《Blooded Reborn》 Life after the end ¡°Alex, man, you look like shit.¡± Tj bellowed as he caught sight of old friend a split second after entering the bar. Alex paused, bringing the bottle to his lips to look his friend over. Unlike the last time he had seen the man back in their national guard days. His tall thick body had put on weight that only comes with fatherhood. The man¡¯s wide smile was only emphasized by the bit of baby fat his cheeks held. ¡°Life has been good for you, I see.¡± Alex replied with a grin before finishing the last of his beer and setting the empty bottle down on the bar. Standing from the stool, they took his friend¡¯s hand while pulling him into a brotherly hug. ¡°How the wife and kid?¡± he asked ¡°Jackson doing great, he¡¯s already in the second grade. As for Sarah, she¡¯s excited about our second kid.¡± Tj answered when they separated. Taking an empty stool, he flagged down the bartender and ordered another two beers. ¡°Another kid, damn it was hard enough to believe you reproduced the first time.¡± Alex said jokingly, like old times. Tj laughed as he received his beer as he replied. ¡°Well, it helps I have good blackmail material to use.¡± Turning back to Alex, he asked. ¡°Really man, how are you doing? I know the hell you went through with Angie.¡± Taking his beer from the bartender, Alex looked down at the scarred wood of the old bar. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Part of me is relieved that it¡¯s over, while another part is still looking over my shoulder. Worried that she¡¯s going to stab me out of nowhere.¡± He said as the years of abuse he suffered at his ex-wife¡¯s hands. ¡°It was bad, real bad, especially at the end. I nearly took my own life. The constant fights and beatings were more than I could handle. She had managed to cut me off from anyone willing to help. I spent so many nights sleeping in my car because she would convince the cops she had nowhere to go.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°My attorney.¡± Alex answered cryptically before continuing. ¡°I was sitting on a bench in a secluded corner of the park. I was about to slit my throat when he found me. It took some time, but he talked me down and got me some help.¡± ¡°Fuck man.¡± Tj said in a whispered voice. ¡°I was a mess, I had just gotten out of jail from where she staged another abuse call saying I had hit her. I had to walk twenty miles because I didn¡¯t have access to my cards as she kept my wallet. When I had gotten back, she was in jail herself because the detective found my mini cams and got ahold of the videos.¡± Alex said before he took a deep pull of the beer. Taking a moment to savor the cold brew, he started again. ¡°I had barely been back twenty minutes when two guys bust down my door and proceeded to beat my ass for her. Got that on video as well. Anyway, I was wallowing in misery after getting out of the hospital and planning to off myself when this attorney pops up out of nowhere and talks me out of it. Next thing I know, papers are filed for divorce and I¡¯m ushered into hiding. All while that¡¯s going on he looked back at all my previous cases involving her and got that removed from my record. Almost a year went by and to make a long story short, I¡¯m finally free.¡± He said with a pained smile as he turned the bottle in his hands. The look of horror that came across Tj¡¯s face nearly made Alex laugh. Out of the few people, Alex called friends throughout his so-called life. Tj was the one that understood him, as they both grew up in the foster system. While Tj was a foster because his folks both passed away in a traffic accident. Alex was there because of his abusive parents. Even at an early age, his body was covered in a layer of scars from his mother¡¯s inventive abuses. While Tj was one of the lucky ones that found a home, Alex had a different experience, almost as if fate conspired to make his life as filled with pain as possible. ¡°Damn bro. I¡­ had no idea.¡± Tj said genuinely sad over his friends suffering. ¡°It¡¯s cool.¡± Alex said in a neutral tone. Tj let out a deep breath as he sent Alex a meaning full glance. ¡°So, what¡¯s next? You gonna get back in the pool?¡± ¡°Fuck no.¡± Alex replied with a snort. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ leaving. Bought a bit of land out in the mountains, with a cabin and everything I need.¡± ¡°Sounds boring.¡± Tj said with a sour look. ¡°After what I¡¯ve been through, boring will do me good.¡± Alex said with a small smile. Turning up the bottle, he finished his beer while flagging the bartender down. After three hours of trading stories and more than a few rounds of beers and insults, Alex watched as Tj was driven off by his wife. Feelings of shame burned within as he could remember the fear he felt when she spoke to him. Sarah was a wonderful woman from what his friend had told him. After everything he had been through, Alex didn¡¯t know if he could ever not be afraid of his life when near a woman. Pulling up his hood over his shortcut brown hair, Alex turned away and started walking back to his hotel. Grumbling to himself as rain started to fall, he popped an ear bud in an ear with one hand while fishing out his phone. Flipping through a couple of screens, he found what he was looking for and started the audiobook. Setting off at a leisurely pace, Alex smiled as he took in the crisp night air. The walk back to the hotel was a long one, especially during the chilly late November night. Listening to the book, his thoughts turned to the past as his feet carried him to his destination. Memories of the cruelties he somehow survived that were horrifying enough to be featured in modern cinema played through his mind. When asked how he managed to struggle through all that, his only answer was books. Even as a little kid he loved to read, after all, out of everything in his life, books were the only things that never hurt him. For him, a good book was an emotional and near physical escape from the suffering of daily life. Eventually he went from reading books to escape to writing them. Luckily his book had its place amongst readers eager for something new. It was the first time Alex had truly felt good about himself. Using this success, he continued his writing career even as he served in the nation guard where he met Tj. It was their similar upbringings and their mutual love of tabletop games that cemented the friendship that lasted for well over a decade later. While Tj had eventually moved away with his wife and son, Alex stayed in Texas having met Angie. What started as a dream for him proved to be a nightmare after their wedding. The two of them had met a gaming convention one weekend after he had closed his stand promoting his latest litrpg series. Angela was smart and beautiful and just as much of a nerd as he was. Well, that was the side she had portrayed. It was after their honeymoon when things started to change. Shaking off those thoughts, he instead thought about his upcoming plans. The cabin and land he had purchased in the Colorado mountains were ready for him to move in. Alex had even gone as far as to ensure he had satellite internet setup so he could continue his writing, and his ongoing anime and gaming addiction. And when those got to be too much, he could just step away and spend his time fishing in the nearby river and lake that bordered his land. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. It was the sight of the familiar hotel sign that brought him back to the present, while the chirp of his phone text message cause him to stop. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he thumbed in the pin and looked at the screen with a frown. On the screen was the message from a blocked number that simply read, ¡°I¡¯m behind you.¡± A feeling of icy dread ran down his spine as he looked behind him. ¡°I told you I¡¯d get you.¡± Angie¡¯s bitter voice came as pain shot through his back. Stumbling away, Pain flared as the blade was ripped from his wound, causing him to fall to his knees. Clutching his free hand over it to staunch the flow of blood with his free hand, Alex fumbled with his phone in his other. Weakly standing to his feet as his ex-wife stepped in front of him, he knew it was too late even as he heard 911 respond. The last he saw before darkness took him was the sneer on her face as the blade pierced his heart. ¡°Oh, my, you poor child. To have lived such a life of suffering. Even those who should have protected you showed you nothing but cruelty.¡± The child like voice¡¯s words brought him back to consciousness. Looking around, he found the source of the voice came from a being of pure light, within he could barely make out a feminine form. Instinctually fear welled up inside him and he attempted to move away. Only to find he had no legs or arms. Hell, he didn¡¯t even have a body. Alex was just an orb of blueish white light. ¡°To answer your question, you are dead, murdered by your former lover.¡± The being of light said in a solemn tone. ¡°Then why am I here?¡± Alex thought, finding himself incapable of speech. ¡°You have been chosen to be given a second chance at life, Alex Jensen. Through no fault of your own, your former life was filled with nothing but cruelty directed at you. Yet you still remained a kind soul.¡± The voice said as the light faded, revealing a woman of unparalleled beauty, with raven locks that fell over a white robe with golden adornment on its seams. Sensing his rising anxiety, she raised her hands in a placating gesture, showing she meant no harm. ¡°Please be at ease Alex, you are safe. After reviewing your past, I understand your fears.¡± The woman said with a soft smile. ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked mentally The woman¡¯s smile faltered momentarily, causing his anxiety to spike before she lowered her head. ¡°Forgive me Alex, allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Amora, the goddess of reincarnation. It is my duty to see those chosen for their new lives.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ normally interact with those you choose?¡± Alex asked. ¡°No, usually I just send them on without a word. But I felt I had to step in, in your case.¡± The goddess answered assuredly. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wish to give you my blessing,¡± Goddess Amora said matter-of-factly. ¡°Your blessing?¡± ¡°Yes, Volderon is unlike Earth. It is a world that has a labyrinth at its heart. Many of its people choose to explore the great labyrinth and discover its secrets. Also, unlike Earth, its people possess the ability to use magic and skills.¡± She started to explain. If Alex had eyes, they would be big as saucers at this news. Remaining silent, he continued to listen to the Goddess¡¯s words. ¡°With my blessing, you will be able use the system before normal, along with being allowed to choose some extra skills.¡± ¡°System, and skills. You mean like a character sheet in video games?¡± Alex asked excitedly, his nervousness around women forgotten. ¡°Yes, you will have a character sheet to see your progress as you gain experience throughout your life. Much like these video games you speak of.¡± ¡°Do people not have access to their character sheets on Vol¡­¡± ¡± Volderon.¡± She answered. ¡°And yes, they have access to their sheets once they become Fifteen years of age and are given their class when they begin training to enter the labyrinth.¡± ¡°How does having early access to my sheet help?¡± ¡°It will allow you to better understand and hone your abilities to have the best chance of attaining the life you choose.¡± That statement stopped him. What kind of life did he want to live? Part of him wanted the quiet life of solitude he had planned before¡­ Angie killed him. But another part, a much bigger part, salivated over the thought of exploring this labyrinth the goddess talked about. Deciding he might as well see what skills she was promising to let him pick from, to get a better picture of his situation. What he wasn¡¯t expecting was for him to be allowed to pick from a list that hovered in front of him when he asked about them. As he read over the seemingly endless list of skills and abilities, a question popped up in his mind ¡°Will I keep my memories?¡± ¡°If you, that is your wish.¡± She replied with a soft smile. The first of the skills to catch his eye was called Double up. If he read the description correctly, it doubled both its stats and stat gains as a passive skill. Even if it only just doubled his stats, that was still a hell of an advantage. While in the mindset of how to best survive on his own, he found another skill that piqued his interest. With the identify skill, not only did it give him information equal to his level plus ten. Also, if his level of identification was higher than anyone trying to identify him, it would come back with nothing. Choosing Identify got him thinking about other potential uses when he came across another peculiar skill, Crafting. According to the description, the skill crafting was a catchall of all the crafting skills. While it would give him a plus one to any crafting attempt he made, he could never become a true master of any single crafting skill. Though if he took for example, bow crafting, he would start with a plus 2 to any attempts at making a bow. With a mental shrug, he thought. ¡°I always preferred being a jack of all trades; after all, it¡¯s better to be good at many things than only one thing.¡± Continuing through the expansive list, he found another passive skill that seemed useless, but when combined with his double dip, it would be extremely helpful. Compacted mass basically ensured his body maintained and athletic build even with his soon to be doubled stats. As he thought about it, he realized that he would need to drop extra points into any speed stat to compensate for the increased weight of his new body. Another peculiarity of the skill was he could turn it off, causing his body to swell up in size, kind of like the Hulk. Leaving his thoughts of going Hulk on someone that deserved it left his mind as another skill caught his eye. Considering he was still choosing his life of solitude, he knew this one would be needed. Healing would allow him to heal any wounds he had as long as he had mana to channel the effects. Looking over the skills he had picked, Alex felt good about his choices when he felt the gaze of the goddess on him. ¡°While I see the wisdom of your decisions, are you planning to live a crafter¡¯s life?¡± She asked, apparently knowing of his choices. ¡°Won¡¯t I be able to learn to use a bow again with some practice? Like I did in my old life.¡± He asked mentally. The Goddess gave him a contemplative smile and a nod. ¡°I suppose that is true. It is often those who seek the life of a warrior often choose abilities suited to such a goal when offered.¡± ¡°True, but from what you said, Goddess, I have time.¡± Alex answered nervously; almost immediately he felt something almost comforting emanating from her. ¡°Please be at ease. I did not mean to doubt your choices. As you said, you will have time before you come of age to take a class. Perhaps these may prove useful in getting one you would find desirable.¡° She replied with a soothing tone to her words. ¡°Now then, it is near time for you to depart. Before that, I would like to ask if you wish to be born the child of a noble or merchant family? Perhaps that of a smith or artisan going by the choices you have made.¡± The Goddess¡¯s question did more to strike fear in him than she may have realized. If he had a face, he was sure it would have been deathly pale. ¡°No!¡± Alex¡¯s mental voice was nearly a shout as he answered, causing the Goddess to jump with a start. ¡°Please, no family. Not after¡­ I¡¯d rather wake up alone in the mountains than risk going through that hell a second time.¡± Alex¡¯s voice nearly cracking as memories of his mother¡¯s cruelty entered his mind. ¡°Very well. I can arrange that. But, are you sure?¡± Goddess Amora started asking but stopped, sensing his distress. ¡°Then I hope that you find the happiness that you seek.¡± She said as everything went dark. the new world The new world Alex groaned as he opened his eyes to stare up at the stone ceiling over him. Sitting up he brought a hand to his head as he took in his surroundings. Before his eyes could take in what was around him a screen popped up in his vision.
Name Xane
Age 6
Level 0
Hp 200
Strength 10
Agility 10
Dex 10
Intelligence 15
Wisdom 15
Constitution 10
Defense 0
Mana 100
Mana regeneration 5pts per sec
Skills
Compacted Mass
Crafting
Double Dip
Healing lvl1
Identify lvl1
Boons/Blessings
Amora''s enchanced blessing
¡°Huh, in this world I¡¯m a kid named Xane and I¡¯m¡­ six years old!¡± He said with a shake of the head. Noticing the screen followed the motion of his head to constantly block his view, he explored he screen while thinking about closing it. Surprisingly it closed with just the thought. Letting out a sigh of relief he started to take in his surroundings when another screen popped up to block his vision once again. New Skills found Double Dip: All stats and stat gains are doubled Compacted Mass: Instead of increasing in size with the addition to strength and constitution stats. Your muscles and bones will become denser, allowing you to keep a smaller frame. While active you receive an addition bonus to defense equal to ten percent of strength. Crafting: Holders of this skill will receive a percentage based on level of crafting to any crafting check made. Current percentage ten percent Healing: Unlike standard practitioners of the healing arts, holders of the Healing skill can channel healing energy directly through their bodies or into the bodies of others. Identify: This skill allows you to Identify both living beings and inanimate objects. If your level of Identify is higher than another with the same skill, they will not be able to use the skill on you. Before he could fully process the screen another popped up in front of him. New Boon found Amora¡¯s enhanced blessing: You have been blessed by the Goddess Amora. With this blessing, any stat boosting skills you possess are double in effectiveness. In addition you have been granted an additional skill. New skill found Inventory: Inventory allows user to store items in a dimensional space that cannot be accessed by any being other than you. All items stored will be placed in a state not affected by time or the elements. Warning: living beings cannot be placed inside inventory. Closing out the screens, Xane was starting to stand when pain racked his tiny body as he felt it swell then shrink on in on itself. After what seemed like hours, but most likely no more than a few seconds the pain faded away, leaving him curled up on the floor. Letting out heaving breaths he opened his character sheet to see what happened.
Name Xane
Age 6
Level 0
Hp 6000
Strength 30
Agility 30
Dex 30
Intelligence 45
Wisdom 45
Constatution 30
Defense 3
Mana 450
Mana regeneration 45pts per sec
Skills
Compacted Mass
Crafting
Double Dip
Healing lvl1
Identify lvl1
Boons/Blessings
Amora''s enchanced blessing
Going over the sheet, he didn¡¯t see anything at first until he looked back over his stats for the fifth time. All his stats had tripled from when he first saw them, as he tried to figure out what happened he realized what happened. The Goddess¡¯s blessing had combined with the double dip giving him a boost bigger than what he initially thought. The only question left was how his stats stacked up against others in the world. Sitting back up he pulled off the loose rough linen shirt he wore. Looking down at his child-sized body he could see the chiseled abs he never managed to attain in his life as Alex. A small laugh escaped his lips as he thought he must look like that kid dubbed little Shawazenegger a few years back. That¡¯s when he noticed his small body was free of the scars that covered his old one. Smiling he pulled the shirt back on as he stood to his feet. Taking in his surrounds Xane found himself in a cave that someone had turned into a home. The bed he woke up on was made of animal pelts and placed in the back of the cave. Not far from where he sat he could see wooden shelves filled with books, stacks of papers, and a few jars of what looked like herbs. More searching uncovered a stash of dried beans and some cooking gear tucked away in a crate. More rummaging around awarded him with a short bow and a quiver of arrows along with a skinning knife and sheath attached to a belt. ¡°Well, its not much but at least its something.¡± Xane said to himself after finishing his search. From what he found he could only guess that the previous occupant was either a hunter or a hermit considering the lack of possessions the small cave contained. Lost in thought about what to do, he was brought out of it by the growling of his stomach. Digging through the crate, Xane pulled out the jar of beans and a pot before looking around again. Over by the cave opening was a small ringed firepit with a grate hanging from a tripod and open barrel only feet way. Setting down the jar by the firepit Xane took one look at the barrel that rose above his head. A small scowl crossed his face until his eyes landed on the lone chair sitting beside a rough wooden table. Dragging the chair over, he clambered up happy to see it was filled with water. Reaching out with the pot in hand he paused to take in his new self. Stolen novel; please report. A small boys face covered in dirt and framed by long shaggy light brown hair, thin cheeks barely containing any fat sat under a pair of sunken green eyes. Xane could only shake his head at his disappointing appearance. If he was honest with himself, he looked a corpse that came back to life and forced to dig its way out of the grave. Dunking the pot into the water broke up his reflection long enough for him to get the needed water. Setting the filled pot on the grate, Xane let out a groan of frustration as he saw only ash remained. Not seeing any wood to use at hand, he strapped the belt and skinning knife before slinging the bow and quiver over his shoulder. Turning back to the mouth of the cave he took a deep breath and started moving forward. Pausing briefly, Xane took in the sight before him. Outside the cave sat a rocky outcropping before the ground slopped downward in a gentle slope telling him he was on a large hill or mountain. A veritable sea of trees expanded outwards from his point of view in a sight that brought back memories of hunting in the forests of Oregon¡¯s Elkhorn mountains. Not seeing anything suitable to use as firewood close by, Xane took a deep breath before taking his first step out into the world. The coolness of the air and the way the sun hung just over the tops of the trees told him it was most likely midmorning. Turning his eyes to the sky, Xane¡¯s jaw fell open as he saw the three moons that hung in the sky. One was a sphere of pale white, while the other two were smaller spheres of red. Blinking away his surprise he looked around for anything he could use. Nearing the edge of the flat rock of the outcropping Xane found a small trail leading away from its edge into the tree line a short distance away. Adjusting his quiver, he took one last look to note his location against the sun, he took one last breath before set out from his new home. Following the narrow trail, Xane was grateful for the leather wrap shoes and coarse breeches he woke up wearing as he moved over small stones and through prickly grass. Though once well used, Xane could tell by how overgrown the path was it hadn¡¯t been trodden upon in years. That thought brought a bit of comfort to Xane knowing the cave he was calling home was his. That thought led him to thinking about who the previous owner was and how he had come to be there. Was Xane the owner and died and Alex was stuff inside his corpse or was this an entirely new body. Remembering the sight of the dirt cake face and sunken green eyes, made him certain Xane had died. Coming to a stop at the clearing he looked back up to the mouth of the cave that was now a dark shadow against the side of a much higher mountain. Shouldering his bow and bringing his hands together he bowed his head and sent off a prayer wishing Xane a better next life. Turning back to the trees he steeled his resolve and stepped into the shadowy underbrush. Having gone hunting in his previous life, Alex took up a familiar grip on the bow with an arrow knocked as he moved slowly through the woods. While his main goal was to find some wood to gather, Alex knew to always keep an eye out for threats in unfamiliar areas. Having walked just a few yards in he came across a few dead trees that had fallen recently with plenty of easily gather wood laying about. ¡°Wood, check.¡± He said trying to distract himself from the thoughts he was taking over a dead child¡¯s life. Reslinging the bow he started to pick up the broken and dried branches stopping to think about what he was going to do if he was attacked while unarmed. ¡°Duh, I¡¯ve got an inventory now.¡± He said chiding himself as he wondered how to use it. Deciding to give a shot, he sucked in a breath and said ¡°Inventory¡± On command a screen popped up in his vision filled with an empty grid. Scrunching his brows in consternation as he looked at the unhelpful screen. Moving the gathered budle of wood from his side to the screen did nothing. Looking at the screen and the wood, he thought about all the inventories he wrote about in his books. Normally the protagonists always had an instinctual understanding of how to use the damned skill or had some kind of help file. That last though brought an idea to him as he tried calling up a help screen and got nothing in response. Looking around to see if anyone was near him, he shrugged and gave it a go. ¡°Wood no baka.¡± He said hopeful as he was reminded of a certain mayor and his badger companion. Looking down and seeing the bundle of wood in his hands, Xane could only shake his head. ¡°Yeah, figured that wouldn¡¯t work.¡± He said to himself. Xane was about to sit down and figure out how to use the skill, until the growling of his stomach reminded him that he needed food. Letting out another sigh, he adjusted the position of the bow before making his way back to the cave. Stepping out of the line of tree he swept his eyes over the clearing. Seeing nothing had changed while he was in the forest, he continued along the overgrown path to his home. Dropping the bundle of wood by the firepit, Xane leaned the bow and quiver of arrows against the wall. Squatting down by the firepit with the skinning knife in his hand, he picked up the first piece of wood and began shaving the dried bark off in thin strips. Once he had enough of the dried bark piled up, he stopped and looked around the pit. A smile played across his tiny lips finding the familiar dark gray of flint. Picking up the stone he struck it with the knife getting the sparks he was hoping for. After a few more strikes sent sparks flying onto the tinder pile causing a small plume of smoke to rise. Stooping down and finding the glowing ember, Xane gently blew air across it. Flames bloomed from the small ember and began to consume the rest of the tinder. Moving quickly yet careful not to put out the small flame, he quickly fed more branches and wood into the growing fire. With the fire building to a comfortable level, he double checked the pot confirming it still had water. Satisfied, he dumped a small handful of dried beans into the water before placing the top back on the jar. Standing he moved to put it back and look for something to stir with when he noticed a folded parchment at the bottom of the dusty crate. Moving the contents aside, Xane fished out the dusty paper and took it to the mouth of the cave. Squatting down and unfolding the paper, his eyes lit with excitement as he stared down at the detailed map. The system notification that popped up suddenly caught him by surprise, causing him to lose his balance and fall on his butt. Map? He thought before a map of the area popped into view. The smile he had before the notification returned, knowing he now had a way to make sure he didn¡¯t get lost. The smell of burning beans brought him out of his momentary reverie. ¡°Oh shit, it¡¯s burning!¡± he cried out grabbing a mostly clean stick and rushed to save his lunch. Xane sat in silence, eating the semi burnt beans and distracting himself by going over the holographic map. While going over it he learned a few things about how the map worked. With a thought he could zoom in and out as well as move the map around. He could even add notations and icons as needed. The one thing that disappointed him was the shadowy darkness that covered anything beyond what the paper map showed him. The portion that was revealed showed the mountain he lived on along with the forest, a river, and a town about a days travel through the woods. With a thought he closed out the map when he was struck with an idea. Setting down the pot, Xane picked up a chunk of the wood he brought back from his earlier trip. Looking at the thick branch that was only about a foot in length, he concentrated on what he wanted. With a audible pop the branch disappeared from his grasp. Opening his sheet Xane found the inventory tab off to the side. Giving it a mental click, a smile grew on his lips as it opened with a small log icon taking up one of the open grids. Looking at the icon, Xane scratched at his chin while lost in his thoughts. Clicking on the icon caused the branch to reappear. With a bit of experimentation Xane learned he didn¡¯t need the screen to call an item from the dimensional pocket. All it took was just to think about the item he wanted, and he confirmed it by storing rocks, more sticks, the pot, then calling them out one by one. Moving through the shadows, Xane couched by the gnarled roots of a nearby tree. Overhead birds sang their songs while his eyes scanned the underbrush. Having already grown tired of beans, he had decided to see if he could get some meat. Catching the movement of a bush in the distance, Xane knocked an arrow and drew back the string to sight down the arrow. Seconds passed as he stood still as a statue while he waited, from under the bush a rabbit that was almost as big as a medium sized dog emerged. Letting out his breath slowly, Xane lined up his shot, and loosed the arrow as the last of the air left his lungs. A meaty thunk was heard as the arrow found the rabbit¡¯s heart killing it instantly. New Skill Unlocked Archery: The archery skill allows you to make accurate ranged attacks with bows. Each level of Archery after the first increases range by 10 ft. Current range: base 60 ft. ¡°Huh, that was¡­ easy.¡± Xane said as he closed out the notification having expected to need more than a few shots before he picked up the archery skill. Shrugging those thoughts to the side Xane was about to go collect his kill, when another notification interrupted him. For landing a critical hit while using a bow for the first time you have been awarded +1 to luck. One of his brows rose in surprise at the notification. Closing it out he opened his character sheet to check the changes.
Name+A1:B29 Xane
Age 6
Level 0
Hp 6000
Strength 30
Agility 30
Dex 30
Intelligence 45
Wisdom 45
Constitution 30
Defense 3
Luck 2
Mana 450
Mana regeneration 45pts per sec
Skills
Archery lvl 1
Compacted Mass
Crafting
Double Dip
Healing lvl1
Identify lvl1
Boons/Blessings
Amora''s enhanced blessing
¡°Why wasn¡¯t luck listed before? Was it because it was at zero before meaning I didn¡¯t have any luck?¡± he thought as he confirmed the changes. Choosing to contemplate such things later, he collected his arrow happy it was intact. Placing the arrow in the quiver and dropping the rabbit into his inventory, Xane opened his map. Finding the green marker that showed his position he searched the immediate area for anything of note. Looking closely, he could see part of the river branched off and became a small pond that was just a few hundred yards away. After orienting himself in the right direction, he minimized the map to only take up a small portion in the upper right of his vision and started moving. Roughly fifteen yards away from where he shot the rabbit, he found a game trail heading in the same direction. Minutes later he was standing at the edge of the small pond filled with crystal clear water. Hurriedly he sent his gear into his inventory as he started stripping off his meager clothes. In less than thirty seconds he was stark naked and splashing in the shallow pond. ¡°Man, I haven¡¯t been swimming in years.¡± Xane said to himself as he floated on his back staring up into the sky. Even as he said it in the voice of Xane his mind went back to his days as Alex. Him and Angie had been married for less than a year when one of her girl friends had invited them over to a pool party. He cringed remembering the fight that ensued because she thought he was looking at the other women too closely. In truth he stayed off to the side talking games with a buddy of his that had been at the party and would take any opportunity to point out the girls he had the hots for. Even though Alex never glanced their way Angie still took her anger out on him for the next few days. After that he never visited a pool while she was with him. Even if she hadn¡¯t gotten violent with him at that time it would have been eye opening for anyone else. For Alex who had received even worse treatment from his own mother didn¡¯t know any better at the time. ¡°To hell with her, I¡¯m finally free!¡± He shouted in his child¡¯s voice as he floated in the water. Deciding he had wasted enough time, Xane figured it was time to finish cleaning up and head back to his cave. Once clean and dressed he resummoned his bow, quiver, and skinning knife from his inventory. Checking his map, Xane oriented himself and started walking back into the woods. Walking through the shadows cast by the overhead canopy, he listened to the song of the hidden birds and insects as he traveled. Minutes later as he walked, Xane noticed it had fallen silent around him. Stopping he went into a low crouch as he knocked another arrow. Looking around he scanned the underbrush, as he kept his ears open for any sound. The rustle of leaves caused him to spin around to the source of the noise. Behind him creeping low to the ground was a strange animal that looked to be a large feline with six legs and a pair of burning crimson eyes. Activating his identify brought up the creatures information Hell Cat (juvenille) Level 5 Hp 150 Str 65 Int 5 Wis 5 Defense 50 Agility 75 Con 25 Hell cats are carnivorious six legged felines said to come from the pits of hell. This particular specimen is considered a juvenile and has yet to unlock its special attacks. Whipping his bow up, Xane pulled back and loosed the arrow in one fluid motion. The hell cat dodged to the side as it let out a loud hiss of anger. Pulling a second arrow, Xane got it knocked right as the beast prepared to pounce. Just as the beast leaped toward him, Xane pulled back on the bow string with all his strength. Just as he reached the full draw a resounding crack echoed off the trees as the bow snapped in two. Throwing the useless weapon at his attacker as he threw his body to the side. An angry feline roar was heard as the broken bow met the snarling beast, throwing off its trajectory. Pain bloomed in Xane¡¯s side as the hell cat¡¯s claws came at him leaving three deep gashes in his side. Screaming in pain as he came to a stop against the trunk of a tree, he could only grit his teeth as he scrabbled to pull the skinning knife free of his belt. Standing to his feet, he watched as the hell cat ripped the broken bow free of from where it had wrapped around its foreleg and body. Now free it locked its hate filled eyes on its prey as its ears flattened back and it let out a screeching hiss. Holding the skinning knife out in front of him, Xane clutched his wounded side with his free hand as he shakily stood to his feet. The hell cat kept low as it started to circle him waiting for the right time. Xane though unsteady from the wound on his side, he continued to keep the beast in front of him with the skinning knife between them. Tears of pain blurred Xane¡¯s vision as he stared the creature down. Blinking his vision clear, Xane barely caught the hell cat¡¯s muscles tense right before it sprang at him. Pain flared in his side as he ducked low and lunged forward. Feeling the razor sharp claws tear at the fabric of the back of his tunic as it passed overhead. Desperately Xane Stabbed upwards feeling the sharp blade cut into flesh. The beast let out a yowl of pain, as the blade split its stomach open and drenched Xane in a shower of blood and intestines. Pulled off his feet when a section of intestine looped over his shoulder, he crashed to the ground feet away from the wounded beast. Crying out in pain as his vision swam when the back of his head collided with a tree root, just feet from the struggling creature. Clarity returned to his mind and vision a moment later when he began to hack through the bloody rope like mass that had dragged him down. With a final slice he was free and shakily standing, when he heard the hell cat let out one last pitiful cry as its life ended in a pool of blood and viscera. first sighting Chapter 3 The first sighting As the hell cat breathed its last Xane onto his ass with a grunt of pain. Breathing heavily as he tried to stanch the flow of blood from the wound on his side. Taking slow, deep breaths help to calm and refocus his mind as the adrenalin that flooded his body during the fight left him. ¡°Fuck, that hurts!¡± He said through gritted teeth. Unable to stop the blood flowing out of his small body, as darkness crept up at the edges of his vision. Desperate, he opened his character sheet, his eyes landing on the list of skills. Reading through the description of his healing skill, growling in frustration. Closing the screen, Xane tried to stand until a wave of dizziness from blood loss leaving him on his knees. Doing the only thing he could think of, Xane silently prayed as he imagined light flowing from his hand into his side. His vision was little more than pinpricks of light, when he felt a warm heat move into the bleeding wound. The pain that had threatened to make him pass out began to fade as the darkness in his vision receded. Sucking in a gasping breath cleared the fog from his mind, allowing him to concentrate on what was happening. Looking down, he saw a soft white light being emitted from his hand. Xane sat in stunned silence as he watched the deep gashes from the hell cat¡¯s claws pull themselves closed. As the wound finished healing, another wave of lightheadedness robbed him of his strength, making him crumple to the ground. Flopping onto his back, Xane sucked in a few more lungfuls of air, waiting for the lightheadedness to pass. Opening his character sheet once more, he quickly found the problem. His mana had bottomed out and had just ticked up from 10 to 55. Feeling clearheaded, he sat up about to close out the screen when the flashing prompt drew his attention. Mentally clicking the flashing icon brought up an unexpected system message. You have slain a level 5 hell cat. 500 experience gained. Because you struck the creature¡¯s weak spot with a non-combat weapon, you are awarded the following +1 to luck. Congratulations, you have leveled up! You receive +1 to all stats and +2 skill points. Congratulations, you have leveled up! You receive +1 to all stats and +2 skill points. Congratulations, you have leveled up! You receive + 1 to all stats and +2 skill points. Experience to required 0/400 New skill Small blades lvl 1 Closing out the notifications, he opened his sheet to see the changes.
Name Xane
Age 6
Level 3
Hp 6600
Strength 36
Agility 36
Dex 52
Intelligence 52
Wisdom 36
Constitution 36
Defense 4
Luck 11
Mana 520
Mana regeneration 52pts per sec
skill points 6
Skills
Archery lvl 1
Compacted Mass
Crafting
Double Dip
Healing lvl1
Identify lvl1 Small blades lvl1
Boons/Blessings
Amora''s enhanced blessing
Xane let out a low whistle as took in the changes to his stats. ¡°Damn, that double dip is no joke. Especially with the Goddess¡¯s blessing.¡± He said, obviously excited. Even his luck had gotten boosted to 11, which he was certain the three points he had before is what helped him to take down the hell cat. Hell, the fight netted him the small blades skill to boot. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Suddenly he shot to his feet, his hands balled into tiny fists held high overhead. Xane let out a wordless shout of triumph that changed into a fit of laughter. Though he almost died a second time, something about the whole situation was just funny to him. Somewhere in his mind he had equated the hell cat¡¯s attack to the one that ended his life as Alex. Angie was a feral bitch who killed him when he thought he was safe. Only difference was this feral bitch had four legs and failed. Xane thought. He knew it was a fucked up way of thinking, but to him in that moment it made sense. Letting out a last laugh, Xane picked himself up and looked over at the dead beast. Shrugging, he thought. I wonder what hell cat tastes like? Getting to his feet, he brushed off the dirt from his pants and grimaced when he saw the deep tears in his tunic. Maybe I can find a needle and some thread stashed away somewhere in the cave. Xane hoped as he moved over to store the corpse in his inventory. Searching around for his broken bow, he found it tangled up in a small bush a short distance away. A frown crossed his lips as he looked down at the now useless weapon. Sighing, he dropped it into his inventory to deal with later. Turning to head back to his cave, he saw a ray of sunlight glint off something metallic stuck under a tree root that stuck out of the ground. On hands and knees he reached into the small hole under the root, Xane¡¯s hand grasped onto something that felt like stiff leather. Giving the unknown item a sharp tug, tore it free of its confines. In his hands he held onto a dirt covered satchel, secured closed with a brass buckle. Wiping the dirt away, he could see the dark leather looked near pristine underneath. Undoing the closure, Xane opened the satchel and smiled as his inner loot monkey stirred awake. Looking inside the bag caused said loot monkey to throw up its hands in frustration when he found the bag to be empty. Letting out a sigh, Xane could only shrug, figuring he could always try to sell it as he dropped it into inventory. Getting to his turned back to the pond to clean off the blood the caked his skin. Sitting just outside the mouth of his cave, Xane sat on a rock, using a piece of cloth he found to dry his hands. Over the fire that he stoked with some wood, he gathered on his way back sat the rabbit carcass slowly roasting on a spit. When he had finished skinning the large hare, he was surprised to have gotten the skinning skill. The smile he had on his face from getting the skill only grew wider with the smell of the cooking meat. Pulling the dirty bag from his inventory, Xane used the damp cloth to clean off the dirt coating. He had just finished wiping the front of the satchel down when his identification triggered. Traveler¡¯s Satchel of Holding This satchel, while unassuming, has a carrying capacity of 200 pounds. The only restriction is the item must fit in the satchel¡¯s opening. This item is a magic item and is unbound. Would you like to bind this item to you? Yes/no? Bond items can be unbound by penalty of losing access to the items'' magical properties. Can not be rebounded for 24 hours. Figuring what the hell, he could still sell it later. Xane mentally clicked yes. When he did, he felt a bit of the same energy he used to heal his wound flow into the bag as it glowed briefly. When the glow faded, a new screen filled his vision, similar to his inventory, but much smaller. As his eyes took in the items stored inside, Xane could only wonder if this bag had belonged to the cave¡¯s original occupant, was dropped by some random passerby, or perhaps a small gift from the Goddess. Either way, he was sure he never would have found it if not for the luck stat he now had. From what he could tell, the contents seemed to be the basic gear anyone traveler would need when setting out. An axe, shovel, something like a sleeping bag, a strange lantern, and a dagger big enough to be a sword in his small hands were some of the items contained within. But the thing that made him smile the most was the bow. Pulling the bow from the satchel was more surreal than using his inventory. With the skill, things just vanished and reappeared at will. But with the satchel, the items didn¡¯t just appear out of thin air. He had to reach inside while thinking of the item, then pull it out. He felt like a stage magician pulling a rabbit from a hat as he extracted the bow. Made of lacquered wood reinforced with polished antler strips, the limbs swept back towards him before curving back out to the front. Leather wrapped grip, with strange runes engraved along its five-foot length. Activating identify brought up the weapons information. Reenforced stag horn recurve bow of the stalking hunter Quality excellent Durability 200/200 Item type, crafted Required 30 str. Archery skill, lvl 1. Equipping this bow will give you the following: Plus 5 to stealth Plus 5 to Precise shot Adds 25 damage plus 50% of strength stat, on successful attack This item is unbound. Do you wish to bind this item to you? Yes/No? Mentally clicking yes, Xane felt some of his mana leave him and flow into the weapon. After a moment, it glowed briefly before shrinking down to fit his small body. Letting out a small whoop, Xane danced around happily with his find. Even his inner loot monkey, that had come alive when he first identified the bag. After a few moments, he settled down when the scent of roasting meat tickled his nose. Dusk was approaching when Xane had finished gathering the wood he would need for the night. While he was out, he had his identification skill going nonstop the entire time. Xane collected the herbs his skill that told him would be useful or safe to eat. Taking a detour, he stumbled upon a small grove of trees bearing apple-sized fruits. Ragar fruit Edible Condition ripe Jumping up, he snatched a fruit from one of the lowest branches. Somewhat surprised by the height of the jump he just made, he could only shrug, as he assumed it had to do with the strength stat he now owned. Buffing the fruit against the cleanest part of his tunic and taking a bite. He tasted a mix of apple and strawberry with a hint of citrus. Soft yet crisp, it was probably the tastiest thing he had ever eaten in either of his lives. Letting out a groan of pure pleasure, he quickly scarfed down the rest before looking hungrily at the tree. Now he sat outside the cave snaking on another of the ragar fruits, as he watched the setting sun. For the next few weeks, Xane spent his days exploring the forest surrounding his cave, and his nights reading through the books that were left behind. At first he was surprised finding he could understand the strange letting like it was English. Figuring it had to be the whole auto translation that most stories gave their characters, he let it go. He learned the previous owner was interested in the system that governed their world and strove to learn as much as he could. Using the man¡¯s journal, Xane learned how to navigate the numerous menus that came with accessing his character sheet. Now he had a hut like a video game with a pair of colored bars in the upper left depicting health and mana. Along with the character sheet, he found he had party tab for use when working in teams. He even figured how to access the skill list to spend his skill points on. Calling it a list was a bit of misnomer. What came up was more like a tree with intersecting branches of varying skills. After much consideration, he had dropped the remaining points in the fletching, herbalism, trapping, mining and lastly earth manipulation. Fletching lvl1 Grants user the ability to craft arrows and bolts from common materials. Herbalism lvl1 Grants user the ability to successfully to collect common and uncommon herbs. Herbalism will also mark all gatherable herbs on the user¡¯s map within a radius of 50 meters. Trapping lvl1 Grants user the ability to create and deploy simple traps to ensnare small game. Mining lvl1 Grants user the ability to extract common ores and gems. Earth Manipulation lvl1 Grants user the spells Harden Earth and Soften Earth. Spell: Harden Earth Hardens 5 cubic foot of earth and stone. Spell: Soften Earth Softens 5 cubic feet of earth and stone. While the first three seemed like obvious choices if he was going to survive for the foreseeable future. Xane had chosen the latter two because he planned to improve his home. Besides allowing him to gather materials, the skill also gave him a sense of how the stone was formed. While the earth manipulation spells would make it easier to expand his home. Finishing off the fruit, Xane pulled a bundle of leather from his inventory. Activating his leatherworking, his hands moved by themselves as they worked the leather. While they did their thing, he stared off over the trees at the small town, where lights slowly became visible. He wondered what type of people lived there; surely in a world with magic there would be more than just humans. Xane¡¯s musings came to a stop when a system message popped into view. You have crafted the following. Hell cat leather pants Item typed: crafted Item quality: common Durability 100/100 +10 to defense A wide smile crossed Xane¡¯s lips as he inspected his first piece of clothing. The soft grayish brown leather that came from the six-legged forest cat hid the flaws of his work. At least he had something better than the rough linen pants he woke up. Giving a quick look around to make sure nobody saw him; he changed into his new pair. Xane shook his head and laughed when he realized what he did. Pulling out the last of the hell cat hide, he reactivated his leather working and let the skill take over. This time, his thoughts drifted towards his plans for his cave. After he had gotten both the mining and earth manipulation skills, he did a more thorough inspection of his home. He got the vague impression of a hollow behind one wall. Using the soften earth spell, he began excavating a tunnel. He figured at the rate he was going using the spell and the small shovel, he should break through in the next day or two. Another system notification brought him out of his thoughts. Before he could check the notification, a feeling of dread fell over him. Confused as to what was going on, Xane closed the lantern¡¯s cover, dropping him into darkness. Seconds passed in silence as the feeling grew, much like when he knew his mother was angry and looking to vent. Xane was on the verge of hyperventilating when he saw it. Feelings of terror and excitement, mixed with wonder, overcame him as he watched the giant fly overhead. Wings large enough to blot out the sun kept the four-legged behemoth aloft as it glided through the air. The moonlight glittered off dark scales that looked to be made of crystal. Behind it trailed a sinuous tail, capable of leveling vast swaths of trees with a mere swing. The dragon rolled to the side as it turned in the air. The pale light of the moons¡¯ revealing the dragon had something clutched to its chest with its two front legs. As he watched it glide, the feeling of dread and fear receded, leaving only awe and wonder. The creature¡¯s mass was so great that when it landed miles away, he could feel the vibrations where he sat. Grabbing the lantern and the leather piece he dropped, Xane ducked back inside his cave, deciding to call it a night. visiting the town Chapter 4 Xane checked his quiver, making sure it was full of arrows. Placing a hand on the hilt of the dagger that hung down past his knee. Rolling his shoulders to settle the sleeveless doublet, he had crafted the night before. Hell cat leather doublet Item type: crafted Item quality: common Durability 100/100 +15 to defense A smile crept on Xane¡¯s small lips as he felt a bit of pride in making his own armor. ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s probably trash compared to what¡¯s out there. Then again, how many six-year-olds can boast they have armor of their own. Actually, considering magic is real in Volderon¡­¡± Xane thought to himself before pausing in consideration. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s more than likely all kids have a set or two.¡± He finished with a self-deprecating thought that was accompanied by a snort of derision. Letting the thought go, he pulled his new bow out from his inventory and entered the woods. Pausing by a large tree approximately a hundred feet in, Xane opened his map. After seeing the dragon the prior night, sleep eluded him. Part of him was fearful the dragon saw his lantern before he could close it and would come for him. Xane figured that may have come from the original Xane¡¯s experience. Unable to sleep, he rose from his pile of furs and moved back to the outcropping. Remembering where he saw it land, had compared it against his known map and marked the location. While going to see if he could lay eyes on the majestic beast, tugged at him. He knew only an idiot would go near it willingly. No, today his goal was to scout a path to the town beyond the forest. The reason wasn¡¯t because he was feeling lonely. No, he knew he would need supplies in the near future. Plus, if he could get some hunting in, all the better. With his path set, Xane moved further into the shadows of the overhanging canopy. Three hours later, he sat perched atop a fallen log, drinking from one of the many water skins he now owned. Through the trees, he watched a deer and her newborn fawn in the clearing just ahead. Putting away the waterskin and picking up his bow, Xane was about to move on when he saw something. In the tree line on the other side of the clearing was a pair of hunched forms. Xane¡¯s heartbeat spike as something deep inside him told him to flee. Surprisingly, his identify triggered over the distance. The screen the popped up eased his nerves somewhat. Feral Goblin lvl 3 Threat level: mild Feral goblins, on their own, are weak and cowardly creatures that will run at any threat. While cowardly, they are evil and sadistic creatures that revel in their cruelty. Arrow in hand, he drew back the sting on the bow as precise shot activated. Precise shot brought up a red circle that narrowed to a small dot when trained on a target within a 120 foot range. Basically, it gave him a targeting reticle for long-range shots. Centering the reticle on the forehead of the smaller of the two beasts. Xane let out a slow breath as the reticle formed into the red dot. Loosing the arrow, he was already reaching for the next as the first found its target. The smaller goblin¡¯s head exploded, covering its companion in gore while its headless body flipped through the air. Letting the second arrow fly, the other goblin died when it punched through the back of its throat. When the first arrow hit the two deer startled and when the second met its mark, they fled. As they ran, a third sprang out of the bushes, tackling the fawn as it let out a pained cry. Xane pulled another arrow from his quiver as the mother turned back and to run down its child¡¯s attacker. The snap of a twig was all the warning as he was knocked down when something jumped on his back. Bow skittering away, while he still clutched the arrow tightly in his hands. Claws scrapped uselessly at his doublet as he rolled away. Coming to his feet, Xane got his arm up as a fourth goblin jumped at him as it gibbered at him in a guttural series of grunts. Reflexively, Xane slammed the arrow into the ugly goblin¡¯s eye. With a load pop, the eye burst in a gout of yellowish clear fluid mixed with greenish blood. Howling in pain, the goblin stumbled back as it clutched at its ruined eye, with one hand as the other slashed out blindly. Yanking the dagger free, Xane let out a wordless scream as he used both hands to ram the blade through the monster''s chest. Ripping the blade free, he kicked the dying goblin away as the kill notification popped up in the corner of his vision. Seeing the monsters were only worth a whopping twenty-five points of experience, he swiped the notification away. Almost immediately, another notification popped informing him he gained a level in archery. Swiping away the notification, he turned to look at the deer as he came down from the adrenalin spike, fighting the nausea that came with it. In the clearing, the mother had already trampled the lone goblin to death and was worrying over the injured fawn. Sheathing his knife, Xane took a deep breath and raised his hands in the universal gesture of not intending harm. The doe moved to stand over its injured child as it snorted at him in warning. Channeling mana through his healing skill caused his hands to glow with a gentle light. Looking the worried mother in the eye, unsure if it would understand him, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you or your baby. I just want to help. I can use healing to save your child¡¯s life, if you let me.¡± Xane said, stopping just over ten feet away from the two animals. Watching him intently with its ears laid back, it came to a decision as it stepped back away from the injured fawn. Nodding to the mother, Xane moved slowly as he inspected the young animal. A large chuck of flesh was torn away from its rear flank as blood ran from it and the gashes caused by the goblin''s claws. Dropping to his knees, Xane placed his glowing hands on the fawn as it cried out and struggled weakly. Slowly at first, the blood stopped flowing as the flesh started knitting itself closed. Minutes passed as he completed his task as the last of the wounds stitched themselves closed; weakness nearly took him as his mana came close to bottoming out. Healed, the fawn quickly stood to its feet and moved behind its mother as Xane took in slow steading breaths as his mana regenerated and topped itself up moments later. Clearheaded once more, he stood to his feet while the two deer watched him. Surprising, the two animals didn¡¯t run off as he had expected, instead the mother approached slowly with its fawn right beside it. Staying still, Xane wondered what was happening when the doe nuzzled his cheek with its snout. The fawn, seeing its mother accepting him, also stepped forward to nuzzle him as well. Xane¡¯s child like laughter escaped his mouth until a notification obscured his view. New Skill Animal empathy Animal empathy allows user to communicate with animals and other beasts via reading its emotions and body language. With the new skill, he was flooded with a feeling of gratitude from both the animals before they turned and scampered toward the tree line. The doe stopped at the clearing''s edge and looked back towards him. Flicking an ear as if it was waving goodbye to the deer entered the woods behind its fawn. Opening his map, Xane was verifying his path when his eyes locked on the trample goblin visible through the transparent screen. Hoping it wasn¡¯t just a trope of all the stories he read and wrote during his life as Alex, Xane could only grimace as he started the grim task. With the help of his skinning knife, it only took a few minutes to collect the ears from three of the goblins. While it took a little longer to find the ears from the one whose head exploded. Done with his harvesting, he looked to the sky and checked the position of the sun before entering the woods, himself still intent to at least lay eyes on the town. Looking down at himself, Xane grimaced seeing the blood that caked his arms from the boar he took down an hour after leaving the deer. If it wasn¡¯t for the bow he had gotten from the satchel that hung at his side, the overly tough beast would have been more trouble than it was worth. These thoughts ended when Xane noticed the river a short distance from where he stood. Hurring over to the river¡¯s bank, he found a spot hidden by low-hanging branches that crossed just inches over the water. Stripping off the doublet and shirt, he scooped up a handful of the river sand to scrub the blood from his body. Now he was reasonably clean and dressed, Xane left his hiding spot and approached the guarded opening in the city¡¯s outer wall. Approaching slowly, he could feel the curious looks of the two guards as he closed the distance. His heartbeat quickened with nervousness seeing the way the two guards looked at him. That¡¯s when he noticed one of the armored individuals was a woman who tightly gripped the spear at her side. ¡°What are you doing outside the town wall, boy?¡± She asked him. Xane fought the urge to run back to the woods, choosing to focus on the flyer behind her. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Xane quietly reached into the satchel and pulled out a stringer filled with four pairs of goblin ears. With the ears in one hand, Xane pointed to the flyer behind the woman. Raising a brow, she turned to look as her fellow guard spoke. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Oi Delores, I heard you like em young, but¡± the man¡¯s words were cut off when she cuffed him in the back of his head with an armored fist. ¡°If I hear you say shit like that again, I¡¯ll do more than beat some sense into that thick skull of yours.¡± She said, clearly angry at her fellow¡¯s attitude. A huff escaped her lips as she turned back to face Xane. ¡°Let me guess, you want to collect the bounty?¡± At her question, Xane nodded. ¡°Fine, follow me. We only pay for the right ear. You¡¯ll have to dispose of the others on your own.¡± Agan Xane nodded as he dropped the ears back into the bag at his side. Following a short distance behind her, the woman let him to a small building on the other side of the open gate. Pushing open the door, she stopped and shouted inside. ¡°Oi Marcus, got another for the goblin bounty.¡± In response, the man that sat behind the desk started awake, nearly falling from his seat. Letting out a sigh as she shook her head, she motioned for Xane to enter. After he passed her, the guard nodded to him with a soft smile, then returned to her post. Behind the desk, Marcus finished straightening himself before fixing Xane with a questioning look. Reaching back into his bag, Xane removed the stringer of ears and started to separate them. Having pulled the last of the ears free, he passed over the four ears to the man. The entire time, Marcus just watched him silently. Taking a chance, Xane used identify on the man. The results caused him to strain to keep a blank face read the information. City Guard Marcus Class: Shielder Level 10 Age:25 Guard Quarter master Threat level: mild Condition injured from taking an arrow to the knee. Xane was surprised to see the man was only a mild threat. Was it because of his stats, but that shouldn¡¯t be the case with the man being seven levels above him and with a class? Maybe it¡¯s because of the clich¨¦ of an injury he had suffered. For now, all he could do was put that information aside for later contemplation. While Xane was lost in his thoughts, Marcus had taken the ears with a slight scowl of disgust and left through another door. Moments later, he returned and placed a stack of four small silver coins on the desk before him. ¡°What¡¯s yer name, boy?¡± The quarter master asked. ¡°¡­Xane¡± He replied in almost a whisper. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around the town. Yer new here?¡± Xane only nodded quietly in response. ¡°Who are yer folks?¡± he asked, in response, Xane only looked down to the floor. The man¡¯s hard look softened a bit. ¡°Where yer living?¡± the man asked ¡°Forest.¡± Was all Xane replied with. ¡°The forest? Ye know, it¡¯s not safe out there, especially for a kid.¡± The man replied with a look of genuine concern. ¡°Safe enough.¡± Xane said, tired of the questions, and held out his small hand for his reward. Marcus just gave him a pitiful look and placed the four coins in his hand. Xane nodded his thanks and turned to leave, before he got two steps away the man called out to him. ¡°Hold up, if you are going to stay in the forest and come into town, then yer gonna need this.¡± The guard said, as he fished something from an open drawer. A moment later, a small item flew through the air, that was quickly snatched by Xane¡¯s tiny hand. A look of surprise came across Marcus¡¯ face before he explained. ¡°That¡¯s a gate pass, just show it to the gate guards and they will let you in without issue.¡± A small smile crossed Xane¡¯s lips as he nodded to the man and left through the door. Stuffing the small, engraved iron rod in his bag, his eyes roamed the streets, taking in the buildings they contained. Clutching the strap of the bag tightly, he set out towards one shop that had a signboard depicting a bag. Moving past, he could feel the curious looks from the townsfolk as they walked by. Escaping their curious gazes, he rushed up the shop steps and pushed past the door. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit interior. When his vision came into focus, he could take in the store¡¯s contents. Tools, clothes, bags and satchels, a small smattering of arms and armor were amongst the things he could easily see. As the stood rooted takin in the sight and scent of the place, a soft voice came from behind the counter. ¡°Welcome to my shop, little one.¡± The shopkeeper, a kindly old woman, said as she stepped out a curtained doorway. ¡°He.. he.. hello¡± Xane managed to stammer out. Taking a steading breath, he spoke again. ¡°Can you tell me what I can buy with this? He asked more calmly as he held up a single silver coin. The woman gave him a grandmotherly smile as she looked him over. ¡°I do have a cloak and a pair of boots in your size, little one. I can even throw in something to wear other than what looks to be armor, if you wish. It will cost you six copper coins.¡± Seeing the confused look on his face, she asked. ¡°Is this your first time with money, little one?¡± Hearing her question, Xane stiffened as his face darkened in embarrassment. In response, he only nodded. The shop keeper flashed him a grand motherly smile while motioning to come closer. ¡°Then let me explain a few things.¡± What followed was a short explanation of the system of coins the people of Volderon used. From what she said, it was a fairly easy system. Ten coppers coins equaled one silver coin. Likewise, ten silver coins equaled one gold coin and same for gold to platinum. Though it was mostly nobles that dealt with the latter. After she then used a few examples from her shop to help him understand their worth. Once her lecture was over, he excused himself to purchase what he could. On top of the cloak, boots and clothes she initially offered. He also purchased a second cloak and fletchers kit to help him make arrows for his bow. Along with that, he bought a few small bags of salt and other spices for his cooking. As he was taking the last of his purchases to the counter, he notices a ripped canvas sack poking out of the closed top of crate. ¡°Can I buy that as well?¡± Xane asked, pointing to the ripped bag. Following his finger with her gaze, the shopkeeper¡¯s eyebrow rose in question as she responded. ¡°You want to buy a torn bag?¡± to which he only nodded. Shrugging, the woman retrieved the bag and added to the small pile of items. With the ease of a merchant with years of experience, she quickly added everything up and gave him the total. The old woman¡¯s eyes opened in surprise when he passed over the requested two gold and 8 silver coins. But they got even wider as she watched him pack everything away inside his satchel. With the last of the items packed, he gave her a quiet nod of thanks and left. Xane stood at the top of the shop steps on his tiptoes to get a better look. Finding his next destination, he scurried down the steps, heading for the next shop. Crossing the cobbled stone street, Xane came to a stop as two boys in their teens eyed him menacingly. ¡°Hey brat. That bag there, why don¡¯t you let me have it.¡± The larger of the two stepped closer to him. Xane¡¯s anger flared at the sight of these two. After everything he went through as Alex, he had no tolerance for bullies. Using identify, Xane let a feral smile cross his tiny lips as he read the results. Lil¡¯ Billy Level 0 Age;14 Threat level: minimal Turning his gaze to Lil¡¯ Billy¡¯s crony gave him a similar result. Jimmy Level 0 Age: 13 Threat level: minimal. Knocking away Lil¡¯ Billy¡¯s hand, Xane maintained his feral smile as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve fought goblins scarier than you, dumbass. Now get out of my way.¡± Thrown off by Xane refusing to cower, he was easily knocked down when Xane shouldered past him. ¡°Hey, get back here.¡± Jimmy said as he tried to stop Xane by grabbing his shoulder. The look on the kid¡¯s face when, instead of stopping Xane, he got pulled off his feet nearly made Xane laugh. ¡°You little shit!¡± Billy said, picking himself off the ground ¡°I¡¯m gonna beat your ass!¡± he shouted with a wild swing. Xane easily ducked the weak punch as he sent one of his own back. His small fist combined with compacted mass and his 36 str sent the kid double over before getting sent skittering across the stones. Jimmy tried to overpower him by wrapping his arms around Xane¡¯s smaller form, attempting to lift him off his feet. Jimmy let out a startled grunt, finding the stand was too heavy to budge. Lifting his foot, Xane stomped down, feeling the bones crunch underneath. Letting out a howl of pain, Jimmy let go as he fell to the ground and clutched at his broken foot while sobbing in pain. Looking down at the boy, Xane shook his head in disgust. Behind him, a loud shout made him stiffen in terror. Turning around, he found the guard from the gate looking down at him disapprovingly. ¡°You there, boy. What is the meaning of this?¡± the woman barked out angrily, causing him to shrink within himself in fear. Her tone bringing back the painful memories of his abusive mother and ex-wife. ¡°Well?¡± she asked, making him shrink even further. ¡°Those two attacked him when he refused to hand over his bag, Sergeant.¡± Came the voice of a man that had apparently witnessed the whole thing. Xane was thankful for the help, yet hated himself for the fear he was feeling. ¡°Are you telling me this small child overpowered these two who are more than twice his size she asked. ¡°It is as he said, Ma¡¯am. The little feller was just defending himself and got the better of the mayor¡¯s son and his friend.¡± Came another voice to his defense, this time a woman that exited the door behind him. Letting out a tired sigh as the guard pressed the fingers of her free hand against her temple, she fixed Xane with look as she spoke in a slightly softer tone. ¡°And you. Where¡¯s your folks?¡± Warring against the fear that made him cower, Xane straightened up and attempted to speak. ¡°I¡­ alone.¡± Was all he could squeak out in a low whisper. The fear he felt because of the aggressive woman was obvious from his shaking body. ¡°Sergeant, you¡¯re scaring the poor boy.¡± The first man said, admonishing the woman. Looking between the gate that was just over a hundred feet away and the woman who let out a weary sigh as he pondered what to do. The sergeant¡¯s gripped eased on her spear as she squatted down to look him in the eye. With her demeanor relaxed, Xane took his chance. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± she shouted, falling back in surprised when Xane suddenly bolted away. Dodging past startled town''s folk he ran as fast as he could. ¡°Stop him.¡± The guard shouted, getting to her feet. Looking back and seeing the angry expression on the woman¡¯s face only caused him to run faster. Turning back around, he barely ducked her fellow guard''s outstretched hand. Clearing the gate, Xane kept running until he was well into the forest. When he finally came to a stop, it was because his mana had bottomed out once more. Slumping against a tree, Xane sucked in deep gulping breaths as his head spun. A minute passed as his mana recovered. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± he shouted angrily while slamming his fist into the tree repeatedly. Each strike causing the foot thick trunk to shake from the force. ¡°And to top it off, that asshole was the mayor¡¯s son. They¡¯re probably already looking for me to toss my ass in prison, or worse.¡± He wailed to himself, unsure what to do. Another couple minutes passed before he finally calmed down and noticed where he was. Checking his map, he confirmed he was only twenty minutes away from his cave if he walked. Trying to figure out he accomplished such a feat, he opened his logs eyes going wide when he saw something he had dismissed in his panic. New Skill Found Body reinforcement lvl 1 By cycling mana through your body, you can increase your body¡¯s effectiveness two fold. i.e. faster movement, more endurance, or more damage given or lessening damaged received. Activating the new skill, he was back at his cave''s entrance in a matter of minutes. Looking out over the sea of trees, he could see the lights of torches searching the far edge of the forest. Checking the system clock, another useful feature he learned from the journal, he let out a low whistle. ¡°My best time in the army was thirteen minutes for two miles. I just ran damn near ten miles in thirty minutes.¡± He thought to himself, chuckling in amazement at the achievement. the goblin ritual Chapter 5 Months had passed since the day Xane fled the town. In that time, he had gotten to know his surroundings in greater detail. He found a few more groves of fruit trees, along with a good number of vegetables and berries he could transplant to his garden. More than once, he had come across a group of goblins. Often taking them out from a distance with his bow. At night, he often spent his time digging out the rock of his cave. Xane had out three more rooms for his mountain home. By using the two spells that came from earth manipulation, he had earned two new spells. Raise Earth lvl 1 Allows caster to raise a section of earth 5 cubic feet in size Cost 50mp Shape Earth Allows caster to shape earth to one¡¯s desire. Cost 75mp The addition of those two spells helped speed up his efforts immensely. Using all four spells, he had created a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Granted, it took a lot of trial and error. But it was worthwhile. Even his bedroom had a small fireplace to help keep him warm on chilly nights. Currently he was working on making a room for storing extra items. Taking a break from his work, he stepped out the door he had built for his home. The door itself took him some time to make. It was at this time he had gain fifth spell. Move Earth lvl 1 Allows caster to move up to 100 pounds of earth and stone. Cost 75 mp By using a combination of raise, move and shape earth spells. Xane had closed off most of the cave¡¯s opening. For the last few feet, he left for the doorway. Xane created a stone door that slid sideways into the wall. After using shape earth to blend it into the rest of the mountain stone. He cast harden earth to reinforce the entire structure. Leaving his lantern inside the cave, Xane stepped outside and with a cast of move earth, closed the door. A soft pinkish light from three full moons covered everywhere Xane¡¯s eyes could see. Noticing the light was dimmer than normal, he turned his eyes towards the sky. Instead of clouds obstructing, he found the moons were approaching an alignment. As he thought about it and what such an event usually meant in books and movies. He couldn¡¯t shrug off the feeling that something was¡­ off. The night air carried a tingle that felt uncomfortable with his bare skin. Using another trick he learned when testing his inventory skill. Xane donned his improved armor and cloak. Thanks to his crafting skill, he managed to add sections of the thick boar hide to better protect his vitals. As for the cloak, he took strips cut from the torn canvas bag and attached them to the outside of the spare cloak. Improved Hell Cat Leather Armor set Item type: crafted Item quality: Uncommon Defense +75 Stealth +2 Ghillie Cloak Item type: crafted Item quality: uncommon Stealth +5 (If using in a forested or grassland area bonus increased to +25) Xane¡¯s eyes were looking over the tops of the trees when a feeling of despair and desperation hit him out of nowhere. Head snapping towards the east, he noticed it was the same area the dragon had landed months ago. Standing there internally debating with himself about what he should do, when another wave of desperation hit him. ¡°I know I¡¯m going to regret this.¡± He thought to himself. Summoning the rest of his gear from his inventory. Xane clutched his bow tightly as he set off down the trail. Entering the woods at night was something Xane had avoided as much as possible before this night. During the day, the world under the canopy was already dark and foreboding, At night it was like stepping into a different world. The canopy overhead only let a miniscule amount of moonlight through its leaves, casting the undergrowth into darkness. If it wasn¡¯t for his repeated expeditions into the sea of trees almost daily, Xane would have been lost moments after entering. Moving silently, Xane rushed along the game trails that the beasts of the woods often used. Trees and bushes rushed past in a blur of nocturnal shadows as he raced down the familiar trails. When the trail he was on started curing towards the south, Xane ran on until he found another trial that headed eastward. Switching paths, he continued running for fifteen mins before coming to the edge of his explorations. Hunkering down in the crook of a large tree''s roots, Xane hid in the shadows as he caught his breath while his eyes scanned the surroundings for any threats. As his eyes moved over the fleeting shadows created by the interplay of the overhead canopy with the moonlight, Xane shivered as the odd feeling in the air seemed to increase. Not seeing any immediate threats, he moved to expand his map when the feeling that drew him out on this strange night called to him again. Forgetting the map, Xane¡¯s eyes snapped towards a barely discernable game trail that looked to head in the exact direction the calling came from. Unlike before, when he was standing outside his cave, the feeling of desperation and fear came through much clearer and more distinct. Hesitating, Xane looked back the way he came, as thoughts of his cave tempted him. What made him toss those thoughts aside was how that strange calling reminded him of his life as Alex. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts of the past away, Xane gritted his teeth and knocked an arrow before he got moving again. Rushing down the trail, the intermittent calls from before became more constant as he seemed to get closer to their source. Slowing to a fast walk, Xane moved cautiously and only came to a stop as the sounds of familiar guttural voices met his ear. ¡°Great, fucking goblins!¡± Xane thought to himself as he saw a group of the little monsters through the gap of two bushes. Just beyond the bushes, the green beasts were raising quite the ruckus in the small clearing they were congregating in. Looking around, Xane spotted the perfect spot in the branches above him to get a better look at what was happening. Quiet as a mouse, Xane climbed the tree next to him and scurried over to the branch he spotted from below. In place, he looked down into the clearing and nearly cursed at what he saw. Nearly twenty of the green bastards were gathered below as they gibbered excitedly amongst themselves. On the other side of the clearing, he could feel the source of the call growing closer. Studying the monsters, he noticed their gibbering was actually chanting. Even in all the books he wrote and read in his previous life, nothing good ever came from goblins chanting like this. The creature''s strange chanting rose in volume as something entered from far side of the clearing. Pushing through the branches, a band of six goblins that was led by a much larger seventh could be seen carrying something between them. Straining his eyes, Xane focused intently on the object and activated identify. Obsidian Dragon Egg Item type: living Item quality: unique. Threat level: none This egg bares the young of the mighty obsidian dragon. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Quest: Save the egg The egg was stolen from the nest of a mother obsidian dragon and will be used as a sacrifice in a goblin ritual. If the ritual succeeds, the goblins will only grow in power and destroy everything in the goal of destruction. (This includes the town and your home) Quest conditions. You must save the egg and stop the profane ritual. Rewards: experience and unknown. Failure: you and the town will be destroyed. Do you accept? Yes/no? Xane nearly fell from his branch when the quest popped up. Thankfully, the goblin chanting drowned out the rustling of the branches. Reading over the quest again, Xane clicked yes even while complaining. ¡°Not like I have much choice. I¡¯m fucked even if I don¡¯t take it.¡± He thought, while taking in the challenge before him and coming up with a plan. Xane¡¯s eyes darted about as he took in the forces below and landed on the largest goblin and activating identify. Goblin Lord Level: 15 Threat level: extreme Goblin lords are the next evolution of feral goblins. At three times the size, they boast three times the strength and intelligence of their lesser counterparts. Though having enhanced strength, they do suffer from a loss of agility. Making them slow yet daunting opponents. Closing out the prompt, he took a steading breath while taking another look at what lay before him. Not liking what he was seeing he pulled up his character sheeting to check what he had to work with.
Name Xane
Age 6
Level 3
experience 375/400
Hp 3600
Strength 36
Agility 36
Dex 52
Intelligence 52
Wisdom 36
Constatution 36
Defense 80
Luck 30
Mana 520
Mana regeneration 52pts per sec
skill points 0
Skills
Archery lvl 3
Compacted Mass
Crafting lvl 3
Double Dip
Healing lvl2
Identify lvl5
Fletching lvl2
Herbalism lvl4
Mining lvl3
Trapping lvl3 Small blades lvl2
Earth Manipulation
Animal Empathy
Body Reinforcement
Item Granted Skills Stealth +32
Precise Shot lvl9
Boons/Blessings
Amora''s enhanced blessing
Spells
Harden Earth
Soften Earth
Raise Earth
Shape Earth
Move Earth
Kicking himself for not choosing any combat skills when the goddess gave him the chance or buying one or two with his skill points, his eyes moved between Archery, Small blades, and his spells. A small grin rose on his face a plan started coming together in his mind. Drawing back on his bow, Xane line up his shot on the farthest out goblin from him. Letting the arrow fly, he held his breath as he waited. A moment later, the goblin was thrown back into the bushes, unnoticed by the others. As it did, a flashing prompt appeared in the corner of his vision. Smiling, he quickly dismissed the level up notification and moved directly to the two skill points he just earned. Franticly he searched the skill trees, finding the first of the two skills and selecting it before hovering over the second as a third called his attention. Thinking quickly, he selected the new skill and closed out the screen. New Skill Multi shot lvl 1 One shot becomes many At current level, Multi shot will turn one arrow or bolt into three Cost 50mp Dodge (passive) Allows you to dodge attacks. Swiping aside the description, he started the next part of his plan. Stretching out the range of his soften earth spell, Xane struggled as he cast the spell the way he intended. Next he used the move earth to hollow out the pit beneath the surface and finalizing it with casting of harden earth on the pit''s cover. By the time he finished, the smaller goblins had placed the egg on a flat altar like stone. Keeping an eye on the proceedings, Xane started taking out as many of the goblins on the outskirts as he could. He had just downed the sixth goblin with an arrow to the chest when the second arrow missed its target when the goblin turned to see what happened to its neighbor. The arrow slammed into the beast''s shoulder, causing it to howl in pain. Suddenly the chanting came to a stop as the goblins looked at the one that was still screaming in pain. Pulling another arrow, Xane took a deep breath and activated multi shot. losing the arrow, it shimmered with a soft light and split into three as soon as it left his bow. Cursing under his breath, Xane dropped his bow into inventory and moved to a new spot in the branches. He wasn¡¯t expecting for multi shot to give away his position like it had, but was glad he had picked out a few other spots ahead of time. Below the goblin, voices rose in pitch and volume as they started surging towards the tree he had left. Reaching the new position, Xane pulled his bow and started sending single shots the gathered mass before firing off another multi shot. Again he dropped his bow into inventory and moved to another branch by circling around the clearing while staying off the ground. Pulling out his bow again, he was about to start firing into the frenzied mass when he noticed the goblin lord and one other near the egg. ¡°Help me!¡± A child¡¯s voice begged him in his mind. Momentarily stunned by the mental strain he just felt, he had to flail with his free hand to catch himself before he fell. Catching himself, Xane shook his head clearly as his eyes refocused on the scene below him. The smaller goblin had approached the egg while chanting in a disturbing voice of guttural grunts and snarls. In one hand, it held a staff topped with a small animal skull and draped in small bones. In the other was a crude curved dagger of stone. Lining up his shot, Xane let the arrow fly as the blade started to descend. Next, he cast move earth'' to open his pit trap the goblin lord now stood on top of. Simultaneously, the goblin lord let out a bellowing roar while the shaman let out a cry of pain. In Xane¡¯s head, his mind was sent reeling as the unhatched dragonling screamed. Falling from his perch, Xane felt his leg buckle under him with a loud snap accompanying it. His vision swam as pain flooded his body and mind, forcing back the nausea that threatened to make him puke. Xane fumbled his casting of move earth, as the goblin lord started climbing free of the pit. More pain lanced through him as the spell fizzled in his hands. Forcing down the bile that rose at the back of his throat, Xane snatched up his fallen bow and fired off a shot then drawing another arrow. The goblin lord bellowed in pain when Xane¡¯s arrow sunk into its hand and it fell back into the pit. With the path between him and the rushing group of goblins coming at him, he started firing as fast as he could. Between uses of multi shot and regular arrows, he used cast hardened earth on two of the pit¡¯s wall before using move earth. Xane¡¯s mana dipped dangerously low as he forced the spell to crush the trapped goblin lord between the pit''s walls. Still, he continued firing off arrows till his quiver was empty. Pulling his dagger free, Xane cut down the closest of the remaining goblins, then wrenching the blade free to stab another. Jerking to the side, he screamed in agony from the crude blade that pierced his chest. Blindly Xane¡¯s blade found its way into the last goblin body repeatedly until it fell in a bloody heap on the ground. Flopping to the ground, he looked over at the egg and saw the shaman¡¯s dagger still stuck out of its shell. Even though he was suffering through the pain, Xane opened his interface to see the quest had not failed. Slowly he pulled himself closer to the altar until the egg was within his reach. Struggling to stand on his good leg as he still had the goblin blade sticking out of his own chest. Placing one hand on the egg¡¯s cracked surface, Xane began channeling his healing energy into the cracked shell. With his other, Xane slowly pulled the dagger free, stumbling as another pained cry slammed into his mind. Once the crude weapon was free, he dropped it to place his other hand on the egg to channel even more energy into it. Faint cracking could be heard as it increased in volume and intensity, as Xane¡¯s vision faded. The last he saw was a portion of the shell fell free, revealing a glimpse of the pale creature contained inside. new bonds Chapter 6 Thresh roared in anger when she arrived back at her nest to find her child had been stolen. What lowly creature dare to steal something so precious from her will pay for its crimes. Inhaling deeply, the scents of the forest tickled her nose till she found the one that shouldn¡¯t be in this area. That putrid, unwashed smell that only came from the lowest of the mere worms that called the surrounding forest home. Turning her head to the sky, she let loose a bellowing roar filled with rage and fire. If her child was harmed, she would lay waste to everything alive, including that small town on the forest¡¯s edge. Inhaling the foul scent again, she took to the sky with a flap of her massive wings. Even from the sky, she could easily follow the scent of the disgusting beasts. Soon her eyes found a small group that was still retreating back to its den. Pausing briefly, she washed the area in flame, roasting them and the nearby trees instantly. The smoke and soot from the charred trees and goblin corpses did little to dampen her sense of smell. She felt more than heard her child¡¯s cry of pain, before her head snapped to the direction it came from and she speed off towards it. Moments later, she came upon a clearing that contained a scene of carnage. That made her gigantic heart beat thunderously. Landing, she found her child standing over the body of a human like she was protecting it. That¡¯s when she noticed her child¡¯s scales were pale white instead of the glorious black like her own. Stretching her magical senses, she could feel human¡¯s mana invading her young¡¯s very body. Roaring in anger yet again, she stalked forward to end the pathetic worm¡¯s life. ¡±Move away so I can have my vengeance!¡± She ordered her daughter with a mental command. Instead of doing as she ordered, her child stamped her tiny clawed foot and refused to move. Bringing her head low, she focused a menacing glare on her child as she sent another mental command. ¡°Move!¡± ¡°No! This one saved my life. I will not let you harm him.¡± Came back her child¡¯s mental plea. That¡¯s when she took a wider look at her surroundings. All around them, goblin corpses lay. Their bodies are pierced by arrows. Near the altar, she could sense the crushed corpse of a goblin lord just under the surface of the ground. Looking down, she recognized the child as the one she saw sitting at the mouth of the old hermit¡¯s cave that night months ago. With a tentative sniff, she could smell a divine blessing had been placed upon him. A simple scan caused her to sit on her haunches in stunned silence. The child was only six and had the blessing of Amora. Not only that, he had levels and skills as well. ¡°No, human so young are supposed to have access to the system.¡± She thought as she looked over the small boy. ¡°Save him. Please!¡± Her daughter begged. Shaking her massive head, she replied. ¡°You do not know what you ask. This one is already at death¡¯s door. The price would be too high.¡± Her daughter fixed her with an angry glare and hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t care what price must be paid. He saved my life. To disregard that would go against our honor.¡± ¡°You would willingly bind yourself to this one?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Thresh said, cast a spell with a flick of a claw before folding in on herself. Moments later, a woman with sharp, yet elegant features and striking, black hair stood in the dragon¡¯s place as the boy¡¯s body glimmered from her spell. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I have placed the child in an undying state. His wound will not kill him, but it will not heal.¡± She told her daughter as she moved to where the now empty egg still sat. Glancing at the shattered remains, she could see the two bloody handprints of the boy that still held a trace of his mana. From what she gathered from her scan and the scene before her. The child had pulled the dagger free and discarded it, not knowing its true worth. Then he had used his remaining mana to heal her child instead of taking her power for his own. ¡°Perhaps he is worth the sacrifice.¡± She said to herself as she lifted the goblin dagger off the ground. Moving back to where the boy was laying, she knelt down while bringing her free hand to her mouth. Biting down with her sharp teeth, she smeared some of her blood on the wicked blade. Altering the spell placed on it to a certain degree, she began chanting in a low voice. As her chanting rose to its crescendo, she pulled the blade still embedded in the boy¡¯s chest before burying the other in the open wound. Golden light flared as the blade melted into dark streaks that ran through the human¡¯s small body before condensing into a flowing black draconic tattoo. Moments later, her child hissed in pain as a similar mark burned itself in her chest scales, then faded. Suddenly she was pulled inside the human¡¯s memories. If it was not for her centuries of life, her psyche would have shattered. The lifetime of horrors this one had somehow experienced was almost too much to bear. Coming out of her state, she looked down on the child with newfound respect and a touch of pity. ¡°This child is an awakened, and a rather traumatized one at that.¡± Thresh said in a solemn tone. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her daughter cock her head in confusion. ¡°This one remembers his previous life, from what I have glimpsed. What he did here took much bravery, especially for one such as him.¡± She explained softly as her body unfolded into her true self. Gently she picked up the unconscious boy and her child with her claws before taking off into the air. # Xane drifted in and out of consciousness. Sometimes he would see flashes of something white standing above him between bouts of darkness. Other times, he found himself floating amongst the stars as he looked down on two different worlds. One he recognized as the Earth, while the other was unknown. As he hovered in this state, somewhere between life and death, he guessed, is when the pain came. Suddenly it felt as if something was ripped from his body, then came the burning. It was as if someone had decided to finish him off by pouring lava directly into his body. Fire burnt through every muscle and nerve, all the way down to his very soul. When the unending agony finally ceased, it was replaced by a warm, golden glow. The last he remembered was a screen appearing in his vision before everything went dark once more. Xane blinked his eyes open as a familiar stone ceiling came into focus. Tuning his head, he saw the flames of a fire burning in his bedroom¡¯s fireplace. From the doorway came the soft glow of his lantern¡¯s light. Sitting up, he let out a groan that became a scream of fear at the white blur that rushed into his room. ¡°Mother, he¡¯s awake! He¡¯s awake!¡± A child¡¯s voice rang inside his head, making him clutch it in pain. The rustle of clothing along with approaching steps pulled him out of his misery. Though the door stepped, what was perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Tall and having all the right curves in all the right places. She was basically a goth milf that put Morticia and Elvira to shame. Even her strange glowing green eyes added to the straight up allure she unconsciously exuded, that made him forget the fear he normally felt around women. ¡°Daughter, you must calm yourself. Do you not realize you are causing your soulmate pain with the shouting?¡± Her words caught him off guard as the white blur that was actually a small dragon gave a reproachful look. It was too much for Xane to take in at once. Especially with so many questions of his own. ¡°Forgive me, Xane, or would you prefer to be addressed as Alex? We have much to discuss, but first. May I request you complete the bond?¡± Xane¡¯s jaw opened and closed like a fish gasping for water, his eyes moving between the woman and the reptilian face that gave him expectant looks. That¡¯s when he noticed a flashing prompt in the corner of his vision. Mentally clicking the prompt, hoping it would give him the information he desperately desired. When he read the notification, his jaw snapped closed and his eyes opened wide. Quest completed: Save the dragon egg While the method you used nearly failed, your act of self-sacrifice managed to save the day. You have been rewarded the following: 500 experience, dragon blooded Dragon blooded You have been given the gift of dragon blood. With this gift, you will learn to take on aspects of your draconic patron. Blood Patron Threshnaraxsurasslvor the Obsidian Nightwing You have been offered a soul bond Due to you being on the brink of death, the gift of dragon blood was not enough. In order to save your life, the very one you saved has offered to bind herself to you. By accepting this bond, you agree to bond your soul for all eternity. Do you accept? Yes/no Warning: failure to accept will end your life. ¡°Why? Why offer me this?¡± He asked, balking at the thought of tying another¡¯s life to his in such a way. ¡°It is because my daughter wills it. You gave up yours to save hers. Now she is willing to bind herself to you in order to save yours.¡± The woman, er¡­ dragon, said in a motherly tone. Getting the feeling his protesting would end with him somehow yet painfully forced to accept went ahead and mentally accepted the bond. What happened next was indescribable in feeling. He could remember a warmth emanating into a golden light from his chest as a similar light glowed from a mark on the white dragon¡¯s chest. Then it felt as if his soul had suddenly become whole. Like he had discovered a part he never knew was missing and finding the missing piece all at the same time. When he returned to his senses a moment later, he noticed a pleased smile on the woman¡¯s face. That was covered with a new screen a moment later. Your new companion does not have a name. Please choose a name. Below the prompt was a blinking courser that hovered over a floating keyboard. Looking between the woman and the white dragon, Xane took a deep breath as he gave it some thought. Her white scales, coupled along with their meeting and their circumstance, brought a single name to his mind. ¡°Persephone,¡± he said as the space above the keyboard filled in with the name. ¡°Persephone?¡± the woman asked, while the white dragons hopped in happiness. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°There is a myth of a goddess who rules in the underworld, named Persephone. Considering all that has happened, it seems fitting, Lady Nightwing.¡± Xane said, somehow calm after having almost died a second time. ¡°Persephone.¡± This time she said the name as if testing how it played on the tongue. ¡°Yes, I like it, and as you say, it is fitting.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°Now come, we have much to discuss and little time to do so.¡± She said before leaving out the door with Persephone following behind her. Slipping out of his bed of furs, Xane noticed he was naked before he noticed the strange tattoo that seemed to pulse on his chest. His brow furrowed as he felt the mark that was right where he had been stabbed. Hoping he would get some answers, he pulled out some spare clothes from his inventory and got dressed. Stepping out, he found the Persephone and her mother sitting at his table that was filled with freshly cooked food. Persephone already tearing into a raw boar flank. Taking the remaining seat, he picked up a fork as he gave the woman a questioning look. ¡°Most humans I speak with like this normally address me as Lady Nightwing. You may address me as Thresh. You are my daughter¡¯s soul mate, after all. Do you prefer Xane or Alex?¡± Her question threw him as he gave her another questioning look. ¡°Xane. But how do you know¡­?¡± he trailed off, the only sound for a moment was Persephone ripping away a piece of meat from the large bone. ¡°That you are an awakened? It happened while I was bonding with my daughter to you. I saw visions of your previous¡­ life.¡± Thresh responded, giving him a pitying glance before motioning for him to eat. ¡°Before you ask, let me explain. Awakened are what we call those that remember their previous life. In most cases it is because they have something that needs to be finished. You, Xane, are different. Your previous life is that of another world. One that is strange compared to our own. With such memories, one would expect to want revenge. Yet you want only peace and solitude. Why keep such memories if they are filled with so much pain and suffering?¡± Thresh answered his question while asking why he chose the way he did. ¡°I really didn¡¯t have a choice. All I wanted was solitude and a chance to heal after everything. This is the result.¡± He said, looking sheepish. ¡°That I can understand, and may help the both of us as well. Xane, I must take Persephone with me. She was forced to hatch too early and even now her life is in danger, and she still has much she must learn before she will you nine years¡¯ time.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± He said, dragging out the word. Looking toward Persephone, taking her in. On the surface she looked fine, but somehow he got the sense that something was wrong and she was putting on a front. He could feel how weak she really was. It was only the emotions of the moment and the food keeping her on her feet. ¡°If it means she will be safe, then all the better. I doubt I could protect her.¡± He said, startling at the confidence he was feeling in himself. ¡°I see you have already found one benefit of the bond. While in proximity, you take on each other¡¯s personality traits. Persephone a proud and confident dragon.¡± ¡°And I am a meek little mouse in comparison.¡± Xane replied self-deprecatingly. ¡°While not ideal,¡± Thresh said with a small glare that softened. ¡°You were literally born into a life of pain and suffering. Trapped in a world that made it impossible to defend yourself. Yet you risked everything to help one in need. You showed ingenuity and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds and came out victorious. Sadly, the boon will wane with the distance, though you will be able to communicate with one another. Of which will be crucial for what is to come.¡± Seeing Xane mood shift to one seeking answers, she continued. ¡°You have been blooded, which means overtime you will be able use aspects of myself to enhance your own abilities. When these abilities manifest, your connection with Persephone will give you an understanding of those abilities.¡± She paused, letting him process her words for a moment. ¡°Besides the aspects, you will gain a boost to your stats that will also grow with time. As for the soul bond, those abilities vary depending on the strength of said bond. One done in conjunction with being blooded simultaneously is unheard of.¡± ¡°I guess all I can do is wait then,¡± Xane said before speaking in a slightly louder voice. ¡°Thank you for saving my life. I know it came down to something I¡¯ll most likely never understand. But ultimately, the decision was yours and things could have turned out much differently.¡± In response, Thresh gave him a motherly smile, clearly happy at his words. ¡°It is time for us to depart. Before I go, I wish to present you with this.¡± She said as she held out a small band of dark scales intertwined with a silvery metal. As his hand accepted the gift, Xane¡¯s identify triggered. Band of the Obsidian Cloak Item type: crafted Item quality: unique Durability: indestructible Item effect: Blocks all attempts at Identify and similar abilities. Item is Unbound Do you wish to bind the item to you? Yes/no Warning binding this item with make it impossible to remove steal or others wise separate owner from item. Channeling his mana into the band bound it to his before he placed it on his tiny wrist, locking it in place. Looking up from the band to the woman, he noticed her picking up Persephone in her arms before she turned to face him. ¡°It is time we live, Xane. Do not worry, we will return to visit and see how you are faring in the meantime.¡± She said to him with a soft smile. Persephone reached out to him mentally with a groggy tone in her voice. ¡°Farewell¡­yaaawn¡­ Xane. We will¡­¡± her words trailed off as she began to snore lightly in her mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Thank you, Thresh. For everything.¡± He said as she was about to leave. Stopping short of his door, she turned and favored him with a dazzling smile. ¡°It is we who should be thanking you, Xane. If not for you, I would have lost my daughter, and the goblins would have succeeded in their ritual. Now we must go.¡± She said, stepping on to the outcropping of stone outside his door. Thresh¡¯s body unfolded into her true form, before taking to the air with a gentle flap of her massive wings. Watching them go, Xane could feel the bolstering effects of his soul bond with Persephone wane as they flew off into the distance. Long after they faded from view, Xane turned back to his home and the small feast the dragon had left him. Sitting down at the table, he felt his stomach growl in anticipation of the food set before him. Picking his fork back up, he started eating while going through the remaining notifications. With the quest reward, along with the experience gained from killing the goblins and their lord, he had shot up to level eight. The four levels added +8 to all his main stats except for luck, which stayed at stuck at 11. Deciding to save his skill points for later use, he closed out the notifications and reviewed the changes to his sheet.
Name Xane
Age 6
Level 8
experience 175/900
Hp 3600
Strength 42
Agility 42
Dex 60
Intelligence 60
Wisdom 42
Constitution 42
Defense 82
Luck 30
Mana 600
Mana regeneration 60pts per sec
skill points 8
Skills
Archery lvl 3
Compacted Mass
Crafting lvl 3
Double Dip
Healing lvl2
Identify lvl5
Fletching lvl2
Herbalism lvl4
Mining lvl3
Trapping lvl3
Earth Manipulation
Animal Empathy
Body Reinforcement
Multi shot
Dodge
Item Granted Skills Stealth +32
Precise Shot lvl9
Boons/Blessings
Amora¡¯s enhanced blessing
Blooded (obsidian dragon) Soul bonded
Spells
Harden Earth lvl 3
Soften Earth lvl 3
Raise Earth lvl 1
Shape Earth lvl 1
Move Earth lvl 2
Bonded companion/s
Persephone (obsidian hatchling)
After closing out his sheet, he noticed he one more notification waiting. Letting out a sigh, he opened the prompt. For reaching level 5 you have been granted the following Arrow rain Type: special Cost: 100mp Cool down: 10 minutes One becomes a hundred When activating this special attack, you launch one arrow or bolt into the air above targeted space. The arrow or bolt will split into 100 x arrow rain level of arrows to rain down over an area of ten square meters. Each projectile will inflict damage equal to wisdom x 2 Subsequent levels of arrow rain will increase area and effect. Xane nearly fell over reading the fresh addition to his growing arsenal of skills. Reading the description brought to mind old movies with scenes featuring clouds of falling arrows that darkened the sky. Reading through the description again told him the attack could grow in power as it level up. That left him with another question. Would he have to wait till he reached level ten to gain a new level in the special or could he spend points to level it? ¡°System, how do I level up arrow rain?¡± he asked, surprised when he got a response. Arrow rain¡¯s level can be increased by using skill points. The cost will be 2 skill points for the first purchased level. Then increasing to a cost of 3 for the next purchased level. Arrow rain can also gain level through use of the special. After going over the system¡¯s response, Xane opened his sheet once more and started searching. He found what he was looking for under his skills tab. Off to the side, he found a new area had become visible that was simply called the specialty tree. Currently, the entirety of the tree was grayed out except for the single point of light that was arrow rain. Giving it a mental click brought up a new screen asking how many points he wanted to invest. Choosing to add just two points, he clicked confirm and closed the screen. Pulling up the description to check for any notable changes Arrow rain Type: special Cost: 100mp Cool down: 9 minutes One becomes a hundred When activating this special attack, you launch one arrow or bolt into the air above targeted space. The arrow or bolt will split into 100 x Arrow rain level of arrows to rain down over an area of 20 square meters. Each projectile will inflict damage equal to wisdom x 2 Subsequent levels of arrow rain will increase area and effect. As far as he could see, the cool down decreased by one minute while the area of effect doubled. Closing out the screen, Xane was left to eat in peace as he made plans for the next day. what is your level? Chapter 7 The sun was cresting over the tops of the trees, bathing the sea of green in its warm light. Giving his gear one last check, he stepped into the words. Keeping his map minimized in the upper right corner of his vision, Xane made his way along the game trails, pausing briefly to collect the occasional herb, or empty a trap he had set days before. Soon enough he had left his normal hunting area behind, setting foot on the trail that led him to Persephone. Xane knew he was in the right area without having to check his map, thanks to the stench of corpses already starting to decay. Passing a pair berry bushes, brought him into the clearing filled with the dead. Many of the bodies showed signs of scavengers had already found the place. Some of the dead were missing portions of their faces from where the smaller animals chewed through them to get to their yellowish eyes. Others had their stomach torn open and their organs feasted on. Some showed signs of something large had come along and taken a limb or two. Tying a spare cloth over his face to dampen the horrendous smell, Xane set about his grim task of looting the dead. He started with the closest body, first patting it down and finding a small pouch he tossed to the side. Not finding anything else of note, he drew his skinning knife and removed the goblin¡¯s ear. This process repeated itself for the next few hours and creating small piles of dead next to piles of pouches and other items. When finished, Xane had collected eighteen ears from the twenty-six bodies. The remaining ears either too damaged or missing because of scavengers. The piles of pouches netted him thirty copper coins, six silver, and a single gold. On the goblin shaman, he had found a single gold ring. The staff it carried was in the end just a stick with bones hanging from it and completely worthless. Xane chose to keep it as a trophy of his first proper battle. Dropping the staff and ring into his inventory, he turned to the patch of muddy ground that marked the goblin lord¡¯s grave. Casting soften earth on the patch of ground followed by a casting of raise earth, brought the corpse up to the surface. The sight of the mangle corpse was the final straw, and Xane ended up doubled over to puke up the food he had eaten earlier. Once he finished retching, Xane rinsed his mouth with water from one of his waterskins before turning back to what remained of the goblin leader. Aside from the large ear that held a bone piercing. He found two blood covered pouches, one filled with glowing purple stones, while the other held a handful of silver coins. After doing his best to clean the dried blood off his hands and arms using two additional waterskins. When he was ready to go when a ruckus at the far end of the clearing drew his attention. A trio of large ravens were attacking a fourth anytime it got near any of the piles of dead goblins. The fourth raven thought larger, wasn¡¯t able to fend off its three smaller kin. It took Xane a minute to realize what was going on. The larger raven¡¯s feathers were a mix of white splotches against the dark black of the rest of its body. Remembering a bit of research he did as Alex years ago. Ravens would gang up on and ostracize any of their kind that exhibited different pigments in their feathers. Seeing the trio''s attacks had started to draw blood from the larger bird. Anger welled up in Xane as he was reminded of his past life and his disdain for bullies. Before he realized what he was doing, he had pulled a single silver coin and launched it at the trio. The bird the coin hit let out a loud gronk at being struck. ¡°Go on and get out of here!¡± Xane shouted at the birds. The one he struck picked up the coin and flew off with its fellows following a moment later. The bullied raven looked pitiful, with seeping wounds and missing feathers. Looking at him fearfully, the bird tried to hop away but fell over as it tried to escape. Xane squatted down on his heels and fished a piece of smoked meat, dropping it in front of the bird. Looking between the meat and him, the bird righted itself and gave a feeble hop to snatch up the food. Xane kept tossing the wounded bird pieces of food, shorting the distance with each one. Soon enough, the raven was within touching distance as it took another piece of meat as Xane used his free hand to channel healing energy into the animal. The bird startled momentarily but settled down an instant later as it continued to eat. As the last wound closed, a notification popped into view. Congratulations, you have tamed Dusk Raven Would you like to bind this pet to you? Yes/No Selecting yes with a thought, closing that screen and bringing up a second asking for a name. A small smile crossed his lips as he entered his choice. Closing out that screen brought up a third. Reading over the contents caused his smile to brighten. Congratulations, you have bond Wraith, the Dusk Raven. Level 7 pet You have been granted the following: Night sight For sixty feet, you can see as if in daylight while in low light conditions. For sixty feet, you can see as if in low light while in darkness. Skill will not work against magical darkness. After closing out that screen, Xane was about to stand when the mark on his chest pulsed. Wraith let out a gronk as glowing mark appeared on his feathered breast. When the marks finished glowing, Xane mind was assaulted by a wave of emotions and images. Fear, loneliness, anger and indignation were some emotions that came from the bird. The last was directed at Xane for having its glorious plumage marred in such a manner. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t blame me. I¡¯m just as new to this as you are.¡± Xane said to the bird. Gronk! ¡°You could show a little gratitude for helping, you know?¡± Xane retorted, getting another loud gronk from the raven. Rolling his eyes, Xane motioned for Wraith to join him as he started walking to the tree line. Checking his map and marking his next destination, he stepped into the woods. It only took him forty-five minutes to reach the small pond he had used before. Today, the normally cool water felt warm against his skin. Letting out a sigh when he pulled the last of his soap from his inventory. All he had left of the small block he had bought from the grandmotherly shopkeeper was nothing more than a finger wide sliver. After his body was free of the blood and grime of looting the goblins, Xane exited the pond and put on his pair of underclothes. Pulling out a stiff brush, Xane set about his next task of scrubbing his armor. Finishing an hour later, he was about to head back to his cave when he noticed the condition of his boots. He didn¡¯t need to check his inventory to know he was out of salt, as he had used the last of it only days before. ¡°Come on Wraith, let¡¯s head to town.¡± He called out to the raven. Wraith clicked his beak twice before taking off from the branch that was his perch. Xane was almost twenty minutes away from the forest¡¯s southern edge when he got a flash of an image from Wraith, who flew overhead. Knowing he had time for the detour, Xane turned to the west as he moved towards what Wraith had shown him. Feeling he was close to what Wraith had showed to him, Xane had dropped into stealth. It took another five minutes for Xane to find what he was looking for. Just a hundred feet away, standing amongst the thick trunks, was a massive elk. The animal weighed at least eight-hundred pounds with a rack of antlers just as impressive as its size. Summoning his bow as he drew an arrow. Xane activated precise shot and waited for the circle to become a red dot as he lined up his shot. Loosing the arrow, the elk let out the briefest cry of pain as the point punched past its ribs and pieced its heart. Xane came to a stop twenty feet away from the town''s gate with two guards he didn¡¯t recognize staring at him curiously. Xane couldn¡¯t blame the men for their strange glances. Behind him, Wraith stood atop the dead elk Xane was dragging on a travois of thick limbs. Reaching into his cloak, Xane pulled the engraved iron rod he had gotten from the quartermaster before and held it up for the two men to see. ¡°Say Mel, is that the little waif that the sergeant and been fussing about?¡± the shorter guard asked. As the other held out his hand. ¡°Damned if I know, Gibson. Let me check his pass.¡± The taller one replied as he caught the rod. Xane had to stifle a chuckle at hearing their names. ¡°Oi, Gibson, what did the sergeant say his name was again?¡± ¡°Zo¡­ Za ¡­ Zein¡­ I think?¡± The one called Gibson said as he scratched the side of his head. ¡°You sure it wasn¡¯t Xane?¡± Mel asked, looking at his partner like he was an idiot. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Xane? Yeah, that¡¯s what she called him. So, is it him or not?¡± Gibson said, oblivious to the look his partner was giving him. Mel turned back to Xane as he placed the rod on his belt. ¡°The Sergeant wants a word with you.¡± He said, then patted the rod he tucked in his belt. ¡°You¡¯ll get this back when she¡¯s done with you.¡± He said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Xane¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Gibson, I¡¯m taking him inside. You can bring his kill.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gibson said as he started to protest. ¡°Just drag it to the gatehouse. How hard could it be? If this one can do it, why not you?¡± Mel retorted as he led Xane inside. Xane sat on a stool in silence as Marcus sat behind his desk, refusing to take his eyes off of him. The quarter master hardly said a word when Mel brought him in and then left to retrieve the Sergeant. Xane was about to say something when Marcus''s blank expression turned to a glare. Letting out a sigh, all he could do was sit in silence as his legs swung back and forth in the air. Suddenly the door burst open as the sergeant looked around the room briefly before her eyes locked on him. ¡°You!¡± She said angrily, marching over to where Xane sat perched on the stool in the corner. # Delores was sitting in the tavern trying to enjoy her day off and was failing to do so. Ever since that day, she would often think of her little brother, Mikal, who had died from the fever years ago. She had thought she was over her grief, but then two months ago, he showed up. A little boy with the same sandy blonde hair and bright green eyes. He looked just like Mikal, and like Mikal, he was gone. She still remembered when the boy walked up to the gate and pulled out a stringer filled with gob ears. Fucking gob ears. A boy that young should have been playing in the fields or helping his parents around the house. From what Marcus had said, the kid called himself Xane, but he looked so much like her little brother. Xane hadn¡¯t even been in town for an hour before he became the target of the mayor¡¯s little shit. Strange thing was Xane nearly killed Billy with a single punch. From what the healer had said, if he had taken the blow to his chest instead his gut, he would have died. Remembering how he looked when she walked up, twisted her guts with grief. The look in Xane¡¯s eyes as she shouted to break up the already ended fight. He had a look of pure fear in his little green eyes. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the trouble he may have been in. No, the fear he showed was because of her. And then¡­ he was gone. She looked away for one second, and he was moving faster than any child that age had a right to. After sending a few men to go search for him, she went around the town to find his family. Only¡­ no one, not a single person she talked to, recognized the boy. She even spent the next three days combing the woods for any sign of him, only to find¡­ nothing. It was as if he was a ghost, or just didn¡¯t exist in the first place. Delores let out a heavy sigh as she brought her mug to her lips. The watered down ale had just washed over her tongue when Gaurdsman Mell burst through the door. ¡°Sergeant, that boy you were looking for just walked up to the gate.¡± He said as soon as he laid eyes on her. Delores choked and sputtered as the mug hit the table. Dropping a few coins on the table, she shot from her chair and out the door. It only took her a few minutes to reach the gatehouse. Bursting through the door, her eyes swept the room, landing on the boy perched atop a stool. ¡°You!¡± she nearly shouted as she moved to stand in front of him. Before she knew it, she already had the boy wrapped in her arms. ¡°Thank the stars you¡¯re safe. I was so worried about you.¡± She found herself saying as tears started pooling in the corner of her eyes. Pushing him back to arm¡¯s length, Delores wiped her eyes and asked. ¡°Where did you run off to?¡± ¡°Home.¡± He said. ¡°Home?¡± ¡°Home.¡± He replied as he points towards the forest. ¡°Home is in the forest?¡± she asked him, clearly confused. To which he nodded. ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous out there.¡± She said, looking towards the quartermaster for help. ¡°It¡¯s like she says, kid. It¡¯s dangerous past the wall. Especially with the gobs in the forest.¡± ¡°Gobs?¡± Xane asked while scrunching up his eyebrows. Next, they rose up with realization. Reaching into the bag he had slung over his shoulder, and pulled out a stinger of ears. One of which Delores knew didn¡¯t belong to any average goblin. ¡°I have ears.¡± He said proudly, wearing a child¡¯s smile. ¡°Where did you get those?¡± Delores asked in a horrified shriek. ¡°From goblins,¡± Xane said with giving her a look that said ¡°Duh¡± ¡°Did you find them?¡± she asked, calming down. ¡°Found them, killed them, got ears.¡± He replied, tilting his head and gave her a look. Delores pressed the fingertips of both hands against her temples and started massaging them as she took in a deep breath. ¡°Where are the goblins now?¡± she asked, now calm. Xane looked around the small office, his eyes landing on the map. After a moment, he nodded to himself and hopped off the stool. Then drug it over to the oversized map and clamber on top of it. Raising his small hand, he placed a finger on a spot in the eastern forest. ¡°Here.¡± He said, turning back and giving her a small smile. ¡°Are you certain that¡¯s where you saw them, boy?¡± Marcus asked, looking between him and the map. ¡°Xane.¡± He said, while scowling the man. ¡°Huh?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Xane, not boy!¡± Xane replied angrily while attempting to bore holes into the man. Marcus¡¯ face went red with anger and he moved to back hand the boy. Delores could only look on, stunned at the scene. Xane had braced himself with one hand against the wall and caught Marcus¡¯ with the other. She could have sworn she heard the creaking of bones threatening to snap as the quarter master fell to his knees in pain as Xane released his hand. Xane¡¯s eyes moved from Marcus to her as he tapped the map. ¡°Goblins here, dead.¡± Next he fished out the stringer of ears throwing to the floor. ¡°Here ears. Don¡¯t believe. Check yourself.¡± He said before hopping down and walking to the door. If she didn¡¯t know better, Delores would have sworn his eyes were glowing. Shaking her head and putting it off as a trick of the light, she went after him. Coming to a stop just outside the door, her eyes nearly bulged as what she was seeing. Gibson was laying in the middle of the road, clearly exhausted. Behind him on a sling of tree limbs was the body of a massive elk with a discolored raven perched atop it. Xane walked right up to the man and asked him something, with Gibson weakly pointing down the road in reply. Next, the boy hefted the end of the sling on his shoulders and started pulling the animals down the road. ¡°That boy ain¡¯t right.¡± Marcus said as he came up next to her, clutching his hand. ¡°Xane.¡± Delores found herself saying giving the man a scowl. ¡°Whatever he calls himself. He ain¡¯t right. That kid damn near broke my hand. Look at it Delores, you can already see it''s starting to bruise. Then there¡¯s that.¡± He said, pointing to the stringer of ears. ¡°There¡¯s over twenty ears, and all right ones at that.¡± He said as he walked back to snatch them up with his good hand. ¡°You see this one. That¡¯s from a lord. Not a goblin, but a damned goblin lord. You ever seen one?¡± He asked, not waiting for an answer. ¡°Cause I have. Seen one rip a man¡¯s arm clean off and eat it while the poor bastard screamed. It took eight of us to take it down. And here comes this kid¡­¡± Marcus paused when Delores glared at him again. ¡°Xane, here comes Xane claiming to¡­ claims to have killed it.¡± He said, falling into his chair and slouching for a moment, looking defeated. ¡°What do we do?¡± he asked, looking to her as if she had all the answers. ¡°You, Marcus.¡± Delores said, pausing briefly. ¡°Will first dispatch a team to verify if what Xane says is true, then you get his reward ready for when he comes to collect it.¡± ¡°What about you? What are you going to do?¡± he asked her. ¡°I¡­ am going to go follow him and see if I can get some answers.¡± She said before leaving him to his tasks. Hurrying down the street, she managed to catch up to Xane as he stopped in front of the butcher shop. Before she could get to him, he had dropped the sling and went inside. Passing the dead elk, she paused to look at the bird. The raven was rather large for its species, with odd whitish gray streaks marring its black plumage. Instead of picking at the dead beast, the bird seemed to be guarding it. Before she could contemplate it further, the door opened, with Xane stepping out, followed by the butcher. The man¡¯s eyes went wide, taking in the massive beast, then narrowed with greed. Thomas obviously didn¡¯t notice her as his eyes moved between Xane and his prize. As he opened his mouth to speak, she interrupted him with a light cough. ¡°Hmm. Oh, Sergeant Delores, what brings you to my humble shop today.¡± He asked. ¡°Thomas.¡± She said nodding to the man. ¡°I¡¯m escorting our visitor Xane here, around town, and making sure he doesn¡¯t run into trouble again. Now, I do hope you will be giving Xane here a good price for his kill. Won¡¯t you?¡± She asked with an aggressive smirk. ¡°Of course. I would never do such a thing a cheat a child out of their hard earned coin.¡± The butcher said as his face first paled then reddened in a manner that was almost comical. Before he cleared his throat and turned back to Xane. ¡°You said you wanted to sell this elk?¡± Thomas asked ¡°Yes. Want hide, one haunch. Sell rest.¡± Xane replied. As Delores listened, she found his manner of speaking was very odd. It almost sounded like he had forgotten how to speak or was speaking a new language and struggling. ¡°I can give you¡­ five silver coins.¡± Thomas said evasively. ¡°boots two silver, you cheat,¡± Xane replied accusingly with his fists on his hips and the hood up on his cloak. Delores could only smile, seeing how cute he was, even if he was trying to be angry. He looked just like her little brother when he felt he was being swindled. ¡°Fifteen silver then.¡± Thomas said, Xane just glared at the man. ¡°twenty silvers, final offer.¡± Thomas said. Xane instead of looking defeated, threw up his hands then moved to his sling. Picking it up, he started to drag the beast away when Thomas broke. ¡°Fine, fine, two gold and not a copper more.¡± Xane stopped dragging the animal and looked up at Thomas with a smile and a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a gold now and a gold when you come to get the hide.¡± Xane scowled up at the butcher. ¡°No. Gold now, hide and haunch later.¡± He said sternly. ¡°Fine gold now and the rest later, but it will take me a few hours to skin and butcher it.¡± Thomas replied, defeated by a child. Xane nodded and held out his hand, in which the butcher placed two gold coins. ¡°Wraith, let¡¯s go.¡± He said. The raven let out a loud gronk before hopping over to the boy¡¯s shoulder. After that, Xane started waking away. ¡°Hey, wait up.¡± Delores called out as she moved to follow. Xane stopped to look over his shoulder at them as he waited. Catching up to him in only a few steps, Delores found she had to walk rather quickly to keep with him. ¡°Xane did you really kill a goblin lord?¡± she asked him in a low voice, though it was difficult due to their heights. Xane just nodded and continued walking. ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked. In response, he suddenly came to a stop. Lifting up a foot, he pointed to it. ¡°Boots¡± He said as he pointed to the ruined sole and heel. ¡°You want to buy new boots?¡± She asked. To which he nodded. ¡°Did you buy those at the general store?¡± Xane just looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Was it the one with the old woman?¡± she asked, and Xane nodded in response. ¡°Helen. Her goods are good, but her shoes are shite.¡± Delores said, to which Xane gave her a smirk along with a nod of agreement. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you where to get a pair that won''t fall apart on you.¡± She said, reaching down and taking his hand. ¡°Hey, let go. I can walk fine by myself.¡± Xane said as he started to struggle then stopped clamping his freehand over his mouth. His raven taking to the air and letting gronking loudly, upset at being knocked off his perch. Delores just stared at him for a moment before blinking. ¡°Xane, how old are you?¡± ¡°six¡± he replied, trying to look innocent. Delores fixed him with a narrow-eyed glare. ¡°Xane, what¡¯s your level?¡± She asked new friends? Chapter 8 ¡°Xane, what is your level?¡± The Sergeant¡¯s words brought Xane to a halt. He gave the woman an innocent look as his mind raced. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± He screamed in his mind as he tried to come up with an answer that wouldn¡¯t give him away. ¡°Xane?¡± Letting out a breath, Xane looked around, then fixed her with a look of seriousness. ¡°Is there anywhere we can talk without being overheard?¡± He asked. The woman¡¯s eyes went wide for a moment before narrowing. Minutes later, Xane found himself sitting across from the woman inside the tavern¡¯s back room. ¡°Have you ever heard of the awakened?¡± He asked her, deciding to get to the point. ¡°Yes, awakened are those that remember their prev¡­ious¡­.¡± The woman¡¯s brown eyes went wide as her voice trailed off. After a moment, she asked. ¡°Xane, are you saying you are an awakened?¡± ¡°Yeah. I remember my previous life.¡± He replied, giving her a nod. ¡°How old?¡± ¡°I was in my thirties when it happened.¡± Xane said, his child¡¯s voice sounding hollow as he spoke. For reasons unbeknownst to him, Xane recounted his previous life and how it was ended by his former wife. By the time he finished, his eyes were staring listlessly at the rough wood of the table. Throughout his telling, the woman remained silent while wearing a horrified expression for the most of it. After a moment, she found her voice. ¡°Are you looking for vengeance?¡± she asked softly. Xane snorted and shook his head. ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t do that even if I wanted. I just want to live my life of solitude and heal.¡± He said, getting a strange look from the lovely woman. ¡°To think the gods can be so cruel. Not only where you forced to live a life of suffering, but to be made to live as you are now.¡± ¡°Its fine. I asked for this after all. Just wasn¡¯t expecting to be stuck in the body of a little kid.¡± He said with a shrug that brought a small smile to the woman¡¯s face. Taking a deep breath, he asked. ¡°Why are you being so kind to me?¡± His question seemed to have touched a nerve in the woman as her smile fell into a look of sadness. ¡°You look just like him. My little brother, Malik. He died nearly ten years ago, from sickness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°It alright, you didn¡¯t know.¡± The woman said, giving him a soft smile. ¡°So, what do you plan to do now?¡± ¡°Finish getting my supplies and head back home.¡± He replied, sliding off his chair. ¡°Let me help you. Not all the merchants will be as kind as old Helen or as easy to deal with as Thomas.¡± She said with a slight smirk. Xane thought for a moment. He could feel Persephone and her mother were still moving away from him. Just a glance at the woman started setting off his anxiety. Figuring having her show him around the shops would save him time versus if he tried to do it on his own. Taking a deep breath as he made his choice. ¡°I would appreciate that, Sergeant.¡± He said while looking down at the floor. ¡°Delores¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± he said glancing to her then back to the floor. ¡°You can call me Delores. Come on, let¡¯s get you some proper boots. After they left the tavern, Wraith flew down from his perch on the roof and landed on Xane¡¯s shoulder. Reaching up, Xane scratched the raven on the back of head, causing the bird to close its eyes in pleasure. ¡°Is that bird your pet?¡± Delores asked, getting a nod in response. ¡°What is its name?¡± ¡°Wraith.¡± Xane answered, walking beside her as she guided him to their next stop. The shop she took him to smelled of leather and oil and comfortably lit. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a man in his early forties with a head full of dark brown hair and matching beard. Dressed in a simple tunic and trousers with a well-worn leather apron draped over. ¡°Delores, what brings you in today?¡± the man asked ¡°Hello Boyd, I brought you a customer.¡± Delores said as she motioned to Xane who still had Wraith on his shoulder. ¡°Why, hello there? Name¡¯s Boyd as you heard. What¡¯s yours, little man?¡± He said in the tone you talk to small children, while squatting down holding out his hand. Xane fought the urge to scowl at the shop keep as he took the man''s calloused hand. ¡°Xane.¡± Giving Delores a curious glance, he turned back to Xane and asked. ¡°What can I do for you, Xane?¡± ¡°Need boots.¡± Xane answered while lifting a leg to show his worn footwear. Letting out a low whistle, the man inspected the worn and nearly ruined boot. ¡°Boy, I can tell these aren¡¯t that old. What have you been doing to tear them up like this?¡± ¡°Hunting.¡± ¡°Hunting? Hunting what?¡± ¡°Goblins,¡± Xane said, not caring if the man believed him or not, trying not to snicker at the man¡¯s expression Boyd¡¯s eyes moved from his boot to look Xane in the eye, but stopped when he noticed his leather armor. ¡°Is that hell cat leather?¡± ¡°And boar.¡± ¡°Where did you?¡± ¡°Killed it, made armor.¡± Xane said simply. Boyd¡¯s eyes shot open before he looked at Delores again. ¡°Delores, a word.¡± He said, standing to his full height, then stepping a few feet away. Excusing herself, she stepped over to them as he started a whispered conversation. Left to himself, Xane moved to look at the man¡¯s wares when Wraith hopped off his shoulder onto a table. The raven¡¯s head twisted one way, then the other, as it seemed to inspect something. A moment later, it started pushing the boots towards Xane. Curious about the bird¡¯s actions, he activated identify and scanned the boots. Boots of the Woodland Strider Item type: crafted Item quality: uncommon Durability: 150/150 These boots are made for those who are at home in the forest. While worn, these boots provide the following: Movement speed increased by 5% while wooded/forested areas Wooded and forest terrain does not affect item durability. Item resized to fit wearer Does not require binding Xane thought for a moment then nodded to himself as he picked up the boots gave Wraith a piece of smoked meat in appreciation. The whole time he was listening to the ¡°adult¡± conversation. "Delores, who is that kid?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Xane.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ what¡¯s he doing hunting goblins. Not to mention, have you noticed his weight?¡± Boyd asked, exasperated. Xane saw her glance over at him before turning back to the shopkeeper, as he pretended not to notice. ¡°He was thinner the first time I met him. Why do you think Xane¡¯s underfed?¡± she asked, getting a shocked look from her friend. ¡°Underfed? Hardly, that boy is too heavy for his size. I could tell from his boot soles.¡± Boyd said. Xane couldn¡¯t see his face, but if he were to guess from Delores¡¯ reaction. The man was scared. Giving the man one last glance, she looked back at Xane to ask. ¡°Xane, will you come here for a moment?¡± Not liking where this was going, yet unable to say anything. Xane reached up and grabbed the boots before walking over. Looking up at the two of them, Xane was about to ask the price of the boots when Delores spoke first. ¡°Xane, do you mind if I¡­¡± She paused, looking at her friend with a look that said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you''re making me do this?¡± Turning back to Xane. ¡°May I pick you up?¡± Xane did his best not to scowl at her, but nodded anyway. ¡°Might as well get this over with.¡± He thought. Squatting down, Delores reached to pick him up from under his arms when Boyd moved. Thinking Xane was distracted, the man lunged for the dagger that hung at Xane¡¯s hip like a sword. Moving out of Delores¡¯ reach, Xane struck out with a punch. His small fist met the man¡¯s arms that he managed to bring up in time. Boyd was sent back on his ass and skidded a few feet, his back hitting a cabinet. ¡°Xane, Boyd!¡± Delores screamed, stunned at the sudden attack. Xane¡¯s fists dropped as the man started laughing in good spirits. ¡°I knew it. That boy has some levels under his belt.¡± He said, laughing as he picked himself off the floor. Xane just hung his head in shame at being played by the man. ¡°God damn it Boyd, I brought Xane here to do business, not get attacked by your dumbass.¡± Delores shouted as she hit the man on the shoulder repeatedly as his laughter deepened. ¡°Xane was it? You said you hunt goblins. What¡¯s the biggest one you seen?¡± ¡°Lord.¡± Xane replied. ¡°A goblin lord, huh? And what did you do? You didn¡¯t run, did you?¡± He asked as Delores stopped her assault on his arm and resorted to glaring at him. ¡°Killed him, trap¡± ¡°Trapped him, hmm? That¡¯s a smart way to do it.¡± Boyd replied, looking sincerely impressed. Behind Xane, Wraith let out a noise. Seeming to remember why he was there, Xane held up the pair of boot. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you have them for a gold. And if they wear out on you before a year, I¡¯ll give you a better pair.¡± Boyd said with a glint of pride in his eye. If there was one thing Xane had learned as Alex. Good footwear was worth the money. Fishing out one of the gold he had gotten from the butcher, he handed it over to the man before sticking the boots in his bag. ¡°Care to tell me what his secret is?¡± Boyd asked Delores as he took Xane¡¯s coin. Noticing her questioning glance, he narrowed his eyes before nodding. ¡°Xane is an awakened.¡± She said. Seeing the man¡¯s eyes go wide, Deloris raised her hands. ¡°Not a word to anyone.¡± She said, giving her friend a serious look. Boyd nodded before a look of realization came over his face. ¡°Xane, can you show us your sheet?¡± Boyd asked, clearly interested. ¡°Swear not to tell anyone?¡± Xane asked. A moment later, a notification filled his vision. Boyd the cobbler has sworn an oath of secrecy. Boyd has sworn to not divulge any secrets he has learned about you. (public knowledge does not apply) If this oath is broken, he will be reduced to level 0. Losing all gained stats, skills, and classes. Boyd will also be marked as an oath breaker. Delores Sergeant of Stonevale city watch has sworn an oath of secrecy. Delores has sworn to not divulge any secrets she has learned about you. (public knowledge does not apply) If this oath is broken, she will be reduced to level 0. Losing all gained stats, skills, and classes. Delores will also be marked as an oath breaker. Xane¡¯s eyes went wide at the two notifications. He had read in the journal about system oaths and some of their punishments, but seeing one in person was unexpected. Letting out a sigh, he gave them a shrug before going into his menus to share the information.
Name Xane
Age 6
Level 8
experience 175/900
Hp 3600
Strength 42
Agility 42
Dex 60
Intelligence 60
Wisdom 42
Constitution 42
Defense 82
Luck 11
Mana 600
Mana regeneration 60pts per sec
skill points 6
Skills
Archery lvl 3
Compacted Mass
Crafting lvl 3
Double Dip
Healing lvl2
Identify lvl5
Fletching lvl2
Herbalism lvl4
Mining lvl3
Trapping lvl3
Earth Manipulation
Animal Empathy
Body Reinforcement
Multi shot
Dodge
Item Granted Skills Stealth +32
Precise Shot lvl9
Special
Arrow rain
Boons/Blessings
Amora''s enhanced blessing
Blooded (obsidian dragon)
Soul bonded
Spells
Harden Earth lvl 3
Soften Earth lvl 3
Raise Earth lvl 1
Shape Earth lvl 1
Move Earth lvl 2
Bonded companion/s
Persephone (obsidian hatchling)
Wraith (dusk raven)
Xane watched as their eyes went out of focus as they check the notification. ¡°Is that how I look when accessing my menus?¡± Xane thought to himself, not having seen anyone access their menu before. ¡°Holy fuck! His lowest stat is an 11, and it''s in luck. I don¡¯t even know to get that.¡± Boyd said as he blinked and doubled checked what he was reading. Delores had her eyes on a unique entry on his sheet. ¡°You¡¯ve been blooded? By a¡­ dragon? How? Why?¡± Delores asked as she slumped onto a display table, looking at him in confusion. ¡°What?!¡± Boyd asked a second later when Delores¡¯ barrage of questions registered in his head. Rolling his eyes, Xane told them about how he was woken up in the middle of the night by a feeling of distress calling out to him. He then told them about the goblins and their ritual he interrupted and ultimately stopped. How he passed out after healing the egg and waking to find Thresh and her daughter in his home. ¡°Thresh?¡± Boyd asked. ¡°Thresh is the dragon, right Xane?¡± Delores said, confirming with him at the same time. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Boyd said after a second, making Xane wonder if the man may have been a bit slow in the head. His eyes focused on Xane as a sly grin grew on his lips. ¡°The dragon, was she pretty?¡± Xane rolled his eyes as he gave the man a nod and a grin of his own. Delores threw up her hands, acting disgusted as she grumbled, ¡°Men.¡± Moments later, the three of them looked at one another before bursting out in laughter. When they finished laughing, Boyd fished out the gold coin and tossed it back to Xane, who snatched it out of the air with a quizzical look. ¡°Keep it. The way I see it, you saved this town. Think of the boots as my thanks.¡± Boyd said, giving him a wink. ¡°Come to the tavern later and have an ale on me.¡± He added. Xane¡¯s look of appreciation turned into confused scepticism. ¡°Don¡¯t like ale, fine wine it is, then.¡± Boyd said, misunderstanding the reason for Xane¡¯s expression. ¡°I think in Xane¡¯s previous life; children didn¡¯t drink ale or wine.¡± Delores said, somehow understanding him. ¡°Ah, whiskey it is then!¡± Boyd said excitedly as Delores smacked him in the back of the head. Xane rolled his eyes, then waved the man goodbye as he turned to leave. Delores said her farewells to Boyd and followed him out the door. Stepping outside Xane, waited for Wraith to follow before letting the door close. Finding a nearby bench, he took a moment to swap out his boots. He watched in amazement as the boots shrunk down to form to his feet. Smiling, he dropped his old boots into his bag, looking up to see Delores was waiting for him. ¡°First time seeing a crafted item fit itself?¡± she asked, getting a nod in response. Chuckling to herself, she asked. ¡°What¡¯s next on your shopping list.¡± The next couple of hours were spent as she took him to the various shops that Stonevale had to offer. By the end, he had picked up all the items he needed, along with a few others at Delores¡¯ suggestion. The most expensive of the items being the healing potions and the molds for arrow heads. Leaving Thomas the butcher with his elk flank and hide in hand, Xane checked his menu for the time. Thinking if he left now, he could make it back to his cave before sunset. He turned to the woman who followed him around all day. While sometimes annoying, she did help him with his shopping, and it didn¡¯t hurt when the mayor¡¯s son spotted him. ¡°Gotta go.¡± He said, feeding Wraith a piece of scrap meat the butcher had given him. ¡°Are you sure you want to leave now? The forest is dangerous at night.¡± Delores replied out of concern. Xane just gave her a look that said, ¡°Really?¡± Realizing what she said, she tried again. ¡°You should at least collect your bounty from Marcus. The scouts should have reported back by now.¡± Xane rolled his eyes and shrugged before following her to the gatehouse. Entering the small room, Xane was surprised to find Marcus was busy talking furiously with an older man and a pair of guardsmen. When he entered, followed by Delores, the room went silent as Marcus¡¯ eyes locked on Xane. The intensity that the quartermaster¡¯s eyes burned with caused Xane to step back and bump into his escort. ¡°Who is this child?¡± the older man asked, noticing the look the quarter master was giving Xane. ¡°Mayor Unger, this is Xane. The boy that brought the ears to me this morning.¡± Marcus said as he sat behind his desk and let out a sigh. ¡°Sergeant Delores, what is your relation to this boy?¡± Another guardsman asked with a voice of authority. Looking closer, Xane noticed he had a silvery insignia emblazoned on the front of his leather breastplate. ¡°I was just escorting him around Stonevale, Captain Alder. Xane had come into town to procure supplies, and needed some assistance in locating them.¡± She said. ¡°Gathering supplies? Surely the boy¡¯s parents should be the ones to do that?¡± The captain said questioningly as he kept his eyes locked on Xane. ¡°He¡­ doesn¡¯t have¡­ any.¡± She answered. Xane did his best to not grind his teeth, at the looks of pity he got from the captain and a few other guards. Xane hated those looks. He remembered them as Alex from his time in foster care. The look of well-meaning adults, who tried to help but had no idea what to do. It was looks exactly like those that sent him into the homes of those who couldn¡¯t care less about him, wore. So many homes that didn¡¯t see him as a victim, but a paycheck and something to take their frustrations out on. Granted, they weren¡¯t psychotic like his own mother. That bitch was a true master of suffering. Nearly every cut, burn, and bruise was expertly inflicted on his small body with such precision. That she could easily explain them away as him being a rambunctious child. Then one night she came home drunker than usual and beat him within an inch of his life. She had broken his ribs, both his arms, and one leg. But it was the skull fracture that had pushed his small body over the edge. He remembered waking a room surrounded by people in white. The looks they gave him as their eyes landed on his broken body were just like the ones the guards were giving him now. It was those looks of pity and sorrow he got from the case workers every time he was pulled from another home. It was like he was a magnet for abuse, and his case workers were just using him to find abusers in their system. Shaking off those thoughts, he tuned back into what everyone was talking about. ¡°Sir, when we arrived at the location we were given.¡± One of the guards was speaking with captain paused to swallow nervously. ¡°We found piles of goblin corpses. Each had been looted and, if possible, their ear was removed. We also found the remains of a goblin lord that had been¡­ crushed to death. Along with the body of a shaman near the broken shell of a dragon¡¯s egg.¡± The man said, finishing his report. Looking over the man, Xane guessed he had to be a ranger or similar class from the way he wore his leather armor and dark green cloak. The man wore a longsword on one hip, with a quiver of bolts on his other. Slung over a shoulder was a well-used crossbow. ¡°Was that all you found?¡± The captain asked. ¡°We also found these.¡± He said, holding out a handful of broken arrows. Xane could have kicked himself when he saw the familiar white and blue fletching. Unconsciously he dropped a hand over his quiver as he took a step back. The captain seemed to notice him, as he fixed him with a raised brow. ¡°Let me see your arrows.¡± The man said as he took a step closer while holding out a waiting hand. Xane could only sigh as he pulled an arrow from his quiver and passed it over. The captain took his arrow and compared it to the one his scout had given him for only a second before he gave Xane an appraising look. A moment later, the man let out a sigh, then bowed his head to him. ¡°Xane, it seems we are in your debt. Somehow you single-handedly saved us from a grave threat we didn¡¯t know existed. For that, I thank you.¡± The captain said as he bowed his head. The old man, who had remained silent, chose that moment to speak. ¡°Xane, was it? It is my understanding that you are the one responsible for what happened to my son, Billy.¡± He said as he fixed Xane with a stern look. ¡°Mayor Unger¡­¡± Delores started protesting when he silenced her with a raised hand. ¡°Xane, what was the reason for the confrontation?¡± The mayor asked. In response, Xane sent him an angry glare while he clutched his satchel¡¯s strap in a tight grip. That small motion didn¡¯t go unnoticed by both the mayor and the captain. ¡°I see, Billy tried to take that bag from you?¡± The mayor¡¯s statement sounded more like a question. Xane just gave him a curt nod in reply. ¡°You have my apologies, then. Billy has gotten it in his head that he can do what he wishes with him being so close to gaining his class. I assure you, he will not trouble you again.¡± Xane¡¯s eyes went wide at seeing Stonevale¡¯s leader humbling himself before him. After a moment, the mayor turned to the captain and spoke. ¡°Captain Alder, you have my full approval.¡± With that cryptic statement the captain nodded in response, before the mayor gave Xane a pleasant smile and a pat on the shoulder before he left the small room. Xane¡¯s eyes moved around the room, taking in the others before landing on the captain with a raised brow. Xane the halfling? Chapter 9 The captain gave him a smile before turning to Marcus. ¡°You may proceed.¡± He said before following the mayor out the door along with the scouts. Leaving him alone with Delores and the quartermaster. Marcus¡¯ nostrils contracted as he took in a deep breath before flaring out as he exhaled with his eyes closed. Opening his eyes, he reached into a drawer before tossing something to him. Snatching it out of the air, Xane heard the distinctive clink of coins inside the heavy pouch. ¡°That¡¯s your bounty for the gob ears.¡± He said, closing the drawer and standing. ¡°The captain has given you permission to access the armory. He thinks you may find something you can use.¡± He said while moving out from his desk and heading for the door. Looking over his shoulder, Marcus let out a snort, seeing the look of surprise on Xane¡¯s face. ¡°Well, come on, I ain¡¯t got all day.¡± He said before heading out the door. Xane looked to Delores, who looked just a surprised as him before she noticed and began to urge him to follow with her hands. Shrugging, Xane followed Marcus outside and over to another building a short distance away. Pulling a ring of keys off his belt, Marcus made a show of finding the correct one before finally opening the door and stepping aside. Looking from the quartermaster over to Delores, she gave him a reassuring nod. Stepping past the man, Xane found himself in a room filled with racks of armor, weapons and other items the town guard would make use of. ¡°I have been told that you can claim four items from the armory. If I were to make a suggestion. I believe you should look at armor first.¡± The man said with a small grin. Xane looked down and inspected his leather pants and doublet. He felt a bit of pride when looking at the leather outfit he made. But he also knew the man¡¯s words were true, and it was best to look for something better. Nodding to himself, Xane stepped further in as his eyes looked over the gear he had to choose from. It was when he was in the back corner of the room when he found something that held his interest for more than a few seconds. Dyed a dark green with intricate engravings set in leather plates, the set of leather armor seemed to call to him. The set of leathers included a set of vambraces, chest piece, pauldrons, grieves, and pants. With a casual inspection, he could tell this was probably the best set in the room if not in the town. Using identify only confirmed his thoughts. Forest stalker leathers Item type: crafted Item quality: superior Durability 200/200 The wearer of this armor will be granted the following: +125 to Defense +15 to Stealth while in wooded areas or grasslands. +25% to movement speed while in wooded areas or grasslands Picking up the set, he moved back over to where Marcus stood to show him his choice. The quartermaster gave him a curious look before asking. ¡°Is that all? You still have three more items to take if you wish.¡± Xane looked up at the man, then back down to the armor before looking back up at the man with a questioning glance. ¡°Not four?¡± he asked. Marcus gave a brief look of confusion before he understood Xane¡¯s question. ¡°No, that is considered one item, as it¡¯s a complete set. Now go on, I don¡¯t have all day.¡± He said with a small grin. Xane just shrugged in response before placing the armor in his bag and started looking again. This time, he returned with a cloak that matched the armor¡¯s color and a pair of short swords, one with a wider blade than the other. Seeing his choices, Marcus excused himself as he stepped in to retrieve something before he handed it Xane. ¡°Those look a little big for you to wear normally.¡± He said, motioning to the two short swords. ¡°This should let you wear them across your back. That way, they''re not getting in your way.¡± He finished as he pointed to the leather harness that Xane now held. Xane nodded in thanks before placing the items in his bag like before. ¡°Come on, let me show you somewhere to change.¡± Delores said as she held out her hand to him. Instead of taking her hand, Xane clutched the strap of his bag with both his tiny hands as his eyes looked down at his feet. Instead of taking his hand, she placed hers on his shoulder and gently pushed him forward. ¡°We¡¯ll go inside the barracks. There is a room you can use to change in private.¡± She said as she guided him away. Xane, looked over his reflection in the mirror. Like his boots, the armor shifted to fit him perfectly. Gone were the sunken cheeks and pale skin he wore when he first saw his reflection. Now his skin held a healthy tan, and his face was full. Xane wasn¡¯t sure if it was the childishness he sometimes felt or not. But to him, the image he saw before him, while small, was still fierce. On the middle finger of his left hand sat the gold ring he looted from the goblin shaman earlier that day. He didn¡¯t know why he hadn¡¯t checked the ring before when he found it. In fact, it was on a whim when he was storing his old gear in his inventory when he noticed it. After pulling it out and giving it a quick scan, he slipped in on. Hunter¡¯s quiver ring Item type: Magic Item quality: superior Durability 400/400 This ring can hold up to 300 arrows or 600 bolts. Any arrows or bolts stored within can be summoned directly into the equipped weapon of matching type. Contains 200/300 arrows Taking one last look at the mirror, Xane let his smile fade before stepping outside. Delores sat a short distance away as she worked on resizing the harness the quartermaster had given him when he stepped out. Looking up, a small smile crossed her lips as she rose from the chair. ¡°You look like an elf.¡± She said with a smirk. Xane¡¯s grin turned into a scowl as she knelt before him. ¡°Now, now. It''s not a bad thing.¡± She said with a small chuckle. ¡°Here, this should fit you now.¡± She continued holding up the leather straps. Xane tilted his head slightly as he raised his brow at her. Rolling her eyes in response, she explained what it was. ¡°It¡¯s a harness to wear your new swords on your back. As small as you are, you don¡¯t want to risk your blade tripping you up.¡± Her explanation made him want to scowl, but it did make sense. His dagger already hung past his knee. If he wore the swords in the same manner, it would make running nearly impossible. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Giving the woman a nod, he waited patiently as she placed the harness on him and made final adjustments. It took a couple of minutes to get the fitting just right with the swords attached, with their hilts hanging down by his waist. Last, she helped with getting his cloak situated around his shoulders, hiding the weapons from view. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay here in town?¡± she asked him. Xane looked at the woman as he placed a hand over hers that was still on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He said, then took in a deep breath before he continued. ¡°I need time alone. Besides, I don¡¯t want to run the risk of killing Billy by accident.¡± He finished with a chuckle. Even Delores smiled at his small joke. Standing, she patted him on the shoulder before opening the door leading outside. Walking towards the gate, Xane noticed a number of the guards giving him nods of approval as he passed. Eventually the two of them reached the gate, where Delores came to a stop. Surprising him, Delores squatted down and hugged him tightly before placing a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Stay safe out there, Xane. If you ever need anything, please come find me.¡± She said to him before standing up and wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°Thank you, Delores. Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll be around.¡± Xane said before waving to her and heading off towards the woods. With the town of Stonevale behind him, Xane let out a sigh of contentment as he set off back to his home. He was amazed by how quickly he moved through the forest. Overhead, Wraith kept pace with him. Now that he had some proper gear, he realized how lacking his old gear was. The doublet would often pinch if he moved wrong and was overly stiff. His new gear felt as if it was made for him. He felt freedom of movement that his old gear lacked. Even the swords on his back were easy to draw from under his cloak. Over the following months, Xane fell into a comfortable routine. His days were often filled with exploring and expanding his map. His nights were spent reading or working on crafting various things. Every couple of weeks, he would venture into Stonevale to sell off any of his larger kills or sell the herbs he often found. The people of Stonevale just accepted him and his, for lack of a better term quirks. When Xane¡¯s path did cross with Billy or Jimmy, they would remain silent as they would hurry past or watch him walk by. Thomas, the butcher, would still do his best to haggle as low a price with him as possible. Sometimes Xane would let him get the better price. Mainly because he enjoyed the man¡¯s comical antics. Though every time the butcher got the better price, he always threw in some extra cuts with Xane¡¯s request. Boyd had surprised him one day when he could convince him to go to the tavern. Upon entering, he noticed the elk'' head from his second visit to town. Boyd, seeing the surprised look on his face, let out a hearty laugh and smacked Xane on the back. ¡°I heard when the tavern owner visited the butcher and saw it, he had to have it.¡± Boyd said, pushing him towards an open table. Xane moved past it to one further back and sat with his back against the wall and door in his view. Boyd, for his part, raised an eyebrow, then shrugged as he flagged down the serving girl. Xane looked around the large open room while his friend placed an order. Many of the tables were filled with townspeople and guards enjoying their lunch. Only a few sent curious glances his way. Wraith clicking his beak brought his attention to the silly bird. The raven had perched himself on the back of an open chair, while giving him an expectant look. Rolling his eyes, Xane fished out a fresh scrap of meat and fed the greedy bird. A moment later, Boyd sat as he placed a sloshing mug in front of him. ¡°Here drink up. We have time while we wait.¡± Xane¡¯s eyes moved from Wraith to the man with a curious glance. ¡°Delores will be here shortly.¡± That was all he said, giving Xane a shrug and bringing his mug up to his lips. Xane lightly scowled at him and rolled his eyes before picking up his mug. Looking inside, was a light amber liquid that sat under a small head of white foam. Shrugging, he took a drink and grimaced as he swallowed. The taste reminded him of the cheap beer he and Tj would find in the bar when he was Alex. He was about to comment when a notification caught his attention. New skill found Poison Immunity (passive) Because of your gift of obsidian dragon blood, you have inherited their natural resistance to poisons. Xane was about to jump across the table when a second notification stopped him Poison resisted Alcohol While minor, the effects of alcohol can be averse to judgement and coordination. It is among the many poisons that some consider beneficial. ¡°Don¡¯t like the ale?¡± Boyd asked with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ve had worse, but not by much.¡± Xane replied, getting a laugh from the man. Even Wraith let out a sound similar to laughing. ¡°Aye, the ale is crap, but it will get you drunk if you can stomach enough of it.¡± Boyd said with a chuckle before taking another drink. ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Xane thought as he took another drink and winced at the taste. A minute later, Delores entered, still in her guard uniform of leather armor and helm. Her eyes swept the room, landing on him. She muttered something to a woman next to her before they both started heading their way. Delores smiled at him before greeting Boyd and introducing her friend. ¡°Sarah, this is Xane. If anyone can help, it would be him.¡± Delores said, motioning to him as his grip relaxed on the mug. Originally he thought, Delores was going to pressure him into this woman¡¯s care. Realizing that wasn¡¯t the case, his tension eased slightly. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s a halfling? He looks to be nothing more than a boy.¡± Sarah said, giving a Xane a quick once over, her eyes red from worry and tears. ¡°Sarah, look at his gear. You think a kid could wear anything like that?¡± Boyd asked with a raised brow. ¡°Hell, I made his boots and we all know crafted items won¡¯t resize if you don¡¯t have a class.¡± Those words made Xane tense up. He didn¡¯t realize his gear gave away the fact he had access to the system. ¡°Perhaps letting people think I¡¯m a halfling is the way to go?¡± He thought, taking another drink and grimacing again. Delores snatched his mug from him and sniffed it before glaring at her friend. ¡°God¡¯s damn it, Boyd. You bring him here for a drink and get him the cheap shit?¡± She said, then flagged down the serving girl once more, as Xane suppressed a snicker. ¡°I figured I¡¯d see how he¡¯d handled the swill before he tried something that would put hair on his chest.¡± Boyd said with a grin as he raised his arm defensively. Moments later, Xane had a new mug placed before him while Boyd nursed the lump now growing on the back of his head. ¡°Go on, the mead is much better than that swill he prefers.¡± Delores said, indicating the mug with her own. Before turning to the newcomer. ¡°Sarah needs your help, Xane.¡± She continued as she motioned for the woman. The woman who had taken more interest in him and his gear startled when Delores mentioned her. ¡°Sorry. Delores tells me you know the forest rather well and go places our own scouts won¡¯t?¡± she said questioningly. Xane raised a brow as his eyes moved from Sarah over to the sergeant. In response, she just shrugged and took a drink. Turning back to Sarah, he nodded. ¡°My daughter is sick, Xane. The only known cure is from the seeds of a flower that grows deep in the eastern forest. It has five petals colored purple and rimmed with a blood red.¡± Sara explained while he took a drink from his new mug. A small grin grew on his lips from the taste that turned into a look of recognition from the woman¡¯s description. He remembered seeing a similar flower in passing the night he met Thresh and Persephone. Though he didn¡¯t remember seeing the next day when he returned to loot the bodies. Sara must have noticed his reaction, as she grew excited. ¡°You know of it?¡± she asked. To which Xane nodded in reply. ¡°Please, I beg of you, Xane the halfling. Please, will you gather some and save my child?¡± The woman¡¯s response made him go wide eyed as he looked to Delores for an explanation. ¡°We¡¯re just a minor town that only does some logging, farming and mining. Because of that, and the lack of beasts. We don¡¯t have a guild of adventurers that can be asked for help. The guards can only go so far out on their patrols, same as the scouts. So, anything like this needs to be handled by the citizens or wait to send a request off to the guild the next city over.¡± She explained. ¡°So, that leaves me. The mysterious halfling. Don¡¯t haflings have hairy feet or was that hobbits?¡± He thought briefly before tuning back in. ¡°Will you help me good Sir?¡± Sarah asked when Delores finished speaking. Xane thought for a moment and nodded. He had a good idea where the flowers could be found. He just had to go look. ¡°How long?¡± he asked, hoping that Sarah wouldn¡¯t question his childish voice. ¡°Three days at most.¡± She said, turning somber again. Xane nodded before draining his mug and sliding off his chair. He was fishing in his pouch for some coin, when Delores put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Boyd is paying for your drink.¡± She said with a small grin as Boyd let out a harrumph. Xane nodded and patted her hand before calling to his raven, that had remained quiet throughout the conversation. Wraith let out a loud gronk, startling Sarah and a few other patrons before taking flight and landing on his shoulder. When the door closed behind him, a mix of laughter and good natured complaints was cut off. Nights blood Chapter 10 Looking west, he could see the sun nearing the tops of the trees in the west. Telling him without checking his system clock, he only had an hour, maybe two, before nightfall. Mentally he went over his supplies, making sure he hadn¡¯t forgotten anything since being pulled into the tavern by Boyd. Sure he wasn¡¯t forgetting anything, he sent his intentions to Wraith, who clicked his beak before taking off. Setting off at a trot, Xane moved down the main road, heading towards the gate. Nearing the gatehouse, he saw the old quartermaster leaving his shack for the day. Marcus must have noticed him, as he sent a friendly wave his way. Waving to the man, Xane put on a small burst of speed as he passed the town wall. Stepping off the road, he cleared the two hundred yards between the wall and the tree line in a matter of seconds. Entering the shadowy world under the forest canopy, Xane activated his night sight. Or, as he preferred to call it, the aspect of the raven. Near instantly, the forest became as bright as if it was lit by the noonday sun. Moving along the game trails, he would make slight detours to check his traps. As he made his way back to the cave, he thought about his time on Volderon. Sure, the first few days were rather eye-opening and filled with more than a few stumbles. He found he was coming to truly calling these woods home. Even as an author, Alex had never thought he would get to live a life like one of his stories. But here he was doing just that, as Xane. Those thoughts brought him to Persephone and her mother, Thresh. They communicated from time to time over their link. Apparently, she was still healing from what the shaman had done to her, as well as being forced to hatch early. He knew it would be nine years before they were reunited. That led him to thinking about his future class and what it may be. Would he get one that he could use while exploring the labyrinths that the Goddess had spoken of? Or would he get something only useful outside such environments? The whole time, Xane could feel Wraith brush against his thoughts as he seemed to listen. That left him wondering if the bird understood when they reached the mouth of his cave. Pressing a hand against the bare rock of the of the mountainside, Xane channeled his mana. With a cast of move earth, a portion of the rock face slid back and to the side allowing him access. Stepping inside, he placed his bow on a small rack as he activated the lamp hanging by the door. Xane looked around his home with a smile of satisfaction. In one corner of the room, he set up a series of tables for his crafting. One was filled with beakers, vials, and other tools needed for making simple potions. Another sat close to a small furnace like fireplace, its surface littered with arrow shafts still being shaped, and others still needing their fletching. Wraith flew past him and landed on the table Xane ate at. Picking up the small tin plate, he fixed Xane with a beady eye and squawked at him. Rolling his eyes, Xane slipped out of his chest harness and hung it and the two swords on a peg next to his bow. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Give me a minute, you greedy ass bird.¡± He said with a chuckle as Wraith dropped the plate, fixing him with a glare. Moving past, he pulled some of the fresh scraps that Thomas had given him and dropped in on the bird¡¯s plate. Wraith let out a small cry of happiness as he began gobbling down the meat. Entering the room, Xane called a kitchen, he stoked the coals as he added some wood. With the fire crackling away, he began pulling out meat and other ingredients and started cooking his dinner. As he cooked, Xane kept his map open as he planned out his search for the flower. Frowning as he closed out the map, all he really had to go on was the general area. Setting his food on the table, he had to shoo Wraith away from his dinner. Xane set out the next morning after going over all his gear. By the time the sun had risen over the treetops, he was back at a familiar clearing. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the dead bodies that were strewn about the last time he was here. Near the center, he could still see signs of where the scouts had burned the dead. Turning away, Xane started a methodical search using the clearing as a center point. During his search, Xane found a variety of herbs and plants his identify had told him would be useful for making potions. But none were the ones that Sarah had described. Sitting on a fallen log, Xane silently chewed on some jerky as he studied his map. He had combed the area near where he entered the clearing, to no avail. After coming up empty-handed, he has started extending his search in a widening arc. Closing out his map, Xane looked up to the sky to study the afternoon sun. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. As he was contemplating how long he should keep searching, he felt his connection to Persephone snap into place. ¡°Persephone?¡± He called out mentally ¡°Hello, Xane.¡± Came her child like voice along with the excite he normally felt from her during these brief talks. ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°Much better. Mother says that I will soon be strong enough to hunt.¡± She replied cheerfully. Her exuberance that came through their connection brought a smile to his face. ¡°How about you, Xane? I can sense you are not at your home.¡± Persephone¡¯s question startled him for a moment until she explained. ¡°I can get a sense of the scents around you through our bond.¡± She said. That¡¯s when Xane got an idea. ¡°Persephone, can you ask your mother a question for me. I¡¯m looking for a plant and having trouble finding it.¡± ¡°What type of plant?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a flower. Five petals, purple in color with blood red rims. I don¡¯t have a name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Night¡¯s blood blossom. It only blooms in moonlight. Why do you need this flower?¡± She asked him. Xane quickly explained he needed it to help a child that was suffering a an illness known as chicory fever. A moment he nearly fell off his log when Thresh¡¯s voice came through the connection. Xane was thankful he was in the body of child, because her voice was that seductive. ¡°Xane, as Persephone said the flower you are searching for is the Night¡¯s Blood Blossom. As I¡¯m sure you gathered it only blooms at night. To harvest it you need to do so while it is being bathed in the moons¡¯ light. While cutting the flower you must inject mana into the plant and place it inside either your bag or inventory. Doing so will prevent it from wilting before it can be used to concoct the cure. Also do not let sunlight touch the flower once it has been cut or it will become dust.¡± ¡°Thank you Thresh.¡± Was all he could manage as he strained against the pressure she put his mind under just from speaking to him telepathically. ¡°Mother says you are most welcome, Xane. I must go. Farewell until next time.¡± Persephone¡¯s voice came through before the connection between them closed. Calling Wraith to him, Xane pulled some paper and a piece of charcoal. After scribbling out a hasty message, he tied it to the bird¡¯s leg and sent him off back to town. With a handful of hours to wait, Xane climbed up into a tree and settled into the crook of a thick branch. After flipping through his menus, setting up an alarm. Xane closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. A soft chime roused him from his sleep. Stretching as he worked the kinks out of his stiff muscles, Xane canceled the noise with a mental command. Wraith clicked break, drawing Xane¡¯s attention to him as he sat perched on a nearby branch. The raven bent his head down to pick at what was tied to his leg. Seeing it was a different piece of parchment, Xane fished out a piece of jerky and fed it to the ravenous bird as he snatched the note with a free hand. ¡°Xane, I have gotten your message and have informed Sarah and the apothecary of the news. Unfortunately, the gate must remain closed until dawn. The best we can do is lower a rope down to you when you arrive. Sgt. Delores¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing, I guess.¡± Xane said to himself before stashing the note and climbing down to the ground. With Wraith flying overhead, it took almost an hour before Xane found the first flower. Sitting in the space between a trio of trees, he caught the crimson glow the flower gave off. Pulling his skinning knife from the sheath on his belt. Xane held his breath as he grasped the stem in one hand and began to channel his mana into it. Pinching the stem between the blade and thumb, he snipped the flower. Letting out his breath, Xane dropped his knife to open his bag and place the flower inside. Snatching his knife off the ground, he could only hope he didn¡¯t screw it up. Wraith called him from a tree a few yards away, below him sat another of the glowing flowers. Tucked away amongst the tree¡¯s roots. Hurrying over, he quickly channeled more of his energy into the flower as he cut it free. With two safely tucked away, Xane sheathed his blade as they set out to find another. Scouring the forest, it took the two of them nearly six hours before they found a third. Sitting between a pair of trees, lit by a shaft of golden moonlight, the flower glowed brightly. Stowing his bow, Xane drew his knife as Wraith landed in the branches above. Crouching down he reached forward as a shadow fell across the delicate plant. With the loss of the moonlight, the petals visibly wilted. Xane snatched his hands back as he sucked in a nervous breath. Looking up, he saw Wraith gazing down and clicking his beak. Sending the bird a mental command as he waved at it to move. Wraith let out a gronk before hoping away to another branch. Glancing down he let out his breath as the petals filled back out in the light. Quickly as he dared, Xane harvested the last flower and stowed it away. Wraith let a small noise of apology, as Xane fixed him with a glare. Rolling his eyes at the bird, he fished out another chunk of meat and tossed it up. Wraith squawked in happiness as he jumped to snatch the morsel out of the air. Xane waited as the bird settled on his shoulder before he started heading back towards town. He had barely gotten a few hundred yards when he felt a sense of dread. Stopping in his tracks, he summoned his bow. Slowly he turned in place as he looked for the source of the danger. Wraith¡¯s feathers puffed out as his head snapped to the side. Gronk! Looking in the direction the bird indicated, Xane sucked in a breath before swallowing in fear. A low rumbling could be felt through the ground as the creature let out a deep growl. Moon light glinted of razor sharp claws, attached to a paw larger than a dinner plate. Activating identify he read the results before uttering ¡°Oh, fuck me!¡± Bloody Delivery Chapter 11 Hell Cat (demonic beast) Level 50 Threat level: imminent death If the description wasn¡¯t proof enough to Xane about how screwed he was, the flashing red of the prompt only emphasized his situation. Closing out the screen brought up another flashing notification. New Quest Bloody Delivery Deliver the three Night¡¯s Blood Blossoms to either Sergeant Delores Cartwright or the Apothecary of Stonevale, while evading the deadly Hell Cat. Rewards: exp and unknown Failure: Fail to reach Sergeant Delores Cartwright or the Apothecary of Stonevale before dawn. Failure will result in the potential deaths of you and the child of Sarah Conner. Mandatory Quest: Can not be refused. Time remaining 01hr 59min If this was one of Alex¡¯s stories, he would have said something witty before diving right into the fight, but this was real life. More importantly he was a six-year-old boy named Xane, who thanks to the Goddess was level eight. So, he did the sensible thing¡­. He ran. Activating body reinforcement, Xane darted through the tree¡¯s as the giant cat chased after him. Summoning his bow, Xane slid to a stop already drawing back the string as an arrow manifested in position. He watched his mana dip further down as he activated multi-shot. Loosing his arrow towards the beast, he was already tuning back and running before the arrow split into three. A split second later, he heard a thunk as one hit a tree and a yowl of pain as another found its target. Xane didn¡¯t stop to celebrate though as he was busy running as he waited for his chance at another shot. Xane wanted to praise whoever had designed his mini map. Not only was his position indicated by a small green dot, but so was the Hell Cat that was tagged when he had cast identify. In his mind flashed the image of a small clearing, perfect for what he needed. Reaching into his bag, Xane pulled a vial filled with a pale blue liquid with his free hand. Tearing the stopper out with his teeth, he was already downing the potion as he turned to fire again. This time, two thunks rang out, along with a hiss of pain as he continued running. Passing through the tree line, Xane already had his first spell primed as his foot hit the ground. Setting his trap, he slid to a stop as he drew back on his bow. The Hell cast burst out of the trees and stumbled when its paws hit the softened earth. Lifting his bow, Xane activated arrow rain, and was already running before he could see the results. Behind him, he heard the shafts of arrows cutting through the air before thudding into the ground mixed with more yowls of pain from the beast. Not looking back, Xane kept running. Checking his map as he made a course correction, as he ran towards Stonevale. The red dot of the hell cat had disappeared off his map, leaving him with a sense of foreboding. Minimizing the map, his eyes slid over to his flashing mana bar that was nearly a quarter full. Slowing slightly, he fished out another potion to refill his mana pool. Xane could feel the potion leaking down the corner of his mouth as he dropped the empty vial. His mana bar rising to seventy-five percent then started falling. He was in the middle of fishing out a second when notification filled his vision. Unable to see, his foot caught on an upturned root, causing him to spill forward. At the same time, the dark and bloody form of the hell cat passed harmlessly through where he would have been had he not tripped. The hell cat, surprised it had missed its target, hesitated momentarily as it turned back to him and pounced. Pumping mana into his spell, Xane managed to raise a wall of stone just in time. Hopping to his feet as he began moving once again. Turning back, he loosed another multi-shot as the beast came over the wall, followed by another arrow storm as it had come off cooldown. Behind him, more sounds of arrows slicing through the air with plinks, thunks, and the occasional yowl of pain were barely heard over the rush of the wind past his ears. Knowing that staying on the ground was a losing battle, Xane ran until he found a low-hanging branch. Leveraging his heightened stats against his small body, he easily hefted himself up on top. Taking a moment to re-summon his bow, Xane nocked another arrow and waited. Slowly the hell cat prowled toward him as it searched for his trail. All over its body, he could see broken arrow shafts and open wounds from the fight. If Xane was an idiot, he would have assumed he had seriously hurt the beast. Thankfully, he knew so far what he had done amounted to nothing more than scratches on the level fifty monster. The red circle of his precise shot shrunk down to a red dot centered on the creature¡¯s eye as he loosed his arrow. When the arrow left his bow, more mana was ripped from his body as the arrow shimmered and split into three. Simultaneously, one arrow pierced its shoulder, as another pinned a paw to the ground. The third punched through the large glowing eye. The monster let out an ear-splitting screech of pain as it thrashed about. Turning away, Xane could only hope after this it would take time to retreat and lick its wounds. Checking his hud, his eyes moved to his half-filled mana bar before they dropped to the ticking timer below. Time remaining: 00hr 57min. Checking his map and estimating the distance, he figured he could make it with probably fifteen minutes to spare. Minimizing his map, he glanced over to his health, amazed he had managed to get away without taking damage. Chugging another mana potion when he saw it dip below fifty percent caused him to slow as he tried not to puke. Next to his health and mana bars, a small icon of a bottle with a line through it popped up with its own sixty-minute timer. He had read about it in the old hermit¡¯s journal. Potion sickness was debuff from drinking too many potions too quickly. On top of the gut-wrenching nausea that came with it. All potions had a seventy-five percent chance of not working as well as adding more time to the debuff. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Even through the twisting stomach and the ever-growing pain in his legs, Xane kept running. Keeping his mind clear as he concentrated on breathing. He was stumbling as his mana flagged when the town wall came into view. While he concentrated on his breathing to stave off the nausea helped, he fell into the familiar tunnel vison that came from the long runs of his military days. As he cleared the tree line, it was a loud gronk from Wraith that warned him something was wrong. A split-second later, pain ripped through his side as he was bowled off his feet and sent tumbling. Coming to his feet, Xane saw what had hit him. The hell cat was picking itself up off the ground from where Xane had barely dodged the worst of its attack. The beast was clearly hurt as blood leaked out its ruined eye socket. More than one of its legs moved with a pronounced limp from being hit with one of his many arrows. Searching around, he found his bow lying over fifty feet away near the tree line. Calling Wraith to him, Xane pulled off his satchel while tucking the flap into the bag. Diving away from the wounded beast as it attempted to pounce, Xane came up, wincing, and tossed the bag into the air. As the bag hit the apex of its flight, Wraith snatched the strap in his claws and flew away. Unable to reach his bow and mana barely above zero, Xane reached under his cloak and drew his short swords. Dropping into a stance with one sword held in a reverse grip, Xane hoped his few lessons with Mel would pay off. Slowly he backed away from the hell cat as he tried to circle around to get to the town wall and the rope he could see dangling off its side. Taking a few steps closer to the wall, Xane kept his eyes on the wounded cat. Just as he was shifting his weight to take another step, the hell cat pounced towards him with its claws outstretched. Not fully committed, Xane threw his weight on his back foot and pivoted. Weakly parrying an outstretched paw with his left, Xane struck out with his right. Blade sinking into the dark fur as a scream of pain ripped out of his lungs. His weak parry resulted in the hell cat¡¯s claws tearing through his armor and ripping into his side. Weakened by pain, Xane¡¯s grip on his sword was lost as the monster continued past him. Choosing to flee, Xane gripped his remaining sword tightly as he attempted to run for the dangling rope. From the top of the wall, he could hear the encouraging shouts of those waiting above. Clutching his side as he poured as much healing into his side as he dared. Xane barely turned in time to dodge another attack. Spinning around, he launched his sword with all his strength as he continued to rotate around. The rope was only a hundred feet as his vision started to blur. Stumbling towards the dangling lifeline, he fumbled along his belt as he searched for another weapon. Just as the darkness threatened to take him, his vision cleared as a notification dinged and he felt his mana refill. Reactivating body reinforcement, Xane flew the last remaining feet as he ripped the blade free of its sheath. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as his sense of danger spiked. Leaping up, one foot hit the wall, followed by the other. With another step, Xane leaped off the wall, twisting in the air. With a wordless scream, he brought down the blade of his skinning knife down into the skull of the wide eye beast. Twisting the blade, snapped it off in the monster¡¯s brain. His body hit the ground and knocking the wind from his lungs. Just feet away, the hell cat flopped to the ground and spasmed briefly before going limp. Sucking in wheezing gasps, Xane pushed himself up onto his knees as cheers rang out from the top of the wall. Once his lungs could suck in air normally, he went about patching his wounds. Stumbling to his feet, Xane turned back and walked to the wall before coming to a stop. Furrowing his brows, Xane¡¯s eyes roamed the wall, finding it missing the rope that was there just minutes ago. Xane was about to unleash a stream of obscenities when the noise of the gates opening caused him to pause. Wearily he turned towards where the road met the town wall as a group of guards came rushing out towards him. As they neared, the guards fanned out into a semicircular formation. He counted fifteen guards dressed in full armor with spears and shields held at the ready. Standing in the formation of five columns wide by three rows deep, each of the men watched him silently. A moment later, the formation split, with the familiar face of the captain approaching him. Stopping just feet away, Captain Alder stood with his hands behind his back as he looked down at Xane with an unreadable expression. In response, Xane tilted his head back to stare up at the man. The captain was the first to break their silent standoff. ¡°Xane, you look like a mess.¡± Captain Alder said with a grin and a chuckle that turned into boisterous laughter at Xane¡¯s deadpan expression. The captain lowered himself till he could look Xane square in the eye. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the man gave him a wide smile as he nodded to the dead monster behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s get you inside. I¡¯ll have someone bring your trophy.¡± The captain said. Xane leaned over to look past the captain to confirm I he saw somebody. Looking back at the captain, a smirk grew on Xane¡¯s small mouth. ¡°Gibson?¡± he asked ¡°You want Gibson to escort you?¡± the captain asked with a concerned look. Shaking his head, Xane pointed at the dead hell cat, causing the man to grin. ¡°Oi Gibson, you''re on corpse retrieval.¡± Another guard chortled as the rest broke out into laughter. Gibson looked between the dead monster and him, looking genuinely hurt. ¡°What I do to you?¡± he asked. ¡°Xane, not Zo Za Zein.¡± Xane replied, feeling like giving the man some shit for screwing up his name so badly the last time. Gibson¡¯s shoulders slumped as his jaw fell in response, before Xane joined the other guards and the captain in a round of laughter. Gibson, realizing he was the butt of the joke, took it in stride, joining in a moment later. ¡°Come on, hero. There¡¯s someone waiting for you.¡± The captain said, patting his shoulder. Xane looked at the man with a raised eyebrow. The captain just gave him a knowing smirk before standing and motioning for him to follow. Walking beside the man, Xane noticed the debuff icon disappear. Reaching for his bag before he stopped, realizing he currently didn¡¯t have, he let out a sigh. Feeling the captain nudge his shoulder, Xane looked up to see the man holding something out to him. Taking the proffered item, a small smile crossed his weary face as the red of a healing potion could be seen. Tearing the stopper free, he eagerly drank the potion. Letting a sigh of relief as he could feel the rest of his wounds close, and the pain begin to fade. Passing through the gate and entering the light of the town, Xane looked down to see the sorry state his gear was in. His cloak was in tatters from the many close calls with the hell cat¡¯s claws and the branches and bushes of the forest. The armor he wore had large tears and gaping holes from his fight. About the only thing that made it through the battle was his boots, and they were soaked with his blood. ¡°What I wouldn¡¯t give for a hot bath.¡± He thought, feeling the caked blood and dirt flaking off his skin. Xane was pulled from his dreams of hot water and soap by the murmuring of the gathered crowd. Coming to a stop, he unconsciously clutched the empty potion bottle in his hand as he felt everyone¡¯s eyes on him. Beside him, Captain Aler raised his hand to silence the town¡¯s folk. The feeling of their gazes intensified as the voices quieted down. ¡°Good people of Stonevale¡­¡± He heard the captain say as he began his speech. Xane¡¯s eyes started feeling heavy while the captain¡¯s words became drowned out by the heavy beating of his heart. The people standing around started to blur and shift as lightheadedness set in. Xane¡¯s body grew weak as he stumbled forward, barely catching himself by the man¡¯s armor. His head swam and his vison grew dark. The last thing he remembered was the clinking of the bottle as it slipped from his grasp and hit the ground before sleep overtook him. trauma behind those eyes Chapter 12 Xane snapped away with a start, sitting up and panting heavily. Looking around his surrounding, his eyes took in the wooden walls and sunlight coming in through an open window. Turning his head to the left, he found he was eye to eye with the face of a little girl. Letting out a startled cry, Xane reeled back before falling off the bed with a crash and a shout. ¡°Ahhh!¡± A moment later, as he was untangling himself from the covers that came off the bed with him, the door opened. ¡°Charlotte, I told you not to bother him!¡± came a woman¡¯s voice that made him freeze in place. Next came more footsteps as the woman entered the room and walked around the foot of the bed. Looking up at the scowling face of a woman with her auburn hair pulled back in a braid. Seeing her face caused Xane to pull the blanket tightly around himself while pressing his small body into the corner of the wall. The woman¡¯s scowl softened into a look of concern, lowering herself to her knees and holding her hands up in a calming manner. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe. You passed out after your ordeal, and my husband brought you here.¡± She said, speaking with a gentle tone to him. ¡°Where¡­?¡± He asked, looking around nervously. His heart hammering in fear of the unknown woman between him and his freedom. ¡°You¡¯re inside the town infirmary.¡± The woman replied, still speaking in her soothing tone with her hands still visible. He was about to ask who she was when more footsteps pulled his attention to the door. ¡°Xane, you¡¯re awake.¡± Delores said, rushing into the room, then coming to a stop seeing his pitiful state. ¡°Mary, I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± She said, motioning to the woman with her head to leave. Mary looked between the two of them before letting out a sigh. Slowly she stood before moving to take the girl¡¯s hand and leave the room. Seeing the sergeant seemed to relax him, which made him wonder why. He had lost the bolstering effects of being bonded with Persephone months ago. Over the months and his visits to town, he had unknowingly begun thinking of her as an older sister. Plus, she never spoke down to him like he was a child. Which was always a plus when you have the memories of a man in his thirties. Delores moved to the side of the bed while holding up a familiar object. ¡°Here, I¡¯m sure you want this back.¡± She said, sitting his satchel down on the bed before taking a seat in a nearby chair. Pulling the blanket close to his naked body, Xane slowly reached up, then snatched his bag. Opening the flap, he inspected the contents finding the flowers were gone. Seeing the questioning look he was giving her, Delores started to explain.¡± ¡°Wraith found me and dropped your bag at my feet. That was smart, tucking the flap the way you did, or else I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get inside. I found the flower and got them to the apothecary. When I had returned, you had already passed out and Captain Alder was bringing you here.¡± Xane took a moment to take in her words when his eyebrows shot up in surprise as his head turned to the door, then back to the sergeant. ¡°Mary?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s the captain¡¯s wife and the town healer.¡± She said with a smirk. ¡°Go on, get dressed. You¡¯ll find some clean clothes behind the screen in the corner.¡± She said, motioning the privacy screen set up opposite where she sat. Rising from her chair, Delores left him alone in the room. Stepping behind the screen, he found the clothes she had mentioned. A soft linen tunic dyed dark green with a pair of supple leather pants made of dark brown leather. Both items looked to have been made for his size. Setting down his bag, Xane begun dressing as he started checking his notifications. Quest complete: Bloody Delivery While you didn¡¯t personally bring the Night¡¯s Blood Blossoms to Sergeant Cartwright. Your quick thinking and use of your bonded pet succeeded in the face of overwhelming odds. Rewards: 500 exp, +3 to Herbalism skill, +2 to Luck New title: Hell Cats¡¯ Bane This title awards the following: +5 to Agility, +3 to Dexterity, Predator skill +25% damage against feline type beasts and monsters New Skill: Predator Predator: This skill allows you to hide your presence from other beings. You can also exude an aura capable of stunning a target for two seconds. Higher levels in predator will increase effectiveness of skill. What followed was a host of level up notifications from his fight with the hell cat and the quest completion. When it was finished, he felt his body swell then shrink back down from the stat changes. Opening his, sheet he checked his changes.
Name Xane
Age 6
Level 25
experience 0/26000
Hp 7600
Strength 76
Agility 86
Dex 84
Intelligence 94
Wisdom 94
Constitution 76
Defense 8
Luck 15
Mana 940
Mana regeneration 94pts per sec
skill points 40
Skills
Archery lvl 5
Compacted Mass
Crafting lvl 3
Double Dip
Healing lvl2
Identify lvl5
Fletching lvl2
Herbalism lvl9
Mining lvl3
Trapping lvl3
Earth Manipulation
Animal Empathy
Body Reinforcement lv4
Multi shot lv3
Dodge
Night Sight
Poison immunity
Predator
Item Granted Skills Stealth +35
Precise Shot lvl9
special
Arrow rain lvl3
Boons/Blessings
Amora''s enchanced blessing
Blooded (obsidian dragon)
Soul bonded
Spells
Harden Earth lvl 3
Soften Earth lvl 3 Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Raise Earth lvl 2
Shape Earth lvl 2
Move Earth lvl 3
Bonded companion/s
Persephone (obsidian hatchling)
Wraith (dusk raven)
Titles Hell Cats'' Bane
Xane was taken aback by the changes his sheet contained. All of his stats had gone up by at least thirty-four points. A number of his skills had also leveled because of the fight. After going over the title he earned, his eyes shot back to the top. Apparently, he had a birthday recently that he had missed. Shrugging off more painful memories of the past, he finished by placing a dark green cloak around his shoulders and slipping his feet into a new pair of boots, Courtesy of Boyd. After slinging his satchel strap over his shoulder and pulled the hood of his cloak up, Xane stepped out and left the room. Stepping into a larger room with empty cots laid out for patients. He found Delores waiting nearby with Mary, along with the woman he remembered was Sarah and the girl Charlotte clinging to her skirts. Clutching the strap of his bag in both hands, he did his best to fight back the anxiety. The little girl was the first to notice him as she left her mother¡¯s side and skipped over to him. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Charlotte, but you can call me Charlie. Momma says you¡¯re the one who brought the medicine?¡± She said, coming to a stop a few feet from him. The little girl¡¯s innocence and sweet smile, help to set him at ease. He responded by giving the girl a nod with a small smile. Charlie''s voice drew the attention of Delores and the other women. ¡°Xane¡­ I want to thank you for what you¡¯ve done. If there is anything I can ever do to repay you. Please let me know.¡± Sarah said as she stepped up behind Charlotte and placed her hands on her daughter¡¯s shoulder''s. Unable to protest, he just nodded his head in acceptance. The door opened with a tall figure silhouetted against the outside light entered as smaller shadow speed through the open door. Mary turned, raising her hands and started shouting. ¡°NO! Get that bird out of here this instant!¡± she said as she tried to shoo Wraith back outside. ¡°Let him be, Mary. It is his pet, after all.¡± Captain Ader said with a hearty chuckle. In response, the man¡¯s wife sent him an angry glare before relenting. ¡°Fine, but if it makes a mess, you¡¯re cleaning it up.¡± She said as she walked over and poked her husband in the chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here to collect your guest. Provided he is fit enough to leave.¡± He said, with his hands raised. Mary looked between her husband and Xane before nodding and stepping back. Delores stepped forward and placed a hand on Xane¡¯s shoulder, causing him to tense momentarily. Wraith had settled on his shoulder and for once, wasn¡¯t begging for a morsel to eat. Following the man outside, he found he wasn¡¯t far from the gatehouse, which proved to be their destination. The captain pushed open the door and waited for Xane to enter. Entering the small room followed by Delores and the captain, Xane found himself looking upon the face of the smiling quartermaster. ¡°Xane it¡¯s good to see you''re finally up and about. You had us worried sick after you passed out during the captain¡¯s speech about you.¡± Marcus said with a wide grin, to which Xane only gave a small smile and looked back at Captain Alder apologetically. For his part, the captain shot Marcus a glare before giving Xane a small smile of his own. ¡°First off, I wanted to let you know we recovered most of your weapons that were¡­ lost during your fight. As for your armor, it was too far gone for us to repair.¡± Xane¡¯s smile at hearing most of his gear had been recovered, faltered at hearing about his ruined armor. Delores must have sensed his disappointment, because she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure you will be more than happy with what our leatherworkers have come up with.¡± That got Xane¡¯s attention as his head snapped up with a raised brow. Xane stood alone in the room he first used when he had gotten his first set of real gear. In the corner of the room was a sewing dummy with a set of dark leather armor draped over it. Beside it, his two short swords sat in their sheaths hanging from a peg by the included chest harness. Leaning against the wall, he found his bow and quiver. Satisfied that his weapons were back in his possession, he turned to the armor and inspected it. Hell Cat leathers of the Stalking Hunter Item type: crafted Item quality: superior Durability 400/400 Defense +200 Stealth +25 Attached skill: shadow blend Shadow blend: User becomes one with the shadows, obstructing them from the view of others. While active adds +50 to stealth while active. Unlike his old gear, that was dark green. This armor was predominately a dark grayish color, with streaks of forest green. Ten minutes later, he was stepping to find Delores waiting with Captain Alder and Marcus. ¡°Now that¡¯s a fierce-looking halfling if I¡¯ve ever seen one.¡± Marcus said wide grin from his seat on a footlocker as both the Captain and Delores gave him appraising looks. ¡°We had our best leatherworkers craft that for you from the skin of the beast you slew. ¡°The captain said that caused Xane to give the three of them a concerned look. ¡°How¡­ how long?¡± Xane asked. ¡°You were asleep for a day and a half, Xane. Mary¡­ she didn¡¯t know what to do after we brought you inside. For some reason, our scans don¡¯t work on you.¡± Delores said, giving him a gentle look. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said as his eyes looked down towards his feet. ¡°I think we should be the ones thanking you instead, Xane. You saved one of our own at great risk to yourself. Especially with you having to face off against a level 50 demonic beast. So on behalf of Stonevale I thank you.¡± Captain Alder said, surprising him by giving him a fist to chest salute. Before Xane could react, he had already turned and left the room, along with Marcus, a moment later. ¡°Is there anything you need before you leave town?¡± Delores asked him as she stood and stretched. Xane thought over everything and remembered breaking his knife during the fight. Xane¡¯s heart calmed as he stepped into the shadows of the forest. On his shoulder Wraith clicked his beak then took flight. This time, his journey back to his cave took longer than normal, because he kept veering off track to collect herbs. The sun was still high overhead while Xane was crouching down, harvesting a small green mushroom that was useful for mana potions. Collecting the last of the small shrooms, he stood and was about to head back to his cave when he felt something. Whatever it was, he could tell it was small, frightened and¡­ alone. The feeling was similar to what he felt the night Persephone called to him in desperation. Unable to ignore it, he motioned for Wraith to scout ahead. Xane had been searching the woods for over an hour when he found the source. He was crouched outside the opening of an animal den that had been dug deep under the roots of a large tree. From inside, he could hear the mewling cries of something crying out for its mother. Crouching down on all fours, he crawled into the dark hole, taking his time so his eyes would adjust to the light. With his Night Sight active, he could make out the form of something barely as long as his forearm as it squirmed around helplessly. Reaching out, he could feel the soft fur of the unknown animal. Gently as he could, Xane picked up the squirming baby before scurrying back out of the hole. Back in the light, he could see the animal had six legs with a feline head and tail. Even without his identify, he knew exactly what the little creature was. Hell Cat (Infant) Threat level: none This beast can be tamed Would you like to bond with Hell Cat (Infant)? Yes/No? Xane looked over the young kitten, even knowing how deadly and terrifying large it would get. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at how cute the baby was. That got him to thinking about the cat he once had, when he was Alex. He had found Tom huddled against the stairs to his and Angie¡¯s condo, abandoned by his mother. He had scooped the poor thing off the wet concrete and took it inside. So many nights spent awake, feeding him with a bottle until he was old enough to eat on his own. Then one day, when he had gotten back from a book signing, Tom was gone. Angie had claimed he had run outside while she had been coming home from her mother¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t until months later when he found out she had taken Tom to the vet and had him put down. With those memories, he clicked accept on the prompt while hugging the kitten to him. When the first screen vanished and the second appeared. Xane sat for some time as he stoked the animal in his arms, while he threw out names. ¡°Vaettr¡± He finally said confirming the name. Overhead, Wraith squawked loudly in protest over his acceptance. Xane rolled his eyes at the bird while fishing out a piece of smoked meat and tossed it to the bird before fishing out some cloth. Fashioning a makeshift sling, he turned away from his cave and headed back to town. An hour later, he was passing Mel and Gibson at the gate, then came to a stop. Charlie and her Mother stood in front of him, Sarah taking him in with wide eyes. ¡°Mr. Xane, I thought you had left?¡± she asked. Looking up at her, Xane pulled back his cloak, exposing the little bundle at his side. Charlie squealed in glee at seeing the baby, while her mother gasped in shock. ¡°That¡­ is that the child of that monster? What are you doing with it?¡± she asked. ¡°Vaettr.¡± He replied, giving her a scowl while Charlie had wiggled loose of her mother¡¯s grip to pet the kitten ¡°What?¡± ¡°Vaettr, not monster.¡± He said simply. Hoping she would let him get on with his business. Sarah stood there blinking in a slight stupor as Charlie squealed happily as she now cuddled the fuzzy baby. A moment later, Vaettr began to whine. ¡°Mama, she¡¯s hungry.¡± Charlie said, turning to look up at the woman. Sarah looked between the two of them. Sarah let out a sigh of defeat, seeing the hopeful look her little girl was giving her. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you returned to get a way to feed her?¡± Sarah asked. Xane smiled and gave her a nod. The woman thought for a moment before a small grin crossed her lips. ¡°I do still have a few bottles from when Charlotte was a baby. I can let you have one, but you need to come and have dinner with us tonight.¡± She said, looking down at him, waiting for his answer. Xane looked up at her with a raise brow. Reaching into a pouch, he pulled out a silver coin and offered it to her. ¡°Oh no, I won¡¯t take your coin. If you want the bottle, then you need to have dinner with us.¡± She replied, holding up a hand in protest. Looking between Charlie and Vaettr, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he nodded his acceptance. Thirty minutes later, Xane found himself sitting at a dining table in a small home, while Charlie sat next to him feeding Vaettr. Sarah was busying herself with preparing food when the door opened, letting a man inside. ¡°Papa!¡± Charlie shouted as she hopped off her chair and ran to him, still holding the nursing kitten. The man scooped her up in a hug, mindful of the animal she was holding. After kissing her on the cheek, he fixed his eyes on Xane. ¡°I¡¯m told you¡¯re the one that helped my little girl?¡± He asked, to which Xane just nodded. ¡°Hmm. Just because you saved her doesn¡¯t mean you get to marry her.¡± The man said with a stern expression. Xane shook his head furiously while he waved his hands in front of him. The man¡¯s stern expression broke as he let out a boisterous laugh as Sarah came over and swatted him on the arm. ¡°Don¡¯t scare the boy. Clive.¡± She said scolding him, causing him to laugh even more with his daughter giggling along. ¡°I¡¯m just messing with him, hon.¡± He said, giving a smile before setting Charlie down and taking Sarah in his arms. Uncomfortable, Xane turned away as the two flirted. A moment later, the two separated after a few quick kisses. The man turned back to Xane holding out a calloused hand. ¡°Name¡¯s Clive. I¡¯m one of the town¡¯s leather workers. Actually, I¡¯m the one that was tasked with making that new gear you now wear. ¡°Thank you, gear good.¡± Xane replied # Sarah watched Xane, since before he entered her home. She had expected him to be loud and talking about all the adventures he had been through. But he was quiet, and painfully so. Her little girl seemed enamored with him, yet he¡­ seemed afraid. Charlotte would scoot her chair closer to him and he would move his chair away until he was up against the corner of the table and had nowhere to go. The both of them tried to talk with him and ask him questions, to which he would only nod or shake his head. The entire time, his eyes were always downcast. She noticed the way he would tense anytime she picked up either a knife or other utensil, like he was expecting to be attacked. When her husband arrived home, he had relaxed slightly but still remained quiet. Though spoke a few words when Clive would ask him anything that would require something other than a yes or no answer. By the time dinner was finished and the last of the dishes placed on the counter, Charlotte was getting sleepy and had returned his¡­ pet back to him before going to sleep. When she had offered to let him stay at their home for the night, his face paled in fright. Before she knew it, she and Clive were watching him head towards the town gate. When he was out of sight, her husband let out a heavy sigh and pulled her into their home. ¡°Clive, why didn¡¯t you insist he stay? It¡¯s dangerous outside the wall after sunset.¡± She asked. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have done any good, Sarah. Even if you did convince him to stay, I¡¯m certain you would have found he had left during the night.¡± Shaking her head, she decided on another approach. ¡°Did you know that when I offered to let him have those feeding bottles for him having supper with us. He tried to pay me instead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t just runaway.¡± Her husband said with a chuckle, though his eyes didn¡¯t reflect the mirth in his voice. ¡°Are you saying my cooking is so bad makes children run?¡± she asked, upset at Clive¡¯s joke. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. That boy was afraid of you and Charlotte.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± she nearly shouted. Clive closed his eyes and let out a slow sigh. ¡°There was trauma behind that boy¡¯s gaze, Sarah. I¡¯m guessing he was treated horribly, and from the way he reacted. It was a woman, most likely his own mother, that did it to him. I¡¯ve seen that look before on children in the slums of the capital. Children who are abused and neglected by their own parents.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so, then it¡¯s even more reason to keep him inside the town walls.¡± She told him, wanting to go chase the boy down and drag him back. Clive shook his head as he gave her a gentle smile. ¡°Sarah, I know you see just a small child in need of a loving family. But you didn¡¯t see what I saw atop the wall the other night. Xane is a lot tougher than he looks, a hell of a lot tougher.¡± He said, this time letting out a chuckle that was mirrored in his eyes. ¡°That beast he fought was level fifty, Sarah. A level fifty hell cat. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but he fought that beast and came out on top.¡± ¡°But.¡± She started to protest before her husband kissed her. ¡°If you need more convincing, you can always go ask Delores. She seems to be somewhat close to the boy.¡± He told her as he pulled back and looked her in the eyes. Sarah could feel the small grimace on her lips even as she gave him a nod. ¡°If you hurry, I¡¯m sure you can find her at the tavern. I¡¯ll watch over Charlotte.¡± Clive told her as he gave her a soft squeeze before heading inside. Taking his advice, Sarah picked up the hem of her dress and headed towards the center of town. Minutes later, Sarah pushed through the tavern door to the loud sounds of conversation and laughter. Moving past the filled tables, she took the open stool next to sergeant Cartwright and her friend the cobbler. ¡°Sarah? What brings you here?¡± Delores asked her after she set down her mug on the bar top. Sarah sat there for a moment as she pieced together her question. ¡°How well do you know Xane?¡± Coughing as she had nearly choked on her ale, she wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve as she fixed her with a glare. ¡°Why do you ask? Are you second guessing asking him to find the medicine your girl needed? If you haven¡¯t noticed, it¡¯s a little late for that.¡± ¡°What? No, nothing like that. Honestly, I am extremely grateful to him. It¡¯s just that¡­.¡± Sarah said as she waved off the sergeant''s concerns. She told the woman about her interactions with the boy, starting with how he had showed back up with the hell cat¡¯s offspring in search of a means to provide for the tiny creature. After she finished telling the woman how he acted during the brief dinner. She asked. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Let him heal in peace.¡± Delores said, as her friend Boyd nodded silently beside her. ¡°Can we really let one so young roam around outside the town¡¯s wall like it''s nothing?¡± The sergeant let out snort before taking a deep pull from her mug of ale before fixing her with a hard look. ¡°You had no problem sending him out there to get your daughter those flowers, Sarah. I understand your desire as a mother that you want to protect him. Even I want to protect him, but Xane is strong and knows what he is doing.¡± ¡°But he should be, he should be with his family, not living like he is.¡± Sarah protested. ¡°Damn it Sarah, it''s because of his family that he is living like he is.¡± Delores said before taking a deep breath. Sarah was about to speak when the sergeant held up her hand. ¡°Sarah, I can¡¯t say much, but what I can say is this. As you may suspect, he was¡­. horribly treated by his own mother and nearly died because of it. You may not like it, but Xane is much better off out there. Forcing him to do otherwise¡­ it won¡¯t end well.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­ Xane does seem to have a good head on his shoulders. Did you know he even had a diaper on that kitten of his?¡± ¡°If you think that¡¯s impressive, you should see him haggle with old Thomas. You know he got two gold out of the old codger for that elk there?¡± She said, motioning to the recently added elk''s head mounted high above the wall. ¡°What?¡± Sarah asked, surprised to hear a child came out ahead against that money grubber. ¡°Oh, it was a sight to behold, especially when he did it with hardly saying a word.¡± Delores said as she broke out into a laugh. After a moment, she fixed Sarah with another look, this one softer than the stern glare from before. ¡°Besides, unless he has a goat or two stashed away somewhere, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be seeing more.¡± Sarah could only agree with the woman. Besides, maybe Charlotte could help by befriending the boy. Her little girl was already enamored by him. Flagging down the barman, she got herself and ale before turning back to the sergeant. ¡°Tell me about his time with Thomas.¡± adopted? Chapter 13 Vaettr grew like a weed over the following months, and Xane found himself forced to visit Stonevale more than he had originally planned. With his increased visits came something unexpected for him. He found another friend in the girl, Charlotte. The little girl loved Vaettr and would dote on the growing hell cat whenever she could. Curiously Xane found himself able to relax around the little girl, often becoming a child himself when she convinced him to play games with her. Xane found Charlotte was very smart for her age and could talk his ear off. For his part, he would just listen to her, often communicating with her through facial expressions and the occasional verbal answer. It was during one of their many one-sided conversations, he found out she wanted to be an adventurer and delve the labyrinth. Soon after, their childish games of hide and seek turned to them sparring with sticks. That wasn¡¯t to say Xane spent all his time in Stonevale. He still roamed the woods far outside the range of the captain¡¯s scouts. Especially after Vaettr went through an explosive growth spurt and grew to the size of a small horse. With some trial and error along with Charlotte¡¯s father¡¯s help, Vaettr had transitioned into a mount. At first Vaettr would send him feelings of irritation when Xane would fit the saddle on her back. But with plenty of coaxing along with plenty of meaty treats, she became used to the mass of leather and straps the saddled added. That wasn¡¯t to say Clive provided the saddle for free. Xane had to pay the man ten gold coins for his work. Fortunately Xane had more than enough coins thanks to his foraging in the forest for herbs the apothecary normally couldn¡¯t get. It was during one of his extended excursions at the behest of Captain Alder when Xane came across a small cave in the western woods. Night was falling and Stonevale was hours away, even when taking Vaettr¡¯s speed into account. A chill wind blew through the trees, causing him to pull his cloak tightly around himself in an effort to ward off the wintry chill. Sliding off the saddle, Xane looked around the area before he started to make camp for the night. Using his earth spells, he quickly raised a series of low walls around the small cave before starting a fire. He wasn¡¯t worried about the cave being occupied, from the way Vaettr had sniffed the opening, then dismissed it. With the fire started Vaettr settled against one wall as Wraith roosted in the large cat¡¯s fur. Setting his sight on the cave opening, he crawled inside, finding he could barely fit. Having nothing better to do and his pets having settled themselves in for the night, Xane started working. A smile grew on his lips as the earth and stone started shifting and the space expanded from his magic. Xane had just returned from taking a break from his digging to stoke the fire and eat a late dinner when he found it. After coming back in, he had pulled his lamp from his inventory and lit it to see the space he had dug out. Lamp light glittered off something still buried in the back wall of the expanded chamber. With his pick, he dug around the spot that glimmered, and after fifteen minutes of work, he was holding his prize. In his hand was a crystal like piece of silvery blue metal that was rather light for its size. Mithril Ore This rare ore is created by certain minerals being saturated with pure mana over an unknown amount of time. While light, this material is highly resistant to damage and boasts an unnaturally high durability. It is for this reason that it is a highly sought after resource amongst crafters and kingdoms. All thoughts of sleep were forgotten after reading the description his identify skill provided and dug further. It wasn¡¯t until the sun had risen high enough in the sky to shine a light into the cave that he came to a stop. He had expected to find a chunk, maybe two, if he was lucky, but what he found left him wondering how his luck stat actually worked. It had taken nearly a whole night of digging and casting spells before he finally broke through the last of the stone wall. During his digging, he had found more and more of the crystals that only spurred him on. Now as he packed away the last of the loose crystals in his bag, his eyes kept moving to the more impressive of the finds. The cavernous room glittered brightly from the light of his small lamp. The cave was massive, with large clusters of the silvery blue crystals jutting from almost every surface. The sight of it reminded him of the giant geodes that could be found in most museums on Earth, just on a much grander scale. Slipping the strap of his satchel over his shoulder, Xane sent his lamp into his inventory before leaving the cave. Stepping outside, he found his fire had died away and was nothing more than a bed of smoldering coals that was quickly being buried in falling snow. Lowing a section of the wall, he slipped into Vaettr¡¯s saddle and turned towards town. By the time the sun was nearing its noon time apex, they were breaking out of the tree line. Vaettr turned towards the gate while Wraith flew overhead. Vaettr¡¯s rolling stride slowed from a run to a slow trot as they passed through the town gate. A moment later Charlotte came running up to bury her face in the hell cat¡¯s dark fur as she gave the feline a fierce hug. The moment Xane¡¯s feet touched the ground, Charlie had released the cat and threw herself onto Xane embracing him as well. He accepted his friend''s hug and gave her one in return. ¡°We were worried about you, Xane. We thought you may have gotten lost in the snow.¡± Charlie said as she fixed him with a teary smile. In return, he gave her a reassuring smile and ruffled her hair. ¡°Xane, how did the expedition go?¡± Delores asked as she came walking up to them, letting her spear relax against her shoulder. Xane¡¯s smile grew wide before he fished out a small crystal the size of his thumb and tossed it to the woman. A moment later, his smile fell as the woman¡¯s eyes widened and her face grew pale. Delores hurriedly pushed the shard back into his hands before ushering him inside Marcus¡¯ office. The whole time muttering something about having to inform the captain. Once more, Xane found himself sitting on the stool in the corner of the room while the quarter master just watched with his stony gaze. ¡°What the hell? Delores went from happy to upset in the blink of an eye.¡± He started thinking as Wraith gobbled down the piece of smoked meat he had received. Before he could get too lost in thought, the door opened, with Delores and the captain following shortly behind. ¡°Sergeant Cartwright tells me you found something.¡± Captain Alder said, coming to a stop a short distance from where he sat. Marcus just snorted and shook his head as he started to stand. Xane just shrugged and pulled the piece of mithril from his pocket and handed it over to the captain. Alder¡¯s eyebrow rose as he inspected the small piece of mithril for a moment before he turned his eyes back on Xane. ¡°Was this all you found?¡± he asked. Xane shook his head and opened his bag and began to upend it. ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± the Captain asked, but was answered by the thunks and eventual clinking of the crystals piling up on the floor. Xane guessed he had emptied out about a hundred pounds of the stuff before he stopped and checked his bag. While a hundred pounds of the material was a large amount, it was nothing compared to the two-hundred cubic feet his bag could hold. After a brief glance, he figured he had another five hundred pounds of the stuff still stored away, along with the other items he kept inside the bag. While he did keep the majority of his items and gear inside his inventory, Xane maintained a small collection of items in his bag, so no one would suspect he had the skill. ¡°Xane, where did you¡­ where did you find all this?¡± the captain asked as Delores and Marcus were still stunned by the pile of glittering crystals. Xane reached back inside his bag and removed a rolled-up parchment while hopping down from the stool. Spreading the parchment out on the floor, he quickly pointed out the location of the cave. His finger was in a spot that was mostly blank, as it was the area he was sent to explore. Pulling a piece of charcoal from his bag, Xane quickly traced out a copy of what his system map displayed. Marking the location of the small cave on the newly filled map a few minutes later. He stepped back for the three ¡°adults¡± to inspect. The three of them fell into a hushed conversation while Xane just shrugged and started packing the crystals back into his bag. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. His hand was reaching for the last of the shards when the captain placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Xane.¡± The man started, then took a deep breath as he fixed him with a serious look. ¡°Is there more mithril where you found this?¡± He asked, pointing at the remaining shard. Xane just gave him a slow nod, as if he was saying there was a lot more. Acting on the captain¡¯s advice, Xane had purchased any supplies he needed before he left town and holed up inside his cave. The reason was so scouts could be sent out and investigate his find before any decisions were made. Xane had no issues accepting the request from the man he had grown to respect. It was four days later when Wraith arrived with a message. Originally the captain had planned to send someone to his home when a decision was reached, but Delores had come up with the idea of having his raven deliver the message instead. When Vaettr stepped out of the forest and trotted up to the gate, Xane was caught by surprise. Waiting for him was not only Charlotte, her parents and Delores, but the captain and the mayor were there as well. Minutes later, he found himself inside the mayor¡¯s home with everyone¡¯s eyes on him. The first to speak was Mayor Unger. ¡°Xane, I¡¯m sure you are wondering why I have brought you here.¡± The mayor said, to which Xane nodded as he looked around nervously. ¡°It¡¯s about the vein of mithril you discovered days ago. While it will be a great boon to Stonevale, it will bring complications for you.¡± The mayor said. Xane only raised a brow in question. ¡°The problem stems from the fact that you discovered the ore vein, but you have no family to back you.¡± The mayor started. Xane¡¯s questioning look became one that showed he didn¡¯t like where this talk was going. ¡°Xane¡­ we understand that you¡­ don¡¯t have a family. Not to mention you exhibit abilities well beyond what one of your age should be able to use. As it stands now, we fear that someone with nefarious purposes may try to use you.¡± The mayor continued, causing Xane to scowl. ¡°What Mayor Unger is trying to say, Xane. Is that we believe it would be best if you let yourself be adopted by one of us.¡± Captain Alder said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. Xane¡¯s scowl changed back to a questioning look as his green eyes swept those gathered. ¡°Why? Town can have mine.¡± Xane said with a shrug. He didn¡¯t want the mine, as he had more than enough of the crystals in his bag, not to mention the larger ones he had squirreled away in his inventory. ¡°While that will benefit the town immensely, you are still listed as the one who discovered the mine and will be entitled to a percentage of the earnings. And with you not having a family, any noble could try to snatch you up and use you for their own means.¡± ¡°So to prevent that, Xane, all of us here wish to adopt you.¡± Sarah said as her hands rested on her daughter¡¯s shoulders. Beside her, her husband Clive gave his wife a sideways hug while giving Xane a small grin. After a moment of thought, he made his choice and with a raised of his hand, informed the others. ¡°Me?¡± Delores said, clearly shocked when his small finger pointed her way. Charlotte looked disappointed for a moment until her mother whispered something in her ear. Seconds later, the girl¡¯s smile was back and larger than before. ¡°Well, Sergeant Cartwright, it looks like you are now a mother.¡± Captain Alder said with a chuckle. Xane fixed the man with a scowl and a shake of his head. ¡°Not mother. Sister.¡± He said simply, getting a round of laughs and a look of relief from the shocked woman. A few moments passed before the mayor rose a hand and quieted the laughter. Once everyone was silent, he spoke again. ¡°Now then, it will take some time for us to get word to the capital, especially with winter¡¯s arrival. I suspect it will be spring before we hear back. I propose that in the meantime, we start clearing a way to the site and begin mining operations.¡± After a nod of assents from the adults and shrug from Xane. He continued. ¡°As for you, Xane¡­ I¡¯m not going to force you to live inside of town, but I will request that you do spend more nights within its walls.¡± The man said with a small smile. Xane frowned a little, then shrugged as he gave Delores a sideways glance. Apparently Mayor Unger had silently dismissed everyone as they filed past him, giving him pleasant smiles or pats on his shoulder. Just over a minute later, the two of them were standing outside the mayor¡¯s home when she turned to him and asked. ¡°Why me?¡± Xane looked up at her from the corner of his eye, giving her a small grin. ¡°You¡­ know¡­ secret.¡± He said slowly, having to find his voice after not really speaking for almost a year. Delores raised a brow. ¡°You mean you trust me?¡± she asked with a smirk. Xane just shrugged before holding up his thumb and forefinger with a small gap between them. Delores gave him another questioning look before she let out a laugh. ¡°A little, huh? Well, it¡¯s a start.¡± She said as she moved past, stopping when she got a few feet away. Turning back, she motioned to him. ¡°Well, come on, let me show you your new home.¡± Xane looked down at her from the top of the stairs, with his arms crossed over his chest. Taking in a deep breath, he let his arms drop to his sides as he exhaled and moved to her side. Looking up at the woman who held her hand out to him, he rolled his eyes. Before she could drop her hand, he reached out and took it. A small smile grew on the woman¡¯s lips as she led the way. ¡°I know it¡¯s not much, but at least it¡¯s home.¡± Delores said as she shouldered open the door. Vaettr stuck her head in after the woman before letting out a chuff and bounding off the porch. Xane gave Wraith a side eyed glance as the bird perched on his shoulder before following the woman inside. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s been a while since I had company.¡± She said, as she moved to block his view from a pair of women¡¯s underwear laying on a nearby chair. All round the small two-room hut, clothes sat discarded as if the owner didn¡¯t care. Out the corner of his eye he saw her snatch up the undergarments and stuff them under her armor and away from view. ¡°Small.¡± he said, giving her a glance. ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than living in a dank cave.¡± She snapped back defensively. Xane crossed his arms as he fixed her with a look that said. ¡°Oh, really.¡± ¡°Xane, I don¡¯t know about this.¡± She said as she got herself situated behind him. He looked back over his shoulder and smiled as if saying, ¡°Too late.¡± Right before Vaettr lurched forward in a run. Delores¡¯ screams mixed with his laughter as they shot out the gate and disappeared into the trees. Her screams fell away minutes later as she hugged him tightly while the hell cat raced through the trees. Even loaded down, the six-legged cat still managed to beat his best time back to the cave by ten minutes. Vaettr preen as he pretended to grumble while giving the large beast a few loving scratches behind her ears. Delores slid from Vaettr¡¯s back before clutching the ground like a man lost at sea. Wraith landed on an outcropping of stone as he gave out a laughing call. Turning to the rock wall, Xane channeled his spell, causing a portion to slide away. Pulling the lamp from his bag, he let Vaettr enter first before motioning for the woman to follow. Giving him a dubious look that quickly changed to awe after seeing his home for the first time. # Delores got a bad feeling from the look that Xane gave her when she brought up his cave. Motioning for her to follow, he walked back outside and called his hell cat over. Next, he hopped into the saddle on the huge cat¡¯s back, then turned to her with an outstretched hand. Tentatively she reached out and found herself surprised by the strength he had. The next moment, she found herself sitting behind him atop the feline beast. Next, Xane let out a click of his tongue and his hell cat shot off faster than any animal she had ridden before. Delores found herself screaming as they shot out the gate, crossed the clearing and entered the woods. The trees and bushes passed them in a blur and Vaettr kept running as the huge feline avoided anything in its path. Her screams came to a stop as her throat became sore. Left with no choice, she closed her eyes tightly as she wrapped Xane in a tight hug filled with fear. Before she knew it, the terrifying ride was over and she practically leaped from the saddle and clutched at the ground, swearing she would never leave it again. Behind her, she heard Xane chuckling at her actions. But she didn¡¯t care, she was safe, and that was all that mattered. When she was able to stand, she turned to find Xane standing before the rock face as his hand glowed with a golden light. Her confusion left her a moment later as a chunk of the rock pulled back into itself and slid to the side. The large cat chuffed happily before bounding inside the opening as Xane¡¯s raven flew past to follow the cat inside. Xane suddenly had a lantern in his grasp that wasn¡¯t there before. When he lifted the cover, it revealed a magical flame that he turned to the darkness that now split the face of the rock wall. With a quick gesture for her to follow, he stepped inside. Following him, she assumed it was a simple cave. But Delores found her jaw was hanging open when her eyes took in his home. Just inside the doorway she found moderate sized room with doorways set in the other walls. Off to one side sat a pair of roughly made wooden tables filled with items used in crafting potions and arrows. Another table held a single chair with a tin plate sitting on its surface that his bird had picked up in its beak, like a dog begging to have its food dish filled. Xane pulled a handful of fresh meat scraps that he dropped into the plate after the bird had set it back down on the top. The more he showed her of his cave, the more conscious she became of how lacking her own home was. The final straw was when she followed him into a large room with pillars and shelves littered throughout. A moment later Vaettr slunk past her and started jumping from pillar to pillar before lounging on a large shelf of rock and started licking herself clean. Delores¡¯ mind stalled as her knees buckled and she fell onto her ass, unable to process what she had seen. Compared to her small home, Xane lived in something akin to a low ranking noble. He even had a stone bath that he filled from a source of water that came out of the wall using a series of channels. As her mind finally cleared the shock, she blinked as she looked at him and asked. ¡°How?¡± Xane just grinned widely as he lifted a hand that glowed with golden light. ¡°Magic.¡± Dinner and a show? Chapter 14 Xane was cooking breakfast when Delores stumbled out of her room, hair sticking out in multiple directions and in need of a brush. Half awake, she moved to the table, pulled out a chair, and plopped down on it. Letting out a loud yawn, she propped her head up with one hand while covering her mouth with the other. A moment later, a plate of eggs and bacon was slid in front of her as he went back to cooking. ¡°Morning Xane.¡± She said sleepily as her nose seemed to twitch as it took in the smell of fresh food. ¡°Morning Del.¡± He replied as he cracked a few more eggs into the pan, watching his sister out of the corner of his eye. Delores picked up a piece of bacon and bit off a good portion of the thick strip. Her eyes shot open, then closed as she moaned, savoring the taste. Swallowing, she picked up the small glass of watered-down ale to wash it down. ¡°You know, if I knew you could cook like this, I would have adopted you earlier.¡± ¡°If I had known you couldn¡¯t cook, I would have chosen Charlie¡¯s family.¡± He retorted back to which Delores grasped her chest, feigning being hurt. A moment later, the two laughed before he returned to cooking as she ate. ¡°It¡¯s been what, three months since that day? Do you regret it?¡± she asked as she picked at the eggs. Xane remained silent as he plated his food and took a seat. ¡°It¡¯s not where I saw myself. But it is nice having someone I can talk to. Even if she can¡¯t cook to save her life.¡± He joked, causing her to chuckle. ¡°Well, excuse me for not taking the gourmet cooking classes Captain Alder offers.¡± She said sarcastically, getting a scowl from him in return, before they both laughed at the joke. While they ate, Xane thought. When the mayor had convinced him to be adopted, he was barely speaking. If it wasn¡¯t for Charlotte, he probably would have forgotten how to talk. While the girl was more than happy with his short and sometime stumbling answers. Delores helped bring him back to a conversational level. ¡°Copper for your thoughts?¡± Delores asked him. ¡°Just thinking how I nearly forgot how to speak. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Boyd and Charlie, I¡¯d probably be mute by now.¡± ¡°I think Boyd did more to bring you out of yourself than either of us girls.¡± She said with a knowing smirk. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a funny one and a load of laughs once he gets a few drinks in him.¡± Xane said with a chuckle. ¡°Says the child that can out drink him.¡± Delores said, picking up her cup. ¡°Not my fault he doesn¡¯t understand poison immunity works on alcohol.¡± Xane said with a shrug. ¡°True, he can be dense sometimes. So, what are your plans for the day?¡± Delores asked, changing the subject. ¡°I was thinking about doing some hunting and see what herbs I can find.¡± He replied. Delores smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair, causing him to scowl. ¡°Alright, just be safe out there. If you get yourself an elk, let Boyd know so he can get the hide. I¡¯m going to go get ready for my shift.¡± She said before heading back to her room. Minutes later, Xane was walking outside when Vaettr bounded up next to him. Patting the enormous cat on the neck, he noticed fresh blood on her muzzle. Xane¡¯s eyes narrowed seeing it. ¡°Vaettr, you weren¡¯t going after old Gretchen¡¯s chickens again, were you?¡± The cat¡¯s yellow eyes opened wide as she shook her head. Apparently remembering how badly that went for her afterwards. Now she often jumped the wall early in the mornings and was always waiting by the gates with her breakfast in her jaws. Veering off the main road, he patted the cat on her neck once more before he stepped inside the apothecary. Behind the counter, the potion maker Rebecca welcomed him as he entered her shop. ¡°Good morning Xane, did you come for more training?¡± She asked. ¡°I stopped by to see if you needed any herbs.¡± he replied. The potion maker¡¯s eyes lit as she pulled out a list from a pocket of her apron. ¡°I was hoping you would be willing with spring finally settling in.¡± She said, handing over the list of herbs, all of which he had gathered many times before. Giving her a wave, he pocketed the list as he stepped back out to find Wraith perched atop of Vaettr¡¯s massive head. Reaching into his bag, Xane pulled out a piece of smoked meat and tossed it into the air. Wraith let out a small cry of excitement and launched from Vaettr¡¯s head to catch his treat. The big cat lowered her head, letting him scratch under her chin and behind the ears, as she chuffed happily. Nearing the gate, Xane came to a stop when Mel noticed him and flagged him down. ¡°How¡¯s my favorite student doing? You going out hunting?¡± Mel asked as he patted Vaettr¡¯s flank. ¡°Who¡¯s the other student?¡± Xane asked, to which Mel hooked a thumb over his shoulder. Behind him, Billy was attempting to use a pair of blunted, short swords, which flailed uselessly against the training dummy. Seeing the boy, Xane gave the guardsman a questioning look. ¡°Fool has it in his head, that if you could use them, then why can¡¯t he.¡± ¡°That bad?¡± Xane asked, not flinching as Wraith landed on his shoulder. A moment later, he winced as Billy struck one of the training swords against the dummy in a way that caused the blade to vibrate out of his hand. Mel shook his head and spat before turning back to Xane. ¡°See, the twit can¡¯t even grip it right.¡± Which caused Xane to chuckle. Billy apparently noticed him, stomped over angrily. Behind him, his lackey Jimmy picked up the dropped weapon and hurried after Billy like a dog with its owner. While Xane was more than happy to ignore the pair, as Mayor Unger had requested. It seemed these two had other ideas. ¡°Hey Jimmy, look. It¡¯s the town¡¯s orphan.¡± Billy said, trying to insult Xane. In response, Xane just watched the boy with a deadpan expression. ¡°Yeah, the town orphan. Ain¡¯t got no family.¡± Jimmy said, laughing as if it was the funniest thing ever. ¡°You little shit¡¯s I never said you could stop.¡± Mel shouted at them two. ¡°Why don¡¯t you shut up. My father¡¯s the mayor.¡± Billy replied to the man, then turned his eyes back to Xane. ¡°Hey orphan boy, why don¡¯t you let us practice on you.¡± Xane rolled his eyes and was about to urge Vaettr on when Jimmy spoke. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to do it, maybe we can practice on Charlie. That brat thinks she can use a sword.¡± Vaettr¡¯s ears flattened as her lips peeled back and she let out a low growl. Both boys¡¯ faces paled seeing the big cat''s reaction. Xane¡¯s head snapped back to the two as his eyes narrowed. Sliding off Vaettr¡¯s back, he shouldered past the two and entered the sparring circle. Jimmy picked himself up off the ground from where he fell when Xane shouldered past and gave Billy back his training sword before he picked up a training longsword. As Xane settled into a defensive stance, Sarah and her daughter came running up to see what the commotion was all about. Raising his longsword overhead in a two-handed grip. Jimmy let out a wordless shout as he charged forward. Xane chose not to wait and rushed forward as he went in low. Getting inside Jimmy¡¯s guard as he brought the training sword down, Xane struck out with his empty fist before diving through the larger boy¡¯s legs. Jimmy came to a sudden stop as the training sword drop from his hands and he clutched his crotch. A collective gasp of the spectators accompanied the wincing of the male guards. As Jimmy fell to his knees, Xane came up behind him and grabbed the back of the wounded boy¡¯s collar. With a jerk, he brought Jimmy¡¯s rag doll like body around to use as a shield from Billy¡¯s attack. One sword missed as the other slammed into the side of Jimmy¡¯s face, causing the boy to fall to the ground as blood spurted from his mouth. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Jimmy!¡± Billy shouted as he froze in shock. With one hand, Xane grabbed Billy¡¯s wrist as he spun closer, then used the momentum to hip throw the larger boy. Billy¡¯s breath shot out of his lungs when his back hit the ground. With a deft movement, Xane straddled the boy¡¯s chest with the back of his skinning knife against Billy¡¯s throat. Leaning down, Xane whispered into the boy¡¯s ear, causing Billy¡¯s flushed face to pale in fear a moment later. Sheathing his knife, Xane stepped away from the boy as the watching guards cheered him as others mocked the older boys. Mel stomped over with anger smoldering in his eyes as watched the two trainees. ¡°Unger, take Marshal to the healer. Perhaps Mary can save his teeth. After that, you both will run laps around the town until I am tired.¡± Captain Alder barked at them, causing Xane and Mel to start. ¡°My father will hear about this.¡± Billy said as he picked the sobbing boy off the ground. ¡°I hope he does, and please include your threat involving a young girl.¡± The captain said, not relenting with his glare at the two. Billy just tsk¡¯d as he dragged Jimmy away. Moments later, they disappeared behind the line of watching guards. Xane turned his eyes from the back backs of the two older boys to the smiling face of the captain. The man clapped him on the shoulder as he let out a good-natured laugh. ¡°Thank you for taking it easy on them, Xane. And don¡¯t worry about the mayor, I¡¯ll be having a conversation with him shortly.¡± The captain said before patting his shoulder a second time and left, heading towards the mayor¡¯s home. Xane walked back over to Vaettr and climbed back into the saddle. Turning to leave, he was stopped when Mel placed a hand on his forearm. ¡°You be careful out there. The caravans are starting back up and don¡¯t need Vaettr spooking their guards.¡± The man told him, then patted the big cat on the neck and went back to his duties. Xane crouched on a thin branch as he waited for his quarry. During the winter he, with the help of Delores went on a bit of a skill point spending spree. The first of the skills he purchased were stealth and predator¡¯s aura. On his sister¡¯s advice, he also dropped a few points on a skill called elven trail. The skill allowed him to walk along branches and limbs like he was walking along the ground. On a whim, he purchased another skill called wall runner. As the name implied, it would allow him to run along vertical surfaces for a short time. In the distance, the snuffling of the boar rooting amongst the roots could be heard. Xane waited with his bow held in a relaxed grip, with an arrow already knocked. A grin grew on his lips, watching it grow closer. The boar that entered the small clearing was rather big for its species. Raising his bow, he waited for the animal to turn and provide him a clean shot. Keeping the red dot that precise shot provided him trained on the thick skull, he waited. Slowly its head turned to one side, then the other, before it became interested in a particular patch of ground. Xane¡¯s fingers were starting to ache when the beast finally turned its body to the side. Letting out a breath, he activated his newest special Power Shot and released the arrow. The arrow glowed brightly with his mana as it left the bow and released a thunderous blast as hit slammed into the boar¡¯s temple. The massive head snapped around with enough force to knock the heavy beast from its feet and onto its side. Giving out one last squeal of pain, it kicked weakly at the air as it died. Dropping from the tree, he came to his feet and approached the beast while stowing his bow. Pulling his skinning knife, he began cleaning his kill. While working, he was thinking about how to best spend the rest of his skill points when Wraith sent him a warning. Turning in time to see a man step out of the trees with something slung over his shoulder. Behind him, three more men stepped out, each armed with either a sword or a bow. He tried using identify on the first man but got back nothing. ¡°Would you look at that? We just found ourselves dinner and show boys!¡± the one with in the lead said with a sneer, causing Xane to raise a brow in question. ¡°Kill him.¡± The man said, right before the two with bows loosed a pair of arrows. Both arrows slammed into the wall of earth that rose up out of the ground mere inches from him as the men shouted in surprise. Sending out a mental call to Vaettr, he drew swords from under his cloak and darted into the trees. ¡°What the fuck? Where did the little shit get off to?¡± One of the sword wielders said as they came around the crumbling wall. Looking down from where he was perched on a limb, sheathing his blades and drawing his bow. Alex had taken a human life more than one when he was deployed to the middle east during his military days. But this would be the first time he would be forced to do so as Xane. Taking a deep breath, he lined up the arrow on an archer and waited. A moment later, he loosed the arrow as he pulled the elk he had hunted earlier that morning from his inventory. The sound of the arrow cutting through air was drowned out by the sound of breaking branches and a pained scream as the dead elk came crashing down. The second archer cried out in pain as Vaettr leaped out from the underbrush and racked him with her claws. At the hell cat¡¯s appearance the other man with holding a sword screamed in fright and attempted to flee. The leader drew his blade and started backing away, jumping at shadows as his friend¡¯s screams died in the distance. Using the amplifying effect of Predator¡¯s Aura, Xane pushed his aura onto the man. For a split second, he locked up in fear, then crumpled to the ground when an arrow punched into his eye. Dropping out of the tree, Xane drew one last arrow and put it through the skull of the still struggling to get out from under the dead animal. Looking around, he surveyed the carnage that he had inflicted, then fell to his knees and vomited. Xane knew it was going to happen. Even with his life on the line, killing another person never came easily. Vaettr¡¯s approach pulled him from his misery. Wiping his mouth with some cloth, he stood and moved to see what the leader was carrying. Reaching the dead man¡¯s side, he knelt down and inspected the bundle. It was a large canvas bag tied off at one end, shaped like a large duffle. Untying the knotted rope, Xane¡¯s eyes went wide, seeing the small pair of finely made boots attached to equally small feet. Carefully he removed the bag to reveal a little girl around his age with long curly red hair. Judging from her clothes, she came from a rather wealthy family. Looking her over, he found her hands and feet were bound, leaving vicious red marks. On closer inspection, he found the side of her head matted in dried blood that was hidden by color of her hair. Using his knife, he quickly cut the ropes, then set about healing her wound. Channeling healing energy through his hand, he gently placed his palm against the wound. As the golden light washed over her face, the girl¡¯s breathing became even and moments later, her eyes snapped open. Cutting the flow of magic, he pulled away his hand a moment before the girl shoved him away roughly. Anger and fear twisted her pretty face as she looked around while scrambling away. Seeing the girl¡¯s face, Xane stepped back with his hands up while his anxiety rose. The girl¡¯s hand landed on a rock that she quickly snatched up to use as a weapon as she shouted. ¡°Where am I? What do you want from me?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the forest west of Stonevale. As for what I want, a thank you would be nice.¡± Xane snapped back, still running on the high of battle. ¡°What?¡± she said, looking around and taking in the surrounding scene. ¡°Oh, Gods.¡± She said before falling to her knees and retched. After a few moments, she stood on shaky feet and looked at him. ¡°You¡­ killed them?¡± The way she said it, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was a statement or a question. ¡°Yeah, they tried killing me first. And if you ask me, they probably didn¡¯t have the best intentions for you, either.¡± Xane replied rather defensively. The girl looked at him, then took another look at the men before letting out a breath. ¡°Thank you for helping me in my time of need. I am Juliana Moradania, second princess of Moradan. Suddenly Xane¡¯s confidence withered as his anxiety shot high. The girl¡¯s strained smile fell as she noticed the fear that appeared on his face. Something in the back of Xane¡¯s mind took over as he took a knee before the girl with his head bowed low. ¡°Please stand. You save my life, after all.¡± She said in a gentle tone. Silently he stood, nodding to the princess standing before him. ¡°May I ask your name?¡± ¡°Xane.¡± He said quietly, before turning to deal with the dead. Suddenly the princess let out a scream as she fell back, pointing a finger. ¡°Monster!¡± She screamed, pointing into the woods. Spinning Xane, drew his swords only to find Vaettr poking her head out of the bushes. Sheathing his swords, he smiled as he moved to give the cat a hug. ¡°Xane, what are you doing? That¡¯s a monster.¡± She shouted. Vaettr let out a chuff and held her head high as Xane laugh. ¡°She¡¯s not a monster. She¡¯s my pet. Her name is Vaettr.¡± ¡°Your¡­ pet?¡± she said incredulously. Xane just gave the princess a grin while giving the big cat a scratch behind her ear. caught by surprise Chapter 15 The princess pestered him with questions as they walked back to town. Well, he walked while she rode on Vaettr. ¡°How do you have an inventory? Why do you have a hell cat for a pet?¡± were among the few she fired off in quick succession. Sighing in frustration, Xane set about answering her questions as best he could. ¡°I¡¯ve had inventory for as long as I can remember.¡± ¡°What about your hell cat, what is her name again? Vetter?¡± she asked. ¡°I found her as a baby and raised her. And her name is Vaettr.¡± Xane replied, trying his best to keep the irritation from his voice. ¡°You¡¯re a child who can use healing. How is that possible?¡± Xane just shrugged, not wanting to tell the girl he had met a goddess who had given him his abilities. Instead, he asked her a question of his own. ¡°What¡¯s a princess doing out here? Shouldn¡¯t you be home in your palace?¡± The princess went silent for a moment, and Xane could feel her eyes on his back. He was about to say something when she answered. ¡°I was sent here to meet with the one who discovered the kingdom¡¯s new mithril mine and offer our gratitude.¡± Xane¡¯s eyes went wide as his mouth became dry. ¡°Oh¡± was all he said before falling silent and letting the girl continue to ramble. Almost an hour later, they stepped out of the trees to find a commotion at the town gate. The princess gasped as she slid off Vaettr¡¯s back and ran toward those gathered. Xane could only click his tongue as he followed after her. When he got close enough, he found the girl was kneeling next to a woman in shining armor laying on a stretcher with an arrow sticking out of her stomach. Tears stained the princess¡¯s cheeks as she clutched at the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Someone please help her.¡± She cried. Captain Alder¡¯s wife Mary kneeled beside her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we can¡¯t remove the arrowhead, if we heal her while it''s still inside¡­¡± the woman trailed off. Hearing that, the princess lost all sense of composure and started bawling like a baby. Xane¡¯s eyes swept over the woman and he noticed the arrow shaft was bent and cracked just above where it entered her body. ¡°Cut it out and then heal her.¡± He found himself saying. Everyone gathered turned to him with incredulous looks. ¡°Xane we can¡¯t do that. Healing potions will only do so much, and this is beyond what they can do.¡± Mary said, as she tried to suppress the tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡­ can heal.¡± He said. Seeing the look she was giving him, he pulled his knife and cut a wide gash on his arm. Before anyone could fully react, he was already channeling the golden light of his healing into the wound. A moment later, everyone watched it close up before their eyes. The princess grabbed him by his freshly healed arm, her eyes sweeping over where the wound was moments before. Fixing him with her gaze, she asked. ¡°Please, I beg of you. Please heal Talliah.¡± Xane looked around and found many expectant eyes fixed on him. Nodding in acceptance, he knelt down next to the wounded woman with his knife in hand. Taking a deep breath, he sunk the tip of the blade into the wound and dragged the blade down, opening up the woman¡¯s stomach with one hand as he kept a grip on the bloody stub of the arrow shaft protruding from her gut. Setting the blade aside, he worked the head of the arrow free of the flesh and began pouring healing energy into the gapping wound. Slowly the flow of blood became a trickle as her punctured innards healed over. A feeling of lightheadedness swept over him as his mana drained away. With his free hand, he reached into his bag and fished out a potion, dropping it as his mana bottomed out. The princess, apparently recognizing the pale blue potion, quickly snatched the bottle off the ground. Ripping the stopper free, she brought it to his lips and helped him to drink it. Within seconds, the sputtering light of his healing flared brightly, renewed by the fresh infusion of mana. After a few more minutes of him channeling his healing and another mana potion, the woman¡¯s wound had closed. Before he could collapse from the exhaustion that he felt, he found himself being hugged tightly by the girl and she cried into his shoulder. ¡°Thank you, Xane¡­¡± She said between her sobs. On the ground, the woman began to stir. Once again, Xane found himself sitting on the stool as Marcus watched him. Left alone with his thoughts, he finally felt the weight of the day¡¯s events. Tears welled up in his eyes when his thoughts stopped at the memory of the four dead men. It didn¡¯t matter that they had kidnapped a girl or that they were about to kill him. He had stilled killed them, and once again had blood on his hands. Before he knew it, Xane had his face buried in his knees as he cried. He didn¡¯t know how long he sat like that, curled up into a small ball atop the stool. He didn¡¯t even remember when the quartermaster had tried to speak with him. All he knew was that somewhere deep down, he had lost a piece of himself. Eventually his sister came to collect him after having a hushed conversation with the man. With tears still falling down his cheeks, he clutched Delores¡¯ hand as they left. Walking in silence, they eventually came to a stop as she crouched in front of him. ¡°Xane, I know you have the mind of an adult, but you are still a child. I know you went through something horrible today. Just know that no one thinks badly of you because of it. You did what you needed to do in order to survive.¡± She said before hugging him tightly as he began to sob into her shoulder. Eventually his tears ended, and he pulled away. ¡°Feeling better?¡± she asked, while he wiped his face with the back of his sleeve. Nodding to her, he took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°Xane, the princess and her guard are going to have many questions. Questions that I won¡¯t be able to answer because of my oath.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can tell them what you need to.¡± He said, accepting prompt to absolve her of the oath when it appeared. ¡°Here, I¡¯m sure you want this back.¡± She said, handing him back his satchel. ¡°As I have said, Lady Strom, Xane just showed up in town a year ago. We have no idea where he came from or how he got here.¡± Mayor Unger was saying when Xane and Delores entered the room. ¡°Ah, the young man himself. Lady Strom, this is Xane and his sister, Sergeant Cartwright.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± the woman knight asked, looking the two of them over. ¡°I thought you said he was alone.¡± ¡°I adopted him, your Ladyship. It¡¯s¡­ a long story.¡± Delores said, pausing at the end. ¡°I¡¯m told that this¡­ child not only rescued the princess and killed four bandits. But also can use healing spells?¡± the knight asked, unable to accept what had happened. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°It is believed that Xane has access to the system. Especially after his many deeds since his arrival.¡± The mayor said from where he sat behind the large table. ¡°Deeds?¡± the princess asked from where she sat hidden by the knight. ¡°Your highness, to date he has slayed over a score of goblins in one night. Along with the goblin lord that was in their midst. Including a fair number since that time. Fetched the herbs needed to save the Conner¡¯s child and battled a level 50 hell cat while doing so. He is the one who discovered the mithril vein, and lastly. He is the one that saved both yourself and your personal guard.¡± The mayor explained while keeping his eyes on Xane. The knight¡¯s eyes went wide as she watched him while listening to the mayor. ¡°What of you Sergeant Cartwright. As his adoptive sister, you would know more?¡± the princess asked. ¡°From what I have learned. Xane doesn¡¯t remember much before he woke up in his cave north of town. It seems he was¡­ traumatized by his family. To the point where he became fearful of women. I was the first to speak with him when he first showed up. Somehow I managed to earn his trust, your Highness¡± ¡°His cave?¡± the knight asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until late fall when began living inside town.¡± Delores said. ¡°How did he manage to live on his own for so long?¡± Delores took a deep breath as she glanced towards him. ¡°Xane, is an awakened, your Ladyship¡± the silence was broken by the sliding of a chair. The princess stepped out from behind her guard and walked up to him. Clutching the strap of his bag with both hands, he struggled to not step back as his anxiety threatened to take hold. ¡°Sir Xane, I wish to thank you for saving my life and all you have done until now.¡± The princess said with a regal tone that differed from the way she spoke at their first meeting as she bowed. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°I too wish to thank you for saving my life as well. And on behalf of her majesty Queen Moradania, invite you and your sister to the royal palace.¡± The knight said as she stood and gave him a fist to chest salute. Xane looked up to Delores, then back to the expectant princess. ¡°When?¡± he asked in a low voice as he kept his eyes on the ground. ¡°It will be in two weeks'' time, when reinforcements arrive from the capital.¡± The lady knight said. Later that night, he was alone in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed. Lost in thought, when Delores knocked on his open door. Entering his room when he didn¡¯t answer, she sat down next to him. ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± She finally asked. Xane took a deep breath and nodded as he worried at his hands. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re sleeping in my bed tonight. I can tell it won¡¯t do you well to be alone.¡± She said, placing a hand over his. Xane wanted to protest, but knew she was right. Moments later, he was laying with Delores holding him from behind falling asleep. That night, the nightmares that usually found him when he was stressed never came. Instead, he rested peacefully throughout the entire night. The next morning, they awoke to find someone waiting outside their door. Xane opened the door to find Charlotte standing outside shooting glares at the princess. Behind her, Vaettr sat patiently with Wraith on her head. Behind the princess stood the lady knight that was giving the cat wary glances. ¡°Xane!¡± ¡°Sir Xane!¡± both girls cried out happily before shooting each other jealous glares. He was about to duck back in and shut the door when Delores came up from behind. ¡°Your Highness, Charlotte, what are you doing here this morning?¡± she asked ¡°I came,¡± both girls said in unison before stopping and glaring at each other. The lady knight glared daggers at Charlotte before Vaettr directed a low growl at her. ¡°Sir Xane, I came to request you escort me around town today.¡± The princess said first with a triumphant expression. ¡°I wanted to see how you are doing? Papa told me something bad happened yesterday.¡± Charlotte said, giving him a look of concern. Which caused the princess¡¯ expression to fall. ¡°I¡¯m fine Charlie, thank you.¡± He said before turning to the princess. ¡°Your Highness, I don¡¯t mind as long as Charlie can come along?¡± He said, hoping his condition would give him an out. All he wanted to do was head out and clear his head. The princess glanced over at the other girl before turning back to him. ¡°I believe that is acceptable.¡± She said with a bright smile. For the next few hours, Xane was pulled, tugged, and practically dragged through the town¡¯s bustling market. From time to time, he swore he heard a snicker coming from behind. Each time he turned to look, he would find the knight averting her eyes as she restrained a smile. During their time shopping together, the two girls were quickly becoming friends. Xane managed to escape when Charlie was called away by her parents and the lady knight took the princess away for business with the mayor. Finally alone, he called for Vaettr and was rushing out the town¡¯s gate minutes later. The sun was high overhead, as a bank of clouds passed lazily by. Xane let out a pleased sigh as he floated into the pond. He let all thoughts of the princess, Charlie, the lady knight, or the upcoming trip to the capital. The princess, or Julianna, as she kept insisting he call her. While sweet, she had taken it on herself to try to ¡°help¡± hem as she called it by sticking to his side like glue, while in town. ¡°¡­xane¡­¡± Pausing in his musing, he would have sworn he heard someone calling him. Having gotten no warning from either Wraith or Vaettr, he quickly dismissed it. His mind had just slipped into a meditative state. ¡°Xane.¡± There it was again, someone calling his name. But he was alone, and the only ones who knew where he lived were Delores and Thresh. ¡°Xane, Oh my!¡± The princess¡¯ excited call turned into a started cry. Xane¡¯s eyes snapped open as he floundered in the water before going under. Coming back up, his eyes fell on the red face of the princess standing next to a smirking knight. Spitting out a stream of water as he glared at the woman, he started walking out of the pond. The woman¡¯s smirk turned serious as the mark on his chest came into view. While the knight watched him, the princess had turned to face away. Looking away from the two, he stepped onto dry ground. Before the woman could take a step, four walls of stone shot up from the ground. Surrounding him and affording him a moment of privacy before they fell away. Using his inventory, he dressed in an instant. ¡°Good afternoon, your Highness, Lady Strom.¡± He said, biting back his irritation. ¡°Xane, how many times must I ask you to call me by name?¡± The princess asked. ¡°At least once more, your Highness.¡± He said, giving the girl a stiff smile. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m certain your knight would take my head if I dared otherwise.¡± He added, giving the woman a scowl. Turning, he started walking away when the knight called out. ¡°Boy, wait!¡± ¡°Xane.¡± He said, coming to a stop still facing away. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My name is Xane, not boy.¡± He said angrily, spinning around then gesturing to the girl.¡± She¡¯s Princess Juliana Moradania and you are Lady Talilah Strom. Now that¡¯s settled¡­ just leave me alone.¡± He finished throwing his hands up in the air and turned away. ¡°Xane, I¡¯m¡­ sorry. You saved my life, and I failed to show you the proper respect for that.¡± The knight said, bowing her head to him. Letting out a deep breath, he turned back to them. ¡°So, if I may ask. Why are you here?¡± Xane asked, crossing his arms across his chest. ¡°I¡­I wanted to see your home, but was afraid to ask.¡± The princess said while looking down at her feet. After a few moments, he rolled his eyes and shrugged. ¡°Guess I don¡¯t have a choice if her Highness requests it.¡± He said, clearly unhappy about it. Seeing the girl tense up at his words made him feel worse. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m sorry for my outburst. The two of you¡­ caught me by surprise.¡± He sad., getting an embarrassed smile from the girl as the knight smirked and averted her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Xane, but as you said. We caught you by surprise, especially so far from town.¡± The princess replied, accepting his apology. ¡°Well, if you want to see my home, it¡¯s this way.¡± He said, motioning with his head to the north. ¡°Before that, Xane, will you let me see your sheet?¡± The knight asked. Xane gave her a narrowed eyed glare as he mulled over her words. Letting out a breath, he access his menus and showed her.
Name Xane
Age 7
Level 25
experience 5673/26000
Hp 7600
Strength 76
Agility 86
Dex 84
Intelligence 94
Wisdom 94
Constitution 76
Defense 208
Luck 15
Mana 940
Mana regeneration 94pts per sec
Skill points 33
Skills
Archery lvl 5
Compacted Mass
Crafting lvl 3
Double Dip
Healing lvl2
Identify lvl5
Fletching lvl2
Herbalism lvl9
Mining lvl3
Trapping lvl3
Earth Manipulation
Animal Empathy
Body Reinforcement lv4
Multi shot lv3
Dodge
Night Sight
Poison immunity
Predator''s aura lvl 2
Stealth +5 (+60)
Elven Trail
Wall runner
Item Granted Skills Stealth +55
Precise Shot lvl9
special
Arrow rain lvl3
Power shot
Boons/Blessings
Amora''s enhanced blessing
Blooded (obsidian dragon)
Soul bonded
Spells
Harden Earth lvl 5
Soften Earth lvl 5
Raise Earth lvl 5
Shape Earth lvl 4
Move Earth lvl 7
Bonded companion/s
Persephone (obsidian hatchling)
Wraith (dusk raven)
Vaettr (hell cat)
Titles Hell Cats'' Bane
The knight''s jaw dropped mere seconds after her eyes went out of focus. Xane would have called her slow if it wasn¡¯t for the fact he could see her eyes reading over the details multiple times. Slowly she slumped to her knees as her eyes came into focus. When they locked on him, he could see a trace of fear. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a class?¡± the way the woman made her statement sounded more like a question. ¡°Yeah, I still have to wait eight years for that.¡± He replied, giving her a look that said, duh! ¡°And you have been blessed by the goddess and have blooded.¡± She said. ¡°Aw crap, I forgot to hide that.¡± He said with a face palm. setting out Chapter 16 Xane had to take a detour from the normal route he and Vaettr always took, because Lady Strom¡¯s horse couldn¡¯t follow the narrow game trails. Almost an hour passed before they exited the forest and entered the clearing that was at the base of the mountain. Looking over his shoulder, he felt more than saw the princess had fallen asleep behind him. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He said in a voice just loud enough to wake the girl. Lady Stom slipped out of her saddle and plucked the sleepy girl up from her place behind him. Vaettr shot up the trail as soon as his feet hit the grass, and he motioned for them to follow. Minutes later, he was standing on the rock outcropping, waiting for the door to open. Entering after Vaettr, he moved through the gloom, uncovering his lantern to light the way. ¡°This is not what I was expecting when hearing you made a cave your home.¡± The knight said as her head took in their surroundings. Xane just shrugged as he moved about his home, opening the skylights he had created, letting the sunlight inside. The princess eagerly explored the series of rooms, while the knight came to a stop next to a large hanging bag made of thick leather. ¡°Is this how you store water?¡± she asked, poking the heavy bag. Shaking his head as he walked over, he stopped next to the curious knight and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not for water. It¡¯s a punching bag. I had Charlie¡¯s dad make it for me, and I filled it with sand, then hung it here. ¡°Punching bag?¡± she asked as her gauntleted hand ran over the surface of the leather. Feeling the small depressions and divots in the sand that the leather hid. Motioning for her to step back, he unleashed a flurry of punches, followed by a spinning kick that sent the heavy bag swinging. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s for training.¡± She said, intrigued by the item. ¡°May I?¡± she asked, to which he only nodded and stepped back. Removing her gauntlets, she took a boxer stance like Xane had done and punched out with her right. ¡°Son of a¡­¡± The knight shouted as she shook her hand in pain. Xane had to struggle not to laugh at the woman. Still holding her aching hand, Lady Strom moved away from the bag and deeper into his home. Soon enough, the princess¡¯ curiosity was satisfied, and she had left with her guard. Watching them disappear into the tree line, Xane let out a breath of relief. While his time with Charlie and Delores had helped him, he still had to struggle to contain his fear around those two. With them gone, he could once again take comfort in his solitude. Grabbing his chair and a handful of half completed arrow shafts, he moved to the outcropping and began his work. It had been three days since the princess and her knight had visited and Xane had yet to return to town. He had sent Wraith to deliver a message to his sister saying he was going to be away for a few days. Surprisingly Delores had agreed in the return message and had suggested he do some hunting. She had told him the trip to the capital would take a week and they would be constantly traveling through the day. Unlike the horses that everyone used, Vaettr was a predator and needed meat. So that¡¯s what he spent his time doing, just him and his pets hunting and shoring up their supplies for the upcoming trip. Xane was dressing his latest game while Vaettr and Wraith gorged themselves on the discarded offal nearby when from the forest the cracking of a twig was heard. Dropping the knife, he spun, drawing his bow from inventory and knocking an arrow. ¡°Xane!¡± the princess cried happily as she stepped out of the tree line, followed by Delores and Lady Strom. Letting out a Breath, he eased off the string and stowed his arrow. ¡°It looks like your hunt has been rather successful.¡± Lady Strom said as she eyed the two elk and three boar hanging to cool. He could only grunt in reply as the princess squeezed him happily in her embrace, while he did his best not to get blood on the girl. Delores just stood there in her armor with her spear leaning against her shoulder, giving him a warm smile. Finally released from the princess¡¯ embrace, he looked over his visitors with a raised brow. He was about to open his mouth to ask what they were doing there when his sister answered him. ¡°Her highness escort back to the capital arrived this morning,¡± she said. Xane could only sigh and give a nod of understanding before he started storing everything away. Thirty minutes later, he was sealing the door of his cave. During that time, the princess stuck to his side, watching him with a smile on her face while Delores and Lady Strom had brought a pair horses into the small clearing. The trip back to Stonevale was slow and relaxed as Delores and Lady Strom chatted between themselves. The princess seemed content as she rode behind him on Vaettr, while kept her arms wrapped around him. As they rode, the princess would ask him about his time in the forest. Those questions soon led to her asking him about the night he saved Charlie. As he began telling her about that night, he noticed that both his sister and the knight closed the distance on their reluctant horses. Xane began quietly at first, but soon enough, the storyteller within had taken over. The princess oohed and awed at the relevant points of his recounting of the running fight between him and Vaettr¡¯s mother. By the end of his story, the princess was shedding silent tears while her knight looked at him with newfound respect. Delores had heard the tale many times in the tavern and still wore the same pleased expression she had when she heard it. ¡°Xane I must ask, how did you know to search for the flowers at night?¡± Lady Strom asked as they entered the clearing surrounding Stonevale. He was about to give the excuse of remembering seeing them at night, when shouting from the gate pulled their attention. Three men in armor similar to the princess¡¯ guard were charging towards them, with a group of town guards behind them. ¡°You na?ve, unhand her Highness this instant!¡± The one in the lead shouted as he brandished his sword. ¡°Lieutenant Collins, put your weapon away and stand down. That goes for all of you.¡± The princess¡¯s guard shouted as she moved her horse between them. ¡°Lady Strom?¡± The man with a hint of defiance in his voice. ¡°Are you deaf? Put away your weapons NOW!¡± She said, shouting angrily, causing the man to step back and reluctantly sheathed his weapon. ¡°Who is that boy?¡± asked when the woman guided her horse back next to Xane and the princess. ¡°This is Xane, the one her Majesty sent us to collect. You will provide him and his sister with the utmost respect.¡± She said, with her hand resting on the hilt of her sword and nodding towards him and Delores. A moment later, she clicked her tongue and urged her horse forward, and motioned for them to follow. As they passed, he looked back over his shoulder to see the princess stick her tongue out at the man. ¡°My apologies Xane, the lieutenant had no right to treat you that way.¡± Lady Strom said as they entered the town gate. He just looked over at the woman and gave her a small shrug. The woman gave him a gentle smile. ¡°I would suggest you spend your time procuring anything you may need today. We will be setting out at dawn.¡± The princess gave him one last squeeze from behind, then surprised him with by placing a kiss on his cheek. Sliding off Vaettr¡¯s back, the girl joined her guardian as they left towards a group of waiting knights. Delores came up beside him as she stifled a laugh. ¡°It looks like Charlie may have some competition.¡± She said, letting out a small chuckle. Xane just shot her a scowl as she started laughing. Rolling his eyes, Xane slid out of the saddle and patted the big cat on the side of her neck before she turned and bounded out the gate. Charlie found him in her father¡¯s workshop, when he was dropping off his armor and other gear to have it maintained. Clive just smirked knowingly as he watched his little girl hug him fiercely. During his errands, the girl clung to his arm the entire time. Many of the town¡¯s folk gave them gentle smiles when the two of them passed. Xane¡¯s usual fear had become nonexistent around the little girl, and he found himself smiling at her antics. When the two of them had finished his errands, Charlie pulled him towards the tavern. He was about to ask her what was going as they passed through the tavern¡¯s door when he was caught by surprise. The cheers of the people inside cause him to jump and reach for his blades before he remembered he left them with the blacksmith earlier. ¡°There¡¯s the man of the hour.¡± Boyd shouted while he walked up and handed Xane a mug. Looking around the large room, he didn¡¯t know what to say. It seemed as if every person in town had gathered inside the aging building. Before he could say anything, the mayor rose from his chair beside the princess. Raising a hand, the man quieted the gathered crowd as he prepared to speak. ¡°People of Stonevale, we gathered here tonight to celebrate one who has done much for us. Xane, a year ago when you first came to us, no one knew what to make of you. Over that short amount of time, you have shown us what we have been missing. Selflessness, courage, and generosity, you young man embody them all. Tomorrow you will be setting out towards the capital, So we celebrate you, young hunter and pray for your safe return. To Xane!¡± The man said raising his mug high in the air. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°To Xane!¡± Everyone present stood and raised a mug, or cup, joining in the mayor¡¯s toast. Xane could only raise his mug in acceptance before taking a drink. A moment later, the princess was at his open side as she and Charlie guided him to a set of open chairs between the mayor and Lady Strom. Across from him, Delores gave him a knowing grin, while Sarah and Clive, sitting beside her, gave him warm smiles. Throughout the night, people took turns telling stories of their favorite interactions with him. The most memorable being the old butcher Thomas, describing how Xane had gotten the better of him at their first meeting. Most surprising for Xane was when the mayor¡¯s son approached and silently knocked his mug against Xane¡¯s and gave him a silent nod. The next morning Xane rolled out of bed, still sleepy from the late night. As he stretched he heard a low groan come from his sister¡¯s room. Slipping out of bed, he left his room to find Delores still in bed clutching her head, suffering from a hangover. ¡°Morning Xane¡± She said, noticing him, then winced from the sound. Rolling his eyes, he stepped next to her and placed a glowing hand on her head. A moment later, a look of relief came across her face before she gave him a soft smile. Leaving her to get dressed, he moved to the small kitchen to prepare some food. Stepping outside with Delores following behind, Xane was greeted by the sight of Vaettr being coddled by the princess as Lady Strom watched a short distance away. Behind her, more armored knights waited as they shot nervous glances toward the three of them. Wraith let out a loud gronk as Delores locked the door behind them causing the knights to jump in surprise. Xane could only grin as he fished into his bag for a chunk of smoke meat to feed the bird. The knights¡¯ grumblings were interrupted by Lady Strom as she stepped forward with a heavy bag. ¡°Xane, I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I took the liberty of collecting your gear for you.¡± She said, handing the bundle over to him. Xane dipped his head in thanks before emptying the contents into his inventory, before instantly equipping it. His actions didn¡¯t go unnoticed as the waiting knights began murmuring amongst themselves. ¡°Good morning, Xane.¡± The princess said as she left Vaettr to greet him with a wide smile. ¡°Good morning, your Highness.¡± He said, getting a small pout from the girl and a chuckle from the knight. Lady Strom moved to stand next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°This is Xane, and his sister Delores Cartwright. They are both guests of her Majesty and will be treated with the utmost respect.¡± She said, giving her subordinates a stern look that ended on the man from last night. ¡°Xane, I would like to invite the two of you to join me in my carriage.¡± The princess stated as she motioned to a well-made carriage a short distance away. Raising a brow, he gave Delores a questioning glance and got a nod in reply. Entering the carriage, he realized how cramp the interior was. Two cushioned bench seats took up both the front and back walls, leaving only a few feet between. Vaettr stuck her head in and chuffed before leaping to the top of the carriage, causing it to rock side to side. One knight tried to admonish the big cat, only to be chastised by the princess and her guard a moment later. Delores took a seat beside him while the princess and Lady Strom sat across from them. A few minutes later, he felt the carriage lurch forward, nearly throwing him from his seat. Looking out the window, he saw Charlie and her parents waving to him as the carriage passed by and exited the town¡¯s gate. Leaving Stonevale left Xane with the feeling something he had never felt before. Even in during his life as Alex, he had never felt anything like it. Letting out a depressed sigh, he sat back in the seat and attempted to relax as he thought about the strange emotions coursing through him. ¡°Are you feeling well?¡± Delores asked, noticing his unease. Xane nodded to her as he looked out the window toward the receding wall of Stonevale. ¡°It would seem Xane is experiencing what it means to be homesick. Though it is strange for it to set in so soon.¡± Lady Strom said, giving him a curious glance. That¡¯s when he realized that was what he was feeling. For the first time in his two lives, he had found a place he had come to call home. That realization made him smile that widened a bit more when Delores gave him a small side hug. Xane lurched awake when the carriage pulled off the road into a small clearing. Looking around, he found he wasn¡¯t the only one that had fallen asleep. Both Delores and the princess were blinking away their drowsiness, Lady Strom, on the other hand was wide awake. Outside, the rest of the knights were split between setting up patrolling and breaking for lunch. Stepping out, he was greeted by an eager Vaettr and a noisy Wraith. Tossing the raven some smoke meat, pulled a boar flank from his inventory that Vaettr quickly snatched from his grasp. Turning his attention back to the princess and her knights, Xane froze when he noticed the majority were women. He had thought they were men because the armor hid their curves while the helms covered their faces. Now with their helms removed, he could easily see their eyes looking at him with a strange curiosity. He was about to step back inside the carriage when the princess wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to the growing fire. ¡°Here, sit next to me, Xane.¡± She said, taking a seat on a log that had a cloth laid over it. Still feeling the eyes of the women on him, he silently accepted her offer. Unable to sit still, he started digging around in his satchel before removing a paper wrapped bundle of jerky. He was about to take a bite when he felt the princess¡¯s eyes boring into him. ¡°Would¡­ would you like some, your Highness?¡± He asked, as he felt his anxiety begin to spike. The girl stared at him for a moment longer before letting out a little huff and snatching a piece for herself. ¡°How many times must I ask you to call me by name before you do so?¡± she asked before taking a bite of the dried meat. ¡°At least once more, your highness.¡± He mumbled while looking away. Beside him, Lady Strom gave him a gentle smile while a few of the lady knights let out soft laughter. Turning, he found the man Lieutenant Collins glaring at him and grinding his teeth. Turning back, he found his sister was seated amongst the women, happily chatting away. An hour later, they had finished eating and started getting set to head out. Xane called Vaettr over and was about to climb into the saddle when he felt Delores place a hand on his shoulder. Looking back at her, he gave her a weak smile. ¡°Xane, if you are going to be riding on Vaettr, then give me your skinning knife.¡± She said while holding out her other hand, palm up. His smile fell, and he gave her a deadpan expression as he handed over it over. Delores just gave him a smile and ruffled his hair before heading back to rejoin the princess and her guard. Lady Strom gave her a curious look, seeing her stow away the blade. Delores gave the woman a grin and explained. ¡°It¡¯s making sure Xane doesn¡¯t head back to Stonevale.¡± Xane felt the curious eyes of the knights on him as he rode close by. Occasionally one woman would try to guide their horse over to him. Each time he would have the big cat veer off into the trees deep enough so they couldn¡¯t follow. After some time, he decided to stay in the woods and out of their sight. Following the group was easy with his map and Wraith able to scout from high overhead. Xane took advantage of that and spent his after gathering herbs. Sadly, his peaceful seclusion couldn¡¯t last as he and Vaettr slunk into camp shortly before sunset. Unsure what to do, he watched as the knights erected tents and lay out their sleeping rolls while others prepared dinner. Choosing a spot at the edge of the camp, he created a small domed hut of stone and started a small fire of his own. After feeding both his pets, Xane pulled out a small cauldron and a few tools for potion making and set to work. Xane found making potions was soothing to him, much like his writing when he was Alex. He could easily let his troubles and worries slip away as he took his time grinding, mixing and measuring out the individual components. Then there was the satisfaction he felt, as the mixtures would boil and shift in color with the addition of new ingredients and a touch of mana. He was bottling the last of the potions when he realized he had gained an audience. One knight approached him, her long brown hair held back in a loose braid. The woman gave him a pleasant smile. ¡°You¡¯re a potion maker?¡± she asked as she squatted down near him. Xane did his best not to tense as he nodded. ¡°Do you have something for headaches or soreness?¡± She asked. Xane thought for a moment before nodding and started digging in his bag. A few seconds later, he pulled out a vial filled with pale green liquid. The knight inspected the potion with a surprised looked and a small smile. ¡°How much?¡± She asked. He thought for a moment, then held up three fingers. The woman shrugged, then fished out three coins from a small pouch and passed them over. Seeing the three silver she had given him. He held back a scowl as he passed her back two of the coins and added seven copper. The woman gave him a questioning look before Delores answered for him. ¡°Those are only three copper back in Stonevale.¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies.¡± She said to him before drinking the potion. The woman must have been good at hiding her discomfort, as a look of relief briefly washed over her face. A moment later, the same smile returned to her face, though this time this was a bit more life in her eyes. Nodding to him once more, she left as Delores stepped past and took a seat next to him. ¡°You doing alright?¡± She asked him. Xane looked up towards the knights, then back his mortar and pestle, giving her a small nod. Delores followed his gazed then gave him a small smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they''re not going to hurt you. Those days are long behind you. I think they just find you interesting. If anything, I¡¯m sure more than one is thinking about cuddling you while they sleep. The scowl he gave her only made her laugh as she ruffled his hair. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You¡¯re a cute kid. Why do you think Charlotte is so enamored with you? It¡¯s certainly not because of your rousing speeches.¡± She said, getting a glare from him. ¡°She¡¯s not wrong, young man. Many of the knights find you interesting. You are a child who can use magic, can survive in the wilderness on your own, and you seem to have a talent as a potion maker. I¡¯m sure a number are thinking of how to bring you into their own families.¡± Lady Strom said as she walked up and took a seat on his other side. She apparently noticed the questioning glance he sent towards the lady knights and gave a small shudder. The knight let out a small chuckle and spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Many of these ladies have sisters or cousins around your age, and I¡¯m fairly certain they are trying to come up with reasons to introduce them to you.¡± Xane glanced at the woman and shook his head, as he began cleaning his cauldron before starting another batch. ¡°Tell me, what do you think of her highness?¡± the woman asked, watching him out of the corner of her eye. Xane sat there for a few moments as he thought how to answer the question without losing his head. ¡°She¡­ seems nice.¡± Finally, said in a quiet voice. That seemed to appease the woman, as she gave him a small smile. Rising from her seat beside him, she was about to step away when she looked back over her shoulder. ¡°Do not worry. If her highness wishes for you to call her by name, I will not mind. She could use a friend like you.¡± She said before heading off towards the rest of her knights. Beside him, Delores bumped his shoulder and gave him a wide grin.