《The Arilethi Legacy》


 Prologue - A Not-So-Glorious Beginning.

    Fai''lana had spent the vast majority of her short (for an elf) life holed up in that damned palace.


    Sitting atop the largest of the mighty Tolennia trees in the elven capital of Arileth, the palace was home to the family for whom the city had been named: her family. It was huge, pretty, sterile, and boring, and Fai''lana would have done anything to get out of there at one point.


    This, however, was not that point. Covered, in mud, hung by her ankles from a rope snare, she swung gently back and forth in the dank sewer beneath the human city of Lunk. She was trying to hold still and calm down, and think her way out of this mess. She took a deep breath...


    ...and immediately regretted it as the stench of raw sewage filled her lungs. She began to cough uncontrollably, when her better-than-human hearing caught footsteps in the ooze somewhere in the distance. She did her best to stifle the cough, and frantically checked her pockets and pouches. Her dagger was in the muck below, she had her bow, but the arrows had joined the dagger down there, and her pack had almost emptied itself - and if the touched the buckle, she was sure everything else she had would go for a tumble... then she remembered she''d been eating an apple earlier in the day and the little folding knife she used to peel it was in her side pouch... now if she could just get it without dropping anything else... she closed her eyes, and felt around. The footsteps were getting closer... she held her breath as she eased open the drawstring on her pouch and managed to just get ahold of the knife... a few copper fell free, but luckily they just went "plunk" into the goop. She tried not to think about it while she unfolded the knife. The swish-splash of those feet was getting closer now. She sawed furiously at the rope, and just as the creature entered the room, the rope snapped, sending her back-first into the waste. Panicked, disgusted, and gasping for breath, she rolled to her feet and held up the little knife while she felt below for her dagger.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "COME NO CLOSER!" she shouted, her eyes still closed to keep out the slimy detritus.


    "Calm yerself, lass. I heard sounds and came tae see what the fuss was about. D''ye need a hand, lass?"


    "Uh..." she kept her dagger in hand, and put the small knife away, then started gathering her things, "yeah. Actually, I could. I''m a bit lost down here... I took a guild request, but, uh... yeah, it didn''t go so well."


    "Aye, I could see that from you bein'' up there in that trap. The kobolds around here are tricky, but not too diligent, or they''d have been back for you by now. You''re lucky I just happened to come down here for a repair under a customer''s shop. Uthern Ironclang, engineer and sellsword, at yer service." He held out his hand to help her up.


    "Fai''lana Ari.. desh. Aridesh. Nice to meet you, master Ironclang. Your help is appreciated. Thank you." She did her best to cover her flub. Princess Fai''lana of the elven kingdom of Oakenshire knew if anyone found out who she was, she might be taken for ransom, killed, or who knows what else, to get to the throne her parents occupied. She''d left, bored of her life, and wanting to experience things for herself rather than read about them in books.


    "Lady Aridesh. D''ye have everything? If so, we should get on our way... I can see you to the surface safe and sound. There''s an exit not far from here. Follow me."


    As she did, he led her to a ladder, up to a grating, and she headed to an inn. Hair matted, covered in slime, the innkeeper held his nose, and showed her to her room, asking that she wash her clothing immediately to avoid inconveniencing the other customers. She was mortified... She''d need a long bath, a hot meal, and a good night''s sleep.


    Two out of three ain''t bad.

 New Friends...?

    The sewage-caked royal washed her clothes in the tub, drained and washed the tub thoroughly, leaving her now much cleaner clothes hung over the door to the bath to dry. She then soaked for a while, picking at the dinner the inkeep had left for her. Gods, how she needed this. She was so tired, and the water felt so good... Before she knew it, Fai''lana was asleep.


    Which was just fine with the observer who slipped in through the window, admired her sleeping form in the tub for a moment, then quickly searched the room. The lithe form that did so obviously had experience; they were dead silent, and left not a single thing out of place as they checked her things... until the black-clad figure realized that what they were looking for wasn''t there.


    "Tch!" was all the intruder said, but it was enough to make Fai''lana stir. But she didn''t seem to notice the shadowy figure in the other room, so they hid. The would-be burglar found a dark spot and disappeared, making not a movement nor a sound.


    Fai''lana opened her eyes, oblivious, stretched, and took a nibble of her cold meal. She got up, started into the room proper to get a change of clothing from her bag, when there was a loud thud. Two men in full plate burst in on the naked, wet, and very surprised young lady, and she froze.


    "You! No funny business, or we''ll-"


    He didn''t get a chance to finish that phrase, as a knife sailed from the shadowed corner and into his eye socket, burying itself to the hilt, a spray of blood and vitreous humour bursting forth as he fell onto his face. Fai''lana finally reacted, screaming and holding her shirt in front of her.


    "Get down," the shadowy figure said in a feminine, yet stern voice, and Fai''lana dove over the bed to hide behind it. The stealthy woman pulled a sword from her back and went at the other, still stunned from the death of his buddy, but with enough wits to have drawn his weapon. He''d been in it for easy money, since they just wanted some prissy princess, but thsi wasn''t what he''d bargained for. He dropped the sword and raised his hands.


    "Please don''t kill me. I was just hired to take the Princess. I''d rather give up and live than end up like Charil there."


    The woman pulled off her head wrapping to reveal a demi-human face, with cat-like features, down to the whiskers, ears, yellow cat eyes, and grey fur.


    "Then you need to start explaining."


    It was then that the Princess stood, her shirt and some panties on.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "Hold up. Who the hell ARE you people?! And what the hell is going on!?!" The Lady next in line for the throne was having a very unladylike meltdown about everything. Understandable, given the circumstances.


    "In short, I was sent to search your things for the family seal... it''s missing. These schmucks were here to kidnap you but I wasn''t willing to let that happen, your majesty. Now, any more questions before I talk to this man?"


    "No," she said abashedly. "And thanks for saving me." She sat on the edge of the bed and let the feline question the man. She then said something stern to him, and the man nodded, gathered up his dead friend, and left.


    She grabbed a towel, and used it to clean up the gore in the room and soon, it looked like nothing had ever happened. She then sat on the bed next to Fai''lana, and took a deep breath, holding out her hand.


    "Hi. I''m Arisa. I am a professional thief. Your parents hired me to get the family seal if you''d taken it but I didn''t find it here. I''m guessing you didn''t sell it or lose it anywhere?"


    "Of course not! I''m not a fool, even if I am a bit inexperienced being out here..." She took the proferred hand and shook it, then continued, "And I''m fairly certain someone in town must have noticed who I was and sent those men to take me for ransom? I knew that was a possibility but so soon...? Am I that well known here in Lunk?"


    "Apparently, your majesty. Well, the seal was not the only objective I was given. I was to track you secretly and keep an eye on you, keep you out of trouble. Guess my cover''s blown, but until my report to your parents about everything gets a reply, guess i''ll just stick around and help out. I''m paid up for a while anyway, and it''s much simpler to help out if I don''t have to hide all the time. That okay with you?"


    "Well if my parents sent you... Arisa... guess I don''t have much choice. At least THEY''RE not trying to kidnap me and force me to come back home."


    "Oh, trust me, they considered it, but your aunt told them they should let your spread your wings a bit."


    "Bless you Auntie Llyris. Well, thanks again for that. By the way, what did you say to him before he left?"


    "That if he ever showed his face in this town again, or anywhere near you, I''d castrate him and feed him his own testicles," she smiled, "if you''ll pardon the crudeness, Princess."


    "Oh stop with that, please. I ran away to get as far from all that as possible. Just call me Fai''lana. Guess I need to change my look if I don''t wanna get recognized again."


    "Okay, Fai-fai... I can help with that," Arisa said simply, "No worries. First thing tomorrow."


    "What the hell did you just call me?" the princess blinked at her.


    "Fai-fai." She grinned a cheshire grin at her, full of mischief, "And you can call me Ari."


    "Oh, gods..." Fai''lana rolled her eyes, "You''re going to be a handful, aren''t you?"


    "Yep, and proud of it," Ari replied, "Now let''s get some shut-eye."

 A Newfound Freedom

    Ari nudged Fai¡¯lana in the morning. ¡°Rise¡¯n¡¯shine, Fai! Time to get a move-on. We gotta get you a new look!¡±


    The slender platinum-blonde woman stirred, and mumbled ¡°Five more miinutes.¡±


    ¡°Ok. Then I¡¯m eating all the breakfast by myself.¡±


    ¡°Mmm? Food?¡± she mumbled as her stomach growled loudly. She sighed. ¡°Oh-kaaay, fine. I¡¯m getting up.¡±


    She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and then realized she was half-naked, thinking her primary set of clothes were still hanging over the door to dry¡­ but when she looked overat the table, not only were there two plates of food, but a neatly folded stack of her clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯re awfully diligent this early,¡± Fai¡¯lana said, an eyebrow cocked upward.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I was bored. I¡¯ve been up a couple hours now,¡± Arisa replied.


    ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m never ready to get moving until daylight is warming my windowsill.¡±


    ¡°Well Fai, if you¡¯re gonna be an adventurer, you¡¯re gonna have to start getting up early. Gotta get the jump on the day, and more importantly the monsters. So get used to it, your ladyship.¡±


    Fai stretched, stumbled over to the table and flopped into the chair, delicately picking at her food. ¡°Ok, Ari. Guess I should hurry up and get ready.¡± She pulled on her shirt and pants between bites of the egg and ham Ari had gotten for them. It was really good after not having had much of her dinner last night. She pulled on her boots, bandolier and belts, sheathed her dagger at her side, and slung her bow over her back alongside her pack.


    Ari, meanwhile, had inverted her top, and it looked suddenly less like some kind of ninja''s robe to a fairly normal blouse in a fairly average shade of brown, and the face wrap around her neck was quickly flipped inside out to now look like a red scarf. ¡°That seems rather handy in your profession.¡±


    ¡°You should see some of the places I have pockets hidden.¡± She waggled her eyebrows playfully, and the virginal princess blushed a bright crimson as she realized what she meant. Ari just giggled and gave her that wicked grin again. Flustered, Fai¡¯lana walked out the door, leaving Ari to follow.


    They went down to the innkeep, and Fai¡¯lana apologized for the inconvenience the night before. She was glad she¡¯d brought money for the journey with her, and banked a fair portion, taking only what she needed with her day to day. Having some coin to stay at the inns was nice. They left, and Arisa led her down some dark alleys to an unmarked shop, opening the door for her, then following her inside.


    The shop was dimly-lit, well-organized, and clean. It looked like everything could be quickly evacuated in a moment¡¯s notice, without leaving a trace. Arisa spoke to the woman behind the counter.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Tess, darling, how you been?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Business is good. Been awhile. The girl, is she who I think she is?¡±


    ¡°Not for long, if you catch my drift. This is Fai. Fai, meet Tess. She¡¯s gonna doll you up. Her specialty is changing people¡¯s looks in a way that can be undone eventually, but not easily detected.¡±


    ¡°Now, Ari, don¡¯t go giving away my secrets. So what are you thinking to change here?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... hair and eye color, obviously¡­ we can get some new armor for her elsewhere unless you happen to have some good stuff that ¡®fell off the wagon¡¯ recently around?¡±


    ¡°I may be able to help with that. Give her a bit of flair, but keep her not easily recognizable?¡±


    ¡°Bingo.¡±


    ¡°So, miss Fai, given any thought to the look you¡¯d like to take on?¡±


    ¡°Oh! No.. I really hadn¡¯t realized that could be done,¡± she mused, ¡°I thought I might just be looking at wigs or something¡­ uh¡­ Reddish hair? I always thought that was pretty.¡±


    ¡°Nice choice,¡± the black-clad lady said, a thoughtful look on her face, ¡°Eyes?"


    ¡°Blue. Definitely.¡± She¡¯d always loved the shimmering blue of the river near her home¡­ ¡°Blue like clear water.¡±


    ¡°Oh, lovely¡­. Caerulei Oculi Crescere Aura Capillos Aeris¡± she incanted, and after a moment a glow formed in the air around Fei. She felt a bit of a tingle come over her, then Tess held up a mirror in front of her, and in it she beheld a person she almost didn¡¯t recognize at all.


    ¡°Oh my gods¡­ I-is that ME?¡±


    ¡°Yep, gorgeous,¡± Ari said, ¡°That¡¯s all you. Ok let¡¯s look at some armor.¡± Tess handed her the mirror and she reveled in the face that was, but was not, her own. This was perfect. She could be herself, and not worry about people knowing who she was¡­ the family''s trademark silver hair and lilac eyes were gone, leaving a head of coppery hair and deep blue eyes behind¡­ it was scary, but immensely freeing.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage with some combat training, right?¡± Tess called from the other room.


    ¡°O-oh, yes! I am,¡± she called back. After a moment Tess came from a back room with a set of beautiful lightly-armored clothing in a pretty shade of salmon with silver decoration.


    ¡°It¡¯s enchanted to recharge your mana quickly and add a few levels of defense without restricting your movement for casting and fighting¡­ it may have come from a deposed noble in another country whose estate was left behind¡­ but it looks just about your size, Fai.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow. How much is all this gonna cost me?¡±


    ¡°Well, knowing who you really are, and that you have Ari as a friend¡­ I owe her¡­ and I figure you might be in a position to help me later¡­ so for now, let¡¯s call it 100 silver.¡±


    ¡°C-can you really... No, I¡¯m not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Thank you, Tess. Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, Fai. And remember, that¡¯s who you are now. Don¡¯t slip. I¡¯m sure Ari will remind you. She¡¯s very good at what she does.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t Tess, I hope we can do business again.¡±


    ¡°See you then. And later, Ari.¡±


    Arisa went up and hugged the shopkeep. ¡°Later, Tess,¡± she said, and grinned that shifty grin of hers.


    And Fei walked out of there, feeling truly free for the first time in her life.

 The Calm Before the Storm

    ¡±So," asked Ari, as they headed out of the back alleys,"just what *were* you doing in the sewers?"


    Suddenly reminded of her failure, Fai''s radiant smile sunk into an embarrassed pout. "Well... I thought it might be a good place to train up. And then I stepped in that stupid snare. Thank the gods for that engineer that came through the tunnel or I''d have been dog food."


    "Kobolds... And that engineer guy wouldn''t happen to be a dwarf, would he?"


    "Uh, yeah. Why?"


    Ari just smiled, and said, "Heh. He was working for Tess. He said he found some elf girl tied up down there, but I didn''t know he meant you..." She chuckled. "Okay, I can see why you needed to train up. Tomorrow, we finish what you started."


    "Ugh..."


    They headed to another inn to prep and crash for the night. This one was ¡°The Whole Hog¡±, known for it¡¯s roast pork, and good mead. The man behind the bar, stopped rubbing it with his cloth for a moment when they walked in, gave the girls an appreciative look, then nodded to the serving wench, who came over and showed them to a table. ¡°Will you be staying or just here for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Staying,¡± said Fei, and pulled two gold pieces out of her pouch. ¡°Use this to cover the room and anything we order.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± she said as her green eyes went wide, ¡°Would you like to go to your room before supper and freshen up?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± interjected Ari, nodding to Fei. ¡°Let¡¯s go get a nap before dinner.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Take us to the room please,¡± Fai said to the brunette barmaid.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Right away, ma¡¯am.¡±


    She showed them to their room, a nice, comfortable space with two feather beds. She pointed to a crystal affixed to the wall near the door. ¡°Just touch the crystal if you need anything - we¡¯ll hear the chime.¡±


    ¡°Ooh¡­ classy,¡± Ari said, smirking. ¡°Catch you later.¡± She then took a flying leap onto the bed to the right. ¡°Calling it. This one¡¯s mine. You can have the other one.¡±


    Fai stretched, yawned, and said, ¡°Fine. Man, getting a new look can take it out of you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cause she used your own mana to complete the spell so her magic wouldn¡¯t show up on you¡­ nothing a good nap won¡¯t fix.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Ok, that makes sense. She dropped her gear in the corner, laid down, and wes fast asleep in a few minutes.


    She had some strange dreams¡­ someone stole her face, and left her with another, and no one believed she was who she said she was¡­ it was a bit disturbing, but eventually the dreams stopped and she got some real rest.


    A few hours later, Fai awoke to the smell of roast pork and fried potatoes¡­ and right now, it smelled heavenly. The elf stood, stretched, and walked over to the table where Arisa was already digging in.


    ¡°Mmmm sho good¡­ yough rilly neeg to trygh ghish stuf.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full?¡±


    She swallowed loudly, ¡°Yep. Didn¡¯t care.¡±


    Fai shook her head. ¡°Where have manners gone?¡±


    ¡°In my tummy with the fooooood!¡±


    Fai put her palm over her face and shook her head. But after a moment, she filled her own plate and was amazed by the flavor¡­ she thought she detected a few fairly exotic spices, but couldn¡¯t place which they were¡­ But whatever they were, they were good. Damned good. She made a mental note to thank the chef later.


    Bellies full of good food and good mead, the women planned their assault on the sewers¡­ They would need to use their skills well, for the Kobolds had been aparently entrenched down there for months beneath Lunk, But together, with Ari¡¯s trap-finding and lockpick skills, and Fai¡¯s ranged combat and casting¡­ they felt pretty hopeful they could manage to clear the sewers.


    They¡¯d get what¡¯s coming to them for ensnaring her like that. She¡¯d make sure of it.

 To Koboldly Go...

    The girls made their last-minute preparations... rations for a couple days, just in case, checking the level of lamp oil they had on hand, potions, etc. They should be well-enough prepared for a few little dogmen in that shithole of a sewer.


    Kobolds. Usually three-to-four foot tall, wiry little canine humanoids that were mostly dumb as rocks, but occasionally the smart ones would set snares and traps in their lairs. And last time she was here, she''d avoided many before her stint dangling upside-down with her head just above the muck. She shuddered at that thought. Bleh. If she never saw another sewer, it would be too soon... but she needed the experience... the fighting ability...


    ...Not to mention the bounty on those kobolds'' heads. They were going for a silver per, and clearing all of them out would net a hefty bonus that would set her up with her own place... she could use the money she brought to get a modest home but she wanted to make a decent living as an adventurer, not relying too much on her name or heritage, until she was ready to head home and claim her rightful throne. Gods willing she''d have a while to enjoy her life before being saddled with all that nonsense.


    Anyway, she shook her head to clear away the unwanted thoughts, and looked over at Ari, who was looking at her curiously. "So, you''re back, are you? You got a faraway look in your eye for a moment there. Everything okay?"


    "Yeah," said Fai, "Let''s get on with this. There are kobolds down there waiting for an ass-kicking. Let''s give it to them."


    "Wait. Who are you and what did you do with Fai?" She grinned broadly.


    "Oh fuck off. You know this is your influence, right, Ari? A few days around you and I''m swearing like a sailor."


    "Ha, ha... yeah. I''ll take the credit. You needed to remove the stick up your butt anyway."


    Fai turned to glare at Ari, but then cracked a smile. "Yeah, yeah, so maybe I needed to loosen up... but at least I was smart enough to get the hell out of there before I turned all curmudgeon like my father."


    Ari feigned a swoon. "Oh, how the King would be pained to hear his daughter say such things about him!"


    Fai reached over and lightly pushed Ari. "Shithead. Quit fucking with me and let''s go."


    As the two headed downstairs and out the front door, gear in tow, she said, "Honestly, though. A couple days ago, I''d never have thought you could be like this. Just changing your appearance really did set you free, didn''t it?"


    "You have no idea. Such a fucking weight has been lifted. I felt so... constrained. Now if someone sees me misbehave, who cares? I''m just Fai. Got no one looking over my shoulder, and I''m guessing you''re not planning to tattle on me... so screw it."


    Ari just grinned, and nodded toward the one unlocked sewer entrance at the edge of the city... They''d locked them all after the kobolds had moved in, leaving just the one open for the engineers hearty enough to wade through to do maintenance.


    They arrived, and a hand painted sign greeted them. "KOBOLDS. ENTER AT OWN RISK." Ari and Fai looked at one another and shrugged, pulling open the grate, and heading down, closing it above them. The guard they''d passed at the end of the alley just shook his head and sighed.


    The darkness of the sewer took a moment for Fai''s nightvision to adjust to, but once it did, she could see almost as well as she could outside... Elves had pretty good night vision... and it really helped in situations like this. Unfortunately Ari had no such abiltiy, so they''d gotten her some light-enhancing specs to wear. They had a band that went around the back of her head to hold them in place in combat. She''d looked a bit nerdy in them, and Fai had poked a bit of good natured fun at her when she put them on. But they had things to do, so they headed into the dank sewer, trying to stick to the edges, but occasionally having to step into the muck to sidestep traps, Fai making faces every time she had to do so.


    After a while, they heard scraping and rough voices up a corridor, and started to see some light spilling down the way as they followed the curve. They sidled up along the inner curve, and took a look. Theyd apparently found one of the open areas the kobolds had claimed... it was a larger room, possibly leading to some kind of pit but the floor had been covered up with boards, over all the waterway areas in a sort of makeshift wooden floor.


    They readied their own snare.... they laid out a net, rigging a snare using the remnants of their own in the corridor that they had pulled apart getting here, only larger. Then Fai cast an invisibility spell on the net, causing it to fade out of view... She went to the corridor''s end where she had a good view of the net area, and readied her bow at the corner, hiding just around it. Ari double-checked the lines, then pulled her knives, and whistled loudly, calling their attention.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Not being too bright, the kobolds came, as they''d figured they would, as a group., and once they walked to the trigger end of the net and saw the girls, it was too late, Fai loosed several arrows, and Ari leapt from the shadowed part of the curve, and together they made short work of the group. a dozen went down there, with a few stragglers following. None escaped, though the one that tried got a thrown knife in the back by Ari and went down, flailing to try to reach the hilt that bloomed from his spine like some strange metal flower. The two threw any that weren''t already in the net on it, dragged them to the center of the room where they''d built a firepit, and after taking their trophies to prove their kills (both fangs from each to get paid for the kill) they burned the bodies, the smoke curling up through a hole that must''ve led to a permanent grating somewhere in the city outskirts. Better the smoke than to leave the bodies behind, though. It was nasty work, and bloody, but after a few times of Fai vomiting, they got through it. It was far from pleasant, but Fai and Ari both knew Fai needed to experience all of this if she was to have a future as an adventurer, and possibly the eventual leader of men in battle as their ruler. There''d be worse to come too... if she couldn''t handle this, she didn''t need to be out here at all.


    So she got to help with chopping the bodies up, and feeding them to the fire. Ari also made her eat, even if she threw it up a time or two... and eventually, the bodies were just a pile of ash in a corner of the room. No one ever bothers to think of how you dispose of the leftovers of battle. The stories of THAT aren''t the ones sung by bards or told around the fire. The girls took turns once stomachs settled, and the smell cleared, trying to sleep and keeping watch.


    Ari looked back at Fai as she sat first watch, and saw she was tossing and turning. She was sure that grim duty would haunt her for a while, but she was tougher than she looked. Guess her parents were right to let her go and find herself... toughen up before she would have to take responsibility for an entire kingdom. She stretched out, and scrawled out a rough map of the areas they''d been through, when a splashing sound came up the corridor, along with the clang and shing noises of a fight with blades... she drew her own blade, doused the fire and nudged Fai. "Huh?" she mumbled, and Ari shushed her with a finger to her lips, and cupped her ear. Fai hushed and listened, hearing the fight and movement heading their way, she got up quickly and pulled her bow forth, peering down the corridor, and nocking an arrow.


    "Have at ye, ya fuckin'' curs!" came a familiar voice. The engineer! As he came into view down the corridor, they could see what was putting up such a fight.


    A high kobold. The smart ones. Ari and Fai both loosed on it as it came into view, Ari''s knife burying itself deep into the thing''s throat, a spray of blood gushing forth as it yelped in surprise, just in time for an arrow to find it''s mouth. Fai had been aiming for it''s eye but it moved after the knife found it''s way to it, and her arrow flew into and pierced the roof of his mouth as his head went back to roar in pain. The dwarf jumped back, startled by the spray of blood in his face, and wiped his eyes. Just then, Fai loosed another arrow, this one finding it''s mark in the large kobold''s chest, where the heart should be. It howled and fell backward.


    "What in the goddess'' name are you two doin'' down in this shithole?"


    Ari grinned, and as Fai said, "Training," Ari said, "Saving your butt,"


    Uthern laughed heartily, and said, "Well, thank you, lassies. You''ve gotten pretty good with that bow there, miss... what should I call you? You look different than when I last found you, enough so I''m guessin'' yer not wantin'' any attention here."


    "Call me Fai. And thanks again for the save. I''m sure I looked quite a bit worse for wear, covered in shit as I was. I appreciate your help, so I''m glad we could help you this time."


    "So, Ari brought ye down here to learn to fight, did she? Any reason ye couldn''t have just taken this to a nice clearing and shown her how tae duke it out proper without dealin'' with all this shite?"


    Ari replied, "Her idea. She wanted to clear out the kobolds and get the bounty. I figured it''s good for the town, good for our finances, and good for her to see all that''s involved. And I think she gets the picture after last night''s little dust-up."


    "I uh... threw up a few times. It wasn''t pretty."


    Uthern looked sidelong at Ari, "You made her clean up after the battle, didn''t you? Oh, lass... that''s a harsh start for a first adventure. This place is pretty well caked with blood so ye must''ve done quite a number on a good-sized group here... that''s a hard mess for seasoned adventurers to want to cope with, an'' ye handled it better than most.... you''re still here. I know men who have fought for decades that would''ve just left the bodies and called the guard to finish up the mess. You''re doing well, your maj-" Fai shot him a wary look, "...er, Fai."


    "That she did," said Ari, praising, Fai. "Making her help me dispose of the carcasses was my idea. She wanted to be tougher and it doesn''t get tougher than that kind of dirty work, so figured she could use experiencing it at least once."


    "Gee, thanks for the life lesson, mom." Fai rolled her eyes, "It''s one I won''t soon forget... me or my stomach."


    "Hey take that back! I am not that much older than you, you brat!"


    Fai giggled, and ducked behind Uthern, who chuckled. "You''re both actin'' like little kiddies right now, if ye ask me. Now let''s settle down and relax by the fire. These old bones could use it, and a bite to eat. That big bastard caught me in the middle of setting up a new connection to one of the cisterns down here. So I''ve been already working hours and then got to get this lovely new crimson paint job." He gestured to the blood coating his once-sparkling and shining steel-and-leather armor.


    They all agreed that they could use a bit more rest before hunting down the rest of theband of kobolds, and Uthern joined the party officially for this gig, as the damn mutts kept getting in the way of his work. Least he could do is help clear ''em out.


    They laughed, chatted, ate some stew made from ingredients they all contributed, and then took turns getting a bit of shuteye, preparing for day two of the sewer expedition.

 The Tunnels of Lunk

    Fai woke, to the smell of an aroma she''d caught before at the inns she''d stayed at when she''d come downstairs in the early hours of the morning, but hadn''t actually bothered to ask what it was. Uthern was sipping the oddly pleasantly-scented stuff from a metal cup and keeping watch over her and the sleeping Ari. She sat up, and asked, "What is that? Whatever it is, it smells wonderful."


    "Tis called coffee. ''Tis made from running hot water through ground beans, much like when you brew tea from ground leaves... ''tis a bit bitter, though, so we usually add honey or sugar to sweeten it up. Care to try some, lass?"


    "Sure."


    Uthern handed Fai a mug from his pack and after pouring water from a kettle on the fire through a mesh filled with brown stuff into a pot, poured the brown liquid now in the pot into the mug, then handed it to her along with a spoon and a jar of honey. "I use about 3 spoonfuls for a mug that size tae sweeten it, but then ah''ve got me a sweet tooth."


    Fai grinned, thanked him, and tasted the dark liquid, almost spitting it out. "Ugh! So bitter!" She added a spoonfull of honey and tasted it again, this time barely taking in any. "Better, but I think you have the right of it." She added two more spoonfuls, stirred them in, and tasted it again. "Oh! That''s much better!"


    "Yep. Has a good flavor if ye can kill the acrid part of it. Wakes ye up right well, too."


    Fai handed back the spoon and honey, then sipped her coffee. "Thanks, Uthern. It''s nice sitting by the fire like this and having a warm drink."


    "Good company and good brew is always a pleasure, aye. And you''re a pleasant sort," he nodded toward Ari, "unlike a certain little hyperactive smartarse."


    Ari mumbled sleepily, "stop your squeaking, sewer rat," and rolled over. Fai and Uthern both chuckled.


    They let Ari sleep a while, keeping watch until the sun was up somewhere out there, sharing some rations for breakfast while Ari had her coffee with a bit of a rum kicker.


    "Ah, that hit the spot. Thanks, rat," Ari said and giggled as she finished up, and everyone stowed their gear.


    "Och, now, don''t ye start with me, missy," he said, "we have things to do that are more important than having to extract m''boot from yer arse, aye?"


    "Yeah, yeah, okay," Ari pouted, as she collected her things and stood, "Killjoy."


    "Good girl. Now, last time I ran into that huge fucker, he was harassing me down that way." Uthern pointed to the corridor he''d been down before finding this room and the two ladies that helped him out of his little jam. "So I suggest we head that way. I can finish up the job, and we can hunt the rest of these bloody things down."


    Fai turned from snuffing out the fire, and piped up first, "Sounds good to me. Ari?"


    "Kay-oh. Let''s do this thing." With that she headed toward the hallway, "I''ll scout ahead."


    Uthern just shook his head, hoisting his pack and offering a hand to Fai. "That one''s too impulsive by half."


    "Yeah, but it''s part of her charm," Fai replied with a grin as she took his hand up, getting to her feet. "Shall we?"


    "Let''s."


    And with that they followed Ari into the dank, darkness ahead.


    --|--


    They moved as quietly as they could through the corridors, Ari having scouted a ways ahead, proclaiming it clear... apparently the band they''d taken out at the cistern room was the larger of the bands, but the more disorganized. They ran into a few traps Ari mostly getting them past or disarming them without much effort, though a crossbow trap scared the bejeezus out of them as Fai was nearly skewered on a bolt. Her hearing had caught the whizzing of the bolt just in time for her to hit the floor, the bolt clattering against the stone behind her. Luckily, it missed.


    Unluckily, it also alerted something farther up the hallway, and they had no time to make a trap like they did before. They were on their way, and being fairly careful if her ears were correct.


    "They''re coming," Ari said in a whisper, taking the words right out of Fai''s mouth. "Ready your weapons. They''ll be here in about 30 seconds." With that, she disappeared into the shadows, and the engineer and the elf prepared for the incoming mini-horde.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Sniffing the air, the kobolds came toward them from the other end of the hall they were on... moving in a sort of loose formation, the lead kobold pointing out traps to his comrades as he moved forward. These appeared to be much better prepared than the other band, but, Fai swore they''d go down. She nocked her arrow, and took aim just above the face of the lead kobold with her bow... almost got a bead and... she loosed the arrow. It flew true, embedding itself in the wall behind him leaving a hole through the kobold''s skull.


    A cackle sounded from the back of the horde, and was quickly silenced. The lead kobold was a raised corpse, and being controlled by a shaman... who was just taken out from the shadows by Ari. Uthern used that moment to come out swinging. He pulled out his greathammer, a mechanical sledgehammer that appeared to have some kind of counterweight system on one side of the head. As he swung it back, a flywheel mechanism spun up, and a weight slid from the core of the head out the back, when he swung it forward, the flywheel kept the angle straight, and the sliding weight reconnected with the head of the hammer, adding to the force of the blow, this blow in particular crashing into the midsection of one, who then bowled into about three more, scattering them.


    ...And that was Fai''s cue. She began loosing arrow after arrow at the staggering and fallen kobolds around Uthern, nearly every hit scoring a kill, and Ari swept up the leavings, making sure the fallen kobolds stayed that way. Ari collected the spoils, this time opting to leave the corpses where they lie, at least for now, only taking their trophy teeth and any valuables.


    "I have a feeling there are at least a few still that way holding down the fort," Ari said to them, "though I''d wager not many left now."


    Fai started to move to the corpses to drag them backto the room with the firepit, but Ari shook her head. "Leave ''em for now. If we have to we''ll send someone, but we''ve spent long enough down here... and we need to get them gone first either way."


    Fai shrugged, "Sure. Makes sense. I''d rather not deal with it anyway."


    "Tis grim work, for sure, lass. I canny blame ye for not wantin'' to get rid of the bodies," Uthern replied, "but let''s note where we left ''em to make it easier for whoever we send back for ''em." He pulled out his map of the sewer, and marked some points on it with a charcoal pencil, then stowed it back in his side pouch.


    "Thanks, Uthern." Fai smiled at him gratefully.


    Ari stepped from the shadows, making them both jump a bit, "Shhh! They''re not that far away. Looks like they finally started looking for their missing fellows. Two big''uns. Seriously ugly. I think one''s a caster."


    "Ok, then... how do you want to handle this... you going to get around them again?" Fai asked, "Or are we going to try some new tactics?"


    "Well this IS your levelup training, so you should lead the next battle - you''ll get the strategy and leadership bonuses that way," Ari repllied.


    "I''d suggest perhaps we go after the non-caster, and you do your magic thing, lass, since neither of us have that particular ability," Uthern offered.


    "Okay. Ari, you say there are two - one fighter, one caster. Where are they?"


    "Hunting about three segments away, so approximately two corridors and two junctions between us, at last count."


    "So we''ll be fighting them in the halls not in a room this time... so a bit more of a restricted space... Let''s use that stealth of yours to box them in. You each take a shot at them, and I''ll fireball the side of the hall next to the enemy, and then we can duck to each side to let the heat of the blast pass, rinse and repeat. Thoughts?"


    Uthern nodded. "Sounds like as solid a plan as any I can think of, lass."


    "Nice," Ari beamed, "Way to use that pretty head of yours, Fai. Let''s do this." With that she faded into the shadows, and they followed her marks toward the enemy.


    Fai ended up hearing them before they saw them, grunting and sloshing footsteps making them easy to track once close... she motioned to Uthern to turn the corner to the left, but hide against the opposite corner of the northern passage, as the growling dogmen were off to the east. She prepared her spell, and he readied a throwing axe, as she knew Ari prepared her knives at the far end, both awaiting her signal. Once her near-silent incantation was ready, she nodded to both, and two weapons flashed in the darkness, Ari''s knife finding it''s mark in the head of the mage, Uthern''s clumsier throw hit the kobold''s arm, making it spin about, just in time for the fireball to hit the wall beside it, engulfing both creatures in flame. Howls erupted from them as they burned, flailing about as the unquenchable magical flames wreathed them, making them easy targets for all three to finish off.


    "Well done lass!" Uthern patted Fai''s head as Ari stepped out of the shadow next to them. "Yep. Nice job." Ari grinned as much at Fai''s embarassment over having her head patted like a child as at her success.


    "Thanks you two," she said, still blushing, "Shall we get out of here? It''ll be too soon if I never see - let alone smell - another sewer."


    "Aye. Let''s go get cleaned up and have us a beer while we choose our levelup options. I managed a couple levels, so I''m guessing you at lower experience tae start should have made a few at least in the last couple days, no?"


    Fai mentally checked her status. "Oooh, yes I have. I''ll have to consider carefully! Let''s go!"


    They climbed up the nearest ladder, Uthern knocking open the sewer cover with a headbutt that let out a huge CLANG! The guards nearby came running, and Ari grinned at them, simply saying, "The puppies that gave you so much trouble are gone."


    Uthern pulled out his map. "Aye. you''ll find we took care of about half of the bodies but there are some here." He pointed to the markings on his map.


    "Uh... we''ll find it, thank you, brave adventurers!" They then marched off, apparently to notify someone to hand out new orders.


    The three went back to the inn to level up and celebrate Fai''s first real adventure.

 The Road to Recognition

    After a few well-earned hours of rest, the trio gathered in the inn¡¯s common room, where the fire crackled in the hearth and the heavy scent of roast meat filled the air. It was time to face the inevitable: the next part of their journey.


    Fai, her mind still buzzing with the events of the past few days, sat at a corner table, a mug of ale clutched in her hands. Her fingers traced the rim absently. There was a flicker of quiet pride in her chest for all she had accomplished. They¡¯d survived the sewers, faced a horde of kobolds, and come out the other side unscathed. In any other world, that would¡¯ve been enough. But Fai knew her adventure had just begun.


    Uthern leaned in close, his booming voice breaking her reverie. ¡°Ye ready, lass? I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ of taking the long road to the next town. The bandits there have been makin¡¯ a mess of the trade routes, and the job offers a nice payday. What say ye?¡±


    Fai gave a slow nod. ¡°I¡¯m ready. But, Uthern¡­ can we talk about something first?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. ¡°Aye, go on. What¡¯s botherin¡¯ ye?¡±


    Fai hesitated, unsure of how to frame her thoughts. ¡°I¡­ well, I feel like I¡¯ve done well these past few days. But I still feel¡­ unseen, you know? Like, I¡¯ve helped, I¡¯ve fought, but it¡¯s not enough. My family, back home, they don¡¯t see me as anything more than the quiet one. The girl who hides behind books, who never gets noticed at the dinner table.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ari, who had been sharpening her knives across the room, glanced up at Fai¡¯s words, her usual playful grin softening. She stood, moving over to the table and dropping into the seat beside Fai.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need their approval, Fai,¡± Ari said, her voice low but steady. ¡°You¡¯ve earned your place here. With us. And if they can¡¯t see that, then they¡¯re blind.¡±


    Fai smiled gratefully at Ari, but Uthern cut in, shaking his head with a playful grin. ¡°Aye, Ari¡¯s right. But what if the road ahead gave ye a chance to prove yer worth? Not just to them, but to yourself, too? Maybe it¡¯s time for ye to lead a little bit. Take charge, make your own mark.¡±


    Fai¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Lead?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Uthern grinned, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the way ye think. The way yer mind works. Ye¡¯ve got the makings of a leader in ye, lass. And I think it¡¯s time to let that part of ye out.¡±


    Fai chewed on his words. Could she do it? Could she really lead them down the long road to the next town? The bandits would be dangerous, there was no question about it. But something stirred inside her¡ªa quiet, growing confidence that perhaps this was her chance. The opportunity to prove to herself that she was more than just the quiet observer.


    She took a deep breath, her voice steady when she spoke. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll lead. But I¡¯ll need your help. All of you. I can¡¯t do this alone.¡±


    Ari¡¯s grin returned in full force. ¡°Of course. You lead, we follow. Simple enough.¡±


    Uthern raised his mug with a grin. ¡°To the next step in yer journey, lass. Let¡¯s make it count.¡±


    Fai smiled, raising her own mug in response. For the first time in a long while, she felt like maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªshe could step out of the shadows and into the light.

 Bandits? Why is it always bandits!?

    The group awoke early, got ready, nursed hangovers, and headed out along the river road South toward Orstadt, which had been under siege lately by bandits, ambushing travelers coming through back and forth to the port city of Lunk to trade. Orstadt was the last stop for a proper night''s sleep in a bed, so almost everyone stopped there, and it had become a hub of travel along the river.


    The air was still thick with the remnants of last night¡¯s storm, the sky a pale blue streaked with clouds that hadn¡¯t quite decided whether they would clear or gather again. The muddy ground squelched beneath boots as the group gathered their gear, each nursing the remnants of hangovers or the lingering weariness from days of travel.


    Fai adjusted the straps on her pack, glancing at the others. Uthern was grumbling about the lack of proper food in his stomach, rubbing his head as if willing the headache away. Ari, ever the optimist, had already mounted her horse and was checking the route with a quiet intensity, her eyes scanning the horizon.


    "Could use a bit of peace before we hit the next mess," Uthern muttered.


    "You¡¯ll get your chance, but the last stop before the storm is Orstadt," Fai replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "I¡¯ve heard the rumors. The bandits have gotten bold. If we¡¯re going through, we need to be prepared."


    Ari gave a casual nod, her sharp eyes flicking from Fai to the path ahead. "We¡¯ll be fine. If it¡¯s bandits, we¡¯ve handled worse."


    "But it¡¯s getting worse." Fai looked up from her map, her brow furrowed. The road to Orstadt wasn¡¯t the only one under threat. The rise of these bandit groups along the river had grown more organized, their numbers swelling like a flood, pushing travelers and merchants to take even more dangerous routes. But what really worried Fai wasn¡¯t just the threat of an ambush¡ªit was the growing desperation she¡¯d seen in the faces of those who¡¯d passed them on the road. Orstadt might be the last bastion before chaos truly spread, and if they didn¡¯t act soon...


    "We stick together," Fai added, locking eyes with each member of the group. "Stay sharp."


    Fai''s ears perked up at a sound; a cracking that sounded like someone stepping on a twig or some such. She spun around, and looked right into the eyes of a deer, which bounded off into the foggy forest. Maybe she was a bit too on-edge... or maybe the deer wasn''t what she heard. Ari suddenly threw a dagger past Fai''s face... and into the eye of a bandit about to try to grab Fai from behind. Four more men moved to surround them.


    Fai¡¯s heart skipped a beat as the dagger flashed by her face, its trajectory so precise that it felt like the air itself bent to avoid her. The thud of the blade sinking into the bandit¡¯s eye was almost drowned out by the startled gasps of his comrades.


    The forest around them seemed to close in as the bandits drew their weapons, each one moving in with practiced aggression, their eyes wild and desperate. They weren¡¯t the disorganized rabble Fai had expected; these men were seasoned, their postures sharp, their swords glinting with malicious intent.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Ari''s voice cut through the chaos, low and controlled, "Stay close, and stay ready."


    Without waiting for a response, she spurred her horse into motion, a blur of grace and fury as she wheeled the animal around, throwing another dagger with deadly precision. It buried itself in the throat of one of the bandits, who gurgled once before collapsing.


    Fai¡¯s breath came in sharp bursts as she drew her sword. She could feel the adrenaline flooding her system, pushing her fear aside. The bandits were too quick to ignore, but they weren¡¯t invincible. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but feel the weight of responsibility settle on her shoulders. This wasn¡¯t just a skirmish¡ªthis was a battle they couldn¡¯t afford to lose.


    "Uthern, take the left flank!" Fai shouted, her eyes flicking to the large warrior who was already hefting his axe. "Ari, keep them off me!"


    "Dinnae tell me what tae do," Uthern growled, but he moved anyway, carving a path toward two of the bandits who had rushed in from the side.


    One of the bandits lunged at Fai, his rusted sword raised high. She parried the blow with practiced ease, her own blade cutting through the air as she countered with a swift slash to his ribs. He staggered back, a grimace twisting his face, but didn¡¯t fall. Fai pressed the attack, her movements fluid, years of training guiding her every step.


    The bandit nearest to her swung wildly, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Fai danced to the side, her footwork quick and precise. She could hear the sounds of combat around her¡ªAri¡¯s grunts as she fought with unmatched efficiency, Uthern¡¯s booming voice as he cleaved through one bandit after another.


    The forest was alive with the clash of steel, the rustle of branches, and the stench of sweat and fear. But Fai knew they were on borrowed time. More bandits were coming, no doubt, drawn by the noise of the fight.


    She could see Uthern dispatching his attackers with ease, his massive frame a blur of brutality. Ari was in the thick of it too, her blades flashing as she took down another opponent with a precision that made Fai¡¯s stomach tighten with admiration and awe.


    But the numbers were against them. Fai knew they needed to break free, get to Orstadt before the entire band of marauders swarmed them.


    "Pull back!" Fai shouted. "To the road!"


    Ari¡¯s eyes locked with hers for a split second, understanding passing between them. Ari and Uthern didn¡¯t need much direction; they followed Fai¡¯s command without question.


    In a blur of motion, the group broke from the circle of bandits, forcing their way through the remaining attackers, cutting a path toward the safety of the open road.


    The bandits, surprised by the sudden shift, hesitated, then gave chase. But they weren¡¯t prepared for the determined ferocity the trio carried with them.


    They rushed, Uthern clearing the way like a bull, with the girls close behind, Ari occasionally throwing her cheaper blades at the enemies when she could turn for a moment. The city walls were growing taller as they ran, the looming gates only a short distance away now. The guards at the gate saw the pursuers and shouted a warning to the bowmen stationed above. The bandits, realizing they were outmatched, hesitated before slinking off into the fog, retreating back to whatever hole they had crawled out of.


    The guards looked down at the group, eyeing them with a mixture of respect and caution.


    "Everyone all right?" one of them asked, his tone wary. "Those fools¡¯ve been harassin'' folk for weeks. Seems like ye take one down, and they send two more to fill the void."


    Uthern wiped the sweat from his brow, his heavy Scottish brogue rolling out as he spoke. "Aye, we''re fine, though I''d be happier takin'' a hot meal and a drink ''fore I take another step."


    "Likewise," Fei muttered, her muscles sore from the fight, though the adrenaline had faded, leaving her weary. "Let''s get inside."


    The gates creaked open, the guards ushering them through as the group made their way into the safety of the walled town.