《Welcome to Your Next Life (The Arath Saga Book 1)》 Chapter 1 - Life Sucks Letting out a long-suffering sigh as the alarm went off after the third snooze button press Alex reached over and hit the off button. He stretched his length in the small bed and raked a hand through his dark hair. Sitting up he turned and placed his feet on the floor. "One more and I won''t be able to make it to work on time. I really don''t want to go there again, but it pays the bills." He thought as he dragged himself from the bed and rubbed at his sleep-crusted eyes. Mid-morning sunlight filtered through the shades on his bedroom window a further reminder of the time. It dimly lit the small studio apartment allowing him to move about without tripping over the clutter of clothes and pizza boxes that made the floor a minefield as he dressed and went through the various tasks of getting out of the door and on his way to work. Slipping his arms into his jacket he rushed out of the front door of the apartment building and turned his collar up to block the brisk spring morning breeze from going down his back. Turning he walked down the sidewalk dodging other pedestrians with practiced indifference as he moved through the city toward Dynamic Systems Inc., his daily grind of cooperate monotony. "Wish it was more like in the books. Hells, I would love to be able just to go adventuring instead of spending another day writing code." He mused his mind drifting back to one of the most recent books he had been reading. LitRPG had almost overnight become his favorite genre when he was not playing video games or working, he was pouring over whatever new series he could find, more than just a little jealous of the different characters in them. "Hey Alex, good morning! You want your usual today?" The cheerful voice of Samantha rang through the air and pulled him from his daydreams. As he returned to focus on the world around him, his eyes alighted on the cute brunette barista behind the window counter. "Oh, hey Sam, yeah that would be great. Gonna need it to get through another day of work. I swear they come up with the most monotonous tasks to be codified." He smiled at her as he placed a hand on the counter. She was a bright spot in his routine; he missed seeing her on days he didn''t work. "Do you have any of those fresh croissants as well? I didn''t get up early enough to eat today and my stomach is starting to tell me about it" Laughing Sam set a small bag with the requested food on the counter and turned back to prep the coffee for him. "I swear you never wake up early enough." She grinned at him. "Is this just an excuse to spend more time talking to me?" "Well, not really but talking with you does make my morning better," Alex said. He wasn¡¯t being facetious their morning exchanges did brighten his day. He knew their flirting was never going to go beyond just the playful banter but hey a guy could wish couldn''t he? "You sure you don''t want to get lunch one of these days? I promise I won''t go creepy on you... well no more than I already am," he joked as he waved his phone over the scanner to pay for the order. Tapping a finger against her chin as if in serious thought Sam watched him a moment before finally speaking with a grin. "Nope, still don''t think it''s a good idea. I promised myself I would never mix work life with my personal life." It was the same answer she gave him every morning, just another part of their usual exchange. Subsequently just another part of his usual day. Same thing, same day, same week, same life. Alex sighed internally again at how nothing ever changed. "All right, see you tomorrow then." He picked up his food and coffee then turned to continue his walk to work. A few more blocks and he would be able to get out of the crowded streets and ensconced himself in his desk. Stepping off the sidewalk to cross the street he took a bite of the flaky pastry when a flash of color caught his eye. The brilliant vermillion hair distracted him for a moment as it disappeared around the corner of the building. A moment later the sound of a horn shocked him back to the present and he hurried across the road and into the office building of his work. Making his way to his cubicle he quickly sat at his desk, powered his computer up, and then set his coffee cup next to the keyboard. His mind lingered on the hair he had noticed earlier as he pondered the likelihood of it matching one of the main characters in the book he started last night. "Must just be because the color was on my mind that I noticed it," he mused. "Just like when you buy a car and suddenly see the same car everywhere." Dismissing the thought, he turned his attention to the latest tasks in his queue and lost himself in the work. Hours later he finally logged off the computer and rose. Throughout the morning his mind had kept returning to the brilliant hair color, something about it just stuck in his head and he could not shake it. Exiting the office, he hurried towards his usual burger place for lunch when once again the same woman caught his eye. That shade of hair was unmistakable, and he paused to see if he recognized her. While he looked closer at her she turned as if feeling her eyes on him and eyes the hue of evergreens in the deep forest locked with his. Distantly he heard a horn again, along with squealing tires as the eyes holding his shifted from their mischievous mien to sadness. As his mind tried to process the sudden change his world erupted in overwhelming pain followed rapidly by darkness. Wincing Alex sat up. His hands quickly ran over his body as the memory of the pain returned to him but nothing felt out of place or broken. He tried to take stock of what happened and remembered seeing the strange woman right before the flare of pain. Realizing he had stopped in the middle of the road the last sounds returned to him. A horn and tires... Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Oh shit¡­ where am I? Did I get hit?" He thought and once again he checked himself. Nothing was broken or even scuffed though. It was then he realized his clothes were different. Gone were the jeans and T-shirt he had put on that morning. They were replaced with what appeared to be simple woolen pants and a soft cotton shirt. As this realization settled in, he looked up and about the room. The silence was deafening, and it was not the bustle of an ER room or the back of an ambulance he would expect after a car accident. Instead, he found himself sitting on a small wooden bed in a simple mud and straw room. There were no decorations or other distinctive furniture besides the door in the far wall and the open window letting in light. Strangely he couldn''t see anything besides that light through the window when he looked. Slipping from the bed he walked towards the door, pausing a moment he noticed he was barefoot and looked about for his shoes but there was no other clothing within the room. As he placed a hand on the door it swung open to another room, this one had a table and two chairs though and one of those chairs was occupied. Alex stared slack-jawed as the same woman who had caused his distraction when the car hit him turned to look his way and motioned to the empty chair across from her. "I was wondering when you were going to wake Alex Deegan." Her voice was silken and rich. The type of voice that one would expect to hear from trained singers or performers. The type of voice that one could listen to and lose themselves. "Please come join me, we have a lot to discuss before you make your choice." That comment got him moving and he quickly closed his mouth and moved to the offered seat. Sitting in it he looked closer at the woman across from him. Her long hair flowed loose and wavy down past her shoulders and was the rich vermillion that had so enraptured him. A soft jade blouse draped her body demurely though it hinted at her form beneath. When she leaned forward placing her elbows on the table before resting her chin on her steepled fingers it drew his eyes up to her face. Full lips sat beneath a small slightly upturned nose creating a classically beautiful face. But even those features were subsumed by her eyes. Those orbs conveyed a world of emotions with just slight changes. The deep emerald drew him in and held him captive. "Where am I?" He finally croaked after several long minutes of being pinned by her gaze. "Who are you? What happened? Am I dead? I was hit by a car! Wait, am I dreaming? And who are you?" His initial question broke the dam of his thoughts, and the others came out in a torrent. One question after another not permitting the woman a chance to speak or answer between them. Fear and worry started to build at the sudden changes to everything he knew. The sadness he had noticed before the pain returned to her eyes and she nodded somberly. "You are in limbo, Alex. You have a choice to make. I didn''t intend for your death so suddenly, but it confirms you are who I was looking for." She sat back in her chair and watched as the emotions played over his features at her words. "My name is Danu and I am here to ask you to help me." "If I am dead, how am I supposed to help you? How does my dying help anyone? I mean sure I wasn''t impacting anyone other than myself before but dying doesn''t help anyone. And what is this choice you''re speaking of? Kinda out of options being, I don''t know, dead and all aren''t I?" His tongue loosened by the situation his tone became more heated the more he spoke. "Wait what do you mean you didn''t intend for my death suddenly? You were going to kill me eventually?" He pushed himself back from the table and moved to rise. Danu reached out a hand and placed it on his. The warmth of her touch flowed through his body calming him suddenly and he stopped trying to stand only staring at her in a blend of awe and disbelief. "Peace Alex. I did not intend to kill you. Your time was fated though it would seem my presence hastened it. Even the Ixyl," She paused a moment thinking, "I think you would know of them as the Fates, cannot see precisely how the weave of time and fate will form. Just hints and possibilities, since knowing changes it." She leaned back once again and studied Alex closely. "Your choice is a simple one. Help me or move on. When you were struck by the car and dealt a mortal wound, I was able to intercept your soul as it left your body and bring it here to have our discussion." Motioning behind Alex she pointed to two dark doorways. "You walk through that one," she pointed to the one on the left, "to help me. And the other," this time she pointed to the right doorway, "will allow you to pass on to the afterlife." Alex looked to the doorways trying to see beyond their darkened frames at what might lay in store. Seeing nothing but shadows and darkness beyond them he turned back to the woman. "Wait, you caught my soul? Are you a god or something? I mean I didn''t think they were real but... No, I must be in the hospital, and this is a coma-induced dream. This can''t be real." Once again, she reached out and placed her hand on his, the calm sensation suffused his body at her touch. "Yes, I am what you would consider a goddess. One of many, in fact, in the world I am offering you. If you decide to help me it won''t be easy, but I won''t force you to do anything. The world is dying, though it won''t be for centuries, the path can be changed now if someone, if you, are willing to try." "Why me?" The weight of her words settled on Alex even as her touch calmed his mind. Everything he had known in his life had been upturned in a moment, but she was offering him a new start it sounded like. "What would I have to do? Where would I go?" Her smile brightened and her eyes sparkled seeming as if endless galaxies swirled in their jade depths. "What you do is up to you to figure out Alex. You would be given a new life on Arath aware that the world is tipping towards chaos and failure. You could drive it further towards that end and speed the eventual demise of the world forward, or you could become the balance and pull it back from the brink. I did say I wouldn''t force you to do anything. The choice is yours here and there." A mischievous glint shimmered in her eyes again, "You have always dreamed of an isekai life haven''t you?" Alex stared at Danu for a few minutes weighing her words and the possible choice. He wasn''t ready to die and go to the afterlife, whatever it might be, yet. That left him accepting her choice. He smirked slightly; did she actually just try to use the potential of an isekai experience to tempt him? Rising slowly, he turned towards the doorways. "Alright Danu, say I accept what happens when I walk through that door?" Her smile remained warm on her lips as she rose and walked to his side. "Through that doorway, you start your new life. The world is different from Earth, it''s more like the games and books you enjoy so it should have a special appeal to you." As he walked cautiously towards the doorway on the left and the potential of a whole new experience, he glanced back over his shoulder to see the room empty once again. Her voice filled his ears as his foot broke the plane of the doorway and he vanished from the room. "Thank you, Alex. Good luck and welcome to your next life." Chapter 2 - Becoming Alex became aware of the vast emptiness surrounding him. Confused he had thought he was supposed to be going to a new world. As those thoughts came to mind however a voice broke through his reverie. ¡°Welcome Alex. Before you are released to start in your new life you need to decide how you will start.¡± A soft feminine voice filled his head. As she spoke a light filled the darkness and a figure stood illuminated by the glow. The body was his, everything he recognized from how he woke up that morning except it was clad in odd rough cloth underwear. What was even stranger was that next to the avatar of his body was what could only be described as a stat screen.
Name: Unknown Level: 1, 0% Age: 32
Race: Unknown Alignment: Neutral Languages: Basic¡­
Reputation: 0 ¨C Nobody knows nobody cares
Stats
Health: 100/100 Stamina: 100/100 Mana: 100/100
Attributes
Strength: 8 Agility: 8 Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 8 Endurance: 8 Charisma: 8
Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 8 Luck: 8
Resistances Skills Marks
None None None
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Abilities
Unbound Possibilities ¨C While the inhabitants of Arath are constrained by rules limiting how they can grow and what they can learn you have been blessed by Danu to be unbound. These limits guide you but do not constrain you. Linguist ¨C You have the capacity to know, understand, and speak any mortal language
Studying the screen brought up multiple questions. How was his name unknown? He was Alex wasn¡¯t he? And his race was unknown? Well yes, he had never done one of those genetic things to find out where he came from, but shouldn¡¯t it just be human if it''s like a game or book? ¡°Um, hello? Who are you? And you said I needed to decide how I start. What do you mean by that.¡± He tried to look around but found, much to his disturbance, he didn¡¯t have a body or form more just a perception and that was focused on what was before him. Once more the pleasant voice filled his head. ¡°You may call me system. I am the guiding overview for the world and assistant to the gods. You need to decide what race you will start as and what the inhabitants of the world will know you as. It is recommended, since you are coming from another world that you keep your true name, that which you know yourself as, secret as it could provide others with power over you.¡± Alex would have collapsed into a seat if he could. This was seriously overwhelming even if it matched so many of his stories, he had never really figured it would happen to him. That was all just fantasy, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Ok I suppose I should start with race, what choices do I have for races?¡± ¡°The races of Arath are many and varied. Basic races include Human, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome and Halfling. Many of which have sub-elements to them. Advanced races are not normally allowed for starting selection due to qualifying conditions but include variations of half celestial, demonic, draconic, and elemental¡± System responded to his inquiry. ¡°Though you are unbound you do not meet any of the pre-requisites to qualify for advanced races.¡± He pondered her response for a while weighing the options given the limited facts he had. ¡°Can you tell me more about the races, so I have an idea of what each consists of?¡± He finally asked. System responded as though reading from a guidebook, her tone was bright but straight forward. ¡°Humans ¨C The youngest of the races to Arath. They are one of the shortest lived but have the most opportunities as they don¡¯t have racial constraints placed upon them. They can progress in any skill or profession that they have an affinity with. Commonly found within cities and towns, they are a social people for the most part¡± She paused for a moment and Alex could have sworn that if this wasn¡¯t non-corporeal, he would have heard her turning a page. ¡°Elves ¨C One of the oldest races, along with the dwarves, of Arath. Elves tend toward magical skills and professions. They have very structured societies and roles. Young often know their place from birth and do not seek outside of their station. Societal structures range from forest villages to grand cities.¡± Again, she had the slight pause before continuing. ¡°Dwarves ¨C Along with the elves are one of the oldest races. Hardy folk often found in the depths of the lands. They excel in crafting and mining. The subsets found above ground lean towards commerce however and while have hints of their deeper kin¡¯s skills and knowledge are not as proficient as them. The deep dwarves carve vast kingdoms in their mines and caves while the surface dwarves create towns and villages to promote their trade¡± ¡°The last common race is the Halfling. Though not as young as the Humans, Halflings are newer to Arath and their origin is disputed. These folk are nomadic by nature and have no known settlements.¡± She had a strange inflection on the word known, ¡°Found in small groups they are traders and explorers by nature. Their skillsets often align with those traits lacking knowledge in anything that requires long term stability to achieve.¡± Alex waited for a while before asking after she had finished speaking. ¡°Is that all? There is nothing more detailed to help me decide what to choose?¡± When he was met with continued silence he mentally sighed and spoke. ¡°Given that information, I suppose I will stick with what I know best and remain human.¡± And with those utterances his stat sheet updated, and the form of the avatar became slightly more¡­ real as if it was taking on form not just concept. He thought again for a while, the idea of naming his character wasn¡¯t strange to him but the fact that this was going to be HIS name took a minute to consider. He was going to be stuck with whatever moniker he chose. Finally, a mental smile formed, and he spoke again. ¡°Arath shall know me as Xavier!¡± He spoke the name with the form he was more familiar with, and it came out sounding like ZAY-vee-ur. The fact that it was not too dissimilar from one of his nicknames from his youth would also help him to respond to it when others spoke to him while he transitioned to the new world. Once more his stat sheet updated, and a small fanfare sounded in his head. A much more grandiose voice spoke as soon as the changes finished ¡°Welcome Xavier to Arath. The path is now set before you. Will you crush your enemies, topple kingdoms and empires, and leave a path of destruction and pain? Or will you unite the peoples, overthrow despots, and raise up a glorious new standard for good? Know this, though you may be one your choices can shape the world if you live long enough to do so.¡± With that, everything went black, and Xavier lost consciousness once more. Chapter 3 - A New Life As Xavier¡¯s senses slowly returned with his consciousness the first was his hearing. The soft whisper of a breeze through leaves mingled with the song of various forest birds and the quiet melody of nearby running water. Breathing deeply his nose was filled with the heady aroma of rich earth blended with the sweet tang of crushed grass. He then realized that he was lying face-first on the ground. The sharp prick of a stone dug into his hip even as his cheek was cradled in the gentle cool of a bed of grass. Opening his eyes confirmed his makeshift pillow and he pushed himself up to a seated position to better take assessment of his situation. What appeared to be mid-morning light filtered through the canopy overhead to illuminate the small clearing he found himself in. A cursory look about the area revealed to him a sight unlike any he had seen since he was in that outdoor youth group as a kid. The forest glen was awash with life from the long grasses he was sitting in to myriad versions of flowering plants. As his mind fully awakened, he noticed the chirp of nearby insects and the scurry of small claws since his movement startled the tiny denizens that made this spot their home. Xander realized he was sitting in a sanctuary of natural life¡­ and he had a thirst and hunger as if he had never cared for his stomach his entire life. A spring had formed a small pool near the edge of the clearing which then poured out through the brook that he had heard earlier. He quickly rose to his feet and made his way to the water, dropping to his knees in the soft mud at the edge he scooped handful after handful of the cool clear liquid into his mouth to slake his thirst. As that demand lessened, he paused wondering what sort of illness or other issue he may have just inadvertently swallowed in his haste. After a few moments he mentally shrugged, what was done was done and he would have to deal with the consequences when and if they arose, for now though he needed to figure out what to do next. Sitting back on his heels Xavier reassessed himself. He discovered he was clothed, thankfully, in some sort of shirt and pants made of a rough spun cloth. The pants were held up by a thin short piece of rope laced through loops cut at the waist. As he inspected each piece, he got a small white-bordered prompt for each. You have discovered: Rough-Spun Tunic Rarity: Common Armor Class: Light Durability: 10/10 You have discovered: Rough-Spun Pants Rarity: Common Armor Class: Light Durability: 10/10 ¡°Ok,¡± Xavier thought to himself, ¡°I have clothes and a place to get something to drink. I need shelter and food then I can figure out where to go from here. They could have at least dropped me in a town or something.¡± His stomach rumbled loudly at that moment, and he noticed silver flashes in the pool as fish swam lazily back and forth. Focusing on the closest one he tried to study it and figure out how to catch it. After a few minutes of watching the large creature swim lazily back and forth. He felt he had a good idea about the fish from watching it though as it seemed to follow the same path in its lazy movements. He noticed a small niche in the edge of the pool the fish would swim into each passing and moved slowly over to where he could lay down there dangling his hand into the cool water. After a time, the fish once again looped through the area and he scooped it quickly up and onto the bank. A grin spread on his lips as he caught his first fish in years. Pinning it to the ground so he could stick his fingers in its gills he lifted it and carried it further from the water to avoid losing it. Setting the fish on a nearby rock he moved to the edge of the woods gathering small sticks and dry grass as he went. After about twenty minutes of walking through trees lining the clearing, he had a small armful of burnable materials and brought them back to his soon-to-be meal. Carefully he dug out a small pit and then piled the grass and sticks within. He had not built a fire since the youth group either. Living in the city did not require skills like that. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. It was nearly a half hour of frustration before he finally was able to kindle a small flame in the tinder he had gathered. Dredging up old memories he carefully added small twigs and then pieces of wood to the flame until he had a tiny fire burning merrily at the bottom of the cook pit. All of his efforts were suddenly awarded with the sound of chimes in his head and a prompt appearing before is view. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Survival level 1. Many and varied are the things that need to be done to live off the land. You have taken the first to ensure your ability to do so. This skill affects your ability to create impromptu survival shelters, campfires, and forage for edible foodstuffs. A broad smile crossed his lips as he read through the prompt. He had learned his first skill in the world. One that would increase his likelihood of living until he found civilization. With extreme pride, he picked up the fish only to realize he had no way to gut or even cook it. Sighing inwardly, he began searching for a sharp rock hoping to at least be able to remove the entrails of the creature before skewering it to try and roast it over the fire. Though he hadn¡¯t been big on cooking back on earth he at least understood the basics and wished he had a pan and some butter to fry the thing. It took another fifteen minutes before he had found a small sharp-edged rock and he set about trying to cut open the belly of the fish without destroying it. That was one thing he really missed from the games he had played. They always just gave him the ingredients when he clicked on the animal he didn¡¯t have to actually do the work to get them. Several minutes and one partially mutilated fish later he was done. Rinsing the body of the fish in the pool of water he was able to clean the worst of the entrails out and proceeded to skewer the fish on a long stick he had sharpened with the rock as well. Taking a seat next to the fire he held the fish kabob over the flame and slowly began to rotate it while he thought about what to do next. Soon the pleasant aroma of roasted fish filled the air and set his mouth to watering and his stomach to grumbling even more. While he watched his meal develop, he got a new sound of chimes and another prompt. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Cooking level 1. Hark and hear, by cooking your first meal you have taken the first steps on this grandest if often ignored path. From the simplest salad to the most robust entr¨¦e cooking is the path to gastronomic pleasure and status-enhancing buffs. Masters of this skill can craft delicacies that would make gods and kings weep with pleasure and foods that would empower armies. +2% to flavor of prepared dishes. +2% yield from cooking ingredients. Another skill he thought to himself. If everything came this easy, then surviving in this world would be simple. Immediately he regretted those thoughts as he was suddenly wary of cursing himself with the wrong words. Removing the roasted fish from the flames he looked closer at it relieved at the new information his cooking skill provided in a new white bordered prompt. You have discovered a new dish: Slow Roasted Fish (Whole) Dish Rarity: Common Dish Quality: Edible Traits: This whole fish was slowly roasted over an open flame. The lack of seasonings leaves it with a common fishy flavor but overall, it is wholesome and filling. Having successfully created this dish you retain the knowledge on how to recreate it with reduced failure. Chance to cook +1% The rumble in his stomach shook further thoughts from his head as he ravenously tore into the still-steaming flesh. Never had food tasted so good to his mind. Carefully spitting out the small bones he quickly devoured his meal and tossed the stick into the fire with a satisfied groan. All his pressing needs taken care of he started to look about the clearing. While it would work for a temporary place to rest, he knew he didn¡¯t have the skills or tools to survive for a long time in the wilds and he was going to need to seek out some sort of hopefully friendly civilization. He rose to his feet and put out the fire before setting off following the stream. ¡°This way,¡± Xavier thought to himself, ¡°I know at least how to get back to where I started and a place to rest.¡± Hours passed and the sun climbed to where it was directly overhead piercing easily through the canopy over the stream. As he walked, the water grew wider and faster. The sounds of animals and birds in the forest grew louder in the distance only to drop off as he grew closer to their location. Sweat slicked his skin as the day grew warmer though not uncomfortably so. After several hours of the casual walk, he heard a louder sound of rushing water ahead of him. Breaking free of the trees he found himself standing on a small cliff, the water from the stream he was following racing over the edge in a beautifully cascading waterfall to a lake below. Drawing closer to the edge he heard a fanfare of trumpets in his head and in the sky ahead of him the words ¡°Welcome to Arath¡± in a brilliant aged gold script appeared as if written by some invisible hand. They hung there for several moments before fading from view and he knew that his new life had started in earnest. Chapter 4 - It Begins As the golden letters faded from the sky overhead the sounds of the forest rushed in to surround Xavier once again. Along with those sounds came a new noise, one that rose the hair on the back of his neck in a primal fashion¡­. howls. The woods behind him echoed with a howl and answering call back. The sound grew louder as if whatever was making the din was drawing closer to where he stood. Frantically, Xavier rushed to the cliff edge desperate to find a way down and away from whatever was making the noise. Spotting a small ledge several feet below he quickly lowered himself over the edge and stretched his feet toward the outcropping as he did so the first of the beasts broke free of the tree line. It had a shape like a wolf but had scales over part of its body. Blood-red eyes locked on his as it caught sight of him, and it raised its head to unleash another howl. More cries answered from the woods and before Xavier could find purchase for his feet several more of the creatures joined the first. Fanning out they stalked slowly toward their prey their cries going silent as they moved in for the kill. Xavier looked down once again seeing his feet were still several feet away from the outcropping he had spotted. Glancing back up to the beasts moving towards him he closed his eyes and whispered. ¡°Danu, if you are watching this is a hell of a place you dropped me in.¡± Then he let go, hoping to land on the ledge. His feet caught the edge of it, and it sent him tumbling head over feet down the side of the cliff. Several hard crashes later he noticed a small trio of bars in the upper left of his vision, a red bar that was getting smaller with each crash, a green bar hovered beneath that and finally a blue bar sat at the bottom of the trio. He quickly realized that these were like in most games probably his health, stamina, and... mana? The concept fled as quickly as it came due to his situation but was something he would have to review if he survived long enough to do so. He finally crashed to a stop against a solid tree trunk at the bottom of the cliff. Looking up he caught the eyes of the beasts as they looked over the edge at him before they vanished back beyond the lip of the cliff and the hew of their howls filled the air once again. Groaning he struggled to his feet and winced as everything hurt to move. Looking at the red bar once again he noticed that about half of it was now missing. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t break anything.¡± He said to himself then quieted as he listened to the howls once again. They had changed in tenor and tone reminding him of the old documentaries he used to let play in the background while he was coding the realization settling in coldly. They were hunting him. Turning he limped off into the woods moving away from the water to try and find an escape from the creatures. The woods flashed beside him as he ran, twisting and dodging through the trees. His fear drove his battered body to move faster. His breath started coming labored as time drew on and he noticed his green bar sinking rapidly. Slowing to a walk he tried to catch his breath, and the bar started to refill. He still heard the howls every so often in the distance, but they didn¡¯t seem like they were coming closer anymore. Hopefully, he had lost them but his confidence in that was not high. They were at least canine seeming they likely could track him by scent if they found his path. Sitting down finally he gasped while his body calmed. The adrenaline from his frantic flight still pumping in his veins and lending a slightly red tint to his eyesight. After a few minutes, the tinge to his vision faded and his breath calmed enough that he could look about once more calmly and rationally. He realized that if he was going to survive it would take more than just knowing how to build a fire and cook. He at least needed a weapon. ¡°Games always made it so easy. You would start with at least a dagger,¡± he thought to himself as he started to walk slowly searching through the detritus of the forest floor. ¡°Ok, Danu said this would be game-like. I need to start thinking like that.¡± He thought back to the wolf-like creatures and their chase of him. ¡°Game-LIKE¡± he emphasized to himself, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to die my first day. I don¡¯t know if it''s game over after that or not.¡± It didn¡¯t take too long before he found a longer branch that was fairly straight and another sharp-edged rock. Sitting in the dirt he started to work the end of the stick with the rock until it had developed a relatively sharp point. As he finished, he got a new chime sound in his head followed by a prompt. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Woodworking level 1. Though done with the most basic of tools you have crafted your first woodworked piece. The intricacies of whirl and knot have opened your eyes to the capabilities of wood. +2% to crafted items. +2% to crafted wooden weapon damage. You have discovered: Rough Wooden Spear Item Class: Common Item Quality: Poor Durability: 10/10 Damage: 1 ¨C 4 Piercing Traits: Pride of the footman, the noble spear has broken many a charge and pierced many a heart. This basic wooden spear was crafted from a carved tree branch and lacks true weapon capabilities but hey at least you have something. ¡°Wait was that prompt snarky?¡± Xavier thought to himself. Shaking his head he dismissed the thought and rose hefting the spear to get a feel for it. ¡°Not sure how it will help against those wolf things, but I feel better.¡± He turned and continued down the small path he had been following. His senses were on high alert still wary after the fright from earlier. Unconsciously, he tried to move quieter and avoid stepping on branches and leaves that scattered over the path. Several miles later he managed to spot a small rabbit sitting in the middle of the path chewing on some grass. Seeing the creature his stomach rumbled quietly reminding him he hadn¡¯t eaten in hours. Hefting the spear he held his breath as he moved slowly closer until he felt like he could hit the rabbit and then threw the spear. To his great surprise and luck, it flew true piercing the creature and killing it in a single blow. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Ding! You have slain a level 1 rabbit. +10 Experience. He stared at the prompt in his vision. He had killed it. Wait, he had killed it! Other than fishing he had never killed something in his entire life. Meat was easy to get from the store and he had usually gotten that pre-prepared anyway. He moved over to where the small furry form lay and retrieved his spear. You have discovered: Rough Wooden Spear Item Class: Common Item Quality: Poor Durability: 8/10 Damage: 1 ¨C 4 Piercing Traits: Pride of the footman, the noble spear has broken many a charge and pierced many a heart. This basic wooden spear was crafted from a carved tree branch and lacks true weapon capabilities but hey at least you have something. Staring at the dead animal for a little while he bit back his feelings and picked it up. The coppery tang of blood filled the air as it got closer to his nose and the soft pat pat pat of it dripping to the dirt hung heavy over the path. ¡°Now what do I do with it?¡± He thought to himself. Again, he thought back to how easy the games made it and sighed that he would need to figure out how to skin and prep the meat if he wanted to eat it instead of automatically getting the fur and meat just from clicking a button. He looked up at the sky noticing how it was starting to slowly darken and figured it would be ideal to find a place to camp for the night and figure out how to make the rabbit into a meal. It was only a short distance down the path where it came near another small stream. ¡°Another or the same one?¡± He pondered then mentally shrugged. It didn¡¯t matter it was water and there was room on the bank. Setting his spear and the rabbit down he set about making a fire pit once again. It came faster due to his new survival skill and he was soon sitting beside a small cheerily burning fire. He pulled the rabbit closer and studied it noticing a faint grey line in the fur. Turning the carcass back and forth the line shifted with the limbs and torso but didn¡¯t shift like it should have if it was part of the fur. Realization slowly dawned on him. It was a guide! It must have been from the survival skill as well showing him where to cut to skin the creature. ¡°Well, that¡¯s convenient. Now I just need a knife.¡± He searched about yet again, realizing maybe he should keep the next sharp rock he could find. He took his time in this search until finally, he found a small flat stone that could fit in his palm and a larger rock. He finally remembered a video he had seen about making a survival knife by breaking off the edges of a stone with another one. It was easier said than done however, of course it was, the guy who had made the video had obviously done it repeatedly to not make a fool of himself when posting a video. It took several times of hitting the small rock with the larger one to create a crack and with a snap¡­ break it in two. ¡°Dammit.¡± Xavier cursed aloud and tossed the broken piece to the ground before rising to search for another rock. It took longer but he found another one he thought would work well and sat down to make another attempt at making the knife. Clack, clack, snap. The edge of the stone fractured leaving a wickedly sharp edge that cut his thumb when he tested it leaving a small drop of blood to drip to the ground and another chime in his mind. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Crafting level 1. Every tool and item in this world is made by something. You now join the ranks of those crafters. Will you stall with the most basic of tools or will you rise to craft wonderous pieces of jewelry and tools that will shape the world? +2% to crafted items. +2% to crafted tools. You have discovered: Crude Stone Blade Item Class: Common Item Quality: Trash Durability: 5/5 Damage: 1 ¨C 2 Slashing Traits: Useless as more than a simple tool this stone knife can provide at least the most basic of cutting. He picked the rabbit''s body back up and looked again for the faint lines that he had noticed earlier. Carefully dragging his new knife along them he started to work with the body cleaning it and peeling the hide off the carcass until he received another set of prompts. You have discovered: Tattered Rabbit Hide Item Class: Common Item Quality: Trash Durability: 5/5 Traits: A worn and damaged hide found from skinning a rabbit. You have discovered: Skinned Rabbit Carcass Ingredient Class: Common Item Quality: Raw Durability: 5/5 Traits: A small, skinned rabbit. Perfect for stews, roasting, or grilling. Sighing in satisfaction he retrieved his spear and spitted the carcass on it before he held it over the flame. The low skill he had in cooking helped guide him in preventing it from charring but nothing more than that. It took a while, but he was rewarded with a new prompt while he watched the meat cook. You have discovered a new dish: Slow Roasted Rabbit (Whole) Dish Rarity: Common Dish Quality: Edible Traits: This whole rabbit was slowly roasted over an open flame. The lack of seasonings leaves it with a gamey and stringy flavor but overall, it is wholesome and filling. Having successfully created this dish you retain the knowledge on how to recreate it with reduced failure. Chance to cook +1% He carefully pulled the rabbit from the spear, burning his fingers in the process and coating them in hot dripping grease. He licked the drops from his digits and grinned. The taste was pleasurable, having never had rabbit before he did not know what to expect. He settled down leaning his back against a tree and enjoying his dinner while the sun settled into the distance. To his surprise it wasn¡¯t a single moon that slowly crept into the night sky but three of them. A deep red globe, a bright blue globe, and a mellow yellow globe. ¡°Huh,¡± He thought to himself. ¡°Seems I have a lot to learn about this world.¡± He carefully added some more wood to his little fire and then pulled his spear to his side as he made himself comfortable to sleep. Hopefully, the fire would keep anything wild away from him because he was exhausted. He had survived his first day, however, a new start in a new world and a new life. Things were looking up and already he was feeling more alive than he had ever felt back on Earth. Chapter 5 - Rescue the Lost Darkness gathered and the man formerly known as Alexander David Eriksson slept beside a small fire in the middle of the forest. It was a deep sleep, though not a dreamless one. Visions of glory, destruction, intrigue, and betrayal occupied the stage of his subconscious mind. Through every dream, though the only constant was the flash of vermillion at the corner of his awareness, Danu was watching and drawing attention to details. In dreams, he lived multiple lifetimes and experienced premonitions of things that may be, though nothing quite seemed solid enough to be fixed. That was one of the universal truths regarding fate and free will, though key moments were concrete and the rise and fall of nations and even worlds along with the lives of potentially billions rested on the razor edge of a decision. The details, however, were in flux and left to the whim of mortals and chance. A drop spattered on Xavier¡¯s face, shortly followed by another and another until suddenly there were hundreds of raindrops cascading down through the boughs overhead and soaking the recently sleeping man shocking him into consciousness. Nearby the soft hiss of water hitting hot coals filled the air for a few moments before falling silent as the cool water extinguished what was left of the campfire. As his mind shook off the haze of sleepiness with much more alacrity than ever in his previous life his grip tightened on his makeshift spear, and he looked about the clearing. Other than the rain and the soft light of the early morning nothing had changed from when he had laid to sleep. Congratulations! ¨C You have earned an Achievement. ¡°Survive a night in the wilds.¡± Considered the steppingstone for hunters, explorers, and adventurers you have joined their ranks by making it through a night in the wilderness without dying. Look at you! Xavier shook his head a moment as he mentally read the prompt a second time. Yes, there was some definite snark to these things. He dismissed the prompt and slowly got to his feet, already starting to feel uncomfortable in the soaked and muddy cloth of his clothing. ¡°I should have looked for a cave or some better shelter,¡± he thought to himself. Walking to the edge of the water he knelt and scooped a couple of handfuls up to soak his face and drink his fill then rose and looked up and down the small path he had been following. Remembering the wolflike things back the direction he came from set his decision and he turned and continued further down the path ears straining to pick out any noise besides the soft patter of rain on leaves as he walked. As he walked, he was struck with how his surroundings felt so much more¡­ vibrant. The colors were more brilliant shades even under the muted light of the rainstorm. In the distance, he could hear more sounds of animals and birds moving through the trees of the forest and scrub of the brushes. Gone was the overwhelming constant hum of electric lights, the rumble of engines, and the overall cacophony of sounds of life in a city. It was peaceful. It was peaceful... that is until he found the spattering of blood. A heavy coppery tang hung in the air as he came upon the sanguine splash of color across the pathway and trailed off into the woods. His grip tightened on the spear as he stiffened in worry. His mind raced with options as he tried to decide what to do. Should he follow the path or follow the blood? What caused it? He knelt next to the discolored area and noticed that the blood was still sticky, recent but not fresh then. There could still be danger in the area. It was then he noticed that the sounds of the forest he had been reveling in earlier were gone. No more birds or animals seemed to move about the area or cry out. All he could hear was the rustling of the wind in the leaves. Sighing he came to a decision. He wouldn¡¯t be safe with an unknown danger nearby. Crouching, he started into the undergrowth following the trail of blood. His heart thundered in his ears all but drowning out the noise of the leaves as he strained to hear anything that might give him an idea of what lay ahead. It was only a few minutes before he came across the first body. A small humanoid with a long pink tail, grubby clothing, and a wooden stick clutched in its grubby claws. Xavier rolled the body over and recoiled as he realized it was as much a rat as it was a person. There was a gash deep into the creature''s chest through which it seemed to have bled out. Biting his lip he moved closer to the body once again and his stomach roiled from the stench rising from it. The being was filthy and not just from what was sticking to the drying blood matting its fur. Tentatively he started searching the body and found only the dirty rags that seemed to make up its clothing and the club-like stick he previously noted it carrying. Deciding it had nothing of worth he took a deep breath and looked about to see if there was more of a trail, it was only a matter of moments before he noted the path continued deeper into the woods, with footprints and more blood, though now down to just droplets, led away from the body and into the brush. Steeling his resolve he continued after the path, every few minutes he ran into another body of the rat-like creatures. Each one looked like the previous though the state of their rags and filth varied slightly. None carried more than crude wooden weapons. It was when he came across the fifth body that he finally heard something in the distance and noticed a change in his surroundings. Where previously he only saw natural rocks and stone formations amid the trees, the one just ahead looked like it had been worked. He made his way carefully towards it and brushed away some of the growth covering it. Yes, it had been worked, there were stones cut and stacked deliberately to make the remains of a wall. Remaining low as he had moved closer to the sounds to inspect his discovery he looked about and found more ruins, ruins that were getting larger in the direction of the distant sound. It was then that he heard the scream. A female voice raised in pain and terror cut through the air. He took off through the ruins heading towards the sound and as he drew closer, he could make out the guttural sounds of the creatures as well. While he ran the broken walls gave way to tumbled-down buildings and more intact walls. Still nothing whole as such but the remains of a long-forgotten settlement. When he found where the noises were coming from, he leaned against one of the walls and peeked around the corner. His stomach dropped when he saw a collection of the rat-men surrounding a young woman. Her back was pressed against the wall in the corner of one of the broken buildings and she waved a dagger back and forth trying to hold them back. She looked to be in her early twenties, her body covered in cuts and bruises where it showed through her torn clothing. Brunette hair hung loose and crusted around her head waiving and swaying as she tried to parry another swing of a club from one of the creatures. He counted another seven of the creatures around her all with their backs to him as they tormented the girl, clearly intent on capturing or killing her. Knowing he couldn¡¯t stand by he darted out from his hiding place and drove his spear towards the back of the closest rat-man. The point went through the thin cloth covering its back and deep into its flesh¡­ and then the spear snapped. The creature staggered and dropped to the ground but several of the creatures turned hearing the noise and found him standing over their companion. Anger flashed in their dark beady eyes and four shifted their ire to him leaving three to continue harassing the girl. He backpedaled as quickly as he could, holding his spear''s remains as he tried to block their strikes. Xander was repeatedly battered and bruised by the rat-men¡¯s weapons as blow after blow slipped past his shoddy defense. However, he gave punishment as well. Dancing to the side of a clumsy strike he jabbed the broken end of his spear into the face of the creature tearing its cheek as the jagged wood slipped upwards into its eye. Ding! You have slain a level 1 rat-man. +15 Experience. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. One down, only three left on me, he thought. However, those moments of distraction and trying to retrieve his weapon earned him two more blows to his ribs from the creatures on either side of the one he had killed. Yelling in pain from what was sure to be at least cracked ribs he swung his broken shaft into the creature on the right. It caught it in its elongated face and snapped its head to the side dropping it to the ground as well. Ding! You have slain a level 2 rat-man. +30 Experience. He heard another scream from the woman and hazarded a glance in her direction as he jumped back from the last two moving closer to him. She had managed to stick her dagger into the throat of one of the ones surrounding her, but the blade had stuck and slipped from her blood-coated hands leaving her weaponless as she huddled down into the corner seeking to cover herself as much as possible from the clubs of the remaining creatures harassing her. Desperation to survive and save the girl from her fate flooded his body with adrenaline and his blows with the makeshift club struck harder and faster upon the creatures surrounding him. One strike crushed the throat of the one on his left and it fell to the ground gurgling as it drowned in its own blood. Ding! You have slain a level 3 rat-man. +45 Experience. The attack had cost him a ringing blow to his head though. His vision swam as he tried to recover his senses. Stumbling he barely managed to get his weapon in the path of another blow the final creature aimed towards his head. Snarling he lunged forward wrapping his arms around the filthy figure, who immediately started trying to bite him, and drove it to the ground. His weight and momentum caused the rat-man to hit its head against a rock momentarily stunning it. Taking advantage of that lapse Xavier clutched the creature''s head and started repeatedly bashing it into the rock until he heard and felt the squishing crunching sound of its skull giving way and it stopped moving. Ding! You have slain a level 3 rat-man. +45 Experience. Gasping slightly, he groaned as his damaged ribs reminded him of their presence, he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled towards the backs of the two still driving blows down on the huddled girl. He bent to pull the dagger she had lost from the throat of the dead creature and slammed it into the back of one of the remaining ones. The blade bit true and it collapsed to the ground. Ding! You have slain a level 2 rat-man. +30 Experience. The sound of its demise drew the attention of the last monster. Hissing its ire, it spun towards Xavier, and he desperately blocked its brutal strike. The last creature was slightly larger than the others had been. It stood nearly as tall as Xavier, though it was still wiry and just as filthy as they were. It paced to the side its eyes roving over Xavier as he turned to keep it in front of him. Another hiss escaped the mouth of the rat-man as it raised its club high overhead seemingly trying to crush the human before it for the audacity of interrupting its sport. At the club¡¯s apex, Xavier had a moment of clarity and he drove forward, his borrowed dagger diving deeply into the creature¡¯s chest and twisting. The creature paused and the look of anger on its face changed to one of confusion, and then its features slackened as its body went limp. Dropping the club it fell to the ground, blood soaking Xavier as the blade came free of its chest. It was over. He had won. Ding! You have slain a level 5 rat-man brute. +100 Experience. Congratulations! ¨C You have learned a new skill ¨C Tracking level 1. A footprint, smudged dirt, broken branches, and disturbed leaves now paint a picture of passing to you. These are vital clues that enable you to follow your prey. +2% to tracking prey. Congratulations! ¨C You have learned a new skill ¨C Spears level 1. Through blood and pain, you have discovered how to wield a spear. Woe to your foes because you now have reach with your weapon. +2% to spear damage. +2% to attack while wielding a spear. Congratulations! ¨C You have learned a new skill ¨C Clubs level 1. Xavier smash! One of the most basic of weapons you now know how to swing a stick be that a stick of wood, metal, or stone. +2% to club damage. +2% to attack while wielding a club. Congratulations! ¨C You have learned a new skill ¨C Knives level 1. Pride of thieves, assassins, and just about anyone who sticks small pointy things into bodies, you have discovered the basics of wielding a knife. Go forth and continue to practice your stabby stabby skill. +2% to knife damage. +2% to attack while wielding a knife. Congratulations! For surviving the battle with the rat-man hunting party and aiding in the death of six of the creatures you have earned +250 Experience. Congratulations! ¨C You have completed a hidden quest. ¡°Rescue the Lost 1.¡± Your actions saved an unknown woman from death and danger. Who is she? Where is she from? Can you trust her? +500 Experience. You have been offered a quest. ¡°Rescue the Lost 2.¡± Having saved the young woman from certain death or capture you now have the option of leaving her to the wilds or earning her trust. To continue this quest try to get the woman to open up and learn more about her. Potential rewards: A new traveling companion. +300 Experience. A crescendo of chimes sounded in his ears followed by the following prompt. Hark and Hear! You have ascended in level. You are now level 2! Humans are granted 4 attribute points to distribute. Blessings of the Gods (Danu) has increased this to 6 attribute points. You will have 3 days to assign these points else they will be randomly assigned for you. Go forth, seek glory, seek love, LIVE! Standing there he looked at the crimson color soaking the blade, his arm, and his chest. He killed it. With the heat of the battle over his mind stuttered in shock that he had killed something other than a small animal. He dropped the dagger and sunk to his knees trying to wrap his mind around the fact he had committed murder. ¡°No, not murder,¡± he thought to himself, ¡°but I still killed people, rat-people, but people still.¡± He knelt there in stunned silence as his body shook from the sudden stop of exertion and the growing pain from his wounds. It was only a few moments before the ringing in his ears cleared enough that he heard the quiet moans of pain from the girl and he shook off his distractions and rose to move towards her. She was still huddled in the corner, drawn up into a ball with her arms wrapped around her legs holding them close to her body. Her head was ducked down hiding most of her face behind her knees, all but her eyes, which were focused on him as he drew closer. Their piercing emerald orbs searched him and caught his own in their fierce gaze. Even beaten and hurt her gaze remained defiant and strong. Her moans ceased as he got closer to her and her eyelids narrowed. He paused and held a hand placatingly out towards her, palm up and open trying to show her he meant no harm to her. ¡°Are you ok?¡± He asked her quietly. ¡°Are you injured? I¡¯m here to help.¡±She pressed herself further back against the wall avoiding his touch and he withdrew his hand. ¡°Im going to look around to make sure there are no more of these creatures,¡± he told her before turning away from where she sat. He made his way around the small clearing amidst the ruins, pausing to look around each corner and peer into the forest before moving on to the next spot. It seemed the right thing to do. Then seeing nothing of note and not hearing anything else creeping up on them he moved back to the bodies. Shuddering slightly, he knelt and began searching them for anything of value. As with all of the others of their kind, he had found so far none of them had more than rags and crude clubs. None of them except the larger one that is, it had a small bag tied under its rags. Curling his lips in distaste at the smell and filth of the bag Xavier pulled it off of the body and carefully opened it. Inside was a hodge-podge of items such as string, bones, sticks, and three small copper coins. Xavier tossed the bones and sticks aside but kept the string and coins as he tied the little bag to his belt. He looked over to where the girl still sat. She was cross-legged now watching him and had retrieved her dagger holding it with both hands before her body, silently warning him to keep his distance. Standing back up he started to drag the corpses off into the forest. She didn¡¯t move from where she sat only watching him as he worked. ¡°My name is Xavier,¡± He told her during one of the times he passed her. ¡°Who are you?¡± She remained silent and he sighed. The exertion of disposing of the bodies made his already bruised and battered body ache and cry out in pain. He held a hand to his ribs feeling that they were not broken but surely cracked. As he dropped the last body in the forest outside of the rubble that signified the edge of the ruins he turned and trudged back towards where the girl sat. He noticed a small stone basin along the side of the path it seemed to be filled with rainwater. Pausing he bent to smell the water. It didn¡¯t seem to smell bad. Hesitantly he bent his lips to it, thirst from the exertion of battle overruling his fear of sickness to take a sip. It tasted clean and clear, and he drank deeply from it before splashing it over his face and body sloughing away the sweat, gore, and blood from the fight. Feeling slightly better he stood back up and looked towards where he had left the girl. Pursing his lips in thought he wondered if he would regret his decision to save her then mentally shrugged. It was time to find out. Chapter 6 - Joining Forces and Growing Steadfastly refusing to focus on his own thoughts about what had just happened and all the death at his hands he made his way back to where the girl was still sitting in the corner where he had found her. As he worked his way back, he gathered up sticks, twigs, and several larger branches to build a fire. He was exhausted and needed to rest and a fire, theoretically, should keep other beasts away while he did so. Dumping the collected wood near the center of the clearing, he set about building a small firepit with loose stones before carefully stacking tinder and sticks. Once the little pillar of fire-starting materials was in place, he retrieved two stones that his fledgling survival skills indicated would work for sparking the tinder, and several minutes later, he had a small blaze burning merrily. The girl remained where she was, watching his every move though she had lowered the dagger to her lap now since he had not acted aggressively towards her. As the flame engulfed the first larger branch, he set in the fire she finally spoke a single word. Her voice was soft, nearly a whisper, but it was clear and pure. A sound that etched itself in the young man''s mind the moment he heard it. ¡°Why?¡± He paused and looked up from his fire tending to where the girl sat. She had leaned forward, and he could see her features clearer. Despite the bruises and dirt from being chased, the woman had a striking appearance. Her eyes were a vivid shade of jade, exuding a rare and vibrant quality that felt both earthy and enchanting yet somehow held an ancient presence. Her brunette hair, rich in dark brown tones with subtle highlights, he could see that normally it would cascade just past her shoulders, though now it hung limp and tangled from the fight. Her complexion was fair with a warm undertone, and just a hint of freckles dusted across her cheeks. All of which only further added a youthful, lively quality to her look. Her face had a gentle, heart-shaped structure, with high cheekbones, a delicate nose, and full, softly defined lips. Those features, however, were currently drawn in a suspicious gaze as she watched him. His tongue froze in his mouth as he was captivated by the young woman. Again, she pressed the question. ¡°Why?¡± The sound of her voice broke him from his momentary stupor, and he tore his gaze from her face to where the dagger lay in her lap. ¡°It seemed like the right thing to do. You were surrounded and looked like you could use help, so I did.¡± He replied in a voice no longer shaking with the post-fight jitters. She snorted softly at his words. ¡°So, you don¡¯t have any expectations? I¡¯m not supposed to swoon at your feet thanking you for coming to my rescue?¡± The bitterness in her tone made it clear that this was not the first time she had something like that happen to her in the past. Once again, she drew her knees to her chest, the dagger gripped in one hand as she rested her chin on her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs. As he continued to make no moves towards her and turned his gaze back to the fire she relented. ¡°My name is Ella Bree.¡± Her words drew his attention back to her and he smiled gently. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ella Bree, as I said before I am Xavier.¡± He sat down on the opposite side of the fire to make sure she didn¡¯t feel trapped by him as he spoke. ¡°What were those things and why were they after you? Where are you from? And for that matter where are we now?¡± Carefully she shifted out of her corner and over towards the warmth of the fire. The forest had mostly taken back the ruins, and its canopy kept the sun''s warmth from the ground thus the fire felt welcoming to both travelers. ¡°They were rat-men. Scavengers and thieves thought they would attack if they thought they could win. They caught me off guard while I was traveling through the woods. I did not know there were any in this area. As for where we are, this is the forest of Silverwood. How did you not know that? It stretches for miles in every direction, one of the largest forests in Eldoria.¡± He noticed she didn¡¯t answer where she was from but let it be. ¡°I¡¯m rather new to the area. I woke up a few days ago amid the forest, I guess you could say I am rather lost.¡± He added another stick to the fire. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have anything to eat. That fight took a lot out of me.¡± The young woman shook her head slowly. Xavier sighed slightly and poked disconsolately at the burning fire. ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t stay here long then,¡± he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if there are more of those things around.¡± The young woman nodded and rose with an unusual grace as she slid the knife into her belt. As she stood, he got a better look at her. She was shorter than her presence made him expect only standing about a meter and a half tall. Her clothing, though worn and plain, was sturdy consisting of dark grey rough spun braes covering her legs down to just below the knees and a loose fitting green rough spun tunic. Oddly, he thought, she was barefoot despite having said she had been traveling in the area. He rose to his feet as well and retrieved the longest, straightest stick he had gathered with the firewood. Pulling out his small stone knife he began to shave its tip into a point before hardening it in the fire to produce a new wooden spear. You have discovered: Rough Wooden Spear Item Class: Common Item Quality: Poor Durability: 10/10 Damage: 1 ¨C 4 Piercing Traits: Pride of the footman, the noble spear has broken many a charge and pierced many a heart. This basic wooden spear was crafted from a carved tree branch and lacks true weapon capabilities but hey at least you have something. Ella Bree watched him work warily. He had helped save her from the rat-men but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t have his own agenda and intentions for her. As he finished the spear, she stepped back away from him to ensure she was out of his easy reach. ¡°Are you taking me with you then?¡± She asked, a hint of anger tinging her words as her suspicions grew. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you to. I just thought it might be safer if we travel together. You¡¯re free to do whatever you want.¡± He shrugged slightly as he responded. The bite of her tone caused him to look at her once again. ¡°I thought I would explore these ruins to see if there was anything usable before I returned to the path. The place looks well worn but there might be something in the rubble.¡± As he spoke, he motioned to the mostly collapsed buildings around them. He didn¡¯t have any real hope of finding something but in video games and books, there was always something in ruins even if it was rusty and of poor quality. The woman stared at him for a little while, her hand resting on the hilt of the dagger as she contemplated his offer. Finally, she nodded, ¡°For now I will go with you. You are right there is safety in numbers.¡± Her gaze turned to the ruins and she pointed back the way she had originally come into them. ¡°Maybe we start back down that path where they chased me and spread out from there?¡± ¡°Sounds as good a plan as any.¡± Xavier agreed and he snuffed the remnants of the fire with his boot. Leaning the spear against his shoulder he turned and walked down the path towards where the buildings were just starting to remain intact. It took them most of the day to search through the ruins and twilight was settling in when they finally stopped inside a mostly intact building towards the northern edge. It was clear that it had once been a very large village but that was a very long time ago. This building abutted a large rock formation and appeared to be partially carved out of it giving it more security. The windows and doors were just open holes in the stonework, the wood or glass that had closed them from the elements had long worn away, but if felt secure and they both figured that if something should attack it would limit where they could come from. While they were exploring Xavier had managed to spear several small rabbits, the customary prompt already read and dismissed while they had worked. Surprisingly he discovered he could minimize or set certain prompts to be ignored to review later if at all. This made him happier cause the constant notifications every time something happened were getting a little overwhelming. He had also taken the time to allocate his new attribute points and see what changes it made. He had examined each attribute and was provided with a brief explanation about what it did. It turned out they did basically what he expected. They were divided into physical attributes such as strength, agility, dexterity, constitution, and endurance; and intangible attributes like charisma, wisdom, intelligence, and luck. Strength: This attribute is a character¡¯s ability to perform physical actions requiring physical power. It can affect a character¡¯s ability to carry objects, intimidate others, and increase damage when physically striking something. A character¡¯s weight carry capacity is factored by 100 + (Str*5) ¡°When in doubt, punch it harder¡± Agility: This attribute is a character''s ability to move quickly and easily. It can affect a character''s ability to evade attacks, land attacks, pickpockets, and pick locks. ¡°Because sometimes running away is the smartest move¡± Dexterity: This attribute is a character''s ability to perform a difficult action quickly and skillfully with the hands or body. Dexterity controls a character''s attack and movement speed and accuracy, as well as their ability to evade an opponent''s attack. ¡°The difference between a graceful disarm and accidentally throwing your sword¡± Constitution: This attribute is a character¡¯s physical health. Constitution affects the ability to shrug off disease, poisons, and the individual¡¯s overall health. Hit points are factored by 100 + (Con*10) ¡°Because taking a punch to the face is a valid strategy¡± Endurance: This attribute is a character¡¯s ability to remain active and push past physical limits over periods of time. Stamina points are factored by 100 + (End*10) ¡°When everyone else needs a nap, you are still standing. Barely¡± Charisma: This attribute is a character¡¯s presence of personality. Charisma factors into persuasiveness, trade and bartering, leadership, and other factors when dealing with people. ¡°Why fight when you can talk your way out of it¡­ or into it¡± Wisdom: This attribute is a character¡¯s self-awareness. Wisdom affects the ability to resist mental and magical effects. It also affects perception, restraint and insight. Mana is determined by 100 + (Wis*10). ¡°For those who think twice before opening the cursed chest¡± Intelligence: This attribute is a character¡¯s mental cognitive skills. It affects skill growth, knowledge, memory, reasoning and critical thinking. Intelligence factors into magical aptitude and mana regeneration. ¡°Someone¡¯s gotta do the math around here¡± Luck: This attribute factors into everything in some way or another. A pebble falling when trying to sneak, the mark happening to turn to talk to someone as the assassin take the shot, and a myriad of other esoteric factors. Who knows when the god of luck may curse or bless you traveler. ¡°When all else fails, cross your fingers and hope the dice like you because, well, sometimes it¡¯s the only thing keeping you alive!¡±
Name: Xavier Level: 2, 0.35% to Next Level Age: 32
Race: Human Alignment: Neutral Languages: Basic
Reputation: 0 ¨C Nobody knows nobody cares
Stats
Health: 120/120 Stamina: 110/110 Mana: 100/100
Attributes
Strength: 9 Agility: 8 Dexterity: 9
Constitution: 10 Endurance: 9 Charisma: 8
Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 8 Luck: 9
He had split his character sheet to display only key pieces of knowledge. The way his skills had been growing, and the fact that it appeared he would not be limited in skills, he thought it would be best to look at those only when he wanted to. Overall he was satisfied with the small changes that single level had given him. He let Ella Bree build the fire this time, as he cleaned the rabbits he had caught. Once both were prepared, he skewered the carcasses and hung them over the fire to cook. Leaning against the wall he stared out into the night sky enjoying the pleasant smell of the bar-b-queuing rabbits when he noticed for the first time how different the night was. There was a small silvery moon like what he would often see back home, but that was not all. A little higher in the sky was a deep shadowy purple orb and a green one with golden tracery shot through it as well. His eyes widened at the sight as it drove home even more that this was not the world he came from. He shook his head slightly and turned back into the room staring at his new traveling partner and the food she was cooking. Chapter 7 - Cooking, camping, and learning. His stomach rumbled, reminding him how long it had been since he had eaten. He moved back to join Ella Bree by the fire and sat cross-legged on the other side of it from her. Taking over rotating the spitted conies, he let his cooking skills guide him until they were properly roasted, and he got the notification.
You have discovered a new dish: Slow Roasted Rabbit (Whole) x 2 Dish Rarity: Common Dish Quality: Edible Weight: 2 kg Traits: This whole rabbit was slowly roasted over an open flame. The lack of seasonings gives it a gamey and stringy flavor, but overall, it is wholesome and filling.
Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Cooking level 2. Hark and hear, by continuing to place ingredients to fire you have taken another step down the path. From the simplest salad to the most robust entr¨¦e cooking is the path to gastronomic pleasure and status-enhancing buffs. Masters of this skill can craft delicacies that would make gods and kings weep with pleasure and foods that would empower armies. +4% to flavor of prepared dishes. +4% yield from cooking ingredients. He thought it might be a trick of his eyes, but the small roasts seemed to swell slightly in size, and the aroma rising from the cooked flesh seemed slightly more appealing to his nose. Pulling both skewers from the fire, he held one out to the woman opposite him, and after she took it, he settled back down to eat. They ate in silence for the most part, not awkward silence but companionable, though they both kept an eye on the other. As he ate, he looked about the room keenly interested in where they were. The chamber was a larger room, and he could see the remnants of brackets near the windows and on walls around the chamber where murals or other decorations might hang. ¡°A meeting chamber maybe?¡± He thought to himself. It was certainly large enough for it. He wondered if this might have been one of the central buildings of the former village. To his gamer mind it made sense, it was more centrally located, and the rock formation''s usage made it defensible and functional. His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the back of the chamber where the rock made up part of the building. There were cracks in the stone that looked like they might be in the shape of a door, but they were not whole just the vague impression of one. Setting down the remnants of his meal he rose and crossed over to the location searching the stone wall for indications of what he thought he had seen. However, as he drew closer the perception faded, and he was met with blank stone. Shrugging slightly, he turned back to the room. It was getting late, and he was starting to feel the exertion of the day and the fighting earlier weighing on his body and mind. ¡°We didn¡¯t see any other trace of rat-men other than those that were after you. With their bodies drug off into the forest, they shouldn¡¯t draw any beasts to us. I think we are probably safe to sleep here for the night at least. Tomorrow we can decide what to do next.¡± Ella Bree looked up from the fire towards him and pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°I had not seen anything until they caught me. This could be a good place to rest. At least it has a roof and walls so we are not out in the elements. I think a storm is coming at least that¡¯s what it feels like.¡± Her words made him move back to the window and look out once more. The air was heavier with humidity and the odd moons he had noticed earlier were not shrouded in clouds with darker ones moving in. She was right, there was a storm moving in, and sleeping outside tonight would be miserable. He looked back to where their fire burned and the wood they had gathered, it seemed like they had enough to last for a while, so he opted not to head back outside for more. He moved back to the fire and picked up another long straight branch and one of the fresh rabbit hides. He had an idea for what he hoped would be a better spear. The last one breaking on him during the fight had left him worried about what might happen before he found something better. Taking a seat next to the fire he set to work cutting the hide into strips with his crude stone knife much to the amusement of the woman watching him. Hearing her giggle slightly he looked up. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re in good spirits now. What is so funny though?¡± He asked of her as she covered her mouth with one hand while watching him. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Is that really your knife? Don¡¯t you have any actual tools or weapons?¡± Her eyes were wide with mirth though the rest of her face remained hidden behind her hands. ¡°Would you like to use my blade instead? I am sure it would give you a better result than broken stone.¡± She held out her dagger hilt first towards him as she regained control of her laughter. Eyeing her slightly he took the blade and returned to working on the leather. ¡°I told you I woke up in the woods not too far from here. All I had were the clothes I was wearing so I was making do with what I could.¡± He had been proud of what he had been able to accomplish so her laughter made him feel slightly angry and upset. ¡°They were fine so far.¡± After he had cut the leather into strips he turned to the shaft of wood and had a feeling he should cut a notch into the end before trying to affix the stone dagger with the leather. Following the hunch, it was only a handful of minutes more before he had secured the pieces together and received a new prompt.
You have discovered: Crude Stone Spear Item Class: Spear Item Rarity: Common Item Quality: Poor Weight: 2kg Durability: 15/15 Damage: 3 ¨C 8 Piercing Traits: Pride of the footman, the noble spear has broken many a charge and pierced many a heart. This crude stone spear was crafted from a carved tree branch and crude stone dagger, an improvement to the rough wooden variant it is a step closer to being a true weapon.
Smiling with his achievement he turned to show Ella Bree and hand the dagger back to her. She smirked slightly and nodded though she clearly was less impressed than he was. She held her hand up as he held out the dagger. ¡°I think you should keep it. I think you will get better use of it. I will just stay behind you if we must fight. Besides I can always throw things if you keep the monsters off me.¡± She picked up a small rock and quick as a flash it flew across the room striking the wall with enough force to throw several chips and sparks from the impact site. He admired the skill of her throw before finally taking a good look at what seemed to be his blade for now. The metal was darker than any he had seen before, not blackened just dark with almost an oily sheen to it. Its edge was keen, which he knew full well from nearly taking off one of his fingers when he first started cutting the leather with it. However, it was the vagueness of the usual prompt describing what he held that caught his attention most, and the color to the edges of the prompt seemed to be shifting as if unable to determine what rarity the weapon was.
You have discovered: Ella Bree¡¯s Unusual Knife Item Class: Dagger Item Rarity: Unknown Item Quality: Unknown Weight: 1kg Durability: Unknown Damage: 20 ¨C 25 Piercing/Slashing Traits: Ella Bree¡¯s knife is unusual in more than just looks. This blade is made of a metal unknown to you and defies your ability to understand anything more than the most basic of details about it. The edge retains a wicked edge despite obvious usage.
Similar to many games he had played back on earth, items in this world fell in a structured system of class, rarity, and quality. The class would determine what skill was required to wield it properly. Rarity, well rarity was just that it was how rare the weapon, item, or component was. It fell into a spectrum of common, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary, and finally mythic. You could usually tell immediately from the prompt for the item what its rarity was due to the color of the border, white for common, green for uncommon, blue, purple, orange, and finally gold respectively. Lastly, there was quality. This shifted somewhat depending on the item described. Usually, crafted items seemed to follow trash, poor, average and he assumed above average, well crafted, superb, exquisite, and finally masterwork. However, he hadn¡¯t seen anything above the lowest tiers so he couldn¡¯t be sure of those tiers. He looked at the woman once more, ¡°Where did you get this? It¡¯s amazing! I cannot tell much of anything about it.¡± He swung the dagger a couple of times before sliding it into his belt. She smiled at him slightly. ¡°I was given it at birth. It has been with me my whole life. I do not know who gave it to me just that it has always been there and always comes back to me.¡± Her words sounded more like something she repeated often than an off-the-cuff answer. That made him look at her once more curiously before they both sat down once again trying to make themselves comfortable to rest for the night. Xavier laid the spear and knife between them so either would have access to them as they split watch for the night. Since she was more covered in bruises and cuts, he opted to take the first watch and let her rest and recover. Soon he could hear her gentle snoring, and he glanced at her. She seemed to be resting peacefully. Oddly, though, she had reached out in her sleep to rest her fingertips on the blade of the dagger. Chuckling softly, he thought about her earlier words and figured whatever made her more comfortable he was not going to argue with. And thus, the night passed, outside the storm struck and he could hear the wind and rain rage in the forest and ruins. The water cascaded down in torrents just outside the door and windows and obscured the vision of anything further than a couple of feet away. Below something stirred, sensing more than just animal life above it shifted in its long slumber. Chapter Eight - Heart of the Forge As the two travelers passed the night above in the ruined building, deep below another sentience awakened. A small form coalesced and turned its gaze upwards. It studied the energy of the two, recognizing one it smiled slightly before turning its attention to the second. A newcomer to the area, his energy was different than any that the being had ever felt before. ¡°Otherworldly,¡± It thought to itself. Rising from the center of the chamber it inhabited, small delicate wings lifted it into the air before it wrapped the very darkness about its form and moved into the passages leading up to where the travelers rested. It flew slowly, a hand tracing the walls as it moved. The structure was much more preserved in these underground passages than in the ruins above. Time and creatures had stripped them of their once former majesty, but they did not have the constant barrage of weather to pummel them into crumbled mounds of stone. Though the passages were labyrinthian, the being knew them like it knew its own skin and soon it was hovering just behind the hidden door that led out into the chamber the two travelers rested in. Cloaked in the darkness still, it passed through the secret door and paused now studying the newcomer closely. He was sitting at the fireside while Ella Bree slept curled within the warm radius but with her back to the flame shielding her eyes from its light. He was unassuming and underwhelming at first glance. Her eyes shimmered slightly, and a single eyebrow rose as she suddenly knew him, his skills, his traits, and his abilities even the unlisted one that came from Danu herself. A playful grin pulled at her lips, and she flew to his side whispering in his ear. Xavier started upright from his musings when suddenly he heard a small chime in his mind and a new prompt appeared before his eyes.
You have been offered a new quest: Heart of the Forge I The ruins you have found were once centered around a great forge. When they fell the forge collapsed and its heart was taken. Restore the heart to the village and help it regain its fallen glory. Requirements for Success: Locate and return the heart of the forge. Rewards for Success: Unknown Penalty for Failure or Refusal: None Accept the offered quest? Yes or No
¡°A new quest, and not a hidden one either,¡± he thought as he tried not to wake the sleeping woman before it was her time to stand guard. Glancing at her he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She had moved several times in her sleep, she kept a hand on the small blade that lay between them, a fact that was not missed by him. ¡°I wonder how often these will appear. Strange nothing was prompting it and it just appeared like that. In games, there was usually a quest giver or at least something to trigger the event.¡± He returned his attention to the prompt rereading it several times before he finally mentally selected yes. ¡°I have no idea where to start though. It¡¯s the very definition of vague. What is the heart of the forge? Where is the forge and where should I start looking? Is it close like here in the ruins or has something taken it away and sold it to gods know who?¡± He almost fell into the fire as a small being suddenly appeared next to his head. Her cloak of darkness had been so absolute he had no idea she had been as close as she was. His movements woke Ella Bree who quickly grasped the hilt of the dagger as she sat up. Xavier pulled the spear into his lap and they both warily watched the newcomer. Tension hung in the air as Xavier studied what appeared to be a sprite straight out of myth and legend. The sprite hovered about a meter off the floor now. Her petite form bore a slender torso with long graceful limbs. As she gestured her hands were diminutive, fingers almost translucent but limned with a slight glow. Long fine silvery white hair floated, not hung, but actually floated about her head as though it was buoyed up by water. At the distance, Xavier couldn¡¯t make out the details of the creature''s face besides the being¡¯s features were delicate and surrounded a pair of large almond-shaped eyes. All of this was fantastical to the Xavier having never witnessed something such as this, but two things stood out even more. One, she flew! A pair of what he could only compare to dragonfly-like wings flickered at her back. They suggested dragonflies, but they were so much more amazing, their span was nearly as wide as the being was tall, and they were mostly translucent with only a slight iridescence to draw attention to them. How they held the creature off the floor he had no idea as the physics just didn¡¯t work. Two, her appearance didn¡¯t remain static. Her features and wings regularly shifted color, shape, and even appearance. One moment her skin had deep warm hues like a polished stone while her hair almost looked like vines, and her wings had the vague resemblance of carved gems. A few moments later her skin would shift to almost resemble an ember sitting hot within a hearth, her hair seeming to flicker like flames rising from her head, and her wings glowed with the hues of the forge, and it looked as though molten lava flowed through them. Only to further change taking on nearly skeletal features and pale complexion as her form became more translucent, her hair now wispy and fine as she was held aloft by wings to match their form shot through with dark veins making them resemble old delicate lace. While he studied her, she seemed to randomly shift through around eight distinct forms, something that he would have to ponder later. Xavier didn¡¯t notice Ella Bree relax her stance and lower her dagger; he was too focused on the creature flying in front of him. ¡°Are you the one who gave me the quest? It is awfully convenient that you appear as soon as I accept it¡± His tone wasn¡¯t accusatory, but his eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke the words. Though her presence was more¡­ comforting and peaceful than it was overpowering and threatening he wasn¡¯t quite ready to just trust something that appeared out of nothing. "Aye, ''twas I who bestowed upon ye this quest. Now that ye have taken it upon yerself, I shall guide ye toward its end. Think of it as a trial, a proving of worth that I lay before ye. I must judge yer mettle afore I reveal aught more." The tiny creature spoke with an accent that reminded Xavier of a friend of his from Ireland. Her tone was clear and concise, but her voice changed as her body continued to shift through its various forms. ¡°Ther¡¯s a path that winds from the ruins to the southwest. It stretches for many miles, roundin'' a small hillock. At the base of that hillock lies a cave. ''Tis here ye''ll find what ye seek. The heart of the forge is concealed within, taken by dark creatures, and fiercely guarded." As she spoke she pointed behind and to the right of where Xavier sat, indicating the direction that he would need to travel to locate what she spoke of. "Fetch the heart and return to me. I¡¯ll be here when ye come back, and then we¡¯ll know yer true worth, and if ye be worthy of more." After she finished speaking, she faded back into the darkness leaving the two of them alone. Xavier stood slack-jawed for several moments before he heard a soft giggle at his side. He turned to look at Ella Bree who, once again, was covering her mouth as she laughed. Biting back her mirth at his expression she spoke softly. ¡°I have seen her before in these ruins. Spoke with her before as well. I do not think she means us harm, and you said she gave you a quest. If she did that, she must see something in you. It sounds like we need to head to this cave and find what she sent you after. That is assuming I heard correctly, and you accepted it. However, I recommend we wait until the storm breaks. Traveling in this weather is sure to be miserable and probably get us lost.¡± Settling back down next to the fire Ella Bree opted to take over watch as it was nearly the middle of the night already. Xavier curled up in his spot and rested his head on his arm. Within moments he was asleep. His subconscious mind already sorting and examining the details of the day lending to odd dreams of beautiful women and goddesses, epic battles against strange creatures, and achieving glory and fame unlike he ever hoped for back on earth. Through every dream though there was one constant, a pair of fathomless emerald eyes beneath a mane of curly vermillion hair. He awoke to the gentle prodding at his foot. Looking towards the disturbance he saw Ella Bree standing and gently tapping his foot with her own. A bemused smile on the girl''s lips as she gently kicked him to wakefulness. ¡°You snore, did you know that?¡± She asked. ¡°You may want to work on silencing it if you intend to camp in the wilds more. Sounds like that draw all sorts of beasts and monsters.¡± She looked towards the door where a gentle light was filtering in through the opening. The rain had stopped sometime during the night and now the break of day was bringing sounds and life back to the forest. ¡°Come on, I have the remains of dinner, and we can eat it while we walk. From what the sprite said we have a way to go before we get to that cave so we probably should get moving.¡± Grunting slightly Xavier got to his feet and retrieved the spear from the floor next to where he had been lying. ¡°One of the benefits of traveling with next to nothing meant it was easy to get moving in the morning,¡± he thought to himself. As he moved over next to Ella Bree she held out part of the roasted rabbit from the night before and they stepped out into the sun. It was breathtaking, though every morning so far since he had come to this world had been so. The vibrancy of the forest, even muddy and dripping with the remains of the night¡¯s storm was beyond anything he had seen in the monotonous grey of the city. He had grown up in Seattle and though there was plenty of wilderness in the western half of Washington he never really took the time to leave and experience it. Something he was fast coming to regret as he thought it might give him an even better appreciation of what he found now. The two of them headed roughly southwest through the ruins and near the edge, they came upon what they assumed was the trail that the sprite had mentioned. Meeting eyes a moment they nodded to each other and started to follow the path. It was little more than a game trail but was visible as it wound through the surrounding trees. They didn¡¯t speak much as they finished the cold meat of their meal, and the ground passed beneath their steady pace. Miles of distance would mean it would likely be midmorning at least before they found the hillock. Finishing his food Xavier looked towards Ella Bree. ¡°So, you told me your name was Ella Bree, do you go by Ella, Bree or the whole thing?¡± He asked the young woman. ¡°Ella is fine usually. I will tell you otherwise if needed.¡± She answered as she tossed the last bones of her meal aside as well. ¡°You forgot to pick this up again this morning by the way.¡± She held out the dagger towards him once again, this time with a plain leather sheath wrapped around its form. He handed her the spear so he could carefully tie the sheath to his belt then nodded his thanks while taking the spear back. ¡°Any thoughts on what might be in the cave? Maybe we can come up with some plans on how to attack.¡± He glanced her way as he spoke though his eyes kept returning to the forest wary of something attacking them while they traveled. ¡°No, and honestly it could be any number of things. It is good you want to plan, speaks well of your mindset but we do not have enough information to go on other than it¡¯s a cave. That being said, it could be beasts, or even a small tribe of Animari, maybe undead.¡± She shrugged slightly. Xavier paused and turned to look at Ella. ¡°What are Animari? I¡¯ve never heard of them before.¡± ¡°Beast kin, animal folk, the wild people. They go by a lot of different names but generally, they are called Animari.¡± She studied him closer as she spoke. ¡°Where do you come from that you have never heard of them before? They are relatively common after all, well outside of the shattered expanse but not much lives there at all.¡± ¡°Ah so like the things that were attacking you yesterday. Those are Animari? I mean they looked like rats, so it makes sense.¡± He replied though he left off where he had come from. ¡°No those were just rat-men. They are not the same. Rat-men are more like rats than people. Verminites are more like you and I. Rat-men will always have Rat-men offspring. Verminites like other Animari can marry and breed with other races and produce half breeds.¡± She paused again. ¡°You truly do not know the difference, do you? You are very strange Xavier.¡± ¡°So you have said.¡± He muttered wryly. ¡°Ok so rat-men are not Verminites which is a version of Animari. I think I understand so far. The Rat-men were easy enough hopefully it would just be more of them. I think we could handle them if that were the case.¡± She giggled at him yet again. ¡°I would not be so quick to assume that. We fought a hunting party, not a den. If it is rat-men and they have a warren it would be a very difficult fight as there could be hundreds of them along with a warren king not just brutes.¡± She spoke matter-of-factly about how difficult this quest might turn out to be. ¡°We should just wait until we find the cave and see what we find before we make too many plans.¡± Her suggestion made sense the more he thought about it and finally, he nodded in agreement. They continued walking while lapsing back into silence as they walked. After another hour had passed Ella spoke up once more. ¡°Tell me more about you Xavier. I find you exceedingly strange and would prefer to know you better if we are going to travel and fight side by side. My life might depend on you after all and knowing who you are is important.¡± Part of him had dreaded this conversation, after all, how do you tell someone you died, met a goddess and woke up in a new world without sounding completely insane? Of course, that might just be another Tuesday in this world for all he knew. ¡°Alright,¡± he spoke hesitantly, ¡°But you have to promise not to laugh at me.¡± She raised a delicate eyebrow at him. ¡°I can make no such promise given how strange you are, but I will listen to whatever you have to say. Now I am even more intrigued about your story.¡± Sighing he nodded slightly. ¡°Well, it all began when I woke up for work¡­¡± And with that, he relayed the events of the past several days up to the point where he burst into the square to stab the rat-man in the back with his spear. ¡°And from there, you know the rest.¡± Wincing at how absurd the story sounded when he spoke it aloud. He looked at her from the corner of his eye trying to gauge her reaction. ¡°That¡­ that is quite the story. I would recommend you do not tell anyone else this. Especially the part about meeting a goddess and coming from another world. You were right to just tell me you woke up in the woods a long way from home. Others might try to kill you to win favor with any god or goddess that opposed the one you met.¡± Her voice was soft, and thoughtful as she appeared to be repeating his words in her mind. ¡°I will keep your secret, however. You did rescue me back there and I am still curious about you. If you would have me, I would like to continue traveling with you beyond this quest.¡±
The traveler Ella Bree has offered to become your traveling companion. Do you accept? Yes or No
The prompt surprised Xavier as he didn¡¯t know it was that formal of a request and had thought they were already traveling companions. Mentally focusing on the word yes, he accepted her proposal and they were officially a party. The tension that had developed while he told her about his past melted away from his shoulders, relaxing he hadn¡¯t noticed the weight of his words until it vanished. He looked back at her briefly before looking ahead, he could make out what appeared to be a hill on the horizon, and they would be arriving at it soon if they kept the pace they were walking. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. About half an hour later they were crouched in the brush still hidden in the shadows of the woods as they looked out at the base of the hill and the small cave entrance there. You have found a place of interest: New Den If the ranking system on places of interest were like several of the games he had played that meant this den was actually less than a year old because of its new status. Odd cause he knew the village had fallen into a serious state of disrepair that would have taken a lot longer than just a year. Yet this was where the sprite had said to go, didn¡¯t she? They both looked back to the cave and studied the entrance. Standing at the side of the cave was a single figure. ¡°A skeleton, why is it always undead in situations like this?¡± Xavier thought to himself. He glanced towards Ella. ¡°I doubt my spear or your dagger will be much help against bones. I always heard you must shatter them or at least their head to kill them.¡± ¡°True, but do not discount your spear yet. You might not be able to stab them, but you used it as a club fairly well against the rat-men. Just do the same here. In fact, that spear looks a lot sturdier than the one you had previously.¡± Came her whispered response. She searched about and came back with several hand-sized stones and hefted one with a smile. ¡°Besides if you keep them distracted, I can do quite a bit of damage with these to a regular skeleton. Just be glad it is not armored, then we would be in serious trouble.¡± He made a face at her then switched his grip on the spear. Rising out of the brushes he stepped out into the open and the head of the skeleton immediately turned to focus on him before it moved forward at a surprisingly fast pace. He only just got his makeshift staff between them in time to block its swiping arms as it lunged toward his face, its teeth clacking excitedly. Pushing off the undead Xavier made a little space between them, enough to sweep his spear towards its legs catching one with a sharp crack though there was little visible damage to its leg, and luckily none to his spear either. ¡°Alright,¡± he thought, ¡°I can handle this.¡± A stone whistled past his head catching the skeleton in the jaw. The force was enough to knock the hanging bone from the skull which only made the monster creepier than it previously was to Xander¡¯s mind. As the bone fell a small cheer came from behind him as Ella celebrated the shot and prepared another stone. That bit of distraction cost Xavier a punch to his gut from the skeleton its hard knuckles driving the air from his mouth as he winced in pain and nearly doubled over. Sheer will was the only thing that kept him upright and able to return a blow with the round end of his spear to the temple of the creature. This time there was a resounding crack as bone split under the strike. The skeleton staggered back shaking its head as if trying to shake off the effect before its empty sockets fixated on the man once again and it lunged forward. Stopping short as a louder crack sounded from the stone that embedded itself between its eyes. It stood stock still for a few moments before the skull shattered and the heap of bones collapsed to the ground. Ding! You have slain a level 4 skeleton. +40 Experience. Gasping for breath after the gut punch and the fight Xavier moved back towards the woods meeting Ella halfway. She hoisted his arm over her shoulder to help support him as he caught his breath, and their limbs shook with the exertion and excitement. ¡°Well either they know we are here and are preparing for us or we got lucky, and no one heard that fight¡± Ella spoke softly as her breath returned to normal. Xavier nodded and took his arm from around her shoulder slowly. ¡°We should move carefully now that we know what¡¯s here. I don¡¯t know about you, but I am not looking forward to more bones and worse if there are zombies.¡± He shuddered thinking about the potential smell of rotting flesh and pus. ¡°Come on we should take a look inside and see what else is in there.¡± Ella paused and pointed. ¡°Hold for a moment. See that, it¡¯s forest sage.¡± She pointed to a small almost fuzzy-looking plant Xavier had almost stepped on. ¡°Let us see if there is more around here it is not much but chewing it can help heal wounds.¡± She knelt next to the plant and carefully traced its stem before it seemed to fall off its roots into her hand. ¡°How in the hell did you do that? I didn¡¯t see you cut it or anything and it just came to you.¡± He exclaimed in amazement. ¡°Is that a skill? An ability? Can you show me?¡± He knelt next to her as she moved to another one of the plants. ¡°It is herbalism, a skill.¡± She explained. ¡°You must understand the plant itself to better be able to harvest it. The lower your skill the more likely you will destroy it; but forest sage is really common and low level, so it is where a lot of people start learning in these woods.¡± She pointed out several places on the stem. ¡°Touch it there and just feel it. If you can learn the skill, you will slowly start to feel the¡­ essence I guess is what you would call it. Once you feel that then you can understand how to harvest it.¡± He placed his hands like she showed him and closed his eyes willing the connection between him and the small herb. After several moments he started feeling a tingle in his fingers where they lay on the stem and then he felt it. The small plant felt so much more under his hands as its very life touched his. His eyes shot open, and he grinned to Ella as the stem twisted slightly to the left and came up in his palm.
Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Herbalism level 1. Herbalism is the art of gathering, identifying, and utilizing plants for their various properties, from healing wounds to crafting poisons. Those proficient in herbalism can locate and harvest rare herbs in the wilderness, identify the right plants even under tricky circumstances, and know exactly how to prepare them to get the desired effects. This skill also includes a deep understanding of plants'' magical or medicinal properties and the knowledge to concoct everything from potent healing potions to deadly toxins. Some even say a skilled herbalist can hear the whispers of plants, guiding them to the rarest finds. And yes, technically it means you can make tea¡ªif you''re into that sort of thing. +2% to herb effect. +2% to harvest quantity.
You have discovered: Forest Sage Item Class: Common Item Quality: Common Weight: .02 kg Durability: 5/5 Traits: 1 - A small herb commonly found within forested regions. This herb can restore 20 ¨C 30 hit points when chewed. 2 ¨C Unknown 3 ¨C Unknown 4 ¨C Unknown
He hoisted the small plant happily then bent to inspect it. Odd how this little plant had not only made it more likely he would survive the cave but had given him a new skill as well. He knew herbalism! In every game he had played and every book he had read that skill was a cornerstone to survival, cooking, and making potions of all varieties and now he knew it. He grinned again at Ella who was just shaking her head at his elation and smiling at his antics. She still thought he was a strange one, but she turned back to gathering more of the herbs herself which, in turn, prompted him to do likewise. They spent the next twenty minutes gathering every bit of forest sage they could find and tucked it into their pouches. Finally, when they felt they had prepared as much as they could they both rose and moved to the cave entrance. It was dim within but lit by a softly glowing moss that lined the cave walls and ceiling. Pointing to the moss Ella spoke, ¡°When we come back out if you have room in your pouches see if you can gather some of that bright moss. It is useful for crafting light potions and much easier than carrying a torch.¡± With those words, she stepped into the opening and vanished from sight around the corner. Xavier hurried to follow her his concern about her lack of a weapon driving him to catch up to her as fast as he could. He didn¡¯t have to go far, just around the corner the floor started to slope downwards, and she had paused at the top looking down the decline. ¡°Now all we need is a white rabbit with a watch and waistcoat exclaiming he¡¯s late for an important date,¡± Xavier commented dryly drawing Ella¡¯s gaze. ¡°What in the name of the gods does that have to do with anything down here?¡± She huffed. ¡°You know we are likely going to find more skeletons down there and gods know what else, and you are talking utter nonsense.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s from a story where I am from. If we survive, I¡¯ll explain it to you then.¡± He peered down the slope into the dimly lit corridor below. ¡°I suppose we go down now,¡± and he stepped onto the incline then promptly slipped in the muck he hadn¡¯t noticed but she had been studying. A slight yelp escaped his lips as he landed hard on his ass and slid down the slope. ¡°By the way, it looks slick.¡± She called after him as he slid. Then stepped to the side of the incline and holding onto the rock wall made her way down after him. He skidded to a stop as the muck made way for solid stone once again. Wincing at the pain coming from where he had landed and the several larger rocks he had slid over adding to that humiliation. Warily he got to his feet and picked up his spear again glaring up the slope at her. ¡°You could have said so before I stepped on it you know. I nearly broke my tailbone.¡± She cocked her head slightly when she made it to the bottom. ¡°I was going to, but you moved before I had a chance. Besides, you do not have a tail to break.¡± He opened his mouth to speak then shook his head and closed it. It wasn¡¯t a discussion worth the effort at the time especially now his yelp had surely reverberated throughout the cave and warned anything deeper within. ¡°Come on let''s get this over with. I''m sure that just made it harder than it was going to be.¡± They continued to creep forward through the dimly lit tunnel until they came to another bend followed by a larger chamber. Inside, sitting on the floor but flanked by two skeletons was a being. Its headless body sat holding a book in front of its lap, occasionally it would turn the page as if its torso was reading the book. The two skeletons didn¡¯t stir at all from their places, but both were starting at the doorway the pair of travelers had peek around. ¡°Nekara¡¯s watchful gaze be over us.¡± Ella hissed as she ducked back around the corner. ¡°That¡¯s a gods be damned Gan Ceann. What is it doing here?¡± Xavier peeked again and the being had set its book down revealing the head sitting in its lap. It had turned its head slightly, so it too peered into the darkness of the doorway, and he ducked back behind the wall. ¡°Another type of undead?¡± He looked at her worriedly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look rotten so what¡¯s the deal.¡± ¡°No, it is not undead, they can just remove their heads. It must be what is controlling the undead though. A necromancer maybe, or at least something with trinkets to allow it control. That makes things much more difficult since it can think, unlike the undead. Give me your spear. I will hold off the skeletons, but you must kill the Gan Ceann. Use my knife it will help a lot more than your spear against it.¡± She held out her hand for his spear while pointing to the knife still sheathed at his belt. He hesitated not wanting to give up his reach if he had to fight but the look on her face brokered no arguments. Finally, he handed over the longer weapon to her and drew the blade. It seemed to have almost a soft glow of its own as it came free of the sheath. ¡°Alright let me go first and I will get his attention. Just keep those skeletons off me, I don¡¯t think I can handle all three at once. Hells, I am not sure I can handle whatever that headless thing is.¡± His mind whirled with what he had seen, her words prompting long-forgotten myths he had read about as a child. Gan ceann, wasn¡¯t that Irish again. Oh yes though he remembered it as a Dullahan, or more commonly the Headless Horseman. What in the world was it, he, that thing doing here, and wait did she just talk about it as if they were known and not a singular being? Damn, he had a lot to learn obviously. Taking a deep breath he nodded to her and stepped out into the room. All three heads turned towards him, even if the body had to use its hands to turn the head in its lap. Gritting his teeth he raised up onto the balls of his feet and ran forward brandishing the dagger as he moved. The skeletons both charged toward him until they heard Ella¡¯s cry from behind him and her makeshift stave crashed into the head of the closest one drawing their attention. The gan ceann carefully lifted its head in one hand and rose tucking it under its arm as it got to its feet. Its other hand stretched out towards Xavier and the head started to chant. The extended hand began to glow with a purple aura as shadows began to twist about it. Xavier dropped to his knees sliding towards the spell caster as it finished speaking and gestured towards him. A dark ebon bolt flew over his head and struck the wall behind him, narrowly missing one of the skeletons Ella was moving between. There were loud cracks every time bone met wood and vice versa from their battle but none of the three had gone down yet. Xavier lurched upwards swinging with the blade, far faster than he thought it should be able to move, toward the caster¡¯s outstretched hand and it connected before it could pull its arm back out of the way. Several fingers flew off into the air and the head under the arm cried out in pain. It pulled its bleeding hand back to its chest then lifted its head settling it on its shoulders firmly as it glared hatefully at the man who had caused it injury. Chanting once again sprang from its lips as it held both hands outwards. The shadowy violet light built much quicker this time before ebon lances darted forward striking Xavier in his left leg just below his knee from one hand and in his right shoulder from the other hand. Pain rocked through Xavier¡¯s body; mind-numbing, soul-wrenching pain blocked out every thought in his head as he fought just to stay conscious through the experience. The lances of dark magic faded, and he remained standing but only just. There were deep wounds where the magic had touched him and blood was starting to soak his clothing, but he staggered forward, much to the shock on the face of the Gan Ceann. Behind him, Xavier heard the cries of pain and grunts of exertion as he knew Ella was fighting for her life as much as he was. That realization only further drove him to hold up his end of the fight and take the Gan Ceann out. He switched the hand that held the dagger since his right arm was starting to go numb from the wound in his shoulder and he was afraid of losing grip on the blade. His attacks were weaker as he swung the dagger, but its wicked edge drove the spell-caster stumbling backward as it tried to cast another set of the dark lances. The problem was it hadn¡¯t paid attention to its surroundings. A basic of fighting was to always know your footing. Loss of that almost always results in loss of life and the caster stumbled over the book it had set down. Its footing unsteady it fell to the ground and Xavier collapsed atop it. He used his own weight to drive the dagger past the hands of the caster and the blade sunk deeply into the Gan Ceann¡¯s chest. Its eyes widened staring into Xavier¡¯s then the luster left them as they became hollow and empty. It shuddered once and then went limp. Ding! You have slain a level 6 Gan Caenn Dark Mage. +120 Experience. Gasping in pain and exhaustion Xavier pushed himself off the lifeless body and turned to try and help Ella only to see that the skeletons had also crumpled to piles of bones as well. The magic wielded by the dark mage that had been giving them unlife expired with his own death. Ding! You have slain a level 5 Skeleton Warrior * 2. +100 Experience Ella dropped the spear and collapsed to the ground, her body once again covered in bruises and small cuts where the edges of the skeleton¡¯s fists had broken the skin. Her eyes were blackened, and her lower lip was bleeding where it had been split but she smiled weakly at Xavier. They had won. More importantly, they had survived. Xavier staggered over to her, his left leg throbbing with each step as he placed weight and strain on the wounded shin and muscle. Flopping to the ground next to her he fished out some of the forest sage they had gathered earlier and began to chew it. Curious he pulled up his status screen and just about spit the herb out. His hit points had dropped all the way from their 120-point maximum to a mere 11 points. He had nearly died from those two dark lances where they had torn through his flesh and left him bleeding. He quickly resumed chewing on the herb, and he saw the bleeding debuff drop off his status and his hit points slowly climb. That prompted him to play with his status screen a little, and soon three bars were hanging in the upper left corner of his vision. A bright red but mostly empty bar sat at the top, under it was a vibrant green bar that was already rapidly filling since he was sitting down, and beneath that was a full deep blue bar, health, stamina, and mana respectively. He wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard at what his reserves were again. Breathing a sigh of relief that he wouldn¡¯t bleed out and die in this cave he turned his attention to Ella and noticed she was chewing some of the sage as well. As their pulses and breathing calmed and health returned to their forms they started shifting more and each pushed themselves up to their feet once again. Now came the best part of the fight, the spoils to the victor. Each one took one of the piles of bones but similar to the one outside there was nothing but bone. Looking at each other they crossed the room to where the final corpse lay. It was wearing dirty and almost ragged robes. It had been here a while because as they were able to get a better look at it, it was barely more than a skeleton itself. Its cheeks were gaunt and looked as if he hadn¡¯t eaten in days. Yes, it was a male they could tell that now they saw its features better. He had another dagger in his belt, but it was obvious its focus was more on magic since it hadn¡¯t bothered to draw the blade during the fight. Xavier moved to untie Ella¡¯s blade to give it back to her, but she simply shook her head and took the new dagger instead. Another pouch tied to his belt held a handful of coins all looking to be copper in color. Besides the book resting on the floor, they could not find anything else of interest. Ella picked up the book and began leafing through its pages while Xavier rolled the corpse to the side to see if there was anything else to be found. That slight weight shift caused a loose stone in the floor to rise slightly on one side. The grating of stone against stone caught the young man¡¯s attention and he caught the edge of the stone as he gave the body a harder shove. Levering the stone slab upwards Xavier¡¯s breath caught. Nestled into the slight hollow beneath was a leather bag roughly the size of his fist. He lifted it from its resting place and let the stone fall back into place. He sat down roughly, and Ella came over to his side, she still held the book open, but her attention was now fully on the bag he held in his hands. Carefully he untied the knot and opened the pouch, the room lit up with light shining from within the leather folds and he pulled out a delicately wrought sphere the glow emanating from within its depths. As he held it up a prompt filled his vision its border was a brilliant golden color. And just like that, he had found his first mythic-level item.
You have discovered: Heart of Creation Item Rarity: Mythic Item Quality: Unrivaled Weight: 5kg Traits: The heart of creation is an object from another age. This marvelous item can be used to elevate normal buildings to near godlike levels giving them traits and capabilities beyond anything that mortals can build alone. What will you do with such a wonder?
Chapter Nine - The SyrValien Xavier sat in breathless wonder as he stared at the small sphere cradled in his hands. A mythic item and it was his! Of course, it was part of the quest he had been sent on and he would likely have to give it up to complete the quest but still¡­ he had a mythic item! Shaking his head he looked about the room slowly and remembered what led to this, finding Ella and the fight with the rat-men was what put him in the location where he could be offered the quest, then coming to this cave and the fights here ultimately leading to the fight with the Gan Ceann. That caused him pause though and he looked to the corpse still lying on the floor. Yes, it had been kill or be killed but he had actually done it. He had killed another person. His mind had dismissed the rat-men since they seemed more animal than person for some reason, but this was different. When the Gan Ceann had its head on its shoulders it could just be another human. He looked back to his hands and the sphere there, but his eyes focused on his fingers and the red tinge to them from the Gan Ceann¡¯s blood. He dropped the sphere and stared horrified at his hands as the realization actually sunk into his thoughts. How? How could he, a simple code writer from Seattle, have killed someone. What did that make him? A killer, well obviously. A murderer, maybe but he was fighting to save his own life cause the Gan Ceann was trying to kill him. Did this make him a monster as well? The thoughts raced through his head, and he was visibly shaking and on the verge of being overwhelmed by them when soft hands touched his blotting out his view of the bloodstained fingers. He looked up and his eyes met Ella¡¯s. She curled her fingers around his, her deep jade eyes caught his gaze and held it. A soft smile pulled up the edges of her lips as she sat beside him simply holding his hands. Her eyes never left his while they sat. Her presence and demeanor soothed his frayed mind, and eventually his budding panic melted away, his breathing calmed down once again, and he was able to set aside the overwhelming guilt and fear that had been building, for now at least. He smiled in thanks to her when she finally released his hands. ¡°I am glad to see you are not just a ruthless or wanton killer Xavier.¡± Her words were soft but still filled the chamber they sat in amongst the dead and bones. ¡°Too many callously kill and maim without thought as to what that does to them or others. I think I am starting to see more of your nature the longer we are together. I want you to keep my blade for as long as I travel with you. As I said earlier you need a good weapon at least as a back-up.¡± A glimmer of her grin returned as she eyed him a moment longer. ¡°I think if we are going to keep exploring like this you need some actual armor as well. Cloth, unless it is enchanted, does not do much to turn a blade or a spell.¡±
You have completed a quest: Rescue the Lost 2 Your kind nature and willingness to help others has increased Ella Bree¡¯s trust in you and she has gone from a mere traveling companion to an actual companion. As long as your goals and drives align, she will support you. Be wary trust earned can be trust broken. Rewards: A new companion. +300 Experience
You have earned 500 relationship points with Ella Bree. Your relationship with Ella Bree has increased from Acquaintance (Reluctant) ¨C "You know their name¡­ though you wish you didn¡¯t." (-250 loyalty) to Acquaintance (Eager) ¨C "You¡¯d call them in a pinch¡­ but only if no one else was around." (+250 loyalty.) She will happily answer most general questions and provide general information that she knows.
Xavier rolled his eyes slightly at her words. ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡± He popped another piece of the forest sage into his mouth and began chewing it as well, sighing as the last vestiges of pain eased and his final hit points were restored. She giggled at his words and reaction before scooping up the glowing sphere and placing it back into the leather pouch that he had dropped earlier and handing it back to him. ¡°We should take this back to that sprite. It will likely be dark by the time we get back and I would rather not travel in these woods after dark. Dire wolves and worse creatures hunt the forest, and they become more active after the sun sets.¡± Ella said as she rose to her feet and retrieved the spear. ¡°We have a long way ahead of us and it would be best to get going.¡± Xavier stood, his eyes going over the room one last time, before he nodded and took the lead heading out of the room and back up the winding passage to the top. Something about the small dungeon and the fact it held something so miraculous as the Heart of Creation didn¡¯t quite sit right with him and he would have to figure out why that was. Ella had been correct; the sun had passed its zenith and was settling into the afternoon by the time they emerged from the cave. Though there were still several hours of light left it had taken them nearly that long to trek to this location that morning and that was before fighting and the exhaustion that left in the body. Xavier rested a hand on the pouch holding the precious sphere to ensure it was still tied to his belt and then led the way back to the path turning to follow it back towards the ruins of the village. The walk back was relatively uneventful. Ella had pointed out several more herbs that they could return to collect in the next couple days, but their focus had been to hurry back to the relative safety of the ruins, specifically the large intact chamber where they had met the sprite. As the sun settled beneath the horizon and a pair of moons, one an emerald green the other a cerulean blue, rose from the From there it was only a short time before they saw their destination and quickly made their way inside. As promised, hovering in the center of the chamber was the sprite. Her ever-changing form turned towards the pair and she smiled impishly. "I see ye''ve returned, and in but a single day! I¡¯m surprised it was done so swiftly. Ye did find what I set ye to seek, I hope. I''d be sorely disappointed if ye¡¯d given up so quick." The sprite moved closer to the pair her eyes instantly drawn towards the small pouch on Xavier¡¯s belt that held the requested sphere. ¡°Ye did find it, then. Curious, I thought that with as long as it¡¯s been lost, the task would be harder. Yet I be glad it¡¯s returned home at last¡­ or mayhap it¡¯s not the true original. No matter, for now ye hold the means to restore the forge¡ªand perhaps the city itself to its former glory. But heed me, do not rekindle the forge... not yet. Its time will come, but without protections beyond ye two, there¡¯d be naught to stop it from fallin'' into hands with dark designs and desires. Come I¡¯ve something to show ye.¡± She turned suddenly and flew towards the wall at the back of the chamber. As she approached an opening appeared and revealed a passageway leading down into the ground. The sprite didn¡¯t hesitate and flew down the new passage and almost vanished from sight before the two got over the shock of the revelation and rushed after her. Xavier gawked at the well-wrought stonework lining the halls they walked through and mused that if this was the quality here then it was no wonder the ruins, as old as they seemed to be, were as intact as they were. Whoever built this place was amazing in their skill. He also pondered, for just a moment, if he could achieve that level of skill as well. It took about fifteen minutes for them to reach their destination in the small maze of passages beneath the village and when they followed the sprite out into the new chamber Xavier''s breath caught. The chamber stood about forty feet from side to side though it was circular instead of being squared off like the other chambers they had passed. Much of the floor was dedicated to an intricate mosaic. Eight distinct patterns touched in the center of the masterpiece and swirled out from it. The mosaic was an s a breathtaking work of art. At the very center, where all eight different patterns touched, the tiles were arranged in a swirling, chaotic mix of colors that merged seamlessly into one another. Here, no single color or symbol dominates, creating a dazzling, hypnotic effect that symbolizes the unity and interdependence of all the different sections. The nexus glows softly, as if it possesses a life of its own, with faint magic pulsing beneath the tiles. As they left this central point each pattern became more distinct, and Xavier could only assume they aligned with elements of magic or nature. One section was composed of simmering white and gold tiles arranged in beams that fan outward like rays of sunlight. Small pieces of crystal are embedded to catch the light, causing this part of the mosaic to glow naturally as light hits it. A sunburst is situated near the center and fades into golden rays extending toward the edge of the circle. Directly to the right of that section was one filled with vibrant reds and oranges, evoking the image of roaring flames. Gold accents create the appearance of sparks and embers dancing within the fiery section. A phoenix sits boldly near the nexus, its wings reaching outward in a way that mimics flickering fire. The mosaic pieces in this section are arranged in jagged, chaotic lines to create a sense of movement and intensity. That section was followed by a section depicted with greens and browns. The symbol, a tree with sprawling roots is prominently placed near the center and grows outward. The mosaic tiles in this section are arranged in solid, structured lines, suggesting the firm and unyielding nature of Earth. Hints of gold highlight the edges, representing the richness of soil and minerals. Continuing around the circle came another section, this one somber and haunting, made of dark grays and blacks interspersed with pale blue highlights. Its symbol, a single raven¡¯s feather, is near the center, blending into mist-like patterns that dissipate toward the edges. The tiles are arranged in swirls, suggesting an eerie mist or smoke that fades into darkness, creating an unsettling beauty that contrasts sharply with the brighter elements. Xavier shuddered slightly as if someone had walked over his grave looking at that section and quickly moved to the next. The next area was just as ominous though not as oppressive, it exuded mystery, and was crafted from midnight blues, purples, and blacks. A shadowed eye serves as its symbol, placed near the center and ringed with faint stars or flecks of silver. The mosaic tiles were arranged in a way that creates the illusion of depth as if one could fall into the darkness. Shadows seem to seep from this section, blending into the adjacent elements in a subtle, graceful manner.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Thankfully the next section was fluid and soothing, rendered in shades of blue and green that create the illusion of moving water. The symbol, a wave, lies near the nexus, its lines flowing outward in graceful, undulating patterns. Tiles are arranged in waves and spirals, capturing the essence of water in motion. White tiles are used sparingly to create foam-like highlights along the edges, adding depth and vibrancy to this part of the mosaic. The change continued onwards into the next section of the mosaic. It was light and ethereal, with pale blues and silvers arranged in sweeping arcs that mimicked gusts of wind. The symbol, a small swirling spiral, is placed close to the center, with faint lines that radiate outward as if caught in a gentle wind. The tiles are placed in a flowing, wispy pattern that gives this section a sense of motion as if the air itself were circulating above the mosaic. Finally, the last section before it touches back to the starting point was vibrant and full of energy, with lush greens, yellows, and pinks that blend harmoniously. This section''s symbol, a blooming flower, is placed near the center, radiating outward with delicate tendrils and vines. This section is arranged with intricate floral patterns, and tiny gemstone accents give the impression of dew drops, capturing the vitality and beauty of life itself. As Xavier studied the artwork, the color and light within each section seemed to beat along with his heart as it grew subtly in vibrancy and color. Each section seemed to glow with its own life and power. "This be the Syr¡¯Vailen, a nexus of elemental powers and ley lines. Where the Mael''Anthir, the great forge, stood as the heart seen by all, this¡­ this was its very soul. Whosoever masters this nexus holds the might of the Syr''Vailen¡ªand by that power, they hold sovereignty o¡¯er Cael''Anthir above. I am Aelriva, guardian of the Syr''Vailen and Cael''Anthir. I have watched ye, mortal, and weighed the depths of yer soul. Ye¡¯ve proven worthy to be named caretaker and Lord o¡¯ these forgotten lands. See to it I¡¯ve no cause to doubt my judgment." The aura of the sprite swelled as she spoke and her authority within these chambers became crystal clear. The sections of the mosaic flared to life each element rising from the floor to embody their powers in a maelstrom of magic and light raging around one another before just as abruptly they collapsed back in upon themselves and dimmed back to simple works of art once again. The radiance they held when he first entered the chamber faded away leaving the chamber feeling diminished in some way. However, at the very center of the chamber, a small glowing orb floated about two feet off the ground dimly lit from within. "Go now, take the focus and my blessin¡¯, and claim the mantle of Ard''Maelor¡ªthe High Forgemaster anew. Rebuild the city if ye¡¯ve the strength, for it''s been long absent from this world. As the nexus holds the balance of the elements, so too was Cael''Anthir a place of harmony and balance within the land. But that harmony has faded through the centuries, and the world nears a breakin¡¯ point." Aelriva¡¯s words struck a chord in Xavier and his mind flashed back to his meeting with Danu. She had said almost the exact same thing about the world and its impending fate. His soul felt as though fingers had strummed it like a string and he moved forward to where the focus waited his choice. He looked back and forth between Ella and Aelriva before his hands scooped under the glowing orb and energy suffused his body. The sound of rolling drums filled Xavier¡¯s ears, and a prompt filled his vision.
Know this! You have gained a mark: Ard¡¯Maelor ¨C The Grand Forgemaster. You have claimed the title of Ard¡¯Maelor. In centuries past the Ard¡¯Maelor was the leader of the Sylmyrian peoples, a long-forgotten race. They were master crafters and built marvels unlike anything known in this world. Only time will tell if you have the drive and will power required
Congratulations! You have purified a lost village. As the Ard¡¯Maelor of the Sylmyrian, you have become the Lord of Cael¡¯Anthir, The Shining Forge, this once marvel of an ancient civilization has fallen from its lofty perch to become the the ruins and remains you have discovered in the forest. Will you restore their city to its once-former glory and revive the people anew or will you squander the potential you have been given? Your village is level 1. As you increase the level of the village, more capabilities, powers and resources may be discovered. You are now bonded with the nexus Syr¡¯Vailen: The Convergence of Essence. You have gain access to the magic and mana of the nexus location. Nexuses are places of power and mystery and to uncover their secrets requires intent and willpower. Discover and master them at your own peril! May the fates be with you!
Congratulation! You have been awarded +600 Reputation points. Total Reputation: +600, your reputation has increased from 0 to +600. This reputation change has advanced your reputation level from ¡°Nobody Knows, Nobody Cares ¨C You¡¯re like a shadow in the corner of a tavern. If you disappeared into the mist tomorrow, the world would carry on without a single elf or dwarf noticing. Good luck finding a hero¡¯s welcome¡± to ¡°Who Are You Again? ¨C Your name might be whispered in the winds, but most can¡¯t recall it. If you were a knight, you¡¯d be the one who gets left out of the battle plan. People might nod at you in the market, but they¡¯re mostly confused.¡±
You have completed a hidden quest: Reforge the Past 1 Your actions in returning an object to reinvigorate the Great Forge along with earning the trust of Aelriva and gaining the right to claim the nexus has not only increased your personal power and prestige it has granted you title and lands to go with them. You are now the Lord of Cael¡¯Anthir and the Master of its lands. Aerith may be forever changed due to this event. Rewards: A settlement of your own. +2500 Experience
You have been offered a quest: Reforge the Past 2. Having gained mastery of Cael¡¯Anthir it is up to you to restore it to its former glory and rebuild its people. Increase the settlement level to level 2. Quest Objectives: See the Settlement Interface for details on increasing settlement to level 2 Penalties for Failure or Refusal: Stagnation of settlement growth. As this is a settlement improvement quest for a settlement bound to you there is no capability to refuse. Potential rewards: A level 2 settlement with increased powers and capabilities. +5000 Experience.
A crescendo of chimes sounded in his ears followed by the following prompt. Hark and Hear! You have ascended in level. You are now level 3! Humans are granted 4 attribute points to distribute. Blessings of the Gods (Danu) has increased this to 6 attribute points. You will have 3 days to assign these points else they will be randomly assigned for you. Go forth, seek glory, seek love, LIVE! As the prompt filled his vision his right forearm began to twitch and burn. He looked down in awe as an image formed on his skin. Golden in color the shape of a city in profile etched itself into being. Above the city a hammer in hand was raised as if to rain a blow down upon an anvil. It remained visible for several moments before fading back out of sight. Xavier gasped as it vanished, the pain of its birth fading just as quickly. He knew however that he could call it forth if needed to display his right of power. And reputation, add that to the list of things he needed to figure out how affected him and now his people¡­ he had people now. Well only two for the moment but there would be more. ¡°Wait, a forgotten race of people? What happened to them? Why are they no longer around? What are you not telling me? This place has been forgotten for how long?¡± Questions assaulted his mind and he in turn voiced them to the sprite. His eyes narrowing slightly as he suddenly felt as if he had been specifically rail-roaded into this position and didn¡¯t have the choice he actually felt like he should have had. "Be at peace, mortal. What ye speak of lies in ages long past. Civilizations rise and fall upon this world, and those who vanish oft leave no trace behind. While I yet remain, with faint memories o'' the Sylmyrian folk, there are others whose very names were swept away by time and fate. The Shattered Expanse is but one such place¡ªwhen gods clash, nothin'' is left in their wake. The peoples o'' that land were erased from memory itself. Yet, as ye restore the city and its folk, the memories o'' the Sylmyrian will return in time." Aelriva spoke softly, her tone changing as her body shifted through its constant metamorphosis. Xavier noticed something, now that he had seen the nexus, the sprites body shifted along the same patterns as the mosaic. She was literally the embodiment of elements that made up this place. Her presence had reverted to that of the sprite he had met in the chamber above and she felt far less grand than she had a few moments before when she had proclaimed him being worthy of the city. Taking a deep breath Xavier tried to wrap his mind around all the sudden changes. In the space of a couple days, he had gone from being a level one nobody alone in a brand-new world to level three and having his own settlement. Granted his settlement was nothing more than a collection of ruins currently but that was half the fun of survivor games, wasn¡¯t it? Finding a place to build and grow? He looked over to where Ella and Aelriva waited for him and pursed his lips. They were not enough to really make any changes to what was above, or even what was within the warrens beneath the village. As he thought he looked about the room and noticed some additional details he had overlooked due to the impressive display of the mosaic earlier. Another passage led off from the circular room. Opposite of where they had entered was another archway with a set of stairs that led deeper into the earth. The arch was lined with intricately carved stonework that unlike the rest of the warrens had been untouched by time. He crossed the area to stand before it and could nearly feel the power that radiated from it. Reaching out a hand he gently touched the carvings and knowledge filled his mind. They were runes of power, warding runes to be precise. He wondered what would require such runes to be placed here and it made him curious what lay below. "That path leads to the deep depths below. In the days when the Sylmyrian folk were at the height o'' their power, it was from down there that wondrous metals and gems were drawn forth to craft their mighty works. But now, all manner o'' dark creatures and foul things dwell within. The archway above is warded to keep any evil from risin'' up. Such power and skill the Sylmyrian enchanters wove into those wards that even time itself could not diminish their strength. Yet, such mastery is gone from this world, and mayhap lost forever. If ye truly wish to rebuild this city as it once stood, ye¡¯ll need to cleanse those depths and restore ''em to their former state as well." Aelriva had flow up beside him and her gaze was on the dark passage deeper as well. "But ye are not yet prepared to face the depths below. Turn yer focus first to the warrens and the village above. The day will come when ye¡¯ll be ready to tread the first level o¡¯ the deep¡­ but not today, mortal, not today." Xavier nodded to the sprite and turned back towards Ella. He smiled at her and motioned to the passageway leading back to the surface. ¡°I suppose we should go back above and see what I oversee now. Maybe we can get an idea of the work that needs to be done and plan a strategy of how to do it.¡± With that the three of them made their way back up to the ruined chamber and paused, darkness had fallen during the time they were below and it seemed as though further exploration and planning would need to wait until the sun rose once again over the fledgling settlement. Chapter Ten - Or How to Rebuild a Village Xavier sat next to the rekindled fire his eyes seeming to stare off into the distance as he studied his character screen to see how his past several days had affected his stats and skills. He also took the time to allocate his new points from achieving level three. The fights he had already experienced showed him if he was going to continue to be in physical fights he needed to be able to avoid being hit better, however he balanced that with the fact he was now a master of a village and that meant leading people.
Name: Xavier Level: 3, 0.69% to Next Level Age: 32
Race: Human Alignment: Neutral Languages: Basic
Reputation: 600 ¨C Who Are You Again? - Your name might be whispered in the winds, but most can¡¯t recall it. If you were a knight, you¡¯d be the one who gets left out of the battle plan. People might nod at you in the market, but they¡¯re mostly confused.
Stats
Health: 120/120 Stamina: 110/110 Mana: 100/100
Attributes
Strength: 9 Agility: 8 Dexterity: 9
Constitution: 10 Endurance: 9 Charisma: 8
Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 8 Luck: 9
Resistances Skills Marks
None Survival: 1 Woodworking: 1 Tracking: 1 Herbalism: 1 Cooking: 2 Crafting: 1 Spears: 1 Clubs: 1 Knives: 1 Ard''Maelor - The Grand Forgemaster
Abilities
Unbound Possibilities ¨C While the inhabitants of Arath are constrained by rules limiting how they can grow and what they can learn you have been blessed by Danu to be unbound. These limits guide you but do not constrain you.
Linguist ¨C You have the capacity to know, understand, and speak any mortal language
Weighing those needs he allocated his twelve new points across his stats. He placed one point into strength to round it out besides being stronger would always help while he was exploring, he assumed. The next two went to agility since that was supposed to help him dodge easier and hopefully have fewer cracked ribs. He winced slightly remembering all the club blows to his body and the pain of those injuries, granted he now had some herbs that helped but he was worried they would be lacking if the injuries were worse. He studied the screen a little longer and adjusted his endurance up to ten as well, stamina hadn¡¯t been a concern yet but the handful of fights and his running from the wolflike creatures had started to tax him and made him worry about how it would be if he had bottomed out. Satisfied with how his more physical attributes had rounded out he pursed his lips in thought. He was left with eight points and his non-physical attributes to work through. Knowing he would have to interact with people he immediately placed four points into his charisma score. When playing games back on Earth, he remembered that a higher-level charisma could open paths and discussions he would have missed, and it made sense that it would be the same here. Besides it was a lot less painful to talk through situations rather than fight through them. He decided to place two more points into wisdom, he knew it affected his mana but wondered if it would help guide decisions for the village overall as well. Street smarts were better than no smarts when it came to decisions right? His eyes finally fell on the esoteric attribute of luck. He didn¡¯t know if the attribute had helped him, or if it was a different guidance since things had seemed to work out well for him so far. On a hunch, he placed his final two points there anyway and nodded at the changes. Satisfied with what he had done he let his eyes focus on the room around him. Aelriva had disappeared, back to the mosaic room he assumed, but Ella was still there and sitting beside the fire quietly. He smiled at her and returned his attention to the new tabs he could look at, quickly he moved through them until he found the one he desired. ¡°Settlement Statistics.¡± Well, that answered several of his questions on what his settlement¡¯s limitations and requirements to grow were. He could see there were eight additional levels listed below but all their details were blurred out. It gave him a goal though. He would build his settlement into the best it could be. Now he just had to survive long enough to do so. Closing the screen, he rose quietly to his feet, not wanting to disturb Ella where she had shifted to lie down. He moved towards the doorway leading out of the building and leaned against the frame. Life, well life was good it seemed. He actually felt like he was accomplishing something and not just living day to day. Closing his eyes he offered a silent prayer of thanks to Danu for giving him this chance at a change, then he settled in for his watch. Several hours later he felt a hand touch his shoulder and looked back to see Ella standing there. ¡°You should get some rest now; we have a long day ahead of us and it is my turn to watch.¡± She spoke quietly so as to not disturb the peace of the night. Outside they could hear the calls of various night creatures in the forest and the gentle woosh of the breeze through the trees. Xavier nodded in agreement and went to lie down beside the fire. As he tried to make himself comfortable, he decided that bedding would be one of the first things they needed to acquire, stone floors and dirt just were not comfortable to someone who had spent their whole life sleeping on a mattress. With those thoughts, his eyes closed, and he slipped into the gentle warm embrace of slumbers depths. Xander was woken, what seemed only moments later, by Ella nudging his foot with hers. Yawning he stretched in place and hissed as he closed his eyes against the lance of light coming in through the shutterless windows directly into his eyes. He pushed himself to his feet and ran his tongue over his teeth, he was going to have to figure out a way to brush them cause the sock feeling was not something he wanted to live with. Come to think of it, he was going to have to develop a whole new routine of hygiene since there was a distinct lack of showers, toilets, and other amenities that enabled what he was used to back on Earth. He cast a glance towards Ella as his eyes had finally adjusted to the early morning light. ¡°Before we do anything I think we should find something to eat and fresh water. Work on an empty stomach will likely just make us frustrated and angry.¡± He mused aloud. ¡°But before that, I will be right back. Call of nature and such.¡± He hurried out of the building and down one of the many paths that led between the ruined buildings towards the woods. It didn¡¯t take long for him to answer his body¡¯s needs; it actually took longer to find some leaves that he figured were up to the task of cleaning afterward. Suitably relieved he made his way back to where he had left Ella only to discover that she had already found a decent gathering of berries and was sitting cross-legged next to the building that had become their shelter contentedly munching on her sweet trove. When he looked askance at her she pointed down another path. ¡°There are several berry bushes that way if you go past three collapsed buildings.¡± Nodding his thanks he quickly retrieved enough berries for his own breakfast, staining his increasingly tattered shirt as he did so. He made his way back to Ella and sat to eat as well. Aelriva had joined them by the time he had made it back and she hovered in the air between the two. Aelriva had the solution to their freshwater issue and guided them to a lone remaining shallow well. It was fed by a spring coming out of the rock face at the back of a small pool, in turn, the water drained off underground keeping the pool consistently filled with fresh clear water. ¡°Ok according to the settlement tab, there are several things we need to do to grow the village. People are an obvious one, but we also need buildings and to complete some settlement quests.¡± He looked out towards the rest of the ruins ¡°I have no idea how we will be able to clear away those without more villagers, and no idea how to get more villagers without somewhere for them to stay¡± Aelriva quirked an eyebrow at him a moment then shook her head. "Ye didn¡¯t scour all the tabs for the village, did ye? Seems ye¡¯ve overlooked a few key things, mayhaps in the section on settlement skills and abilities. Did ye not know ye can call forth forest golems to handle the menial work? They¡¯re suited only to simple tasks, true, but diggin'', minin'', felling trees, and carryin'' loads are well within their ken." Xavier stared at her a moment as Ella giggled behind her hand before he focused back on the interface and sought out the tab ¡°Village Skills and Abilities.¡± Sure enough, there was a section of daily abilities and one of them was ¡°Summon Minor Forest Golem.¡± He smiled broadly as he saw each would remain for a full day from the time it was summoned. Well, a full day as it was defined in this world, he was sure he would get use to the twenty-hour day eventually. Even better they only cost 150 mana. He could almost summon one with his own mana, but he found with just a slight mental focus he could tap into the mana of the village as well. He turned his attention back to the skill in the tab and a few moments later moss and wood on the ground around him started to coalesce into a humanoid form about four and a half feet in height. It did appear humanoid as it had two legs, a torso, two arms ending in rounded club-like hands, and a head but that was about it. There were no features on the face of the creature as, he assumed, it looked to him for instructions. ¡°Can you tear down all of the collapsed buildings and stack the rocks near the edge of the village?¡± He asked the creature. It¡­ stared blankly at him and didn¡¯t move. ¡°"Aye, I did say they were simple creatures. Ye¡¯ll need to give ''em instructions as if ye were speakin'' to a child. If ye want somethin¡¯ done in a particular way, ye¡¯ll likely have to show ''em how to do it yerself first." Aelriva¡¯s voice sounded over his shoulder.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Xavier sighed and nodded. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said to the golem and moved over to one of the buildings. ¡°I want you to take apart any building that looks like this.¡± He motioned to the semi-collapsed structure then picked up one of the stones from the partial wall. ¡°And then bring the stones over here and stack them together.¡± He walked to where the forest was starting to reclaim the ruins in earnest and set the stone in a clear area. ¡°Now show me.¡± The golem moved to the nearest pile of rubble and its hands shifted, growing long woody fingers from their club like ends, before lifting up a stone and bringing it back to the pile. ¡°Good now keep doing that with all of these ruins.¡± Xavier grinned as it seemed at least part of the issue would be resolved. He quickly tapped into the village¡¯s mana reserve and summoned another nine golems to aid the first quickly giving them the same instructions and soon they were busy silently at work. The ruined buildings would be removed, and their components would be salvaged for further use. Now he needed to figure out how to house people¡­ and where to find people. Looking back to the others he brought up the question. ¡°So, any idea where we find people willing to live here?¡± Ella shook her head in response but Aelriva, as before had an answer for him. "Several days'' journey to the northeast, outside yer realm, lies the edge of the forest. If ye head east from here, ye¡¯ll find the river Silverflow. Follow it to where I¡¯ve spoken of. At the edge of the forest, on the river¡¯s banks, lies the village of Bramblegate. There, ye can begin yer search for the villagers, I believe. I¡¯ll remain here, as I cannot leave the domain of yer mastery. While ye¡¯re gone, I¡¯ll make use of the village¡¯s abilities to summon golems each day and continue clearin¡¯ the village." Xavier turned to Ella, and she shrugged and nodded. It was something to go on at least. ¡°Alright but before going there we probably should prepare for the journey. We need food, something to carry water, some more weapons maybe, and I definitely need some cleaner clothes with less holes in them.¡± He said as he stuck a finger through the hole the Can Geann had left in the shoulder of his tunic. ¡°This would also give us a better chance to examine the more intact ruined buildings in detail and explore the warrens fully.¡± Leaving Aelriva to watch over the golems as they worked the pair turned their attention back to the rest of the ruins. They spent the better part of the day exploring structures that had at least three mostly intact walls and discovered several root cellars and basements where the doors hadn¡¯t collapsed and let in the elements. Of course, there were no stores of food to be found in them but one of the root cellars had an impressive array of what seemed to be potato plants and an odd carrot like plant.
You have discovered: Cave Tater Ingredient Class: Common Item Quality: Raw Weight: .2 kg Durability: 5/5 Traits: A small, root tuber. ¡°Boil ''em, mash ''em, stick ''em in a stew!¡±
You have discovered: Cave Kraton Ingredient Class: Common Item Quality: Raw Weight: .1 kg Durability: 5/5 Traits: A small, brownish orange root vegetable.
It seemed that the food stores that had originally been kept in that cellar had adapted to the darkness and flourished, the entire floor of the root cellar was overgrown by the two vegetables. That discovery was only added to when in the back corner of a nearby basement they found several different edible mushrooms had taken root as well.
You have discovered: White Cave Shunt Ingredient Class: Common Item Quality: Raw Weight: .02 kg Durability: 5/5 Traits: Small white mushrooms that grown in lightless caves and caverns. This mushroom is a hardy foodstuff and very filling.
You have discovered: Elf Ear Mushroom (Cave) Ingredient Class: Common Item Quality: Raw Weight: .01 kg Durability: 5/5 Traits: A small, tan mushroom which resembles the shape of an elf¡¯s ear. This lighter woody tasting mushroom is commonly dried and used in trail ration snacks along with nuts and berries
The pair emerged from the basement both carrying a handful of each mushroom having left enough behind to propagate until they had somewhere else to cultivate them. Not that they really had any idea how to move them to a new location and were just hoping it was going to be possible. After dropping their finds of veggies and mushrooms off at the central building, the two paused to take a short break. Digging and crawling through the ruins had taken a lot more energy than it had the other day when they were hurriedly checking for other enemies. While they had walked back Xavier had noticed a tree that had longer straight branches and several birds¡¯ nests. A plan had begun to form in his head about how they could be used. ¡°Are you any good with a bow?¡± He asked of Ella. ¡°I think I might be able to make a simple one. I have the woodworking skill, and we still have the rabbit gut from the other day. I remember seeing somewhere that gut can be used to make string in survival situations.¡± She lifted her head slightly as she pondered his words then nodded. ¡°I am a better aim with thrown objects, but a bow would let me reach out further. It wouldn¡¯t do much against skeletons if we must face them again however.¡± ¡°Ok wait here I will go get the wood. I think I saw some nests as well that could give us feathers.¡± He quickly got to his feet and trotted back down the pathways to where he had noted the potential items. He had changed his interface after finding the foodstuffs earlier to not immediately prompt him with every component found. He thought it was best when he was exploring not to have his vision obstructed in that way. About thirty minutes later he came back to where Ella waited. A long branch clutched in one hand along with a number of shorter straight sticks, and in the other he held a small bundle of feathers. Ella had retrieved the rabbit gut from where it had been hanging to dry, they had come to the mutual understanding that they needed to use as much of their game as possible. Xavier smiled gratefully to her and sat down. His eyes moving over the materials critically as he studied them and tried to remember anything he had seen or read about making a bow or arrows. As he did so he started to notice small marks on the various sticks and ghostly outlines of where pieces might be put together. His lips curled up at the ends and he got to work. The sun was half obscured by the horizon by the time he finished with his task. A broad grin spread across his face as he held up the new items to show them to Ella. In one hand was a short, curved piece of wood. Stretched from one end to the other was a taut string of carefully worked rabbit gut. The moisture had been worked out of the material giving it a good tensile strength to the length. He had also wrapped the grip in a lace of leather he had cut from one of the hides. The other hand held a small sheaf of arrows, ten in total. They were firmly, if inelegantly fletched with the feathers he had retrieved earlier and tipped with stone shards similar to his previous knife.
You have discovered: Rough Short Bow Item Class: Common Item Quality: Average Weight: 2 kg Durability: 15/15 Traits: This short bow looks like it was crafted by someone with more enthusiasm than skill. It¡¯s made from wild wood that still has a few splinters, a rabbit leather-wrapped handle that¡¯s more ¡°functional¡± than ¡°comfortable,¡± and a rabbit gut string that looks like it¡¯ll hold¡ªunless it gets a bit too humid. It''ll shoot, sure, but don¡¯t expect precision¡­ or durability¡­ or really anything more than ¡°slightly better than throwing rocks.¡±
You have discovered: Crude Stone Arrows x 10 Item Class: Common Item Quality: Average Weight: .01 kg ea Durability: 5/5 Traits: These arrows look like they were put together in a hurry¡ªor maybe by someone who was just getting creative with forest scraps. They¡¯ll fly¡­ mostly in the right direction. Just don¡¯t count on hitting anything farther than a squirrel¡¯s throw away.
Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Woodworking level 2. Once again, your crude methods have wrought a new wooden weapon. The intricacies of whirl and knot have further opened your eyes to the capabilities of wood. +4% to crafted items, +4% to crafted wooden weapon damage. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Crafting level 2. Every tool and item in this world are made by something. You now climb within the ranks of those crafters. Will you stall with the most basic of tools or will you rise to craft wonderous pieces of jewelry and tools that will shape the world? +4% to crafted items, +4% to crafted tools. Xavier held the weapons out to Ella who took them and eyed them critically. A slight smirk on her lips, she looked about for a moment then seeing a nearby tree she nocked an arrow to string and pulled it to her cheek before loosing the arrow. It flew, just slightly wobbly, across the space and sunk its stone head into the tree. She smiled wider and looked back to Xavier. ¡°Seems I have enough skill to use it properly. Food should not be an issue if we can find some as we travel. Maybe we should wait and hunt around the village first if you want new clothes. I could also use a quiver unless you are expecting me to carry the arrows by hand.¡± She quipped to him the mischievous twinkle in her eye betraying the laugh she was trying to suppress. He winced slightly at not thinking about a quiver. She would need that, or her travels would be awkward as hell. ¡°You¡¯re right, I didn¡¯t even think about that. I was too caught up in those actually coming together the way I wanted.¡± He paused thoughtfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do leatherworking. I have the crafting and woodworking skill but haven¡¯t tried to work leather besides to augment those.¡± Overhead the sun had settled below the horizon and a pair of moons rose in the night sky, one silvery and the other a rich emerald green. Also, though barely noticed was a void of stars rising just below the other two. Night had settled over the village. The susurration of sound from the forest hung in the air nearly drown out by the noise of the golems still tearing down ruins and stacking the stone. Xavier and Ella prowled near the edge of the woods searching for animal tracks, hoping to add some fresh meat to their skewers of vegetables and mushrooms. A small burst of movement caught both of their attention at the same time and Ella loosed an arrow after the creature. It barely missed the small deerlike thing as it bolted into the woods. She sighed and glumly retrieved the arrow to check if it was still intact enough to be reused. Luck had held when it came to the arrow, if not to their hunting exploits. They returned to what Xavier was starting to call the Hearthstead Hall, the central building of the village and access to the warrens and rekindled the fire. Placing the cut vegetables and mushrooms onto wooden skewers Xavier slowly roasted them. Cooked, they were soft and filling but were bland in flavor tasting more of starch and chewy. Xavier paused a moment as he gnawed on his stick of food. ¡°Yes, chewy was a good word to describe how this tasted.¡± He thought to himself. It was on the third day, the duo paused outside the other mostly intact building within the ruins. The great forge stood silent but there was a presence to its remains. A ghostly warmth hung in the cool morning air as if the fires inside still burned hot and ready to craft. Chimneys still rose from the edges and central dome though parts of the ceiling and roof had collapsed. The presence of the building had driven the pair to give it berth until now. Now as its owner and still carrying the Heart of Creation, Xavier felt driven to finally breach its sanctum and behold what was inside. "The Mael¡¯Anthir remembers, mortal. Ye feel the power that yet lingers, though its former glory be faded, don¡¯t ye? I warn ye once more¡ªdo not rekindle its spirit, not yet. When ye¡¯ve founded a true village and gathered a people, then shall it be reborn. Aye, ye can rebuild its walls and use it as a forge, but do not waken it with the heart. Even in a lesser state, it would lend its strength to any who craft within." Aelriva, spoke from beside his head in hushed tones, almost reverent of the structure. She cocked her head to look at him a moment before she flew inside and vanished into the shadows. Stepping carefully inside Xavier caught his breath at the sight. The central anvil still lingered in the middle of the floor, cracked and covered in rust but it bore runes, runes that matched others throughout the building and they seemed to bear the thrum of magic still. The place bore witness to the majesty the building once held. A relic of time when the master smiths of the Sylmyrian people forged powerful weapons that could carve through enchanted steel as if butter, and armor that could defy dragon¡¯s fire itself. Scattered across the floor are fragments of rusted, twisted metal. Forgotten weapons and tools left unfinished, as if the forge was abandoned in a single moment of calamity. Piles of coal, now covered in moss, line the walls, and the ground is littered with the broken remains of tools heavy enough that only a giant might wield them. A cold, ghostly wind whistles through the cracks, carrying the faint scent of smoke and iron, as though the forge itself remembers the fires it once held. Even in its ruin, there¡¯s a strange warmth emanating from the ancient stone hearth, hinting at embers that may still flicker, deep within. Aelriva paused at the great anvil and rested a small shifting hand on its broken form a quick glance at Ella as she did so was missed by Xavier in his awe of the rest of the structure. She lingered only a moment as Ella joined her mimicking her gesture and then they both moved away and about the interior of the building. Xavier gathered some of the broken metal but lacking any real way to work the pieces he simply sat them in a stack near the remains of the smelter and walked back out into the sunlight. It took several days spent in the budding settlement each passing as the one before. Xavier would often stop and stare at the forge as they passed it. The golems tore down buildings under the watchful eye of Aelriva, careful to avoid the forge and Hearthstead Hall. Aelriva spoke each morning with Xavier to get guidance on what he wanted done. And the pair of Ella and Xavier prowled the forests edge gathering herbs and managing to shoot a few of the deerlike creatures adding to their stock of drying meat and hides. Xavier still had intense dreams of different scenarios ranging from him sitting on a throne to dying starving and alone in the darkness. Each dream still had flashes of those haunting eyes and bright red hair but never more than just a hint of the goddess to whom they belonged. He would often wake from those dreams shuddering and wondering if the goddess was toying with him or his imagination was just running that wild given the changes he had experienced. Finally, after five days had passed, Xavier stood in rough leather breeches and a loose leather tunic. His work on replacing arrows for Ella had increased his skill with crafting another three points. To go with that his nightly struggles in making the leather garments, a pair of waterskins, a single bag for carrying provisions and a new quiver for Ella had granted him the leatherworker skill as well. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Crafting level 5. Every tool and item in this world are made by something. You now climb within the ranks of those crafters. Will you stall with the most basic of tools or will you rise to craft wonderous pieces of jewelry and tools that will shape the world? +10% to crafted items, +10% to crafted tools. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Leatherworking level 2. You¡¯ve mastered the art of¡­ not cutting yourself (as much) while working with leather. At this level, you can create basic pouches, straps, and other questionable-quality items that smell faintly of burnt flesh. But hey, everyone starts somewhere, right? Just don¡¯t get too ambitious and try making anything with ¡°fancy¡± buckles. +4% to crafted item quality, -4% to weight of crafted items. They were ready he felt, in the morning they would gather up their smoked and dried meat and some of the other vegetables and mushrooms. Then head towards the river and on to Bramblegate. Hopefully, there he would be able to find some people who would be willing to brave the woods and start a new village. As he leaned against the doorway into the Hearthstead Hall, Xavier sat, spear across his lap. Though he hadn¡¯t gotten any further skill improvements in his cooking, he assumed it was because he wasn¡¯t making anything more challenging than skewered meat and veg, tonight¡¯s dinner was filling and satisfying. His eyes scanned the darkness of the clearing, most of the ruins around the hall he was residing in had been cleared. Tomorrow they would set out for the village of Bramblegatr and then the drive to rebuild his own village would begin in earnest. Chapter Eleven - Walk in the Woods Xavier slept, his mind reeling with dreams again. Myriad possibilities spread before him, begging for him to select a path, and then it happened. One of the possibilities was a familiar wood cabin room with a single table and two chairs. One of those chairs was occupied though and the woman turned to face him. Her eyes were replaced by what appeared to be bottomless pits lit with numerous pinpoints of light. Strangely, though he knew that should disturb him deeply, he felt comforted and trapped in those eyes. Breaking from their gaze a few moments later he refocused on her face, framed by vermillion curls, he recognized Danu from their discussion before he came to Arath. Xavier stepped forward and was suddenly within the cabin once again, he made his way over to the chair and sat down across from the Goddess. So many questions formed on the tip of his tongue he had no idea where to start. ¡°Well, you have surprised me in your choices so far Alex, or should I call you Xavier now?¡± Her voice was silken and sweet to his ears, holding all the warmth and allure of a trusted friend and confidant. ¡°Barely two weeks in the world and already you have mastered a nexus and become a master of some ruins.¡± She laughed softly before leaning forward to rest one elbow on the table and cup her chin in her palm. ¡°And when you wake, you are going to go villager hunting as well. Very busy indeed.¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know how much of that has been my doing and how much was your prodding me in the right direction.¡± He replied earnestly. The thought had been gnawing at him since he had really examined and updated his attributes, but he had no way to ask her, until now. ¡°Oh, it''s all been you. Yes, there are prophecies and foretelling¡¯s that speak of an individual such as yourself, but fate can be funny that way. Just because something is fated to happen doesn¡¯t mean it will happen at a certain time or by a specific individual. You are a nexus, you could be the one who answers my hopes in stabilizing this world, or you could hide away in a little forest cave and never become more. If that happens then it falls to another to make the attempt and possibly fail. Come now, I know you read what the Norns and Fates were said to say about it. Where do you think the inspiration came from?¡± Those last words gave him pause and he cocked his head slightly as he studied her. She smiled gently at him and nodded as if to affirm what she had said. ¡°You mean you inspired legends in my world?¡± He asked her with a slight quiver in his voice, how long had she been involved in the affairs of Earth, weren¡¯t gods myths? Her smile widened slightly, and she shook her head gently. ¡°Now is not the time to discuss that, Xavier. Explore, grow, and learn more about the world you inhabit. It will answer some of your questions though I imagine you will have more for me when next we meet.¡± He grasped at that concept. ¡°So, we will meet again? This isn¡¯t just chance or a dream. I¡¯m actually here talking with you?¡± She laughed softly again. ¡°Fate defined is fate changed. Chances are likely we will meet again but to say one way or another changes the strands of your future. And who¡¯s to say your being here isn¡¯t in your dreams? How better to meet with a god simply?¡± He slumped back in his chair her words only raising more questions that he was now sure she wouldn¡¯t answer, not yet at least. ¡°I see.¡± He groused. ¡°I do have to thank you for bringing me to Arath though. I¡¯ve felt more alive and happier there than I ever did back on Earth. It¡¯s been a wonderful experience so far, even with the monsters and fighting.¡± She smiled gently at him once again and rested her fingertips on his forearm. ¡°I had a feeling you would feel that way. It''s why I chose you. Our time is nearly over though, and you should wake for your travels rested, not worrying about what was said here.¡± Her touch filled him with warmth and comfort and his eyes began to close. ¡°I¡¯m watching you Xavier, don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± With those words in his head, he slipped into the silent void of dreamless sleep, where the world faded to shadows, and even the whispers of thought fell away into deep, unbroken stillness. And Xavier slept deeply until he was woken by Ella nudging him with her foot again. It had become her usual way to wake him when the sun started rising in the morning. However, he rose quickly this morning as it marked the start of their newest adventure. He was excited to set out and the pair moved about quickly gathering their waterskins, weapons, and a variety of foodstuffs including dried meat, berries, and veg. Their pouches stuffed to bursting they bid farewell to Aelriva, who could not leave the area and thus would remain behind to continue Xavier¡¯s will before they turned towards the east and the river that would guide them to Bramblegate. He had figured out that it was spring in this part of the world. The mornings were cool and crisp but warmed to a pleasant comfortable temperature by midmorning and continued that way until dusk fell. A slight but playful breeze sang in the branches bringing birdsong and the ever-growing murmur of the nearby water as they walked. It was a good day to travel Xavier thought to himself. He breathed deeply enjoying the fresh air fragrant with the scents of the forest, wildflowers, and young leaves, underscored by the earthen aroma of the dew-soaked soil. They broke free of the surrounding trees, discovering the shore of the meandering flow that was the Silverflow River. It was deep and wide in this area. Its waters flowed roughly from the southwest to the northeast as if to guide them precisely to where they were told to go. The first day passed relatively quietly. They were able to hunt several small rabbits to supplement their dried meat and increase the number of hides they had to trade with as well. Ella pointed out other plants that could be harvested as food even if they had no real herbal value. Another night of skewered cooking though made Xavier reaffirm the need to get cooking supplies such as pots and pans and some sort of grill when they got to the town. This continued the relatively peaceful progress for several more days. On the night of the third day out from their settlement, they were splitting the night for watch once more Xavier sat on a stone at the edge of the firelight and peered out into the darkness. The air had cooled once more so he stayed close enough to be warmed by the flame but far enough away that he didn¡¯t lose his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He had been sitting in this fashion for several hours now and it wouldn¡¯t be long before he woke Ella to take her turn when he noticed it. The woods had gone silent, besides the whisper of the wind in the trees there were no other sounds. He leaned forward as he looked about, straining to hear anything that might indicate the sudden change. The woods remained eerily quiet and still. Even the breeze seemed to calm as if the whole world was holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come. There, off to his left, away from the river and deeper in the woods he heard the sudden howls. Tensing, as he still remembered the creatures that chased him during his first days in the world. He tightened his grip on his spear and moved over to wake Ella. He held a finger to his lips as her eyes opened and then motioned to his ear before indicating the direction the noise had come from. She rose quickly and scooped up her bow, an arrow nocked to the string in moments as she sought to hear what had prompted him to wake her. It wasn¡¯t long before she heard them as well. They looked at each other, silently debating the relative safety of the fire or the desire to investigate the threat. Before they both crept into the undergrowth moving as quietly as possible towards the ruckus. As they came closer to the howls they increased in frequency before changing instead to barking and snarling. Whimpers of pain and a thunderous roar suddenly drown out the noises briefly. The duo paused both looking alarmed as they reconsidered their choice. That did not sound small, nor like something they could or even should help. However, if something dangerous was close to their budding home they knew they needed to investigate. It was not much longer before the scent of blood hung coppery in the air and they came to a clearing. In the center of it, a large black cat stood, its body covered with deep wounds, the blood matting its fur and slowing its movements. Around the beast were several broken bodies of the same wolf-like creatures that Xavier remembered but three still harried the dying creature. Xavier moved to head back to the fire, hoping to avoid being noticed by either type of beast when Ella rested a hand on his shoulder and pointed. Cowering between the paws of the large cat was a small black bundle of fur. A baby of the creature obviously and it was clearly terrified of its pending fate. Ella scowled slightly pointing at the closest canine as she spoke, ¡°Shardfangs.¡± They watched as the canines spread out, once again circling the cat and causing it to dance about trying to face the remaining ones all at once. When one of them darted forward from the cat¡¯s right side, aiming to snap at the cub, the feline''s great paw caught it and tossed it nearly a dozen feet away in a desperate blow. The strike was enough to throw the beast but not enough to cut through the armor of its scaled shoulders. That attack proved to be just a little bit too much however and it overbalanced before collapsing to the ground. Its body still offered protection to the cub which still huddled near its parent as it struggled to get back to its feet seeking the only solace that it knew. As Xavier watched, waiting for the expected end and lamenting the death of such a young beast an arrow flashed into view sinking into the side of one of the shardfangs sinking into a gap between the scales as it moved and drew its attention. Xavier glanced at Ella as she nocked another arrow and his eyes went wide, ¡°What are you doing?¡± He demanded hefting his spear in one hand and quickly drawing the dagger. ¡°Even if we kill the wolves, shardfangs, whatever they are, the cat is still going to die.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Yes,¡± she hissed as she sighted another wolf and loosed the arrow. ¡°That does not mean the cub has to die though. It is old enough to live without her, especially if we take care of it. I have never seen their like in these woods so it must be something rare or new to the area.¡± Xavier frowned as he weighed their odds. He was still not a strong or confident warrior, not enough to face three large wolves even if he had Ella¡¯s help, but she had already committed them with her actions, and he moved to protect her while she shot. The first wolf she had hit was drawing close now and he could see the blood that soaked the fur around its mouth. A mouth that when opened revealed deadly sharp teeth waiting to sink into soft human flesh. Gritting his teeth, Xavier set his feet and thrust the spear forward. The shardfang nimbly sidestepped the thrust and continued forward. A second wolf moved up behind it and circled to the other side. It was rewarded with an arrow sprouting from its hindquarters where the scales were less plentiful. ¡°You had better do something. I am running out of arrows Xavier.¡± Ella gasped as she nocked one of her few remaining. ¡°Use the knife it is more likely to cut the scales than your spear.¡± Growling softly Xavier stepped back, narrowly avoiding the gnashing teeth as the wolf charged him. As it ran past, he lashed out with the dagger his heart already sinking realizing there was no way he was going to be fast enough to hit it this time when a long wound opened in its side and the dagger, for a moment at least, seemed long enough to be a sword. He only had a moment to register the surprise before the second wolf was in his face. He jammed the spear sideways into the beast''s mouth saving his flesh, but the wood snapped in two as the wolf bit down savagely. That was enough of a gap to let him drive the, now once again, dagger into the creature''s eye. The sharp blade sunk deep and penetrated the wolf¡¯s brain sending it twitching to the ground. Stumbling at the change in weight pulling his hand forward before he could free the blade, he jerked backward, and the knife slipped free from the beast¡¯s skull. Ella had sunk her last arrows into the wolf that still stalked around the cat pulling its attention to them as well. Bloodied it moved forward warily as Xavier turned searching for the first beast. He was too slow however and pain exploded in his body when the charging wolf crashed into him. The large wolf bore him to the ground exacerbating the damage caused by the initial impact. Xaver gasped as its weight drove the air from his lungs and he struggled to keep the snapping teeth from his face. The hot fetid breath of the monster flowed around Xavier making him gag as he tried to regain his breath and fight back. Lacking the staff he had before to prevent the wolf''s teeth from finding flesh Xavier shoved his forearm into the maw of the canine. He screamed as the sharp teeth dug into the meat of his forearm and struck the underlying bone. Luck held with him as they didn¡¯t crack under the pressure. His other hand, still holding the dagger flailed wildly stabbing the oddly sharp blade clean through the scales on the torso of the wolf, covering him and it in more blood until the wolf huffed roughly, its jaws still locked on Xavier¡¯s arm, and collapsed atop him. The lone surviving wolf slowly came to the realization that the rest of its hunting pack lay dead or dying and raised its head letting loose a long slow howl before it turned and ran off into the forest, three of Ella¡¯s arrows still protruding from its sides. As the battle ended Xavier received an increasingly familiar sound and prompt. Ding! You have slain a level 5 Shardfang wolf. x 2 +250 Experience. Ella rushed to where Xavier lay pinned beneath the wolf''s corpse and helped pry its jaws, locked even in death, open and roll the body off of the man. Gingerly he got to his feet with her assistance and looked about the carnage. Holding his wounded arm close to his body he fished around in his pouches looking for some of the forest sage, hoping to slow the bleeding before wrapping it in what little cloth they had scavenged from his old clothes. Hesitantly he glanced up to the corner of his vision and saw that between the tackle and bites, he had just over a quarter of his health left. ¡°Too close again,¡± he thought to himself. ¡°I need to do better. Or maybe get better gear. I am just a punching bag as it is now.¡± Glancing at his arm he revised his thought. ¡°Well, more a chew toy I guess.¡± He looked to Ella. ¡°Are you all right?¡± He asked as he looked her over. She didn¡¯t appear to have been touched and other than the light sheen of sweat from the fight she was whole and intact. ¡°They did not get close to me and the last one ran off.¡± She replied as she started retrieving what arrows she could. When she got close to the large cat though it lifted its head slowly. Blood loss and exertion had taken a mortal toll on the beast, and it watched her with its piercing violet eyes already starting to glaze over though the intelligence behind them had not yet dimmed. Around where its paws lay on the ground the little cub still climbed and began to mewl softly. Xavier moved over to Ella¡¯s side, and they studied the cat. The fight over and the cat merely lying gave them ample opportunity to actually get a good look at its features. Beyond the unsettling depth of its dying gaze, the creature was a marvel to behold. Its fur was a deep obsidian black, with faint, shifting patterns that resemble trails of smoke or constellations scattered across its hide shifted as it moved giving the impression of a roiling shadow. One other feature truly made it stand out from other beasts; it had a twin pair of tails each ending in a wicked barb. They lay still upon the ground now, further indication that the cat was dying and too weak to react. Xavier noted the pain in the cat¡¯s eyes and hesitantly moved closer. A soft growl rumbled in the beast and the little cub arched its back hissing slightly. Gently Xavier held out a hand soft gentle murmurs parting his lips as he carefully moved close enough for the adult cat to smell his fingers. Its lips curled back a moment then its body slumped, and it leaned its head into his hand. It seemed to understand it was dying and that he wasn¡¯t a threat. Slowly it lowered its great head and nuzzled the cub for a few moments before its jaw settled on the ground. It closed its eyes released a long slow breath, and stopped moving. Xavier stood up slowly, tears in his eyes at seeing such a magnificent creature pass from the world. He looked to Ella and then to the cub. It could potentially survive on its own but he had his doubts. As if reading his mind Ella came to his side and pulled the dagger from where he had sheathed it. She moved to one of the wolf corpses and cut several small strips of meat from the body. She brought them back to Xavier and, after cleaning the blade, sheathed the dagger for him before holding out one of the strips. Xavier took the strip of meat from Ella and knelt again. His slowly mending arm held close to his body so it wouldn¡¯t be mistaken with the fresh cut flesh, he held the meat out in his good hand towards the cub. Hesitantly, still mewling for its parent to react, it moved towards the proffered food, sniffed it, and then started to gnaw on the morsel. A deep rumbling purr emitted from the cub as it ate its fill. As the sun broke the horizon, the blood had stopped dripping from his arm, the wounds mostly closed, and his hit points recovered from repeated mouthfuls of the healing herb. He was getting sick of the ¡°furry¡± taste of the herb despite its obvious positive effects. Together with Ella they diligently spent the wee hours of the morning and well into midmorning skinning the wolves and harvesting edible meat from them. One of the hides was scraped as clean as possible and bound around the cuts of flesh to preserve and protect it as much as possible. They left the body of the large cat in peace though and the cub would alternately go between sleeping between its still paws and following the two as they went about their work. Xavier took the time, as well, to craft another dozen arrows to supplement the four Ella had been able to recover and another spear. All their work completed, the duo looked to the body of the cat and then to the cub. Xavier had kept feeding it small scraps of meat while they had worked and it increasingly seemed to trust him, for now. They picked up their belongings and moved to head back towards the river when the cub yowled causing them to pause and look back. It stared at what was most likely it mother and yowled again. When the corpse didn¡¯t move the cub moved to nuzzle its head against the larger one of the adult beast, obviously without any reaction. It yowled once more in clear distress as it padded softly over to Xavier staring up at the human. Xavier crouched down and reached out, the cub allowed itself to be comforted with gentle petting and being scratched behind its ears before it moved over and rubbed against his leg. Xavier smiled sadly towards Ella. ¡°It seems we can¡¯t just leave it behind now.¡± She smiled back and nodded her assent before Xavier scooped the cub into his arms. It weighed more than its stature would have indicated, much to his surprise, but he held it with little difficulty as they started their walk. ¡°So, you have no idea what type of cat this is?¡± Xavier asked of Ella. ¡°You knew the wolves readily enough.¡± ¡°The wolves are not uncommon in these woods. I have never seen a cat like that one before, however. It must have been migrating through the area with the adult when the wolves found it. Maybe someone at Bramblegate or Aelriva might know what it is.¡± She replied, she was more wary now having fought with the wolves and one of them escaping. Her eyes roamed the trees while they walked, and she kept an arrow on the string just in case. Xavier trailed her, the cub cradled in one arm and his other hand holding the shaft of the spear to his shoulder. His mind wandered back over the fight with the wolves, and he pondered how he could have done things differently and maybe saved himself some pain when one moment stuck out in his memory. How exactly had he cut the first wolf when it ran past him in the beginning? He knew he had been too far away for the dagger to hit it and it seemed like the weapon had changed length to permit the strike but that couldn¡¯t be possible could it? He glanced down at the sheathed blade at his side, no it was still only dagger length. He mulled on it for a while as they walked then raised his voice. ¡°Ella, when we were fighting the wolves there was a moment when I am certain your dagger was longer than it should be. It allowed me to cut a wolf that I should not have been able to reach.¡± She paused, stopping in the middle of the path refusing to meet his eyes for several minutes. Finally, she looked back at him. ¡°That would be because it is an enchanted blade. There is more to it than just being a dagger. It is an ethyr¡¯vael a soul or essence blade. I found it in the ruins. I think it might be the pinnacle of creation that the Sylmyrian people made, weapon-wise at least, or so Aelriva would have me believe.¡± She smiled weakly at him now that she had admitted the origin of the blade as far as she was aware. ¡°I did not lie when I said it was mine though. I found it there and thought you could do better with it. Who knows maybe you will find out more about it as it comes to know and trust you better. Legends speak of soul blades in this world that can do wonderful things. I just do not know the blade fully myself.¡± ¡°By the gods,¡± Xavier thought to himself. ¡°They are surely just toying with me now. There is no way this is all happenchance, not the settlement, Ella, Aelriva, this bloody knife, and now a strange cat cub following me around. I know Danu said I was a nexus, but this is too much.¡± He moved over to the edge of the path and sat on a large stone reeling in the overwhelming thoughts that pressed down upon his consciousness. He needed time. He needed to actually process everything that had come to pass since he was offered the choice by the goddess, to come to grips with the changes that had taken the place of his simple life back on Earth. He needed time to just think. The cub, forgotten in his arms as life overwhelmed him mewled and pushed its head against his chest. Unthinkingly he let go of the spear and began to scritch the little beast''s head. Ella simply watched him and the woods. She knew her words had shaken him deeply. She didn¡¯t blame him either, from what he had told her and what she had seen, his life had been completely upended, roiled about, shaken up, and then jammed back down in this world. She began to carefully roam about near where he sat, eyes watchful for danger, while he was lost in his head. His eyes were semi-vacant as he had taken on a thousand-yard stare lost in his self-doubt and fear. His features twisted every so often as a new train of thought took over but each time they stilled back into the vacant lost expression. Several hours, passed as he sorted out his thoughts. Mechanically he kept appeasing the demanding cub, Ella retrieving meat for him to feed it, as she passed by in her watchful duties. Sometime around mid-afternoon, there was a change. An oddly warm breeze blew down from the north and on it was an instantly recognizable aroma, smoke. Xavier was immediately shaken from his stupor and lurched to his feet, the motion dumping a squawking cub from his lap, and he took off running down the path until he came to a rise. In the distance still, at least a day''s walk from where they were rose a huge plume of smoke. Its base was lit with a terrible orange glow. In his mind, he could hear and see the flames flickering. A cold lump developed in his gut as Ella and the cub joined him on the hillock. Bramblegate was burning. The two shared a look, they had slowly become able to understand each other more through just that gesture, Xavier scooped up the cub and they began to run. Chapter Twelve - Bramblegate Xavier and Elle ran as fast as they could for as long as they could. Every time Xavier¡¯s stamina bar started to bottom out his body felt like his limbs were made of lead, forcing him to slow to a walk until it recovered. Ella kept pace with him as he ran, and they would trade carrying the cub back and forth between rests. Despite their pace, it took them through the day and into the next night before they could see the remains of Bramblegate. The closer they drew to the smoke the stronger its scent became, after a while however, that was compounded with other smells, blood, viscera, and death hung heavy in the air as well. The area glowed with harsh red and yellow light lending to its embodiment of what Xavier could only call a hellscape. The walls around the village were breached in several locations, the wood and stone collapsed into heaps of rubble giving easy passage into the interior. The fires had mostly diminished leaving small flames, glowing embers, and twisted wreckage where once sturdy homes and businesses once stood. Even the docks to the river were in disarray and mostly collapsed into the water flowing past the village. Devastation had come to Bramblegate and left it a shell of what it had been. A light rain started to fall as the duo crept through the forest edge seeking a vantage point to inspect the village and soon found a small rise closer to the river and well away from the path that had led them to the village initially. What they saw was heart-wrenching. Bodies lay where they had been struck down indiscriminately, man, woman, and even child. There were bodies clad in chain and leather armor lying in the detritus of the battle as well, but they were much less common. The army that had struck had clearly been the superior and surprise force. The destroyed village was not vacant however, as Xavier and Ella soon discovered, there were elements of the force that had attacked the village still loitering about. Great caged wagons held motley collections of various peoples all bound hand and foot before tightly packed into the locked confines. All looked downtrodden and disheveled many with fresh wounds, only the worst of which had been bound with soiled cloth as bandages. As they watched they heard other sounds, crying and screaming coming from various parts of the village, distinctly female voices for the most part. Xavier¡¯s blood ran cold upon hearing those noises and he looked to Ella to see the horror and determination on her face matched his own. Setting the cub down in the protective undergrowth Xavier drew the strange dagger. Crouching and moving as carefully as possible he and Ella crept toward the closest gap in the devastated wall and snuck into the village. The streets were a more horrifying conglomeration of charred wood, bodies, blood, and gore than outside of the walls. The two stepped gingerly around to avoid stepping in viscera or tripping over the other filth on the ground. Xavier, driven by the crying, moved towards the closest sound. It took several minutes to navigate the debris clogging the streets before he was able to peer around a corner of an intact stone building. What he saw confirmed his fears, a sobbing young woman was held facedown over a stack of semi-broken barrels. Behind her, his trousers around his ankles stood one of the invaders. The rhythmic thrusting of his hips left no doubt about his actions. The woman''s sobs were only broken by occasional louder cries of pain. Ella drew her bow upwards starting to pull the string to her cheek when Xavier placed a hand on her arm, halting her action. She glared at him and gestured to the tableau before them angrily. Neither one spoke for fear of rousing the attention of the otherwise distracted invader, but Xavier shook his head and held up the dagger before pointing. Ella narrowed her eyes at him then finally relented and nodded her head slightly. Leaving her behind in the relative cover of the building, Xavier moved slowly as he tried to be as careful and quiet as possible. He guiltily took comfort that the woman¡¯s suffering only served to keep the man distracted to his coming just dues. It was that distraction, the invader blithely believing that the village had been secured and they were just left to sweep the remaining villagers up, and in his case enjoy the spoils, that left him unaware until it was too late to react. The point of Xavier¡¯s dagger buried into the side of the man¡¯s throat, Xavier¡¯s other hand rising to pull the invader''s head backward exposing the soft flesh more. Sawing the blade roughly Xavier tore the man''s throat out and a sanguine fountain erupted over the sobbing form held to the barrels. The man gurgled out, his eyes rolling back into his head as he slumped to the ground freeing the woman from all his control. As he did so Xavier moved around to kick sharply between his legs crushing the offending member that now hung limp there. Ding! You have killed a level 6 warrior. +180 Exp. The sudden change of her situation caused the young woman, a human girl of maybe seventeen, to search for what was happening. Looking over her shoulder as she slowly rose, she saw the anger etched in Xavier¡¯s face and started to scream again before he raised a finger to his lips in the universal gesture of silence. He pointed to the dead invader¡¯s dropped sword and motioned for the girl to grab it. Once she had, and adjusted her dress to cover herself once again, he led her back to where Ella was still hiding. The girl sobbed and clutched to the woman in new hope as Xavier moved off once again following the noises of suffering. They moved further into the village following similar sounds to find a halfling youth being similarly abused by one invader while a second invader laughed while he kicked an oddly shaped ball around the alleyway. Ella¡¯s arrow sprouting from the soccer-playing solder drew the sudden attention from the first just before Xavier¡¯s blade sunk into his armpit driving deeply into the flesh and through his heart. The halfling ran to where the second invader lay dying and scooped the ball up. As Xavier moved closer, he noticed it wasn¡¯t a ball at all but the severed head of a female halfling. It was then he saw her body lying crumpled and blood-soaked against the alley wall. Tears streaming down his face the halfling lad gently set the head in the woman¡¯s lap before pulling the short sword out of the scabbard of the invader who had been abusing her. His face a rictus of anger he began to flail wildly at the man''s body hacking it roughly to pieces in his outrage. Ding! You have killed a level 5 warrior. +150 Exp. Ding! You have killed a level 6 warriorr. +180 Exp. After the young halfling had vented his rage upon the corpse he turned his tear and blood-soaked face towards his rescuers as if challenging them to say something. Xavier met his gaze for a few moments then gestured for him to follow. The abuse of the first two played out several more times as they continued their grim march through the remains of the village. The most disturbing one was when they came upon the female Gan Ceann victim. It surprised Xavier at first having fought the one in the cave several days ago, he hadn¡¯t realized it was not a monster race but a people. She had been caught by a pair of invaders. One had his foot on the back of her headless shoulders pinning her body to the ground for the other¡¯s ease. Both were laughing and joking while they had their sport and were too distracted to notice Xavier and a human lad moving into position behind them. Her head had been sitting on the ground between the invader''s legs and she had seen Xavier moving closer which led to her gasping and almost calling out before he gestured her silence. She now carried her head in one hand as her other held the invader¡¯s mace. It was not long before Xavier and Ella had eight in total following them. The original young human woman was named Cynthia. The halfling lad had said his name was Loram. The Gan Ceann woman had introduced herself as Tethra. There were four more women, a human named Hedra; a halfling known as Marnie; a dwarven lass who answered to Rilsa; and a humanoid wolf, one of the Animari, by the name of Darra. The lone additional male was a young human by the name of Ferran. The motley crew was grim, their clothes and weapons coated in the blood of their abusers and vengeance hung in the air around them with a physical presence. Xavier had gotten the experience prompt for an additional fifteen dead invaders ranging in levels from five through a singular level nine, who had required Xavier and two others to take down. Partway through he was awarded with an unexpected but satisfying event. A crescendo of chimes rang through his ears. Hark and Hear! You have ascended in level. You are now level 4! Humans are granted 4 attribute points to distribute. Blessings of the Gods (Danu) has increased this to 6 attribute points. You will have 3 days to assign these points else they will be randomly assigned for you. Go forth, seek glory, seek love, LIVE! He dismissed the information for now, he could deal with the new points later when he was safe and had finished the grim work the village had provided him. The noise of the remaining fires blended with the screams of the dying and tortured, that and just general overconfidence of the remaining invaders left Xavier and his small group to skulk almost wraithlike through the village, as far as unskilled, untested individuals could sneak with such a trait that environment that is. They made plenty of noise and stumbled more than once but the conditions led to their being unnoticed by the last remaining invaders. Six larger warriors clad in the same chain and leather as the other invaders milled about with another man in scale armor. They were clustered around the pair of cage wagons filled with the last survivors of the attack. Xavier¡¯s scowl grew, and he did not like the odds, even though his group was slightly larger the numbers were too skewed in the favor of the attackers. Catching the shoulder of the young and still rage-filled halfling he pulled his small group back several streets away. ¡°We need a plan, I don¡¯t think we can take the whole of them by surprise the way we have been, there are too many of them,¡± Xavier stated plainly. ¡°I have no intention of saving you all just to deliver you back to them or death.¡± The anger ebbed slightly from the collection of faces staring at him as he spoke, ebbed but didn¡¯t vanish completely. They still had a need to exact revenge for not only what had happened to them but for the sake of their destroyed village, lost loved ones, and disrupted way of life. Xavier moved quietly back through the streets to observe the wagons and their guards once more. It was evident that they were not leaving in the immediate future which gave him time to think and possibly prepare. As he returned to where he had left the others, he noticed the fallen body of one of the invaders. The corpse still was clad in armor. He wondered if that was why the others had not left yet. In games, armor was at least somewhat valuable, and he couldn¡¯t imagine the invaders leaving such behind. He smiled wickedly as a plan slowly started to take form. The night wore on and as it did the weather took a turn for the worse, clouds opening in a deluge of rain that all but snuffed out the remaining fires and quenched their dying embers. Galdrik, the nominal commander of the remaining invaders swore under his breath. He was still missing some of his men and they should have been back an hour ago. He spit to the side as he realized why they were probably taking so long. He didn¡¯t begrudge the men their fun, it had been a brutal if lopsided fight to subjugate the village. But it wasn¡¯t like they couldn¡¯t entertain themselves when they next made camp, there were plenty of captives to pick from after all. He was just about to send several of the nearby men to go round up the lollygaggers when a small group finally emerged from down one of the side streets. Their presence had been masked by the driving rain until they were almost on top of him. He squinted through the darkness and was reassured by their armor even if he couldn¡¯t see their faces yet. ¡°Good,¡± Galdrik thought to himself. ¡°Now we can get moving and leave this place to the crows.¡± It was a good distance to Ironhaven and the sooner the slaver was away from the scene of the attack the safer he would feel. He whistled shrilly and two of his crew took up guide ropes for the oxen that were harnessed to the wagons, starting them in motion down the road. By Galdrik¡¯s estimate, he would be able to catch up to the rest of the company by the time they camped that night. He watched as the last group that emerged from the village fell into step behind the wagons before turning and heading to the front of the small caravan. Xavier couldn¡¯t believe it had worked so far, no one had challenged their arrival or them just falling in with the group. Sure, they had all dressed in the garb of the fallen invaders but the majority of that was ill-fitting and would be more of a hindrance than benefiting the individual who wore it, but the other invaders swallowed the gambit hook, line, and sinker. He moved over to Cynthia¡¯s side and spoke softly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we have before they will realize we are not their friends. Can you get close to the wagon and somehow let them know we¡¯re here to help? Make sure they stay quiet, or this will go horribly.¡± He whispered to her. She nodded once and moved to the back of the closest wagon causing those interred within to shrink back from the bars trying to avoid her. Pulling her hood back briefly so they could see her face she motioned for them to keep quiet and beckoned one of them, a large male Gan Ceann closer. He shifted and then set his head on the floorboards of the wagon near where she walked. She relayed Xavier''s message to him quickly and as quietly as she could before falling back to walk with the rest of the disguised group. Once she had rejoined them Xavier inhaled deeply, it was time to become some big damn hero he supposed. The remaining invaders were spaced about the two wagons. None of them walking too close to one another which should make what he was attempting to do easier. ¡°As if slipping up behind skilled warriors and simply cutting their throats was a simple much less easy task to do, even if you ignored the fact that it was outright murder.¡± He thought to himself. He had been doing that a lot lately. Funny how coming to a new world made you more introspective. He moved as casually as possible forward, his eyes on the closest invaders to his first target. They all seemed to be hunched into their cloaks and hoods taking what shelter was possible in the rain. Xavier held the dagger against his forearm to hide its slight gleam as he drew closer to the first individual. The last couple of steps were a rush as he threw his arm around the man¡¯s waist and reached to drag the edge of the blade over his throat. Holding the struggling form upright as it flailed and tried to make a noise beyond the wetly whistling gurgle from its ruined neck Xavier slowly lowered it to the ground as the eyes on the captives locked on him. Cynthia¡¯s words were just now making the rounds of the huddled group, and they were shocked to see one of the invaders killing their own but kept to the silence requested. Ding! You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Subterfuge level 1. Subterfuge is the fine art of deception, misdirection, and subtle manipulation. Masters of this skill can pick locks, forge documents, disarm traps, and tell lies so convincing they could sell ice to a frost giant. Whether slipping unnoticed into a noble¡¯s treasury or planting rumors to topple a kingdom, subterfuge is the go-to skill for anyone who prefers cunning over brute force. Of course, if subtlety isn''t your thing, you could just call it "being shady" and move on. Xavier¡¯s grin grew at the prompt, and he moved to slip around the back of the wagon seeking the back of his next target. He was able to mimic the procedure several more times. One of the disguised men rescued from the village took the wagon rope when Xavier killed the invader leading it. The steady prompting filled his head with each death. Ding! You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Ding! You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp. Ding! You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp. All appeared to be going according to plan, that was until he came to the fifth invader. As luck would have it, the weather¡¯s long chill had given the man a runny nose, resulting in a sneeze right as Xavier struck for his throat. The knife sliced through the bridge of his nose and across his cheek but did not make for a mortal blow. The man lashed out with an elbow catching Xavier in the stomach and doubled him over before yelling out the alarm. The slaver known as Galdrik spun hearing the hew and cry from the wounded invader. Both he and the last uninjured raider spun to see the cause. Their hands reached for weapons, the one guiding the first wagon dropping the rope to pull a short sword, and Galdrik unslinging a heavy axe. Xavier had dropped to his knees winded from the strike. An arrow flashed through the air and glanced off the heavy armor Galdrik wore, and a soft curse could be heard from the back of the convoy where Ella was already drawing another arrow. Anger and desperation drove a call of vengeance from the throats of the disguised villagers, and they hefted weapons taken from the dead in unskilled but willing hands and ran toward the remaining three individuals who had caused so much pain and loss. Holding a hand to his bloodied face the invader who had elbowed Xavier reached for the mace hanging at his belt intending to crush the head of the man who would dare injure him. The long wooden handle slipped free of its leather loop, and he raised the weapon over his head. Xavier looked up still gasping for breath and saw the impending doom. Lurching forward, desperate to avoid the crushing blow of the cruel metal orb, Xavier drove his shoulder into the man¡¯s stomach and lifted him from the ground driving him to the mud. The mace still connected with his lower back, but the strength of the swing was reduced by the change in momentum and direction due to the tackle causing much less damage than intended. Both lost their weapons as the solid ground became a jarring end to their descent. The two men struggled, rolling back and forth for dominance. Though the invader had greater strength, Xavier fought with a determination backed by what horrors he had witnessed, and an iron will to survive. The fight drew on and it was inevitable that Xander¡¯s lesser strength and skill would eventually yield. Eventually, the invader had the young man pinned in the mud and was reaching for his lost mace when he abruptly stopped. Xavier peered into the suddenly confused eyes of the man hovering over him when a gout of blood poured out of the invader¡¯s mouth and covered Xavier¡¯s face and chest in a sanguine spray. The man collapsed atop Xavier, and he was left staring up over the corpse¡¯s shoulder and into the snarling face of the young halfling lad. The youth¡¯s hand still clasping the once again bloodied short sword and had run the invader through from behind. Ding! You have killed a level 8 Slaver Thug. +400 Exp. He was rewarded once again with the crescendo of chimes. Hark and Hear! You have ascended in level. You are now level 5! Humans are granted 4 attribute points to distribute. Blessings of the Gods (Danu) has increased this to 6 attribute points. You will have 3 days to assign these points else they will be randomly assigned for you. Go forth, seek glory, seek love, LIVE! The might of the invaders they were seeking revenge against was great enough that it had propelled him to yet another level. Thank the gods that luck and planning had been holding out for them as this only affirmed the fact that had they attacked head on it would have been a slaughter. He pushed the corpse to the side, his breath slowly returning to normal as he struggled to his feet and sought out his dagger once more. Elsewhere the fight was going poorly. Though Ella was keeping Galdrik occupied with arrows, she had managed to secure better quality ones while they scavenged the corpses in the village, she was not able to keep him from lashing out at the other villagers. Skill and quality of arms and armor granted a seemingly insurmountable advantage for the slaver, while the other invader was swinging his short sword back and forth driving back to two villagers facing off against him. Having recovered the unusual dagger Xavier ran forward to join the pair against the lesser warrior first placing faith in the larger number of attackers and Ella to keep the leader distracted. Xavier swung wildly as the invader shifted to include the new threat in his line of view along with the two villagers. The dagger caught the man¡¯s arm and cut deeply, slicing through the chain armor he wore as if it were lace. The damage drove the man¡¯s hand to spasm, and he lost the grip on his sword leaving him unable to defend himself as the villagers pummeled him with mace and hammer respectively. That left just the leader, Galdrik. His fury only grew as he looked around at those closing in upon him. Ferran moved up to his left holding a sword with both hands, a death grip on the hilt turning his knuckles white. Darra was to Ferran¡¯s left, the long haft of a spear held in her paws. Her yellow eyes narrowed as she snarled at the slaver. Behind them stood Rilsa, a sturdy hammer held tightly in her fist. Xavier approached from the slaver¡¯s back while his attention was held by the others. Galdrik surged forward his heavy axe swinging towards Ferran. Ferran just managed to bring the sword up in front of the axe saving his life but the strength of Galdrik¡¯s swing rang through the sword and knocked it from the young man''s grip. Darra took the opportunity to thrust her spear forward but Galdrik was not new to fighting and had anticipated her movement. He spun to the side raising his arm to turn the spear''s point with one of his bracers, another loud clash of metal ringing out. Sneering the slaver taunted the Animari. ¡°Come now pup, is that all you have?¡± He darted forward, a brutal swing of his axe only avoided thanks to the woman¡¯s natural wolf-like reflexes. He wasn¡¯t however prepared for Rilsa, the young dwarf lass had been apprenticed to the village Blacksmith and her natural strength was only enhanced by the hard labor. She charged in from the side unleashing a loud yell as she slammed the hammer into Galdrik¡¯s side. The impact managed to dent the scales covering his torso and solicited a snarl of pain from the slaver''s lips. He retaliated with a quick slash towards her, the edge of the axe grazing across her shoulder and parting the links of the borrowed chain shirt. She pulled away crying out in pain as her flesh parted where the edge caught skin and muscle. As Galdrik spun with the momentum of the axe he came face to face with Xavier and his dagger. Galdrik raised the axe bringing it down in a diagonal slash to try and cleave the impudent man in two only to have Xavier dive to the side and thrust the dagger into the path of the blow. The enchanted blade sliced clean through the gauntlet of the slaver and drew blood. Galdrik roared in pain, his earlier confidence visibly shaken now, but his skill ensured he was still dangerous. "Keep him busy!" Xavier shouted, locking eyes with Ella. Ella had moved to take a position behind a fallen log, from there she nocked an arrow and took aim. She loosed it with practiced precision, the shaft striking Galdrik in the thigh. He staggered, rage contorting his face, but the wound slowed his movements. "You¡¯ll regret that, wench!" he growled, limping toward her. As Galdrik turned his focus to Ella, Darra struck, and jabbed at his weakened leg, forcing him to stumble. Rilsa, still grimacing in pain, took advantage of his stumble and repaid the wound he had given her. The heavy head of her hammer slammed into Galdrik¡¯s axe arm, and a sickening crunch filled the air. He bellowed in agony as the weapon fell from nerveless fingers. Xavier moved in front of the slaver raising his dagger menacingly. ¡°This is for Bramblegate,¡± he said softly, his voice was steady but cold. With a swift movement, he thrust the dagger upwards into the soft flesh that made up the bottom of the slaver''s jaw. The abnormally sharp blade drove deeply into the man¡¯s head piercing clean into his brain. As Xavier pulled the blade free the slaver crumpled to the ground, his breath rattling within his chest as the light faded from his eyes. Shouts filled the air from the captured villagers still in the cages the noise shaking Xavier from the momentary stupor the fight¡¯s end had resulted in. He quickly crouched and searched through the slaver''s pockets until he found a ring of keys. He tossed them to Ferran who ran to the first of the carts and began fumbling with the lock one of the keys snicked and it opened. He moved back to the second cart and did the same there. Soon there was a large crowd surrounding Xavier and Ella. Villagers stood huddled together in the rain and mud. They stood in small groups comforting one another or grieving together. Xavier counted how many had survived the attack carefully. His final tally left him with forty-eight total villagers: two Gan Ceann, sixteen Humans, eight Dwarves, ten Halflings, six Gnomes, and six various Animari. His eyes traveled back down the path towards where the remains of Bramblegate lay. He didn¡¯t know if all of them would be willing to join him in journeying back to his lands, but he had to offer it at least. He turned his gaze back to the gathering of people and took note of the wariness in their eyes. Sure, he had helped rescue them and slain their captors but for all they knew he was a worse evil. After a few minutes the larger Gan Ceann stepped forward, holding his head with both hands he lifted it to meet Xavier¡¯s eyes studying them a moment before asking a simple question, ¡°Why?¡± Numerous answers sprung to Xander''s tongue. He wanted to save them. He wanted them to come with him. It¡¯s what a hero does. Slavers are evil. All of them sounded hollow on his lips, however. After a while, he simply shrugged slightly and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand by and let what I saw happening just happen. It wasn¡¯t right.¡± Grunting the Gan Ceann tipped his head up and down slightly. ¡°We have nothing to pay you with, most of our goods and money were taken with their larger party. Those were only the ones left behind to clean up and capture any that had tried to hide or flee.¡± He sighed softly lifting his head to look down the road where Xander had before. ¡°It will be hard for those of us left to rebuild, I do not think Bramblegate will survive this time.¡± There, that was the moment Xavier needed. He spoke quickly. ¡°There might be another option. I was coming to your village to see if anybody was willing to help found a new one deeper in the forest. I don¡¯t know that it would be safer, but it is more removed from easy access. I am rebuilding where the ruins of an ancient city used to stand. The place seems to have been forgotten by all, it''s that old. There is plenty of game and land that could be cleared for farming. I just need people willing to relocate and settle there. I am the Lord of those lands and would do everything in my power to keep you safe if you did so.¡± A soft murmur started in the crowd standing behind the Gan Ceann male. Those villagers that Xavier had personally rescued in the city and had fought beside him to save the others had voices that sounded above the others talking about his actions. They seemed to side with trusting the young lord and the more they spoke the more other villagers studied Xavier consideringly. The Gan Ceann male shifted his head to one hand as he scratched his chin with the other, an odd action to witness given the displacement of the body part. Eventually, he lifted his head to his shoulders and settled it in place. ¡°My name is Braegor Voidiron, I am the Blacksmith of Bramblegate but also its Ealdorman. While I do not have cause to distrust you, I do not have cause to fully trust you either. Most of my village was slaughtered or taken, we are the only ones left now. I have no way to muster a force large enough to try and rescue the others. We will be lucky to survive this winter now.¡± His voice was tinged with pain and anger as he spoke. ¡°Can you promise to protect my people? Can you rescue the others?¡± Xavier opened his mouth to speak then paused. He took a few moments to consider his words carefully against what he had just been asked. ¡°No, I cannot promise anything.¡± He raised his hand to forestall any questions. ¡°I do swear to do my best to do so, however. Together we can rebuild not only your people but my settlement. We can make it more than what either of us had. If you support me, I will do everything I can to find your missing family and friends. We can stand together and ensure that slavers and anyone else will think twice before attacking us.¡± As he spoke a new determination settled over him. He paused a moment as a new prompt filled his vision.
You have gained a new trait: Unyielding Liberator Having witnessed the devastating aftermath of a tyrannical assault, your resolve is as unshakable as your blade is sharp. The burning ruins of Bramblegate and the anguished cries of its people etched a singular purpose into your soul: to fight against oppression and to rescue the helpless from the clutches of cruelty. Your actions speak louder than words¡ªwhen faced with the last soldiers enslaving the people of Bramblegate, You and your companions delivered swift justice, leaving no room for mercy. For those who committed unspeakable acts of violence, revenge was precise, personal, and unrelenting. Effect:
  • Strengthened Resolve: Xavier gains a bonus to morale-based rolls and abilities when fighting against slavers, tyrants, or oppressors.
  • Justice Over Mercy: In situations involving the abuse or enslavement of others, Xavier will prioritize swift and decisive action, often at the expense of diplomatic solutions.
  • Fearsome Reputation: Enemies who learn of his deeds are more likely to falter in battle, intimidated by his uncompromising sense of justice.
  • Unbreakable Loyalty: Those he rescues see him as a savior, and his reputation among the oppressed makes him a natural leader and ally to rebel causes.
The collection of villagers started to straighten listening to his words. Their faces lost some of the pain and anguish, it being replaced by a renewed fervor to survive and better yet, take back what was lost and stolen. The murmur of discussion grew in volume until they were shouting along with Xavier swearing to rise and triumph, to build a new life and village, to go forth, seek glory, seek love, and live! Ella moved quietly to stand at Xavier¡¯s side. A smile on her lips as she watched the crowd¡¯s elation build from despair. She looked at Xavier and spoke softly. ¡°Rynthavael, The Blade¡¯s Rebirth. You should name your new settlement in honor of what was lost and what,¡± she gestured to the crowd, ¡°will be a rebirth of not just one but two villages forged into a single entity.¡± The name struck Xavier¡¯s soul like a clarion call, the distinct rightness of the word resounding within him. He raised his hand holding the dagger high and yelled out. ¡°For Rynthavael, for our people!¡± The call was taken up by the villagers as those who had weapons raised them, and those without in turn raised their fists. Xavier¡¯s new trait filled them with a resolve and loyalty that had been lacking moments before. ¡°Rynthavael! Rynthavael! Rynthavael!¡± Three times the word echoed out and the universe answered. Your settlement has grown dramatically. Through your actions with the hostages of Bramblegate you have increased your population by forty-eight souls. This sets you well on the path to one of the goals required to level your settlement. Take care young Lordling such rapid changes can have unexpected consequences of their own. Your trait Unyielding Liberator has improved the loyalty of all villagers rescued from Bramblegate. These villagers have gained a loyalty boost of +2000 loyalty Your overall settlement loyalty has changed from -1000: Unreliable ¨C ¡°They might show up to battle, or they might be off chasing a butterfly. Either way, don¡¯t hold your breath.¡± to 1000: Reliable ¨C ¡°They¡¯ll be there when you need them, no questions asked. They might even bring extra arrows or potions without you reminding them.¡± +6% to settlement crafting, +6% to settlement harvesting, +6% to settlement defense. Your trait Unyielding Liberator has improved the morale of all villagers rescued from Bramblegate. These villagers have gained a morale boost of +1500 morale Your average villager morale has changed from -1000: Miserable - ¡°They look as if they¡¯ve been hexed with a gloom spell. Every task feels like a punishment, and every victory tastes like stale bread.¡± To 500: Delighted ¨C ¡°They¡¯re genuinely enjoying themselves. They¡¯ll toast to you in the tavern and might even brag about being in your settlement.¡± +4% to settlement crafting, +4% to settlement harvesting, +4% to settlement defense. His new talent was a wonder! Just the effects of it alone shifted the loyalty and morale of the villagers he had rescued from pitiful negative effects to positive ones. Plus, it convinced them to join his settlement. He had grown his population by nearly half what he needed to increase the settlement to the next level. He knew he needed to focus on the other tasks for that as well, but he had his own people now. He smiled broadly and moved to sheath his dagger when he paused and studied it. Its prompt had changed since he last looked at it. The border now had a brilliant red tint to it.
You have discovered: Vaeltheris ¡°Eternal Song of the Blade¡± Unique Ethyr¡¯Vael ¡°Soul Forged Blade¡± Item Class: Weapon Item Rarity: Legendary Item Quality: Masterwork Weight: 1kg Durability: Unknown Damage: 30 ¨C 45 Piercing/Slashing Traits: Though it appears sturdy, Vaeltheris is surprisingly light and perfectly balanced, almost as if it moves with the wielder¡¯s intentions rather than their strength. Its weight adjusts slightly to provide the ideal amount of heft for any strike, making it feel like an extension of the wielder¡¯s body. Material: Vaeltheris is forged from a silvery, semi-translucent metal that gleams faintly with an internal light as if housing the embers of a forge within its core. This magical alloy is unbreakable, resistant to the ravages of time, and eternally sharp. Form: The blade is slender yet slightly curved, designed for both grace and lethality. Faint, swirling patterns of runes and filigree adorn its surface, glowing softly when attuned to the wielder''s emotions or magic. These designs are etched so finely they appear to shift and ripple like liquid under certain light. Special Traits:
  1. Living Steel: The blade repairs itself if damaged (though breaking it is almost impossible). If chipped, the missing piece regrows with a faint shimmer.
  2. Ethereal Edge: The sword¡¯s edge can phase slightly into an incorporeal state, allowing it to bypass certain magical defenses.
  3. Additional traits may be discovered.
Xavier¡¯s jaw fell open as he stared dumbstruck at the blade. The thing was legendary! It was beyond anything he had ever expected of it. He looked at Ella in shock, she had a slight smirk on her lips as she shrugged at him and then turned back to watch the crowd. He sheathed the blade and looked as well. His people were ready to move, back to the Bramblegate, to salvage what they could and then on to their new home. Chapter Thirteen - Home to Build The changes to the blade''s notification on his mind, Xavier moved to stand next to Ella for a moment. ¡°You know more about this blade than you are telling me, don¡¯t you? ¡°He glanced over at her face briefly. ¡°We are going to need to talk about it. I need to trust you if we are going to be teammates.¡± She hesitated for several minutes before her shoulders slumped and she nodded. ¡°I promise I will tell you more. You are proving trustworthy so far but, well it is a lot of things. Keep the blade for now; I will stay with you as long as you have it. I promise that much at least. Xavier studied the young woman he had been traveling with and started to call his friend. He felt the distance between them keenly now that he knew she was hiding things from him. He wanted to trust her but that was a two-way street, if she didn¡¯t trust him could he actually trust her? Sighing slightly, he leaned on his wish to be able to trust her. ¡°All right, but you know you can tell me anything, we¡¯re in this together.¡± He briefly rested a hand on her shoulder before returning to the gathered villagers. ¡°My village is to the southwest of here. I don¡¯t have a lot of supplies yet so it''s best if we gather what we can from Bramblegate. I will not force anyone to come along if they don¡¯t want to however, I do ask that if you do you give me time and all your support. You know who I am, beside me is Ella Bree and we have one more back at the village by the name of Aelriva. We¡¯ll do everything we can to help get you settled in as quickly as possible so you can get your lives back¡± There were mumblings and sounds of concern from the villagers upon hearing how dire the situation actually seemed to be. However, they had agreed to go with him for safety if nothing else. Together the crowd moved about the corpses of the slavers stripping whatever they could from the bodies and loading it into the wagons. Two of the halfling lads, Finn and Theo, turned out to be brothers and shepherds so with their natural affinity for animals they took the leads of the oxen and started to lead the wagons back to the remains of Bramblegate. Xavier and Ella went to where they left the cub first and found it still curled up in the undergrowth of the bush sleeping contently. Gathering up the little thing they rejoined the rest of the villagers. The collective spent the rest of the day pouring through the village. While most of that of value had been looted or burned, they were the ones who had lived here and knew where most everything else had been stored or stashed away. The devastation was overwhelming for each of them in their way, having grown up and with many of those now dead or missing. There was a single significant moment to break up the depressing work, it came around midday. In the center of the town square Willa, one of the humans who had been taken in the carts sat. She had recovered a small mandolin from where it had fallen and been kicked under a bed. She was carefully tuning it while the others worked. After a time, she looked up, her face streaked with soot from the fires and the rivulets her own tears had left behind. Xavier paused in dragging the bodies of the invaders to a pile and watched as the young girl¡¯s fingers started to tentatively strum the strings of her instrument. The song started softly, tentatively, as if she was afraid to disturb the workers around her, or more likely draw attention to her from the slavers once again. However, that didn¡¯t last long as she continued to play, the music haunting and sad but catching the attention of anyone who heard it. People emerged from wrecked houses and shops, still carrying whatever they had found, and started to gather around Willa, fresh tears drawn to their eyes from the music alone, and then Willa opened her mouth, tremulous and full of sadness. ¡°Oh Bramblegate, oh home so dear, Now lost to ash and bitter tear. The fields we tilled, the hearths that glowed, Are silent now, their warmth bestowed. The laughter fades, the voices still, As shadows claim the vale and hill. Our mothers, fathers, friends we knew, Now sleep beneath the morning dew. Yet from the cinders hope may rise, A flicker caught in tear-stained eyes. For though the night has wrapped us tight, A dawn will break, a newborn light. So, sing with me, though hearts may ache, For bonds, we forge will never break. Through grief, we find the strength to stand, To build anew, a promised land.¡± Her words faded softly, and there was a renewed look of determination in her eyes as she stared challengingly at Xavier. He felt both fear at the chance of failing her but also excited to give her and the villagers a chance to rebuild something new and better. He let go of the arm of the corpse he had been dragging and moved over to her. ¡°Rynthavael will be all Bramblegate was and more. I promise.¡± As dusk drew closer the villagers carefully laid out the bodies of their friends and loved ones on small pyres. Off well away from those they cared for the corpses of the invaders had been heaped in a large pile and covered with what straw and wood was left over. With reverence, they set the pyres to flame and then tossed a torch into that of their attackers. Willa once again played the melody of the song from earlier but refrained from singing. Night fell and the village burned once more, this time in memoriam instead of destruction. Xavier leaned in and whispered to Ella, ¡°Is it normal to burn the dead here? I¡¯m used to them being buried.¡± She glanced at him part in horror and part in confusion. ¡°I am not certain about these villagers but magic runs wild and a body is just ripe to be animated and come back as some sort of undead. Especially if it was a body from a slaughter like this. Maybe if there was one of faith to consecrate the ground then burying could work but I do not see any of that trapping on these people.¡± Xavier stood back up and considered her words. The land was ripe with magic? It kind of made sense given there was a nexus of ley lines beneath his village but for it to be enough to cause havoc like undead without someone to guide it was worrisome. That led his thoughts down different paths, what kind of magics were there? Why had he not seen any, in his admittedly small exposure, casters of any type? It seems every time he got one question answered four more popped up and he realized how little he actually knew about the new world he found himself in. The villagers loaded the carts with any salvage they could find, the two shepherds and what hunters there were roamed the forest nearby gathering up what animals had fled but not far enough to be lost truly. Winter caches of foodstuffs were unearthed along with hidden pouches and bags of coin and supplies. While not great in its number, the villagers could scrape together enough to make a new, if difficult, start. Xavier smiled as he saw a small collection of particularly valuable to him at least, treasures bundled together in one of the carts, books. He looked over the rest of the loads and smiled slightly seeing tools, cookware, foodstuffs, and some raw materials. There was enough, he thought, to get the village started. Xavier settled the cub in one of the carts atop a pile of clothing. The cub yawned and stretched the motion catching the attention of Darra, who happened to be one of the surviving hunters. She moved closer and gasped slightly when she caught a better look at the little feline. ¡°That is a shadowmane cub. Where did you find one of those much less one without its parent? They are unheard of outside of the Kelari mountains.¡± She moved closer enthralled with the little cub and started cooing to the little thing scratching it behind its ears. Xavier eyed the wolfkin animari curiously at her reaction to the little cub a smile growing on his face. ¡°When we were coming to Bramblegate we found it and an adult being attacked by a small hunting pack of shardfangs. We were unable to save the adult when we killed all but one of them. The survivor fled and this little one was left behind. We couldn¡¯t just leave it alone, so we brought it along. It really seems to enjoy shardfang meat which I found kind of ironic considering how we found it.¡± Laughing softly Darra continued playing with the cub. ¡°You are lucky. I have heard it is difficult but I know some of the Dushkari, the pantherkin animari, train shadowmanes as companions. Do you have the wild bonding skill? It is rare but would enable you to tame this little one eventually.¡± Xavier knew he hadn¡¯t learned that skill yet but as Darra told him the possibility he knew he wanted it. Now he just needed to figure out how to get it. ¡°Could you teach me the skill? That sounds amazing and useful.¡± He spoke excitedly as he shifted to stand next to the wolfkin woman and joined her in scratching the little cub eliciting a loud rumbling purr. She shook her head sadly. ¡°No, I do not have it myself. Maybe one of the shepherds has some of the subskills to it. They could teach you those and it might trigger for you. Otherwise, you might find a skill book though they are really rare.¡± Xavier deflated slightly but his resolve to learn the skill grew. ¡°Alright, we should talk more though. I would like to learn more about hunting also. The more I understand the better I know how you and the other hunters can help the village.¡± The small convoy of villagers and carts got moving, torches held aloft in many hands to help light the way and keep animals at bay while they moved. Everyone was anxious to get away from the ruined village and to the potential safety of Xavier¡¯s new one. The decision was made to push through the night and rest for several hours in the early morning. This would put distance between them before bedding down. As they traveled Xavier moved amongst his new people. He felt a need to learn who they were and what they did before the attack. He found he had quite a diverse collection of skills coming to his settlement and started thinking about how their capabilities could be put to work. Blacksmiths and even a smelter would give them the ability to make and improve tools. He even had a miner to retrieve ore and rocks from the warrens under the village. Hunters, a fisherman, a farmer, the two halfling shepherds, and a gardener would provide food especially as small as the village was for now. He would need to discuss with Braegor how to best utilize them. He also had not just a carpenter but a stonemason as well between the two of them building shelters and shops should be capable. A grin grew on his face as he thought about several of the settlement strategy games he used to play. He felt lucky to have the conglomeration of individuals he had considering he usually was forced to start with much less. The others had skills as well that would support the village in their ways but would require more to be built or gathered, it was a solid foundation he thought.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The choice to move for as long as possible, resting only enough to regain stamina and allow weary minds to recover, ensured that the trip back to Rynthavael only took a couple of days. It was midmorning two days after departing Bramblegate that the clearing marking the edges of the settlement came into view. The hunters that had been leading the way came to a sudden wary stop when they saw several of the golems moving about the area still removing stones and clearing away trees at the edge of the woods. Xavier moved quickly up to reassure them that the constructs were not a threat and actually part of the village. Though they eased up on the semi-drawn bows the hunters and a number of the villagers were still ill at ease but tried to keep faith with their new lord. Xavier led the caravan into the clearing and gazed about at the amount of work that had been accomplished during their brief time away. Most of the hopelessly ruined buildings had been cleared along with large sections along the tree line. Numerous mounds of stone and logs scattered about the edges ready for use in whatever the young lord saw fit to do with them. While he was surveying the area there was a collective gasp from the villagers as Aelriva mischievously chose that moment to drop her concealment and appeared at Xavier¡¯s right shoulder. "As ye can see, I¡¯ve been hard at work here, fulfillin¡¯ what ye set me to. I¡¯ve been drainin'' the village¡¯s mana daily to keep as many constructs workin¡¯ as I could. I thought ye¡¯d appreciate havin¡¯ the most space cleared for yer return.¡± She spoke brightly, her form still everchanging drawing even more murmurs from the villagers that were watching her. She turned her gaze back over his shoulder to the gathering. ¡°I see ye¡¯ve done well in recruitin¡¯. I didn¡¯t expect ye¡¯d find so many to join the village. But tell me¡ªwhere do ye plan to house ''em all? We¡¯ve not near enough homes for the lot. Though, I suppose the warrens hold rooms that could suffice for now. Ye truly ought to finish explorin¡¯ those before venturin¡¯ into the deeps. I¡¯ve felt naught but rodents and pests down there, but there could be an unknown burrow leadin¡¯ to darker depths. Best to be certain." Xavier sighed at her words, it was on his list of things to do but there always seemed to be more that needed to be done than the time to do it. He really needed a way to keep track of his tasks besides the small quest log he could find in his interface. He smirked, another thing to add to his list of things to accomplish. It did seem to grow exponentially. ¡°Well Aelriva, there is news about that. Bramblegate is no more, these people are the remnants who were not killed or already taken by the slavers. Ella and I rescued them from the last group to depart.¡± He turned to his new villagers and introduced the sprite to them. Braegor and Aelriva exchanged a look as it was clear the former Alderman and sprite were going to be working hand in hand in the future. ¡°All of you follow me, we are going to find somewhere for you all to rest while we build. It will be temporary until residences can be built, but it will be dry and safe.¡± With that, he turned and started to lead the people towards the central hall and the entrance to the warrens. They spent several hours combing through the passages and vacant rooms. Individuals picked out various rooms either as groups or alone and started depositing personal belongings in them. Before long everyone had a place to call their own even if it was more communal feeling than personal. They had also identified rooms that had clear purpose from before, a small kitchen had been discovered connected to a tiny well and storage room. Frieda Deepstone, the matronly dwarven cook, laid claim to it for now and started instructing several others where to store the recovered supplies key to her craft. Once satisfied she immediately started to work on a large pot of stew in preparation for dinner that night and it wasn¡¯t long before the warrens started to fill with the pleasant aroma of spices and cooked food. Several small rooms were found with stone shelves cut into the walls that were determined to be storerooms of various types and they were soon filled with what limited tools, weapons, and other sundries the villagers had recovered. Things were cataloged and the lists provided to Braegor so he could bring them to Xavier¡¯s attention. Towards the evening Xavier met those he was beginning to see as key advisors. They included Braegor, Aelriva, Ella, and a member of each of the other races that made up his village. Rhett Calloway, for the humans and also the sole carpenter of the village. Orrek Deepstone, spoke for the dwarves and happened to be the stonemason to work in conjunction with Rhett. Sylvie Tumblewick was brought forward for the halflings, being the former tavernkeeper she knew everyone in the village and could provide insight as to the social undercurrents that could arise. The tinkerer Lorrin Thistlegear ended up speaking for the gnomes. And the group was rounded out by the soft-spoken Deerkin Elric Stagstride for the animari. Xavier didn¡¯t get much information out of Elric about his skills but the rest of the animari seemed to defer to him so the young lord brought him into the inner circle and determined to learn more about him as he could. They had chosen a larger chamber near the mosaic that made up the Syr¡¯Vailen. Most of the villagers, having seen the place of elemental powers were unnerved by it and chose to avoid the location, which was fine by Xavier since it gave him an area in its vicinity that was more private and he could relax somewhat there. This room happened to be just far enough away that it didn¡¯t cause unease and was large enough for a decent-sized group to gather. Xavier could see it becoming the council chamber when things needed to be discussed in private as opposed to above in the main hall. They all took up spots sitting on the stone floor, each had a fresh bowl of Frieda¡¯s stew in hand and were taking bites of the savory fare between talking. ¡°As I am sure you have noticed, the village is rough.¡± Xavier started, ¡°I am sure that most will not want to stay in the warrens for long so we need to figure out what to build and when. Houses would be a good idea though some sort of more communal residence might be better at first just to get people above ground faster.¡± ¡°I agree Lord Xavier, having a more comfortable place to rest would settle any unease before it took root,¡± started Sylvie before Xavier raised his hand to cut her off. ¡°Wait, no just call me Xavier. No need to bow and scrape to me.¡± He protested. ¡°You are the Lord, however,¡± Braegor interjected, ¡°If you are to lead the village people, including you, need to accept that.¡± Xavier bristled slightly and opened his mouth to speak again before Ella rested a hand on his forearm. ¡°Listen to him. Remember that these lands are yours now. If you don¡¯t want them to bow and kneel fine but they do need to recognize you as who you are.¡± "The last Ard''Maelor was much like yerself, Xavier.¡± Aelriva chimed in. ¡°He cared little for titles and such, yet he understood his duty was to lead. Ye canna lead if yer not respected and shown the deference the role demands. We can do as his council once did¡ªcall ye Xavier in private¡ªbut don¡¯t fool yerself into thinkin¡¯ ye¡¯ll get that same casualness among the people. Leadership carries its weight, whether ye like it or not." Xavier sighed realizing this was not a fight he would win, for now at least and continued. ¡°Alright so housing and then what?¡± Rhett and Orrik both raised a hand having been holding conference most of the day as they inspected the area to work with above. ¡°Begging your pardon,¡± Rhett began, ¡°Housing is important however people have a place to sleep now. Orrik and I think it would be better to wait and build a construction hut first. That way we could better plan what to build and where plus get the bonuses of having one, even if it is just a tier one hut.¡± That caught Xavier¡¯s attention. He remembered the prompt from the Heart of Creation saying it could improve buildings but he hadn¡¯t realized they actually had different tiers. He slapped himself mentally, of course they did, didn¡¯t many games have that type of structure? Lower tiers were more limited in capabilities and as they improved the settlement would gain access to better perks and abilities. ¡°Ok yes, but why is that important? Wouldn¡¯t you be able to build that after we have everyone in homes and then the hut could be used to improve them?¡± Xavier asked of the two craftsmen. ¡°What am I missing? I am still rather new to this leadership position.¡± The two men exchanged glances before Orrik spoke up. ¡°Well, ye see m¡¯lord. Between the two of us we can make huts and simple buildings, but we are not truthfully builders. We be more support for that. The buildings we be making be only the lowest tier and crudely crafted at best. If¡¯n ye do nae want them to collapse in the first strong storm we be needin¡¯ tae properly design them. The construction hut be the building tae allow that tae happen.¡± Xavier scrubbed at his face but couldn''t help but chuckle that the stereotypical brogue that dwarves always had in books and games held here as well. ¡°Ok, but you just said you are not builders. Wouldn¡¯t that just collapse as well?¡± Rhett took up the line of dialog, ¡°Well yes eventually, but it would allow us to actually design the tier one buildings. Something that would be average crafted instead of poorly. We would not be able to build better than that without acquiring blueprints and having the builder skill, but even the two of us could build the basics with a construction hut.¡± Xavier set his now empty bowl on the floor beside him and scowled slightly. It was so much easier in the games he thought. ¡°Alright so a construction hut, then housing?¡± The rest of the group assented to that plan. ¡°Then what next?¡± The rest of the meeting drew on as they debated what buildings would be most beneficial and then they were either agreed to by the two craftsmen or were shot down as being beyond what they could do. Aelriva was tasked with continuing to clear areas of the forest around the village to start making room for farming and various buildings that would house supplies and tools for gathering professions. They all agreed to build in the direction of the river and incorporate it into their plans so they would have ready access to the waterway. As the meeting drew to an end Xavier was optimistic in the path forward for now at least. The rudimentary plans were decided, they would have all the basics that had been in Bramblegate plus towers for the hunters and a couple of guardsmen they had to keep watch from. It would take weeks at the very least, but Aelriva assured them that the golems could help with the lifting and moving of the materials to ease the labor. Xavier hadn¡¯t noticed but throughout the meeting, as he started stepping more into the role of leading the gathering instead of just being a part of it, Ella had quietly watched him from the side. Her smile was soft and slight, but it kept the corners of her mouth slightly upturned. She also had noticed his hand would often rest on the end of her dagger unconsciously stroking it while he thought. She walked beside him now as he moved back towards the Syr¡¯Vailen and the handful of chambers that he had claimed. She had laid out her bedroll in the same room as his, still unwilling to be too far apart from him. Knowing that there was now a rotation between the hunters and guardsmen above to keep watch, the pair laid down exhausted in their respective bedrolls and bid each other goodnight. The morning would come a lot faster than either wanted and they needed to be ready for it. Chapter Fourteen - Growth When Xavier awoke the next morning, he found himself alone in the room. Stretching and yawning, he got out of the bedroll and mused about how much he missed having an actual bed and mattress. He would have to talk to the villagers to see if there was any way to get one made cause sleeping on the stone floor was getting painful. After putting on his boots the young man made his way up through the tunnels of the warrens and out into the great hall. Already he could see movement through the open windows and doorway, it would seem he was one of the last to rise. He stepped outside and was enthralled by the industriousness of his people. Work had already started in various locations throughout the now-cleared village proper. To the south, near the edge of the woods, a small hut was taking form. The carpenter and stonemason led several other villagers in the construction. A soft voice sounded from behind and Xavier turned around to see a young girl holding a plate with eggs and sausage up to him. A small shy smile lit her face as he took the proffered food. His mind scrambled as he tried to remember anything about the girl. ¡°Thank you, Emily, it smells wonderful. Please let Frieda know I appreciate it.¡± He smiled warmly at her finally remembering her name. She was orphaned in the attack, but the village as a whole had rallied around her. Her vibrant energy was often found amongst the villagers as they completed daily tasks. Being the youngest of the children who had survived the attack she had become a beacon of hope for their future. Emily bobbed her head rapidly and vanished back into the warrens, likely heading back to help the cook further. Xavier leaned against the wall and casually began to eat while he watched his people work and allocated his unspent attribute points. He had nearly forgotten about his new levels from rescuing the villagers and was on the verge of them being automatically assigned. Once again, he had several levels of points that he spread across his scores, bringing them all up to nice round numbers. Three points ended up going to strength making it a 12. Two points went to agility bringing it up to 10. Dexterity received a three-point boost lifting it to 12. His constitution score was rounded out to 12. Endurance received a single point, but it was brought to 10. Having interacted with the villagers he knew his charisma needed a significant boost and he gave it four points leaving it at a strong 12. Intelligence and wisdom received a modest two-point boost bringing them to an even 10. And, finally, he dumped his remaining five points into luck making it his strongest attribute at a respectable 14. He reviewed his updated attributes and the changes they made to his stats before he nodded in approval. Done with his own growth he looked back to the village. It was actually coming together; he was establishing a new settlement in these lands. A new home and people. The villagers all smiled and greeted him as they passed in their duties making him feel welcomed and respected. Finishing his breakfast, he set the plate and fork on the windowsill and pushed himself away from the wall. He headed towards where the construction hut was taking form and quickly lost himself to the work as he helped the other villagers in the tasks provided. It was not long before the village had fallen into a routine. Waking early, breaking their fast, and working building, clearing, or other such duties in establishing the village. Xavier felt a comradery with his people as they came together. He took the time to talk with each one, the small village making it easier to get to know everyone to some degree. Xavier enjoyed the children the most and tried to be a brother to all of them going so far as to tell fantastical stories from books he had read as a child. The bright eyes of Emily, who often sat in Xavier¡¯s lap while he read, were mirrored in the other children. Jace, is a young six-year-old mischievous human lad long orphaned but taken in by his cousin Tara, the village weaver. Four-year-old Nia is the youngest of the village and daughter to their herbalist Lila Fairbrook. The dwarven Kedrik at age ten already helping his father Orrek the Stonemason. Diminutive but mischievous Pip the eight-year-old halfling son of Sylvie was often up to mischief with Emily. Finally, there was seven-year-old Perry, the gnome lad who was the shadow of Pip and Emily and usually in as much trouble as the pair. His relationship with Ella Bree also grew as she remained close to him either helping with his tasks or keeping a protective eye over him as he roamed the woods helping to fell trees. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that many times when he looked her way her eyes were upon him and her slightly mischievous smile was gracing her lips. Days passed in this manner, though peaceful, Xavier couldn¡¯t help but wonder what might happen next. He had a lingering suspicion that things were far too simple. It was not more than a handful of days to where Bramblegate lay in ruins and the same individuals that attacked there could return. Who knows what manner of beasts lingered in the forests, surely the Shardfangs were not the only creatures. As his doubts grew his nights became more restless. Worry for the young village gnawed at him and he felt more each day that he needed to do something more proactive. Thus, on the fifth day, he found himself in the Syr¡¯Vailen talking with Aelriva about ways forward for the village to grow. ¡°I know we have the basics for the next level of village in progress, I will need to find more villagers and complete the required quests though.¡± He mused aloud to the sprite as she hovered nearby. ¡°The problem is I don¡¯t know where to begin those quests or even find them. I think I should do that while everyone is working on building the homes needed to house everyone.¡± A soft tinkling laughter filled the room as Aelriva finally spoke. "I was wonderin'' when ye¡¯d finally turn yer attention to those matters. As I am bound to these lands and the Syr¡¯Vailen, I can feel the needs of the village and its people. There are tasks aplenty waitin¡¯ for the Lord of the land to address. Nests have sprung up in the woods, bringin¡¯ dangers to yer fledglin'' settlement. The ley lines have gone dormant; their paths must be explored in the deeps to stir them awake, let alone restore their former power. By the gods, Xavier, ye don¡¯t even know a tenth of what yer own lands hold! Ye must venture forth and become a Lord in truth, not just in name." As she spoke several prompts appeared before the young lord. You have been offered a quest. ¡°Sleeping Lines 1.¡± The ley lines that make up the nexus beneath your settlement are dormant. Explore the deeps beneath the mosaic to find and revitalize one of these lines to increase ambient mana and additional capabilities for your settlement. As this is a settlement quest it is automatically accepted. Potential rewards: Increased Mana in settlement lands. Increased wildlife and quest opportunities. +500 Experience. You have been offered a quest. ¡°Whose House 1.¡± While the lands surrounding your settlement fall under your purview your people are not the only things that shelter in them. Explore at least four unique locations and discover their significance. As this is a settlement quest it is automatically accepted. Potential rewards: Reduced danger from monster nests. Other unknown benefits. +500 Experience. You have been offered a quest. ¡°Drums in the Deeps 1.¡± The unknown deeps lie beneath the warding presence of your nexus mosaic. During the centuries of dormancy of the mosaic and even longer time of inattention to these tunnels and caverns who knows what creatures or dangers have made them their home? Explore and reclaim the first level of the deeps. As this is a settlement quest it is automatically accepted. Potential rewards: Increased resources and other unknown benefits for your settlement. +500 Experience. Xavier winced slightly at the mild rebuke as he felt the same in truth. He had been sequestered away in his village not touching the lands much beyond its borders. Now he had options for what to do. He was intrigued that two of them, Sleeping Lines and Drums in the Deeps, seemed to be in roughly the same location. That could make things much easier to do multiple quests at once. However, he was a little irked that he did not get to choose when or even if he wanted to accept them. Mentally shrugging he looked back to Aelriva. ¡°What should I know about the ley lines? Anything in particular I need to do to revitalize them or any specific order that it should be done in?¡± He asked curiously. ¡°Each ley line holds its own unique requirements for bein¡¯ awoken and restored. Ye can choose the order in which ye approach ''em, but ye¡¯ll need to uncover what must be done for each. In the past, their awakening was tied to their very nature, so seek out what might be disruptin'' their essence. As ye travel along a line, ye¡¯ll come across points of power. The more ye energize and set flowin'', the stronger and more vital the line becomes. But mark me each line has a core, and that core is the key to its awakening. Find it first, afore ye fret about increasin¡¯ its essence." Xavier wore a thoughtful expression as he pondered the information Aelriva had given him. The deeps were going to be a core challenge to the future of the village he had come to realize. Once he had gotten the villagers settled and back to a sense of normalcy, he would have to organize a foray into them. While part of him was thrilled at the potential for adventure and exploration he was tempered by the desire to protect his people who had already been through more than anyone should. ¡°All right Aelriva, you¡¯ve given me a lot to think about. I have an idea on how to move forward now. Any ideas where I might find some of those locations in my lands that you mentioned?¡± "Did I not say I¡¯m as bound to these lands as I am here?" Her tone turned sharp, laced with irritation at having to repeat herself. "There are five places within a short trek from the village. One lies north, towards the Ironpeak mountains, about fourteen miles journey by foot. Another lies west by northwest, near the edge of yer domain, as if heading towards the elven capital of Eryndor it be on the very edge around fifteen miles travel. To the southeast, there are two: one only eight miles walk, and the other just past the boundary of ye land ten miles further than the first. Lastly, I sense somethin¡¯ due east across the river, two days from the village due to terrain. Any o¡¯ these might be of interest to yer settlement." Xavier grinned at the spirte despite her tone. He was becoming fond of the little being and her advice. ¡°Alright, I will head to the north first. No sense in random walking so you¡¯ll guide me since its still within my lands right?¡± "Aye, I can move freely through yer lands, so long as I stay within their borders. Stray too far from the nexus, and my strength wanes, for my power is bound to it. But mind this, I¡¯m limited in what I can do for ye while the Syr¡¯Vailen sleeps. Wake the ley lines, and my reach will grow. Build up the village, and I¡¯ll be able to aid ye even more still."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Then that is where we will head in the morning.¡± He decided. ¡°I¡¯m going to go find Ella and let her know the plans then I think spend the afternoon with the hunters working on my archery.¡± The sprite bobbed her head at the obvious dismissal and faded from view to set to her own tasks as Xavier strode from the room heading through the tunnels towards the surface. As he stepped out of the warrens and into the structure that housed their entrance, he looked about. He was going to need to talk with the two filling the role of the village builders to see if there was a way to improve the building and make it an actual town hall of sorts. Yet another thing to add to his growing list of things to do. He pulled up the settlement interface and tabbed over to ¡°Village Roles.¡± Most of the options were greyed out and blurry so he couldn¡¯t make them out. He hovered his gaze over the hidden ones and got a small popup stating, ¡°You have not met the criteria for this role yet.¡± The options he did have were Guard Captain, Village Builder, and Steward. As he set out searching for Ella he pondered if he could pass more work to Braegor, he had been the Ealdorman of Bramblegate, so he saw no reason why he couldn¡¯t be similar here at least until he found someone more qualified to be a steward. He came upon Bree talking with Coren and Kael. Even though Coren had retired from being a soldier he had taken up the mantle of mentoring the younger members of the village guard. The Aelori Kael had been shaking his leonine head at something that Xander hadn¡¯t heard when he walked up to the group. All three turned at his presence and placed their right fist over their heart in salute to the young lord. Something he had initially been irritated at until the talk with the council had reminded him the symbolism of it was more important to his role than his feelings about it. He rolled his eyes at the trio noticing the glimmer of humor in all of their eyes, it was common knowledge among the leaders of the various groups of his thoughts on the action, before returning the salute. ¡°Who is available to help me with some archery training today?¡± Xavier posed the question to Coren. ¡°I think we should start expanding our forays deeper into the forests around the village and I would personally feel better if I could hit beasts further away than just with my dagger.¡± He motioned to the once again plain-looking Vaeltheris sheathed at his waist. It was Kael who responded to his query. His soft-spoken voice carried a deep bass rumble as though it was rising from his chest. ¡°Lorien and Amara were down near the riverbank using some of the trees as targets earlier. They had just come off duty so should still be there if you head that way now." Xavier grinned remembering the temporary archery range that several of the hunters had set up. Amara, the classed ranger, had taken to working with all of them on their skills not just in archery but stealth, scouting, and tracking. He would soon have a small contingent of sneaky archers to patrol the woods around his village. Looking back at Coren, Xavier spoke again inquisitively. ¡°Would you consider taking an actual position within the village. You are already basically doing the job, I want to make it official.¡± Coren raised an eyebrow as he looked to his lord. ¡°Maybe, it all depends on what you expect of me m¡¯lord.¡± ¡°I would name you Captain of the Guard. I won''t always be in the village, and I would feel better knowing someone with experience leading fighting men and women was watching over it while I was away. It could just be a temporary position if you want. We need to grow the village with more people and if someone more qualified shows up we could pass the mantle on so you could retire again.¡± Xavier paused as he realized a flaw in his plan. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly have any way to pay you right now, but you would get a wage as soon as I have more than a handful of coins.¡± Coren laughed at the young lord''s embarrassment. ¡°We did not join the village for the coin m¡¯lord. We were refugees remember? Aye, I will accept for now. We can talk about the pay in the future.¡± He held out his arm and Xavier took it clasping forearms in agreement. The old man''s eyes twinkled slightly. ¡°I am going to have the guards start the same training as we used in the army, are you going to join us, so they take to it with less grumbling?¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes widened at the thought of physical training but ultimately sighed knowing it would benefit him as well. ¡°Yes, I will be there. It won''t be until we get back from the mission tomorrow though. Ella, Aelriva, and I will be heading north to explore a site Aelriva told me about.¡± Coren scowled. ¡°Ah so already had plans expecting me to accept. You do know you shouldn¡¯t be traipsing off without more to guard you. You are a lord, after all, our lord to be precise.¡± Xavier placed a calming hand on his captain''s shoulder. ¡°I know and will start taking full teams when we have more villagers. We can''t afford to take anyone away from their duties yet. I will talk with Braegor to get ideas on where we could meet more people. Once you have me a strong town guard I will start borrowing from them.¡± Coren nodded slowly. ¡°Make it a priority m¡¯lord. We need you.¡± Kael made clear his agreement with the captain''s words before Xavier and Ella hurried off towards where the archers were practicing. As the pair drew closer to the makeshift archery range, they could hear Amara in the distance. ¡°Relax and slow your breathing Lorien. Slow is steady and steady is fast. You will strike your target more often if you take your time.¡± The human ranger was standing just behind the young Falconi scout. Xavier stopped and watched the two women for a moment. Though he had been around the villagers for a while now it was still surprising to see the different races that made up his village. The two women were a prime example, Lorien¡¯s hawk-like appearance was a striking difference to the human¡¯s look. Amara was several inches shorter, her long auburn hair braided tightly and draped over her shoulder in contrast to Lorien¡¯s short feathery blonde and dark brown plumage which was so reminiscent of the hawks her heritage was from. Their hair was not the only or even the most significant difference. Whereas Amara had a freckled and sun-kissed complexion, Lorien was literally covered in small soft feathers over the majority of her visible body the plumage colored in deep browns and golds. Even more striking she had a wickedly sharp beak instead of lips and a nose. Though both women were clad in soft supple leathers providing protection and muting their movements only Amara wore boots, the Falconi¡¯s legs ended in digitigrade birdlike feet complete with long talons. He could only imagine what it would be like to receive a kick from the young woman. While they watched the young Falconi loosed several more arrows each striking closer to the center of her target as she was coached by Amara. Ella smirked and leaned closer to Xavier. ¡°Amara definitely seems to know her trade. I wonder what sort of advice she could give you. Hopefully, it will make you more apt to hit your targets as well and not friends.¡± Xavier made a face at the woman, ¡°It was once. Once! And I had apologized for nearly clipping you. I didn¡¯t expect you to be right behind that deer.¡± He realized she was not about to let the hunting incident from a couple of days ago pass easily. Hearing the nearby voices Lorien lowered her bow and turned to speak to the Amara and she caught sight of Xavier and Ella where they had been standing watching. The feathers about her face managed to take on a slightly pink tinge as she blushed at being caught at practice. Xavier and Ella joined the two on the range unslinging their own bows as they did so. A warm smile came to Xavier¡¯s lips as he spoke. ¡°You are getting quite skilled with that bow Lorien. Seems that Amara is quite the teacher. Do you both mind if we join in? I need to work on my own archery.¡± Amara coughed slightly trying to hide her laughter at the emphatic nodding from Ella who was standing just far enough behind Xavier that he didn¡¯t notice. Lorien¡¯s golden eyes widened even more at the woman¡¯s actions but was already too embarrassed to laugh. Xavier glanced back at Ella who stopped just before she could be caught, an innocent smile on her lips. He narrowed his eyes slightly at her before turning back to the other women. ¡°As I was saying, I need to practice since Ella and I will be traveling soon.¡± He stated. Amara motioned towards the clearly marked targets hanging from the trees in the distance. ¡°Of course, Lord Xavier. Take a couple of shots and let us see what you can do.¡± Her voice was silken and rich as she spoke. Xavier moved to where Lorien had previously been standing and pulled an arrow from the standing quiver that marked the spot. He nocked the shaft and slowly drew his bow to his cheek. Sighting down the arrow he tried to calm his breathing and loosed the string. The arrow flashed down the range striking the target cleanly but towards the edge of the rings instead of the center. He repeated his action several more times each hitting the target but well clear of the bullseye. Lowering his bow in consternation he looked to the trio of observers. Amara was rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Lorien was merely watching, and Ella was smirking at him again as if his shots proved her earlier actions. He glared briefly at Ella who merely shrugged before turning his attention fully to Amara. ¡°I have seen worse. You hold your bow too stiff so you cannot account for changes in the wind and other conditions.¡± She said, ¡°You need to relax, you have the idea of breath control but that is really about it besides the basic concept of shooting a bow.¡± Her tone wasn¡¯t mocking or belittling just matter of fact. Xavier spent the next several hours joining Lorien and Ella under Amara¡¯s tutelage in the art of archery. The human ranger was clearly knowledgeable and moved back and forth between the three pointing out small issues and providing advice tailored to each. By lunch time Xavier had gained two full levels in archery just from the training alone. His skill increase was highlighted by the familiar prompt appearing. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Archery level 1 and Archery level 2. Archery is the skill of using ranged weapons such as bows, crossbows, and similar projectile weapons. It combines precision, patience, and physical strength to strike targets at varying distances. A skilled archer can excel in combat, hunting, or competitive marksmanship. Archery requires discipline, finesse, and years of practice. Or you could just close your eyes, fire wildly, and hope for the best. Your call. +4% chance to hit. +4% arrow damage. +4% chance to recover arrows. Xavier rolled his eyes reading the prompt. The fact that even it seemed to be reinforcing Ella¡¯s point of view on the hunting incident soured the achievement slightly. He made a slightly rude gesture to his companion, who raised an eyebrow at his actions. ¡°Yeah yeah, the universe agrees with you all right. I am going to keep practicing so I don¡¯t hit you.¡± She broke out in a peal of laughter much to the confusion of the others with them. They all gathered up the unbroken arrows and other items used in their training before heading back towards the village proper and the pleasant scents of lunch that had grown heavy on the air. Enjoying the meal with his people Xavier soaked in the camaraderie of the populous. The fledgling village still partook of their meals mostly as a community, only those whose duties kept them busy at the time not joining in. He worried about what would be lost when the settlement grew but hoped that this initial core could be something to develop and set the precedence for the future. Rising he held up a hand and waited for the people to quiet and turn their attention to him. ¡°My people, we have only been together for a short period, but I feel you are all family to me. Already our village grows!¡± He motioned to where several small homes had been erected and the foundations of others were laid. ¡°Rhett and Orrek have clearly been hard at work along with those who have assisted them in the construction of our new homes. We have started to plant our fields under the guidance of Ferran and his team. Our hunters patrol our surroundings keeping the beasts at bay and providing fresh meat for our tables. Coren has acquiesced to becoming our Capitan of the Guard!¡± He paused a moment as he felt a tangible something building in the air. He motioned to the ruins of the forge, where repairs were starting to take form. ¡°We have our roots in the past, but our strength is in the present, lending to our hopes for the future!¡± The villagers'' voices raised in a cheer. ¡°Roots in the past, strength in the present, hope for the future!¡± A prompt obscured Xavier¡¯s vision briefly. Congratulations you have set the motto of Rynthavael. These words reflect the village''s ties to the ancient Sylmyrian ruins, their determination to rebuild and thrive in the present, and their collective aspirations for a brighter future. Their pride in this achievement will reflect in a +200 point change to both morale and loyalty. Xavier grinned widely and rejoined his people in their merriment. It was going to be a good day. The excitement of adventure tomorrow only increased his happiness. Down the table from where he sat, Ella raised her cup in salute to him, her eyes glowing in happiness as well. Chapter 15 - Echoes of Innocence Xavier and Ella spent the rest of that day gathering supplies and sundries required for travel. They did not know what to expect so they tried to cover all the potentials. Once they were confident in their packing Xavier decided it would be time well spent to check in on the little shadowmane panther cub. The little furball had taken to following the hunters as they went about their patrols and taking down small game along with them. In the evenings though it would nap on the western edge of the village clearing near the area where the hunters would clean and butcher the freshly caught game for the rest of the village. It had learned that being in this area would ensure it got scraps and even whole cuts of meat depending on which hunter was working, Darra was an especially soft touch as the Lupari hunter had remained enamored with the little cub since she first saw it. He found the little shadowmane curled up on a larger rock soaking up the late evening warmth. Its belly bulging made it obvious that it had been recently fed. Xavier chuckled as he got closer and reached out to stroke the cat¡¯s soft ebon fur and it immediately began a deep rumbling purr. It opened one eye to peer at Xavier confirming what its nose had already told it before it closed it again just enjoying the comfortable life of being a pampered cat. After a little while Xavier picked the cub up, surprised at how much it had already grown in weight and size, before turning and heading towards the entrance to the warrens and his own bed. The night was fast approaching and morning would come early, especially given he wanted to get on the road as soon as possible. Warmth filled the newly made bed beside Xavier as he came to consciousness. He hesitated a moment before feeling as much as hearing the rumbling purr of the panther curled up on the edge of the bed. He smiled and reached down to scratch the cat. ¡°I really need to give you a name little one. Just calling you cat or little one won''t do. Especially with the rate at which you are growing.¡± The panther opened an eye looking at him almost reproachfully and a single claw slowly curled into the blankets covering his thigh, just enough to start to dig into his flesh. ¡°Easy,¡± Xavier yelped at the beast. ¡°Wait you understood that?¡± He peered at her curiously. She retracted her claw and stretched while yawning. When she finished her gaze fell upon him again the look in her eyes making him feel as if the question was idiotic and he should have realized she understood him. He smiled and scratched behind her ears, once again eliciting a deep purr from the beast. ¡°I think I have the perfect name for you. What do you think of Valkra? I always enjoyed the myths about the Valkyrie and you are going to be one deadly hunter when you grow up.¡± The cub went silent as it leaned into his fingertips, almost as if pondering his words before its purr redoubled and he began kneading the blankets. Xavier laughed and gave her another good scratching. ¡°Valkra it is then. Are you ready to go hunting with me and Ella? Might find a nice little monster nest for you to stalk.¡± Valkra kneaded the bed a little bit longer in contemplation before rising to her feet and hopping silently to the floor. She looked back towards where Xavier was rising as if waiting for him to get moving. Shaking his head at the impudent little beast Xavier got out of bed and started pulling on his clothes and leathers. He pulled Vaeltheris slightly from its sheath to make sure the blade would be ready at a moment''s notice. Finally satisfied with his preparations he picked up his pack and made his way towards the surface fully expecting to meet with Ella above in the main hall. As soon as he stepped out of the warrens, he knew something was wrong however. Sylvie was holding her son Pip close as she tried to hold back tears. Tara was not so reserved, and her face was covered in fresh tears as she sobbed out answers to Ella. ¡°She¡¯s gone Ella. I woke up this morning and Emily was gone. She has never woken before me so I went to her room to get her up so she could head over to the kitchens and help Frida prepare breakfast like every morning, but her bed was empty!¡± She started to cry again helpless in the face of the missing little girl. ¡°I searched the house and all around near it but there was nothing.¡± Ella¡¯s face was lined with concern as she tried to comfort the devastated young weaver. ¡°We will find her Tara don¡¯t worry. She could not have gotten far. Coren is already organizing the hunters to start to track her. We will bring her home safe.¡± As Xavier realized what was going on his vision was filled with a prompt. You have been offered a new quest. ¡°Echoes of Innocence¡± The orphaned child Emily has disappeared, and the village is in a panic to locate her. Tara and Sylvie are particularly despondent along with Emily¡¯s closest friends. Find where the child disappeared to and return her home safely. Rewards: Increased morale and happiness in the village. +1000 Experience. Penalty for refusal or failure: Decreased morale, possible animosity from Tara and Sylvie. Do you accept: Yes or No? Xavier focused on yes mentally accepting the quest as not only did the prompt indicate he would cause major strife within the village for refusing he had personally developed an attachment to the little girl. He moved to join Ella in asking for any possible details that could indicate where the girl went when he noticed Valkra snuffling curiously at the floor leading back into the warrens. He crouched next to the cub. ¡°Notice something little one?¡± Valkra raised her head and met Xavier¡¯s eyes before turning and padding back into the warrens. Her path unerringly headed deeper and towards the mosaic room. Xavier followed after her and was shortly joined by Ella who had seen him disappear back into the entrance. ¡°Not even going to ask what is going on?¡± Ella chided him as they walked. ¡°Emily has gone missing, and the village is in an uproar.¡± ¡°I know, I heard them telling you about it when I came in.¡± He motioned to the shadowmane ¡°Valkra is acting strange though and I think she is trying to help. I would almost swear she was part bloodhound the way she¡¯s sniffing about.¡± It was only a few minutes later when the tunnels opened up to the grand chamber that housed the mosaic representing the nexus of ley lines. The Syr¡¯Vailen was a thing of beauty even in its dormant state. Valkra didn¡¯t hesitate though and continued across the tiles towards the entrance on the far side. It was there she finally paused, laying on the floor was a small object. A little worn teddy bear was leaned up against the wall as if standing guard. Valkra had stopped in front of the little stuffed animal sniffing at it then looking back to the duo. Ella gasped slightly and Xavier stiffened. They both knew that bear well. It was Emily¡¯s, she was never without it, even when she was getting into mischief. A fresh cry of anguish echoed behind the two. Tara had followed them to ask Xavier directly if he could find Emily and when she saw the teddy bear, she lost all remaining composure. Xavier moved to the crying woman¡¯s side quickly and embraced her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Tara. We will bring her home safe and sound. You have my word on that.¡± He motioned to Braegor as the large Gan Ceann entered the room. ¡°Take her back outside and to her home. Make sure she doesn¡¯t follow us into the deeps, I don¡¯t know what sort of dangers are down there, and need to focus on Emily.¡± His words about danger brought a new bout of sobbing to the weaver as Braegor placed his head back on his shoulders and gathered the woman up in a princess carry. ¡°What should I tell the other villagers?¡± Braegor asked, ¡°They will want to know why you disappeared when they are searching for the girl.¡± ¡°Let them know we are following a lead down into the deeps. We will be back as soon as we can and bring Emily with us.¡± Xavier¡¯s face was grim but determined. ¡°I won¡¯t let any harm come to her.¡± Braegor¡¯s head dipped fractionally as he cradled Tara closer to his body before he turned and carried the crying woman back to the surface. Xavier picked up the small bear and tucked it into one of his pouches. Then Ella and Xavier exchanged a look both hefted their packs slightly and Xavier retrieved a torch from one of the sconces at the entrance to the deeps. They both set foot on the first step down and vanished through the archway into the deeps. As soon as they passed through the archway leading to the staircase the air around them changed. The warm, dry, and comforting air of the warrens vanished it was quickly replaced by a damp cold almost as if the deeps were warning them away. The atmosphere was immediately more ominous, sounds of dripping water echoed up the worn stairway and a soft breeze caused the flame of the torch to dance and sputter. Xavier cursed softly and placed his free hand on the wall to steady himself as he took each step lower. Behind him, Ella did the same with her hand on the wall and about their feet, Valkra padded silently always managing to move just before she would be stepped on or kicked. The trio made their way deeper into the darkness. There was no way to tell how much time passed besides the torch burning lower and lower. Xavier motioned back towards Ella who retrieved another from her pack, and they paused to light the new one just as the original one sputtered towards extinguishing. With Ella carrying the new torch Xavier slid Vaeltheris from its sheath the dagger¡¯s blade lit with an inner light adding to the flickering glow of the torch. They had lit a third torch by the time the stairway stopped and opened up into a large chamber. Several passageways led off from the room in multiple directions. The chamber had a large arching ceiling, and the stones were carefully laid indicating that like the stairway it had been carved out and then crafted to its current form. At an instinctual level, Xavier knew this was more ruins from the Sylmyrian people. He wanted to explore it in detail but the pressing situation with Emily made him drag himself away from the greater chamber and start to inspect the floor at the bottom of the stairs searching for any indication of where the child might have gone. Valkra was padding about the area as well her sensitive nose hovering over the stonework floor as she sought the scent of the little girl. Frustratingly the trail seemed to have stopped cold at the last stair, as if the girl vanished when she reached it. Throwing caution to the wind Xavier started to call out. ¡°Emily! Are you here? Yell if you can hear me, help us find where you are.¡± He walked about the chamber as he called out. The far end of the chamber caused him to pause and stare in disbelief. A full twenty feet of the wall was carved in an intricate relief that blended symbols he recognized from Earth. A huge twisting dragon wove in a figure eight. The way its head held onto its tail gave him the distinct impression of both the Ouroboros and the Infinity Loop. He was confused at seeing them here and blended into a single image. As he drew closer, holding Vaeltheris up to light the relief he could make out the features of the dragon clearer. Despite the obvious weathering of the stone in the rest of the chamber, this was in perfect condition, as if it had been carved just hours ago. The features of the dragon¡¯s head were minute in detail, its open mouth sinking fangs into its tail. The eyes of the creature caught his attention as they started to glow faintly in the light of his dagger, one a deep emerald green and the other a dark onyx black.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He was starting to ponder the heterochromatic nature when his eyes moved to the actual body of the dragon. The upper half was beautifully carved, its scales decorated with tiny vines and leaves. Small runes like the Nordic life runes, Jera and Uruz, were scattered amidst the carved vegetation. As striking and beautiful as that part of the beast''s body was the lower loop was equally horrifying. Instead of vivid scales, they had been replaced by a more skeletal texture. The beast''s cracked ribs and vertebra show stark against the stone. The runes of life though this half of the dragon bore were replaced with small etchings of Thurisaz and Kaunaz, the death runes the Nordic culture had used ages past. Where the body looped over itself was an ornate depiction of what he had known as the Yggdrasil. Vibrant branches and leaves followed the living half of the dragon upwards. The branches appeared to grow out of the wall, their tips almost glowing with a faint golden hue. The roots of the tree spread downward into the loop of death, their tendrils skeletal and gnarled, merging seamlessly with the serpent¡¯s lower loop. Shadowy grooves within the roots suggest decay and rebirth. At the very center of the Sigil, directly where Yggdrasil¡¯s trunk aligns with the Ouroboros¡¯ crossing point lay a rune he didn¡¯t recognize though, it seemed as though Jera and Thurisaz, life and death were woven together to make the new star like rune. The closer he got to it with Vaeltheris the more it started to glow alternating between a warm golden light and a dark ebon that seemed to drink in the light around it. Still reeling from what was blatant earthen symbology he was shaken from his study by Ella calling out. She was off to the right of where he was studying the relief standing with Valkra. ¡°I heard something down this way.¡± She called out to him. ¡°It sounded like a girl singing.¡± Xavier abandoned his study of the relief and rushed over to where she stood. ¡°Good that means she is still alive we need to hurry.¡± They both took off down the tunnel in a near sprint desperate to find Emily before something could happen to her. As they ran the worked stone began to disappear giving way to the rough texture of natural caverns. The even and worked floor they had grown used to gave way to a floor that was more unsteady and earthen. Lichen and other deep flora coated the walls and broke through the cracks and crevasses of the natural walls. Their flight slowed to a walk more consistent with the new terrain as they realized they would not be able to help Emily if they broke or twisted an ankle trying to reach her. As they moved deeper the air grew more humid and the increased moisture yielded a damp earthen scent that subtly filled the tunnel. The lichen gave way to increasing patches of slightly bioluminescent mushrooms and oddly growing moss. Eventually, they extinguished their torch, the natural light of the plant life was giving enough of a glow to render it unnecessary. Ella caught Xavier by the arm and pointed towards the ground ahead of them, through a small patch of muddy earth a trail of small footprints continued in the direction they were traveling. Certain that Emily had been this way their pace quickened as much as they could while able to remain aware of their footing. Each of them gripped their weapons tight, Xavier holding the softly glowing blade of Vaeltheris and Ella holding onto her spear. The deeper they traveled the more sounds filled the tunnels, a soft drip of water echoed off the narrowly spaced walls, and here and there they could hear a creak of roots rubbing against one another where they broke through the rock walls and ceiling. In the distance, they would catch snippets of a quietly singing young girl''s voice in tandem with a new odd hum of noise. The plant life grew increasingly thicker as well. More vines clung to walls amid the fungus, roots broke through the ceiling leaving rock debris to tumble to the floor below making it even more treacherous. Xavier couldn¡¯t help but feel like he could see some of the vines moving in his periphery while they moved past but every time he turned to look directly at the offending plant it was laying still. Rounding a corner they stumbled into a thick haze. Spores filled the tunnel and left the two coughing and watery-eyed. Covering their mouths and noses with cloth they stumbled through the miasma and continued forward unaware of the shifting in the shadows. It took what seemed like ages to break free of the spores, though, in fact, they had only been in them for a little over half a minute. Gasping they drew fresh if humid air into their lungs. Valkra had begun to growl softly as they moved, she had grown more miserable the deeper into the mire they had traveled. It was shortly after the spore cloud they started to notice differences in the plant life, though it had been mostly fungus related it had seemed healthy and vibrant. Now they started to see dark patches covering the damp floor and withering to the edges of the vines and mushrooms. Suspicions growing Xavier pointed this out to Ella and her face grew grim. Only a short distance further the withering turned into clear rot, the acrid scent of it mingling with the previous fresh, if damp, earthy smells. Deeper through the tunnels they wove their way following the occasional muddy patch with footprints and soft singing. Several times the side of the floor would give way to a small collapse nearly dropping one or the other of the duo into a collapsing slide into the dark unknown. Valkra always seemed to know where those spots were and would avoid them leading to the two carefully watching her as well for advanced warning. Narrow passageways would become hazardous with vines and roots tangling the floor or hanging back and forth across the passage in a net of tough plant life forcing the small group to either climb over them or cut them out of the way. After hours of careful navigation through the developing underground swamp of rot and decay they came to a large stone archway. Each of the huge blocks had been carved with intricate reliefs of trees and wildlife. Much of the decoration was covered with overgrown roots or vines but it was reminiscent of the carvings they had seen elsewhere in the ruins. Several faintly glowing runes reacted to the presence of Vaeltheris, and their light increased. Beyond the archway, the tunnels gave way to a huge cavern, and they stood on the edge of an overlook. Below them was a chamber overwhelmed with a vast variety of subterranean plant life. The view would have been mesmerizing with the blending of ethereal beauty and eerie decay. Glowing bioluminescent plants cast vibrant light that contrasted sharply with the creeping darkness and rot. Mesmerizing yes, if not for what lay at its center. Near the center stood a small pillar, emerald veins rose up the sides of the stonework to a central node that pulsed rhythmically, creating an ambient glow that seemed to resonate with the lifeforce of the grove. Leaning against that pillar was a disheveled young girl. Emily clung to the stone keeping within its soft light as she sang softly to herself. The child¡¯s appearance was at odds with the wild growth and rot surrounding her. Xavier started to move towards the slowly descending ramp that curved around the edge of the room until Ella caught his arm. That motion caused him to stop and look back at her only to see her point to the rest of the room. He turned his gaze following her motion and finally saw what made her hesitate. The room was filled with plant life, but it wasn¡¯t all normal vines and fungus. Softly shimmering trees stood amid the growth, their leaves limed in shades of green, blue, and gold. Along with the plants was an odd glowing moth that flitted about the room. Occasionally one of the moths would draw too close to one of the vines and it would lash out in a whiplike fashion, or a moth would land on one of the leaves and it would snap close like a flytrap. The plants were a danger in and of themselves and would make getting to the young girl, much less getting her back out a challenge. Scowling he started pointing out potential paths to Ella when one of the larger mushrooms moved, no it was more than just a mushroom Xavier realized. It was a golem, a plant golem made of fungus and rotted vines. Like the forest golems Aelriva summoned to work in the village above, it would seem that this grove had its guardians. Xavier moved closer to the edge so he could better pick out the golems and dangerous flora below and accidentally knocked a loose stone over the edge. Crouching down next to Ella, they watched the stone fall until it clattered on a pile of stones below. Everything in the room stilled and Emily lifted her small fear etched face towards the overlook. Xavier¡¯s heart wrenched seeing the child in such torment and he rose up from where he was hidden so she could see him clearly while lifting his free hand to tell her to wait. The girl nodded and clung tighter to the pillar as if drawing comfort from the softly glowing sphere at the top. None of the plants moved and the air became oddly still and quiet. Xavier and Ella both stood slowly unnerved by the change but shifted to creep down the path towards the floor below. As they got closer to the floor, they could make out more details of what lay beneath the plant life. Here and there lay crumbled arches and statues. Pathways peeked from beneath the overgrowth and stone benches were revealed beneath overwhelming moss growth. A dark barely flowing stream wound between trees and the still stagnant pools of various fountains dotted the landscape. The place had once been a place of majesty and beauty now fallen to corruption and disarray. As his foot set down on the ground of the cavern proper another prompt filled Xavier¡¯s view. You have discovered a quest. ¡°The Seed of Renewal.¡± You have found one of the cores of the ley lines that make up the Syr¡¯Vailen. This once vibrant place of life and healing now is a corruption of its former glory. Additionally, it seems as if the missing child Emily has found her way to the core and seems to have an unknown role to play in what transpires here. Restore the core of the Life Ley Line and cleanse the surrounding area of the rot and corruption. Possible Rewards: Purification and revitalization of the Life Ley Line. Rescue of the missing child Emily. Access to Life Magic. +1000 Experience. Penalties for failure: Further corruption of the life ley line and corruption of the lands surrounding the Syr¡¯Valien. Death of Emily. Failure of Echoes of Innocence. Your presence in this room has automatically accepted this quest. You have discovered a quest. ¡°Balance Restored.¡± A corruption has violated the essence of the life ley line and its surrounding gardens. Explore the surrounding deeps to find where this corruption is coming from. Only by restoring balance can the life of Emily be saved. Beware your actions could tip the scales in one direction or the other instead of creating balance. Possible Rewards: Purification and revitalization of the Life Ley Line and another unknown reward. Rescue of the missing child Emily. Access to Life Magic and other unknown rewards. +1000 Experience. Penalties for failure: Further corruption of the life ley line and corruption of the lands surrounding the Syr¡¯Vailen other unknown penalties. Death of Emily. Failure of Echoes of Innocence. Your presence in this room has automatically accepted this quest. ¡°Shit, fuck, shit, dammit.¡± Xavier swore as he stepped back on the ramp and stopped Ella from moving further. ¡°Fuck more quests and these ones have some serious penalties if we fail.¡± He told her. The sentient plant life seemed blissfully unaware of the small group on the ramp as they paused. Emily, who had stopped singing when they reached the bottom of the ramp, started to softly sing again. Her voice seemed to have a calming effect on the twitching and shifting life. Calling out softly Xander tried to comfort the girl. ¡°Emily, we¡¯re going to get you out of here and back home. We have to leave¡­¡± The girl froze her singing stopping once again as panic filled her features at the thought of being left behind. ¡°But just for a little bit. Something is causing this rot, and we cannot save you until we find out what is causing it. I won''t leave you alone Emily. Look I brought your teddy with me. He was guarding the way down here to show us where you went.¡± He pulled the small bear from his pouch and held it up so the girl could see it. She visibly relaxed and rose moving a little closer to them. As she did the tether of magic between her and the column became visible, a softly glowing light between her heart and the core. Its length prevented her from moving too far from it and Xavier decided to throw the bear to her. The small stuffed toy arced through the air and landed at the girl''s feet. She quickly stooped to scoop it into her arms and hug it close. While they soothed the girl and returned her toy to her the plants were slowly becoming more and more agitated. Noticing this the young girl started to sing again softly and moved back to hug the column with one arm as she held her bear in the other. Her eyes remained on Xavier pleadingly but with a sad grudging acceptance of her situation. ¡°We¡¯ll be back Emily. I promise you will be home where you belong.¡± Xavier spoke softly and reassuringly to her. He turned as Ella tapped him on the shoulder and motioned back up the ramp to the only entrance in sight. His shoulders slumped a moment in anxiety before resolve returned and he followed her up the ramp. At the archway, they paused and looked back to where the child once again sat against the pillar singing her soft lullaby and watching them as tears ran down her face. With that vision etched in his mind Xavier turned and returned to the tunnels of the deeps to find a way to free her. Chapter Sixteen - Echoes of Eternity Traversing the flora strewn tunnel back towards the room with the carved relief was heartbreaking for the small group, even Valkra seemed quieter than normal. Every step seemed to be a betrayal to the little girl they had left behind, even knowing it was to find a way to free her. While the trip took less time than it had in the first place, having cleared out the roots and vines that had blocked the passage already, it seemed like an eternity. Slowly, however, the flora thinned out before eventually disappearing entirely, and then gradually the natural rock made way for worked stone and they found themselves back at the large chamber at the base of the staircase. There were still numerous hallways leading off from this room. They had already decided that the staircase up to the settlement would not be an option until Emily was with them. Though still feeling harried by a need to hurry the lack of a distinct way forward allowed them to see more details not only of the relief but of the chamber itself. There was a total of seven archways leading out of the chamber including the one back up towards the surface. It gave the room more of a crossroads feeling with three passages on either side of the room and the relief at the opposite end of the staircase. The passage that had led to where the life ley line core and Emily was the second one on the right. Having heard Emily¡¯s singing made it easy to choose a path and it was open however further inspection of the other tunnels revealed most ended in cave-ins, one archway housed a blank wall, and the final one went about twenty feet around a corner before it dead-ended as well. At a loss for where to go Ella and Xavier moved to look closer at the carved relief. Xavier was struck once again by the intricate detail and how it was still pristine despite the passage of time. Ella pointed to the two life runes represented on the intact half of the dragon. ¡°Wait I have seen these.¡± She dashed over towards the tunnel they had just emerged from and shouted back to Xavier. ¡°Look they are a part of the stonework here. Can barely make them out but they are here!¡± Xavier moved quickly to her side and was able to find what she was looking at as well. Worn by time most of the detailed decoration on the archway had been lost however here and there were small patches still intact and as Ella had noticed they were indeed holding the same runes. Xavier looked back to the relief his mind turning with ideas. The two quests he had received came back to mind. One, The Seed of Renewal, was clearly for purifying the room but Balance Restored¡­ it meant there was more than just that room. ¡°Balance,¡± he muttered out loud as he moved back towards the relief. The carving plainly indicated a balance between life and death and how they fed each other. He pondered the symbolism as he knew it. Ouroboros had several meanings but mostly mirrored that of the infinity symbol of eternal endless balance. The mosaic above showed life and death opposite of each other which only further fueled the concept of equal and balanced. He paused and looked towards the passageway opposite where the life one was, it was one of the ones that had collapsed. He prayed it wasn¡¯t that simple because there was no way to get through the tons of rock and rubble in any reasonably quick amount of time. His eyes shifted to the archway next to it though. It was the blank rock wall within the arch. Narrowing his eyes as he studied it he looked back at the relief. He walked towards the archway and studied it. It was almost perfectly smooth. Almost, the second pass he was carefully tracing his fingertips over the stone to feel anything his eyes might have missed when at the keystone he found it. The smooth stone had small barely noticeable indentations. ¡°Ella come here I think I have found something.¡± He called out. She ran across the room, abandoning her search of the relief to join him. Together they were able to make out a small line of indentations too faint to see and only just able to identify by touch. This was something key, they were certain but didn¡¯t know how to make sense of it. The damage of time was too complete. Sudden inspiration hit Xavier and his eyes widened before he pulled Vaeltheris from its sheath, remembering that the relief and some of the runes on it reacted to the blade. There was a soft shimmer from the stone face as the indentations reacted. After several agonizing moments they saw a series of symbols, not ones in any language Xavier knew but still¡­ a new prompt appeared before his eyes. Congratulations you have learned a new language. Ancient Sylmyrian. The symbols cleared up in Xavier''s vision and he could make out words from them. He slowly read them aloud, ¡°Vytha¡¯rin si¡¯alenth, solah na¡¯vylah, durna ven¡¯valith, yn thar¡¯nok vael ren¡¯talah.¡± Then repeated them in common. ¡°Life begins as the seed, rises to flourish, falls to decay, and from dust is born again.¡± Beside him, Ella gasped and looked at him hard. ¡°How did you know what that meant?¡± Her eyes were narrowed and mistrustful. He shrugged slightly. ¡°When I was able to see them clearly I received a prompt saying I had learned Ancient Sylmyrian, after that they just made sense. Can you read them?¡± He realized that along with him not knowing much about her, he had never told her about himself. ¡°We need to make time to talk and get to know each other. I have some things to tell you.¡± She evaded answering his question. Though the mistrust had left her gaze she still studied him. ¡°What do you think it means? I do not see any seeds here and we do not have time to wait for one to grow and decay.¡± He shook his head and looked back to the ouroboros relief on the wall. ¡°Everything in this chamber keeps referencing balance and the cycle of life and death. There must be another ley line nearby, death to balance the life one where Emily is. It must be causing the rot as neither is awake or balanced.¡± He scratched his chin and felt the stubble of a beard starting to take form. ¡°She was tethered to the pillar, maybe she is part of the problem.¡± He really didn¡¯t want to think on that possibility and what it could mean but it had to be considered. Walking back over to the relief he raised Vaeltheris to shed more light on it. As he did so he rested his other hand on the small ledge that ringed the room at roughly waist level. Moving to look closer at the dead side of the dragon his weight shifted on the ledge, and he felt something move. Jerking back fearing he had set off a trap he braced himself for whatever might happen. Nothing did. He moved back this time to look at the ledge. It was covered in centuries of dust but beneath where his hand had rested, he saw what had shifted. A small wheel of stone was embedded into the ledge. It had turned slightly under his weight. Xavier began wiping away the layers of dust and grime and slowly revealed a series of little wheels, eight of them in total. Each one had small designs carved into them a tree, a seed, a sapling, a pattern of four lines crossing over a central point making it look like a small star, a withered tree, a skeletal tree barren of leaves, what looked like a small pile or mound, and finally a sprouting seed. Except for the one he had knocked out of place; they were all showing the sprouting seed. ¡°Well,¡± Ella commented dryly, ¡°I think we have found what the rhyme refers to, now we just have to make sure they are in the right order.¡± Xavier pursed his lips in thought, he scratched at his chin once more and scowled feeling the stubble. He was really going to need to shave when they got back to the surface. ¡°Life begins as the seed, I think that means that the seed should be first.¡± He adjusted the wheel he had knocked askew back to having just the image of the seed upright. ¡°So the spouting seed, then sapling and tree should be next?¡± Ella considered that for a moment then adjusted the next couple of wheels to turn those images to the upright position as well. ¡°All right that covers the growing part of the life cycle, rises to flourish, as the riddle states. This means the falls to decay should be the withered tree then the skeletal one.¡± She adjusted two more wheels following the logic. ¡°That leaves two more wheels,¡± Xavier pointed at the last two. ¡°From dust is born again.¡± He shifted the second to the last wheel to show the small pile of dust. ¡°So, the star is being born again?¡± Turning the final wheel, they stepped back. They waited several moments, and nothing happened. They looked at each other in confusion before moving back closer to the wheels. ¡°Did we miss something?¡± Xavier asked. There was a small click, barely audible and the wheels spun back to their original position. As the pair gasped a dark cloud roiled from the nostrils of the dragon engulfing both of them. Pain rocked through their bodies and in the corner of Xavier¡¯s vision, he could see the green bar of his stamina plummeting rapidly.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The attack only lasted a few moments but left the duo on their knees with a bone-numbing exhaustion. Xavier felt as if he had been running at a sprint for weeks without rest and Ella was slumped to her hands and knees gasping. When the pain had cleared enough Xavier brought up the screen showing his combat log, he had minimized the notifications cause all the fights he had been in so far were fairly straightforward. It held the answer to what had just happened, however. You have been struck by necrotic cloud (Death Magic). You will lose 20 points of stamina per second for the next 10 seconds. You have been struck by necrotic cloud (Death Magic). You will temporarily lose one point of constitution for the next 24 hours. Checking his attributes page he could indeed see that his constitution score had changed from the twelve points he had in it to a score of eleven with an asterisk and his overall stamina bar had shrunk. Kneeling there as he waited for it to refill and give him the energy to even stand up again he turned the puzzle over in his mind. The wheels were not in the correct order, that much was obvious. As he climbed to his feet, he offered a hand to Ella to assist her as well. The pair moved back to the ledge and examined the wheels again, this time careful not to make any changes. ¡°We cannot make that mistake too many times,¡± Ella stated. ¡°It nearly knocked me unconscious, and I have a feeling that is the last thing we want down here.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t argue that. So, the question is what did we get wrong? I thought they all made sense in that order.¡± He traced the symbols in the dust next to where the wheels were. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand the star.¡± He knew something was missing, a key concept. Muttering quietly, he began to break down the line. ¡°Vytha¡¯rin si¡¯alenth, Life begins as the seed. Or maybe Vytha¡¯rin is closer to life¡¯s essence and si¡¯alenth is seeds of beginning. I still think that means the seed is the first symbol. It all starts with the seed.¡± He drew that above the row of symbols in the dust. ¡°Solah na¡¯vylah, rises to flourish. That is pretty much a direct translation, so the tree grows from the seed. That still points to the way we had them.¡± He drew out the next three symbols, the sprouting seed, the sapling, and the grown tree. ¡°Durna ven¡¯valith, falls to decay. Durna means falls or descends and ven¡¯valith means into decay. Again, those match.¡± He pointed to the images of the withered tree and the skeletal one. ¡°The death half of the cycle.¡± He paused, ¡°Wait, Yn thar¡¯nok vael ren¡¯talah. That is more than just and from dust is born again. Yn is and. Thar¡¯nok means from the dust, but Vael that is spirit or essence.¡± He slid Vaeltheris from its scabbard again, the name of the blade taking on a new meaning. ¡°Vaeltheris,¡± He muttered again, ¡°vael is spirit or essence, theris¡­ harmony or balance.¡± Looking up to Ella he asked. ¡°Your blade is Essence of Harmony or Soul of Balance?¡± Ella stared back for a long time before she nodded fractionally. ¡°Something like that.¡± She turned her gaze from him unable to meet his eyes. ¡°I never really understood it and did not bother to check. I was just trying to survive.¡± The change in the young woman¡¯s demeanor threw Xavier for a moment. That cemented the fact that when they got safely out of the deeps with Emily, he and Ella were due for a long honest talk if she was going to continue traveling with him. She was hiding something, and he didn¡¯t know if he could continue trusting her. ¡°Ok,¡± he said hesitantly, ¡°So yn thar¡¯nok vael ren¡¯talah. Ren¡¯talah means born again. And from the dust spirit is born again. That¡¯s three concepts not two. Our order is off somewhere else, but we need another symbol at the end. The mound must be dust and I guess the star is spirit?¡± His tone was questioning as he pointed to the two symbols. ¡°Born again¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the seed, could there be extra symbols to confuse people?¡± Ella shook her head, not knowing the answer to his question. ¡°I think it is all of them just in the proper order. She pointed towards the first symbols. One of those should be the rebirth. I just do not know if it¡¯s the seedling or the sprouting seed.¡± Xavier sighed and turned to the wheels. Carefully he started to rotate them, seed, sapling, tree, withered tree, skeletal tree, ash, star, and then sprouting seed. Holding his breath he motioned for Ella to move well back just in case. A few moments later there was a soft click and the wheels sank slightly. A loud hum filled the room followed by what Xavier could only think was the roar of a dragon. He looked up just in time to see the runes on the ouroboros light up running along its body it gave the relief the appearance of movement almost seeming to rise from the wall where the runes were lit. The light moved slowly at first as they lit in sequence from its head tracing along its entire body and returning to its mouth where it held its tail. It repeated while they watched and each time it reached the mouth it sped up. ¡°Now what?¡± Xavier asked. The rest of the room remained the same giving no indication of any additional requirements. Ella shrugged slightly and said, ¡°Touch it?¡± Xavier glared at her. That advice was the bane of gamers the world over. ¡°When? Where? Why?¡± Ella shrugged again at a loss for further advice. Sighing Xavier turned back to the flashing runes and hesitantly he put his hand over the head of the dragon watching as the flashing runes drew closer. As soon as the ones on the head lit up, he pushed his hand to them. The change was immediate, though the runes continued to move they remained lit and ended up lighting the full length of the dragon''s body. With a soft hiss, the stone wall in the blank archway shimmered and slowly vanished revealing a dark stairway descending further behind. The air that was released into the chamber was a mix of dry musty air, though it was heavily tinged with a faint sickly sweet metallic tang. A soft deep whisper carried forth on the musty air. ¡°The balance restored. Enter, seekers of eternity.¡± You have updated a quest. ¡°Balance Restored.¡± A corruption has violated the essence of the life ley line and its surrounding gardens. You have found a hidden passage. Signs indicate it is the way to the death ley line. Only by restoring balance can the life of Emily be saved. Beware your actions could tip the scales in one direction or the other instead of creating balance. Possible Rewards: Purification and revitalization of the Life Ley Line and possibly Death Ley Line. Rescue of the missing child Emily. Access to Life Magic and possibly Death Magic. +1000 Experience. Penalties for failure: Further corruption of the life ley line and corruption of the lands surrounding the Syr¡¯Vailen amongst other unknown penalties. Death of Emily. Failure of Echoes of Innocence. Ella and Xavier moved over towards the stairs. Valkra, however, hesitated and whined slightly not wanting to move any closer. Xavier knelt and scooped the little cub into his arms. ¡°Afraid to go deeper little one?¡± Xavier crooned to the nervous feline. He pulled out a small scrap of dried meat offering it to the cub. It devoured it rapidly before it looked him in the eyes. He could see the resolve solidify in its more than intelligent look and he sat her on the ground. She padded over to the top of the stairs before looking back at him. ¡°All right let''s go see what this brings,¡± Xavier responded and moved to take a newly lit torch from Ella. The stone walls of the stairs held elegant carvings. Each stone in the stairway and walls were well-worked and placed. Time seemed to have forgotten this part of the deeps similar to how the relief had been untouched. It was a short stairway and at the base was another elegant archway. It was carved with intricate designs of life and death entwined, blooming flowers curling into skeletal hands, and vines transforming into bones decorated its surface. It opened into a vast, vaulted chamber lined with statues of guardians each depicted with a different set of armor all in similar stylistic motifs indicating they were of the same people just of different roles. Each held a set of dual symbols: a blooming flower in one hand and a withered branch in the other. As they had traveled down the stairs the air had grown heavier and now it hung oppressively muting even the flickering sounds of the torch. Heavy and quiet though every so often it would sound like faint whispers or wails emanated from the shadows surrounding the room. A low, reverberating hum, similar to what they had heard as they got closer to the chamber with the life ley line had subtly shifted now that they had entered what was clearly a crypt. Instead of just the deep monotonous tone, there was a throb to it and it was sometimes broken by faint whispers or the dry rattle of unseen movement. Each time the throb hit the shadows flickered and the pristine stonework flickered to appear broken and destroyed, marble walls now cracked and blackened, with glowing ley lines pulsing with dark energy. The elegant statues shattered and strewn across the floor. Small stone slabs in the wall broke open, and the skeletal contents spilled and shattered on the uneven floor tiles. This lingered for several minutes only to have the next thrum return it to the perfect craftsmanship. Ella shuddered beside Xavier who was also starting to feel his nerves fray in the face of the horrors the changes revealed. Taking a single hesitant step forward Xavier received a new prompt. You have discovered a quest. ¡°The Echoes of Eternity.¡± You have found one of the cores of the ley lines that make up the Syr¡¯Vailen. This majestic crypt housed generations of Sylmyrian nobility, they were held in a gentle repose by the power of the death ley line. The sudden influx of life to its opposition has corrupted the balance. Find a way to cleanse the crypt and restore the death ley line. Possible Rewards: Purification and revitalization of the Death Ley Line. Access to Death Magic. +1000 Experience. Penalties for failure: Further corruption of the death ley line and corruption of the lands surrounding the Syr¡¯Valien. Your presence in this room has automatically accepted this quest. The dual quests that had appeared in the other chamber now made more sense to Xavier. They reflected the balance required between life and death. He had a feeling that restoration of one would require the other to be restored quickly or it would be overwhelmed and subsumed by the first. The balance would have to be maintained, or he would destroy his own settlement before it had a chance to bloom truly. Failing that balance would also likely kill Emily if not all of them. His heart heavy with the burden of safeguarding his people, he glanced back at Ella and then took another step. Chapter 17 - The Crypt and the Garden When his second step did not immediately trigger any traps or attacks Xavier released the breath that he hadn¡¯t realized he had been holding. The room flared with illumination. Sconces lining the walls blossomed to life with ethereal flames flooding the room with a haunting light and giving the shadows in the corners of his vision a macabre mockery of life. The strange illumination only heightened the unsettling distortion of the corrupted version. This switch caused Xavier to hesitate, and he crouched tightening his grip on his weapon while he scanned the room for threats. His heart beating loud in his ears briefly before he realized that despite the ominous presence of the room the shadows were just shadows. Ella came down off the steps to stand at his side and Valkra started padding about their ankles. ¡°If it didn¡¯t keep changing from pristine to destroyed it would almost be soothing and calm,¡± Xavier commented. ¡°Given the life ley line was in a garden, this must be a crypt. It makes sense for the death ley line.¡± He looked to Ella. ¡°I guess we can expect undead here.¡± Ella made a sour face as she turned to look at him. ¡°Just so we are clear, I hate undead. They give me the creeps, but you are probably right.¡± Xavier moved over to one of the statues and looked up at it. This one appeared to be an animari, one of a species he hadn¡¯t seen yet. Glancing at the others he noticed that they were of all different races and both genders. Once again, a balance in their representation. ¡°Odd, I had thought the Sylmyrians were a race, but this makes it look more like a people or kingdom.¡± Ella responded off handedly. ¡°It was one of the ancient empires several epochs back in history. The Sylmyrian Dominion, the Arathorian Empire, the Thanik Empire, the Phoenix Empire, Darnathian League, and the Ilvani Theocracy.¡± She recited ticking each off on her fingers. After she did so she froze and looked at Xavier. ¡°At least that is what I have read. Nothing but ruins remain of any of them, however. They all fell long ago.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t the history book we found in Bramblegate list them? I found mentions of the others but not the Sylmyrians. The only place I have seen anything of them has been here and up above in the ruins we¡¯re building Rynthavael on.¡± Speaking as if she hadn¡¯t heard him Ella muttered, ¡°Gods I do not like this place,¡± ¡°That makes the two of us,¡± Xavier started to reply when he heard a small whine at their feet, ¡°Make that the three of us.¡± He finished as he reached down to comfort Valkra. Now that the room was illuminated, he could see several archways leading from the chamber that had been previously hidden in the darkness. Crumbled statues and debris, in this version at least, of the chamber made the approach to all but one difficult. Motioning to the open hallway he asked, ¡°Do we try that way, climb the rubble to try one of the others or wait for the next change to test our luck?¡± ¡°That seems far too easy,¡± she replied. ¡°As if it was guiding us to a trap. I think we should wait, or better yet go back and see if we can help Emily and purify the life ley line. Maybe it will help improve things here since they are supposed to be balanced.¡± Xavier thought about her words before he had a sinking feeling. ¡°I don¡¯t think they are meant to be one and then the other. Everything we have seen has indicated balance like you said. I think we are supposed to do them both at the same time. I bet purifying one without the other makes things harder.¡± She winced and nodded. ¡°Yes, you are probably right. So, who goes back and who stays here?¡± Her look to him was hopeful and it was clear she had no desire to remain in the crypt. He sighed softly and scooped up Valkra right as the thrum happened again. The chamber reverted back to its pristine walls and decorations, opening the other pathways to easy traversal. The spectral lighting made the change in environment even more stark as the corrupted version had a sickly purplish hue whereas this new lighting was a soft incandescent blue. Handing the shadowmane cub to Ella he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll try and solve this side. You two go back to the grove and see what you can do.¡± Ella smiled, though briefly and leaned in to kiss his cheek before she cuddled Valkra closer turning back to ascend the stairs and head the other way. Xavier touched where her lips had brushed a moment in confusion then pushed action from his mind as he looked back to his options. Picking the far hallway, he hurried through the room before it changed and was blocked once more. The spectral torches illuminated ahead of him as he walked, only heightening the sensation of being a lamb led to the slaughter. The hilt of his dagger was soaked with a cold sweat as he adjusted his grip on it before passing through the archway. Behind him the sconces went dark and plunged the room into the vague half-light it had before. Ahead of him there was a long hallway with alcoves indenting on either side at regular intervals. Each alcove held small empty platforms. Gritting his teeth Xavier moved into the hall. The fact the hall was lit didn¡¯t ease his concern in the slightest as he moved towards the first alcove. As he drew near it a form coalesced on the small dais. It was of a statuesque but ghostly human male he held a forge hammer in one hand as he looked serenely down upon Xavier. ¡°Sul¡¯mir yn durn¡¯vyr, vael yn kal¡¯dormis.¡± Xavier¡¯s gift that had granted him an understanding of Ancient Sylmyrian translated the words instantly. ¡°Death gives rest, life brings motion, balance binds them.¡± A few moments later the pervasive hum thrummed once more, and the hall shifted. Cracks ran through the marble walls filled with dark purplish veins of light. The plinth the specter stood upon appeared to be more crumbled ruin than a platform. It was the specter that held the most unsettling change, however. Gone was the serene image, now replaced with a rotting horror. The vision leaned forward; one desiccated hand reached out seeking Xavier as he recoiled. Instinctively he lashed out, the blade of Vaeltheris caught the outstretched hand of the vision and it winked out of existence. Shuddering, he looked down the hallway and the number of other alcoves it held. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Ella raced down the passageway dodging around the overgrown flora as she did so. She had set Valkra on the floor and the cat easily kept pace with her as they ran. The taint to the plant life they had noticed before seemed to have ebbed somewhat the closer they got to the underground garden. Soon it was apparent why, however, as they came out of the tunnel onto the overlook and the cavern had drastically changed. Whereas before they could look down upon the chamber and see the pedestal that held the core of the life ley line and Emily or look about the chamber and see some of the detail of what the overgrown plant life hid. That view was gone, the chamber seemed to have grown in size and life. Odd trees filled the area nearly to the cavern ceiling, vines hung thick and heavy, scattered throughout the canopy and from stalactites. Fungal groves fought with deciduous bushes for dominance of the pools of sickly green water that was visible. Ella groaned. She may have picked the worse option of the two, but at least it was less likely to have undead. Movement below caught her eye, and she ducked down by the edge of the cliff to avoid being seen. Her sharp gaze watched as what she had previously mistaken for another bush shifted, its now clearly feline shape stalked out of the undergrowth and between a set of tree trunks. While she watched the thrum of sound that had marked the transition from pristine to corrupted and back in the crypt filled the air and the plant life surged growing visibly in the chamber below. The surge elicited another groan from Ella as she realized she had to move now, waiting would only make the challenge more difficult. She rose and hurried down the ramp into the vegetation below to try and find Emily and figure out what needed to be done to free her and purify the ley line. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Back in the crypt, Xavier was moving once again now that the hallway was whole once again. Each alcove he hurried past held another vision from the past, a spectral dwarven woman in robes, a huge ghostly bearkin Animari wearing what looked like plate armor, and even a small waiflike girl with an intensely intelligent gaze in a third. Each one he passed uttered a phrase. The child uttered ¡°Draen¡¯vir os val¡¯sul, thyrris os yn nol¡¯myrin.¡± Meaning ¡°Strength lies in unity, the balance of flame and water.¡± And the dwarven lass spoke ¡°Nol¡¯ys varrith, sul¡¯nar eyl¡¯ar¡¯mirael.¡± Which translates to ¡°At twilight¡¯s breath, stone and air find peace.¡± It was when the bearlike figure spoke ¡°Nor¡¯thar sul¡¯nol, vel¡¯ys mir¡¯nar.¡± Xavier realized yet again the symbolism of balance was being preached by the visions when he translated the words ¡°In the cycle of dusk and dawn, harmony prevails.¡± As he came to his realization the thrum filled the hallway, and the visions warped into sickening corruptions of what they had been. Each moved to step down off their broken stones, the armor of the bearkin now rusted and with a large bloody hole as its fur sagged and collapsed showing the flesh beneath. The dwarven woman¡¯s eyes were missing and skeletal hands reached forth, her robes once elegant hung in tattered rags about her frame. Most horrific was the child, her eyes now glowed with the ominous purple light and a long tongue lashed back and forth between needle-sharp teeth in her overly large mouth. Xavier fought down the urge to flee, but instead, he started backing slowly away from the more animate visions as they approached. He held the dagger before him trying to keep the blade between his body and whichever apparition was closest. The spirits still whispered to him, their voices hollow, rasping or gurgling now. ¡°Essence¡­ cycle broken¡­ death claims¡­ silence reigns. Harmony¡­ lost¡­ shadow overcomes. Harmony¡­ fractured¡­ all fades.¡± The pervasive corruption tainting not just their forms but their very message as well. Crying out Xavier lunged towards the hulking mass of the undead-looking bearkin, Vaeltheris slashing through its outstretched hands and flashing a pure light as it drove back the corrupted vision. When the blade pierced the torso of the creature it flashed out of existence but the chill of its presence remained hanging heavy in the air as Xavier passed through it towards his next target. He moved with determination now, desperate to banish the visions and their perverse twisting of what had been. Though the nature of Vaeltheris seemed to drive them back and dissipate their forms they were not harmless themselves. The waif¡¯s claws dug deep into Xavier¡¯s other arm and her teeth sunk into his hand before he could turn his weapon upon her. His health dropped rapidly from the deathly cold of her touch and bite. Oozing blood rose from wounds that already had dark lines starting to trace away from them as her body vanished leaving only the dwarf remaining. He held his wounded arm tightly to his chest as he swung his blade desperately to keep her skeletal fingers from his body. She didn¡¯t recoil from the blade, each pass of it removing bony digits from her hands until he was finally able to drive it into one of the empty sockets of her head and the apparition winked out of existence. Gasping in pain, Xavier looked at his wounds. Pus was already starting to ooze from them as if they had long since gone infected. He quickly sheathed his blade and dug around in his belt pouch for some of the forest sage. They hadn¡¯t yet been able to find anything stronger to help heal wounds than the herb and he quickly began to chew some of it praying that it would help. As the next thrum restored the hall he dashed down its length anxious to be free of it and its visions before the next turn of the cycle. He rushed through the archway at the end and came into another large circular chamber. Once again the sconces flared to life filling the room with the soft blue glow of ethereal flame. Seeing nothing but two other archways at the far side of the room across a shallow, still pool of water he sighed in relief. Moving away from the archway that led back into the hall of horrors he crouched near the water and took time to inspect his wounds. They were ever so slowly closing but the corruption lingered as pus continued to rise to the surface. The dark lines of infection seemed to have slowed spreading up his arm but he knew he was far from safe. He would need to hurry and solve the trials of this crypt so they could save Emily and return to the surface where hopefully one of the healers in the village could save his arm. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Ella cried out in effort, her spear wedged in the chest of yet another plantlike animal form as she pinned it to the ground, its movements finally ceasing. Nearby Valkra also pinned her own adversary to the ground, her sharp teeth ripping at its throat as her twin tails lashed forward driving their sharp tips into its body. The garden had taken a decidedly deadly turn from when they first had seen it. Every step they fought through the now labyrinthine maze of flora was filled with either aggressive animals made of vegetation, hostile animate mushrooms, or deadly snapping plants with whipping vines, and that was just the parts they could fight back against. They had to retrace steps to avoid tainted pools of water that hissed and bubbled as they dissolved the unfortunate vines or branches that hung into them or escape clouds of spores that caused them to hack and wheeze while their throats seemed to want to swell closed with irritation. Unlike the trials Xavier was fighting through, the thrum did not offer occasional reprieve but only made the overgrowth worse. Pulling her spear from the now unmoving corpse Ella panted softly glad for the fact that nothing hung in the air after this fight. The pair of humanoid mushrooms she and Valkra had taken down last erupted into one of the spore clouds when they expired making them flee blindly down the corridor of tree trunks. Moving to check on Valkra she smirked at the fierce little cub. ¡°I take back my earlier complaints, I would much rather have some skeletons or even ghouls instead of these things.¡± The panther purred in agreement as it pressed into her hand. ¡°Come on we need to hurry. This place is getting more dangerous, and I am worried about what might lie ahead.¡± She retrieved her spear and the two moved deeper into the maze. They skirted around another acidic pool, hugging close to the trees that made up the walls of the pathway, and turned the corner. There in the center of a new clearing, they finally found the pillar with the core of the ley line. However, there was no sign of Emily now. Ella cried out in fear that they had been too late, and something had taken the child when she heard a noise from one of the trees that surrounded the platform the pillar was on. As she moved closer a small form nestled in the roots of the tree lifted its head. Emily stared up at Ella from where she sat against the tree. Her eyes glowed with an inner light of emerald green similar to the tether that had been seen tying her to the pillar previously. She looked worn and tired as if she had gone for days without food or rest. ¡°You came back for me.¡± The child spoke though her voice had a much richer timbre than her frail form would suggest. ¡°I knew you would.¡± She smiled weakly and held her arms out towards Ella. The woman knelt next to the child and gathered her close. As she pulled the child into her lap she spotted the tether once again, now much thicker and robust as it tied the child to the ground near the base of the tree. ¡°I cannot leave.¡± The girl whispered into Ella¡¯s ear. ¡°I am bound to this place, if I leave it will die and so will I.¡± Her eyes flared brighter and her voice grew more resonant. ¡°We need the child, her life sustains us, the balance is amiss and it will destroy us.¡± Ella sat back, still holding Emily but more at arm''s length now uncertain of what she was grasping. ¡°Who are you? Why are you hurting her? She is just a child.¡± Her tone was a mix of anger and worry. Something had taken over Emily. ¡°We are what your people called the ley line of life. Without us, this forest would wither into nothingness and the land would die, death would take hold and all would fall into darkness. We do not mean to hurt the child but we must live.¡± Tears welled in Ella¡¯s eyes at the seriousness of the situation. Emily had become a sacrifice for the greater good but she could not accept that. There had to be a way to save the child and the Ley line. ¡°No, there must be another way. Please, what can I do?¡± The child grew silent for a while and Ella despaired that there was not another way. After several long minutes, the garden thrummed surging in growth once again and the child stiffened in her arms. As the growth slowed Emily looked up to Ella once again. ¡°There is but one way, balance must be restored. As the death ley line requires sacrifice so to does life. Each requires its own energy to revitalize the paths.¡± The young girl raised her arm and pointed deeper into the garden. ¡°You must pass through the maze and find the dying tree. Though corrupted it still retains a seed, return the seed and plant it near the pillar. It will restore the ley line and provide energy to stabilize it. Hurry though, time grows short.¡± Emily¡¯s eyes faded slightly, and her face took on the tired appearance it had when Ella found her. ¡°I am so sleepy.¡± She sighed. ¡°You are not going to leave me are you?¡± The woman smiled gently to her as she wiped away tears with her free hand. ¡°No Emily, I will stay close. Rest for a little bit I need to go check something but will not go far.¡± She set Emily back down and the child curled up next to the tree once again. Her eyes closed and soon the peaceful stillness of slumber took her once again. Valkra padded over and curled up next to the sleeping child, her feline eyes turning to watch Ella as the woman rose and hurried off into the maze once more. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Back in the crypt, Xavier was gazing into the pool studying his own reflection briefly as his mind raced with what had happened. As he did so the thrum filled the chamber and his own visage in the water shifted. Dead eyes stared back up at him from the water, the image now a grotesque mockery of his own visage. Its jaw hung loose only attached at a single joint while the flesh of his face rotted. The image of his body had taken on an emaciated and nearly skeletal appearance, and he recoiled from the water. This was getting to be nearly too much for the young man as he ran his hands over his body and face trying to reassure himself that he was still alive and whole. His mind wrestled with what his hands told him compared to what his eyes had, and he slowly pushed back the paranoia. ¡°FUCK I HATE THIS PLACE.¡± He screamed out to nobody in particular. The light had once again shifted to the eerie purple and made the shadows dance and shift causing him to jump every so often. He rose and skirted to the right around the reflecting pool, careful to avoid looking in it again, not wanting to see his dead features once more. As he came to the next archway he ducked through it and hastened down the hall glad to leave yet another horrible room behind. The hallway soon opened up once again and a new chamber lit as the sconces burned with the corrupted light. In the center sat a large skeletal obelisk. The walls were covered with intricate bone arrangements forming geometric patterns, each embedded with faintly purple glowing runes. Their forms cracked and brittle as if they had been left to the elements for decades and were on the verge of crumbling to dust. On the opposite side of the room stood a large pair of sealed doors in another archway. Not seeing any obvious threat Xavier moved carefully into the chamber and noticed concentric rings surrounding the obelisk. Each ring had a set of runes etched into them and there was an empty ring with slotted areas between them. Opting to try and avoid anything to do with the room, Xavier stayed near the wall and moved warily around the rings and obelisk. When he came to the giant doors, he pushed gently on them only to find them unmoving. Bracing both hands against the door he pushed harder and still the doors resisted any movement. Sighing he looked back at the center of the chamber. Warily Xavier moved closer to the obelisk and rings to study them. The outer ring was etched in harsh jagged runic symbols, each representing concepts of death and decay. Thar¡¯nok, Ven¡¯vaalith, Syr¡¯noloth, Durnan, Erlath, Vorin, Sul¡¯varis, Ilyn¡¯coris or Void, Decay, Shadow, Wither, Rest, Corruption, Dust, and Drain in the common tongue. Conversely, the inner ring held smoothly flowing runes representing ideas of life. Si¡¯alenth, Solah, Illuvah, Vythalir, Na¡¯vylah, Arin,var, Ren¡¯talah and Nalu¡¯varis stood for Seed, Growth, Light, Vitality, Flourish, Spark, Renewal and Purity. As he studied the mechanism the thrum sounded once again, and the chamber shifted. Whereas previously the rings, obelisk, and walls were worn and damaged to the point of unintelligibility they were now whole and pristine. The mosaics of bone on the crypt walls are revealed as hauntingly beautiful murals that portray the eternal cycle of life and death. One mural depicted a field of vibrant flowers blooming in radiant colors, only to wilt, shed petals, and decay into soil. Another showed a shimmering river teeming with life, gradually diminishing into a barren, cracked riverbed. A final mural featured golden light illuminating a lush meadow that fades into creeping shadows. Around the base of the obelisk Xavier found the inscription, ¡°Vytha yn thar¡¯nok, vael yn ren¡¯talah, solah yn valithar.¡± Speaking softly to himself he read it aloud in common, ¡°Life to dust, spirit to renewal, growth to decay.¡± He looked back to the runes in the circles an idea forming. He crouched between the two rings and tested each carefully. They both shifted easily at his touch spinning back and forth. Further inspection showed that the tiles holding the various runes were able to be slid out of the rings and into notches in the blank area between them enabling him to pair different ones together between the ring of life and the ring of death. A slow smile touched his lips and he quickly moved around the circle slipping a rune out from the life ring and in from the death ring, before long the central ring held matched pairs of concepts and he stood up looking over the work. He looked about the room curious as nothing seemed to happen, scowling, he looked back to the pairs. He was certain they were correctly matched. Just in case, he moved to the doors once again and tested them. They remained as immobile as before confirming something was still undone. He spent the next several minutes testing various combinations of the runes to the same results. Nothing changed and eventually, the room thrummed once more and took on a decayed and ruinous appearance. As Xavier tried to adjust the runes once more he discovered that they were immobile, the damage and age locking their supporting tiles into place where they were. Frustrated, Xavier stood back up and resignedly moved to return to the room with the reflecting pool and see what could be found down the other passageway. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Ella fought fiercely as she moved on from the center of the maze. Her progression was lackluster, however, as the growth continued to expand with each thrum. The small plant-made creatures she had fought on her way towards the ley line had only grown in size and ferocity. The catlike creatures that had been roughly the same size as Valkra were now the size of small tigers, their wooden claws now small dagger-sized and even twice as sharp. She bore several cuts and gashes along her arms and legs where they had caught her by surprise and the forest sage had not managed to close them yet. Currently, she was circling a large beast, nearly the size of a small bear. Its great head was seemingly carved from a solid block of wood for all the damage her spear was able to inflict upon it. As it raised up on its hind legs, raising both forepaws to bring them brutally down on the defiant woman, she rushed forward driving her spear upwards and into its open mouth. There, the wood was softer and the weapon bit true, sinking deeply into the beast''s head and causing it to still suddenly as whatever animated it lost its power. She wrenched her spear free as it fell barely saving it from being snapped in two by its weight and collapsed to her knees beside its lifeless body. She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she wondered how Xavier was doing, prayed that she would be in time to retrieve the seed and save Emily, and just survive the ordeal itself. She actually was not afraid, she had been near death countless times in her life and had always managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, but this was on a scale far beyond anything she had faced before. Her breath caught once again she levered herself up with the shaft of the spear and continued down the path hoping that this one was the correct one this time. The dead ends she had discovered so far had eaten away at valuable time and concern had caused her to rush more than she normally would, hence how the plant bear had surprised her. Rounding the next corner she cried out in surprise as the ground gave way beneath her, she landed roughly on her backside and slid down the uneven slope ultimately bouncing off rocks and tree trunks as the slide ended up a hectic cartwheeling tumble. Ending up in a crumpled pile of bruises, aching muscles, and a wrenched shoulder, she moaned softly in pain at the bottom of the hill. She didn¡¯t dare lay there for too long considering her scream and the noise of her passage likely gave her location away to anything predatory in the near vicinity. She rolled over and found where her spear lay, thankfully still unbroken, and reached out to grab it. A low hiss escaped her lips as her shoulder exploded in mind-numbing pain as she realized her arm was hanging limp, her shoulder was in truth dislocated in the fall instead of merely wrenched.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. She fell back to the ground as her free arm grasped her misshapen shoulder trying to hold it still. Biting her lip she knew it would have to be reset if she had any hope of continuing on, let alone saving Emily. Slowly she sat up and got her knees beneath her so she could force herself upright. Hobbling over towards a small y-shaped sapling she ground her teeth together before delicately lifting her arm and wedging it in the crook of the tree. Closing her eyes she twisted suddenly bracing her limb against the tree to keep it still while she forced the joint back. Her world went dark as she collapsed, her mind overwhelmed by the agony of the action. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Xavier skirted the pool once again. He did not want to revisit the image of his rotting visage for a second time. His mind already recoiling from the memory of what the water had shown him. He ducked through the only remaining archway and hastened down its short tunnel to find what else this house of horrors held. He found himself in another circular chamber as the thrum pulsed through the ruins once again restoring them to pristine conditions. This chamber was different, however. In the very center stood a small pillar that supported an orb of pure shifting energy. He watched fascinated as black, green, gold, and purple shades fought and twisted across the surface of the orb. Through gaps in the energies, he could make out that there was a small object that undulated evenly between the four colors and was held aloft but had no way to reach it. Pulling his attention away from the pillar and its prize he looked carefully around the room, each corner had a smaller pillar standing in it. Near each of these four pillars, a shaft of light shone from the ceiling but instead of a strong steady light they surged and faded, unstable in their flow. He stepped into the chamber and the archway behind him snapped close, an unseen shutter slamming down from the top of the passage to seal it closed. He heard the sound of stone grinding and several more columns rose up from the ground. Angled and polished reflective surfaces topping each of the eight new uprights. Studying the new developments Xavier had a sinking feeling. This reminded him of similar puzzles in several of the Massively Multiplayer Online or MMO games he had played back on earth. He was going to have to figure out how to reflect the beams of light in the correct order and intensity onto the columns. Or at least that is what he was assuming. The problem was determining which light went to which column. There were no identifying marks on any of them and besides the various pillars and shafts of light, there was nothing else to provide any clue or hint as to what was needed. Walking over to one of the new reflective columns he touched it gingerly, afraid of triggering a potential trap, and sighed in relief as it moved under his touch, able to shift it around in a clearly defined section and twist the column to adjust both the angle and direction that the reflective surface faced. Experimentally he shifted the column over to the first shaft of light, the golden one, and angled it so the light shone directly onto one of the pillars. As soon as the light struck the pillar directly the room exploded in blinding light and he fell to his knees covering his eyes. The flash of light was accompanied by a blistering flash of heat and he felt the small blisters form on his skin almost immediately. He shoved the column quickly, knocking it from where it was and the illumination and heat vanished as soon as the light no longer touched the pillar. Xavier gasped in pain as his body cooled from the sudden flash searing. He had only a small amount of forest sage left in his pouch, and he was wary of eating it in case it would be needed for something worse than the blistering heat. He looked at the three remaining colors and quailed at what a mistake with each of them could bring. Weighing his options he looked back to the orb of energy, he had no doubt that simply reaching into it and trying to pull out whatever was inside would be beyond stupid. As he studied the contraption longer the thrum pulsed once again and the shafts of light faded to nearly vanishing. Each of the columns supporting the reflective surfaces fell to dust and the pillars in the corners cracked and shifted leaving great chunks of them to fall to the floor. The only thing untouched by the desolation was the central shaft and its orb of energy. It stood impassive and undiminished in all of its glory. Xavier shook his head. ¡°Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Damn, magic and traps. Why did everything have to be so hard.¡± He complained to himself. As he did though he moved to look at the broken pillars, hoping for some sort of change that might help him solve this problem. The first one he inspected remained, other than being broken, as it was. A shaft of dark black stone rose from the ground ending where it was cracked and split. He touched it carefully with the tip of Vaeltheris so as to avoid possibly burning, freezing, or who knew what other sort of damage to his bare fingers. When nothing happened he touched it gently and found inert cold black rock. It was when he moved to the second column that he found something different. This column, like the first was black stone however there were fine tracings of golden material throughout the interior of the column. A grin breaking out on his face he rushed to the next column and found something similar but this time a deep purple. The final column had the same tracings but in what looked like emerald fibers. That had to be the key. Each shaft of light had to be shone on the right pillar. As the thrum returned and restored the room Xavier quickly moved sliding a reflective post into each shaft of light and directing it towards the pillar with the matching latticework inside of it. The room brightened slightly but as the energy in the orb fluctuated it the pillars pulsed, and the burst of energy pushed the reflective columns askew once again. A wave of cold sapping energy flooded the room and Xavier once again felt his stamina bottom out and he collapsed to his knees exhausted. Luckily this time it did not seem to touch his constitution and after a short rest, the green bar started to refill once more. ¡°Ok,¡± he muttered, ¡°I seem to have got part of it right but now I have to account for the fluctuations in the orb.¡± He searched about the chamber looking for what he might have missed the first time. Hesitantly he touched the column that was pure once again, wary of the necrotic pulse or flash of light as he did so. The column itself didn¡¯t react to his touch though so he tried to push it as well. It didn¡¯t move as he expected, however, but twisted in his grip becoming more porous as it turned. He narrowed his eyes and crouched to look at it closer. Sure enough, it had changed from being solid stone to something more resembling lava rock, with larger and smaller holes covering its surface. Experimentally he twisted it while watching the holes and discovered he could change their size depending on how he turned it. Realization crept into his mind and he glanced at the orb. Noticing how the darker energy shifted through the others he estimated it accounted for the third largest amount of energy pulsing through the sphere. He watched the energies play about each other for a little while longer making certain he knew their order of magnitude and that it didn¡¯t shift until the thrum came again. The pillar he was next to once again cracked and broke and the rest of the room fell into disrepair. The only reason he noticed the other change was because he was still staring at the orb. The energies shifted. The dark energy now made up the primary strength and they danced over the surface. The whole order he had so carefully determined was cast asunder and he threw his hands up in consternation. Kicking the broken pillar he yelped in pain as his toes responded to the abuse. He hopped on one foot for a moment holding onto his damaged foot before he sat roughly down to wait for the next change. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Ella slowly stirred. Her shoulder screamed in pain but it was a far less severe pain than what she had felt when it was dislocated. She opened her eyes to find herself still hanging from the tree, held up by her wedged arm. The shoulder, thankfully, was back in place though it didn¡¯t stop the agony from the dislocation or resetting, merely reducing it to something she could better tolerate. She stood gingerly and lifted her limb from the crux of the tree. Moving it about slowly she ensured that she had range of motion once again and it no longer hung like a lifeless noodle at her side. Satisfied that she could use both her arms once again she moved over to where her spear lay and picked It up. Looking at her surroundings she wondered how long she had been unconscious and was thankful nothing had found her while she was. Her gaze traveled back to the slope she had tumbled down, and she pondered, for a moment, how she was supposed to scale it when she found the seed. Dismissing that as a problem for the future Ella, she turned and noticed that the near solid walls of the maze from up above had diminished, thick undergrowth replacing them, navigable if slowly. She took a deep breath and plunged into the brush using her spear to press through the clinging branches and vines, shifting them up or to the side as needed to somewhat clear a path forward. The struggle was hell on her shoulder, every press or shift causing a new surge of pain and near-blinding agony. She soldiered on though and drove deeper into the growth. Eventually, she found it lessening and becoming easier to traverse until suddenly she broke through, almost falling on her face at the sudden disappearance of vegetation. Ahead of her, in the heart of a faded and devastated grove stood the tree she sought, its silhouette reflecting its forlorn nature and pale contrast against the vibrant overgrown life she had emerged from. Its bark, once golden and smooth to the touch stood cracked and seemed charred. A putrid foul tarlike substance oozes forth from the rents glistening in the false light as if shadows given liquid form. As she approached the tree, the air grew thick and stifling as it carried the acrid scent of decay, this foul odor mingled with the faint sickly sweetness of the rotting vegetation of the grove around it. Even its roots were not lacking its morbid transformation, their gnarled forms clawed and clutched to the ground like the skeletal fingers of a desperate long dead, and buried giant. The remains of an ancient grove, once alive with vibrant golden and emerald hues of life were now a shell of its former self, Brittle branches and remains of leaves crunched beneath her feet as she moved carefully closer. As she moved she glanced down and found the skeletal remains of proud limbs crumble to dust and rise into the nearly still air, an embodiment of ghostly whispers of their past. The suddenly oppressive silence of the grove was only broken by the groan and creek of the great tree''s branches as they swayed, reluctantly, as if by some malevolent force as there was a complete lack of any natural flow of air this far below the surface. Even the light around the tree seemed to have taken on the corruption. Muted and lifeless, much like the surrounding vegetation, it cast faint shadows that undulated and twisted, mirroring the unnatural movements of the tree across the blighted floor of the grove. Seeing the befouled giant of nature she almost collapsed in anguish, but for a faint pulse. A hint of pure ancient magic that, unlike the thrum that surged the growth of the forest behind her, thrummed in a rhythmic beat. A faint and muffled heartbeat almost smothered by the layers of choking disease and darkness. She leaned closer and could hear the beat. A faint and almost mournful hum issued forth from the very heart of the tree. It rose through the layers of twisted wood as if the tree were singing its own dirge. Ella moved to the tree and through one of the deep rents in the center of the trunk she spotted it. A softly glowing tiny point of light well within the consuming shadows. She could clearly see its smooth surface, traced with veins of brilliant green and radiant gold that seemed to pulse in time to the faint heartbeat. The pulse was weak itself, the final vestiges of the life it represented almost extinguished entirely. As she gazed upon it, the seed seemed to tremble with the weight of its burden. The promise of hope for the rebirth of the essence it carried within. It was then she noticed a subtle yet profound scent lingering in the air. A mix of spring blossoms, fresh summer rain, and rich earthy fertile soil stood in stark contrast to the pungent miasma of the decay and rotted grove around her. Hesitantly she stepped closer to reach for the seed and the tree moved. Its great branches swayed and swung suddenly towards where she stood, only her quick reactions moved her back, the thunderous crash of the descending branch barely missing her as it slammed into the ground. The ancient tree, corrupted by the foul energies that sought to subsume the ley line had gained a low level of awareness. Still rooted in place and unable to follow its prey, it sensed at a deep level that the seed in its core was both the bane of its existence and the vital spark that gave it remaining life, knowing such it would destroy any who dared try to remove its heart without hesitation. Ella continued to dance and weave, narrowly avoiding the crushing blows the tree rained down on her as it tried to smash the little verminous threat to its existence. She dropped her spear doubting it would be able to do any actual harm to the monster and caught one of the offshoots of a branch as it slammed into the earth beside her. Clinging to the rapidly moving wood she shimmied up its length trying to get to the center mass of the tree. Pelted and whipped by the smaller limbs she continued to drag her protesting body further into the depths of the wild mass until her fingers touched the corrupted sap where it rose foully from the gaping split she had seen the faint glow of the seed within. The sap felt like it set her skin ablaze wherever it touched her. Clinging to her hand with a viscous resilience despite her efforts to wipe it away. Gritting her teeth in pain she plunged her hand deeper into the ruptured bark until her questing fingers touched something warm and wholesome. Closing her digits around the smooth seed she wrenched her arm back pulling it free in a single quick motion. It had the effect of ripping the heart out of a living beast as the tree bucked once, shuddered, and then its limbs seemed to sage, hanging limp and lifeless, once again mere dead wood. She slid down the now still trunk clasping the faintly glowing seed to her chest and hurried across the detritus of the grove, pausing only to scoop her spear from the ground as she rushed back towards where she had left a young girl, possessed by the essence of the life ley line, sleeping and fading. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** In the crypt, Xavier stood, almost patiently, waiting for the next thrum of sound to bring change to the room he occupied once again. When it finally happened he moved with a sense of urgency, aware of how much time had already passed even if he had no way of really tracking its passage. He studied the glowing orb for several long moments until he spotted the pattern of coverage then dashed between the columns twisting each in turn as he adjusted their openings. The golden one widest open to match the majority of the sphere¡¯s coverage, that was followed by the column representing the dark purple light, then the emerald, and finally the plain black stone one. Once he thought he had those set he moved to the once again risen reflective columns and carefully moved them into the various streams of light, deftly twisting them to cause the shafts of radiance to fall upon their respective pillars. As the last one slid into place, the golden light striking the openly porous column the light in the room intensified. It was not the blinding burning light of his first attempt however but a warm comforting glow still causing him to close its eyes due to its brilliance but not in pain. After a few moments, he heard the sealing slab retreat opening the passage back to the reflecting pool, and then further noises echoed through the halls as well. Carefully opening his eyes, he looked towards the pillar that stood in the center of the chamber, gone was the shifting orb of energy and all that remained atop the column was a small stand supporting an ornate miniature version of the ouroboros symbol he recognized from outside of the crypt. Reverently he moved forward and picked up the small item and a prompt screen filled his vision.
You have discovered: Sigil of Balance Item Class: Epic Item Quality: Mastercraft Weight: .25 kg Durability: 500/500 Traits: This wrought sigil depicts the ancient understanding of the balance between life and death, darkness and light, and the rest of the elements.
It almost felt as if it moved within his hand, its surface seeming to twist and writhe as a serpent would though it never loosed it tail and remained in the infinite twisting eight shape. He knew this was important. Between its aura of power and the trials he had gone through to retrieve it there was no way it wasn¡¯t. The rest of the room, however, was empty. As he had lifted the sigil from its stand the four flows of light winked out and all of the columns and pillars around the edges retreated into the floor with a soft grinding sound. Lacking anything else to do Xavier returned to the pool room and paused noticing a faint light now shining from the other hall with the mechanism he had abandoned previously. He hurried around the edge of the pool, noting briefly that when the crypt was pristine his visage in the water was returned to normal and his own unblemished face stared back up at him. Stepping through the archway into the ossuary he noticed a significant change. Though the twin doors were still closed the rest of the room had a faint glow to it. The runes on the floor almost seemed backlit by the soft radiance. It turned out the noise he had heard was the room shifting and returning back to the position he had originally found it in. He slipped the small item into his belt pouch and moved into the room once more. He began moving about the obelisk, shifting the rings to align the runes as he thought they should be paired. As each pair slid into place in the central ring they sank slightly with a small snick of sound, unable to be moved once more. Xavier slowed as he moved to the final pairing of Ren¡¯talah and Sul¡¯varis; Renewal and Rest were beneath his hands. He closed his eyes and gave a silent prayer to Danu that he was right and pulled the two tiles from their rings into the center one. They slid together with another snick and sunk into place. For several moments nothing happened then a soft voice filled the room. ¡°Yn valithar si¡¯vytha. Yn ren¡¯talah si¡¯vael.¡± Xavier sagged in relief mentally translating ¡°In harmony, life flows. In renewal, spirit rises.¡± The sound of stone grinding on stone filled the room and Xavier turned to find the two great doors parting slowly inward. A deep purple light poured forth from behind them and he beheld the heart of the crypt itself. The room was massive in comparison to the rest of the rooms he had been in. It held one key feature, however, a central pillar stood of jet-black stone. Its sides were covered in a latticework of purple veins all rising to flow into the core imbedded in the top of the pillar. Having seen the core of the Life Ley Line, Xavier had no doubts that this was its counterpart, the Death Ley Line core. As he laid eyes on the core, he realized he was not done yet. Reaching the core would be no effortless walk as he beheld large swaths of the room bathed in that eerie purple light that had sapped his energy before. He could see no clear path through them and had a suspicion that being trapped, exhausted in one of them would be fatal. Xavier nearly screamed in frustration. To be so close to his objective yet still unable to reach it was beyond aggravating. He moved to the doorway and leaned in as far as he dared and still able to avoid touching one of the patches of necrotic energy. He shifted to look to either side, searching for some way to advance. Failing to notice any sort of clue he groaned and started to stand upright once more when his eyes fell upon the pillar supporting the core once again. Even from the distance, he could faintly make out etchings of the ouroboros on its surface. He got a wild and somewhat reckless idea. Pulling the small sigil from his pouch, he held it forth and carefully advanced into the room. Gritting his teeth he gingerly stretched his arm towards the closest area saturated by the draining light. As soon as the sigil breached the edge of the light it faded from view leaving just the soft blue glow of the ever-present sconces behind. Xavier could not help himself and he let out a small whoop of joy before he moved determinedly forward towards where the core rested. As he came up to the pillar the light in the room surged and the entire chamber was fully illuminated. It was only then that he spotted the small throne near the rear of the room. Atop which sat a perfectly preserved corpse. Xavier moved past the ley line core to study the corpse closer. It was that of an elderly human male. Robes hung ancient and fragile about his shoulders giving him an air and mien of authority. His hands rested on the arms of the throne gently and his head hung slightly, eyes closed as though he had sat upon it and fallen asleep, never to wake. Xavier knew the crypt, though he was sure it housed other dead as well, was designed for this long-deceased individual. He knelt reverently before the throne bowing his own head in silent homage to the dead before he rose and moved back to the ley line core. Placing his hand atop the purple glowing gem his vision went blank and he froze in place. Inside Xavier¡¯s mind time stood still. He found himself standing in a small rendition of the chamber he had been in. His hand was still on the gem atop the pillar and beyond that sat the throne, its occupant no longer bent and deceased. The seated individual raised his head and its eyes glowed with the purple of the ley line. ¡°By what right do you defile the sanctity of this crypt?¡± Its voice was thunderous and hollow at the same time. It filled Xavier¡¯s senses completely nearly driving him to his knees. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± He stammered trying to rally himself to face this being of great power who sat before him. ¡°I come to awaken this ley line and restore its power to the Syr¡¯Vailen¡± He finally forced through nearly paralyzed lips. The being rose from its throne slowly and paced toward the entrapped man. Xavier found he could not lift his hand from the gem and panic began to rise within him. The being walked slowly around Xavier studying him with those glowing eyes before stopping in front of where Xavier stood trapped. ¡°You bear the aura of Aelriva and the mark of the Ard''Maelor.¡± A slight smile turned up the edges of the being¡¯s lips. ¡°My name is Kintral Amerit, I was the first Ard¡¯Maelor of the Sylmyrian Dominion. It has been millennia since I last beheld that mark on a new individual. Do you have the power to awaken the core young lord? It has faded to near extinction, and I can feel its corruption even through this tenuous bond with you.¡± Xavier didn¡¯t respond immediately. The question felt stilted to him as if his answer would set things into motion that could twist the outcome beyond his ability to control if even survive. He thought back to everything he had seen and been through in the crypt, every lesson pointing to balance. Lifting his eyes to the radiant purple orbs of Kintral he spoke softly. ¡°I do not. But there must be a balance struck to stabilize it. Can you guide me towards what must be done?¡± Kintral smiled genuinely at Xavier¡¯s words and nodded. ¡°Death requires death to energize it just as life requires life. The two cores must be balanced when they are revitalized, or one will overwhelm the other. I sense another returning to the life core, carrying the essence of life though weak to try and restore it. What would you sacrifice to this core in balance?¡± Kintral¡¯s gaze was all Xavier could see. He couldn¡¯t turn away from the being now and felt trapped like a fly in amber. His mind raced as he struggled to find anything, think of anything that could be offered. Then he knew, but before he could speak Kintral did. ¡°Are you sure young lord? Your predecessors in the past would come here to speak with the dead and learn from their wisdom. The dead know many things, see many things, and hear many things. You could learn much and grow rapidly if you followed their path.¡± Xavier swallowed hard, he could feel the power and knowledge radiating from the being before him and oh how he wanted to tap into that font but he nodded slowly. ¡°I am sure, it is the only safe way to restore the core.¡± Kintral bowed his head approvingly to the young lord as Xavier¡¯s hand came free of the gem. Suddenly Xavier was back in the grand crypt room, his hand falling away from the core of the ley line. Purple light swelled within the room though its touch did not sap Xavier the way it previously had. The illumination drove all the shadows from the room and a tether of energy surged forth from the core and struck the corpse of Kintral where he sat atop the throne. The body slowly started to glow from within the light swelling and taking on the shape of the corpse until it shone with radiance for a brief moment and collapsed to dust. The core of the ley line shone brightly before fading back to a soft steady glow. The rest of the crypt lit up as all the sconces flared back into life at once filling the halls with the gentle blue glow. Xavier knew, however, what was lost. He placed the sigil of balance into a small indentation in the pillar, the ornate symbol fusing in place and lighting with a soft purple radiance that slowly traversed the body of the dragon. Part of the balance was struck. Xavier walked slowly back toward the entrance of the crypt. The halls that once held visions, voices, and advice from the past were silent and empty. The dead were gone, sacrificed to power the ley line and weigh one side of the scales of balance.
You have completed a quest: Echoes of Eternity Weakened and corrupted the core of the Ley Line of Death required sacrifice to restore its vitality. You were given a choice though unknowing of the consequences you sacrificed knowledge and power, the wisdom of the dead who had long advised your predecessors to the needs of the core choosing to forge ahead unguided as opposed to risking your own final death. Kintral seemed to approve of this choice before he vanished, a final guidance to a new lord. What will this choice do for your fledgling settlement, what was lost in this sacrifice? Only time will tell young lord. Remember choices have consequences even if they are never known. Rewards: Purification and revitalization of the Death Ley Line. Access to Death Magic. +1000 Experience. A final piece of wisdom from the past.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************** At the same time Xavier was working through the puzzles and meeting with the spirit of Kintral, Ella was rushing back to the center of the maze. She held the seed tightly to her chest in a hand still burning with the acrid sap of the corrupted tree, afraid to treat her wounds and lose the seed or be too late in returning to Emily. She had managed to find a vine hanging down the side of the slope she had tumbled down. She slung her spear in its carrier alongside her bow before she wrapped her free hand in the vine¡¯s length. Carefully pulled herself up the treacherous terrain, pausing to wedge herself against a rock or tree before shifting her grip further up the vine and continuing upwards. Rolling over the top of the slope she lay on her back briefly sucking in air as her body rebelled against the exhausting work. Her stamina slowly refilled and she pushed herself up to her feet and set off running again. She moved deliberately, feet retracing the path she had forged to avoid getting stuck in dead ends again or falling into one of the myriad environmental dangers that filled the maze. Her memory served her truly well however and it was not the same hours her trip to the tree had been but a fraction of the time before she found her way back to the pillar and the life core. Ella¡¯s presence caused Valkra to bound to her feet and the cub''s movement roused Emily from her slumber. Emerald glowing eyes opened and oriented on the woman as she drew to the side of the child where she rested. Kneeling, Ella held out her hand and carefully opened her damaged fingers to reveal the softly glowing seed cradled in her palm. Emily smiled warmly seeing the seed then her face took on the stoic mien from before and the resonant voice sounded from her lips once more. ¡°The seed must be planted and nurtured for it to feed us. We did not know how weak it had become. The corruption was far greater than we suspected.¡± The voice softened a sad tone filling it as it spoke next. ¡°The child will not survive the transition. The seed will need her vitality to survive and renew the core of life.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ella gasped, she had gone through too much to lose the child at the very end. Xavier and the villagers would never be able to accept that loss. ¡°No, there is another way, I am certain of it.¡± She cupped the cheek of the girl and leaned closer resting her forehead against the girl¡¯s. ¡°Do not worry Emily. We promised we would get you home, Xavier and I both made that promise and we will not fail you.¡± Rising to her feet she moved back towards the pillar that held the core. She found a small patch of rich earth near the base of it and dug her fingers into the soil turning over enough to make a sizable indentation into the earth. Gently she placed the seed into the bottom of the hole and covered it completely. As she finished, she received a prompt screen of her own. Looking past the edge of it towards Emily, sitting in the tree''s roots and holding her soiled little teddy bear, Ella smiled warmly to the girl and made her choice. The screen vanished from her view, and Ella collapsed atop the freshly turned earth. On the other side of the first level of the deeps, unseen in its sheath as Xavier was lost to his vision with Kintral, Vaeltheris surged in radiance briefly then faded, diminished from what it once was.
You have completed a quest: ¡°The Seed of Renewal.¡± Weakened and corrupted the core of the Ley Line of Life required sacrifice to restore its vitality. As you were given a choice so was your companion, Ella Bree. Her choice freed the child Emily from her fate but at what cost? Return to the Life Ley Line core to retrieve Emily and Ella Bree so you may complete Echoes of Innocence and Balance Restored. Rewards: Purification and revitalization of the Life Ley Line Rescue of the missing child Emily. Access to Life Magic. +1000 Experience. Insight into the unknown.
Chapter 18 - The SyrVailen awakens and history lessons. As Xavier walked, he noticed changes to the crypt. The low hum he had become accustomed to had softened, and its tone evened out. Gone was the semi-consistent thrum that had changed the environment''s appearance and composition. He was starting to wonder what had caused the change when he noticed a new icon in the upper left corner of his vision. Right below where he could see the three bars that indicated his health, stamina, and mana was a new image, a miniature picture of Ella now appeared along with her three bars. While that in and of itself was not majorly concerning the fact that there was the barest sliver of red in her health bar and a large white X through her image was. She had never been so hurt before and he chalked the lack of her details up to being minimized up to this point and assumed It was that threatening status that caused her to show in his interface now. Xavier set off at a dash through the remaining chambers of the crypt. Their now seemingly permanent pristine condition made his passage much easier and faster than before. Taking the stairs up to the central chamber two at a time he pressed himself to move faster. He was not going to lose his only real companion in this world within days¡­ or was it weeks now? The idle thought came and went in a flash as he harshly shut it down to focus on getting back to the garden. Vaeltheris in hand, he moved through the tunnels leading to the garden barely noticing the change of the flora. The overgrowth had all but vanished. The tunnels were now lined with growth but enhanced their appearance and ambiance than inhibiting passage. As he came out of the tunnels and onto the overlook, he stopped unable to help the awe at the extreme change to the cavern. The overgrowth had completely disappeared, replaced by orderly hedges, walks, and stone-worked pavilions. Had he not seen for himself how chaotic it had been just hours ago he never would have believed this could be the same chamber. He only took in the view for a moment before his eyes oriented on the center of the gardens, there the pillar supporting the ley line core stood proud, its gem glowing a strong emerald green. Near it stood an equally impressive tree and nestled in its roots were three figures, a child, a shadowmane cub, and a woman. The child was huddled over the recumbent form of the woman as the cub paced warily about them. Seeing none of the previous threats in the surrounding areas and nothing attacking the trio, Xavier sprinted down the incline and across the oddly well-maintained paths and lawns. Valkra spun her hackles up and a low rumbling growl in her chest until she saw who was rushing towards them. Recognizing Xavier, she stopped her aggressive stance and bounded back toward the other two. Xavier slid to his knees at their side, wincing slightly at the rocks beneath the grass that bruised his knees and tore flesh but more focused on Ella and Emily than his pain. Seeing Emily unhurt and conscious, Xavier focused on Ella. Though she had cuts, bruises, and other similar minor injuries nothing explained her current state nor the fact that her hit points were all but gone. Emily looked up from where she had been hunched over the woman. Her eyes had the faintest green glow behind them as tears welled up and ran down her cheeks. ¡°She saved me, the Ley Line needed new life and told her of a seed¡± The young girl cried. ¡°She planted it and then collapsed. When she did the core released me.¡± She fell back across the woman crying harder. Xavier delicately wrapped his arms around the child and lifted her away from Ella so he could see the woman better. Finally gaining an unobstructed view he inspected her closer. She was deathly pale, to the point he focused on her information in his interface again just to verify there was still that sliver of red in her health bar. It hadn¡¯t changed, neither decreasing nor increasing. Setting Emily at his side he dug through his pouches frantically trying to find some more of the forest sage. Unable to locate any he paused, realizing he wouldn¡¯t be able to get her to chew it in her unconscious state anyways. He instead leaned over Ella¡¯s unconscious form and lowered his cheek to her face. He sighed in relief as he felt the faintest flow of breath escape her nose. She was still breathing, if faintly. As he hovered there, he was able to spot the slight rise and fall of her chest. Almost laughing in relief, he gently lifted the woman into a princess carry and rose to his feet. No one noticed as her arm fell between his arm and body allowing her hand to briefly touch the hilt of Vaeltheris, nor the brief pulse of light from the blade when it happened. A soft moan escaped Ella¡¯s lips and her eyes fluttered open. Her gaze was confused and glassy but turned upon Xavier¡¯s face after a few moments. ¡°X¡­Xavier?¡± She stuttered before coughing roughly. His grip tightened on her to prevent her body wracking from causing her to fall but eased as she settled once more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am here. Let''s get you back up top and hopefully one of the villagers can help.¡± He smiled at her warmly, ¡°You are the closest friend I have in this world. I¡¯m not about to let you die now. We have far to much ahead of us and I need you.¡± She stared at him a weak smile on her lips before she rested her head on his shoulder closing her eyes once more. ¡°It worked then?¡± She managed to ask. ¡°The seed was dying, the core said it needed more life, or it would collapse, and the balance would be lost. It was going to use Emily.¡± ¡°Hush,¡± He gently admonished her. ¡°Emily is fine she¡¯s here with us as is Valkra. Both were guarding you when I arrived. Rest now. I can take it from here to get us all back home.¡± Emily¡¯s tears had slowed hearing Ella speak and she reached up to hesitantly take the woman¡¯s hand as Xavier spoke. Ella opened her eyes slightly and smiled weakly down at the girl. She was relieved to see that the overwhelming glow that had previously lit the child''s eyes was gone though she was curious about the faint remaining portion. Xavier got the group moving as he carried Ella back towards the incline. His walk was slow, careful to not jostle the woman in his arms for fear of causing her wounds to open and take the last bit of her health. As he walked, he was able to get a better look at the changed garden. Like the crypt, it had been restored. Where there had once been overgrown plant life, aggressive creatures, and ruined stonework, now, it could rival some of the more extravagant gardens he had seen on the internet back home. Radiating out from the core¡¯s pillar pathways gently crossed through cultivated flowerbeds and around manicured trees and shrubs. They crossed pristine flowing brooks through elegant bridges and ended in the various pavilions. While he had felt peace, before his scare with Ella, in the changed crypt, this renewed garden gave him a sense of serenity and revitalization. He knew they were going to have to come back into the Deeps and explore both chambers further in the near future. Taking his time meant it was nearly an hour before they finished the climb out of the deeps and stepped through the archway into the mosaic chamber. Sylvie, the halfling who had first noticed Emily missing, let out a scream of joy seeing the little girl. Dashing forward she lifted the child from the ground and pulled her into a tight hug. ¡°Thank you, Lord Vael! You saved her! I don¡¯t know how I will ever be able to repay you. She is like a daughter to me.¡± In the middle of the overjoyed woman¡¯s exclamation his vision was once again obscured by prompt screens.
You have completed a quest: ¡°Echoes of Innocence.¡± Ella Bree¡¯s sacrifice enabled the rescue of Emily from her connection to the Life Ley Line. Though not intentionally harming the child her life essence was empowering failing line. Ella Bree provided another source of energy. Speak with her to learn more about what happened. Rewards: Purification and revitalization of the Life Ley Line. Rescue of the missing child Emily. Access to Life Magic. +1000 Experience. Insight into the unknown.
You have completed a quest: ¡°Balance Restored.¡± The opposing elements of life and death have had their ley lines restored. This balance ensures that one no longer threatens to subsume the other. Rejoice harbinger of balance your influence has already shown its effects on the world. Rewards: New access to challenges in the Deeps. Passive Effect: Ley Line Resonance. +1000 Experience.
¡°I really need to change those to only appear when I want, or it could be a major issue.¡± He thought to himself. The idea of those prompts appearing during combat or in the middle of a crucial discussion or event. He dismissed the prompts to return his attention to the villagers. ¡°I would do the same for any of you. I had promised that if you supported me I would do everything in my power to restore you and yours. Though we have not figured out how to retrieve those taken by the slavers, I could not leave Emily to the Deeps.¡± As he spoke, he walked forward, still cradling Ella¡¯s unconscious form. As Xavier stepped onto the floor mosaic, the ancient chamber trembled with an unseen force, responding to his presence as though the very stones themselves recognized him. The moment his feet make contact, the air thickened with energy, charged with a long-awaited potential. The mosaic, dormant for so long, pulsed to life beneath his feet. The Life section exploded with a brilliance that momentarily blinded Xavier. The lush greens, vibrant pinks, and soft yellows burst into motion, the petals of blooming flowers unfurling as if they¡¯d been held back by an invisible force. The vines, once still, now twisted and spiraled upward from the center, their tendrils reaching out toward Xavier like the embrace of an old friend. The blooming flower that marked the section''s symbol, pulsed with light, radiating waves of energy outward in a gentle but steady rhythm. The air of the chamber filled with the intoxicating scent of fresh blooms, and a breeze stirred, the skin of those witnessing the event was brushed with the feeling of warm sunlight. The room hums with the sound of growth, like the soft rustle of leaves and the quiet sighs of nature itself. Every breath taken felt those who did so with the sensation of rejuvenation and vitality, a deep, comforting sense that life has returned to this sacred place. But the Death section awoke in tandem, its reaction sharp and stark in contrast. As the Life section flared, the Death section deepened into darker shades, the grays and blues intensifying into a shadowed vortex. The symbol of Death, a raven¡¯s feather, grew vivid, the pale blue streaks coming to life, curling in eerie spirals like smoke rising from an unseen fire. Mist, thick and ghostly, rose from the mosaic and swirled around Xavier¡¯s legs, brushing against his skin with a cold, tingling sensation. The coolness of death was palpable in the chamber, but not oppressive, more like the touch of something inevitable yet strangely comforting. The air chilled in contrast to the warmth of the Life section, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and distant thunder. A whisper seemed to echo through the chamber, a sound like the flutter of unseen wings or a soft murmur of voices from the beyond, resonating with the quiet peace that only death can offer. The forces of death pulsed gently as if acknowledging its place in the eternal cycle, neither feared nor rejected but accepted as part of the balance.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The Central Nexus, where all the elements converge, quivered with vibrant energy as if the very heart of the mosaic was now alive with power. The once-still colors of Life and Death blended in perfect harmony, Life¡¯s vibrant greens melting into Death¡¯s shadowy blues. The colors swirled together, creating a dazzling, hypnotic effect as they pulsed, merging and parting in an eternal dance of creation and cessation. The mosaic beneath Xavier¡¯s feet seemed to breathe, the stones and gems vibrating with a gentle hum, as though the nexus recognized the restoration of these forces. The air within the chamber crackled with newfound magic, a blend of life and death interwoven into the very fabric of the room. It¡¯s a harmony of opposites, each force, though seemingly at odds, found its place in the greater whole. The ground beneath Xavier felt alive, the tiles pulsating as if they themselves were celebrating the renewal of balance in a world long deprived of such unity. Xavier stood at the center, the epicenter of this monumental shift, as the energies of Life and Death surged outward from the nexus, renewing the ancient connection and affirming the delicate equilibrium between all things. In Xavier¡¯s arms, Ella¡¯s eyes flashed briefly in response to the surge of magical essence. She shifted in his arms before laying her head against his shoulder once again. The restorative and calming air washed over her easing the residual effects that came from her choice below. After several moments the sounds, sights, and scents faded leaving a bare memory in their wake. However, the tiles of the two reawakened sections had subtly shifted. Gone were the dull and lifeless stones now replaced by vibrant solid frescos reflecting their new status. The villagers released a collective breath as prompts filled everyone¡¯s vision. Know this! Those who stood witness to the revitalization of the ley lines may now feel their own powers subtly altered by what they have witnessed. The energies of Life and Death, intertwined in ways both delicate and dangerous, have left their mark on the very souls of those present, their effects lasting long after the spectacle fades. Reflecting the balance of the two elements the following changes have taken effect: +2 Charisma and Wisdom to those with neutral alignment. -2 Healing and Damage to those without neutral alignment. Xavier blinked slowly the sheer intensity of the event having momentarily overwhelmed his senses. As the world came back into focus around him, he became aware of all of the villagers doing the same when another prompt filled his vision.
You have completed quests: ¡°Sleeping Lines 1 and 2.¡± Having started exploring the first level of the Deeps below the mosaic you found not only one but two of the dormant ley lines. The ley lines of Life and Death have been revitalized, bringing equilibrium back to the natural order. The mosaic within the Syr¡¯Vailen has shifted and now stands as a testament to your achievement, its radiance reflecting the harmony you have rekindled. Rewards: Increased Mana in settlement lands. Increased wildlife and quest opportunities. +1500 Experience.
You have been offered a quest. ¡°Sleeping Lines 3.¡± Most of the ley lines that make up the nexus beneath your settlement remain dormant. Continue your exploration of the deeps beneath the mosaic to find and restore the remaining lines further increasing the ambient mana and additional capabilities for your settlement. As this is a settlement quest it will automatically be accepted when the appropriate conditions are met. Conditions: Personal Level of 15. Retain Mastery of the Syr¡¯Vailen. Potential rewards: Increased Mana in settlement lands. Increased wildlife and quest opportunities. +1500 Experience. Xavier dismissed those prompts and reaffirmed to himself to update his settings to allow him to review new prompts at his leisure instead of being overwhelmed by them when the next major event took him by surprise. Words etched themselves in brilliant letters, their elegant script filling the prompt screen as a radiant symphony of chimes reverberates through his soul, accompanied by a booming proclamation:
"Hark and Hear! You have ascended in power. You are now Level 6!" You have crossed the pivotal threshold beyond Level 5, stepping into a realm few ever reach. Where the common individuals plateau, you rise, proving yourself as a true contender among the exceptional. This is no longer the path of the common, your growth now marks the beginning of a legacy. The touch of the divine lingers upon you, granting 6 attribute points to shape your destiny, an exceptional gift, elevated from the ordinary 4 points granted to humans by the Blessings of the Gods (Danu). Choose wisely, for these points will define your path. You have 3 days to assign them, or they will fall to the whims of fate. A New Threshold Unlocked: The horizon of your potential broadens. At this pivotal level, you are granted the power to choose a Gathering Archetype and a Crafting Archetype. These choices are more than roles¡ªthey are an extension of your soul¡¯s purpose, connecting you to the lifeblood of the world and the creations of your hands. Will you be the Harvester of nature¡¯s bounty or the Artisan of legendary wonders? The choice is yours. Mastery Takes Root: Your growing prowess earns you a unique boon: 20% skill allocation to distribute among your known skills. This is your chance to sharpen the blade of a favored talent, forge new strength in an untapped domain, or balance your growth across disciplines. Let this moment be a cornerstone of your greatness. Rise, Seeker of Glory. The world awaits your will. Seek adventure, seek wisdom, seek love, and let your legend be forged in your choices. LIVE!
Xavier¡¯s legs gave out as his mind was overwhelmed by prompt after prompt. The successive bombardment of information was too much for him to handle. As he fell to his backside the hard stone tiles of the mosaic broke him from his semi-dazed state with sharp pain radiating from his beleaguered tailbone. Reflexively his arms tightened on Ella preventing him from dropping her. After a moment to steady himself, he turned his gaze upon her. Her eyes were open, if barely, and lifted to watch him. Her breathing had steadied and calmed, the worst of her experience behind her though she was as weak as a newborn foal unable to hold herself up. ¡°I owe you an explanation,¡± she said softly. ¡°Seems as if I get the chance to do so. I had thought my choice would take that away, but Vaeltheris opted for something else entirely.¡± ¡°Vaeltheris? I know it¡¯s your blade but how can it make decisions for you? I mean it is just a knife right.¡± He responded; the confusion was clear upon his face as he spoke. ¡°Yes, and no. Take me to my bed and I will tell you what I can.¡± She responded wearily and then once again rested her head on his shoulder, the strain of even holding her head up too much for very long. Xavier nodded and looked about. His villagers had seemed to have recovered. Though he could hear discussions about what had taken place as they started to return to their normal day. Sylvie had set Emily down sometime during the events, but she took both the girl¡¯s hand and that of Pip, her actual son, and led them both from the chamber. It wasn¡¯t long until only Xavier, Ella, Aelriva and Valkra were all that was left in the room. Rising to his feet and carrying Ella, Xavier followed her request and made for her chambers and answers. Having placed the weakened woman into her bed, Xavier sat in the new chair that stood beside it. It seems despite the worry for the missing child the villagers had not been idle in his absence and newly crafted furniture had started showing up in the warrens adding a sense of residence and hominess to the otherwise barren tunnels and rooms. He sat there quietly assuming she would talk when she was ready, his hand resting on hers in a show of support and comfort. After a while, Ella took a deep resolute breath and turned her head to look at Xavier. When she spoke her tone had taken on that of a storyteller, words slightly distant as she seemed to recite a legend of the past. ¡°I told you in the Deeps of ancient civilizations lost to the ages over their own squabbles and the ravages of time and invasion. To better understand the blade Vaeltheris you need to know of two of these empires specifically, the Sylmyrian Dominion and the Phoenix Empire. Most of this knowledge has been lost to time and faded into mystery and myth. From my understanding, few truly believe the Sylmyrians even existed as a people now. Both were vast and glorious civilizations, the Sylmyrians were crafters without peers, scholars, and masters of the Ley Lines and the power they held. Their works were sought after by common and Lord alike and they built wonders unseen before and unmatched to this day. The Syr¡¯Vailen and even the great forge of these ruins were testaments to their prowess. The Phoenix Empire was likewise a great civilization, it was a theocracy as opposed to the scholarly council that led the Sylmyrians. They wrought mystical wonders and architecture. Their ziggurats and gardens were epitomes of divine inspiration. However, the leaders of the Phoenix Empire felt slighted and outshone by the recognition of and the demand for the creations of the Sylmyrians. As is wont for civilizations of power this festered, the relationship between the nations devolving from respect and trade to hostilities and war. The Sylmyrians bolstered by their magics and superior crafts were matched by the divine power and numbers of the Phoenix people. Rumor has it though, that one or more of the gods saw potential in this conflict to remake the world more to their own ends and disrupt the Celestial Harmony. They whispered in the ears of the Divine Emperor of the Phoenix Empire, and he in turn into the ears of his nobles and priests. There was a way, through the blessings of the gods, to wipe the Sylmyrians from Arath and claim their rightful place as the true masters of the world. Usurping the knowledge and artifacts of their vanquished enemies. Those rumors went on to tell of great rites of power, and rituals that were days if not weeks on end. Sacrifices of slaves, beasts, crops and anything else of worth in supplication to the gods, and it worked. A giant sphere of stone and fire took shape in the heavens powered by the demands and pleadings of the priests in the Phoenix Empire, the comet was falling towards the center of the Sylmyrian lands. But, the Sylmyrians had not been meekly awaiting their fate. As I said they were scholars and mages of immense power themselves. Knowing the destruction that was destined their way they enacted plans of their own. The best of their crafters and casters led by their current Ard¡¯Maelor, their Forge Master, they sought to not only redirect the devastation of the comet but safeguard their people. In the end, they succeeded in both tasks, but not in the ways they expected. A conjoined spell redirected the comet from its course, and it fell upon the lands of the Phoenix blasting their people and prosperity. Though none are certain due to the fall out of the cataclysm it is suggested that the Blasted Lands in the north are remnants of that magical destruction. As for safeguarding their people, that is where Vaeltheris factors in. It is an Ethyr¡¯Vael, a soul-forged blade. The Sylmyrians, in their knowledge of the craft, had discovered a way to harness the essence of creatures and use them to give power and abilities to items. Vaeltheris is the epitome of this craft. You see they went beyond simply harnessing the essences of monsters or creatures and using those stones in their creation. They ensorcelled the very souls of their people, all their lives, knowledge, abilities, and their very beings brought together in that blade. Eternal security and safety for the Sylmyrian people, if not in the existence they had intended. You asked how the blade could make a choice of its own, that is simple given what it is. The blade has a sentience. A personification made of the amalgamation of an entire society. Since it is bound to me it could sense my loss of vitality and understood what was happening.¡± She paused and her gaze fell on the blade, tears welling in her eyes before she continued. ¡°It gave of its souls to preserve me. I don¡¯t know how many perished to ensure I survived but it is diminished. The strain has further weakened what it can do, and I don¡¯t know how or if it can be restored. I do know, however, that I trust you implicitly. I want you to become the bearer of the blade and lift its burden from my shoulders.¡± She raised a hand, her fingers curled around something hidden within her palm. As she unfurled the digits it exposed a small crystalline orb. ¡°Take this, it will bind the blade to your soul.¡± Hesitantly, Xavier reached out and lifted the orb from her hand. He studied it a moment before looking at her once again. ¡°How do I do it?¡± She smiled faintly at him. ¡°It is magic, Xavier. You must simply impose your will upon it. It will respond accordingly.¡± He turned his gaze back to the orb and focused on it. Soon he was met with a prompt. It appears you wish to bind the item. ¡°Vaeltheris, Eternal Song of the Blade¡± to your soul, binding the item for eternity to yourself. It will be unable to be stolen or lost and if you die it will return to you upon your rebirth. Once done this cannot be given to another without the purist intentions of your being. Do you wish to proceed? Xavier focused on the word "yes," and the crystalline orb sunk into his hand. His head shot up as he heard Ella''s soft words as the action took place. ¡°By binding my blade, you have bound me. I am eternally tied to your side, your trials are my trials, and your will is my will. Thus, it shall be until the gods fade and the stars fall.¡± Though her words were solemn and soft the look in her eyes as she met Xavier¡¯s was hopeful. Chapter 19 - Classes, and skills, and treasure oh my! Xavier sat staring at Vaeltheris'' unsheathed blade. He was processing all he had been told about the blade and occasionally glanced at where Ella now lay sleeping. Exhaustion from her ordeal and healing had caught up to her. The third time he looked at her he paused, high on the side of her neck, behind her earlobe, was a new mark he hadn¡¯t noticed earlier. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because her hair always covered it or if it was actually new. What had really caught his attention about it was the fact it matched his own mark, the one hidden on his inner wrist, that of the Ard¡¯Maelor. It marked him as the master of the lands around the Syr¡¯Vailen and as the Lord of the settlement. ¡°Now I guess that marks you as bonded to me,¡± He spoke softly so as to not wake the sleeping woman. Turning his attention back to the blade, he just shook his head slightly. Its prompt had been updated and though the changes were few they were significant. It no longer held the red border of a legendary item, no that had changed to the rich golden border of a mythic item.
You have discovered: Vaeltheris ¡°Eternal Song of the Blade¡± Unique Ethyr¡¯Vael ¡°Soul Forged Blade¡± Long ago, the ancient race of crafters known as the Sylmyrians were unrivaled in their art. Masters of enchanting weapons, armor, and mystical tools, they infused their creations with both beauty and lethal precision. But as the centuries passed, they foresaw the inevitable decline of their civilization. To preserve their knowledge and spirit, they gathered in a final, powerful ritual¡ªa soul-forging rite that would allow them to live on within a single weapon. Thus, Vaeltheris was born: a sword unlike any other, forged with the combined essence, skill, and memories of an entire civilization. With its creation, the Sylmyrians themselves faded from existence, their bodies turning to dust as their souls merged within the blade. Now, Vaeltheris is both a sword and a repository of ancient wisdom, holding the strength, spirit, and artistry of an entire race within its metal. Item Class: Weapon Item Rarity: Mythic Item Quality: Masterwork Weight: 1kg Durability: Unknown Damage: 30 ¨C 45 Piercing/Slashing Traits: Though it appears sturdy, Vaeltheris is surprisingly light and perfectly balanced, almost as if it moves with the wielder¡¯s intentions rather than their strength. Its weight adjusts slightly to provide the ideal amount of heft for any strike, making it feel like an extension of the wielder¡¯s body. Material: Vaeltheris is forged from a silvery, semi-translucent metal that gleams faintly with an internal light as if housing the embers of a forge within its core. This magical alloy is unbreakable, resistant to the ravages of time, and eternally sharp. Form: The blade is slender yet slightly curved, designed for both grace and lethality. Faint, swirling patterns of runes and filigree adorn its surface, glowing softly when attuned to the wielder''s emotions or magic. These designs are etched so finely they appear to shift and ripple like liquid under certain light. Special Traits:
  1. Living Steel: The blade repairs itself if damaged (though breaking it is almost impossible). If chipped, the missing piece regrows with a faint shimmer.
  2. Ethereal Edge: The sword¡¯s edge can phase slightly into an incorporeal state, allowing it to bypass certain magical defenses.
  3. Aetherforged: The blade has the ability to shift its form to match the welders'' needs. At the current level, it can change in size up to medium or down to tiny, the weapon¡¯s sheath will change to match.
  4. Additional traits may be discovered.
¡°Given what she told me about you,¡± he spoke to the blade now, ¡°I should not be surprised that you are mythic. A whole empire of people locked up inside you. How many thousands of souls does that mean I am responsible for now?¡± Other than a slight brightening of its usual glow the blade didn¡¯t respond. Xavier hadn¡¯t really expected a response, though he found it interesting that prompts would change as he learned more information about something. That actually made him stop to think about how little he really knew of this world, its people, or even his own skills and abilities. Leaning back in the chair once again he lay Vaeltheris across his knees and let his mind shift focus. It was becoming easier every time he tried to do it to pull up various interfaces. The fact they seemed to appear in his vision without any sort of device or headset still amazed him but it seemed to be a fact of life in this world. Soon his own character sheet appeared before his eyes.
Name: Xavier Level: 6, 74% to Next Level Age: 32
Race: Human Alignment: Neutral Languages: Basic, Sylmarian
Reputation: 600 ¨C Who Are You Again? - Your name might be whispered in the winds, but most can¡¯t recall it. If you were a knight, you¡¯d be the one who gets left out of the battle plan. People might nod at you in the market, but they¡¯re mostly confused.
Stats
Health: 140/140 Stamina: 120/120 Mana: 160/160
Attributes
Strength: 12 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 12 Endurance: 10 Charisma: 14
Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 14 Luck: 14
Resistances Skills Marks
None See Skills Tab Ard''Maelor - The Grand Forgemaster
Abilities & Traits
Unbound Possibilities ¨C While the inhabitants of Arath are constrained by rules limiting how they can grow and what they can learn you have been blessed by Danu to be unbound. These limits guide you but do not constrain you. Linguist ¨C You have the capacity to know, understand, and speak any mortal language Unyielding Liberator - Having witnessed the devastating aftermath of a tyrannical assault, your resolve is as unshakable as your blade is sharp.
  • Strengthened Resolve: Xavier gains a bonus to morale-based rolls and abilities when fighting against slavers, tyrants, or oppressors.
  • Justice Over Mercy: In situations involving the abuse or enslavement of others, Xavier will prioritize swift and decisive action, often at the expense of diplomatic solutions.
  • Fearsome Reputation: Enemies who learn of his deeds are more likely to falter in battle, intimidated by his uncompromising sense of justice.
  • Unbreakable Loyalty: Those he rescues see him as a savior, and his reputation among the oppressed makes him a natural leader and ally to rebel causes.
His eyes widened as he noticed other changes to his stats that he had been unaware of. He searched through his options of tabs, a remarkably large number of options that he was going to have to figure out what each did, he soon found one simply called ¡°Log.¡± It held a running log, big surprise there, of everything that had happened to him from status changes to damage, to condition changes. Scrolling back through it slowly he finally found a notation after completing one of the puzzles in the crypt. Congratulations ¨C Your hard work in solving challenging puzzles has granted you a bonus for your wisdom and intelligence. Reward: +2 to Wisdom +2 to Intelligence. ¡°Alright,¡± he thought to himself, so there are other ways to increase stats than just leveling. He noticed that all of his attributes had a small plus sign next to them, reminding him that he had a couple of days to assign his new points before they would be assigned for him. He opted to put that off for now as he was unsure where he would be needing them most. Another line in the log had stood out to him while he was searching for the change in his attributes. It read: Congratulations you may now choose an archetype for crafting and gathering. These archetypes will help mold your role in the world around you. What path will you take to glory? Smiling he started through his tabs once more until he found a new one that said classes. There were three separate columns, Gathering, Crafting, and Combat. Though the combat class was greyed out currently. When he focused on it he received the comment: ¡°You do not meet the criteria for selecting a Combat Archetype at this level.¡± ¡°Nothing else, you could at least tell me when I am eligible for it.¡± He grumbled, ¡°Maybe someone else can help me with that. I¡¯ll have to ask Aelriva or Ella when she wakes up.¡± Turning his attention to the Gathering column he received a list of options, happily each option also provided a short list of subclasses, though that only made him curious about when he would be able to select one or more of those. Each archetype seemed extremely useful in its own way. However, many of them seemed to involve hours if not days of backbreaking menial labor. As much as he had enjoyed gathering when he was playing games back on Earth, he didn¡¯t really think it would be his most preferred thing now that it was his life. ¡°Eww,¡± he thought about mining, woodsman, or even botany, ¡°cubicle life but without the cubicle and more swinging a hammer or axe.¡± However much the subclasses of those archetypes seemed powerful and amazing he couldn¡¯t commit himself to those. A few of them stood out, however, forager, scavenger, salvager, and elemental gatherer. ¡°What was a soul collector?¡± Focusing on the subskills didn¡¯t offer any further information and he mentally sighed once more. This place seemed dedicated to making difficult choices more difficult and he didn¡¯t have wiki or even a rule book he could use to research what precise path he would take. ¡°Maybe I am going about this the wrong way. Picking what crafts, I want to do may better help me to decide what gathering I focus on. It''s not like I can''t learn how to gather everything, I do have the ability to learn all skills thanks to Danu. These just seem to help specialize and probably help increase either the harvest or ability to find unique things.¡± He shifted over to study the crafting column. Again, there were so many choices, how could one ever make a decision especially since they didn¡¯t know what their skills could be or even if they could learn certain skills? Switching over to his skills tab gave him a new surprise. Each skill he had acquired was listed there along with their current rank but even this tab had evolved. He was now able to see how much progression he had per skill. He was also able to see something new. Alongside the skill level and progression value was a new column. ¡°Natural Aptitude Level¡± All of his were marked as 5 ¨C Legendary Potential ¨C Grandmaster Maximum Level. Whistling softly he got a little smirk on his lips. ¡°Seems that the blessing Danu gave me is no joke, I can learn all of these skills to Grandmaster. I really should ask about skill ranks as well. Just another thing on my list of things I don¡¯t know enough about.¡± Resolving to reduce at least a little bit of that he reached over and laid a hand on Ella¡¯s giving it a reassuring squeeze before he rose from the chair and walked out of the room. It was time to learn and make choices. It was only a few minutes later when he stepped out of the warrens into the chamber that housed the entrance. Looking about he had come up with some ideas for how to improve the room and make it more official but that could wait until housing and some other tasks were done. He was just starting to wonder how to find Braegor, the Gan Ceann blacksmith and former Aeldorman would likely have information about skill levels and classes, when Aelriva flashed out of the warrens opening as well. She came to a stop just a few feet from Xavier.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Gods,¡± Xavier exclaimed at her sudden appearance. ¡°How, no why, no how are you here? I didn¡¯t call for you and I¡¯m pretty sure you were still down in the Syr¡¯Vailen just a few moments ago¡± A twinkle lit the sprite¡¯s eyes, her form shifting through the various elements, though it seemed to linger on life and death aspects a little longer than the others now. ¡°Yer will is known to me, aye. Ye sought my aid in findin'' folk in the village, and as soon as ye thought on it, I knew and came as ye required. So long as ye dwell within the bounds o'' Rynthavael, I will know yer needs, and where to find ye, should ye call." ¡°Alright,¡± he said warily, unsure he really wanted something that could track him and know his thoughts. Though she had been beyond helpful in the past he eventually just accepted it and said. ¡°I''m searching for Braegor. I wanted to ask him a couple of questions. Do you know where he is?¡± "Aye, I ken where the Gan Ceann is. He¡¯s over in the smithy, workin¡¯ away. Yer stonemason and carpenter team hae finished the repairs to the buildin¡¯ today, and the smiths were eager to get back to their craft. It doesnae hae the glory of the Great Forge yet, but I¡¯d still counsel ye, nae to awaken it fully just now. It would draw too much attention, that it would." Came her reply. She kept telling him not to awaken the forge. That council really started to make him question why. ¡±So you have said, though you never explained. How could upgrading a building cause such an issue?¡± She flew over and alighted on his shoulder, her arm around the back of his head ensuring both her perch and that she had his ear close by. "The Great Forge is a Masterworks Sanctum, aye. There be many types o'' Masterworks Sanctums, like the Eternal Hearth for cooks, the Prismarium for glassblowers, an¡¯ yer Great Forge, but there be only a handful o'' each in all the world. When one is awakened or created, it brings great fame t'' the one who played a part in its creation. An announcement rings out, tellin'' the world of th'' feat. Yer revitalization of th'' ley lines was a momentous event in itself, but it pales beside the spectacle o'' a new Masterwork Sanctum. Trust me, ye are nae ready t'' defend it from those who would seek to take it from ye. Not yet, at least." Xavier couldn¡¯t argue with her logic. Not if it was that much of an event. He was still new to Arath and Rynthavael could barely be called a village. If something of that much importance was announced to the world, he had little doubt that some power would want to take it for themselves. ¡°I understand now. Thank you Aelriva for explaining this to me. I will keep the heart safe and hidden for now.¡± "Ye could store it in the vault. When the ley lines awoke, it opened up new passageways in th'' warrens, and the vault an'' armory are now at yer disposal, Ard''Maelor." She proposed. That caught his attention. A vault and an armory, both from the ancient city that had been here. Xavier didn¡¯t think of himself as greedy but he knew eventually that his people would want to be paid for their work and the handful of coins he had managed to collect in his time on Arath were not going to pay for jack squat and he was pretty sure Jack had left town well before he got here. ¡°Braegor can wait,¡± He said excitedly. ¡°Show me to where these new rooms are. I need to see what we are working with.¡± The sprite lifted from his shoulder in a flutter of wings and she was off back into the warrens with Xavier close on her trail. They wound down several passages and went past the pantry and the mosaic room before she paused in front of a new side tunnel. At the end of the short passage was a set of double doors. "This is yer vault, Ard''Maelor. Yer armory lies two hallways further down the passage." ¡°Awesome. Open it up and let''s see what we are working with.¡± Xavier moved towards the door but stopped when she spoke. ¡°I cannae. Only ye can.¡± He glanced at her and then placed a hand on either door and pushed firmly. Nothing happened. The doors refused to budge no matter how hard he pushed. ¡°I thought you said I could open these doors.¡± He all but yelled at the diminutive flying woman. ¡°They¡¯re not moving at all. Is there a key or a secret latch or something I am missing.¡± She sighed, he still hadn¡¯t learned much about his position. "They will nae open for anyone but the Ard''Maelor. Ye can change that if ye wish, but for now, only ye can open them. It is a vault, my lord. Did ye truly think the doors would just open? Additionally, it is the vault o'' Cael''Anthir, the capital. Mere locks or secret latches wouldnae be enough to guard such valuables. Place yer hand upon the sigil." She fluttered over to a small plate in the door, where an intricate symbol was etched into the metal. "It will allow ye to open the lock an'' the doors." Xavier moved closer and peered at the small plate embedded in the large metallic doors. The symbol seemed to almost glow with an inner light. Reading the symbol aloud Xavier muttered. ¡°Vaeska¡± pausing a moment to think he finished. ¡°That which binds or secures. Well, if that couldn¡¯t be more obvious.¡± Placing his hand over the sigil he felt a surge of energy as his mark flared with energy. A resonant voice sounded in his head. ¡°Do you wish to access the Vault of Cael¡¯Anthir Ard¡¯Maelor?¡± Xavier grinned and simply said ¡°Yes.¡± He could hear metal moving against metal and stone, the sounds of great bars sliding from their place with snicks and final booms before the twin doors parted in the middle, folding back away from him to leave the next room open. Xavier stepped through the doors and almost fell to his knees in disappointment. The room was empty. Well not completely empty. There were shelves upon shelves lining the large hexagonal space and lined up neatly across the center of the rooms in several rows but that was it. No mounds of treasure, bags of coins, great stacks of metal or anything else of value. Sighing Xavier turned to leave the vault when Aelriva spoke up. "Are ye goin¡¯ to leave what¡¯s left o'' the treasure behind?" She flew through the door and towards the darkened back of the room where the light from the torches in the passageway didn¡¯t illuminate the shadows. Xavier retrieved one of the torches from the sconce it was held in and followed her into the vault. On the back shelf he found three small chests and a single small bag. Moving to the first chest, it stood about a foot and a half long, by a foot wide, and only about 10 inches deep. The chest was made of sturdy iron reinforced oak the lid held a simple iron lockplate, worn but still functional, while the corners were capped with tarnished brass for added durability. He tested the lid and it slid open with ease. When the light of the torch hit the leather-lined inside of the chest his smile grew. The thing held easily hundreds of coins, a blend of copper, silver, gold, and even the occasional silvery-white shimmer of what Xavier guessed to be platinum. He had no idea the conversion rate but this was a small fortune he was positive. He dug into his pouch and pulled out the small handful of copper and silver coins he had found, adding them to the chest before closing it and turning the key in the lock. He placed the key into his pouch in place of the coins. He turned to the second chest. It was smaller but more ornate. Polished mahogany was cornered with elegant brass pieces to complement the ornate brass inlay. Everything came together in a beautiful silver lock. Pushing the top open on the chest he found it was lined with velvet and separated into small sections. Each section had a collection of jewels. Whereas the first chest was a wonderful find of money to help his village this was even more so as the gems were potentially worth far more than the coins themselves. Once again, he closed the chest and twisted the key sealing it shut. The silver key joined the first in his pouch and he turned his attention to the final chest. It was the most unique one of the lot. Made of an ethereally pale wood with faint, swirling grain patterns that resemble frozen mist. The casket was small, almost delicate, yet unyieldingly strong. A softly glowing opaline gem was set in the top of the wood and Xavier gently laid his hand atop it. A faintly feminine voice sounded in his ears. ¡°Do you desire the casket open Ard¡¯Maelor?¡± Xavier¡¯s grin couldn¡¯t get any wider. He knew this had to be the best find in the vault just due to the construction and the magical lock. He mentally chose yes and the casket opened to reveal shimmering white silk embroidered with faint Sylmyrian glyphs of protection and preservation. The silk was divided up into cushioned slots and tiny hooks to hold delicate items securely. The air inside carried a faint, timeless fragrance of juniper and ancient magic. Nestled in the ornate casket were a number of pieces of beautifully wrought jewelry.
You have discovered: Magical Pendant Item Class: Unknown Item Quality: Unknown Weight: 0.09 kg Durability: Unknown Description: A silver pendant holding a Vaelshard crystal that shimmers with faint Sylmyrian runes. It hums softly near magical energy. Traits: Unknown
You have discovered: Magical Circlet Item Class: Unknown Item Quality: Unknown Weight: 0.23 kg Durability: Unknown Description: A silverwood circlet lined with glowing Emberheart gems, carved with fiery runic designs. Traits: Unknown
You have discovered: Magical Ring Item Class: Unknown Item Quality: Unknown Weight: 0.05 kg Durability: Unknown Description: A mithral ring with a Frostquartz centerpiece that radiates an icy blue glow. Traits: Unknown
You have discovered: Magical Bracelet Item Class: Unknown Item Quality: Unknown Weight: 0.14 kg Durability: Unknown Description: A silverwood bracelet inlaid with Springstone fragments shifting between green and blue hues. Traits: Unknown
You have discovered: Magical Brooch Item Class: Unknown Item Quality: Unknown Weight: 0.18 kg Durability: Unknown Description: A dark silver brooch with a Voidcrystal centerpiece that absorbs surrounding light. Traits: Unknown
You have discovered: Magical Amulet Item Class: Unknown Item Quality: Unknown Weight: 0.12 kg Durability: Unknown Description: A mysterious amulet crafted from an unknown dark metal, its surface smooth yet oddly reflective, as if it holds a void within. Faint, shifting runes appear and disappear when gazed upon too long. Traits: Unknown
You have discovered: The Starleaf Earrings Item Class: Common Item Quality: Well Crafted Weight: 0.05 kg Durability: 75/100 Description: Silver earrings shaped like delicate leaves, adorned with small sapphire inlays. Traits: Elegant design with subtle sapphire highlights.
You have discovered: The Moonlit Choker Item Class: Common Item Quality: Well Crafted Weight: 0.09 kg Durability: 70/100 Description: A black velvet choker holding a polished moonstone that reflects soft light. Traits: Simple yet elegant, it enhances the wearer¡¯s graceful appearance.
You have discovered: The Golden Laurel Band Item Class: Common Item Quality: Superb Weight: 0.14 kg Durability: 80/100 Description: A thin golden circlet designed to resemble a laurel wreath, with fine leaf engravings. Traits: A symbol of refinement and status, reflecting light beautifully.
You have discovered: The Amber Spiral Bracelet Item Class: Common Item Quality: Well Crafted Weight: 0.18 kg Durability: 68/100 Description: A bronze bracelet spiraling elegantly, inlaid with large polished amber stones. Traits: Warm, earthy design with natural amber accents.
You have discovered: The Rosegold Ring Item Class: Common Item Quality: Well Crafted Weight: 0.05 kg Durability: 78/100 Description: A slender rose gold band adorned with a brilliant-cut garnet reflecting deep red hues. Traits: Simple elegance with a bold, fiery centerpiece.
You have discovered: The Pearl Lattice Necklace Item Class: Common Item Quality: Exquisite Weight: 0.23 kg Durability: 85/100 Description: A delicate silver necklace arranged in a lattice pattern, holding smooth, perfectly round white pearls. Traits: Timeless beauty showcasing unparalleled craftsmanship.
You have discovered: The Sunstone Brooch Item Class: Common Item Quality: Superb Weight: 0.18 kg Durability: 82/100 Description: A polished brass brooch featuring a radiant sunstone centerpiece, glowing golden-orange. Traits: A bright, eye-catching piece symbolizing warmth and energy.
¡°Gods I need to find a way to identify magical items.¡± Xavier bemoaned. Behind him a gentle bluewhite light flashed and more prompts filled his head.
You have discovered: The Veilshard Pendant Item Class: Rare Item Quality: Well Crafted Weight: 0.09 kg Durability: 85/100 Description: A silver pendant holding a Vaelshard crystal that shimmers with faint Sylmyrian runes. It hums softly near magical energy. Traits: Enhances the wearer¡¯s ability to sense nearby magic and ley lines.
You have discovered: The Wyrmheart Circle Item Class: Rare Item Quality: Superb Weight: 0.23 kg Durability: 90/100 Description: A silverwood circlet lined with glowing Emberheart gems, carved with fiery runic designs. Traits: Grants resistance to fire and amplifies fire-based spells.
You have discovered: The Frostbloom Ring Item Class: Rare Item Quality: Well Crafted Weight: 0.05 kg Durability: 80/100 Description: A mithral ring with a Frostquartz centerpiece that radiates an icy blue glow. Traits: Grants cold resistance and minor frost magic abilities.
You have discovered: The Sylvanbrace Item Class: Rare Item Quality: Exquisite Weight: 0.14 kg Durability: 95/100 Description: A silverwood bracelet inlaid with Springstone fragments shifting between green and blue hues. Traits: Enhances natural healing and connection to nature-based spells
You have discovered: The Nightveil Brooch Item Class: Rare Item Quality: Masterwork Weight: 0.18 kg Durability: 88/100 Description: A dark silver brooch with a Voidcrystal centerpiece that absorbs surrounding light. Traits: Improves stealth and allows blending into dim environments.
You have discovered: The Amulet of the Unknown Item Class: Legendary Item Quality: Exquisite Weight: 0.12 kg Durability: 100/100 Description: A mysterious amulet crafted from an unknown dark metal, its surface smooth yet oddly reflective, as if it holds a void within. Faint, shifting runes appear and disappear when gazed upon too long. Traits: Untrackable: Prevents detection by magical or mundane means, rendering the wearer immune to location spells, scrying, or divination. Unscryable: Conceals the wearer¡¯s presence and actions, shielding them from any form of magical observation or surveillance.
Xavier spun, the only other being in the room was Aelriva. ¡°Did you do that?¡± He questioned the sprite. ¡°You can identify magical items? Can you teach me to do it?¡± "The power o'' the Syr''Vailen allows me to ken the nature o'' things. I dinnae ken how to teach this ability to another. It¡¯s nae based on skills or knowledge. It is simply the ley lines revealin'' what is." Came her simple reply. There was almost a regretful tone in her statement as if she would teach him if it was within her ability. ¡°Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. I guess I need to find a spell or something.¡± Xavier said. "Aye, there be many spells an'' items that can help ye ken the traits o'' magical items. Though findin'' someone to teach ye magic might prove a bit difficult." Xavier studied the newly identified magical items for a few minutes before he chose one. The Amulet of the Unknown was a definite necessity. Especially given the warnings Aelriva kept giving him about not being ready for the outside world to find his village. He may not have a way to hide it from the world yet, but he could hide himself and the attention that he would bring. He slipped the fine chain of the necklace over his head and tucked the amulet into his shirt. Then he closed the chest once again. He finally turned to the small bag. It was a beautifully crafted item. Looking like a small satchel, its leather was rich dark blue with intricate silver threads laced through its surface giving the impression of starlight. Xavier raised an eyebrow as he looked at it. When he picked it up he received the prompt he was expecting.
You have discovered: Magical Bag Item Class: Unknown Item Quality: Unknown Weight: 0.12 kg Durability: Unknown Description: A finely crafted satchel made from enchanted voidleather, its surface a deep midnight blue with swirling, faint silver threads resembling starlight. Traits: Unknown
Shaking his head slightly he held the bag out to the side and waited. After only a few moments the light shone behind him once again and the information about the bag changed.
You have discovered: The Voidtide Satchel Item Class: Epic Item Quality: Superb Weight: 1.5 kg (Base) Durability: 90/100 Description: A finely crafted satchel made from enchanted voidleather, its surface a deep midnight blue with swirling, faint silver threads resembling starlight. Despite its small exterior, it carries far more than it appears. A subtle hum can be felt when held, as if space itself bends within. Traits: - Dimensional Storage: Contains up to 20 slots, each capable of holding a standard item (weapons, tools, or small chests). - Weight Reduction: Reduces the weight of stored items by 60%, significantly lightening the load for the user. - Void-Sealed: Contents are immune to external damage and do not degrade while stored
Xavier could barely resist doing a little celebratory dance. This was every gamer¡¯s dream item. Bags of holding could make schlepping all the treasure and loot from a dungeon so much easier to accomplish. And now he had one. Better yet this one would preserve anything put within it while reducing its weight. He quickly opened the bag and a visualization of a 4x5 grid appeared in his mind. It was all but empty currently, the exception being a small clear crystalline orb showing in the bottom right square. Xavier grinned and moved to unlock the chest of coins before tipping it and pouring all the clinking metal disks into the bag. As expected, the first row of the grid filled, one square with each type of coin and a number was superimposed over the image of each coin.
Copper Coins 276
Silver Coins 150
Gold Coins 70
Platinum Coins 4
It was more than he expected and he was thrilled with the effect. Reaching into the satchel he imagined grabbing a copper coin and he pulled his hand out holding one of the small disks as the number count in the bag decreased by one. Now he couldn¡¯t resist dancing and chanting softly as he did. ¡°I got a bag of holding, I got a bag of holding, I got a bag of holding.¡± He dropped the coin back in and took Aelriva¡¯s hands dancing with her. The small sprite gasped in surprise as she was spun about and then released. Xavier picked up the other two chests and carefully tucked them into the bag as well. Each one took up a space of their own and the weight of the bag increased slightly but Xavier now had the whole of his wealth on him. Confident in the capabilities of the bag he pulled the precious Heart of the Forge from his pouch and slid it inside the satchel as well. It took up another square, its image glowing softly with its inner light. Finally, he returned his hand to the bag and withdrew the little orb. It resembled the orb Ella had given him to bind Vaeltheris to himself earlier. Focusing on the gem he got the prompt. It appears you wish to bind the Voidtide Satchel to yourself. Yes or No Xavier¡¯s grin was spread from ear to ear now. The vault was a major discovery. Much more than he expected when he first saw the empty shelves. He was even more excited to see what was in the armory now. He focused on the word yes and the small orb sunk into his hand binding the satchel to his soul the same way had happened with the blade, and from what Ella had said herself, earlier. A small icon appeared in the top right corner of his vision, its image looking like a small leather satchel. ¡°Alright Aelriva, it''s time to see the armory. Then you can lead me to where Braegor is.¡± Xavier considered for a moment then amended his statement. ¡°Actually, lead me to the armory then go find Braegor and ask him to join me there.¡± He walked to the passageway, and as soon as the two of them cleared the vault doors they swung ponderously closed with a resounding boom. Xavier jumped at the unexpected noise but quickly settled himself and followed the sprite towards their next destination. Chapter Twenty - Weapons, Classes and Spells The vault was right where Aelriva said it would be, just a couple of passages down from the vault. Pleasantly it opened in the same manner as the vault and soon the single iron-bound oak door opened to reveal the room within. Xavier stepped inside with the sprite and looked about. Surprisingly, it was not quite what he had expected. The immediate room was small and had a couple of benches along the walls, however, it was the window with the iron grating and the iron door beside it that caught Xavier¡¯s attention. It struck him more like a police or military armory than he would have expected. He moved over to the window and used his torch to light the two bracketing it before leaning to look through the bars. Inside made a small smile come to his lips again. He could see numerous racks and shelves. Many had the tell tale forms of weapons or armor stored within or upon them. He turned to comment to Aelriva but she had already left to preform the other task he had given her and fetch Braegor. Shaking his head, having already forgotten he had asked her to retrieve the smith, Xavier moved to the iron door and looked for how to open it. Like the vault and the outer door to this room, he soon found the small plate with the sigil upon it. Pressing his palm to the sigil he received the same prompt asking if he wanted to open the door. He chose yes and made his way inside. The room was larger than his initial impression had led him to believe. Larger, but far less supplied. He was busy searching through the room when he heard footsteps approaching. Looking up from the current rack of dust covered weapons he saw not only Aelriva and Braegor but Rilsa, the young dwarven apprentice to the smith, enter the room. Braegor held his head under his arm as he walked but lifted it over his shoulders to look about the room appreciatively. Rilsa, let loose a soft whistle at the quantity of items in the room, neither had been expecting anything of this sort when they accepted coming to start a new settlement. It was not long, however, before the amazement cooled. The two smiths quickly confirmed the worst of Xavier¡¯s suspicions. The majority of the weapons and armor, though well made, were mundane steel and iron. They may have been quite serviceable in the past, but age and lack of care had left them pitted and corroded. Xavier supposed it was too much to ask for an armory of superbly crafted weapons and armor just to be lying about waiting to be claimed for his village. Between the three of them, they started sorting through the items. Several hours later they had identified a small collection of mostly leather armor and a handful of swords and daggers that would be easily repaired and restored to working condition. A good start towards outfitting a small guard for the village. Rilsa and Braegor had agreed to take the rest of the items and break them down into components for future crafting. This would result in a small stockpile of cut leather pieces to patch or build armor and numerous iron and steel ingots. As they had neared the end of their work they found another small cabinet in the back. When opened it held three swords, two of them short swords and one long sword. Along with a pair of daggers. All five pieces glimmered darkly under the torchlight. Rilsa gasped and Braegor set his head on his shoulders, one hand reaching out to delicately touch the dark metal weapons. The craftsmanship was exquisite, but it was clear that they had felt the ravages of time as well. When Xavier touched them his field of view was obscured with prompts:
You have discovered: Adamantine Short Sword x 2
Item Class: Rare Item Quality: Well Crafted Weight: 1.2 kg Durability: 50/100 Damage: 42-68 (21-34) Damage Type: Piercing or Slashing Description: A sleek short sword forged from adamantine, its blade gleaming with a dark, polished luster. Despite its inherent resilience, centuries of neglect have dulled its edges and loosened the hilt slightly, but its craftsmanship ensures devastating strikes. Traits: - Unyielding: The blade is nearly indestructible, capable of parrying the strongest strikes. - Armor-Piercing: Bypasses conventional armor with ease, delivering devastating blows.
You have discovered: Adamantine Long Sword
Item Class: Epic Item Quality: Superb Weight: 2.0 kg Durability: 45/100 Damage: 51-102 (56¨C110 when wielded with two hands) (26-51) Damage Type: Slashing Description: A masterfully crafted long sword forged from adamantine. Time and exposure to the elements have slightly dulled its edge and caused minor corrosion on the hilt, but its exceptional material and design make it capable of tremendous damage. Traits: - Unyielding: Nearly indestructible, ensuring it remains reliable in any battle. - Enhanced Reach: Allows precise strikes at a longer distance. - Armor-Piercing: Effortlessly penetrates heavily armored foes.
You have discovered: Adamantine Dagger x 2
Item Class: Rare Item Quality: Well Crafted Weight: 0.7 kg Durability: 40/100 Damage: 22-51 (11-25) Damage Type: Piercing Description: A compact and deadly dagger forged from adamantine. Years of abandonment have left its edge nicked and its grip slightly worn, but its adamantine construction ensures it delivers precise and powerful attacks. Traits: - Unyielding: Resistant to breaking, ensuring reliability in any scenario. - Piercing Precision: Ideal for slipping through small gaps in armor. - Lightweight: Allows for swift and silent attacks.
The weapons were amazing. Xavier was gob smacked by the sheer damage potential. He figured the numbers in parenthesis were due to the damage they had taken but even with that, they were incredibly dangerous. ¡°By the gods,¡± The Gan Ceann spoke softly, ¡°Its adamantine. I have heard of the metal but never thought I would see so much in one spot. Stories of the richest lords or kings having weapons made of this metal are told but not even the king of Arenvalis has such a weapon.¡± Hearing a new location name Xavier glanced to Braegor. ¡°Arenvalis? Where is that? I have yet to have a chance to read the books we brought back from Bramblegate.¡± Braegor, still enthralled by the weapons, spoke off-handedly. ¡°To the north of the Silverwoods lies an area known as the wildlands. It is a land of few settlements, mostly home to nomadic tribes. It is accepted that they all swear fealty to King Ironthorn of Thandor¡¯s Reach and the collection of peoples make up the kingdom of Arenvalis. Bramblegate was unofficially a part of the kingdom as well though we were on the edges.¡± His voice held an odd tone when he spoke of his former home, destroyed by raiding slavers. ¡°Somewhere I should visit in the future. Do you think we could find more individuals there who would be willing to relocate to our village?¡± Braegor finally set down the sword he had been inspecting, if reluctantly. ¡°The city is home to thousands of individuals, at least last I visited. Slaves, homeless, refugees, and others all call it home. Some would likely be happy to have a chance at a better life here.¡± While he spoke, he picked up one of the daggers his attention to his lord trailing off in awe of the master-crafted weapon. ¡°I never thought I would hold something of this quality.¡± ¡°Are they serviceable? I can see that they are worn and damaged. Could you restore them to full strength.?¡± Xavier asked as he gave a few practice swings with one of the short swords. He marveled at how light the weapon was, every book he had read spoke of how heavy adamantine was. ¡°Nay, I do not have the skill yet to even try to work this metal. I am only a Journeyman Blacksmith, while I can make above-average and well-crafted items out of iron, steel, and some of the other easier-to-work metals. I can not even hope to forge any of the elemental metals like this.¡± Came the reply from Braegor. Rilsa added in quietly, "Some o'' the master smiths under th'' mountains hae been said t'' craft usin'' mithril, adamantine, an'' other elemental metals. It¡¯s fiercely protected an'' rarely allowed t'' leave th'' clans. Control o'' th'' ability t'' work such metals be part o'' why other kingdoms hold th'' dwarven clans in such high regard. They be th'' only folk able t'' get items made o'' such. It¡¯s also rumored ye need t'' use one o'' th'' legendary forges t'' get it hot enough t'' work th'' metals. These be nae mundane weapons, my lord. These be pieces o'' art as well." Xavier smiled slightly remembering what Aelriva had told him about the forge the two smiths were currently inhabiting. ¡°Legendary forges? I do remember hearing about them. How do we get access to one, or better yet how do we make one for ourselves?¡± Braegor and Rilsa both regarded him as if he had just calmly asked how one ascended to the godly planes or counted the drops of water in the oceans. After several minutes of being stared at Xavier made a motion with his hands, ¡°Well? How do we do it?¡± Braegor finally spoke, ¡°There are only three great forges that I know of. Khazrak¡¯s Crucible in the dwarven kingdoms beneath the mountains, Ashenforge of Sal¡¯tarak to the far southwest in the center of the desert in the Saltwind Citadel, and the third supposedly is on the other side of the world, The Skyforge of Eryndral in the isles of Aelinthar. Myths say there was once a fourth, but it was lost millennia ago and even its name is no longer remembered.¡± It was Aelriva who spoke up now. "The Celestium Forge, it was lost when th'' empires fell at th'' end o'' th'' Age o'' Empires. Some o'' th'' items crafted there were rumored t'' be th'' most exquisite an'' powerful ever made. ''Tis said th'' forge was a gift from a goddess herself." Xavier took in what each was saying, he looked to the weapons sadly, knowing they could not be repaired, not yet at least. After the sprite had spoken he looked to her curiously wondering if the forge outside was the one she spoke of. A subtle nod from the flying woman confirmed his suspicion and only enforced his need to grow the village before restoring it. ¡°I really need to make time to learn more about the history and lands. I am woefully ignorant it seems.¡±Stolen story; please report. ¡°As to how one is made my lord.¡± Braegor started. ¡°Again, the stuff of legends, supposedly it requires powerful artifacts and relics.¡± Rilsa spoke up again. Her voice distant as she remembered the old story. "Gather close, an'' hear th'' tale o'' Khazrak''s Crucible, born in th'' deep halls o'' th'' Ironspire when th'' world was yet young an'' th'' mountains still whispered th'' secrets o'' th'' gods. For its heart, th'' daring King Khazrak wrenched th'' Molten Core from th'' fiery grasp o'' Ignavyr, th'' dread Titan o'' Flame, his beard singed but his resolve unbroken. Its flames hungered for a purpose, an'' so he fed ''em with Eversteel Ore, th'' unyieldin'' metal sung into existence by th'' Stonefather¡¯s breath. But even fire an'' ore couldnae birth legends without a steady hand upon th'' Anvil o'' th'' Stonefather, carved from th'' world¡¯s heart an'' imbued with th'' wisdom o'' th'' mountain¡¯s soul. Thus, in th'' roaring depths, Khazrak¡¯s Crucible was born, a forge that shaped nae just metal, but th'' destiny o'' all who dared wield its creations." Xavier listened raptly but he understood what the pair was telling him. Building legendary buildings of craft was next to impossible. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to build one, just awaken the one the village already had. It did make him wonder if there were other buildings besides forges, however. ¡°So, there are three legendary forges. What about the other crafts? Do they have legendary buildings as well?¡± ¡°Aye, my lord,¡± Braegor answered. ¡°Every crafting archetype has a series of legendary buildings. Much like the forges though they are few, only two or three of them in the whole world. The stories about how they came into being are much like what Rilsa said about the crucible though. I can only think of one, The Clockwork Bastion, even on the continent besides the two forges and it is for artificers. Though none have been able to figure out how to get its doors to open.¡± Xavier sighed as his hopes of eventually building one of each of the crafting buildings in his village were cruelly dashed. He turned his attention back to Braegor. ¡°Speaking of crafting archetypes, I recently reached the level to allow me to pick a gathering and a crafting one. I have no idea which one to pick of either. I was kind of hoping that since you obviously have one you might be able to provide some advice.¡± Braegor lifted his head from his shoulders and set it on the table between the two men, his face angled to be able to look at Xavier while he spoke. ¡°Often that is something that comes from your upbringing. Core skills seem to regularly follow the maternal line, My grandfather, my mothers father that is, was a smith and I apprenticed under him learning much of what I know today. My mother¡¯s mother was a miner and I have some skill in that as well though not nearly as progressed as my smithing.¡± ¡°It be th'' same for me. Me mother¡¯s line is full o'' smiths, all th'' way back t'' th'' founding o'' th'' clan." Rilsa added as she leaned on the table. Xavier scowled slightly. ¡°Well, that is less than helpful for me. I do not know what my mother was skilled in.¡± He obfuscated the fact that he wasn¡¯t from this world. Something told him few would be understanding about that. He remembered books from back on Earth. In one series the main character was an enchanter to make powerful weapons for his village, another series focused on a smith, and yet another followed an alchemist. He really liked the series about the shaper, someone who could mold material into whatever shape he desired, but that MC ended up being a god so it wasn¡¯t really feasible, nor did he have access to a skill like that. ¡°Thank you for your help and advice, it wasn¡¯t as helpful as I hoped but I seem to be without the guidance you both had. Please see to the weapons and armor as we discussed. I have a feeling when we get more guards it will be important. I am going to give you both access to the armory so you can stock it and retrieve the old gear from here. I will also be giving access to Coren, as he is the Captain of the Guard.¡± Both smiths held their right fists to their chests and bowed slightly as Xavier turned to leave. He made his way back through the warrens to where Ella lay resting. Taking up his vigil at her bedside he looked up to see that Aelriva had followed him. She hovered in the air near the foot of Ella¡¯s bed. ¡°Aelriva, why have I not seen any enchanted weapons or armor? I have found several pieces of jewelry and my satchel but that is all.¡± Xavier turned his attention to the sprite for a moment before returning to his interface and studying the archetypes once again. "Enchantin'' is a complicated craft, aye. Not only do ye require th'' item t'' be enchanted, ye need t'' ken th'' enchantment ye mean t'' place upon it. Then ye¡¯ll need essence stones, filled with th'' right level o'' essence for what ye¡¯re enchantin''. More complex enchantments require more essence, mind ye. Finally, essence crystal must be ground, an'' th'' powder used. With essence crystal bein'' what¡¯s needed t'' make essence stones, it¡¯s nae easy t'' come by for th'' average crafter. Powdered essence crystal is needed for higher versions o'' other crafts as well, so it be a rare an'' precious commodity." The small sprite ticked off each point on her fingers as she spoke. Xavier scowled slightly, he hadn¡¯t heard of essence crystal or essence stones until now. It sounded like more complications to figure out if he wanted to improve his village. It also made him realize that enchanting likely would not be for him. Smithing, while appealing in a make his own weapons and armor sense also was dismissed. He didn¡¯t think he would be able to spend hours and days toiling over a forge and anvil. There was too much that needed to be done for the village and his own growth to be stuck in one spot. He had always enjoyed cooking but it seemed it would eventually have the same issues as smithing the crafting tools being too hard to move about easily limited its growth for his needs. That only left a couple that really interested him. Artificer and Rune Engraver both stood out mostly cause he hadn¡¯t really read or played games that dealt with them often. He knew artificers were often tinkers who came up with amazing techno-magical devices. Rune engravers on the other hand were similar to enchanters though often with shorter-term effects. He also hadn¡¯t met anyone yet who knew either of those archetypes. Something about them spoke to him on a deeper level. ¡°Can you tell me anything about Artificers or Rune Engravers Aelriva?¡± He returned his gaze to the little sprite. "I am sorry, Ard''Maelor. Much has been lost t'' me over th'' centuries as th'' Syr''Vailen fell into dormancy. I do nae remember much beyond th'' fact they be craftin'' archetypes. They were both respected by th'' Sylmyrians, aye. All craft was, however. As ye wake more o'' th'' ley lines an'' level th'' village, more should return t'' me." She replied, once again there was a tone of sadness to her voice and Xavier wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the lost memories or the fact she couldn¡¯t assist him. Xavier sighed and looked back to his interface. The two archetypes had been singled out and he focused on them in turn hoping to learn more. Xavier was amazed at how much the two seemed to overlap. He smiled wider and decided to take a gamble, the trait Unbound Possibilities clearly stated that he wasn¡¯t limited by the rules of this world. Maybe he could get both archetypes eventually. With a village to support him, he could become a major industry in and of himself. His thoughts ran away with all of the gadgets and runes he could craft and trade. Let alone what they could do for his people. Sure, the little forest golems summoned by Aelriva were great but what if he could craft actual golems? They would never tire or vanish. He made his selection and suddenly he was provided with new skill prompts. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Rune Channeling, Level 1, 0% to next level. The ability to infuse runes with magical energy, activating their latent power and enhancing their effects. This skill is central to the Rune Engraver''s craft, as it determines how effectively a rune performs its intended function. "You don¡¯t just poke random runes. That¡¯s how you become tomorrow¡¯s explosion story." +2% chance to successfully etch a rune. +2% rune efficacy. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Rune Deciphering, Level 1, 0% to next level. The ability to analyze, understand, and even counter runes created by others or found in ancient relics. This skill allows Rune Engravers to unlock the secrets of forgotten magic or disarm dangerous glyphs. "Oh, this glyph is ancient magic? Well, now it¡¯s my magic." +2% chance to successfully learn a rune. -2% chance to trigger the rune being studied. Having selected his crafting archetype and possibly a future one as well, he felt certain there was only one gathering archetype that would support both. He studied the information for Scavenger. Xavier nodded to himself; this gathering archetype was the perfect support. He mentally accepted it as his gathering selection and received another set of skill prompts. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Keen Eye, Level 1, 0% to next level. The ability to identify hidden or valuable items, resources, or opportunities in an environment that others might overlook. This skill is crucial for scavengers as it maximizes their efficiency in resource gathering and treasure hunting. "Oh, you missed the treasure chest because of a little tripwire? Guess I¡¯ll take it."+2% chance to spot hidden or valuable items, resource,s or opportunity. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Trap Awareness, Level 1, 0% to next level. The skill to recognize, assess, and disarm traps in environments such as ruins, dungeons, and battlefields. This ability is vital for scavengers who often operate in dangerous locations rife with protective mechanisms. "Traps are just puzzles with sharp, pointy edges. And I love puzzles." +2% chance to disarm or set a trap. -2% chance to trigger trap. Done with those choices, Xavier turned his attention to his attribute screen, he still had another six points to distribute before he lost them to the will of the universe. He looked closer at what each did given his new skills and class archetypes he wanted to make sure he was getting the biggest bang for his efforts. After a while he smiled and allotted two points to intelligence, two points to wisdom, and his final two points to luck. When he selected yes to apply the changes his grin grew as the numbers updated. He also decided to apply his new twenty percent of skill growth to one of his new skills and keen eye changed to indicate that it now was twenty percent closer to becoming level 2. Satisfied with his changes he thought of a new question for his guiding sprite. ¡°Aelriva, I learned the skills for Life and Death magic when the Syr¡¯Vailen came to life, however, I didn¡¯t learn any spells for either type of magic. How am I supposed to level those skills without spells?¡± "I was wonderin'' when ye¡¯d ask about that, Ard''Maelor. It¡¯s nae difficult. I can teach ye a basic spell for each. It should be enough t'' get ye started on th'' path toward mastery o'' the skills. I can teach ye how t'' cast Blooming Touch an'' Wraith''s Whisper." As she spoke her form shifted embodying the essence of life at first before withering to her deaths form. As each form took shape she pulsed with energy and Xavier¡¯s mind was filled with knowledge. You have learned a new Life Magic spell. ¨C Blooming Touch. You have learned a new Death Magic spell. ¨C Wraith¡¯s Whisper. Xavier¡¯s mind reeled with the new information. Complex hand gestures, precise words and inflections of tone, and even intricate knowledge of what the energy of the ley lines was changing to affect the spells surged to life within his mind. Just as sudden the burst of knowledge ebbed, and left Xavier slightly stunned. He knew for certain that he could recall either spell at a moment¡¯s notice. Unable to stop grinning at how much he had learned today, Xavier sat back in his chair and took Ella¡¯s unconscious hand in his once again. He was tired, and it had been a helluva long day. He had earned some rest, he thought before he closed his eyes, slipping to the land of Nod and sleeping. Chapter Twenty-one - On the Road Again "Hey Alex, good morning! You want your usual today?" The cheerful voice of Samantha rang through the air and pulled him from his daydreams. As he returned to focus on the world around him, his eyes alighted on the cute brunette barista behind the window counter. "Oh, hey Sam, yeah that would be great. Gonna need it to get through another day of work. I swear they come up with the most monotonous tasks to be codified." He smiled at her as he placed a hand on the counter. She was a bright spot in his routine; he missed seeing her on days he didn''t work. "Do you have any of those fresh croissants as well? I didn''t get up early enough to eat today and my stomach is starting to tell me about it" Xavier paused; something wasn¡¯t right. He looked around himself and found he was still in the chamber within the warrens. Ella lay sleeping on the bed not far from where he stood, yet he still had a hand on the window counter and was staring at Samantha. She laughed and placed a steaming cup of coffee on the counter along with a small bag with a hot fresh croissant within, its aroma filling the air with stomach-rumbling goodness. And then she was gone, Xavier stood there dumbfounded. Either he was going crazy, having visions, or something else was toying with his mind. He moved back to the chair beside the bed and clutched at Ella¡¯s hand hoping for something grounding in the confusion. How had he ended up on the other side of the room and speaking with a woman from his past life on Earth? He was fairly positive he hadn¡¯t drunk or eaten anything that would play with his mind like that. His stress level built as he wrangled with possibilities until he felt another presence in the room with him. Across the bed sitting on Ella¡¯s other side was an unforgettable person. Danu, the very goddess who had brought him to this world smiled serenely at him as she idly caressed the unconscious woman¡¯s other hand. ¡°My how you have grown already Alex. Only a handful of weeks in this world and you have a fledgling settlement, a bonded woman, and you have awakened not one but two ley lines and gained their magic. You are exceeding any of my expectations and only giving me more hope for the future.¡± Xavier stared at the alluring woman, her vermillion hair a distraction as always when he saw her. ¡°Why did I just see Samantha? Is she here as well? Are others brought from Earth also? And what do you mean by your hopes, you told me the world has issues but nothing else.¡± Danu smiled brightly at him as she folded her hands in her lap. ¡°You¡¯ve seen ruins of the ancient civilizations now; you¡¯ve heard stories and met some of the other races. Don¡¯t you think it''s odd how they reflect so much of Earthen lore and myth? There is a reason for that you know.¡± She motioned to the corner where the barista had been. ¡°There is a crossover from Earth to here, in dreams and imagination that is. Since the time man first dreamed of your old world they have visited this one although just in snippets. They have marveled at what they saw and pulled inspiration for their legends and stories from here and thus Arath has influenced mankind along with its races. This could help you, you know, you know some of the history of the world if only in what you call myths and legends.¡± Xavier sat back, the concept of his former world being influenced by this one was almost overwhelming. ¡°How is that even possible?¡± he finally asked softly. ¡°Gods do not exist on your world, there is not enough faith or magic there to sustain us. We are not without influence however, as such we have reached out to garner followers, even just for brief periods of time. Your world is also has been a way to see how things could develop, it changes much faster than this one does.¡± Xavier felt a momentary pang of anger at that explanation, Earth was not some lab experiment to just fiddle with. As he opened his mouth to speak his mind Danu held up her hand placatingly. ¡°Do not place blame or anger for what humanity would have done eventually anyway. Inspiration only sped the development of what would be. Humans, like most other races, have their own flaws and strengths. They just change faster than any of the other races. That speed tends to progress towards destruction more than most because of its impetuousness. Be at ease Alex, I am not here to judge or belittle. You had questions and I answered them honestly. My true purpose today was to merely reassure you that you had not lost your mind. You, being of the other world, are open to such sights as what you witnessed, people of this world look past them, their minds not able to accept the oddity so they do not see it.¡± She laughed softly, the sound like tinkling bells in the dimly lit room, ¡°An oddity for a world where magic and what you would deem fantastical creatures exist isn¡¯t it.¡± Xavier sat silent for a long while. His mind explored the information she had provided. After a while it was easy to see how many of the things he had seen or experienced in Arath could be found in the stories, games and myths of his home. He even saw some correlations between technology and some of the magics he had experienced so far. ¡°So you came to calm me down? Am I that important to you that you watch over me?¡± ¡°Yes, and no.¡± She replied genuinely. ¡°You have the potential to be something monumental in this world. I can tell you some but the more I influence you the greater the possibility of changing fates to something worse. One of my domains is balance, equality between all things, much like you experienced when you were waking the life and death ley lines. This world is slipping away from that balance, and you have the potential to restore it. I cannot force you to choose specific paths, nor would I want to. Balance must be a choice. You need to grow beyond your settlement to understand. There is a whole world of wonder and mystery outside of this forest, truth be told there is a world of wonder and mystery inside the forest as well and you have but touched upon it.¡± She smiled warmly at him. ¡°I have a feeling you will choose to counter the growing disorder of the world when you see it. You are a pinion of fate after all.¡± With those words hanging in the air she was gone, the chair she was occupying empty as if she had never been there at all. Xavier scrubbed his eyes, wondering briefly if it had all been in his head. He needed to learn more about this ¡°goddess¡± if that is what she actually was. He had his doubts, she was always conveniently there to nudge him along. That struck him too much like various demons and other peddlers of influence and sin from stories he grew up with to set well with him. He was thankful that she had brought him here instead of letting him die, but it was also her fault he had been hit by that car in the first place. He determined to be more wary of her, and any others like her for that matter, in the future. He just didn¡¯t know enough to simply accept her words anymore. Looking back to the sleeping Ella, he noted her color was returning though her breathing was still much softer and weaker than it had ever been. He smiled at her; she had been with him for most of his time in the world and he had come to depend upon her more than he realized. He was thankful she seemed to be recovering as he couldn¡¯t imagine life here without her now. He patted her hand gently and then rose; it was time to get back to work. The village, his people, and if the ¡°goddess¡± could be trusted the world waited on his future. ¡°No pressure at all,¡± he muttered to himself as he left the room and headed towards the surface. Partway to the exit of the warrens, Aelriva flew to his side. She kept pace with him as he walked allowing him to speak easily with her. ¡°I¡¯ve been going over the city interface recently,¡± he said, ¡°while most of it makes no sense or is even accessible currently there are a couple of things I am curious about.¡± "Ask yer questions, Ard''Maelor. I will help as I can. Though keep in mind, much o'' what once was is beyond ye at the moment, an'' my knowledge is limited due t'' that fact." Came her melodic response. ¡°Well, I know we have several buildings built now, I have seen them outside. But when I look at the buildings tab it¡¯s blank. The same goes for the villagers tab. I can see everyone¡¯s names but nothing else about them. How am I supposed to manage anything if I don¡¯t have the information?¡± "Ah, well, that be quite simple, Ard''Maelor. Ye do nae have th'' prerequisites for that information. Ye¡¯ll need a town hall, or somethin'' equivalent, t'' manage th'' settlement properly. A steward, once named, will reveal more about yer villagers, daily information, an'' requirements. Right now, all ye have is homes an'' a builder''s hut. Those be good t'' start a village, but nae enough t'' maintain one, let alone anythin'' greater." Xavier had figured it would be something like that. Back on earth, many of the settlement building games he had played were quite similar, you needed specific buildings in place to open up more possibilities. It did make him wonder, especially given what Danu had just told him about inspiration how closely it would match. As they stepped out of the warrens and into the large chamber that made up the structure surrounding the entrance he looked about. There were several villagers seated nearby eating and holding quiet conversations. Many of those who didn¡¯t yet have a home still lived in the chambers within the warrens and this room had become a gathering place. Luckily, he spotted the two he was looking for. Rhett, the carpenter, and Orrik, the stonemason, were breaking their fast nearby as they were going over plans for the day. Xavier moved over to sit beside them. ¡°Morning M¡¯lord¡± Came from both men as Xavier took his seat. Rhett pushed his empty plate back. ¡°We were just discussing the plans for the day. Several houses are nearing completion, and we were looking at starting work on pens for the animals.¡± Xavier nodded slightly before holding up a single finger. ¡°I agree with the houses, our people need places to call their own. However, before starting on the animal pens we need a town hall. This place has worked up till now, but we need something official. I am lacking in information due to that fact. Can we expand on what is here already? I don¡¯t want to relocate where people gather to speak with me or Braegor but this is lacking any real functionality other than being an open room.¡± He pointed towards one of the walls that held only windows. ¡°I also don¡¯t want to restrict people being able to come and go from the warrens currently so can we place a door over there and add on in that direction? It will put it more towards the center of the village that way as well.¡± The two men, one human and the other dwarven, followed his gaze and then glanced at each other. Orrick, the dwarf, pulled out a tube and slid several rolled-up parchments from it. It was a collection of blueprints of various buildings they had already put up within the village. Turning one of them over the two quickly began sketching out a new structure. Xavier almost laughed at how quickly they seemed to forget he was sitting there. The building they sketched was still simple in design, they had already told him that since neither was a true builder they couldn¡¯t draw up plans for anything more than just the most basic buildings. That fact didn¡¯t limit how quickly they were able to come up with a basic blueprint for the future town hall. They slid the parchment over to where Xavier sat, and he grinned.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It wasn¡¯t overly much to look at but it was clearly a more functional building. The chamber they currently sat in was an antechamber to the main hall, giving access to but not detracting from it. The main hall stood central to several other chambers as well as holding a pair of double doors at one end. The other end held what looked to be a raised dais, resulting in the building interior looking much like a simple keep where a lord would hold court. He asked several questions about the rooms and the men both confirmed they were offices that would be where town officials would perform their duties in support of Xavier. ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± Xavier exclaimed. ¡°How soon can you two make it happen?¡± "Well, m¡¯lord. We¡¯ll need t'' gather more stone an'' wood, for th'' houses have taken most o'' what was recovered from th'' ruins an'' th'' trees within th'' village proper. Given time an'' more golems, we should be able t'' finish th'' homes an'' start on th'' foundation by Windspire mornin''." He paused, noticing the blank look on Xavier''s face. "Ye don¡¯t ken th'' days o'' the week?" He held up his fingers, ticking off the days. "Sunwake, Moonshade, Starcrest, Hearthfire, Dewfall, Windspire, Arathbond, an'' Nightveil. Then back t'' Sunwake. Today be Starcrest, so about three days hence we should be able t'' start layin'' th'' foundation. Again, as long as we have th'' golems t'' gather stone an'' wood." Xavier nodded and pulled up the settlement interface, quickly he selected the magics tab and found that Aelriva had not yet summoned any golems for the day as the village mana pool was still full. He scrolled through the greyed-out names until he found the only one that was selectable and started casting summon forest golem. Outside the building, multiple forms started taking shape coalescing from the stone, roots, and branches nearby. Before long the village mana was empty, and ten golems stood awaiting orders. ¡°Done, I will make sure Aelriva summons them every morning and your work takes priority.¡± The duo stood and bowed, right hand in a fist over their heart, to Xavier then gathered up the blueprints still strewn on the table before heading outside to take control of the workers. Xavier looked about. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do next. He could look to see if any of the other villagers required his help but that seemed limiting to him. They knew their tasks and jobs much better than he did so there were parts that he would just have to let develop. They would do so faster when he had more villagers, he realized. He wanted to do something more impactful. Truth be told he wanted to start to dabble in his new classes, but he lacked materials or even the most basic of rune designs. Sighing he pulled up his interface again and moved to the tab that listed all of his current quests and slowly scrolled through them. You have been offered a quest: Reforge the Past 2. Having gained mastery of Cael¡¯Anthir it is up to you to restore it to its former glory and rebuild its people. Increase the settlement level to level 2. Quest Objectives: See the Settlement Interface for details on increasing settlement to level 2 Penalties for Failure or Refusal: Stagnation of settlement growth. As this is a settlement improvement quest for a settlement bound to you, you cannot refuse. Potential rewards: A level 2 settlement with increased powers and capabilities. +5000 Experience. You have been offered a quest. ¡°Sleeping Lines 3.¡± Most of the ley lines that make up the nexus beneath your settlement remain dormant. Continue your exploration of the deeps beneath the mosaic to find and restore the remaining lines further increasing the ambient mana and additional capabilities for your settlement. As this is a settlement quest it will automatically be accepted when the appropriate conditions are met. Conditions: Personal Level of 15. Retain Mastery of the Syr¡¯Vailen. Potential rewards: Increased Mana in settlement lands. Increased wildlife and quest opportunities. +1500 Experience. You have been offered a quest. ¡°Whose House 1.¡± While the lands surrounding your settlement fall under your purview your people are not the only things that shelter in them. Explore at least four unique locations and discover their significance. As this is a settlement quest it is automatically accepted. Potential rewards: Reduced danger from monster nests. Other unknown benefits. +500 Experience. You have been offered a quest. ¡°Drums in the Deeps 1.¡± The unknown deeps lie beneath the warding presence of your nexus mosaic. During the centuries of dormancy of the mosaic and even longer time of inattention to these tunnels and caverns who knows what creatures or dangers have made them their home? Explore and reclaim the first level of the deeps. As this is a settlement quest it is automatically accepted. Potential rewards: Increased resources and other unknown benefits for your settlement. +500 Experience. Pursing his lips in thought Xavier switched to look at the settlement interface once more and pulled up the tab for level two requirements. Settlement Level 2 Requirements: Population: 49/100 Buildings: 6/15 Settlement Quests: 3/5 Xavier studied the numbers for a moment then switched to the villagers tab. Scrolling through the names confirmed one of his assumptions. The interface didn¡¯t recognize himself, Ella, or Aelriva as villagers. He figured that Aelriva wasn¡¯t because of her unique association with the Syr¡¯Vailen. He was the lord and not actually a villager was his guess about himself. But why wasn¡¯t Ella listed? That gave him something to consider for a long while. Finally, deciding it wasn¡¯t something he was going to figure out at the moment he returned to the requirements tab. He was glad to see so many buildings had been completed and knew several more would be done within days. His sticking point would be the population and the quests. Making up his mind he closed his interface and mentally sent a summons to Aelriva. It didn¡¯t take long before the little sprite was hovering over the table before him a questioning expression on her face. ¡°Ye have summoned me Ard¡¯Maelor?¡± Her insistence on using the old title was starting to be noticed and the other villagers started to refer to him as such when they greeted him. He sighed, realizing that it was something he couldn¡¯t fight, and just nodded. ¡°Prior to the situation with Emily, you had told me of several locations nearby I could investigate. I have a quest to explore four unique locations within my domain and it seems with Ella not recovered yet staying close might be a good idea. Which one of them is the closest?¡± It only took the sprite a moment to speak. "To th'' north lies a place hidden from view. Well hidden t'' most, but nae t'' ye. These lands be yers an'' will answer as such. Head toward th'' mountains that loom o''er th'' trees, an'' ye''ll find what ye seek afore th'' passage o'' the sun marks two." ¡°Really? A riddle? You couldn¡¯t just tell me plainly.¡± Xavier complained mildly at the small being. "I could guide ye, if ye wished, but ye promised my aid t'' th'' crafters. I cannae be in both places at once. A riddle be fit for a quest, nae? Do ye expect everythin'' t'' be handed t'' ye on a silver platter, Ard''Maelor?" Xavier scowled. ¡°It''s no wonder all the stories of fae describe sprites as tricky. If the rest of them are like you¡± The little sprite grinned impishly at the man. She may be bound to the nexus, the settlement, and ultimately to him but she was still what she was and delighted in games when she could. "If ye do nae need anythin'' else, Ard''Maelor, I shall return t'' me duties overseerin'' th'' golems. Do nae worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye on Ella while ye be gone." She could tell he would not wait for the woman to recover before he set out. He waved her off and she vanished from sight. She was right in her assumption, and he was soon back down in the warrens gathering his pack and belongings. He shifted some of the items into his satchel simply enjoying the fact that it reduced sixty percent of the weight and made it easier to grab what he needed. Wearing his light leather armor, pack, and Vaeltheris in its sheath he made his way to the chamber where Ella lay sleeping. Valkra had curled up on the foot of the woman¡¯s bed, the cub looking up and yawning slightly as he entered. He crossed the room and gave the cat a good scratch behind her ears. ¡°I am going to go exploring Valkra, I need you to stay and keep an eye on her for me. Can you do that little one?¡± The cat yawned again and then stretched out fully. She took up almost the entirety of the bottom of the bed but made it clear she was not going to leave the unconscious woman. Xavier looked at Ella once again, a small pang of worry knotting in his chest. After her story, she had passed back out and hadn¡¯t woken since then. He knew she had sacrificed a lot of herself before the blade stepped in but just what the long-term effect would be he had no idea. Bidding the two of them farewell he left the chamber and headed towards the kitchen where he could already smell wonderful scents filling the passageways. He found Frieda, the dwarven cook, and Greta, the halfling baker, both hard at work in the kitchen. Several others, including Emily, were scuttling about helping as the two gave instructions on what they needed. All greeted him as he entered the room, and it wasn¡¯t long before he left with a new supply of dried meat, cheese, and hard rations in his satchel. Unable to think of any other preparations he might need he headed back towards the surface and finally stepped out into the mid-morning light. He could hear the noises coming from the construction of the houses to the south and east. Glancing that way, he saw numerous individuals climbing over the structures while they worked. Further to the east, he saw the fields being tended by a small handful of workers and beyond them lay the Silverflow river. Looking west he saw woods being cleared by several golems as the footprint of the settlement grew. He walked around the structure of the hall and headed north. It was only a short distance from the building to where the woods began, he smiled as he thought about the first time, he had set out with Ella to find the Heart of the Forge. That made him miss her by his side all the more fiercely and he resolved to make this trip as fast as possible so he could return to check on her. As he started to walk again Aelriva appeared at his shoulder. "Before ye go, I have one more thing t'' teach ye, Ard''Maelor. This skill will help ye ken th'' dangers o'' what ye face." Her form shifted slightly the rich blues taking over her features as the element of water became more defined. She placed a hand on his forehead and closed her eyes. Suddenly a new prompt filled his vision. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill ¨C Insight level 1 The Insight skill enables you to perceive the physical, magical, and emotional states of creatures and people around you. Even at novice levels, you can gauge their name, level, and vital resources like health, mana, and stamina as percentages. As you advance, this skill reveals deeper truths, from hidden vulnerabilities to core attributes, turning observation into unparalleled strategic knowledge. "Name, level, and health bar? You¡¯re basically a walking status screen to me." ¡°That¡¯s amazing! This would have been so much help earlier before we went to Bramblegate.¡± He exclaimed. "Aye, but ye needed t'' deepen yer bond with the Syr''Vailen afore it reawakened this skill an'' allowed me t'' provide it t'' ye. Ye''ve done so, an'' now ye be ready." She replied. He reached up and took the little sprite''s hand in his. ¡°Thank you Aelriva, I did not mean to imply you were holding back. This is a gift, and I could not have done what I have so far without you. Take good care of the village while I am gone. I will be back as soon as I can.¡± As the woods closed around him the sound of his village faded into the distance. It was not long before the vibrant life of the forest filled his ears. Birdsong sounded through the trees, blending seamlessly with the soft sigh and gust of the mid-spring breezes. The air was warm and fragrant without being overly hot. Xavier lost himself in the simple enjoyment of the travel as he continued to walk. Keeping the mountains in his view he made good time only pausing to rest when his stamina dropped to nearly empty, the resulting exhaustion causing him to have to wait or risk collapse. As the sun set and he was met with the rising of several moons, he found a sturdy tree with several stout branches about fifteen feet off the ground. It took him a little work but it was not long before he was straddling the lower branch with his back against the trunk of the tree. The perch was a lot more comfortable than he had expected and he pulled his cloak around his body. The coolness of the evening was warded off by the warm cloth. He sat admiring the emerald and crimson moons hanging in the air overhead alongside a third that reminded him of the moon back on Earth. The conjoined light illuminated the night sky enough that Xavier decided to take the time to do something he had put off for too long. Pulling out one of the history books he opened it carefully and began to read.