. I can have it done in less than three weeks. That is if that''s okay with them?"
Olhoff glared at Fin.
"Three weeks?" Fin repeated. "We can do that. We''ll need that time to dig up the funds for this anyway."
"What do you mean, ''dig up the funds?''" Olhoff interrogated. "I''m not dumping hours of my life on hopes and promises into a shoddy-looking project that I won''t be able to sell to anyone else. For this job, I''ll need at least half up front."
"For now," Fin reached into his shirt and unstowed his two remaining gems, "All I have are these."
"And that''s how you''re planning on paying?" Olhoff asked, "With gems?"
Fin and Brando both nodded in unison.
"I don''t know anything about gems," Olhoff sighed. "Apprentice, go get my brother."
Tory ran out of the building like his livelihood depended on it. The men left in the room stared silently, uneager to break the silence. When Tory returned, he was followed by a dwarf similar in every way to Olhoff, except cleaner looking.
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"Olhoff," the dwarf greeted his brother.
"Kertchel," he greeted back, holding out the two gems. "Can you look at these for me and tell me what they''re worth?"
Kertchel took the stones without ceremony and inspected them. "It''s got a good weight. I am unsure about the clarity or how well they will cut. Topaz?" He looked around for an answer.
Fin nodded. "They''re both topaz."
"That''s unexpected," He resumed his inspection. "This blue one could be anywhere from three gold to thirty. And that''s based on my limited knowledge of blue topaz. This other one," He whistled. "If it''s clear..."
"If it''s clear?" Olhoff nearly shouted.
"Two or three hundred, and that''s just selling to a merchant." Kertchel looked up from the gems. "Where did you get these?"
"It''s a long story," Brando waved the question away and addressed Olhoff. "Will those be good enough for you to start?"
Tory and Olhoff responded with a "Yes" and "No" simultaneously. Everyone looked to Olhoff.
"I don''t want to take payment of uncut gems when I don''t even know if they''ll be worth anything," Olhoff explained. "If I''m going to spend the next three weeks hammering armor that is too ugly to sell, I want assurances."
Kertchel stepped in with a reasonable solution: "Go ahead and start work. I''ll cut ''em and have an answer for you in a couple of days. I have some new designs I want to work out, and this stone will be perfect for them. I''ll only charge a small fee of twenty silver at a family discount."
Brando leaned down and whispered in Fin''s ear, "Find out if he''s robbing us."
Knowing what Brando wanted him to do, Fin immediately activated Detect Lies and braced himself as the room exploded in light blue colors. The skill''s effect had made him uneasy, so he wanted to use the ability as little as possible. However, it wasn''t as bad as the last time. Either he had gotten used to the perpetual movement of everything undulating like blue flames, or he wasn''t prepared for it the first time. Either way, whatever Olhoff was trying to tell him was clearly honest.
Olhoff was waiting for a response to something, so Fin recounted the conversation. He looked at Kertchel and asked, "You cut gems for a living?"
"No, I''m a scribe," Kertchel''s color showed he was being honest. "I cut gems as more of a hobby, but it does help with the finances."
"Are you good?" Fin pressed, observing for signs of the orange glow that would show if he was lying.
"I am confident that I can give you the most value for the gem as any stone cutter," came the honest response.
"Is your family discount really twenty silver?" Fin asked, almost a little too casually.
Kertchel shuffled his feet a little, and when his color started turning orange, Fin held up a hand and asked the other brother.
"He has done some work for me for as little as two silver," Olhoff replied matter of factly.
"But those gems were significantly smaller than this one," Kertchel cut in before amending his price. "I wouldn''t charge you any less than six silver for a gem of this magnitude."
Fin withdrew six silver coins and handed them over. "I''m pleased to do business with both of you."
Kertchel frowned but relented, giving his brother the edge to speak first, "Tory, for your journeyman, pick which twiceling you want to make armor for."
Tory walked over to Brando, asked him to move his arms around, and then approached Fin with the same directions. Finally, after glancing between the two much taller people, he pointed at Fin. "I''ll take this one. The bigger one seems like he could use the work of a master."
Before Brando could remark about being called "the bigger one," Olhoff had him take a knee and began the arduous measuring process. When all the measurements were taken, Tory brought out pieces of previously smithed plate. Brando instinctively handed Fin the parts that didn''t fit.
Fin found an arm harness that he could fit into but was too short. Tory beamed with joy and explained that the fewer original parts of the armor he had to physically make, the better. He marked each piece that fit or was close to fitting with chalk and set them in an empty crate. He was enjoying the process more than Olhoff, whose frown grew deeper and deeper with each failed fitting.
"Do you think you''re going to lose weight in the near future, or are you planning to always be this fat?" Olhoff poked at Brando''s belly.
"Are you kidding me?" Brando roared. "This is all muscle. Feel it now."
"That''s quite alright," Olhoff protested. "I''ve lived long enough to know what delusions feel like. We''re about done anyway."
Fin looked at Tory, who was writing on a pair of nearly-fitting gauntlets. "Can you make it so my fingers are exposed?"
"Are you sure?" Tory asked skeptically. "If you get your fingers chopped off, you''ll be as good as dead."
"It''s okay," Fin assured the dwarf, considering how effective the crushing grip and talon abilities work together. "My sword has a good finger guard, and I need to be able to use my fingers."
"Does that mean you don''t want a shield?" Tory asked, holding a bit of chalk above the gauntlet.
Fin shook his head, and Tory drew a dissecting line across the fingers of the gantlet. He made sure there were no other special requests and then dismissed him. "Check back in periodically for adjustments. This is the first armor I''ve made for a human, so I want to ensure it goes well for both of us."
Fin thanked Tory and then walked past Olhoff, who was making inflammatory comments about Brando. He decided just to wait outside.
"That was fun," Fin said offhandedly as Brando walked out the door.
"Sure," Brando scowled, "that was really fun. So much fun that I never want to think about it again. Where to next?"
"Let''s go find this Dunkle mine," Fin said after some hesitation. "I have no desire to visit the house of requestions or whatever it''s called. Besides, if we can get enough gold to hire all the mercenaries, which we can, I don''t see why we can''t just handle the whole thing ourselves."
"And get all the gems," Brando added greedily.
Fin intended to return the gems to the people who mined them, but something inside him shuddered in pleasure with the thought of owning a mine he could see through. He could amass enough wealth to sleep on an entire bed of gems. He wondered if cut gems were more comfortable than uncut gems. There was only one way to find out.
Chapter 47
The mine turned out to be a large building called "The Dunkle Mine." To reach the entrance, one needed to traverse through an onslaught of shops, merchants, and hawkers, all selling their wares so randomly that it was likely to pass the same shop multiple times before reaching the end.
It was just as well for Fin and Brando, who were able to find and purchase a map, an extra pickaxe, and several jars of glowing moss. For an extra silver, the moss came with a container of ''super moss fuel'' that restored its light when it started dimming.
A cool breeze preceded the mine entrance, which was refreshing in such a dense market. When the mouth of the mine became visible, the sight of it was both comforting and daunting. It was comforting because it was not just big enough for humans and whole carriages to move through freely if desired. That alleviated the worry of crawling through small holes made for dwarves. It was daunting because of the heavy traffic going in and out of the entrance, with each dwarf sharing unspoken customs and courtesies utterly foreign to Fin and Brando. They watched the circulating traffic for a while, trying to glean as much information as possible to avoid making any grievous customary mistakes being strangers in such a foreign place.
The dwarves coming out of the mine placed their tools and small sacks in a bin. Then, they subjected themselves to a search while someone else went through their items. If they came out of the mine with valuables, they placed them on a small scale, indicating a fee and possibly taxes they would need to pay. Sometimes, the fee would be taken from valuables, and sometimes, coins were exchanged. The pattern was clear: it was no problem entering the mine, but upon leaving, you had to undergo a rigorous search, and you had to pay the price for anything mined.
When Fin and Brando decided they had learned enough, they went inside. Glow moss lined either side of the pathway, making Fin feel foolish for spending money on it. Brando felt similarly and pointed out every new patch of the abundantly growing moss as more appeared.
Glowing green lines split as the road periodically diverged into multiple paths. Fortunately, with each new path came clearly demarcated signs that correlated with Brando''s map.
Fin was using his Sense Treasure ability, already looking for gold, when they stumbled upon the oldest-looking dwarf they had ever seen. The old dwarf stopped what he was doing, greeted the two humans, and exchanged some small talk. His name was Rasengold Kel. He slapped his arms and boasted about hitting rocks better than anyone younger than him. The conversation and silly anecdotes elicited genuine smiles and laughter from Fin and Brando.
Before walking away, Fin pointed an arm''s length to the right of where the old man had been mining. "Try digging here instead. Who knows? You might find something."
Finding enough gold worth the effort of mining took time and patience. Most of the early tunnels had sparse traces of valuable ore, even remotely shallow enough to start digging for. The first group of nuggets Fin found was only a few paces across from where three dwarves were already mining. Fin pointed at a place for Brando, and they both began excavating.
After long hours of digging, they only unearthed half of what was hidden in the walls. So, Brando marked the spot on his map, and they left for the day.
The next day, they checked in at the blacksmith, where they were remeasured in some places and asked questions, some seemingly ambiguous. One of the questions was, "What''s your favorite animal?" Brando answered for both of them.
"I like horses and Fin as an uncomfortable obsession with dragons," Brando said with a wry grin. "So much so that he actually thinks he-"
"Thanks, Brando, I got it from here," Fin cut him off. "Dragons are fine. Why do you ask?"
Tory gave a ''wait and see'' answer, which probably meant it was for armor decorations.
Before leaving, Fin gave Olhoff seven reasonably sized gold nuggets and promised to bring more. By the look on Olhoff''s face, Fin ascertained that, though it wasn''t much, it helped build a sense of goodwill with the master smith. Olhoff, in turn, offered to melt down all future gold they found into uniform molds that could generally be used as currency. What he didn''t say was how he would keep the uniform parcels of gold in case the gems they brought turned out to be worthless. Fin was fine with the implied agreement because he and Brando still had over twenty gold between each other, which was more than enough spending money to tide them over.
Returning to their site, they greeted the old dwarf, who was happy to see them. He offered them lunch as a gesture of gratitude for Fin''s mining recommendation, which they accepted graciously. He even took their moss jars and poured in a liquid from a flask, brightening the glow significantly. Brando asked what was in the flask, and Rasengold told him it was water. This infuriated Brando, who had paid a whole silver for the ''super moss fuel'' but kept it to himself. Fin felt bamboozled himself, which he also hid. He and Brando had been more or less pooling their funds since they set out on their current quest, and a loss for one of them was a loss for the other.
When they reached the spot they had marked on the map, the three dwarves that had been mining across from them the day prior were now occupying their spot.
Brando cleared his throat and addressed the group, "I noticed you were working down there yesterday, and now you are over here¡ In our spot."
"Go home, lanks," one of them replied rudely. "Or will you try to kick us out of this mine too?"
Fin was ready to intervene and prevent the situation from escalating when Brando surprised him.
"I guess this has to do with Clive Rae kicking the dwarves out of the mine, huh?" Brando asked but continued when no answer was forthcoming, "If it''s any consolation, I apologize on behalf of humans everywhere for your mistreatment. Not all of us are as bad as Clive Rae. Well, his daughter''s actually worse, if you can believe it. I was going to kidnap her cat, but, well, things fell through, and I wasn''t able to. If it was up to me, we would have let her die in those very mines you were banned from."
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Brando noticed the looks of shocked confusion on the young dwarves'' faces. It wasn''t the response he was going for, so he cleared his throat and backtracked. "I understand your disdain, but not all of us are bad people. I have seen the real enemy and hope one day we can fight them together. For now, I can only offer my condolences for your mistreatment and move along."
One of the dwarves harrumphed, but another got a suspicious look in his eye and asked, "When we go to war, whose side are you going to stand on, the humans or the dwarves?"
"Neither," Brando replied. "We are preparing to fight another war, and I don''t want to see the princess again, no matter what side she''s standing on."
Fin clarified by explaining their circumstances and plans to fight the goblins. He felt they had wasted enough time already. Still, it seemed important to Brando to curry a sense of amity with this group. So, he sat down and told the same story that he had said a near countless times over. By the end of it, the disposition of the group had softened.
"You can have your spot back if you really want it," one of the dwarves offered, eliciting an angry look from another.
"No, that''s fine," Fin stood up and brushed his pants off. "There''s a few good chunks of gold in there, but we can find more."
The dwarves looked at the stone wall and then back to Fin several times with disbelief.
Fin sighed at the thought of doing a good deed to someone he wanted to pummel only moments earlier. He walked between them, took his pickaxe, and drew seven circles in the stone. Then he pointed to each circle and gave rapid instructions, apathetic to the possibility that instructions were not fully comprehended. When he finished, he wished them good fortune and strode for a new mining spot.
The next few days came and went with a sense of routine. They visited the smithy, went to the mine, ate breakfast with Rasengold, and mined for gold. The only change was the size of the group waiting for them with Rasengold. It started with the three dwarves who had initially stolen their spot and were now suddenly interested in mending the ties between humans and dwarves. Both Fin and Brando knew they were there for the same reason everyone else was.
The group grew from four people to fifteen overnight. Each person brought food from home to thank Fin for sharing the insights of his ''gold attunement.'' The food and drinks were not considered payment. Still, it was generally understood that the donation was a small price to pay for Fin to draw one of his famous circles, signifying the location of hidden gold. The fifteen dwarves were a bigger crowd than either of them would prefer, but the home-cooked meals and drinks were too good to pass up, and Fin was able to stow all the extras for later.
The crowd seemed to double every day. It started getting out of control when they arrived to discover a group with numbers greater than fifty, all holding neatly wrapped lunches and jars of cream, juice, or ale. Fin was about to turn them all away when Brando saw an opportunity.
"Why don''t you let them mine for you?" Brando suggested, waving his hand over the neatly organized row of dwarves holding treats and wearing looks of anticipation. "All you have to do is point at the wall, tell them what''s in it, and they''ll give you part of what they find."
Part of Fin felt weird about taking a portion of someone else''s gold, especially since he hadn''t paid the mine or the taxes on the gold he had accumulated. After all, what good is a secret storage space if you don''t use it to evade taxes and fees? He could argue that the gold was for a good cause, but something inside him knew and judged him because he would opt to avoid payments no matter the circumstances. He decided to ask the dwarves what they thought about the idea.
Fin led everyone to a larger cavern and had everyone gather around. He spoke with a confidence that he had not known before he set out only months prior.
"Hello, everyone. For those who don''t know me, my name is Fin, and this is my friend Brando. Someone has probably told you that I can tell you where to dig if you bring meals. That is not very sustainable with a group this large, so I want you to help me develop a more sustainable plan," Fin allowed the murmurs to grow and then die down before he continued. "We are only here for a limited time. If all I do is go around and tell you where to dig, I won''t be able to gather the funds I need. However, if we work together, it is possible that we can find a way that is mutually beneficial. One idea is that I can show you where to dig; in return, you can give me a portion of the gold I directed you to. If we do it this way, I can only guarantee enough gold at your site to afford the cost. However, I do not want this group to grow any bigger. Something tells me that if our operation becomes public knowledge, we all could get in a lot of trouble. In return for your silence, I will not be searching you like they do outside. We will base our agreement on honor, something I have found to be a great strength among the dwarves."
"Tell them what the gold is for!" shouted one of the original members of their mining party from the back of the cavern.
Fin groaned inwardly. He would trade all the meals in his inventory to never have to tell this story again. He looked at Brando with exhaustion and waved him forward.
Brando didn''t want to tell the story either, so he invited the helpful dwarf to center stage to retell their story. The story lasted longer than it should have, and the dwarf focused on things that neither Fin nor Brando would have, but the point was made and it seemed to resonate with the crowd.
Fin thanked the dwarf, making a mental note to get his name later, and tried to conclude the speeches as fast as possible. "I guess that helps you understand what our goal here is. Does anyone have questions or ideas?"
"If I come with you, can I use the mine?" A voice asked from the crowd.
Brando stepped in to answer, "If you fight with us, we will give you full access to the mine once we conquer the encampment. It will be dangerous, but we will gladly welcome all extra swords, hammers, and shields when the time comes."
Questions spilled from the crowd. There were questions about the type of jewels in the mine, the size of the enemy army, and trivial details like travel arrangements. One of them dared to ask if they could mine after the battle. The questions, however, had nothing to do with their current arrangement. Finally, Fin announced there would be time for questions later and directed everyone to form a line behind him. He led a multitude of dwarves through the mine without the slightest clue of what he was doing.
At his first stop, he drew three circles for the first two dwarves immediately behind him. He explained how deep they would have to go for each marked place and asked for one of the pieces of gold in return. The dwarves agreed and got to work. Fin pressed forward and repeated the process of periodically stopping, marking locations with his pickaxe, and directing the miners immediately behind him. Sometimes, he would set a price and other times, he would negotiate based on the quantity of gold. The process went on for long, excruciating hours.
Brando used the map to navigate new areas while Fin worked diligently to get miners dispatched to gold-rich areas. Fin needed time to recover periodically before continuing forward, so they all sat down, ate, and rested. The rest and meals had helped a little, but the constant activation of Sense Treasure made his head hurt. Still, he could not stop while he had miners left following him. After the last dwarf in the line was commissioned, Fin followed Brando to where Rasengold was mining and sat down. He gave one last helpful instruction to the old dwarf before curling up on the cool earth and falling asleep.
Chapter 48
Fin woke in time to witness three dwarves, each giving Brando a chunk of gold and offering a bow of respect. Fin sat up and tilted his head to return their respects. He was happy to see the look of pure joy on each of their faces, but he was unprepared to see them start to form another line. His head felt a little better, but he was in no condition to start the process over again.
Fortunately, Brando informed the dwarves that Fin was too exhausted for anything more today. The speech seemed practiced as if he had been telling people the same thing for hours. He asked Brando about it, and the answer confirmed his suspicions.
"You''ve been sleeping all day," Brando said, raising his fingertips to indicate that there was some good news, too. "But you wouldn''t believe how well my plan worked! Look at this!"
He lifted and set two lunch boxes in front of Fin. The effort to lift the boxes alone signified the massive wealth they held. Brando unlatched and unbuckled the lids, but it dispelled all doubts of the fortune inside when he lifted them. Inside each lunch box sat a heap of rough chunks of gold. The dull green glow of moss light was not enough to dispel the allure of the precious metal.
"My plan worked," Brando reiterated. "I don''t even think this is all of it. The dwarves have been finishing and then immediately coming to find you."
Several more dwarves did come to drop off their donations to Fin before He and Brando decided to leave for the day.
Even though Fin had slept all day, he was still tired enough to sleep again. After washing up, he unstowed the wealth in his inventory and dumped it on his bed. It was a ritual that Brando had become accustomed to and even expected. Brando wished he could borrow Treasured Sleep for just one night, but he would settle for any sleep.
The following day, Fin opted to go to the back room of the smithy before upending a lunchbox full of gold. Brando shook his head with distaste when he realized Fin was keeping the second one for himself. Olhoff shook his head for the other reason.
"Am I supposed to believe you two mined this out of the ground yourselves?" Olhoff asked rhetorically. "You''re not turning me into some third-party accomplice, are you?"
Brando was, for once, grateful for Fin''s propensity to sleep on hoarded treasures. He could imagine Olhoff''s reaction if the pile of gold on the desk was doubled, and it wouldn''t be good. However, he knew that they were just delaying the inevitable at the pace they were at. At some point, the pile of gold delivered will be double, at least.
"It''s nothing like that," Fin cheerfully disregarded Olhoff''s concerns. "We''ve found some investors that want to help us with our cause."
"I''m sure it has to do with rescuing the slaves and not the massive gem mine we would be liberating," Brando added sardonically.
"I see," Olhoff said, slowly looking from Fin''s eyes to Brando''s. "How many investors have you found so far?"
"We don''t need more investors as much as we need fighters, tacticians, and siege equipment," Fin guided the conversation away from the secret mine cult they were cultivating. "If you can help with that, I would count it as a big favor."
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Olhoff shook his head with the look of sincerest disappointment that only a child showing empty pockets to a bully could mimic. Before he could formulate a proper rejection, Tory peeked in and informed him that his brother had arrived.
"We will be out in a moment," Olhoff said, placing the gold on a scale, writing down the weight, and producing a receipt. "I cannot assure that the weight will be the same after removing the impurities, but the result should be close enough."
Having tested Olhoff''s honesty on multiple occasions, Fin knew that his word was worth the gold in the lunchbox. He took the receipt and thanked him before going back into the display room. There, he was greeted by Kerchel, who produced two velvet sacks that could only contain one thing.
"The gems are done?" Fin asked with excitement. "How do they look?"
"Words cannot explain the absolute majesties these gems turned out to be," Kerchel said with a genuinely joyful smile. "Come look!"
Fin anxiously watched as Kerchel put on a black cloth glove and slowly removed each gem. He placed each gem delicately on top of its respective pouch on the sales counter.
The largest gem had shrunk but still maintained much of its size. The color seemed lighter, too, with a deep burnt orange in the middle that lightened to a near yellow along the edges. The gem was nearly circular with a flat, glossy surface on the top and bottom. The sides of the gem were a culmination of curved gradient angles and the added texture of alternating triangles. Kerchel watched in horror as Brando picked it up with his bare fingers.
Fin ignored Kerchel''s chastisements toward Brando as he looked at the blue stone. It was similar to the first shape, like two trapezoids connected at the base, but it was longer vertically. The deep blue color made Fin think of the sky on an absolutely perfect day. However, he had no intention of keeping the gem or selling it if possible. This would be his gift to Heidle as thanks for all his help.
"I have buyers lined up for each of them when you are ready to sell, but," Kerchel sighed longingly at his new creations. "I believe the larger one will be more than sufficient to cover the costs of the armor."
As Kerchel''s words registered, Fin plucked the blue gem off the table before realizing he made a mistake. Fortunately, Kerchel''s back was turned, and he could replace the gem without notice.
"If that is the case, I don''t believe I will be selling the blue gem," Fin said when he was far enough from the table to absolve him from suspicion. "I want to give it back to Heidle. He''s the one that funded our trip here."
"Very well then," Olhoff agreed, picking up the gem with his black glove. He eyed Brando suspiciously before wiping it off, putting it in the bag, and handing it to Fin.
"I can sell the bigger one then," Kerchel coughed, bringing the eyes of the room to him. "I may require several small fees to find a buyer, haggle over the price, and make the sale. I believe I can sell it for three thousand gold with no problem at, let''s say, ten percent?"
Fin learned how to take percentages once, but the concept was rusty in his head. He grew up a farmer after all, not a wizard. It took him a moment, but he was able to work out what ten percent of three thousand was, and he was not about to pay thirty gold to sell a gem he could sell himself. He made a counteroffer of one percent and refused to budge.
Kerchel tried to haggle the percentage up, but when Fin threatened to sell it himself, he accepted the deal. It wasn''t the three hundred gold he had wanted, but thirty gold was decent enough, even for selling such a high-scale gem. Besides, in luxury sales, you pay for the seller''s connections more than anything, and he already had two interested buyers lined up.
Kerchel agreed and held out his hand. Fin hesitated before shaking his hand or solidifying the deal. Three gold was still a lot of money just to sell someone else''s gem, so he decided to get his money''s worth.
"Before I agree, can I also ask one more thing from you?" Fin asked, holding the power of the deal aloft. "Can you get me a list of mercenaries, prices, and availability for when my armor is finished?"
Kerchel shrugged and held out his hand. "I can do that. Do we have a deal?"
"We have a deal, and hopefully, it''s the first of many," Fin shook the dwarf''s hand before realizing he needed one more thing. "I also need some chalk."
Chapter 49
Despite Fin clearly asking to keep their operation secret, the group of miners waiting for him had increased to around seventy. He didn''t dare turn any of them away for fear that the angry dwarves would turn on him, so he took his place in the center of the group and prepared himself to give another speech. This time, he would make it perfectly clear that no one else could join.
The speech was brief and to the point, except for a repeat disruption of a certain dwarf yelling, "Tell them the story!"
This time, Fin got his name before inviting him down to the front to regale the crowd.
Tib''s retelling of the goblin slave mine story was better in some ways and worse in others. This time, he breezed through the basics but added parts about starving dwarven children and beds of nails. Fin would have corrected him on the spot, but it was close enough to the truth, he supposed.
He had a big day ahead of him and had to figure out how to make his Sense Treasure ability last even longer. He had spent too much time worrying about costs the day before. If he could minimize that interaction, he could probably get through all seventy or so dwarves without needing a break.
Fin addressed the crowd one last time before telling everyone to line up. He walked to the front of the line and motioned for Brando to lead the way. Brando took a moment to plan the best route, but before long he was moving confidently. His map started showing signs of wear and tear, but it was still serviceable.
Soon, everyone fell into a comfortable rhythm. When Fin spotted an area rich with gold ore, he made quick circles with Tory''s chalk, gave the briefest explanations, and moved along. He let the dwarves figure out the rest themselves. He also wasn''t worried about setting a price. When he showed up, and there were people he had never seen before with lunches in hand, it meant that everyone who showed up already knew the expectation.
During the past week, Fin had reached the end of the many tunnels in the mine. However, he had never found such a large cavern with a dense concentration of gold in one place. Strangely, it was completely devoid of treasures elsewhere else. However, the gold vein he saw was over twice what he had accumulated the day before. He was starting to feel the limit of his ability. Still, with only seven dwarves left trailing behind him, he was in much better shape than the previous day. He marked the wall and memorized the depth and angle of the vein before disabling the ability.
No sooner did Fin mark the wall that he noticed how uneasy the dwarves around him had become. "What''s wrong?" He asked as a solemn murmur broke out among his group.
A dwarf by the name Guile tugged on his sleeve and pointed to the walls, ceiling, and ground. "Do you see those holes and grooves?" He asked with a cautious tone that made the hairs on Fin''s body stand up. "It''s a bad sign. We should leave now."
Fin looked closer and noticed perfectly round trenches carved into the cavern, like evidence of water corrosion in a dry riverbed. Only the unnaturally curved angles precluded the effects of water, and most of the grooves ended in a hole big enough for a snake or a large rat to fit through.
Brando held his jar of moss up to one of the holes. "What is it?"
Guile waved for everyone to slowly back out of the room before speaking. "They are called many things, satriks, mine devils, and dirt eaters. My grandfather told me that if I saw those grooves or holes in the wall, I should get away as soon as possible. You can''t kill it, but if it gets angry, it can kill you."
Fin considered the advice, but not for very long. The massive amount of gold waiting for him just inside the wall was too great to pass up. He would be careful and run away if anything happened, but he would not let the opportunity go.
"I am going to stay for a while," Fin addressed the dwarves. "If you don''t want to stay, I can meet you all at the last fork in a few hours. I need to recuperate my gold attunement anyway, and won''t be much use until I do."
The dwarves understood and were more than happy to wait elsewhere.
When they were gone, Brando asked, "Are you sure you want to stick around?"
Fin smiled and responded, "Yes, and you would be, too, if you saw the size of that nugget in there."
They took turns hitting rocks loose from where Fin had marked. They were worried that whatever was hiding in the holes could come out at any time, so they pushed through the fatigue and dug deeper into the stone without rest. When the last layer of stone covering the gold came loose, they worked feverishly to dislodge the rest of it. However, the harder they worked, the less progress they made. Fin wondered if the rock had somehow become more dense, but a glance at Brando''s next swing explained the truth. He halted everything.
"We''re almost there," Brando said between heavy breaths, not ready to quit.
"Look at our pickaxes," Fin said, showing the tip of his own. Or, instead, what was left of it.
Brando''s eyebrows lifted as he looked at the tip of his own pickaxe. It was completely dull and seemed shorter somehow, as was Fin''s. A closer inspection showed the tips had been cleanly removed. They both looked from their tools to their exposed prize in the wall and took a step back. An orb the size of an orange sat on top of their gold, looking like a continuously glowing spark.
"It''s eating the gold," Brando frantically whispered. "We have to do something."
"I think that''s the dirt eater they were talking about," Fin explained, "I don''t know if there''s anything we can do."
"But look at the gold," Brando said with pleading eyes.
Fin considered if there was anything he could do and realized that the spark looked familiar. It had the same glow as the worms had in Clive Rae when they were eating. That meant that it was probably corrosive, but he was probably immune. If he caught it in his hands, he could hold it while Brando gathered the rest of the gold, but then what? He didn''t want to make it angry. He wondered if he could stow it. Finally, he devised a plan and warned Brando to stay back as far as possible. If he was right, there was a good reason the dwarves were afraid; this golden ball could probably dissolve skin and bone with a single touch.
Fin approached his rapidly dissolving fortune and gently poked the creature while activating Greater Stow. His finger had not dissolved, but the creature had also not disappeared. He realized he would need to pick it up first, so he reached in to grab it. The spark seemed to wake up, slip free from his grasp, and hover around his head like a bee.
"Offer it something," Brando whisper yelled.
Fin unstowed his favorite rock in his hand and offered it forward. When nothing happened, the rock disappeared, and a small nugget of gold took its place. This got the orb''s attention, and landed on Fin''s hand to absorb the treat. Fin immediately activated stow, and the round creature disappeared.
"It worked?" Brando asked, astonished. "I can confidently say I didn''t think it would."
"Me neither," Fin admitted. "Since it didn''t burn my fingers off, I figured I could just hold it in my hands if all else failed. Help me get the rest of this."
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While Brando collected the gold, Fin checked on the creature in his inventory, where the golden energy ball was labeled as an "Earth Sprite." However, the Earth Sprite appeared to be moving freely from one storage space to another. Fin frowned as it landed in the location that held his money. He unstowed his coins, but the sprite unstowed, too. He then stowed the coins, but the sprite seemed to be able to enter and leave his inventory at will, outside of Fin''s control.
"Hurry!" He yelled while juggling the sprite and all his wealth in and out of his inventory in a frantic effort to save his wealth.
Brando turned around, holding more gold than he had in his life. "What are you doing?" he asked as various coins, gold nuggets, and an earth sprite reappeared and disappeared in Fin''s hands.
"It''s eating all the money," Fin said, frantically moving items around and spreading them out.
He unstowed the sprite and one of the elemental cores simultaneously, and the orb momentarily stopped its rampage to investigate the earth-attuned item, seemingly interested. Fin moved the core back and forth the same way he would get a dog excited about a toy before rolling it across the room. The gambit worked, and the sprite followed after it.
"Hold your shirt open," Fin urged, not waiting for Brando to comply before wealth started accumulating in his hands. "When I tell you to run and go fast."
Brando nodded as Fin dumped as much treasure as he could into Brando''s outspread shirt.
Looking at the sprite with either Sense Magic or Discern Earth brought a curious sight. The orb connected golden thread strings from the elemental core to the rocks scattered around the mine floor. Only when the string began compressing and drawing in rocks to create limbs did Fin understand what the sprite was doing. He told Brando to run and immediately stood his ground for another fight against an Earth Elemental.
"Protect the wealth!" came Fin''s battle cry as the elemental stood and charged.
Only the limbs of the elemental were very short. They were made from the largest rocks in an area that were consequently all minuscule shards. The charging creature''s bulbous head only came to about knee level. A smile broke out across Fin''s face as he watched the pathetic thing run towards him. His joy was short-lived when the elemental punched him in the shin. Fin bent over, picked it up, and stowed it. He wasn''t playing anymore, even if his pain-resist ability nullified the credibility of the punch.
The earth sprite moved to where its meal was supposed to be. It hovered in circles for a moment and then stopped, turning a piercing color of silver and back to gold. It started attacking Fin, putting holes in his shirt and cutting off one of his sleeves.
Fin flinched as the sprite charged at his face and bumped into him. It felt like getting hit by a dinner roll. When the sprite disappeared, Fin checked his inventory and noticed he still had a silver coin and a blue topaz gem. He immediately unstowed his forgotten treasures and held them tightly in his grip. A moment later, the pathetic elemental appeared in his hand and punched him in the face. He restowed the elemental, and the process repeated several more times. The elemental appeared in his arms, attacked his face, and then got restowed.
Eventually, the earth sprite gave up and reappeared. It looked around the room before moving out into the passageway. Fin did not want it to find Brando or the vast wealth he was carrying. If it got loose in the mine, there was no telling how much damage it would cause. So he charged after it, and with a combination of luck and habit, he called for it to stop. Surprisingly enough, it did.
"Look," Fin held out his silver coin. "I will give you this if you leave us alone."
The sprite squeaked, and a vision of walls flowing with delicious gold popped into Fin''s imagination. It squeaked again, and all the gold was gone¡ªno more delicious, buttery gold, just flavorless minerals in the rock. A third squeak showed Fin taking the last morsel from the sprite''s mouth and eating it himself.
At first, Fin thought he was losing his mind and started imagining random things. That was until the third squeak when he saw the crude caricature of himself with a massive nose eating gold. That wasn''t something he would imagine on his own if he was stuck in the mine for a hundred years. The only explanation was his Earth Commune ability; he might have just figured out how to use it, even if it was a vague understanding.
Fin said, "Trade," and held up the silver coin while imagining himself walking in one direction and the sprite floating in another.
The sprite squeaked and portrayed itself taking a small bite to see if it was any good.
Fin relented with the word "small" and showed exactly what he meant.
The sprite floated closer, and Fin held up the coin. It was one thing to believe you were conversing with an earth-plane creature, but it was entirely different to know you were. When the sprite approached the coin and took the smallest of bites, Fin felt wholly vindicated.
Another squeak brought Fin''s attention to the fact that while the metal was nice and chewy, it was nowhere near as good as the gold was.
Fin slapped himself on the forehead. All he needed to do was find his little friend a new home. He told it to follow and walked out into the mine. It didn''t take long before he was able to find a decent-sized gold deposit. He hit it with the sharp side of his pickaxe a few times before coming up with a better idea. He transferred what he saw to the sprite so it could dig its own hole.
The sprite hung in the air motionless while it processed what the dragonkin was truly showing. It moved cautiously toward the spot indicated on the wall and burrowed into it. It was one thing to say that you can see through walls, but it is entirely different to prove it, and the proof was delicious.
Fin crept away, relieved to have gotten rid of the destroyer of wealth.
He found Brando and the seven dwarves shortly after and almost regretted not listening to them.
"Did everything go okay?" Brando asked with concern, still holding his shirt like he was collecting walnuts.
"It was a close call, but everything''s fine," Fin said before waving for him to follow. "We''ll be right back."
Fin led Brando around the corner from the dwarves so they wouldn''t see the massive transfer of wealth, followed by its disappearance. It wasn''t that he distrusted dwarves, but more like he distrusted strangers in general.
"Let me find something to put that in," Fin said, opening his inventory and freezing in place. The mine devil was in his inventory, snooping around. He checked his hand to ensure he was still holding the blue gem and that it hadn''t been eaten. Sure enough, he was still holding it and the nibble-bitten silver coin in a white-knuckled death grip. He immediately took a handful of gold nuggets from Brando''s shirt and charged for the dwarves. He put a piece of gold in each of their little hands and made them promise to not tell anyone about his preferential treatment. That was to get them to go away.
"It''s in my inventory," Fin admitted, feeling a sense of doom creep up his shoulders. "I don''t know how, but he''s in there. It''s in there."
"What do I do?" Brando asked, seemingly ready to bolt at any moment.
"If it sees you, you''re dead, so stand on the other side of the corner," Fin pointed to a well-shadowed area hidden from view. "I''m going to drop four lunchboxes and a pillow. When I tell you to, put the gold in the lunch boxes and stuff them in the pillowcase. Wait for me at the usual spot. If I''m not back in two days, just get out of here and pay the taxes. I have to ditch this thing before I can go anywhere."
Brando didn''t move or speak. He didn''t understand the full extent of Fin''s worries, but he knew how worried Fin was, which worried him. When Fin yelled, "Clear!" Brando sprung from his hiding place and picked up the items left for him on the path. He then dumped the valuables from his shirt into two of the lunchboxes, stuffed the lunchboxes in with the pillow, and ran for Rasengold''s favorite spot.
When he was back in the sprite''s cavern, Fin sighed and pulled out the blue gem. He said, "Trade" again but added that he was not allowing any samples. The gem was the last thing he wanted to lose, but he also knew that Brando wouldn''t leave the mine without him and have to pay all those taxes and fees.
The sprite approached the gem and hovered around it, getting close enough to make Fin''s fingers twitch. Finally, it told Fin, "Squeak," but instead of them walking in different directions, the sprite followed him to find more gold.
Fin refused, so it made a counteroffer. This time Fin was surrounded by piles of gold and blue gems, but the sprite was being good and not leaving Fin''s stowage space. It only wanted to "sample" one of each¡ªand one more for good measure, maybe two more. Three at most.
Fin pulled out his favorite rock and offered to trade once more. This time, Fin offered the idea that he had no gold, and this rock was all he had left in the world.
"Is this rock good?" the sprite asked.
"You can sample it if you want, but I have nothing else," Fin answered.
It gently landed on it, creating a slight indent, and commented, "This is different. What is it?"
"It''s my favorite rock," Fin replied. "So, do we have a deal or not?" Fin asked.
The sprite squeaked to confirm the deal. It would follow Fin around, finding all the hidden pockets of gold, but they would separate ways when it ate the silver coin and the gem. However, it wanted to use the rock for something, and there was something about moss.
The part where he and the sprite went separately was straightforward, so Fin agreed and held the items out.
The sprite landed on the rock, but instead of dissolving it, it sent tendrils of power through it. The rock looked like it had golden blood vessels pumping energy through it. Fin asked what it was.
"Moss."
Fin shrugged and held up the gem and the silver coin to conclude their deal.
"I''ll eat it later," was the only response before the sprite jumped into Fin''s inventory.
Chapter 50
Several things happened at once. Fin stowed his rock to see if there were any changes. It was now labeled as an Oath Stone. Before he could investigate further, he noticed a quest notification.
- Earth Quest Complete: Enter a bond with an Earth Plane creature. +1 Level, +1 Active ability.
- Active ability: Lesser Earth Control
- Path Quest Complete: Enter a bond with a higher being. +1 Level. +1 Quest.
- Transcendence Quest: Enter syphon sleep. +5 levels, +5 basic stat points, +5 golden stat points, +1 passive ability, +1 active ability.
- Affinity Quest Complete: Chaos (1 of 0): Trade everything for CHAOS! +1 Level, +2 Intelligence. Chaos Affinity. Forfeit Further Affinities.
- Chaos Quest complete: Enter a bond with the Anthectis Destroyer. -1 Intelligence, -1 Level, +2 Levels, +1 Active Ability, +2 quests, Forfeit all Transcendence quests.
- Active Ability: Alter Ability
- Chaos Quest: Activate all abilities simultaneously. +1 Active Ability, -1 Random, +2 Random. Forfeit Random.
- Chaos Quest: Fuse all abilities with chaos. +1 Passive Ability, +1 Active ability. Forfeit all Random.
Seeing the multiple quest achievements made Fin dizzy with excitement. However, the longer he read through them, the more weary and confused he became. To start, Fin had no idea what one of zero meant. He tried doing the math, but math wasn''t his strong suit. He then realized that one percent of three thousand was thirty. He felt disappointed for the mistake but had to push the miserable thought away. He had more pressing things to focus on. On the bright side, he had just gained a point in intelligence, however obscurely, and decided he would never make a deal based on percentages again.
He looked back at his achievements to find something to cheer him up. The transcendence quest looked promising. If he was able to figure out anything about Syphon Sleep, the rewards would be substantial. Then he noticed that had forfeited all his transcendence quests. There would be no transcending for him.
Three quests were almost identical, and he was able to learn a few things about the Earth Sprite currently sleeping in his inventory. He already assumed it was an earth-plane creature based on the golden glow it emitted. He even risked a finger on that assumption. What was interesting to learn was the sprite was also considered a higher being and the Anthectis Destroyer. He didn''t know what the first word meant, but he knew the word destroyer, and it made sense. There was no way a dragon could sleep a wink on its piles of treasure with the Anthectis Destroyer around. It would wake up as destitute as the day it was born.
The two chaos quests were interesting, and he was excited to try out his new abilities. He also needed to come up with a plan to get rid of the Anthectis Destroyer before he too became broke.
Fin unstowed the oath stone and a lunch box. He ate while he considered his old favorite rock. There was a reason why the sprite made it. His inventory wouldn''t classify the sprite as a higher being without a good reason. Had it tricked him into forming a bond and had no intention of eating the gem or the coin? He considered destroying the Oath Stone but thought better of it. What if it was there to ensure both parties held up their side of the deal? He felt like the stone was on his side, and all he had to do was get the sprite to finish the arrangement and leave.
He unstowed the sprite and shoved the silver coin into its center. However, the coin was not dissolving. He noticed that whenever the coin got close to the creature, it turned silver in those places. Fin learned two things, when the sprite was silver, it was not corrosive, and the sprite had no intention of being corrosive around the two treasures. He was forced to stop when the small elemental appeared in his hands and started hitting him.
Fin immediately began dialogue with the sprite and yelled, "Just eat it and go away!"
The sprite gave him the picture of moss.
Fin''s curiosity won out over his rage, "What is moss?"
The sprite pulsed and showed the vision again. This time, Fin concentrated as the scene played out in his imagination. There was moss, but it began growing and receding on a cave floor. The longer he watched, the more the moss fluctuated. Looking closer, he noticed that the moss was dying as it receded and slowly grew back. It took a while, but he realized it was equivalent to an image of the sun spinning overhead at a blurring speed. It meant "for a very long time" or worse, "forever."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"No," he stated before getting up and sprinting for the exit. The sprite had no trouble keeping up with him as it hovered close behind and even jumped in his inventory to go along for the ride. He tried appeasing it with hidden gold stores in the mine, hiding from it with Stone Visard, and blasting it with Caustic Breath. When nothing worked, he tried out his new abilities.
To Fin''s disappointment, Lesser Earth Control did not allow him to sculpt stone like clay. The ability seemed to irritate the sprite but did not cause harm. Only when he activated Caustic Breath and Lesser Earth Control did he notice he could lengthen, shape, and project the golden mist further than before. He then tried Alter Ability, directing the ability toward Stonespire Wings. It was an ability he couldn''t use anyway, so if the alteration was permanent, he wouldn''t use it on any of his useful ones. The combination changed the ability to Stone Simulacrum Wings, and it appeared as if it was permanent. He still couldn''t use them.
While looking for other abilities to alter, Fin saw that he still had two from Affinities he would never have, Dark Sight and Hydro Lung. The first became Inverse Sight, which did everything he assumed Dark Sight would do. The tunnels became bright as day, with pools of shadow coalescing around the glow moss. Hydro Lung became Absorb Ambient Energy, and he was delighted to find the Earth Sprite did not like it, just not to the point where it would agree to leave him alone. But it was a bargaining chip nonetheless. Fin sat down with determination, pulled out the Oath Stone, and began renegotiations. If they were going to be stuck together, it would be better if they could at least be a team.
Near the mine exit, Brando slept despite his many and unconventional efforts to stay awake and guard his pillow. Ultimately, he couldn''t resist the lure of the cave''s cold and uneven dirt floor. Startling awake to the sound of approaching footsteps, he regripped his dull pickaxe and took an alert posture. Most of his fears were reserved for the danger of taxation more than the danger of theft, a fear that soon diminished as Fin came into view.
"What took you so long?" Brando asked, gathering up his things. "Did you get rid of it?"
Fin sighed and unstowed the golden, gold-eating orb, and after a glare of warning, it turned silver. "It''s an Earth Sprite, and I didn''t get rid of it as much as I found myself stuck with it."
"What do you mean stuck with it?" Brando said, flinching as the orb investigated him, floating around his head.
"Don''t worry," Fin said, trying to calm Brando''s nerves. "As long as it''s silver in color, it can''t hurt you."
"It''s always been silver!" Brando protested, "And I don''t want it shredding me to pieces like it did your clothes!"
Fin''s clothes were shredded and disheveled, and his right sleeve was bunched up around his wrist. As he changed out of them for clothes in his inventory, he explained the predicament he had been in and the resulting negotiations. He then unstowed the small earth elemental from his inventory. The creature made out of the elemental core and various rocks strung together by the sprite made Brando marvel. Having already fought a larger version of the monster in Clive Rae, he knew that it would make a powerful ally.
"Splitting your half of the treasure seems harsh, but this," he gestured at the stationary elemental, "I don''t know¡ This could be good. Will it help us fight?"
"It won''t follow my orders, but I think I can get it to work with us somehow," Fin restowed the elemental along with his discarded clothes. "It''s too early to tell, and I''m too exhausted to think anymore tonight."
Fin brushed himself off and turned to ask if Brando was ready to leave, only to find him holding out a piece of gold toward the greedy little sprite.
"Don''t feed it!" he shouted as it absorbed the gold and settled on Brando''s shoulder.
"I think it likes me," Brando beamed, running a finger over the lump.
Fin''s lip curled up into a sneer. "Of course, it''s going to like you if you feed it! If you had any idea how much gold I''ve already fed this thing, you wouldn''t want to be its friend. It''s an endless pit of hunger that sucks all riches into its void. In fact, I''m going to call it Void."
Path Quest Complete: Become named by a higher being. +1 Charisma. +2 quests revealed.
- Royal Advantage: Create a kingdom. +1 Passive Ability. +5 Charisma, +5 golden stat points. Nobility Ranking Increased. Forfeit all Royal Conquest quests.
- Royal Conquest: Destroy a kingdom. +1 Active Ability. +5 Constitution, +5 basic stat points. Renown Ranking Increased. Forfeit all Royal Advantage quests.
Fin looked at his stat sheet and sure enough, where it used to say, ¡°Name: Lord Finlay of Dragonthrone¡± now said, ¡°Squee¡±. He shook his head, but he was too tired to comment on it. He stowed the pillow before he, Brando, and the indomitable Void left the mine.
Chapter 51
Fin woke late in the morning and found the pile of gold he woke with was less than what he had fallen asleep with. He glared at Void, who was resting innocently on Brando''s chest. In response to Fin''s accusations, the silver ball of thievery explained that it was only taking its rightful share. He was about to share his displeasure with the sprite but caught his reflection in the mirror. Some of the hair he had grown on his face was missing in perfectly round patches. He beckoned Void to his hand, and after instructing it to turn gold, he dragged it over his face. It was the smoothest shave he had ever gotten, and Void didn''t seem to mind, so he inferred the creature had at least one useful quality.
Soon, Brando was awake, and when they were both ready, they set out on their daily routine. They checked in with the armor smith, dropped off the gold, and went to the mine. The days came and went, each day bringing new surprises. Void showed itself useful, burrowing into the stone and allowing Fin to reach in and pluck out whatever it left behind. However, not all surprises were welcome.
The gathered dwarves waiting for the ''Fin the Gold Scry'' had steadily increased, but the amount of gold collected at the end of the day had decreased. Fin directed the dwarves to work together to tunnel further into the rock in various places as the easily accessible veins had all but depleted. This worked in Fin''s favor as the team wouldn''t need redirecting the next day. There was the problem of purchasing support beams, which Fin would sometimes need to split the cost with the miners who happily installed them in growing mine shafts.
Finally, Fin and Brando''s concerns about having such a large following and drawing the wrong attention were realized. One morning, when they were about to enter the mine, they were intercepted by an official surrounded by uniformly dressed guards.
"Good morning, Fin the Gold Scry and Brando the Collector," a dwarf said with a grim look. "The boss would like to have a word with you. Will you follow me?"
Brando took the situation stoically and directed the official to "Lead the way."
They were led around the mine entrance to the left, through a passageway, and up a winding stairway surrounded by weapons pointing menacingly upward. The armed and armored dwarves escorted them to a top-floor office, where a female dwarf sat behind a desk waiting for them.
"I am Marriam Dunkle, the owner of this mine and establishment," she said, pointing at two small chairs in front of the desk. "Please, have a seat."
Fin sat while Brando looked dubiously at the tiny chair. He gingerly lowered himself into a seated position below knee level with an irritated look.
Marriam continued without ceremony, "In the past weeks, the mine has seen a significant increase in production. So much so that I began looking into what was causing the spike in income. Do you know what I discovered? I found you two. I did some digging, so to speak; it turns out that while you were leading the greatest expedition this mine has seen in forty years, you have yet to take even an ounce of gold out of the mines yourself. However, I have it on good authority that you have collected a significant portion of the claimed gold. Hence, the honorific, Brando the Collector. Do one of you care to explain this anomaly?"
The question hung in the air for several palpable heartbeats before Brando spoke, "Are you implying that we have some kind of undetectable pocket we can put gold in that makes us able to sneak past your security without paying your exorbitant fees?"
"I am implying that I could have you arrested at a word," Marriam stated coldly. "However, I am willing to overlook certain unscrupulous deeds if you are willing to solve the riddle of how one of you can find the gold and how the other is making it disappear."
Fin considered the offer before unstowing the oath stone. He didn''t know how or if it worked, but it made him feel more comfortable with what he was about to do, if only in a superstitious way. He placed it on the counter, causing the guards to visibly tense.
"What is this?" Marriam asked, looking at the rock.
"Hold it in your hand and swear that whatever I tell you, you will not repeat it to anyone else," Fin said with a serious edge to his voice. "Also, that you will, in fact, absolve us of any potential unscrupulous deeds. After you make the promise, I will tell you and no one else."
"And say that you won''t kick us out of the mine," Brando added. "There''s a lot of people depending on us down there."
Marriam picked up the oath stone quizzically. "A rock?"
"Yes," Fin stated. "It''s an oath stone. I''m certain you will keep any promises you make while holding it."
"I promise not to call you crazy," Marriam said, holding the rock to her forehead. With the next breath, she proclaimed, "You are absolutely insane."
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"You didn''t call him crazy, though," Brando chimed in with a point of his finger.
Marriam called both of them crazy, which caused Fin to frown. He stood up to reach for the rock, but he was stopped with two spears to his throat.
Marriam waved for the guards to stand down.
"You can wait outside," she said, placing the rock into Fin''s waiting hand. "I have sent my guards away and agree to your terms. If you tell me, I will take your secrets to my grave and not stop you from entering my mine. Why would I? You''ve made me a lot of money."
Without hesitation, Fin confessed everything, "I have a secret pocket where I can carry things around completely undetected, and I can see gold through walls."
Marriam called for the guards. When they rushed in, Fin spoke rapidly to keep from getting skewered. "I swear, I''m not lying," he said, holding his hands up. "Test me, I''ll show you."
Marriam held up a hand and addressed her guards, "Go get Genris, have him open the vault. Bring twelve chests, empty half of them, and fill them with rocks. Make sure Genris keeps everything organized."
The guard bowed and left the room. Marriam instructed the other guards to help. When they had left, she leveled her gaze on Fin. "You will find that I do not have the patience for misdirection or glib remarks," she warned, reclaiming her seat. "If you are unable to substantiate your claim, I will have you arrested, and we can repeat this conversation a year from today."
Fin barely registered the threat, as something else had caught his attention. A massive, double-sided war hammer was hanging on the wall of Marriam''s office. On one side, the hammer was square and flared out at the end; on the other, it had a round spike. The handle was as long as most swords were long and wrapped with old, cracked leather. The weapon looked too gaudy and unwieldy to interest him; the colorless glow from the hammer caught his attention. Fin stood up from his squat chair and walked absent-mindedly toward the hammer. It hung propped up on the wall with a hook.
Marriam watched as Fin brushed his fingers over the simple design work etched into the side of the hammer. "That is a forgery of the Gladrohm Hammer," She said, approaching, taking it off the wall, and giving it several one-handed swings. "My grandfather bought it from a merchant who swore to its authenticity. Only after my grandfather bought it did he learn that the actual Gladrohm Hammer was made from a combination of metals too heavy to allow such a one-handed swing from his granddaughter. I keep it to remind me not to make the same mistake as he did. The hammer was as expensive as it was fake."
"May I?" Fin said, holding out his hand.
Marriam placed the hammer in Fin''s hand and gave it several test swings.
"It''s lighter than it looks," he marveled.
"Yes, and it would break in half with a breath," Marriam said with dismissal.
Fin wasn''t so sure. The magic glow of the hammer indicated that if it wasn''t an authentic piece, there was at least something special about it. He searched his stats to find some inkling of what the magic did. His eyes fell to his Strength stat, and his brows lifted ever so slightly. He hung it up on the hook and grasped it again, retaking its full weight. His strength went from negative nine to eleven each time he picked it up. Whatever the Gladrohm Hammer was, this was probably it.
- Treasure Quest Complete: Identify treasures with resourceful means. +1 Active Ability
- Active Ability: Identify
Fin had already been looking at his status when the notification appeared. He immediately activated the Identify ability on the hammer and found he was, in fact, holding the Gladrohm Hammer. It gave a stat boost of twenty to strength. He did not know how he felt about Marriam yet, so he didn''t voice his discovery out loud. Instead, he hung up the hammer and gave it a compliment.
"It looks good," Fin said, returning to his chair. "The grip needs to be replaced."
"I''ll take that into consideration next time I use the decoration in battle," Marriam remarked.
The conversation dwindled into silence as the three sat and waited for the chests to arrive. When guards started carrying small, unassuming boxes through the door, Fin nearly sighed in relief. He stood and faced the wall until the guards had set the boxes down. Even without the ability to see the contents, he could tell which ones looked lighter, and he wanted to eliminate any doubts about his abilities.
"Instead of watching the chests for hints of their contents, you turn your back," Marriam said, noticing what Fin was doing. "I am intrigued but not convinced. Go ahead and point to the boxes with gold in them."
Fin turned to inspect the neat row of chests. They were uniformly spread out, so every other box contained neatly stacked gold coins. He couldn''t see the contents of the other chests except for one. Inside the second to the last box lay a gold bit as big as the tip of his little finger.
"Every other box has gold starting from the second," Fin said after another brief glance. "Shall I open them?"
Marriam rushed to the first box and snapped the lid open. She then moved down the line of chests, opening every other one. A look of pure shock crossed her face for the briefest moment before she regained composure.
"Can you really see through boxes, or is there some trick that I''m missing?" She asked skeptically.
"What would you be willing to wager that this box also contains gold?" Fin lifted a foot and set it on the second to the last box.
"Impossible," Marriam stated. "You heard me give the order; only half were to contain gold."
"Would you bet the hammer there is no gold in this box?" Fin asked, trying to contain his excitement.
Instead of taking the bet, Marriam pulled the box out from under Fin''s foot, unlatched the lid, and dumped the contents on the floor. Grey rocks spilled out over the carpet, and Marriam cocked an eyebrow.
"What were you saying?" She asked, arms folded in front of her petite frame.
Fin plucked a single rock off the floor and held it up in the air, "I''m asking you to wager the hammer that there''s gold in this rock."
"If there''s gold in that rock," she said, pausing for consideration. "You can keep the hammer, but in return, I need something from you. You have to help me purchase some property that will reimburse my family for the price of it."
Chapter 52
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Chapter 53
Fin was happy to have more room in his carriage. None of the other guards wanted to travel with him, so they opted to squeeze into the other ones. All but for poor Pimly, who drew the short grass and had to share Fin¡¯s carriage. He sat wide-eyed and rigid. Sitting next to an uncomfortable dwarf was vastly better than sitting uncomfortably next to three of them.
As time passed, Fin realized that every time Marriam shouted at him through her own window and he replied in the negative, it probably meant the scribes were crossing off another location from the list. He had lost count of how many gold-desolate areas he had demarcated, even though not all had been completely barren. He had seen multiple places with at least some copper, silver, or gold, but it was never enough to stop for. Especially when they could be crossing more places off the list. Then, the unexpected happened. Marriam called something out of the window, but it wasn¡¯t directed toward Him. Pimely, blatantly ignoring him, perked up at the words and scrambled to get out of the carriage. They were stopped entirely, and the silence of the wheels allowed him to hear boots shuffling in the dirt, the clinking of metal, and the words, ¡°To battle!¡±
Fin instinctively unstowed his dull sword and got out of the carriage to help if he could. When he saw what was attacking, he froze. It wasn¡¯t from cowardice; it was from a mixture of shock, uncertainty, inexperience, or a dozen other reasons, including wisdom. The dwarves stood in formation with spears pointed upward toward the ugliest group of winged creatures he had ever seen. They were maybe twice the size of a vulture but looked like a combination of a mosquito and a bat. Tufts of grey hair outlined skin, webbed wings, and a needlepoint beak longer than his arm.
Instead of running in blindly, he stopped and observed. The dwarves seemed to be holding their own, moving forward and backward together and attacking with powerful thrusts in a coordinated effort. One of the creatures fell out of the air. A dwarf gave an order and stabbed the fallen creature while the others thrust their spears upward to keep the rest at bay. Watching them fight was a presentation of skill and mastery.
Fin wondered if his identified ability would work on the creature or if it was just for weapons. What he found left him with more questions than answers, though at least he discovered what the creature was.
- Mammoth Stirge
- Lean, stringy, and chewy.
First, he had an odd feeling that the description showed the creature¡¯s edibility. He tested the theory by identifying one of the guards.
He shook his head in disgust and decided not to tell anyone about it. Of all the abilities he had, this one was by far the most incriminating.
The dwarves made short work of the stirges. They kicked the corpses out of the road and walked back to the carriages with smiles. Pimley held up a few strands of grass and said something with a hopeful look on his face. The others laughed at him and directed them towards Fin¡¯s carriage. He eventually gave up, threw the grass away, and walked dejectedly forward.
Fin couldn¡¯t believe it. The guards all fought what could have been the most frightening-looking monsters he had ever seen, but they didn¡¯t want to share a carriage with him because of Void? Furthermore, they were all laughing and smiling as if the fight had been no big deal.
The carts moved forward again, falling into the same routine. Fin was happy to tour the outskirts of the dwarven city but was only slightly discouraged. Pimley did not want to talk. He considered unstowing Void and having it harass the solemn dwarf when he saw something strange.
He stopped the carts and walked out into an open field. He waded through waist-high grass under a stone hill. Ahead of him, dead trees hanging at obtuse angles sat bundled together at the far end of the field. His destination was nowhere in particular and everywhere around him. He could see densely sporadic signs of precious metals through his ability, but they looked nothing like gold veins or gem clusters he was used to.
The ones he could see above ground lay dispersed, shallowly around in an almost uniform pattern. He stopped at a spot with a large enough item to start his investigation. He dug in the ground with his fingers, wishing he had a shovel, to find a clue of what was hiding in the ground around him. Finally, he had dug deep enough to uncover a remnant of what might have been a money pouch and dislodged three coins from the earth. As he tromped back through the grass to show the others, he noticed they were gathered around the base of a grassy hill, eating food from wooden baskets.
¡°This place is full of odd things spread around the ground,¡± He explained, holding out one of the grubby coins he found. ¡°It might be worthwhile to look into it.¡±
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Marriam told him to help himself with the food she brought, which consisted of breads, cheeses, preserved meat, and not one, but two casks of her own ¡°Special reserve.¡± As he started picking through the baskets, Marriam dripped an amber liquid from her cup onto the coin. She repeated the process several times, rubbing the face of the coin with her thumb.
Fin filled a cup and had already taken two drinks before the overwhelmingly unpleasant flavor registered in his mind. A confusing amalgamation of flavors assaulted him from every direction at once. One flavor, in particular, held no mysteries; it was sour! Not ¡°I left the dough out too long,¡± sour, but ¡°This dough was left out when your grandmother was born.¡± It gave him a similar feeling to when he ate a gooseberry; it was a lesson his brain told him he was about to learn again.
He waited for an opportunity to spit it out. Marriam exclaimed something in dwarven, and all attention was on her. He was one second too late before her full attention slammed into him like the executioner¡¯s axe.
¡°Where did you find this?¡± she asked, holding up the now perfectly visible silver coin.
Fin swallowed, grimaced, and then pointed toward the trail he had made in the grass. ¡°Just over there, this place is full of them. Or, full of something similar.¡±
To make his point, he pushed through his mental exhaustion and peered at the ground around him. Transfixed on an area several paces away, he set down his cup and started digging with his hands. Then, he discreetly unstowed his dagger and used it to dig. When his target was partially uncovered, he gripped it and tore it from the ground, pulling up a handful of debris. When he inspected the item, he saw it was a ring. Unfortunately, it was still attached to the skeletal remains of its late owner¡¯s hand. An audible gasp came from the dwarven onlookers, and Fin dropped the hand with a shriek, high pitched enough to disappoint his father.
The dwarves ran to the skeletal hand and began poking it with their spears and toes. Marriam leaned down and picked it up with a calm courage that would have earned Fin¡¯s father¡¯s respect. She removed the ring and tossed the rest away like the bones on a dinner plate. After dropping a small amount of her private reserve on the ring, she showed everyone the emblem it bore.
¡°This writing isn¡¯t Dwarven,¡± she muttered before attempting to give it to one of the scribes. The scribe ambled backward and leaned in as if Marriam was simply showing it to her.
¡°It¡¯s Elvish, I believe,¡± she said before nodding as if she had seen all there was to see.
¡°Dark Elvin,¡± the other scribe corrected. ¡°The letters are straight, not curved. That¡¯s assuming it¡¯s letters at all, but It¡¯s not a picture, so what else could it be?¡±
¡°Do elves live around here or something?¡± Fin asked out of curiosity. He had never seen an elf or didn¡¯t think he did. All he knew was they had pointy ears, which could probably be hidden under a hat easily enough if he had.
¡°No,¡± Marriam answered, apparently giving up on trying to offer the ring to anyone else. ¡°That¡¯s what makes this so strange. Do you think you can find anything else?¡±
Fin shrugged and started looking around. He could tell his energy was almost gone. If he was in the mine, he would eat something or lay down for a nap, but they were running out of time; the sun had already begun to set. So, he mustered all his determination, set his jaw, and finished the rest of Marriam¡¯s potent drink. He followed it up by throwing berries, bread, and cheese in his mouth to rid himself of the flavor.
¡°I have been a poor host,¡± Marriam said sincerely. ¡°I should have given you food to travel with, and now you are starving.¡±
If his mouth wasn¡¯t full, he would have had to figure out how to say, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get the flavor of your disgusting cider out of my mouth,¡± in a polite way. Instead, he waved to suggest, ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is just how I eat,¡± and pushed through his exhaustion to activate his ability.
All of the treasures in the ground gave up their secrets at once. Working quickly, he marked the treasures with bits of bread and instructed the guards to dig in those places. He then turned and faced the grassy hill behind the picnic and stared. There was a faint glow in a very distinct pattern on the face of the hill underneath the foliage. Before he could investigate, his willpower gave out, and his ability faded into normal vision.
Fin sat on the ground, needing a moment to close his eyes and collect himself. Marriam asked about him with concern, but he assured her that he was fine. She soon turned her attention to the others digging in the places indicated by bread. The guards dug out another coin, the rusted remains of what could have been a dagger, and an obscurely large button. When he told them about the odd symbols he had seen in the hill, it was already too late to investigate. So, the scribes wrote quick descriptions and were directed back to the carts.
The trip back was surprisingly quick. The carriage carried lit lanterns, but the light had not been useful until they were stopped outside the Traveler¡¯s House.
¡°Thank you for your help today,¡± Marriam said sweetly. ¡°I will bring breakfast in the morning, and make sure to bring extra travel rations.¡±
Fin was surprised at the implication that he would go with her again in the morning. Hadn¡¯t he done enough to satisfy his end of the deal? He hadn¡¯t just shown her a brand-new mining site brimming with precious metals and discovered a potentially lucrative ruin? He was still formulating his response when the carriages pulled away, not giving him a chance to negotiate. His time was valuable, and he had more important things to do than ride around in a carriage couped up with dull company all day. He sighed and walked towards his room. He could deal with it tomorrow.
Chapter 54
Fin found Brando rummaging through and organizing crates of provisions, weapons, and tools in the room.
"I''m glad you''re here," Brando stated, removing a burlap sack and a leather bundle from one of the crates. "Can you make all of this disappear?"
"What is all of this?" Fin asked, gingerly approaching the hoard of random supplies.
Brando pointed to bags, crates, and bundles, in turn describing the contents of each. "Meat, vegetables, and some spare weapons for when we get to goblin town. More mining supplies. Oh, I splurged and got some new leather working tools for myself. My old ones are nowhere near this quality. It will also help me put a good grip on the hammer. Are you sure you want to use it? Marriam did say it would break. Probably not against goblins, but why risk it?"
"It''s a magic weapon, and it gives a strength boost of twenty," Fin said, unstowing the hammer. "And it''s not a forgery. This is the real thing. Whoever Gladrohm was, this was his hammer. It''s not going to break."
"Twenty what?" Brando asked, taking the hammer skeptically. "I don''t feel stronger."
"Twenty points of strength," Fin shrugged. "I don''t know exactly what that equates to, but it''s more strength than I''ve gained since we''ve met. I think I''m going to learn how to use it."
"Easy, just hit them with one of the ends. Like this," Brando made a few example swings. On his final swing, he failed to stop the hammer''s momentum in time before it struck a wooden crate. The crate exploded into a million splinters, spilling bags of potatoes everywhere.
Brando winced as the room fell into abrupt silence. "I''ll fix that grip tonight."
"I''ll start stowing all of this," Fin said and then remembered something important. "Just one thing, before I forget¡."
"What?" Brando asked.
Fin shook his head. "If we ever run into a dragon, I''m just going to kill it."
The next day, they visited the armor smith, as usual, but they didn''t bring their customary lunch box full of golden nuggets this time. Olhoff had become their unofficial banker. He would take their gold, melt it into uniform bars, and was more than happy to keep it locked away for a fee. This pleased Fin because it kept it out of Void''s untrustworthy care. Brando didn''t seem to care about the gold as much as he cared for good food and clothing that featured horses.
"Ah, I''m glad you''re here," Olhoff said, wiping soot off his face and replacing his monocle. "I think I fixed the arm joints. I need you to wear the armor and wave your arms around."
"Actually, I was hoping we could just take whatever you have and head out," Fin said reluctantly, knowing that Olhoff would not agree.
"What?!" Olhoff demanded, monocle hanging taut against its chain.
"We''re almost done; why would you want to stop now?"
Fin sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Marriam Dunkle seems to think I owe her something, and I suspect that she''s going to make life difficult if I don''t go along with her."
Tory had entered the room and offered, "You probably want to sneak out at night. I can smuggle you out in a hay cart, but it will have to wait until tomorrow."
"What did you do?" Olhoff asked with disappointment in his voice.
"It''s a long story," Fin said, unstowing the hammer behind his back ¨C like it wouldn''t be noticeable ¨C and showed the two smiths. "Her grandfather bought¡"
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¡°The Gladrohm Hammer!¡± Olhoff said, hands twitching to reach for it.
"That''s a cool trick," Tory complimented. "Can you teach me that sometime?"
"Uh, yeah," Fin said, handing the hammer to Olhoff. "What''s the story with this thing anyway?"
Olhoff looked over the hammer, which was as long as he was tall. "Some historians noticed that three famous warlords from three different eras all had the same looking hammer. Some believe it''s the same one. It''s named after the first of them ¨C Gladrohm the Wyvern Slayer. I see the rumors are true; this is too light to be the real one. I like the grip on it, though. I''ve never seen this pattern before."
Before Brando could brag about his craftsmanship, Fin asked, "Is it lighter than Tory?"
Olhoff was old but not too old to decline a challenge. He grabbed his apprentice by the back of the shirt and hefted him off the ground with one hand. Tory howled in surprise and then let out a string of insults and curses when he was bobbed up and down in the weighing process. Olhoff ignored the insults, and Brando nearly fell over with laughter.
"This can''t be right," Olhoff said, confused. "I know I''ve been feeding you well enough, but you''re as light as a baby."
"Put me down, you old coot!" Tory yelled.
"May I?" Fin asked, gently taking the hammer from the old coot. Tory''s feet immediately touched the ground as Olhoff''s strength gave out. He tried lifting his apprentice again but couldn''t. Fin gave him back the hammer, and Tory lifted it off the ground with a curse.
"By Loden, what is this?!" Olhoff exclaimed, dropping Tory and looking at the hammer as if for the first time. "Is this some kind of magic weapon? Is this the real hammer of Gladrohm?!"
Olhoff talked about the history of the hammer while he and Tory dressed Fin and Brando in their respective suits of armor. Fin''s set was considerably more decorated than Brando''s, even though it was made by an apprentice and not the master himself. The detail and craftsmanship of the armor, paired with the dark circles around Tory''s eyes, was enough to know that a considerable amount of time was put into it. A gold trim was around some leading edges, and a gold-etched dragon was on the breastplate, with gold-etched fire streaming out of its mouth. Then, because Tory was romantic, eccentric, or both, he attached a cape to Fin''s shoulders through several ribbed spikes.
Brando looked at Fin''s armor with jealousy. His armor was basic, metal-looking, and boring. There wasn''t even a horse on it. Yes, it had enough functionality, would keep him alive, and even made him look intimidating. He would look like a warlord in his own right if it was just him. However, standing next to Fin''s armor, he looked like the warlord''s scribe.
They moved their arms around, bent their knees, and stepped in different directions to test out the joints in the armor. The well-oiled joints moved smoothly in every direction.
"It feels good," Fin said, rotating his arm soundlessly around. "I think we''ll take them today."
"What? No!" It was Tory''s turn to protest. "I still need to finish decorating your helmet and polish everything!"
"It''s okay; we don''t need anything decorated or polished," Brando said, not wanting Fin''s armor to look any better than it did already. "We''re just going to get them dirty. Besides, I think we should get used to wearing them before fighting in them."
"That is true," Olhoff said, handing them a small brown sack and two sets of light brown clothes each. "I was going to tell you to wear them as much as possible to break them in. Wear them while you do mundane things until your body gets used to the extra weight. Do not take them into the mines; if you get dirt in the joints, don''t come crawling back to me to clean them out. The most important thing to know is not to run while you are in battle. You''ll survive as long as you have the energy to fight and wring yourself out too fast if you run. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Master Olhoff," Fin and Brando said in unison as if they had been trained.
"Good. Now, I was going to going to polish this first, but seeing how you tall folk don''t have enough sense for polishing your armor, I''ll give it to you now," Olhoff reached behind the counter and took out a large helmet with a square nose guard and a square mohawk that curved toward the backside into a point. It was exquisitely designed to incite fear in the hearts on the battlefield.
Brando took it with metal-clad fingers. "This is beautiful, I don''t know what to say. Thank you."
Olhoff blushed. "I got some help with it. A true master knows how to ask for help."
Fin was eager to see his own helmet. "Where''s mine?"
Tory''s eyes snapped up. "It''s not done yet. Can you wait until tomorrow?"
Olhoff then brought a crossbow from behind the corner and pointed it at Fin''s chest. "How about a demonstration, as promised?"
Tory nearly leaped to stand in front of Fin and held out his hands to stop him. "No! If you want a demonstration, shoot your own armor!"
The tip of Olhoff''s bolt rotated until it stopped in front of Brando. "Brace yourself, lad."
Before Brando had time to protest, the crossbow clicked, and the sharp metallic twang of a bolt ricocheted off his body and splintered into a shower of little pieces. His heart nearly came to a stop, and he let out a gasp of surprise.
"I''ve already taken the payment for the armor out of your personal supply," Olhoff said nonchalantly, replacing the crossbow behind the desk. "Do you want to take your gold now or pick it up tomorrow when you return for the helmet?"
Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Fin and Brando stepped outside, looking like generals at war. Their pockets were not as heavy as they could be, given the great expense of the armor. Still, they were wealthier than they ever thought possible. They were making their way to the mercenaries'' guild when they noticed the whole square had stopped to stare at them.
"Just keep moving," Brando muttered under his breath. "If we ignore them, they will go away."
Fin took Brando''s instruction and kept walking when a familiar-looking dwarf approached them and bowed. "Master Gold Scry, when you did not return to the mines, I offered to see if you were well. Then, some others agreed to accompany me, and then, well," the dwarf gestured around, "We all came to check up on you."
They turned toward the people in the square. It dawned on Fin that the people weren''t strangers staring at the well-armored humans; they were their fellow miners. The problem was that it was causing more people to stop and stare. The square was now full of miners and pedestrians standing and staring. They were at the center of attention in a busy square in the center of a foreign city.
"I don''t know if I like this Fin," Brando said, crumbling under everyone''s attention.
Fin reluctantly stepped forward, cleared his voice, and addressed the crowd. "Thank you for your concern. As you can see, we are well, but we will not be returning to the mines. Instead, we are going to fight for a different mine."
One of the dwarves called out, "You''re going to take back the Lokardale mine from Clive Rae?"
"Uh, not exactly, but what Clive Rae did was pretty dumb from what I understand," Fin regained his train of thought. "No, we are going to a mine that is five days west of here. It''s inhabited by a group of goblins. What''s worse is they have captured humans and dwarves as slaves in that mine. We are going to fight the goblins. If any of you want to fight alongside us, you are welcome to join us. We are leaving in the morning, regardless."
"What kind of mine is it?" someone asked from the crowd.
"Topaz," Fin announced. He looked down to the dwarf who had greeted them and used True Name before continuing, "We have to make preparations to leave, but Grimwald here will answer any further questions."
The dwarf blushed and stammered for a refusal, but Fin had already turned to leave. The questions all came at once. Fin had to hand it to the little guy; he was good at pretending to know what he was talking about.
Fin and Brando nearly ran into the group of Marriam''s guards, who were also waiting.
"Frome''s legs," Brando cussed. "How does everyone know where we are?"
"Because you''re the only humans within fifty leagues, and you do the same thing every day," Marriam smiled from the center of her well-armed and armored guards. "May I entice you to join me for a meal?"
"Marriam, I feel like you and I are even." Fin was glad to have the chance to tell her in person. "We both held our ends of the deal, and now I have other pressing matters to see to."
"I see," Marriam said, tracing her eyes over his and Brando''s armor. How about this, then? Let me buy you a meal as a ''thank you,'' and we can talk about what I can do to help with your pressing matters."
"I could go for a hot meal," Brando said, clinking his gauntlet on the metal over his stomach.
Fin was hungry, too, and making allies with such a powerful person could be beneficial, so he agreed. Soon, the three of them sat at an alehouse with more food than they could eat without him using a basic stat point, which he had. He waited until everyone was finished eating to use it. His Dexterity went from -5 to -4. Brando gave him a knowing look as the rest of the food vanished from the table.
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As the meal progressed, they told Marriam about where they were going and why. The more they said, the more she started getting that look in her eye. When the tale was told, they all sat in comfortable silence under the watchful eye of guards from adjacent tables.
"I will send ten of my best guards with you and purchase all available mercenaries," she said before draining the last of her ale. "Six of my guards alone could handle fifty goblins. But with ten, you, the mercenaries, and any of the miners you''ve convinced with your speech, I don''t doubt you will win."
"Why are you helping us?" Brando asked bluntly.
"Did you know that I make more money from the shops in my mine than I do from the mine itself?" Marriam asked rhetorically. "Those shops were not there before I inherited the place. I put them there because I see the value in people, and right now, I am making an investment in you two. No strings attached other than the promise of good relations¡ And exclusive rights to incorporate shops, money exchanges, and places to meet general necessities here and there. Mostly for good relations."
Fin agreed to the terms immediately. If Marriam had said, "I want the mine all to myself," he still would have agreed. He had more gold than he knew what to do with and could easily make more. He didn''t want to stay in the desert and mine anyway; he might pluck a few gems out for his mother, but he was ready to go home. He just had a friend to rescue first.
"Marriam, I am excited to work with you," Fin said, moving to shake hands. His fingerless gauntlet was in the way, so he put his hand on it, and it disappeared.
"Fin, can you do that to my armor?" Brando asked as he stood and walked around the table. "I really have to, uh," he glanced at Marriam, "relieve myself."
Fin placed his hands on Brando''s armor, which disappeared into his inventory a moment later. Brando thanked him and walked out of the room with a casual quickness. Marriam''s eyes sparkled with possibilities as she watched Fin sit back down.
She held out her own hand, "I am excited to work with you too."
With dawn came the acrid feeling of change. Trees gave up their dying leaves, husbands kissed their wives goodbye, and Fin discovered that Void had eaten a midnight snack. Thankfully, the hammer and armor were safe; what wasn''t safe was the dark elf coin he had found. He made it absolutely clear to the creature that the weapons and armor were completely off-limits. For the price of several years'' wages, Void agreed.
Brando paid the bill in the lobby while Fin collected the horses. When he got to the front of the Traveler''s House, he saw a sight he had not expected to see. Twenty dwarves mulled around horses and carts in the middle of the street, waiting for him. Some miners were ready to battle for the promise of wealth. More came by the moment. He was pleased when Rasengold showed up with his entire family. He wished them all a good morning, and they offered him breakfast. Brando was also offered a warm bowl of porridge and egg when he arrived.
Before leaving, Fin made one last stop at the armor smith. Outside, he saw the ten guards Marriam promised and ten more others, all carrying weapons. He directed them all toward the larger group and walked inside. The dull thunk of the doorbell drew Olhoff into the main room.
"You''re early," he greeted, then whispered his next words, "He''s been up all night putting the final touches on your helmet. This is a big moment for him, getting his journeyman''s and all. So, try to be patient. He''s almost done."
After a moment, he continued, "Well? Did you bring your armor?"
Fin nodded his head.
"I''ll go check on him," Olhoff said and then went into the back.
Fin closed his eyes and concentrated. He had never stowed or unstowed anything at a thought, but he felt he could do it. After nothing happened, he opened his eyes, pulled up his inventory, and focused on his armor. It appeared on his body in the blink of an eye.
Olhoff returned with a startled expression. "Well, you are full of surprises, aren''t you?"
Then Tory came out with the helmet. It looked similar to Brando''s but very different. Instead of a monochrome color, it was trimmed with gold around the eyes and noseguard. Two golden dragon wings flared out from either side, pointing straight up and fanning around to the back with webbed spikes. It didn''t look like something a general would wear; it looked like something a king would wear.
Fin reached out and took it gently from Tory''s fingers. He placed it on his head. It fit snugly and didn''t limit his vision. The leather inlay made it comfortable. He felt absurd wearing such a fine suit of armor but stood proud.
"This is incredible!" Fin said, taking off the helmet to look at it.
"There''s just one more thing," Tory said, taking a hammer and the smallest chisel out of his apron pocket. He hammered a small dent on the bottom left of Fin''s plate. "It''s customary to give you your first dent so you won''t die in battle."
Fin smiled and hugged the tired dwarf.
"How come I got shot with a crossbow for my first dent?" Brando asked the uncomfortable-looking dwarves.
Olhoff shrugged. "Builds confidence."
The two said their farewells and rejoined the waiting dwarves. The group had grown to forty dwarves, restless to start their journey, so they began.
Chapter 56
The trip started out well enough, but it was slow. Dwarven legs were small, and not everyone had horses or carts to ride or had enough room for more than a few others. One cart lacked a horse, and the owner pulled it on foot. Instead of adopting an even slower pace than walking, Brando gave up his horse, and with a few loops of a rope and some well-tied knots, the horse and cart kept up with the rest of the convoy.
Fin and Brando took turns walking and riding. When one of them walked, they wore their armor. Olhoff had told them to wear it as much as possible to get used to it. Even with the slower pace, the armor was heavy, and despite the chill of the northern winds, it was hot. By the end of the first day, they had stopped wearing the armor altogether because of the heat and exhaustion.
Meals during the day consisted of travel rations¡ªusually dried meat, dried fruit, or dry bread. Only after they had stopped for the evening did they cook a hot meal. Everyone was surprised when Fin produced multiple cooking pots and pans big enough to feed a large group. No one considered where he had kept them. Rasengold insisted that he assumed the cooking duties. His family gathered the wood and built the fires.
The guards and mercenaries developed a watch plan incorporating everyone except Rasengold, Fin, or Brando. With over forty people, almost every person would have to stand a watch once for the whole trip. Fin offered to join the rotation, but the mercenaries refused. Since he was the customer, he would not stand watch. Besides, there were more than enough people for it already. So, he slept.
As the next morning''s march began, Brando felt increasingly uneasy. At some point, they would be traveling through the village they had fled from not too long ago. He approached Fin, who was walking next to a group of miners, talking about nothing in general. Brando asked if he could have a moment, and the others graciously fell back.
"What are we going to do about Eugal?" He finally asked when he was out of earshot from the others.
"We already solved that problem," Fin answered. "He said he would clear our names and we have some pretty incriminating evidence against him. So I''m not worried."
Brando considered it but shook his head. "I don''t trust that Eugal did, in fact, clear our names. He''s as crooked as a lopsided snake. Even if he did, we made enemies with the village before we left. If we get there and they make a spectacle, we might lose some very important trust with our travel companions."
"What do you think we should do?" Fin asked.
"I don''t know," He floundered. "Go around?"
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"That seems like a bad idea. There has to be a better way," Fin stared across the grassy terrain as he thought. "What if I rode ahead, got to the village first, and cleared things up before everyone arrived?"
"That could work," Brando agreed. "But what are you going to do? Walk into the village elder''s house and ask him if Eugal cleared our names after we escaped their little jail and fled like a couple of bandits?"
"Actually, that could work," Fin''s lips curled into a smile. "But what if Lord Dragonthrone pays the village elder a visit instead of me?"
Fin rode ahead in a gallop. It felt liberating, moving at a faster pace. All too soon, the village boundary came into sight, and he realized he would have to work fast. He unstowed his armor around him and donned his helmet, cautious of the extra weight on the horse. As he approached the center of the village, he saw a group of men stopped and gawked at him.
"Correspondence for your village elder," Fin said, hoping the sense of urgency he put in his voice would aid his disguise.
One of the men motioned for him to follow. "This way, young master."
The man had taken ten steps before the constable intercepted him. The closer he had gotten to the village, the more his sense of unease had grown, and now his heart was racing. Would the constable recognize me? He hoped not.
The villager explained the situation, and the constable made eye contact.
"Thank you, Folgram. I will take it from here." when the villager left, the constable held out his hand. "I can take the letters if you wish?"
He had a curious look, as if he had recognized Fin but couldn''t quite place his face.
"It''s a verbal correspondence for your elder alone," Fin decided to say. It was one of many backup plans he created in his head.
"Very well, sir," the constable nodded. "If you will follow me?"
Fin sighed in relief as the constable introduced himself: "I am constable S. Seagram. May I ask your name?"
"Lord F. Dragonthrone," Fin said, trying it out. He wasn''t sure how he felt about incorporating an initial into his own introduction, but it made Seagram look important. Out of curiosity, he activated True Name to see what the constable''s S. stood for. It was also Seagram.
Seagram Seagram led Fin into a normal-looking home. Had he not previously seen other houses in the village, Fin would have thought that it was nothing spectacular. However, he had seen the other houses, and it was quite spectacular. The open-spaced common room had a table, chairs, and a large hearth that was clean but stained black through years of use.
The village elder sat in a chair, smoked a curved stemmed pipe, and greeted them as they entered. While he was old, he had not grown fully grey. He was short, had a short beard, and was dressed like everyone else in the village. Fin wouldn''t have guessed his position at a glance.
"Elder Carthage, this is Lord F. Dragonthrone, and he comes bearing correspondence," Seagram announced and stood aside for Fin.
"A lord? In these parts?" Carthage asked with something similar to a scoff. "This must be important to bring the message yourself and not a messenger."
"Yes, quite so. First, I brought my letters of the station so there is no confusion about who I am before I begin." Fin produced pristinely folded papers on expensive parchment from a borrowed satchel. Carthage took the papers and studied them.
"I see," He handed them back. "And the message?"
"First, can you send for your mercer?" Fin asked, placing the papers in his satchel and stowing them. "His name is Eugal, I believe."
Chapter 57
Eugal approached the village elder''s home with excitement. Why did a lord from Clive Rae come here to see him out of all people? Did he want to make a trade agreement? Make a large purchase? He had so many questions but composed himself before entering. Inside, he saw the lord speaking to the village elder. He was tall, wearing a suit of armor that cost more than the village itself, and he looked familiar in an odd way. Eugal figured he must have seen the young lord on one of his many trips to Clive Rae, maybe even done some business with him. He bowed and introduced himself.
"Eugal, I want to congratulate you on behalf of the king for aiding his Majesty''s efforts in stamping out a plague in our countryside," Fin said with a smile. "You are a true hero."
"I uh, I don''t know what to say," Eugal stammered, face turning bright red. "I am but a humble servant to his majesty the king."
"Please, you don''t have to be humble in our company," Fin said regally. "Do you want to tell them the story, or shall I?"
"Please, continue. I couldn''t possibly," Eugal said, not knowing what he had done.
"Some time ago, I came here under the guise of a commoner to seek out and eliminate certain criminal activity," Fin said carefully so Eugal knew what was happening. "I asked Eugal to spread the rumor of two slave traders in hopes of flushing out the real ones. He executed the plan with determination and cunning, and we were able to flush out the criminals we had been hunting."
Fin removed his helmet, "I apologize for misleading you all, but I made you believe Sir Brando, protector of the realm, and myself were the criminals to flush out the real ones."
The room didn''t audibly gasp as much as it did physically. Fin had made his gambit, and now it was up to Eugal to make a move. He had Eugal''s signed receipts for buying and selling enslaved people if it came down to it, but he hoped it wouldn''t. The second part of the plan relied on it.
"Yes, of course," Eugal said somewhere between a smile and a grimace. "I am just glad you found the real ones."
"But you said he broke into your house and stole from you after his escape?" Seagram asked from his nominal spot in the back of the room.
"Yes, that was all part of the plan." Eugal gave Fin an uneasy look. He was sweating.
"And the damage to the prison?"
Fin could tell Eugal was about to crumble, so he answered, "It was all a carefully constructed ploy. If the real slavers knew I was in prison, they would know it was only a matter of time before you found out you had the wrong people. I apologize for the inconvenience, but the trouble was quite necessary."
Fin diverted the conversation to prevent further questions, "Now, I am traveling with around forty dwarven mercenaries to eliminate the rest of the operation. We are traveling to a goblin slave camp due South about a five- or six-day journey, but with our speed, it will probably be double that. Before you ask why we are using dwarven mercenaries over human ones, just know that I caution you against questioning the orders of his highness the King. They will be here midday and probably want to stay the night."
This time, the room audibly gasped. Eugal frowned at Fin, wondering if there was a limit to his lies. The village elder stared in shock. Even the constable''s stone visage showed its cracks under a wide-eyed expression.
"How can this be?" Carthage asked, holding his extinguished pipe aloft. "The dwarves don''t travel outside their own gates but rarely, and for so many?"
"These are desperate times," Fin replied, starting to believe it himself. "They will require food and drinks. Eugal, I hope you will see that the inn is properly stocked and your prices are low."
"Of course!" Eugal bellowed louder than he would have liked.
"Constable, I trust that you will ensure there are no mishaps this evening."
"Yes, my lord," Seagram bowed.
"There''s just one more thing," Fin tried to keep the smile off his face. "They all want to try your famous apple pie. I hope you can make enough for everyone on such short notice?"
The dwarves came as promised late into the day. They were directed to an empty street in front of a sign that read, "The Village Inn." Inside, they found Fin arguing with a strange-looking man about pies. He held a paper and said things like, "This says unlimited pie for free, or can you not read your own handwriting?" and "You''re a hero now; it''s time to start acting like one!" Some of the dwarves wondered what they got themselves into; others would not wonder the same until it was too late, for good or ill.
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Everyone knew the night in the village was the last semblance of civilization they would see for the remainder of the journey, so they ate heartily and drank deeply into the night. Too soon, the excitement of the road came and went, and the group fell into a routine. They would travel through the day but stop early enough in the evening for a hot meal and formation training.
Marriam''s guards took over the training. They taught formations, short verbal communications, and weapon forms. They did not spar as much as they practiced group actions for different scenarios. The guards would demonstrate how it would look, and the rest of the group, mercenaries included, would imitate them. They said that goblins fight by swarming, and the best way to fight against them is to hold your ground and work together.
Fin discovered that four of the dwarves used war hammers and got special instructions from them. His hammer gave him too much of a benefit to want to go back to the sword. When he held it, his strikes were as powerful as his movement was swift, even while wearing armor. It even gave him a more extended reach, albeit of blunt force. It wasn''t until they were attacked that Fin realized how fortunate he was to have it.
On the ninth day, the gradual incline of the mountain pass had dampened the spirits of the group as much as their brows. The wind changed directions, whistling through the trees for a brief gust and bringing an acrid smell of something unpleasant. Fin was deep in his own mind, considering the smell, when Brando stopped him with a hand.
"Something doesn''t smell right," he said in a low voice.
Fin''s attention snapped to the present, and he looked around warily. Some of the other dwarves looked concerned, too, which concerned him more. Brando lifted a hand for everyone to stop, and they did so, happy for the break.
One of the mercenaries approached. "I smelled it, too. I''ll send a scout."
"And let you have all the fun?" Brando joked with false bravado. "Besides, you short leggers aren''t very good at sneaking around. I''ll be back in a bit."
Brando unsheathed his sword, slipped into the trees, and a moment later, he was out of sight. Fin stared into the foliage a good distance off the road, craning his ears for anything out of the ordinary. He was looking and listening so hard that when someone touched him from behind, he was startled and yelped.
"Sorry, I didn''t mean to sneak up on you," Rasengold said, holding out a cup of ale. "Drink this; it will help with the altitude."
Fin was halfway finished with the cup when Brando ran out of the bushes yelling, "Formations! Form up! They''re coming!"
Fin stowed the cup and unstowed his armor. He instinctively equipped his sword but then switched to the hammer. Some miners were seasoned veterans, while others had learned the various formations just days ago. They took up shields and arms and lined up the same way; the only difference was the confidence in some that the others lacked.
Fin stopped Brando from moving, and despite the unknown danger, he allowed himself to stop and focus. Several terrible heartbeats passed before Brando''s armor appeared around him.
"What''s coming?" Fin asked as he took his place on the line.
"Lizard people," Brando replied. "Lots of them."
And lizard people they were. Dozens of shoulder-height, lizard-looking monsters charged the line, walking on feet and tails. Fin identified one of them.
"Kobolds!" he roared as they reached him, hoping the information helped someone.
He stabbed the hammer out to stop their momentum and then brought it down on the first one''s head. As it crumbled to the ground, he leaned back to collect his momentum for a powerful swing as the person on either side of him either blocked or attacked. The line worked, and he was able to follow through with his next swing, taking another down.
It wasn''t perfect, however, when he noticed that several dwarves had sustained ugly wounds to their arms. The attacks came too fast, and he could hear the claws scratching across his breastplate. He grabbed the kobold''s wrist with his bare fingers and pulled down, toppling the lizard to the ground.
As his hammer crushed the fallen creature, Fin realized something. He was stronger than the kobolds, and they couldn''t hurt him. He looked down at his chest and saw vague scratch marks but nothing more. He wondered if he could do more damage forward of the line rather than in it. It wasn''t battle courage, bloodlust, or hubris, he felt. The people around him were bleeding, and he wasn''t. So, he looked for his opening and stepped forward.
Kobolds surrounded him, but his whole body was a weapon. He struck forward with his hammer, snapped elbows back, stabbed, and swung. The creatures'' sweating bodies gave a musky scent over the growing smell of blood. Snarls, grunts, and growls permeated the atmosphere.
Fin felt arms around him in an attempt to hold him, but he wiggled and spun free. He broke free but was running out of breath and was beginning to feel the aftereffects of his wild fight on the battlegrounds. He looked for the line and saw it was just behind him, or rather, a secondary line had formed behind him. He and eight others he recognized as the mercenaries were taking the brunt of the onslaught, and by the look at the bodies surrounding them, they were holding out!
"Fall back!" Fin gasped before spinning the hammer around in a deadly arc, back and forth, clipping some and knocking others down as he retreated. When he was back in the line, he made a minimal effort to fight until he could breathe again. Then he stepped forward, struck two kobolds down, and regained his place.
Repeatedly glancing at the ground littered with corpses, the kobolds ceased their relentless attack and pulled back. The two groups stared across the sloped roadside battlefield in a stalemate for a moment. There were no more reinforcements for the kobolds; they were intelligent enough to know when the battle was futile. The dwarves held their line, neither retreating nor advancing. One of the kobolds gave a harsh order, and they all, if reluctantly, abandoned the dead and ran back into the trees.
As soon as the kobolds were gone, some of the dwarves collapsed to the ground either from exhaustion, blood loss, or worse. There was no time for celebration as the injured were treated or given their last rites as warriors.
Chapter 58
Fin wasted no time. He immediately activated Violent Healing and drained the life of the surrounding foliage where each injured dwarf fell. Miniature wastelands expanded outward as the color of death slowly bled into the surrounding tufts of grass. One healed dwarf after another lay in a brittle patch as Fin moved through the battlegrounds. Brando helped by moving the injured dwarves to more nature-dense areas, and soon, there were no more injured to move.
Fin was healing the last injury when he noticed Void pop out from hiding and hover curiously around his hands. Despite his efforts to tell the little ball of destruction to go away, it refused. The dwarf he was healing noticed, scrambled to his feet, and ran away with a shriek, still bleeding from a shallow cut. Void took the opportunity to put itself in the center of the healing energy in Fin''s hand. It seemed happy, so he kept the ability active at the cost of more of the surrounding wilderness. Brando cleared his throat, and when Fin looked up, he cut off his ability.
Surrounding him were faces painted with fear, curiosity, and blood. He stood and tried to make up an excuse for everything when a gruff voice cut him off.
"You don''t need to explain yourself," Rasengold spoke to the benefit of the people around him. "We all knew you had to have made a pact with one evil or another to be able to spot gold through a mountain of rock. A dirt eater isn''t as bad as it could be, but it makes sense."
A murmur of agreement moved through the crowd, and some of their postures relaxed. At once, conversations broke out, sorting the crowd into multiple discussion groups. One of the Kel brothers bellowed with excitement, causing everyone''s attention to shift thankfully away from Fin.
"Not only are my wounds healed, but my lungs feel amazing!" He demonstrated by inhaling a full lung of pipe smoke and breathing it up into the air.
Rogard, the de facto leader of the mercenaries, motioned his group forward from the crowd and isolated Fin.
"There''s something we need to discuss while the battle is still fresh on our minds," He said solemnly. "Do you know what you did wrong back there?"
After Fin clarified he was talking about the battle, he said he didn''t know.
"You deviated from our training and broke formation mid-battle," Rogard said matter-of-factly. "We call that the good idea fairy."
The surrounding mercenaries muttered in agreement.
"The more we train together, the more we fight with cohesion. I can fight more confidently, knowing exactly what to expect from the person beside me. The problem is that we sometimes get a good idea in the heat of the battle. That''s the good idea fairy sprinkling her magic dust all over everything. You have to ignore her; otherwise, you''ll start doing unexpected things and making the battlegrounds chaotic," Rogard explained, pausing for his words to sink in. "When you had the idea to step out of formation you confused people you were standing next to. They froze up and didn''t know what to do. Then the good idea fairy visited Adleweed, who broke formation to go to their aid."
One of the mercenaries, presumably Adleweed, blushed and shrugged.
Rogard looked at him disapprovingly and continued, "When Adleweed broke formation, we all had to break formation. Fortunately, it worked out, and for once, the good idea fairy didn''t get everyone killed.
"Starting tomorrow, I want us to train in this new formation. We''ll think of a name for it later. We will stand forward of the line, and Fin will stand forward of us. That way, he can step back for a rest when he needs it, and we all can step back when we need it. It will look kind of like a triangle. The Triangle Formation, if you will
"So, from now on, we don''t change what we''ve trained unless we change how we train and train on the changes we made?" Fin tried reiterating and then added, "To our training plan?"
"Yes," Rogard said, perhaps too quickly, and then it looked like he had changed his mind. "Uh, what?"
Before Fin could devise another ridiculous tongue twister, he noticed a billow of smoke rising behind the mercenaries'' heads. It was darker than campfire smoke and had an unnatural smell. He pointed at it and asked if it was normal. Rogard and the other mercenaries turned to look at it. Before long, the whole group moved to the source of the smoke out of novel curiosity.
Approaching, they could see something small and black burning on the ground. A dwarf, Fin recognized as Grimwald, had a guilty look and immediately began explaining himself as he approached.
"The kobolds had these candles. Well, we thought they were candles," he stammered. After the command to "Just get on with it," he said, "So I lit one, and now it''s smoking."
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"It smells like old boots," Brando''s voice came from among the crowd.
"What made you think lighting it would be a good idea?" Rogard scolded, waving insects out of his eyes. "For all we know, it could be poisonous."
"If it was poisonous, I would probably be dead by now," Grimwald admitted, slapping something on the side of his neck. "I was trying to figure out what it smelled like, and I breathed in a lot of it. The closest thing I can think of is corn after it starts decomposing."
"It''s attracting flies!" One of the onlookers yelled and pointed.
As smoke bellowed from the black candle, a swarm of flies congregated around the smoke. The more the air became dense with flies, the more insults Grimwald had to endure from the group for lighting such an accursed candle. Finally, they decided to leave and put as much road between them and smelly, fly-attracting candle smoke as possible.
When the bugs were behind them, conversations gradually returned to Fin despite his efforts to change the subject. Fin answered questions and endured compliments, and eventually, everyone left him alone. Void kept asking for healing energy again, but he explained that he was low on energy. So, Void changed their contract and allowed him to use Absorb Ambient Energy, or rather, insisted he use it.
A short time later, for Fin anyway, he felt ready to slip off into the surrounding foliage. He decided he would conduct Void''s little experiment away from prying eyes. The group was moving slowly enough that he could always catch up later. When he told Brando what he was going to do, he got a questioning look in return.
"I didn''t think Void could get injured," Brando said with a frown. "Why does it want healing?"
"I don''t know," Fin replied, walking at a leisurely pace. "I''m hoping the healing power feeds it so it won''t eat my gold anymore."
"I''ll come with you," Brando said, unmounting the horse. "I''m bored anyway."
The two left the trail and the convoy traveling it and waded into the brush. When they were out of sight, Fin activated Violent Healing and directed the energy towards Void.
"How long do you think it will take for all of this to grow back?" Brando asked, looking at the spreading desolation. "Oh, sorry. Does that take concentration?"
"Not really," Fin replied casually. "And I''m not sure. I hope it will all grow back. We could do some experiments. Drain the life out of a big area and check on it periodically."
"You could also charge people to clear their land. I''m sure there are a lot of people who¡ª" Brando cut off mid-sentence.
Under the current of healing energy, Void started pulsing with green shards of light. The pulsing got faster and faster until a green orb separated from it.
"It''s duplicating!" Brando exclaimed, then amended his statement, "It broke into two pieces!"
"I think it just had a baby," Fin said, keeping the ability going.
"A baby?" Brando considered what that meant. "Does that mean it''s a she? Huh. Void''s a girl."
Fin laughed and agreed. "I guess so."
For a while the two watched the orbs floating and nuzzling each other. Despite not really knowing what was happening, they both smiled at the curiosity of it. Then Brando''s smile dropped into a solemn look of comprehension.
"You know what this means, right?" Brando asked, building up to break the news. "It means you''re a father now."
Fin''s smile remained glued to his face. "That''s absolute rubbish. If anything, this tree is its father."
"Don''t call your daughter an it," Brando reprimanded. "Imagine that. If you had told me last year that I would be an uncle to a green floating orb, I would have called you crazy. She really is beautiful, though. What are you going to name her?"
"She''s not my daughter! All I did was suck the life out of these plants and direct the life energy toward¡" Fin trailed off, realizing that he really might be the father. "Oh no. I really am the father."
He checked his notifications and was surprised there wasn''t any. Apparently, this situation was too strange for his dragon quests to trigger. He identified the green orb and found it was called a Nature Sprite, or rather, she was a Nature Sprite. He told Brando, whose loving smile wasn''t helping to ease the tension.
After a while, the two orbs seemed to finish cuddling or whatever they were doing and broke off from each other. The green one explored the area and, upon reaching the border between Fin''s lifeless circle and the outside forest, acted curiously. She floated in and out of the dead zone, observing the dichotomy of life and death, and then spun in a circle over the dead ground. A sprout reached up from the ground and started growing at a rapid pace.
"She made a sprout," Brando smiled. "That''s what we should call her."
As soon as the plant grew large enough to be recognized as one of the many flowering bushes in its surroundings, it began to wither and die. The green sprite reversed the growth enchantment and drained the plant of its life. As soon as the sprout matched the plants in Fin''s circle of death, the sprite hovered around to drain the life out of other plants.
"More like sprout killer," Fin said, watching the plants wither away one by one.
Brando took slow steps back. "I think we should leave our little sprout killer here; I would hate to find out what would happen if it landed on one of us."
Fin nodded slowly and returned his gaze to the sprite''s mother. "Void, can you ask that little ball of joy not to suck the life out of anyone?"
Void did not bob, weave, or otherwise move in acknowledgment, but Fin knew she understood. She flew to her green offspring, who was sucking the life out of a tree, and appeared to start communicating with her. The two sat motionless and conveyed as much emotion as two balls of glowing energy could. Finally, Fin got an image in his head and realized what Void wanted him to do, so he picked a stick off the ground.
The Nature Sprite hovered near the stick and shot colorless energy into it. When she was finished, Fin identified the stick. It was labeled an Oath Twig, which he knew exactly what to do with.
"I name you Sprout. Is that okay?" Fin began, holding the Oath Twig like he would the royal scepter, and tried to convey the idea that she wouldn''t suck the energy out of anyone.
Sprout seemed to agree, but there wasn''t anything that indicated the Oath Twig worked. Then he got an image of him giving Void a literal mountain of gold in exchange for the deal. Void was using her offspring as a bargaining chip. He frowned and countered with a single gold coin and no more. It wasn''t until he agreed to three gold coins that he felt the oath go into effect. He unstowed the gold to solidify the deal, and Void shamelessly devoured the treasure.
Chapter 59
It didn''t take long for everyone to become used to Void and Sprout hovering alongside the traveling group. Void generally rested on Fin''s shoulder, and Sprout traveled from plant to plant, helping some grow and causing others to shrivel and die. Whether she would help a plant or destroy it was a coin toss.
The rest of the trip resumed as normal. In the evening, Rasengold and his family would cook while the rest of the group practiced their new battle formations. Brando joined in as the tip of a second triangle. With the two triangular formations side-by-side, they looked and acted like a professional fighting force, even if there wasn''t a single heart fearless of the coming fight.
After the sharp slope of the mountainous trail broke, the scenery changed. Dense wood made way for dry surroundings with sparse greenery. Some thorny bushes lay sporadically around, looking like defensive constructs rather than decorative ones. The dry surroundings gave Fin grim memories of his escape from the slave camp. The closer he got to the destination, the more uneasy he began to feel. That was until the outline of the goblin camp came into view, and his uneasiness turned into resolve.
The group had traveled in an uncertain way of vague memories since passing into the desert landscape. When their destination came into view, it came with mixed emotions. There was happiness that they had indeed gone the correct way and the opposite feeling for the same reason. Fin raised his hands and motioned everyone to stop, and everyone gathered around him.
"The goblin camp is just down there," Fin said, pointing. "I saw them, which means they probably saw us too. The sun is still high if we want to press our advantage and mount a surprise attack. Our other option is to set up camp and attack in the morning. We''ll have more daylight if we wait for morning."
"Can we draw them out?" Adleweed asked, having been briefed on the camp previously.
Brando nodded. "I''d wager I could draw some of them out, but we won''t be able to get them all."
"Before we do anything, we need to scout the place out," Rogard said, almost sorrowfully, "and we need siege weapons."
Fin unstowed his second elemental core and smiled. "I think I can handle the siege weapons, but I''m going to need some help."
Fin employed ten dwarves to help him collect and move rocks. There were rocks everywhere, and before long, he gathered enough for his own burial if his plan didn''t work. He arranged them in a rough humanoid shape, nearly two heads taller than he was on the ground with long legs.
He hadn''t told Void what he was planning, nor had he asked her if she would help for a very specific reason. He had no control over the smaller Earth Elemental in his inventory. If he wanted it to help, he would have to ask Void to control it. With what he was planning, he would have a semblance of control over the new one, or at least hoped he would.
When everything was ready, he showed Void the rocks, the elemental core, and a small fortune in gold. His reserves were running low, but he could spare the money if everything worked out as planned. He told Void what he was planning and then prepared himself.
Over the last weeks, he tried to figure out how elementals work. After long inaudible conversations with Void, he only had an elementary understanding but felt it enough. So, when Void started stringing the rocks together and connecting them to the core, he waited for the perfect moment. Just as soon as the golden threads were all connected to the core, he reached his mind toward the elemental before Void could. Before he felt or even noticed the connection, he held the Oath Stone in his hand and willed the most brief and basic of agreements.
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"Friends?"
Elementals can only be under contract with one individual. It does not matter what that contract is as long as there is one. Void would naturally form her own contract after creating an elemental. To her, it was part of the process. This wasn''t good for Fin because he already had a tiny elemental in his inventory that he had no control over. What''s worse is Void had actively used the construct against him when they were first working out their differences. So, he followed the advice of an old saying about apologizing and asking permission and formed a contract himself right from under Void''s nose, so to speak. It was a vague contract with countless possibilities to go wrong, but it was his, and most importantly, it was not Void''s.
He felt the contract solidify and hid the evidence of his betrayal by tossing the Oath Stone into his inventory. He watched the elemental steadily get to its feet. At the same time, Void experienced a peculiar feeling of confusion. Fin reached out to her to see if she suspected him. He got the impression that she was considering destroying her creation and starting over.
Fin got between her and the elemental and said, "Don''t hurt him; he''s my friend. Friends don''t hurt friends."
He wasn''t sure why he referred to the construct as he, but now that he did, he decided to give the elemental a masculine name. Void hesitated, but that''s all Fin needed.
"Let''s call you Graniteheart Stoneloins," Fin waved for the elemental to follow him. "Actually, let''s just call you Grant. Come on, Grant. Let''s go meet my other friends."
It was odd having such a dangerous creature following him, but Fin had experienced many odd things since leaving home. What was a giant rock creature compared to a maniacal princess or fathering a nature sprite? He could handle it; he just needed to make sure his other friends could handle it, too.
Most of the group still stood around discussing a plan when Fin approached.
"Listen," Fin addressed the whole group, speaking with a rapid clip. "The rock monster following me is a friend. We haven''t exactly defined what a friend is just yet, but I''m sure it will all work out if everyone shows him friendship by being extra friendly and by not attacking."
As soon as the elemental approached, Fin greeted him. "This is my friend Grant. Grant, these are my other friends. When we see friends, we say hello, or in your case, you can wave. Like this," Fin waved a hand in what he hoped was a sincere gesture. "We certainly don''t attack other friends."
"Will it help us?" Rogard asked, thinking twice before attempting to touch it.
"I''m not sure," Fin replied honestly. "The contract we have is just, ''friends.'' There are no promises not to do harm, obey orders, or anything to stop him from going on a violent rampage if he decides to. All it consisted of was the word, friends. Furthermore, my sprite thinks she made a mistake and is going to try to disassemble my friend Grant as soon as her confusion clears. If we are going to try anything, we have to try it quickly. I vote we send this big guy down to knock on the door."
"We''ll need him to do more than just knock on the door¡" One of the Kel brothers began before his whole family restrained him from speaking another word.
"If time is of the essence, then send him in," Rasengold said to vindicate the honor of the Kel name. "Let the consequences weigh themselves out."
"I will," Fin decided. "I also better accompany him."
Rogard nodded. "I''ll give you a line to pull back to."
"Don''t bring anyone within crossbow range until we clear the top of the wall," Fin warned. "All I plan to do is open the gate and fall back."
"I''ll show them the line of the crossbow range," Brando offered. "I''ll also take my armor now."
Fin put his hand on Brando and unstowed his armor. He then handed over the helmet and motioned Grant forward.
"Come on, Grant," Fin said, walking ahead. "It''s time to go pay some non-friends a visit."
The monolith of stone took a direct path to follow Fin. Several dwarves had to jump out of the way of his massive footsteps, avoiding certain death.
Fin sighed with frustration. "Grant, please don''t step on any dwarves."
There were no more dwarves to step on as the two started heading toward the slave camp. The elemental moved slowly, but with unnaturally long legs, he more or less kept pace. Behind them followed all the people who came on this journey, all with menacing looks on their faces. Between them and his new friend, he almost felt bad for the goblins, and that thought made him smile.
Chapter 60
When Fin was just outside crossbow range, he donned his armor and slowed his pace. Surprisingly, as he approached, not a single bolt had flown from the battlement. He started to wonder if the goblins had even seen them when bolts and arrows showered down on him in a decisive effort to end his life. The projectiles attempted to push him off balance, but none penetrated his armor. The bolts that targeted Grant bounced off his stone exterior, but he did not break stride.
Fin wondered if the bolts were irritating Grant because he saw the elemental lift his hand as if to swat the projectiles away. To his utter horror, he realized Grant was waving. He briefly considered scolding the stone giant for waving to the enemy but decided to address it later. He had more urgent matters to deal with. The large wooden gates were rapidly approaching and he informed Grant that they needed to knock them down. He then unstowed his hammer and gave the first swing.
The hammer arched through the air and landed on the gate with an astounding blow. Reverberations ran through it, but it was otherwise undamaged. Grant took some experimental swings, but they, too, were ineffectual. The only thing Fin could do was keep hitting it and hoping it would eventually come down. He then considered something else that might work.
He tried to remember how the support rods were set on the other side of the gate. The only image he could recollect was a latch somewhere in the center. He wasn''t sure if a wood beam spanned across the middle of the opening like other gates he had seen, but he assumed there was. With nothing to lose, he used Caustic Breath to cut a line down the center of the gate, hoping the ability cut through something important.
His breath, visible to Discern Earth and Discern Magic, cut through the gate like a spoon through an uncooked potato. He had to force the breath out of his lungs over several attempts. It was not easy. He became lightheaded and leaned heavily on the gate to stay on his feet.
A transient blast snapped him out of his daze as Grant took another mighty swing. The gate bowed in farther than before; Fin''s efforts were working. Before he could resume cutting through the center of the gate, a group of goblins began gathering on the adjacent walls, launching bolts and throwing rocks.
If the goblins wanted to throw rocks, Fin had the perfect rock for them to throw. He positioned himself with his back towards the wall, unstowed the smaller elemental from his inventory, and heaved it to the top of the wall. Whether the elemental hated him or it had been frozen mid-attack, Fin did not know. What he did know was the second he unstowed the tiny, violent creature, it immediately started attacking. Or it tried to before it was flung to the top of the wall, where it met something else to take its aggression out on. The violent rock creature went into a frenzy, swinging at arms, legs, and little goblin shins.
Shouts of alarm and anger from above paused as Grant landed another mighty strike against the gate. The gate cracked and splintered, but it held.
"Grant, get a running start and ram into it with your shoulder," Fin called above the shouts and cries from above.
Grant backed up, and when he felt he was far enough, he charged for the gate. Just before he formed a battering ram with his shoulder, a goblin fell off the wall and landed directly in his way. Grant shuffled his feet to avoid stepping on the goblin, tripped, and flung toward the gate with destructive clumsiness. The gate exploded inward allowing the elemental in where he gradually slid to a stop.
Fin dispatched the injured goblin as the dust settled inside the gate. Looking in, he saw the staircase to the top of the wall and went for it.
"Grant, you can step on goblins," he corrected and considered the innocent people trapped inside. "But, only goblins. They''re the green ones."
After climbing the staircase to the top of the wall, he decided to go in the opposite direction from where Voids'' violent elemental had set up residence. It was perfectly content to sit on top of the wall as if it were enjoying a peaceful day on the farm. Fin looked for Void but didn''t see her. It would have been nice if she had commanded it to attack the guards on the wall, but without Void, there was no controlling it.
Taking care to reserve his stamina, Fin started moving around the wall. He struck down his goblin and human assailants from the wall one by one. When he had gotten halfway around the track, the guards started running away from him and his catastrophic hammer. Instead of crossing paths with the territorial elemental, they began devising other ways to get down from the wall. Some jumped, some used ropes, and others were thrown off.
When Fin tried to pass, the elemental also attacked him. He seriously considered going back around or climbing off the side of the wall like everyone else had, but he didn''t have the time. Instead, he mustered all his courage and reached for the animated rock cluster. The elemental scratched and swung at him and got a few good punches in before it disappeared safely into his inventory. He made a mental note to drop it down a well if he ever found one.
From his vantage point on top of the wall, he could see his allies had already begun approaching. They were fighting off waves of goblins that seemed to be trying to escape more than to do battle. Upon seeing the triangle formation with Brando in the front, the goblins ran either left or right. To intercept the goblins, the formation morphed into a reverse triangle that funneled goblins to Brando in the back. It was clearly the handy work of the good idea fairy, but Fin had other problems to consider.
Grant had run off somewhere in an effort to step on goblins, and Fin did not know where that was. He knew it was potentially dangerous for Grant to be left to his own devices this early in his life, but it was a risk that would mostly fall to the goblins. He let that consideration ease his discomfort if only a little and joined the formations.
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Outside the gate, Fin met Brando standing in the center of the new cone formation and wondered out loud who had come up with the idea. Brando admitted accountability.
"Rogard is going to yell at you after this is done, you know," Fin warned. "He says that changing the plan mid-battle can get people killed. He calls it the good idea fairy."
Brando slashed at a goblin running towards him and turned to Fin. "It was his idea to do a cone formation in the first place. If he yells at me, I''ll just tell him he started it and see how he likes a taste of his own medicine."
Fin doubted Brando would win the argument but put it out of his mind. "Let''s share the center of the cone. We can switch every now and then, so we don''t get tired."
"Now look who the fairy is," Brando chided as he kicked a goblin towards the sideline. "If Rogard yells at me, you got my back, right?"
"To the very end, brother," Fin promised.
The command to move forward brought the formations through the broken gate. There, scores of goblins advanced on them with many mismatched weapons. One of the more prominent weapons pointed sticks, brushed off Fin and Brando''s armor easily. Fin noticed some of the goblins climbing the stairs to regain the wall. Before he had the chance to say anything, Rogard commanded a handful of dwarves to regain the stairs.
"Switch!" Brando yelled and fell back.
Fin immediately took his place at the focal point of the battle and faced the sea of cruel green faces. They charged him with teeth and claws exposed. He caught two of them with his hammer before striking out with his own claws. He activated Sharpened Talons and Crushing Grip and punched finger-sized holes into attacking goblins. He attacked, parried, and struck blindly around for so long that it felt like he was taking on all the goblins alone. He stole a glance behind him and saw Brando hunched over a body on the ground. Fearing the worst, he ran towards his friend when Brando abruptly stood.
"Catch this," Brando said, tossing something small and black into the air before yelling, "Switch!"
Fin caught the item with his fingerless gloves, feeling something warm and wet on his fingertips. A notification came up, and upon reading it, he dropped the item and wiped his hands on the ground.
Blood Quest Complete: Hold the beating heart of an enemy. +1 basic ability point, +1 talon ability.
Active Ability: Cleave
"Did it work?" Brando called out, cutting through more goblins.
Fin hesitated. He couldn''t figure out what upset him, the macabre battlefield prank or the fact that he had just completed a quest he intended to ignore. If it was up to him, he would delete his remaining quests so he wouldn''t have to look at them. He ignored Brando''s question and called for a switch.
When he was front and center of the wholesale onslaught, he decided to try his new ability. He activated Cleave and felt energy gather in his hands. Immediately, he knew two things. He could use this ability with just one or both hands, and he should be very careful if he did. He swung his naked fingertips forward in a half circle. Energy formed from his fingertips to create a series of hairline blades that slashed out. Wood spears, hands, and heads split off and hit the ground in unison. The attacking goblins seemed more surprised than Fin, and, in their hesitation, he and Brando finished them off together.
"It worked," Fin admitted, so no one tried to give him any more battlefield surprises. "And I''m upset about it."
"I''m sorry," Brando apologized. "I thought you would be happy about it. I really did. I''ll make it up to you. Cross my heart."
Fin shook his head but thought nothing more of it. Before long, they were marching through the encampment, looking for goblins in hiding. Eventually, they arrived at an old, familiar cast iron gate that led into the mine. Brando pushed it, and it opened freely.
"That doesn''t seem right," Brando muttered more to himself than anyone. "It''s not like them to keep this gate unlocked."
Fin followed behind, hoping to see some old faces, and he was not disappointed. Just through the gate stood dozens of familiar-looking, dirty-faced people in a big group. In the front of the group stood Heidle the Hammer, but he didn''t look his cheerful self.
"Heidle! We came back!" Fin announced, barely containing his excitement.
"Ah, so you did, lad, and it''s good to see you." For a brief moment, Heidle''s face lit up with a genuine smile, and then it was gone. "I think it''s time for us all to go, nice and easy like."
Fin''s smile faded. Something didn''t seem right, and Brando''s grim look suggested he felt the same way.
Brando stepped forward to ask what was wrong, but everyone''s face stiffened. Noticing the tension of the group, Fin held out a hand to stop Brando from approaching. He then spoke to the group, trying to keep the mood light.
"Sure, if you all want to leave now, you are welcome to," Fin stepped aside and gestured for them all to pass. "Good luck out there."
The group moved silently past him as if everyone was holding their breath at the same time. He tried frantically to understand why they were all acting so spooked when he saw something that made it all click together. It wasn''t what he saw, but what he didn''t see, an ear.
When he and Brando were first taken to the camp, they met a woman with a missing ear. She seemed to be the one running the operation. Fin realized that as the camp was being attacked, she must have thought she could disguise herself as a slave and escape with everyone else. By how everyone was acting, he figured she had a weapon against one of their backs.
While he tried frantically to devise a plan, the group of hostages had already made it out of the mine and were almost at the broken gates of the camp''s entrance. Movement from the side caught his attention, and he saw something he couldn''t believe. While everyone was fighting goblins, Sprout had been busy cultivating the largest weed Fin had seen in his life. Spiked leaves, too heavy to stand up, flopped to the ground around a large, white-seeded flower taller than he was. It was a farmer''s worst nightmare.
He reached out to Sprout and asked where Void was. After the equivalent of a mental shrug, he removed the Oath Twig and made her an offer she couldn''t refuse.
Fin had noticed a common theme among Sprites: They seemed to operate in terms of deals and contracts. He had only met two, but seeing how rare it was to meet or communicate with them, he could very well be the subject matter expert. The last time he made a deal with Spout, it was in Void¡¯s favor. It could have been a lesson for the very young to agree to unfavorable deals, but he had learned something, too. Sprout was inexperienced enough to make another such deal.
"I will give Void this coin and gem," Fin unstowed a silver coin and a blue gem to prove his point, "If you do one little favor for me."
Chapter 61
As Fin watched the hostages leave the gate, he kept his eye on one person, Lady Marsha. She was taller than the rest, better fed, and had premature gray hair. She was significantly younger than she looked, but as she walked, she seemed to get older with each step. Fin had employed Sprout to drain her life away as seamlessly as possible. Hopefully, she wouldn''t notice until it was too late. Already, she was starting to hunch while she walked.
In the time it took to drop a knife, everything changed. The woman''s shoulders slumped under the weight of her rapidly increasing years, and a soft metallic sound rang out against the desert floor. The surrounding group of people seemed confused, and then all at once scrambled to get away. In the chaos, two people dove for the knife that Lady Marsha dropped. Heidle and Marsha''s husband, who had also disguised himself among the captives, reached for the weapon simultaneously. The scuffle was pitifully short and ended with the man fleeing as Heidle lay in the dirt, spilling blood from a fatal wound.
Fin ran to him. As he ran he dismissed his armor and invited the cool air to wash over him. The hard packed dirt was vacant of all but a rock garden to pull life from; he started his healing ability regardless. He slid on his knees coming to an abrupt stop over Heidle who was in bad shape.
"I almost didn''t recognize you," Heidle coughed, spitting blood out of his mouth. "I''m glad I lived long enough to see¡"
"Don''t worry, I''m going to get you healed up; I just need you to keep your eyes open for a little longer," Fin scooped Heidle into his arms and ran back towards the goblin camp.
He hoped the massive weed Sprout was growing would have enough life energy to heal Heidle or at least prevent him from dying. He saw the green orb following him, and realized she might not like the idea of him draining the life out of her special weed. So, he sent her away. He envisioned the man who stabbed Heidle and the direction he ran in. Sprout chased after the man before he could offer her anything in return. He would have given all the gold in the world to heal his friend, but he was glad not to have to.
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"I''m not going to make it," Heidle managed. "Just let me go, lad."
Fin fought back tears as he kept running. He felt the activation of Violent Healing and knew his options were limited. He tucked the dwarf under the left shoulder of his life-giving hand and pressed the other to his own chest. Despite the name of the ability, the life absorption didn''t hurt. He could feel his life source drain from him like water through an unplugged hole, but it was absolutely painless. His pace slowed, and he stumbled through the broken gate. It was getting dark. He could see vague shapes around him but couldn''t make out their faces. He vaguely remembered calling for someone to take him to the weed when he was overcome by his own frailty. He fell face-first onto the gravel.
Brando heard Fin yell something about the weed, so he turned. He saw him carrying the blood-soaked Heidle and knew what he had to do. The giant weed was a wonder to all but only a mystery to a few. Everyone who was a part of the convoy had, at one point or another, seen the green sprite grow or destroy a plant. Sprout''s antics were a point of entertainment and made an otherwise boring trip more bearable. Brando knew that the oversized weed was a source of life to Fin.
He scooped Fin and Heidle into his arms and ran towards the weed. When he arrived, he dropped the two on the ground and ripped open Heidle''s shirt. There was a stab wound that had already started knitting together. Brando placed Fin''s right hand on the weed and his left hand on Heidle''s wound. When he noticed Fin''s skin. It was wrinkled and grey as a corpse. Brando directed the healing energy away from Heidle and back into him. When the plant died, the ability cut off, and Brando called for food.
"I know there''s a big pot of stew around here somewhere," Brando told the people around him. "Go find Sophia and ask her for three bowls."
Chapter 62
Fin woke up to a pounding headache and a notification.
- Precarious Blessing Quest Complete: Heal an ally at the expense of your own life force. +1 Active Ability.
- Active Ability: Bestow Ability
He sat up and squinted against the horizontal sunlight.
"You''re awake!" He heard Brando exclaim.
"How long have I been out?" He asked, pressing his hand against his beating head and adding, "Did Heidle make it?"
"It''s been four days now," Brando said bitterly. "And no, Heidle didn''t make it."
"Ah, don''t mess with the lad," Heidle''s voice pierced the sorrow in Fin''s heart. "You passed out five minutes ago, and I''m fine. Or I will be fine after a while. Now, have a taste of this soup before we lose you again. You look like an undead draugr."
"A what?" Fin asked, receiving a bowl of soup in shaky hands.
"Just eat," Brando admonished.
"After you finish, you should unpack the supplies so everyone else doesn''t have to eat Sophie''s stew. She hasn''t gotten better at cooking since we''ve been gone."
"That reminds me!" Fin exclaimed, feeling dizzy from over-exertion. "I brought you something."
Fin reached forward and produced an apple pie from thin air. "We are farther East than you originally thought; the village with the apple pie is directly North of us. I did some shopping there before coming here and bought you this. It''s cut into individual slices so we can all have a piece."
A feeling of overwhelming joy brought tears to Heidle''s eyes, and he took the pie. He thanked Fin sincerely and, without regard for his dirt-covered hands, removed a slice and began savoring each bite. Brando reiterated how they could all share, but Heidle ignored him. He kept him away with his elbows as he took one wonderful bite after another.
Fin unstowed and gave many of his supplies to Sophia and Rasengold, who cooked. At the same time, everyone else took turns sleeping or standing watch. That evening, everyone ate and drank to their hearts'' content and greedily slept under the stars under the watchful eye of dwarves and freed slaves alike.
The next morning, everyone set out to do one chore or another. Enemy corpses were taken out of the camp and tossed into one of the many ravines; the others were buried with ceremony. Exploration parties formed to investigate the camp found supplies, a well, and the last surviving goblin.
Peggy, an older woman verified among the slaves, vouched for the goblin. "This is Hobby, and he was made a slave like the rest of us. You can''t kill him! He didn''t do anything wrong!"
No one liked the idea of having a rogue goblin roaming around freely, but Peggy cried and begged them to spare his life. So, reluctantly, they did and were forced to endure a goblin''s company for a time. That was until Grant returned, greeted everyone with a wave, and stepped on poor Hobby. Fin, who was sleeping in the late Lady Marsha''s bed, woke to an unexpected notification. As he was still not feeling well, he ignored everything except the gold stat points. He allocated one and went back to sleep.
- Blood Quest Complete: Defeat all your enemies. +2 levels, +8 gold stat points, +1 Passive Ability.
- Passive Ability: Blood Halo
Days turned into weeks before Fin''s youthful color returned to his face, but even then, he still didn''t feel like his normal self. He helped with the chores the best he could, which mostly meant looking around for more secret stashes of gems. Lady Marsha had one in her room behind a loose brick, and some of the goblins had hiding places around camp. So, he decided to split the gems among the miners who had stayed, which was most of them. After all, they were the ones to dig them up.
First, he sorted the gems in his inventory and kept all the quartz for himself. They were virtually worthless to anyone else but proved excellent bargaining chips to a Sprite who didn''t know better or care. He had a fortune in quarts, which he used whenever he needed something from Void. Unfortunately, he forgot to ask for the smaller elemental''s contract before he made good on his promise to drop it down a well. The little thing fought the whole way down.
He then divided the gems between all the "residents," or people who dug up the gems in the first place. They created a kind of economy in the mining camp. They were used as an exchange or gifted to Rasengold for cooking. The old dwarf gave some of the gems to Fin, but the rest he sent to town to be used for supplies. Brando drafted a letter to be delivered to Eugal. He would pay him a visit with his appetite for apple pie if they weren''t given a fair deal for supplies. He also asked Eugal to send some plants and trees. The massive, overgrown weeds around the camp started to wear on his nerves.
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As Fin explored his new abilities, he could only figure out what one of them did. Bestow Ability was self-explanatory, for the most part. He tried it out on Brando, gifting him an ability he couldn''t use anyway. If he lost it forever, it wouldn''t matter.
"I think I feel something," Brando admitted. "I''m not sure, though."
Fin looked at his abilities; sure enough, he no longer had Stone Simulacrum Wings. This is what he was afraid of, losing access to an ability once given away. The real test would be to see if the ability ever became available again. While Fin was musing over his abilities, Sprout saw something that made her lose interest in her latest weed. She drifted over to Brando, who had something trying to grow from his back. She loved making things grow, so she helped.
Brando was in the middle of mentioning how something didn''t feel right when massive wings sprung from his back. He immediately fell backward.
"I thought you were giving me the ability to see gems," Brando struggled on the ground. "Why do I have wings?"
"I said," Fin took Brando''s arm and helped him to his feet. "If everything works out, I will let you borrow Sense Treasure. I just don''t want to lose it forever, so we are testing giving you something less valuable."
Brando dusted himself off and tried to get a better look at his wings. They were massive things that appeared to be sculpted with black marble so thin as to break off at any moment. They were smooth in some places and rough in others. Fin touched one of the wings, and it didn''t feel like it looked. It felt like leather and bone.
Brando''s first instinct was to try flying, but he couldn''t seem to flap his wings hard enough. He ran around and tried jumping off the wall. At most, the wings slowed his fall. He would have to do something truly dangerous to test them further, which he looked forward to. He then tried to test how sturdy they were. Fin tried punching and scratching them, but they held up to a decent amount of damage.
The final test was to see how well they could be folded. Even with the wings folded up as far as they could, they were still very noticeable.
Three black spires rose from behind each shoulder and draped like a sinister cape to the ground.
"Do you think they would let me visit the princess looking like this?" Brando asked, posing with his wings.
"Probably not," Fin admitted. "You look like a storybook villain designed to scare children."
"You have no idea how happy that makes me," Brando admitted. "I think I''ll keep them."
"Hang on," Fin said, pulling up his ability page. He had an ability point for a long time, waiting for something useful to spend it on. He purchased Wing Attack and used the Bestow Ability again to see if he could give someone more than one. It went through, which meant he could. It also meant that trying to boot another ability out might not work.
At Fin''s prompting, Brando tried a Wing Attack. His wings slashed forward one after the other, causing him to briefly lose balance. It was a powerful attack that would be perfect for a melee fight. It had reach, speed, and power. He then asked him to try deactivating the wings.
"What do you mean, deactivate it?" Brando asked incredulously. "I still want to play around with them."
"Just will the wings to go away," Fin suggested. "Picture a lever that activates your wings, and then pull that lever backward."
Brando pulled every imaginary lever he could think of, and nothing happened. He wished they would go away so Fin would stop using lever analogies, and it worked. The wings seemed to evaporate like smoke. Through the back of his torn shirt, Fin could see two grey scars that ran down the length of his back. Brando willed the wings to return, and they shimmered into existence. He couldn''t have been happier.
Eventually, Fin discovered how to take the ability back, but it required the other person to give it back while he activated Bestow Ability. He also tried experimenting with Blood Halo but couldn''t figure out what that did other than to decorate his shroud ability. Below the circular status, ability, inventory, and quest menus that floated above his head now sat a red circular halo. As far as he could tell, it was just for decoration, but he kept it up in case something revealed itself.
Marriam, the owner of the Dunkle mine, made good on her unofficial agreement to profit from the mine. Caravans arrived, bringing food, supplies, and building materials. Shops popped up overnight and sold wares in the morning. Marriam came herself a week later and was disappointed to find she had competition from the Kel family restaurant and general store. Fin and Brando made it abundantly clear that all residents and all those who helped fight the goblins had equal ownership. And so started the Equal Ownership Mine, though most people still referred to it as ''the goblin mine,'' ''the mine,'' or ''camp.''
Eventually, the plants and trees arrived in a caravan, and Sprout gladly went to work growing them. She also still grew giant weeds, which Brando made go away under the cover of darkness. She didn''t seem to notice when the weeds disappeared but floated around, growing things as usual. Soon, the mine was a veritable oasis of greenery in the desert.
New faces arrived to dig up gems, and new shops opened, bringing new ways to make and spend money. Fin and Brando had long since become wealthy on gems, taxes, and fees, but they knew they weren''t going to stay forever. Heidle was the first to go. After Fin and Brando drew him a more accurate map from rocks, he made them promise to visit. They did, and after tears, hugs, and promises, Heidle left the mine he had been imprisoned in for years.
The place wasn''t the same without Heidle, so Fin and Brando decided to go too. They had already stayed longer than they intended to. They traded their gems for gold, spent as much of it as they could, and said their goodbyes. They left the mine under the glow of the rising sun. The journey home should have been the easiest part of their travels, and it was. The difficult part was going home with the feeling that they would have to explain the two orbs and rock giant following them.
Chapter 63
Lord Finlay of Dragonthrone and Brando Dragonthrone, Protector of the Realm, rode in on some of the largest horses the town had ever seen, wearing dwarven armor and throwing coins the way most farmers threw seeds. At first, no one knew why such eminent people had deigned to grace their town, but one person dreaded the truth. It was too obvious that Brando should arrive the day before the election with such a blatant scheme to buy votes. But it was too little, too late. He would need to buy more than a few rounds of drinks to beat Vice Secretary Tannor Rae for the title of Governor.
"Do you just want to throw money to the dirty children, or should I toss some to the clean ones as well?" Fin asked, tossing another handful of coins to a group of orphan-looking children. "I''ll be happy either way; this is your show, after all."
"You''re going to have to follow your heart on this one," Brando said, oblivious to the people following him. "Just try not to throw money at the ones I already threw money at. Unless they look like they really need it."
They had come to Brando''s town to make his ex-wives regret leaving him because he was poor. The plan was simple, throw money at orphans, buy everyone a round of drinks, and let the gossip mill take care of the rest. Brando did not seem to care about wealth and would gladly toss everything away for the sweet feeling of revenge. Though having spent time in an orphanage, it felt nice to give something back for a change.
The first tavern they entered was called The Green Bog. It was only a little better than they expected from a place with such a name, but not by much. As Brando entered, everyone stopped and stared at them. Fin suspected they would treat them similarly if they weren''t decked out in their fine armor.
"I have an important message from Lord Dragonthrone," Brando belted out to the crowd. "On this day, in the year of his majesty, 14, hence fourth¡ There will be no empty mugs because the next round of drinks is on me!"
The Green Bog lit up like an outhouse in a forest fire. Not a single face was without a smile, and Brando was at the center of it. He talked and laughed with everyone but did not stay too long. He had a mission, after all. So, he dropped a pile of coins on the bar, and it was off to the next pub.
"I kind of like the important message from Lord Dragonthrone part," Fin began, picking up on the spirit of things. "Can I make the next speech?"
Brando agreed, and at the next tavern they entered, he bought two rounds before addressing the crowd.
"I would like to buy everyone a round!" Fin announced, and when everyone finished cheering, he lifted his mug and toasted it to Brando. "To Brando, who single-handedly saved the life of a royal princess and got knighted as Protector of the Realm. I will also drink to the health of the poor, poor women living in this town who left him before he was rich!"
A resounding "Here, here!" erupted from the tavern.
They stayed longer than intended as people kept buying drinks for their story. Brando eventually pulled himself away and went outside. He then had to go back in to physically pull Fin away from a pair of grabby hands and batting eyelashes. Brando told him there would be time for that later, and they had a job to do.
After the fourth ale house, they started drawing a crowd. Many of their followers were from previous taverns trying to get the next free round. After the seventh, the tavern was too crowded, so Brando had the barrels of ale brought outside, where musicians played music, street vendors served food, and the streets were saturated with festivities.
Fin had an idea to host a race where the prizes for first, second, and third place were a gold, silver, and copper coin respectively. Brando loved the idea so much that he decided to host multiple competitions which is how the street tournaments began.
Brando found himself sitting on a massive throne in the center of a closed-off square, judging various games like the highest-jumping musician. First, the competitors had to play a song on any instrument. There were some grey areas about the quality of the song or instrument, but that was what Brando was there for. With a raised thumb, the competitors would then attempt to jump over an ever-rising rope.
"How am I doing on money?" Brando asked Fin, as he dolled out coins to the previous round''s victors.
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"You''re about halfway there," He said after checking his inventory.
Brando handed his empty mug to whoever kept refilling it and stood to announce the next competition. Before he could, a throaty voice went to such lengths to begin a monologue that Brando was completely mesmerized and stayed quiet throughout the entire speech.
"Well, well, well, such a gallant man we have in our midst, or rather, a man having gone through great lengths to appear so," As the man approached, he was followed by others who were dressed in similar robes of office. "There he is, the so-called Protector of the Realm, throwing coins around in a dastardly attempt to buy votes. I don''t know who he thinks he is, but I did some research and found out who he really is. Brando, the leatherworker, was orphaned as a child, penniless, and twice divorced. He is no Protector of the Realm, and he did not save any princess. He is a fraud and a disturbance of the peace and is unfit to govern this town."
Brando sat in his gaudy oversized chair, completely dumbfounded. He had no idea what he did to deserve such an insult that he thought it might be a joke. No matter how much he looked, he couldn''t see any signs of it being one. The man''s features were angry, not jovial. He had a slight lean as if the vein on his forehead weighed him forward. The climate, changing from loud to entirely silent, submerged him further into shock.
Fin was confused but came to his senses first. As he approached Brando, he held up a finger and asked for a moment.
"Brando, who is this guy?" He whispered.
"That''s what I''m trying to figure out," Brando replied. "I swear, I''ve never seen him in my life."
"Ex-wife''s husband?" Fin suggested.
"Maybe," Brando guessed. "If he is and he gets us arrested, it will ruin my whole plan. We can''t have that happen."
"Do you want me to handle it, or do you want to handle it?" Fin asked.
"I''ll handle it," Brando sighed. "If I look like I need help, feel free to jump in." He then cleared his throat and addressed the man so everyone could hear.
"I don''t know who you are, but you seem to know a lot about me," Brando''s voice did not waver as he stood and addressed the arrogant man. "I was born here. As a matter of fact, I was born just around the corner, on Ridger Street. I grew up a penniless orphan, and although I am not proud of my failed marriages, they have made me who I am today. I was given the title of Protector of the Realm after rescuing a princess."
Fin held up two pieces of paper that Brando pointed to. "I have the proof right there."
Tannor approached Brando, but he held out his hand to stop him. "I will show everyone except for you. That way, to call me a liar, you have to call everyone else here a liar, and they might not be as forgiving as I am."
"How dare you talk to me that way. Do you know who I am?" Tannor''s face was red with anger. "Guards, arrest these men for their insolence!"
"If I am not mistaken, I am the ranking official here," Brando had no idea if this was true, but he believed in the power of the bluff. "Guards, arrest this man instead!"
"Arrest them! I am the king''s nephew!" Tannor huffed.
"Arrest him! I am Lord Dragonthrone, and I am courting the royal princess!" Fin declared, feeling disgusted with himself for name-dropping Dezi. He took a drink of his mead to wash the mention of her out of his mouth. It didn''t work.
The guards jerked in indecision and hesitated to arrest either of them. Finally, a man wearing robes similar to Tannor introduced himself as Chancellor Cargwen and voiced his concerns.
"This is highly irregular," he said in a soft but authoritative voice. "I propose we settle this matter in a less public forum."
"No, I want to settle this right now!" Tannor demanded. "For the sake of honor and my family name, someone read those falsified documents, so you can arrest them already!"
Chancellor Cargwen approached Fin and held out his hand. Fin handed them over, and he studied them. After a while, he called more of the robed figures to help scrutinize the documents under the public''s watchful eye. They muttered quietly to each other, pointed at various details, and held the documents up to the light.
"It appears they are both who they say they are. However, neither Vice Secretary Tannor nor Sir Brando has the power to arrest the other at their own volition," Cargwen cleared his throat. "Lord Finlay, on the other hand, could have him arrested if he so desires..."
Fin declined.
Before Brando could resume the festivities, he saw someone that gave him pause. His ex-wife stood in the crowd with short brown hair, frozen blue eyes, and light freckles, and she had seen the whole thing. She had even seen him verified as Protector of the Realm! His mission was complete.
"You know what, Fin?" Brando asked as he tucked his coin bag away. "I think I''m done here."
"Do you want to plant some grapes in the dragon soil and make wine?" Fin asked, wondering how melon-sized grapes would taste.
Cargwen cleared his voice. "Excuse me, but I thought you would want to run for Governor. If you did, I would be more than happy to help you gain the position."
"Is it a lot of work?" Brando asked.
"Not too much," Cargwen considered. "A meeting or so a week and a few signatures here and there. Nothing too strenuous. All I would ask for in return is approval for one thing or another. Only small things, I''m sure."
In the dying light of the sun, Brando''s eyes twinkled with the possibilities of governing his hometown. Fin was still thinking of growing grapes with Sprout''s help. He wondered what he would call wine grown by a nature sprite from dragon soil? Maybe he would call it Dragon Berry Wine.
THE END