The Land: Catacombs

By
Dr. Aleron Kong
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 FORWARD
Hello dear readers. Thank you so much for joining me once again.
As always, creating the latest edition of The Land has been a labor of love.
Like all true love, it was exhausting, demanding and exhilarating! As some
of you may know, I will be releasing a Version 2 of the first three books
soon. Book four, the very story you are about to journey through, is built
upon the laws and rules of Version 2. There will be NO major plot changes
or twists, just a few mechanics issues to make everything a bit more fun.
For a complete list, look under the “News” section of my website.
www.LitRPG.com. For those of you now gnashing your teeth, lol, just
think of it as an update for one of your favorite games. Now, without
further ado, welcome! Welcome back, to The Land!.

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OceanofPDF.com
This book is dedicated to my brother, Freddy Kong. He is an amazing man,
an inspiring father and my stalwart supporter through the years. He is the
heart of our family. The one who reminds me to take a step back and be
human. I love you brother.

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The Land: Catacombs
A self-published book by Aleron Kong
Copyright ©2016
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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 Contents
The Dark Court (Subrealm Gamma’Not-Fractal~2489)
CHAPTER 1 _
CHAPTER 2 _
CHAPTER 3 _
CHAPTER 4 _
CHAPTER 5 _
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7 _
CHAPTER 8 _
CHAPTER 9 _
CHAPTER 10 _
CHAPTER 11 _
CHAPTER 12 _
CHAPTER 13 _
CHAPTER 14 _
CHAPTER 15 _
CHAPTER 16 _
CHAPTER 17 _
CHAPTER 18 _
CHAPTER 19 _
CHAPTER 20 _
CHAPTER 21 _
CHAPTER 22 _
CHAPTER 23 _
CHAPTER 24 _
CHAPTER 25 _
CHAPTER 26 _
CHAPTER 27 _
CHAPTER 28 _
CHAPTER 29 _
INDEX
Richter’s Spells
Richter’s Skill Rank Bonuses
Richter’s Qualities
Richter’s Abilities
Alma’s Abilities
Quality Ranks
Status Pages

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 The Dark Court (Subrealm Gamma’Not-
Fractal~2489)
“Things are happening that we don’t know about!” Stridex spat.

The Exile was eight feet tall, small for one of his kind. What he lacked in
size, he more than made up for in intelligence and magical ability,

however. Though the other six members of the meeting were physically

larger, it was Stridex who had gathered them. “The Originals know
something that they are not sharing!”

“The Originals always hide things from us. Despite each of us

having existed for millennia they only see us as their children,” Branit said.
He had no love lost for Stridex, but he couldn’t deny that the weasel

looking Exile was able to increase soul traffic.

“This is different!” Stridex spat. “We had been gaining several new
souls a day from the nonhuman slave trade in Yves. My agents worked for

years to destabilize that kingdom! Several months ago, almost all sacrifices

stopped! Even now the soul traffic is not at the level it was before. I have

spoken to others, and they have had disruptions of their interests in The
Land as well.”

“Are we under attack?” another Exile asked. Yaseg was a taciturn

being. One of the first generations of beings born of the Originals, he had
been there in the first centuries of the Originals being locked away into this

pocket Universe. “Has the Light Court found a new way to oppose us?”

Arborene, an Exile whose powers focused upon psychic

manipulation and divination, spoke up, “It is not the Light Court. I have
been able to detect that their operations are being disrupted as well. It is

also not an attack, at least not a direct one. It is more like the number of

random events in The Land has been increasing exponentially. It first

started several months ago, and it is increasing in frequency. A small

number of these events have even worked in favor of the Dark Court, but

again that seems to be just a random consequence.”

“So how can we guard against this?” Yaseg asked. The nonhuman

sacrifices in Yves had recently become the most profitable means of soul

traffic for the small cabal.

Stridex’s rat like face twisted into a sadistic smile, “I have already

taken care of that. I have dispatched a group of higher level agents to

discover who or what is responsible for the disruption of our interests in

Yves. The plague squad will find the one who has opposed us,” Stridex
looked around at the cabal, “and will make them suffer!”

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 CHAPTER 1

You have been offered a Quest: Long Live the King I. Long ago, the
kobolds of the Depths were ruled by the Khan caste. In a bloody coup, all

of the known Khans were slaughtered. Since that time, kobold society in the
Depths has devolved into what it is today. Will you help to restore this scion

to power? Reward: Unknown. Yes or No?

Before Richter could choose “Yes” or “No,” a flash caught his eye.
He minimized the prompt and saw that the box had started to vibrate. Lines

of white light appeared at the edges and then the side panels began to peel

back, somehow now flexible like a banana peel. Richter did a fist pump in

the air and said, “Yeah baby! Gimme whatcha got!”

The panels completely fell back, making a wooden “X” on the

table. In the center of the box was a pedestal that held a large egg. As he

watched, the egg began to vibrate, and the sound of scratching could be
heard. A look of utter horror crossed Richter’s face, and he shook his hands

rapidly back and forth. “No, no, no, baby! Don’t gimme whatcha got!”
 The smallest of cracks appeared in the shell, and as eloquent as ever,

Richter said, “SHIT!

Okay, this is bad. This is bad, right?” Richter asked to no one in

particular.

More scrabbling could be heard from inside the egg, and the crack

widened slightly.

“How the hell do I turn this thing back on?” Richter grabbed the

wooden panels of the stasis box and tried to push them back together. The

egg stirred again on its pedestal, but thankfully stilled after that. He didn’t

know how much more time he had before a baby dinosaur would be
running around his conference room, but he wanted to avoid it if possible!

He finally got the strangely flexible wooden sides to stand up into a

tower again, but only by holding it with two hands. It completely resisted

his attempts to make the four edges stick together. He heard more

scrabbling, and his heart started racing. In a flash of insight, he realized he

had some rope in his Bag. He could tie the sides together!

In a brighter flash of insight, he realized that using rope was a

fucking moronic idea. He might as well try asking a stripper for her real

number… it just wouldn’t work! More scratching came from the box in his

hands and almost made Richter consider trying the rope idea, dumb or not,
but then his hand brushed the disc he had attached to the box. Maybe that

was the key to making the box work again.

Holding the box together with one hand, he tried to use his

fingertips to pry the silver medallion off. It didn’t come loose, but a prompt

appeared.

Do you want to reactivate Stasis Box? Yes or No?

“Yes!” Richter cried as he selected the prompt.

Know This! A soul stone is required to reactivate the enchantment.

Richter heard a very distinct crack. “Shit!” Still keeping one hand

on top of the box to keep the sides from falling, he reached into his Bag and

accessed the inventory screen. He grabbed a weak soul stone. Placing it to

the medallion, he tried to remove the silver disc again.

The soul you have supplied is insufficient to reactivate the enchantment.

“Gah!” Richter dropped the glowing stone and reached back in his

Bag. He pulled out a basic stone and tried again.

The soul you have supplied is insufficient to reactivate the enchantment.

The box vibrated in his hand as the egg rocked on its pedestal.

“Come on, man!” Richter cried aloud. Why did he have to waste one of his
better soul stones? It wasn’t fair!
 Even as Richter complained to himself, he could see his family

shaking their heads and calling him cheap. He wasn’t cheap. He was…

thrifty. “If you went swimming with sand in your hand, it would still be dry
when you got out of the water.” Yeah, his cousin was an absolute fucking

riot.

Not wasting any more time, he reached in and pulled out a common

soul stone. If this didn’t work, he would have to try the higher stone he got

from killing the crystal guardian or, Whedon forbid, the special stone he

had received from killing the crypt mistress. Placing the multifaceted

common stone against the medallion, he accepted the prompt “Yes” again,

and finally got a good result.

The wood panels firmed and no longer seemed to want to slip out of

Richter’s grasp. Lines of white light appeared at the four edges. They

flared brightly, and then the medallion fell away. Once again, Richter could

see the three “S” symbol that had been beneath the activation disc. He was

about to examine the box when another prompt appeared.

Know This! You have reactivated the enchantment on the Stasis Box. The

egg within was in the process of hatching, however, and the protective shell

has been compromised. Previously, the egg of the Khan would have

remained viable for millennia. Now, the enchantment will only be able to
preserve the life within for one hundred and three days. If you do not

reopen the box before then, the life inside will be terminated.

Richter read the prompt and then dismissed it. He held the box up

to his ear and listened for a solid minute. When he didn’t hear anything

scratching to get out, he breathed a sigh of relief. Whew, he thought, that

had been a close one. It wasn’t like he was afraid of a small baby kobold,

but he was deathly afraid of the responsibility it would mean. What if he

had blinded it by having it born in a room with so much light? What if it

had attacked him immediately? Good god! What if it had tried to suckle

him? He shivered involuntarily.

Richter was just relieved that he had bought himself some time. He

would be able to get some advice from Sumiko and hopefully Hisako. In

the meantime, he had to keep the box safe. He gingerly placed it in his Bag

along with the activation medallion. He would have to remember to ask

Randy about the three S’s. His chamberlain was a fount of knowledge, and

the man just might be able to add some light to this situation.

A flashing icon in the corner of his vision reminded him that he had

never actually accepted the quest that appeared when he triggered the Stasis

Box. Not really seeing a downside, he chose “Yes.” After all, what was in

this egg just might be the key to him conquering the first level of the
catacombs. He wasn’t sure exactly how a baby kobold would help, but at

least now his options were expanding.

Richter looked at the remnant, “Futen, what time is it?”

“More than an hour before midday, my lord.”

“Good. Then it’s time for me to do something I’ve put off for way

too long. I’m completely knackered. I need some sleep. Wake me in five

hours.”

“Yes, my lord,” came the monotone reply.

Richter packed the items from the secret kobold compartment, as

well as the bugbear ranger’s weapons, back into his Bag. Then he looked

around the conference room once more, and seeing nothing out of place, he

took the first advice his mother ever gave him. He went to bed.

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 CHAPTER 2

“My lord.”

“Grema, gwah, no goat soup,” Richter said sleepily before turning

over.

“My lord,” Futen said louder, brightening his light.

Richter kept his eyes shut for a few more seconds, but his remnant

had no snooze button. Besides, as the man said, “No rest for the wicked.”

“I’m up. I’m up, Futen. I trust that we haven’t come under attack

while I slept?”

“No, my lord. There have been no changes.”

“Well, then it’s a perfect time to get some work done. Go back to

helping around the village. Be at the Quickening at sunset, though.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The grey orb floated away at the speed of a quick walk, and Richter
got out of bed. Despite some initial grogginess, he felt great. Just before

falling asleep, he had tried out his Sustenance Belt for the first time. It was
supposed to reduce his need to eat and sleep by 50%. After his short rest,

he could absolutely believe it. He should not have felt this energized after

just a few hours of sleep, but he was ready to rock and roll.

Richter decided to keep his new belt on for the time being. He
walked out of his room and over to the Great Seal. He was turning to walk

down the hall when he saw that Randolphus was in his office.

“Randy, do you have the money from Basil’s trade trip? I’m going
to put things in the treasury.”

The chamberlain stood and walked over to a small lockbox in the

back of his office. He took a key from his pocket and unlocked it. Then he
took two pouches out and brought them over to Richter.

“The larger one contains the profits from the sale of the Potions of
Clarity. The smaller one is the leftover gold that you provided to Basil for

expenses. I have a detailed expenditure report for you if you would like to

peruse it.”

Richter raised a hand and shook his head. “I’m assuming you

checked and made sure that Basil got a good price for what he bought? And

that he’s not robbing me blind?”

Randolphus gave a faint smile. “He did very well, my lord.”

 Richter laughed and accepted the pouches. “Good enough then.

Come with me so you can get an accurate assessment of our assets.”

The two men walked over to the treasury. When they reached the

Great Seal, they immediately turned down a side tunnel and went to the

treasury. The door opened for him to the sound of bolts being drawn back,

and he was greeted by the sight of the large eight-walled room. The room

was almost completely empty, but Richter smiled anyway. It wasn’t going

to be empty for long.

“He walked to the back wall and began removing crystals from his

Bag of Holding. He reached into the Bag, again and again, handing the

stolen crystals to the chamberlain. Randolphus carefully stacked each of

the crystals, and Richter marveled at the massive amount of the resource

that he had been able to steal from the kobolds.” When he had been on the
back of the wagon that had held the crystals, he hadn’t really understood

how much he had been shoving into his Bag. The crystals took up an entire

wall of shelves and spilled over to a second wall. He kept smiling the entire

time.

Next, he unloaded the Sword of Gnome Slaying he had found in the

Depths. He didn’t want anyone knowing about the sword, especially his

gnomish population. Part of him thought he should just have Krom melt it
down, but another side of him just couldn’t destroy something that he might

need in the future, so it went onto a shelf.

Next, Richter took out all of the pouches he had gathered from

various fallen enemies. He upended each one into his Bag to allow for the

autosort to tell him exactly how much money he had. It seemed like a
waste of time, but he couldn’t think of a better method. Looking at the

numbers that were stacking up, though, he really couldn’t complain.

Between the Night Blades’ chest, searching the pouches of all the

enemies he had slain— humans, bugbears, and goblins—the money from

the skeeling’s lair, and the thousands of gold he had taken from the Tefonim

vault, the final count was 12,572 copper, 3,614 silver, 5,234 kobold silver,

and 3,719 gold. According to the inventory sheet Hafiz had prepared, what

seemed like a long time ago now, the remaining jewels he had in his chest

were worth roughly 3,500 more gold! He also had a large amount of

jewelry he had taken from the Tefonim vault. He was rich!

He started handing handfuls of copper to Randolphus, who filled the

empty pouches with the coins. Richter removed the coins in bunches of

fifty, which made it easy to fill each pouch with five hundred each. The

chamberlain filled the pouches with no comment, but once Richter handed

over the kobold silver, he paused.

 “My lord! Where did you find these?”

“Some hidden cubby in the kobold warren. Why?”

“These coins are ancient, several thousand years old. The story is

that once the kobolds were not just the scavenging predators that they are

today. They had a massive underground empire, which had formal trade

ties with other kingdoms. Their currency was said to be the standard used

throughout the River Peninsula. It was made from silver of the greatest
purity.”

Richter nodded, definitely interested in the local history lesson, but

what he really wanted to know was: “So how much is each coin worth?”

“If you merely resmelted each coin, you would get six common

silvers from each. What I would recommend, however, is waiting until you

can sell them in Yves or another civilized kingdom. Any of these coins will

sell for at least a gold coin, but some might be worth far more. The Golden

Age of Kobolds was said to last approximately one thousand years. In that

millennium, there were twenty-five ‘Dark Khans’ who presided over the

Trinar Empire. If you look at the various coins, each is minted with the

face of the first ruler of the empire on one side and emblem of the empire

on the other. A small percentage of the coins, however, have the likeness of

one of the Dark Khans in place of the emblem. Any coin collector would
pay at least one hundred gold for any coin with the likeness of a Dark

Khan. For the rarer of Dark Khan coins, the price starts at 1,000 gold. I

actually have a small collection myself. How many of these do you have,

my lord?”

Richter’s smile broadened significantly. He handed over more

handfuls of the octagonal silvers. Randolphus’s normal professional

reserve cracked, and he excitedly took a large sack and collected all of the

kobold coins. Once Richter had no more left to give, the chamberlain

immediately left the vault and returned to his office, eager to pore over the

relics.

Richter shook his head and shouted after him, “Oh, don’t worry. I

can do the rest on my own!”

“Yes, my lord,” came a distant reply.

Richter shook his head again and then picked up an empty pouch.

He filled it with five hundred gold and then moved on to the next. He filled

several more bags, stacking each on the shelves. He left himself with about

two hundred gold in his own Bag of Holding. He didn’t know what he’d be

spending it on, but he figured to use condom wisdom. Better to have it and

not need it, than need it and not have it.

 Then he started stacking all of the jewelry on a different shelf. He

decided to keep several pieces from the Tefonim vault in his Bag in the end,

though. None was enchanted, but he hoped that he could use the pieces to

trade with Hafiz’s sons. After that, he carefully removed the large

alchemical jugs that he had filled with the Waters of Clarity. Each jug held

hundreds of doses, and he had eighteen in total. Every jug was placed

carefully on the shelves. If any spilled, it would literally be pouring

hundreds of gold down the drain.

When he was finally done, he walked to the middle of the room and

looked at the growing wealth of his people. Richter chuckled slightly in

greedy pleasure and then walked out of the room. A faint boom echoed as

the treasury door closed itself, and he heard the sound of the door’s many
bolts sliding into place. He walked over to Randolphus’s office and saw the

chamberlain poring over the silver coins.

The chamberlain was bent over his desk, examining each silver with
a furious concentration. A growing pile of silver coins was over to one side,

apparently having already been ruled out, but seven coins were laid out
singly in front of him. He kept reaching into the sack, pulling out another

silver, examining it quickly, then placing it to the side. As Richter watched,

though, the chamberlain examined one and exclaimed delightedly and

placed it next to the other seven that had been set aside.
 “Found something interesting?” Richter asked.

“My lord! This is miraculous. This coin is the 22nd Khan,

Khan’Padir, and this one! This coin shows the 17th Khan, Khan’Nol! It is

rumored that the King of Yves has these two coins, but you’ll not find them

anywhere else in the kingdom. The fact that you have these, not to mention
the other Dark Khans that I have already found, is amazing.”

Randolphus went back to feverishly searching through the sack.

Richter smiled to see the usually stately and mature man acting with such
childish enthusiasm. He walked over and picked up one of the coins his

chamberlain had set aside. A prompt immediately filled his vision.

You have been offered a Quest: Reunite the Dark Khans.

Twenty-Five Rulers of darkness and might.

One Thousand years of rule out of sight.

What once was here, shall rise again.

Reunite the Dark Khans, when you wish to begin.

Will you find and reunite the visages of all 25 Dark Khans? Yes or No?
Reward: The power of a Khan. You have found 1 of 25 coins.

Richter blinked away the notification. He looked at Randolphus in

surprise. “I just got a quest when I touched the coin.”

 “Yes,” Randolphus said distractedly without looking up. “The quest
to reunite the Dark Khans.” He spoke as if he were discussing common

knowledge.

“So you mean everyone who touches one of these coins gets this

quest?”

Randolphus looked up. “Yes, my lord. Did I not mention that while

we were in the treasury?”

“Uhhhh, no. Ya didn’t, Randy. Well, what is ‘the power of a

Khan’?”

“No one knows, my lord. Some have thought it will unlock a

mighty treasure. Others believe it will allow you to control a kobold army.
One theory states it will teach one of their lost secrets—how to construct an
onyx golem, a black highway, or possibly even planar magic.”

Questions were swirling around Richter’s head, and they multiplied

with every word that his chamberlain said. “I thought they were just coins.

So no one has ever completed this quest?”

“If they have, it has not become publicly known, my lord.”

“Why would getting some coins together do anything?” Richter

asked. He looked at the coin in his hand a bit more closely, but it just

seemed like a simple silver disc.

 “I do not have a complete answer for you, my lord, but I do know

that coins with the likeness of a Dark Khan emit a tiny amount of magic.
This has been clearly proven by magical scholars. It is said that the coins

were given as marks of favor during the reign of each Khan. The leading
theory is that the Khans were keepers of a secret that they encoded into the

coins. They form a key of sorts. Each Khan added to the magic.”

“So for the first Khan, you only needed one coin?” Richter asked.

“That makes no sense.”

“That is the biggest hole in that theory, my lord. It is thought that

the enchantment was started during the reign of the eleventh Dark Khan,

which was the very height of the Trinar Empire, and the first ten coins were
enchanted retroactively. No one knows for sure, however. That’s why it’s

only a theory, my lord.”

Richter nodded. He really would need to get his hands on some

history books if he wanted to be an effective leader. The Land was violent

and contentious. He would be a fool to ignore centuries and millennia of

tradition. He said as much to Randolphus, stating that history books would

have to be added to the list of items to trade for. It was the first time that

Richter saw his chamberlain hesitate to add to his endless list of notes. The
man did break away from the coins long enough to jot down his liege’s

order, albeit reluctantly.

 “Okay, Randy. I’ll leave you to the coins, but is everything on track

for tonight?”

“Yes, my lord. The feast is being prepared. The hunters have been

able to bring in some good animals. A cow and a pig have also been
slaughtered and are being prepared to your, ahem, specifications.”

Richter gave a delighted “hehehe” and rubbed his palms together.

“Unless there is anything else, my lord?” Randolphus asked. His

eyebrows were slightly raised, and his hands were on the coins.

Is Randy getting a bit snippy with me? Richter asked himself with
no small amount of humor. He decided not to make a point of it. A good

ruler is magnanimous and forgiving after all. “Haha, okay, okay. I can see
that searching through these coins is important to you. Why don’t I help

out? It will go faster.”

Not waiting for a reply, he pulled up a chair and started searching

through the coins himself. It might have occurred to Richter that leaving
the room meant potentially leaving his chamberlain alone with objects of

great power. A good ruler may be magnanimous, but a wise ruler never
gave someone a gun and just hoped he wouldn’t be shot in the back.

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 CHAPTER 3

Richter and Randolphus went through the coins in about thirty

minutes. The coins with a picture of a Dark Khan were easy to distinguish.
Whenever Richter touched a new one, he would receive an updated quest

prompt showing that the number of coins he had found had increased by
one. When all was said and done, he had found seventeen of the twenty-

five. Many of the Dark Khan coins even had duplicates.

“This is amazing, my lord. You may have a greater collection than

the king. I know for a fact that no one has been able to find the coins for

Khans two and seven for hundreds of years.”

“Good. So I’m thinking that if I show some of these coins during

my negotiations with Hafiz’s sons, none of the extremely rare coins, mind

you, but some of them, it will greatly increase my bargaining power.”

“It would indeed, my lord.”

“Which coins do you have in your collection?” Richter asked.

 “Only Khans fourteen, sixteen, and twenty, my lord,” Randolphus

said, looking at the coins with true appreciation.

“And fifteen,” Richter said. He picked up one of the duplicates and

handed it to his chamberlain.

“My lord! I cannot take this. This coin would be worth hundreds of

gold.”

“Randolphus,” Richter said, softly but firmly, “you are worth much

more to me than gold. You have kept this village running, while I have had

to leave multiple times. I cannot promise that I will not have to leave in the

future, but I will make more of an effort to be present. Right now, though,
you will accept this small token of my appreciation.”

Randolphus thanked him with a bow of his head and accepted the
coin.

“Now, point out the five most common Dark Khan coins that we

have duplicates of. I may trade those to Hafiz’s sons along with the regular
kobold silvers. I will put the rest of the coins back into the vault. Please

have Roswan place a podium at the end of the feast area. All of the tables

should be laid in front of it, so everyone has a clear line of sight of me when

I’m up there. I want all of the new potential villagers brought to the tables.”
 “They will not be able to see through the mists, my lord,”

Randolphus reminded him.

“Only for a short time. I plan to make a central clearing in the mists

again. These new people will not be given immunity to the mists until they

have been both interrogated by Sumiko using the questions you devise and

until they have lived with us for a short while.”

“And when you clear the mists and restore their sight, it will be

good for them to witness the power of their new lord,” Randolphus said

with a slight smile.

“The thought did occur to me,” Richter said with a cocky grin of his

own.

“It will be done, my lord.”

Richter gave a nod and then scooped up the coins. He placed the

regular ones into his Bag as well the duplicates Randolphus had pointed
out. He made another short jaunt to the treasury to deposit the rest of the

silver and then walked outside.

*Where are you, love?* he called out mentally once he was looking
out over the village. Many of his villagers were working to prepare for the

evening meal. Dragging tables into position, lighting candles and torches,

placing jugs of water down beside cups. One of the villagers had even
brought out a fiddle. A jaunty tune filled the air, bringing a smile to

everyone’s faces.

A small shriek sounded above him as Alma zoomed by his head

only an inch away from flying into him. He ducked involuntarily with a

curse and looked up to see her doing a loop in the air while she trumpeted
the success of her joke. He laughed in spite of himself.

*Get down here, you little beastie!*

Alma flew high and then did a tight corkscrew spiral downward

before leveling out. His familiar was clearly in good spirits. A few seconds

later, she had alighted upon his shoulders, her tail wrapped around his arm

for balance. Richter reached behind him and poked her full belly. “I guess

you’ve been having fun eating, huh?”

She blew a gust of air into his ear, but it was halfhearted. She

immediately settled back down and purred contentedly. Richter smiled and
walked down the slope to say hello to some of his people. First, he walked

over to an area where he had seen some men training. Futen floated up

silently beside him and kept pace with his lord. When he got closer to the

impromptu training yard, Terrod hailed him.

“Welcome to training, my lord.”

 The members of the militia had been paired off and were sparring

with what looked to be blunted weapons. To Richter, it seemed like there

was just a good amount of flailing around. Except for one pair, where one

of the men was on the ground and his partner was just mercilessly

pummeling him. Richter wasn’t sure, but he was fairly certain those two

were married.

“Terrod,” Richter greeted him. “Should we be concerned about

that?” he asked, indicating the man who was now just aiming some

defensive kicks at his wife from the ground. It wasn’t working very well.

Terrod looked at them and said, “Ehhh, in a minute. Apparently

Harn has been a bit too ‘friendly’ with some of the other female villagers. I

figure this is healthy. Besides, my sergeant will stop it in a moment I’m

sure.”

“Sergeant?” Richter asked.

Terrod just smiled and pointed. Richter looked where the captain

indicated and saw an old familiar face, Caulder!

“That’s a sword, not your cock! Don’t play with it so damn much!”

Caulder yelled at one of the guards. He took the blunted weapon from the

man and showed him the proper grip. The guard took the rebuke well, and

when Caulder handed the weapon back, the sparring began again.
 “Caulder,” Richter yelled out with a laughing tone. “Get over here!”

The man jogged up. “Well! It is nice to see you again, my lord. You

seem to have filled out a bit since last we met.”

Richter looked down at himself. The points he had added to

Strength and Constitution had definitely changed his body stature. He was

bulkier and, though he couldn’t be sure, he was pretty sure he was at least

an inch taller than when he had first gotten to The Land. If the appraising

glances he saw some of the villagers giving him were any indication, his

face might very well have become comelier as well. Most likely because of

his increased Charisma.

“I have been through quite a bit since we have seen each other,”

Richter agreed. “So what do you think of our militia?”

“Do you mean this group of invalids behind me?” Caulder asked,
hiking a thumb behind him. “I’m just surprised more of them aren’t

shoving their weapons up their own bungholes!”

“Do you not think that is a bit harsh?” Terrod asked.

Caulder’s voice lost all joviality. “It’s not harsh enough, Captain.

These boys and girls would be taken apart by any gang I ever ran across

when I was a guard in Law. From what I have heard, the animals and
monsters around here could be just as dangerous, if not more so. They need

training and plenty of it.”

“What do you have in mind?” Richter asked. “Sword forms?”

“Ha! That might be good for lords like yourself, but for guards and

soldiers, they just need to be the toughest sons of bitches around. We will
get into the technical bits of fighting sometime soon, but for now they just

need to start training. Every morning we will be doing runs and exercises.

If you leave them in my hands, their Strength, Endurance, and Constitution

will rise, I can promise you that.”

Richter was impressed, but was also surprised by the fervor he heard
coming from the man. His impression of Caulder had always been that the

guard was lackadaisical and relatively harmless. Not wanting to beat

around the bush, Richter decided to express that. “It all sounds good to me,

Caulder. I think we all need to get tougher, but I’m surprised to hear you
speaking with such passion and determination.”

Caulder gave a knowing grin. “I know how I came across when we

met in Leaf’s Crossing, but that was almost a retirement. The worst I ever
had to deal with there was to drag a drunk to jail to sleep it off for the

night. I didn’t get to level thirteen by drinking ale, though! I spent more
than a decade in the king’s army, and I fought my share of bandits, goblins,
and even the occasional wild troll.”

Richter quickly Analyzed the guard and was surprised that he was
right.

Name: Caulder. Human. Level 13. Health 310. Mana 110. Stamina 300.
Disposition: Pleased. Humans are one of the shortest lived, but most
prolific breeders in the Land. Humans have a broader affinity for skills than

other races. No special bonuses to race. Humans get four points to

distribute per level.

Richter spoke up again. “I’m assuming you plan to include the

guards that came with you in these daily exercises? If Terrod says you’re to

be his sergeant, then that’s good enough for me, but I insist that everyone
must be treated the same. I have no interest in breeding divisiveness among

my guards.”

“Hmpf. Half of those that came with me are no better than what I

see here. Don’t worry, Lord Richter. My father taught me a simple truth
long ago. If someone has their head up their ass, you’re doing them a favor

if you give them an ass beating. With luck, it just might be dislodged, and
they might finally see the light. My pa wasn’t one to discriminate in

helping people!”
 Richter laughed. That sounded good enough to him. He didn’t
forget that he had a Captain of the Guard now, though. Turning to Terrod,

he asked, “Does the Sergeant’s plan work for you?”

“It does indeed, my lord,” Terrod said with a smile.

“Carry on then. I might actually join you for some of these morning
calisthenics.”

Both men looked at him in mild confusion.

“Never mind. I’ll run with you tomorrow morning. Just make sure

that someone comes to get me. Now, unless there is anything else?”

Richter was already turning away when Terrod spoke up. “Actually,

my lord, there are two things I would like to discuss.”

Richter nodded. “Go ahead.”

“If I am going to train my people effectively, then they need their

own space. Each member of the militia will work a string of days, and I
have seen that they need to be kept separate from distractions. This

includes family and friends. If you want them to be an effective force as

soon as possible, then we need a formal area to train.”

As soon as Terrod stopped speaking, a prompt appeared in Richter’s

vision.
You have been offered a Quest: Strengthen Your Tribe I. Your fledgling

military needs a building to train effectively. Will you build them a

barracks? Reward: Societal bonus from building a barracks. Yes or No?

What societal bonus? These prompts could be so damn frustrating,

Richter thought. Well, it’s not like he wasn’t already going to build a

barracks. Maybe he would just make it more of a priority now.

“I’ll talk to Roswan about it,” Richter said. “Do you have a spot
picked out?”

“On the hillock that’s on the other end of the village from the
longhouses, my lord. It’s not much, but it should give some small amount

of seclusion.”

Richter nodded. It would also put his militia nearer the armory.

They would be able to quickly equip themselves if the need should arise.
“Okay, so what’s the other thing?”

“You know that we have been seeing monsters and dangerous

animals closer to the village lately. I was going to take a group out and do

some hunting. If we leave in two hours, we can hunt for a good while and
still be back before the feast.”

You have been offered a Quest: Hunt the Hunters I! The lands around

your village are becoming more dangerous. Your captain wants to

proactively deal with these threats. Will you seek out and vanquish five

solitary monsters or groups of dangerous creatures? Yes or No? Reward:

Increased safety of your people. Village-wide Loyalty will increase by +10.

“I like it,” Richter said with a smile. He selected “Yes.” He had

been doing a lot of running away lately. First from the rock giant and later

from a small army of kobolds. It would be good to do some hunting of his

own. “I still want everyone to stay within the mists, though,” he said

warningly.

“Absolutely, my lord. I have spoken sternly to the group that you

saved. Also, Barden’s death has hit a lot of the militia hard. He was well
liked. No one plans on leaving the mists anytime soon. Besides, there is

more than enough danger to be found within the bounds of the

enchantment.”

“Good,” Richter said, mollified. “Who did you plan to bring?”

Terrod began ticking off fingers. “Myself, Sergeant Caulder, and

your lordship. I was thinking of bringing two of the casters to finish the

group of five. I hadn’t chosen which ones yet.”

“Hold off on one of the casters. I have a better idea. Send one of

your guards to fetch Beyan the Alchemist. Bring him forcefully if you have
to, but not too forcefully. Find him some light armor and a crossbow. He
will be our fifth.”

“As you say, my lord,” Terrod said hesitantly. “May I ask why,
however?”

Richter nodded. “We need to level him up. If he can become a

Professed Alchemist, that will be good for the village. Also, I just want to
see what the man is made of. Something doesn’t exactly add up about

him.” His tone became speculative as he considered the enigma of the

abrasive gnome and his strangely large mana pool.

Terrod nodded and said that it would be done. He told Richter that
he would be waiting at the city gates in two hours’ time. Caulder had

already left them to deal with the woman who’d been beating her husband.
The poor fellow was already unconscious, but she was still kicking him.

Caulder dragged her away. Richter ordered Futen to tell him when an hour
and a half had passed, then he went on to his next stop. Alma remained

sleeping on his shoulders. Richter wanted to know more about the monsters
that had been seen near the village. He figured that talking to his hunters

would be the best place to start.

He walked through the center of the town, pleased by the savory

smells. The feast should be amazing. Richter couldn’t wait to try the
special snack he had asked for. He grinned. Even Alma woke up at the
appetizing smells, but she apparently decided that sleep was more

important. The dragonling just tightened her tail around his arm and
snuggled down a bit more into the soft folds of his cloak.

Richter crossed the village, aiming for the section of the wall where
the hunters cleaned their kills. It was far off to the east side because of the

inevitable smells. Before he got there, though, he saw a knot of his

villagers. He also heard cursing.

“The damn things keep getting inside.”

Richter heard another round of diffuse muttering before he made it

to the group of people. “What’s going on here?” he asked.

The villagers parted seeing that their lord was present. Once he was
at the center of the group, a dwarf spoke up. “Yer lordship! We have a

problem.”

The dwarf was clearly agitated, and Richter started to get

concerned. “What is it?”

“Rats!” the dwarf said. He shoved his hand towards Richter’s face,
holding a very large and very dead rodent in his fingers. Its teeth were
huge, and its front paws were overly pronounced.

“Gah!” Richter said. “Get that out of my face. What is it?”

 “It be a damn burrower rat. Sorry, milord, but this thing should na
be here. Ye usually only see them deep underground, but for some reason

they are up here on the surface.”

“Okay, so we have a pest problem. Let’s just build a granary or

some place with rock walls. It will take a bit, but I’ll talk to Roswan.”

“These are burrower rats, Lord Richter. They can eat through solid
stone, and the damn things can smell food through ten feet of solid rock.

We need a specialized Repel Vermin charm that we can place near the
food.”

Abrams and Whedon! If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. “Well,

how do we get one of those?” Richter asked, somewhat exasperated.

The dwarf looked irritated as well. “That be the problem, yer

lordship. Back in Yves, I know where ye could buy this type of item. If I
was back home in the mountains, I could go to one of the crafters there. I
asked around to most of the crafters in the village, though, and no one here

knows how to do it. A few know how to make a basic Repel Vermin charm,
but no one has any experience with these damn things,” he said, shaking the
rat again. “I don’t think it’s all that complicated, but you still need to know
the knack.”
 “So I have to send a trade delegation back to Yves and just hope that
we can find one? How much food are these things eating?” Richter asked.

“They have already spoiled two crates of food, which is about 5% of

our stores. We are killing them when we see them, but more keep coming.
At this rate, we are going to lose another crate every two to three days, and
I expect it to get worse. Burrower rats always attract more of their own

kind. They are na a danger to us directly, outside of maybe getting bitten if

you grab one.”

Okay, this could be a real problem, Richter realized. If he ignored

this, in a few months’ time his people could be starving. He could send a
delegation back to Yves, but best case scenario was they could find what

they needed in Leaf’s Crossing. That still meant a little over a week before
they could get back. If they had to go all the way to the capital, it would
take several weeks, which meant even more of their food would be gone.
That wasn’t even counting the expense of sending a ship just to get the

item. He doubted there would be time to conduct any proper trading if the
crew was rushing back to deliver this one item.

“Are you sure there is no one in the village that can figure it out?”
Richter asked.
 The dwarf looked thoughtful. “Well, those arcane gnomes are pretty

good at coming up with stuff. If you bring them a burrower rat, maybe they
could figure something out.”

You have been offered a Quest: Splat the Rat! A type of rare vermin is
eating your food stores. They are not susceptible to standard Repel Vermin
charms. Speak to one of the arcane gnomes to see if they can help with this

problem. Yes or No? Reward: Solving the problem of the rats and
increased Loyalty. Penalty for failure: Ongoing loss of your people’s food.

Another quest from one of his villagers? What was going on here?
There had never really been any rhyme or reason to when he had gotten

quests in the past, but this seemed a bit strange. Richter accepted the quest
anyway. There didn’t really seem to be another option. He had to address
this issue.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said. He told Futen to mention the problem

to Randolphus. Then he realized that the chamberlain might be able to help

with all of the quests, so he told the remnant to pass along any others he
might get. “Where can I find them?”

“Them flighty bastards roam all over the damn place. They are
always examining this or that. They almost never miss a meal, though, so

ye can probably find them at the feast tonight.”

 Richter thanked him and took the body of the dead burrower rat and

put it in his Bag of Holding. The anti-entropic effects of the Bag should
keep it from degrading for at least a day or two. He was turning away when
the dwarf added one last thing.

“Even if you can find an item that repels the burrower rats, we still

don’t have enough space to store everything efficiently. Many of the

storage sheds are packed full, and it’s causing some of the food to spoil
early. We need a storage shed.”

You have been offered a Quest: Waste Not Want Not. Your people need a
central location with more space allocated for storage. Your goods are

decaying. If you wish to reduce this, you must build a storage shed. Will
you? Yes or No? Reward: Societal Bonus of Storage Shed. Reward: 5%
Increased productivity from having goods in a central location.

Something weird was definitely afoot. Richter told the dwarf that

he would get on it and accepted the quest. Before he could continue on his
way, yet another notification appeared.

Know This! You have unlocked a new field of study: Enchantments.

Richter had no idea exactly how this whole scientific research thing

was going to work, but he knew that he would have to figure it out.
According to his village interface, he needed to build a scholar’s hut before
any research could take place. Just item #394 on his to-do list. He

dismissed the prompt and resumed walking. Thankfully, he was able to

make it over to his hunters without any more demanding villagers giving
him quests. The hunters greeted him as he walked up. The smell of blood
was in the air as two of the hunters were skinning a large boar. One of them

laughed and cut free a bloody piece of haunch.

“So you brought back our little hunter, my lord? She already ate her
weight in deer not three hours ago.” The hunter tossed the piece of raw
meat onto a nearby rock. Alma had picked her head up in response to the

smells in the air. With a raucous cry, she launched herself at the rock. She
took the hunter’s offering with an air of extreme satisfaction.

*So you think you’re a little princess, huh?*

*No, Master.* She paused for a moment. *I am a queen!*

Richter laughed and then raised his voice to address all of the
hunters present. “I have heard that the lands around the village are getting
more dangerous. What can you tell me about it?”

“You have the right of it, my lord,” one hunter said grimly. “There
have indeed been more dangerous animal sightings. I myself have seen

some cave bears standing eight feet at the shoulder, and that forest boar they
are skinning over there was the smallest one in the sounder. Some of the
other hunters have seen giant scorpions, screech wurms, pucker bats, dire
spiders, and other man-eaters. We have also seen some monsters; green
ooze was seen south of the village, one of the hunters said he saw a river
skath to the east, and one of the other hunters reported hearing a harpy

screech echoing out of the mountains to the north. He didn’t actually see
one of the foul creatures, though, thank the Banished.”

Richter nodded. He had known that his lands were getting more
dangerous, but he had no idea that it was this bad. Even if Terrod hadn’t

asked him to go hunting later, he most likely would have organized a party
of his own anyway. His job was to protect his people, and despite the fact
that he was new to The Land, he was probably one of the strongest fighters
in the village… now that Yoshi wasn’t here.

“Is there anything else you can tell me?” he asked the hunter.

The man looked uncomfortable. He mulled over something

internally for several long moments, but ultimately came to a decision. “I
can tell you that we are starting to feel unsafe, my lord. Hunters always
accept that there is a risk of running into something dangerous out in the

wild, but lately these monsters are more than we are equipped to handle. Is
there anything that you can do to help?”
You have been offered a Quest: Hunters or Hunted I? Your hunters
consistently go beyond the safety of the village walls. Because of your
actions in unlocking the second Power of the Mist Village, they are facing
more powerful enemies. They are asking for your help. The form of that

help will be left entirely up to you. Will you help? Yes or No? Reward:
variable. Penalty: Ignoring or failing this quest will cause a drop in the
Morale and Loyalty of your hunters.

Richter accepted the quest and told the hunters he would help. They

all looked relieved. The hunter who had spoken bobbed his head repeatedly
while thanking Richter over and over. That, as much as anything else,
convinced Richter that his lands had become unsafe. After a moment’s
consideration, he had all of the hunters stop what they were doing. He told

them that until further notice, they were not to go beyond the walls of the
village. A few immediately protested, but he assured them that this new
policy would be short lived. He also let them know that the break in their
routine would be so that they could be better equipped. That quieted any

complainers.

He thanked his hunters for their hard work, and then started walking
to the Forge. It was time to see what Krom had been up to in the Forge of
Heavens. As he walked, Richter turned to the floating grey orb by his side.
“Futen. I need you to find Sion. When you do, bring him to meet me.”
 “As you command, my lord,” was Futen’s monotone reply. The
remnant sped off in front of Richter, searching for the sprite.

Richter kept walking, somewhat lost in thought. Why was he

getting all of these quests? It was possible that something had happened
that he didn’t know about and the village was responding somehow. He
also supposed that the influx of new villagers had triggered something.
Richter had a sinking feeling that he knew why all of these quests were

coming one after another, though. It was because he had been an absentee
landlord.

After the bugbear attack, he had immediately left to unlock his Life
Power. He had been gone for weeks. After that, he had been back for less
than a day before that bitch Assassin had killed him. His resurrection had

taken at least a day and then he had rushed off again. Admittedly, he had
needed to save Terrod, but if he was being honest, vengeance had spurred
him forward as much as justice. Even though he had succeeded in rescuing
his Companion, he had been gone for more than a week again. Put simply,

he hadn’t spent any meaningful time in his own village for over a month.
Maybe it wasn’t that he was suddenly earning a bunch of quests. Maybe it
was just that he was finally around and the quests had been waiting on him.

Richter was brought from his internal thoughts by the sound of

metal clanging on metal. He had arrived before the Forge of Heavens. The
black roof showed the celestial bodies above despite the sun still being
rather high in the sky. The many crystal columns gleamed dully in the
sunlight. Though the marbled quartz that comprised them was mostly

opaque, each column glowed, adding some faint illumination to the inside
of the forge. Not that this was needed of course, with the bright glowing
fires within.

Some dwarves worked the bellows, while others crushed raw ore to

feed the smelter. One was working on a half-finished piece of chainmail

armor, using a small set of pliers to interlink the rings. Richter got a mild
surprise when he saw humans in the Forge. Near the back, sitting on simple
wooden stools, were a human man and woman, close enough in appearance

that they had to be brother and sister. Both were brunette and heavily
muscled, and they talked quietly while sewing together pieces of leather.
What really drew Richter’s gaze, however, were the dwarves working on
the anvils.

Two dwarves swung hammers on the smaller forges. Both seemed

to be working on axes. On the central forge, however, was the village’s

Smith. Krom worked on his project with single-minded focus. Clang-
cling-cling, Clang-cling-cling. Each heavy blow that the dwarf rained
down on the hot metal he was forging was followed by two light taps, one
on the hot metal and another on the Forge. Then the cycle would start
again.

Richter just stood back and watched. Five minutes passed by and
then ten, but still Krom kept up the same rhythm. Richter marveled at the
dwarf’s strength and endurance. Finally, the metal lost its heat, and the
metal darkened to a dusky grey color. Krom placed it back in the hearth to

heat it again.

Richter walked up to his Smith. “Krom.”

The dwarf looked over with a smile on his bearded face. “Greetings,
yer lordship. Did ye have a nice little nap?”

Richter laughed at the audacious dwarf. “What’s that you’re making

there? Somehow that dark grey metal makes me think that it’s not my
elementum short sword.”

“Alas, no, milord. This be a sword for the new captain. I be using
one of the cobalt ingots ye brought back. It looks to be coming out well so

far.”

“Oh,” Richter said. He tried to keep any disappointment out of his

voice, but some bled through. “If you can get to my sword soon, it would
be appreciated. I agree that Terrod should have a good weapon, though.”
 Krom scratched his beard and looked up speculatively. “Welllll, I
could start on a sword for ye or ye could just use the one I have already

made.”

Richter tried to keep a smile off his face, but failed miserably again.

Krom laughed and waved for his lord to follow him. He called out
to one of the other dwarves to tend the half-finished blade he was heating.

Richter followed his Smith over to a rack of finished weapons. Spears,

swords, maces, and daggers hung on the long rack made of quartz.

“Is it just me, or are there more stands here than before?” Richter
asked.

“Yer not crazy, yer lordship. The Forge just seems to know what we

need. When we ran out of space, the racks just appeared.”

Richter looked around at the Forge again. The stars shined against
the black roof, and the sun could be seen near the western edge, only a few
hours from setting. This thing truly was a Legendary Object. He turned his

attention back to the weapons, examining each in turn. Richter was

pleased, but not surprised, that each item he examined was above average
quality or better. He even noticed a few superb and exquisite quality
weapons. He stopped looking over them when Krom took down a short

sword and handed it to him.

 The sheath was made of soft-looking grey leather. The cross guard

was a thick bar that curved up towards the blade slightly at either end. The
hilt was wrapped in the same leather, and the pommel was a weighted ball
of clear green metal. Richter’s smile widened even further.

“Now I don’t want ye trying to give me a kiss when ye see the

blade, yer lordship!”

Richter laughed and said he would try to restrain himself. He

unsheathed the weapon and examined it.

You have been given: Elementum Short Sword of Freezing. Damage: 33-
37. Durability 158/158. Item class: Scarce. Quality: Exquisite. Weight 2.3

kg. Traits: +6-7 points of water damage per attack. 4% chance to cause
Freeze. +10% damage vs. spell barriers. Charges: 220/220. Bonus Trait:
+10% damage against Earth and Dark creatures.

Richter’s mouth dropped open in shock. He looked at Krom and

then back at his new weapon and then back at Krom again. “How did you
do this?” Richter had awe in his voice. His high steel longsword only had
a damage potential of 12-17. And how did it have all of those other
enchantments?

Krom cracked his neck and began speaking in the affectionate tone
he reserved for discussing his craft. “Well, my lord. Short swords normally
have a base damage of 8-10 and the metal…” The dwarf laughed. “Well,

let me just say that elementum be a tough son of a bitch. Even I di’na know
how much power the metal would add, but the base damage increased by
+9! The rest though is due just to my skill and the strength of me arm. I
am a level sixty-two smith, and the bonus from my skill increased the base

damage and the bonus from the metal. When ye add the +5 for the
exquisite quality of the weapon, it brought the damage up to 33-37!”

The smith took a sip of water, then continued, “I can tell ye that it
wasn’t easy. We had to stoke the fires to be hotter than me asshole in

summer! As you can see though, yer lordship, it was well worth the effort.
I was a bit concerned seeing as how me Smith rank is lower than it should

be to work with that type of metal, but it still turned out good!”

Richter agreed. It was a gorgeous weapon. Richter could barely tear

his eyes from it, but he was confused by something Krom had said. “What
do you mean? What does your skill rank have to do with anything?”

“Ye know that I be a journeyman smith, yer lordship. That means

several things, but one of them is I can bend and poke any metal up to

ebony like it was me second wife.”

“Not your first wife?” Richter asked with a smile.

 “No, yer lordship. She was so tight that if I had put a copper

between her knees, it would na have hit the floor for years! But that na be

the point right now. To work elementum without penalty, I would have to
be an adept. Seeing as how I am a rank short, it shows in me work.”

Richter struggled to keep a straight face and asked, “How does it

affect the weapons that you can make?”

Krom scratched his beard and asked, “Are ye sure ye wish to know

this? It be a bit technical.” After Richter nodded, he continued, “I’ll need

to tell you something else about Smith ranks first. For each rank there be a

specific chance to make a weapon or armor of a certain quality every time I

swing me hammer. The higher me rank, the more likely for me to make a

higher quality item. Do ye understand?”

After Richter nodded again, Krom grabbed a piece of hide and a

charcoal stick. He started making lines on the pale leather and writing
words to either side of each line: Trash, Poor, Average, Above Average, Well

Crafted, Exceptional, Superb, Exquisite, Masterwork. Then he drew a

curve perpendicular to the lines, and Richter almost dropped the sword in
shock. Krom had just made a bell curve.

The smith continued speaking and pointed at the line between

average and above average. “A novice smith would start here, yer lordship.
They would have a large chance making an average or above-average
quality item and a smaller chance of making a poor quality or well-crafted

quality piece.”

“In that scenario, is it a 34% chance to make the average or the

above-average weapon?” Richter asked.

Krom looked at him, surprised. “Not exactly, yer Lordship. I was

never too interested in the specific percentages of me craft, but me old

master said the chances of making the lower quality was closer to 55% and

to make the higher quality was about 35% when ye first achieved a new
rank. When ye move another quality level over either way, it was three

times as likely to make a lower quality piece than higher quality. Also, the

chances to forge higher quality items do improve when yer skill gets closer
to the next rank. This all be the broad rules though, yer Lordship, because

Luck, ingot quality, and other factors would affect the numbers somewhat.”

Richter nodded. So not a standard bell curve, more like a negative

skew. He did some quick math in his head and realized that meant there
was probably about a 7-8% chance to make a much lower quality weapon

and only a 2-3% chance to make a much higher quality weapon. Interested
in the complexities of the Smithing skill, he motioned for Krom to

continue.
 “At me journeyman rank, the middle of me curve be here.” He

pointed at the line between exceptional and superb. “If everything turns out

near perfect, I might make an exquisite piece, but the best I can normally
hope to make is a superb quality weapon. Like I said, though, there is a

penalty for working a metal a rank above my ability. Anything I make

would automatically drop one quality level, so the best elementum blade I

should have been able to forge would be capped at superb quality.”

Richter examined the blade again, seeing that it had exquisite

quality. “Then how—”

“The Forge!” Krom interrupted excitedly. “All of the elementum

ingots ye brought back were masterwork quality, which made forging them
easier. I poured all of my energy and sweat into it, and I made the best

blade that I could. I swear, yer lordship, I felt like me hammer was being
guided to exactly the right spots. When I finished the sword, I knew that it

was exquisite, but of course the rank penalty knocked it down to superb.

Then the main anvil started to glow! The light shot into the sword, and
when I looked again, the quality was back to exquisite! I can only take part

of the credit for this fine weapon, yer lordship.”

Richter laughed. Krom was almost dancing a jig. The smith calmed

himself and went on to explain the magic imbued into the blade. “Now, the
freeze enchantment is a bit lower than it could have been. All I had to work
with were the common soul stones ye left. Luckily, Gloran agreed to help.

His journeyman rank in Enchanting allowed him to spell the item without
penalty even though I was the one forging the sword. It also let him use

two soul stones on the enchantment. We were still way short of the forty-
five possible points we could have used, but we worked with what had. The

twenty enchantment points Gloran could get from the common stones

allowed us to get four points of cold damage as a base and give a 4%

chance to activate the freeze ability. His level sixty-five Enchanting skill

increased the base enchantment to 6-7 damage!”

Richter was always impressed by Krom’s dedication to his craft.

The only other time the taciturn dwarf spoke passionately was when he was
cursing someone. He grew downright loquacious when he talked about

making weapons and armor, though. “Okay, so I get the high damage and

the cold enchantment, but what about the bonus trait? Why is it stronger
against Dark and Earth creatures?”

Krom looked around at the Forge with what could only be called

love in his eye. “That be thanks to Ria here.”

“Ria?” Richter asked.

“Aye, yer lordship. The Forge reminds me of the first love I ever

had. A strong beauty of a woman, who would happily burn your nuts off if
you didn’t pay attention the whole time you were with her. She also let me

come inside whenever I wanted.” Krom kept looking around at the Forge

with a wistful smile.

“Inside… of her house?” Krom’s bearded grin only deepened.

Richter looked at his Smith with a slightly scrunched face. This seemed…

inappropriate somehow… and how many true loves and wives had Krom

been through? He wasn’t sure what to do. When Krom started audibly and
breathily sighing, however, Richter couldn’t take it anymore.

“Dude!”

“What? Oh yes, sorry, yer lordship. Went somewhere for a bit. As

I was saying, when I finished forging the sword, the sun and one of the

moons glowed on the ceiling. A beam of nearly clear green light came
down from the moon and a beam of yellow-white came down from the sun

and bathed the sword in a bright glow. When it went out, the sword had the

bonus trait, and that be when the mark appeared.”

“What mark?” Richter asked.

“At the base, yer lordship.”

Richter looked closely at where the blade met the hilt and saw the

slight impression of a four-pointed star. As he watched, it glowed slightly

before resuming the appearance of clear green glass. Richter turned the
blade over and saw another impression. It was a square with four

characters, one in each quadrant.

“That one be me smith mark, yer lordship. It let all know that the

weapon was forged by Krom of the Red Stone clan,” the dwarf said
proudly.

Richter smiled. “So do all of the weapons you’ve made here have
this glowing star?”

“So far it only be this one. I do believe the mark only appears when

the ceiling be triggered to grant extra powers.”

Richter was pleased to know that the special quality of the Forge of

Heavens had already come into play. The extra damage could make all the
difference, especially in the catacombs. “And so far only my sword has

gotten this kind of special bonus trait?”

“Yes, yer Lordship. When the moon and sun lit up, the two points formed a

straight line to the central anvil. I was actually thinking that if we knew

more about when the moons and stars would be present overhead, we could
know how to get more of these special bonuses. Could ye figure that out?”

You have been offered a Quest: My God! It’s Full of Stars I! Krom has
tasked you with learning more about the movement of celestial bodies.
How you do this is up to you. Will you accept? Yes or No? Reward:
Improved Weapons and Armor.

Richter had almost expected Krom to give him a quest. He accepted

it without another thought. Another prompt appeared.

You have unlocked a new field of study: Astrology.

If only Ms. Cleo were here, Richter thought. Then he’d know

everything he needed about that field of study. She could also teach him
about tax evasion and fake accents.

“I’ll take care of it, Krom, but it might mean having some gnomes
wandering around the Forge. They’ll most likely need to study the ceiling.”

Krom’s face darkened. He prepared to protest, but Richter cut him

off. “Do you want to understand the Forge or not? What would the real Ria

do if you ignored her needs?”

The Smith immediately hunched as if to protect his middle. “You’re

right, yer lordship. I guess I can deal with it if there only be one at a time.”

Foreseeing a potential future issue, Richter decided to nip it in the

bud. “More than one may need to be in here at one time, Krom. You need

to be okay with up to four.”

“Four? Four? My speckled arse I will have four of those buggers in

me Forge. Two! Two is all I could take.”
 “Two then, but you have to be helpful,” Richter smirked on the

inside and couldn’t resist twisting the knife. “You also have to be nice.”

Krom looked almost apoplectic. Richter added, “We could always

just set aside some dedicated time for the gnomes to be in here without
you…”

“Banished gods, no! I absolutely refuse… yer lordship. I will

be”—Krom’s mouth twisted as if he were chewing sour glass—“nice.”

“Good,” Richter said. “Make sure the other smiths are as well.

Understand that if I have to come over here to deal with silly complaints
myself… I. Will. Not. Be. Happy.” Richter clipped each of the last

words as he said them. “Are we clear, Smith?”

Krom, who had seen Richter’s steely disposition when he had

accepted the job as village Smith, definitely saw the merits of keeping his
lord happy. “I will keep these knuckle draggers in line, yer lordship.”

“I knew I could count on you, Krom,” Richter said jovially, clapping

the man on the shoulder. “Now, do you have any other toys for me or

should we just get to business?”

Before answering, Krom grew serious. “Ay, yer lordship. Before I

show ye, though, I wanted to say one thing. Yer blade should show ye the
power of having such a wonder as the Forge of Heavens. I just wanted to
say that I take the honor seriously. I am with ye til death, yer lordship.”

Richter held out his hand until Krom reached out too, and the men

clasped wrists. The smith’s fingers were rough and his grip sure. “I know

you take it seriously, Krom. I am lucky to have your service. When you
make these weapons, you are saving the lives of your fellow villagers. This

is your home for as long as I breathe.”

They released their shake and Krom coughed, somewhat

embarrassed. “Well, I do have one or two more things to show you,

milord.” First, he tossed Richter a small piece of flat and thick marbled

quartz. “Ye’ll be needing that. Any softer stone will be cut right through

when ye try to sharpen yer blade.” Then he walked over to another stand
and took down a quiver of arrows. “I thought ye might be able to do some

damage with these. All we had left were the basic soul stones from the
hunters, though, so the enchantment came out weaker than it could have.”

You have received: Moonstone Arrows of Freezing. Quantity: 60.

Durability: 8/8. Item Class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb. Damage: +4.

Traits: +3 Water damage. 2% chance to cause Freeze.

“How did you enchant all of these?” Richter asked. He was

thoroughly pleased. “I didn’t give you that many soul stones.”
 “That was na a problem, yer lordship. The arrowheads are so small;

you can enchant them in lots of ten. I have to warn ye though. I be almost

out of powdered crystal. If ye want more enchanted weapons and armor, I

will need more.”

“It won’t be a problem,” Richter assured him. Then he went back to

gushing over his new arrows. “This is amazing, Krom. Thank you. That

reminds me, though, can you do anything with this?” Richter reached into
his Bag and pulled out the schematic for the heavy arrows.

Krom greedily took the diagram and rushed over to a wooden table.

He smoothed out the large parchment and began poring over it. “Yes… See
I always thought that… The counterweight…” Krom muttered to himself

for a full two minutes. That was the extent of Richter’s patience.

“Krom! Can you make these or not?” he asked.

The dwarf looked up. “I think so. Yes, yes I can make them. Just

going to take a little trial and error. Thank you for giving me this, my lord.

Give me… a week. Learning to make these will increase my Smithing skill
a lot more than just swinging a hammer. Can I hold onto this?”

A prompt appeared in his vision.

Return to Smith Krom in one week to see if he has learned the creation of

Heavy Arrows.
 Richter dismissed the notification and nodded. “Just make sure that
you get it to one of the scribes when you have figured it out. Tell them to

make a copy and then give both to the chamberlain. Okay?”

Krom nodded. He weighted down two of the parchment edges with

daggers he took from a nearby stand. From the longing glances he cast at
the diagram, Richter was sure the Smith would be back to poring over it the

moment he was alone again. “I do have one other thing to show ye,

milord.”

Krom walked over to another table and reached underneath. He

pulled a chest out and lifted the lid. Inside was a collection of white, hand-

sized scales. The skeeling scales.

“Haven’t made much progress, huh?” Richter asked.

“More than ye think, my lord. Each scale has been scraped clean.

Each also has small holes drilled to link them together and have been
treated with a resin that will keep them strong, yet supple. I have done

everything short of making the actual armor, but it is completely planned

out. We will also measure ye for the armor first. It will take longer, but
there will be a boost to the defense.”

“So why haven’t you made it yet?” Richter asked, confused.

 “I believe these scales will make something special, my lord.

Because of that, they not only need to be forged well, they need to be

enchanted well. I know it not be easy, but we need more soul stones with
strong souls. It also would be a good idea to place more armor

enchantments into the Forge. If you do that, I can make ye an amazing set
of armor.”

You have been offered a Quest: The Spirit of Defense. Krom wants to make
you an amazing set of armor, but he needs more soul stones! Will you

obtain them? Obviously, higher-level stones will give you a better yield!
Optional: Place new armor enchantments in the Forge of Heavens. Yes or

No? Reward: A new set of armor.

“Of course,” Richter said. He chose the “Yes” prompt.

“Just let me know when yer ready to start on the armor. Well, that

be all I have for ye so far, yer lordship. Much of our time be spent making

arms and armor for the new militia.”

“This is more than enough, Krom. Thank you. I’ve seen the new
gear the militia is wearing, and I want to congratulate you on a job well

done.” The dwarf’s chest swelled up with pride. “I need to ask something
else of you, though. The hunters need better weapons and armor if they are
going to keep going outside of the walls. Can you make sure they are

equipped with what they need?”

“That will not be a problem, yer lordship. Do ye want me to wait

until we have more soul stones?”

Richter thought about it for a moment. “No. In addition to the meat

they bring in, they are invaluable as scouts. Just equip them as fast as you

can. I’m not letting them beyond the walls until you do. Find them during
the feast and set up a time for them to meet with you. I’m going to send

Basil to speak with you about his diplomatic mission with the Serrated

Mountain dwarves too. He is going to need as much information as you can

provide. Actually now that I’m thinking about it, should you go with him?”

Krom’s face immediately clouded. “I can’t leave now, yer lordship.

I just learned my new enchantment. I know I’ll learn the other one soon! I

can feel it!”

Richter raised his hands placatingly. “Okay. I do think someone

should go with him, though. Preferably two someones. Are there any

dwarves here that you trust to guide Basil’s party and act as a liaison?”

Krom scratched his beard. “I might know just the dwarves. Me

second cousin and his friend. They’re young, barely thirty, and still more
balls than brains. They’ve been spoiling to go exploring and wouldn’t mind
a bit of an adventure. It be a good idea for Basil to have a guide. There are
more than dwarf tribes in the mountains. More than one goblin and orc clan

call the mountains their home.”

Richter nodded grimly. He would have to increase the number of

guards that he sent with Basil. He felt much better knowing that Krom
would pick a good guide for the man. He thanked the smith and said, “Now

I have to go. I still have a few stops to make before I go hunting. Keep up
the good work.”

Richter had turned and started walking away when he heard, “Ahhh,

yer lordship. There was one more thing.”

Richter was honestly starting to get a bit annoyed. It was starting to

feel like he was being pulled in twenty different directions. He quelled his
aggravation, though, and just turned back with a serene expression. “What

do you need, Krom?”

“It’s about the iron mine, milord. Some of the dwarves and the

human miners have been gradually going deeper. A few days ago, one
reported that he heard some noises coming from lower in the shaft. Since

then, the other miners have been reporting hearing the same type of noises.

They say it sounds like a child laughing. Well, I told them to toughen up
and get back to work, but they will only work the areas closer to the surface
now. The iron veins that close to the entrance were the first that we

stripped, though, so iron production be slowing down. I thought ye might

be able to investigate and put their minds at ease.”

Wait for it, Richter thought. A notification popped into his view.

There it is!

You have been offered a Quest: Noises in the Dark I. Your miners have

heard sounds like a child’s laughter in the iron mine. It is unnerving them
and slowing down productivity. Krom wants you to investigate the mine

and ensure that there is no danger. Reward: Access to the next level of the

mine. Your iron production will resume normal levels. Yes or No?

“I’ll take care of it, Krom.”

“I knew ye would, yer lordship.” Some of the other dwarves had

stopped in their tasks when the Smith had asked about the iron mine.

Seeing that, Krom’s voice boomed out, “Get back to work, ye lazy slugs!”

Everyone in the Forge hopped to. Krom continued his tirade to

make sure they kept at it. Richter took the opportunity to retreat. As he
was leaving, he told Krom to take a look at the weapons and armor he had

placed in the armory and to bring it all back up to full durability. The dwarf

grunted and nodded. As Richter left the Forge, he set his sights on the
meadow to the north of the village. He felt a longing to see the celestial
tree. The silver wood and velvety white leaves brought a sense of
tranquility to all who observed it. After the horror and stress of the last

week, Richter could use a little inner peace.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 4

Richter walked out of the Forge and looked around, but

unfortunately there was still no sign of Sion and Futen. Figuring they
would catch up, he went on to his next errand. The remnant always seemed

to know where he was anyway. While he was walking to the slope that
would lead him to the meadow, sure enough Futen floated up with Sion

strolling behind him. He told the remnant about his new quests so they
could be passed along to Randolphus, then turned to see his friend.

“Piss off any more rock giants?” Sion asked with a mocking grin.

“Well, that depends,” Richter answered with a speculative gaze

upward. “Giants compared to me… or to you!” His grin was just as shit

eating as his Companion’s.

“Oh Richter,” Sion said without missing a beat. “You will never

compare to my giant.” The sprite patted his crotch.

“Now why did you have to make it weird?” Richter complained.

 “It is not my fault that I recently saw you naked. Raw chaos must

be really, really cold.”

“I’m a grower not a shower man. Just ask Daniella,” Richter said

offhandedly.

“Daniella?” Sion said, sounding confused. “Shouldn’t I just ask the

cows and the sheep?”

“Enough!” Richter said with a laugh. “It is good to see you, my

friend.” He reached out his arm.

Sion clasped wrists with him. “Always, my friend. Now why did
you have your magic ball bring me?”

“We have hunting to do. The lands around the village are getting

more dangerous. Terrod wants to do some scouting before the feast. I’m

assuming you are up for a little action.”

Sion twisted his neck and a loud crack sounded. “That is an

understatement, my friend.” His expression grew serious. “I feel horrible

that the Assassin was able to harm you.”

Richter stopped walking. “That wasn’t your fault, Sion.”

The sprite looked up into Richter’s face and met his gaze. “I am

your Companion, but even more than that, I am your brother. I feel great

shame that I did not protect you. It should have been me and not Terrod
that started instituting greater security in the village. If I had, you might not

have died. Will you forgive me?”

Richter saw the earnestness in his friend’s eyes. He realized that

more protestations would only insult him and waste time. “I forgive you,

but only if you will forgive me for my selfishness. I have been walking

around the village, and it seems like everyone that I meet needs something.

I’ve come to realize these are all things that I should have been making

more of a priority before now. I have been too focused on my personal

needs when I should have been paying attention to my responsibilities as a

leader. I am sure that I have also been ignoring my responsibilities as a

friend.” A silence grew between the two men.

“We have a deal,” Sion said.

“Good,” Richter said. “Don’t wait so long to answer next time,

though. Having to look you in the face for so long… now that deserves an

apology!”

“I could paint my face to look like a pig’s behind if that helps. I

know that’s the view you’re used to,” Sion quipped back.

“Really, dude? Another animal sex joke? You’re better than that!”

The two friends kept up a running train of friendly insults as they

climbed the slope to the meadow and just enjoyed each other’s company. It
was a comradery born of battle and sacrifice. Richter did not have many

friends in The Land, but what he lacked in quantity he knew he made up for

in quality.

When they got to the top, they could see a large tilled field. The last

time Richter had been up here, the herb garden had just been, well, a
garden. Now it was at least five times larger. Three elves and a human

female were tending it now. The original garden was showing some great

growth. Plants of many different colors were sprouting up in various spots.

The new sections still just looked like furrowed ground. As he watched,

one of the men ran string between two small poles that stuck straight up

from the ground. Richter could see that a loose grid system had already

been started. He guessed it was to separate the different types of herbs that

had been planted.

As the two Companions walked up, one of the elves stood and

started running towards them. It was Isabella, Terrod’s love. She didn’t

slow down when she got close, but instead threw herself into his arms and

held him close in a fierce hug.

“My lord, you did it! You brought my love back to me! From this

day forward, you have my devotion and support! Will you accept my

pledge?”
 Richter shifted uncomfortably. Not because of the emotion she was

conveying, but instead because her lovely lady lumps were causing a

certain reaction. He tried to extricate himself from her grasp, but it just

made her hold him tighter. “Please do not refuse my pledge, my lord. My

honor will not allow for anything less. I must serve you!”

Richter didn’t know what was happening. It seemed like Sion and

the other gardeners completely understood his predicament and were

immensely enjoying the show, but Isabella was completely focused on

getting Richter to agree. He tried gently pushing her off again, but she

would not take the hint. She held him close, and the problem got worse.

Now there was friction!

“Okay! Okay! I accept your pledge.”

Your relationship with Isabella has improved from Friendly to Trusted.

She relaxed her death grip and looked him in the eye. “Thank you,

my lord.” Isabella went into a deep curtsy and then looked up at him with

sweet and happy eyes. He reached out to help her up from her curtsy. She

smiled brightly and then turned away to help the other gardeners. Wanting

to defuse any sexual tension, he reached out to clap her on the shoulder. To

his surprise, as soon as she felt his touch, she shied away.
 Until this moment, Richter hadn’t really had a real interaction with

Isabella. From the time that he had saved her from Count Stonuk, she had

been in seclusion. He was finally seeing her as a person, though, and not

just a damaged victim. It was easy to see how Terrod had fallen in love

with the elf maiden. She was an obvious beauty, with her chestnut hair and

dusky brown skin. Her eyes were also captivating, being the shining gold

of the setting sun. More than the physical, however, Isabella clearly had a

gentle and genuine spirit. This was the creature that Count Stonuk had

abused physically, mentally, and emotionally. She had healed emotionally

to the extent that she had been able to embrace him, but unexpected contact

still made her flinch. The count had hurt her deeply. Richter reaffirmed his

resolve to deal with the man in kind once he had dealt with the threat of the

bugbears.

He took a step back from the wood elf and just extended his hand,

letting her come to him. Isabella had recovered from her involuntary recoil

and had a slightly pained and embarrassed expression on her face. She

firmed her lips, took a step forward, and placed her hand in his. “I am sorry

for my reaction, my lord. I know that I owe you for my freedom. I can

never repay you for that or for saving my love.”

Richter loosely held her hand, making sure that she did not feel

trapped. “I have heard what you have done for me, rallying the villagers.
You take whatever time you need to heal. With that in mind, I would like to

give you a gift. I must touch you to do so, however. Are you okay with

that?”

Isabella’s body tightened perceptibly. It was quiet in the meadow as

the four bystanders witnessed the interplay between the wood elf and lord

of the Mist Village. Richter didn’t make any move as her hand quivered

inside of his. He sensed this was a pivotal moment for her. When she had

seen him initially, she had clearly been overcome with emotion and a need
to express her thanks. That was most likely why she had been able to hug

him like that. Now, though, he was asking her to consciously allow a man
to lay hands on her again. Richter just waited for her decision.

Several long breaths later, her hand stilled and she nodded. “I trust
you, my lord.”

Richter smiled comfortingly and placed one hand on her chest above
her breasts and the other on her head. His Power made his senses come

alive as it sensed his intent. Words spilled from his mouth, heavy with the
gravity of the moment. “By the Right of My Power, I Awaken Your

Power.”

Warmth blossomed in his chest. Images flashed through Richter’s

mind, and each brought a warm emotion with it: holding his nephew for the
first time, and then feeling the warmth of the sun on his face. Then
something he could not possibly have remembered, but still knew was a

true memory. He remembered his mother holding him as a baby and

looking into her face for the first time.

All of these memories and emotions suffused his very soul in the
space of a single heartbeat. Then he felt the warmth in his chest spread

down either arm and flow into Isabella. There was another breathless
moment while both Isabella and Richter waited to see what would happen,

but then they felt it. The resonance. He didn’t know if the Life magic
found a home in her soul or if the Life magic inside of her had just finally

awoken. Either way, a new Life mage had been born!

Isabella had seen Richter awaken the Air mages several weeks ago,
but it in no way prepared her for the exhilaration of magic coursing through

her. She felt as if a part of her that had always been asleep, a part of her
that she had never even known existed was now singing out its birth to the

world. The spiritual scars she had sustained during captivity would never
leave her, and some of her emotional wounds were still healing, but now

some of the darker parts of her spirit were being bathed in the healing light
of her new Life magic. A smile bloomed on her face.

Isabella spoke in a calm voice. Richter heard a surety in her tone

that had been lacking before. “Thank you, my lord.”
Your relationship with Isabella has improved from Trusted to Ally.

Richter smiled happily. It just felt “right” somehow that the Life

magic had found a home within her. “You’re welcome, Isabella. What
spell did you learn?”

Isabella’s eyes lost focus for a moment and then she answered
excitedly, “I learned three spells, my lord.”

“Three?” he asked, surprised. “Your affinity must be high! What is

it?”

“100%!” she answered, delighted.

“Well, what spells did you learn?” he asked again.

“Detect Life, Virol’s Blessing, and Slow Heal I! I don’t know what I

want to try first!”

Richter laughed. The woman had undergone a transformation.

“Well, what does Virol’s Blessing do?”

“It increases the yield of growing plants. The spell can be cast once

per day, but the casts are cumulative. Each time I invoke the spell, the final
growth and potency will increase by 5% for a max of 100!”

Richter wondered at the unknown rules of The Land. That spell

sounded like exactly what an herb gatherer would need. Did she get the
spell because of her skill in Herb Lore or did her skills in Herb Lore and

Life magic both stem from something intrinsic to who and what she was?
The line of questioning was probably about as useful as “chicken or the

egg,” Richter realized. He decided just to be happy for his new Life
disciple.

“I want you to learn what I know as well.” Richter placed his hands
on her head and chest again. Her pupils dilated, and she knew! He was

able to teach her Charm I and Soul Trap. His other spells required a higher
level in Life magic than her current skill level of one.

She thanked him profusely again and hugged him. There was no

hesitation this time. He looked at the other gardeners, who had stood
silently by watching, and decided not to waste a good PR opportunity.

“Your loyalty and fealty are not taken lightly, Isabella. I stand by my first
pledge that as I rise, you will rise as well.”

He looked at the three villagers and clearly saw that his words had
taken root inside of them. With any luck, they would spread this story

during the feast tonight. Even if it only convinced one more person to
swear fealty, it would have been well worth the effort. They all just stood

there for few seconds. Richter still wanted to go check on the Quickening,
but had a feeling that as soon as he started walking away, someone would

speak up and ask him for something. He decided to nip it in the bud.
 “Isabella.”

She looked at him.

“Is there anything else that I can do to help you?”

“Well, my lord. Now that you mention it…” She kept talking and
he got a new quest.

You have been offered a Quest: If It Grows From The Ground, It’s
Probably Okay I. Your herb gatherers are working hard to supply the

needs of your burgeoning village. They need a structure to dry and treat the
plants that they harvest, however. Isabella requests that you build an Herb
House. Bonus will be provided if you select a location suitable for both

light-needing and dark-needing plants. Yes or No? Reward: Increased

potency of herbs. Yes or No?

Richter accepted the quest. “I’ll talk to Roswan about it, but you
may need to wait a bit. There are a lot of other things we need to build

first.” She assured him there wasn’t a major rush. The first batch of herbs
would not finish growing for a while and those could be hung up in the

longhouses. Richter nodded and then started walking towards the

Quickening with Sion in tow. Alma had gotten enough of a rest apparently

and flew off towards the village below. Futen floated behind them silently.
 Before Richter had taken more than a few steps, he heard chanting.
Isabella was looking at the tilled herb field and had both hands extended

out. She spoke in a smooth measured voice, and gold light suffused her
arms. As Richter watched, she moved them sinuously. Her movements
matched the cadence of her voice perfectly. Apparently her spell had a

relatively long cast time, but for a potential doubling in herb yield and
potency, Richter knew it was worth the effort. He turned away again and

left Isabella to explore her new Power.

A short walk later, the two friends were standing under the canopy

of the Quickening. The two sprite guards had greeted them before fading
back into concealment. The thick white leaves shifted above them, causing

a faint rustling as they rubbed together. The silver bark shone slightly in the
scant light that filtered through the foliage. Richter and Sion kept walking

until they were directly in front of the trunk. It almost looked like eight
different trees that had been woven into a complex helical shape.

Richter ran his hand over the smooth wood. The surface of the
Quickening was not wrinkled like an oak tree. Instead, it was covered in

smooth whirls that were artistic in appearance. Richter closed his eyes and
stood there for a full five minutes. Every breath in filled his mind and soul

with contentment. Every breath out exhaled a small amount of tension.

Richter kept one hand on the tree in a simple communion. Sion shared this
sacred space with his friend. The wood sprite, like all of his people, had an
almost religious reverence for nature. Being able to see and stand beneath a

heavenly tree was a dream made reality for his Companion.

Richter opened his eyes. The residual stress of the past week was

still there, but it felt distant now. Sion looked at him and smiled. The sprite
also felt the same oneness of spirit. Richter peeked through the gaps in the

trunk and looked at the cocoon within. Elora’s chrysalis was spun of silver
thread that matched the trunk. He silently wished her well. He took a step

back and exhaled in contentment. Sion turned to leave, but stopped when
Richter touched his arm. The sprite looked back with a questioning

expression.

“I know this is a somewhat sensitive topic, but you are my best

friend. The list of my enemies is only growing longer and more

distinguished. I want to give you every weapon and advantage that I can.
With that in mind, I would like to try and awaken Life magic in you.”

Sion shook his head and his face adopted a slightly pained

expression. “My mother has tried, Richter. Sumiko has tried. Other Life
masters have tried. It has never worked.” Though Sion tried to stay even
keeled while he spoke, the volume of his voice rose ever so slightly by the
end. Richter didn’t interrupt. He knew what a sensitive subject this was for

his friend. Being the son of the Hearth Mother and yet living most of his
life thinking he was magically barren had taken a serious toll on Sion. The
sprite had been able to shed most of that emotional weight once he had

learned Air magic, but no one could easily forget decades of shame, even if
it was about something beyond your control.

“I know, Sion, and I don’t bring this up lightly. You were present at
the birth of the Quickening, though. Your mother said that the amount of

new Air disciples I was able to make was unheard of. She said it was
because they were exposed to the magic released when the tree was
birthed. It increased the affinities of the villagers and let me awaken their
Power. Now I don’t know if this will work, but I would like to try.”

Sion took a deep breath and then stepped close. “Okay,” he said

heavily, “let’s try.”

Richter placed his left hand on his friend’s head and the right on
Sion’s chest. Warmth blossomed inside of his chest and the sensation
flowed down both arms. The energy flowed into Sion, searching for a

resonance. The two men locked eyes and waited, but nothing happened.
The energy dissipated like smoke in the wind. Richter’s face crumpled
somewhat in sympathy. What he had said was true. He did want Sion to be
as prepared as possible for the inevitable fights to come, but he had had

another, deeper motivation. Richter had wanted to give his friend a gift.
Not just the gift of magic, but also the gift of freedom from any lingering
doubts as to his own self-worth.

Sion didn’t let him dwell. With a bit of forced joviality in his voice,
the sprite said, “Maybe you should get a woman. This is an absolutely
pathetic attempt to get a little affection.” He stepped away, breaking the
contact between them. The sprite started walking away.

Richter fell in step behind him. In an effort to help Sion move past
the disappointment, he said, “Well you can’t blame a guy for trying. At
least I got you alone first.” Sion gave a halfhearted laugh.

The two men walked out from under the comforting embrace of the

Quickening. Despite Richter’s failed attempt to awaken Sion’s Life magic,

their time with the celestial tree was not wasted. For both of them, the
world seemed a bit brighter and the future a bit more hopeful. Once the sun
was shining directly on their faces again, Sion seemed back to himself. He
smiled brightly, just enjoying being alive. Richter smiled back, happy that

the awkward moment had passed.

He started walking south, intending to go back down the hill to the

village, but Sion stopped him.

“What’s up?” he asked the sprite.

 “There is something that I want to show you. It’s on the far end of

the meadow.”

Richter nodded, but looked up at where Futen floated above his

head. “How much time has passed since I finished speaking to Terrod?”

“One hour and twenty-two minutes,” came the monotone reply.

“Okay. We should have enough time, but let’s run.” Richter spoke

a word of power. One hand moved in a particular gesture as he cast Haste

I. Suddenly the world seemed to move somewhat slower, and he,
conversely, could move that much faster. Sion did the same, and the two
men took off at a run. The sprite led the way, and they quickly moved to

the west.

Richter thought they might have been running to the lake, but Sion
started veering north towards the cliff face. They ran for another minute or
two and then stopped before a waterfall. The water fell from the cliffs high

above and filled the lake that dominated the western aspect of the meadow.
A second waterfall fell from the south side of the lake down to the level of
the village.

Richter realized that he had never actually come all the way to the

western end of the meadow before. He looked up at the river feeding the
lake and wondered if the torrent of water came from a stream or river that
wended its way through mountains to the north. The spray falling over the

two Companions was certainly icy cold.

“So this is what you wanted to show me?” Richter shouted. This
close to the site of impact, the waterfall was quite loud.

“No, gyoti!” Sion shouted back. “I have been searching around the

village and the surrounding area. That includes this meadow. I was
searching for a particular herb, White Rine Tendril, that is known to grow
on rocks near running water. I was scaling the rocks near the waterfall,
doing my best not to fall. That was not easy, by the way! The water covers
the rocks completely where I was searching, and it made enough froth that I

couldn’t see my hands when they were in the flow.”

Richter rolled his eyes a bit over this slightly long and boring story.
Sion glared at him, but continued, “As I was saying, I was making my way
across a series of rocks hidden by the water. Things were going fine, but

then I put my hand down through the water again, but I couldn’t find a
handhold. There wasn’t anything there! I peeked my head through and
found the cave. Now come on!”

Sion smiled wildly and then started walking on the rocks that

crossed in front of the falls. Richter followed him until they had gone about
twenty feet. They were both drenched by the spray before they had even
made it half that distance. The large rocks at the bottom of the falls were

slippery, but both men had more than enough Agility to navigate the path.
Sion got right up to the wall of water and motioned for Richter to follow
him. “This way!”

The sprite stepped through the torrent and disappeared. Shaking his

head at how intensely cold the water was likely to be, Richter stepped
through as well. He had thought he was wet before, but the deluge falling
on him made him feel like he was diving into the ocean… near Antarctica.
The force of the water threatened to push him off balance, but again, he was

able to keep his feet. He was effectively blinded by the sheer volume of the
water falling on him, but he kept pushing forward. For a second, Richter
started wondering if this was all an elaborate trick by his Companion, but
then a small, strong hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the rock

face behind the falls.

Richter stumbled through the water, and his foot found a slick gravel
floor. The volume of water blocked almost all of the afternoon light, but
Futen floated in and illuminated the space. The entrance to the cave was
only three feet across and ten feet high. Compared to the forty-foot width

of the falls, the entrance was quite small.

Richter looked around. The cave opened up widely after the narrow
opening. Moss-covered rocks lay near the entrance, and large stalactites
hung from the ceiling. He hadn’t known what to expect, but what he saw
was more than a simple cave. The moisture from the falls apparently made
the perfect environment for fungus. In Futen’s light, Richter could see
lichen of varying shades and textures hugging most available surfaces.

Sion was already running around like a kid in a candy store, examining
them and exclaiming over the properties each could convey.

“You were here before, weren’t you?” Richter asked, amused by his
friend’s “oohs” and “aahs.”

“Yes, but I just discovered it a day ago! I also could barely see.

Only a small amount of light filters through the water of the falls.”

Richter nodded and kept looking around. The ceiling rose to fifteen
feet above his head and the cave he was standing in extended back another
hundred feet. A small break in the ceiling allowed a cascade of water to fall

through. Richter couldn’t see any sky through the fissure in the ceiling, but
he felt it was safe to assume that the water came from the waterfall running
above their heads. It fell into a small wading pool that in turn made a small
rivulet that ran down the center of the cave until it flowed out towards the

entrance. Futen’s light reflected weakly off of the white marbled quartz.
The scene was one of untouched beauty.
 He realized that this might indeed be an ideal place to plant his
garden. It was well hidden, which could come in handy. The villagers
would most likely know of course—something like a crystal garden
couldn’t be kept secret in a village like this. Once one villager found out,

gossip would ensure the rest would know soon after. It would keep the
garden secret from invaders, however, and that might be invaluable. If they
were raided again, it was unlikely any enemies would make it to the
meadow and then have the foresight to explore the waterfall.

He did not forget that his quest had specified that darkness was
preferred when he planted the Focus Crystal, though. The light entering the
cave was weak, but he wondered if he might find a place of complete
darkness further in. He left Sion to keep examining the cave’s flora and

walked to the back of the cave. Richter hoped to find the most shadowed
corner, but to his delight, he found much more. A shadowy recess that he
had taken to just be a fold in the cave wall actually turned out to be the start
of a small tunnel. He ordered Futen to dim his light and stay with Sion,

then he cast Darkvision I. Futen’s dim light and the small amount of sun
that filtered through the water was somewhat painful, but as the remnant
floated away, it became manageable.

Richter walked through the tunnel, which quickly narrowed in both

width and height. In six steps, Richter was hunched over. Four more and
he was in a three-point stance as he edged forward. The slope of the floor
also increased to a forty-five-degree angle. Five more steps and a turn of
the tunnel later, a bare wall confronted Richter. The path didn’t end,

though. Directly above him was a hole with irregular edges. Just by
standing in the shortened tunnel he was able to get his head and shoulders
above the edges of the hole. Richter looked out at a large cavern that was in
complete darkness. It extended past the twenty-five-yard range that his
Darkvision I spell allowed. He didn’t see any other light, though. This

might be just what he was looking for! Richter gave a small internal cheer
at having found the perfect space to grow his crystal garden.

That was, of course, right when the tentacle grabbed him.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 5

Richter was yanked up through the hole. The tentacle had looped

under one arm and back around his neck, giving whatever had him a firm
grasp. It whipped his body back and forth in the air before throwing him

across the pitch-black cavern. He gave a startled shout as he flew through

the air. He landed heavily but quickly got to his feet. He anxiously looked

in all directions but didn’t see anything.

A loud crash echoed through the cavern. He dismissed Dark Vision

I and then with both hands started casting Far Light I. Every second, two

balls of light would shoot into the darkness and affix to whatever they

struck. Richter aimed at the ceiling, the far walls, and the floor. He turned
in all directions, his hands glowing gold in a vain attempt to see what had

attacked him, but still, he saw nothing. He didn’t stop.

Each ball of light cost him five mana, but that wasn’t a problem as

he could draw on the village’s mana pool. Richter kept turning. He wished

that he knew which direction the entrance to the cavern was, but between

being shaken in the air and then spinning after he had been thrown, he was
completely turned around. He accessed his map, but all it showed was a

black space surrounding him. The cave entrance was roughly to his right,

but that was all that he could tell. So he did the only thing he could. He

kept casting.

Ten balls of light shot out. Then there were thirty and then one

hundred. Richter kept turning, trying to look in all directions at once.

Despite his preparations, something struck him, and he didn’t see it

coming. He took a heavy blow across his shoulders that knocked him off
his feet. His armor absorbed most of the damage, but he still lost twelve

health. He fell on his face and before he could turn over, something

wrapped around his left leg. It began pulling him across the floor to a patch

of darkness that lacked a ball of Far Light I.

Richter cried out in panic and anger. Flopping over, he put both

hands together and dual cast Flame I. He forced a word of Power from his
throat and his wrists locked together. A gout of orange fire flew ahead of

him and began to cook the tentacle that held him. It was dark black in color

and thick like an octopus’s arm. When the fire touched it, he heard a

scream that sounded like the whistling of wind through a canyon. The

tentacle loosed its grip. As it retreated, Richter was horrified to see that the

wiry limb was lined with suckers. That was not noteworthy, but each

sucker had a small mouth in its center that was full of needlelike teeth. The
mouths snapped and gnashed at him in no observable sequence. He kept up

his fire attack and traced the lance of flame in the direction of the retreating

tentacle. The scream grew louder, and Richter got his first look at what was

attacking him. He used Analyze.

Dark Aberration. Level 18. Health 630. Mana 350. Stamina 410.

Disposition: Hatred. A dark aberration can arise from the remains of

sacrificial victims used in Dark magic. The rotting flesh of those poor souls

will sometimes flow together to create this horrid creature. An amalgam of

agony, fury, and Dark magic, an aberration is filled with hatred and will

attack any creature that comes near it. Rather than being seen as an
unfortunate consequence of magic experimentation, some evil wizards have

sacrificed hundreds, if not thousands, of men, women, and children for the

express purpose of creating these hateful things. A dark aberration can lie

dormant for years and can survive by feeding off of the residual Dark magic

that created it. If it is supplied with fresh flesh or Dark energy, this monster

could theoretically be an immortal watchdog.

The thing was huge. It was at least the size of a Humvee. The

entire body of the aberration just looked like a tarry black mass that had a

forest of tentacles extending out from it. Eyes of various colors and types

were randomly placed on the body and several large mouths were

screaming in concert. Some of the mouths were as long as Richter’s arm

and filled with jagged shark-like teeth, but one mouth was human sized and

was lined with full red pouting lips. Somehow the normal mouth was what

really filled Richter with revulsion.

He only got a look at it for second because it quickly scooted farther

back into the cave and beyond the range of his Flame I spell. Richter
immediately lost sight of it, and the screams quieted after a few seconds.

Except for the whoosh of his Fire spell and his own harsh breathing, there

wasn’t another sound to be heard once it disappeared into the dark. Just

great, Richter thought, this thing is a fucking ninja! He screamed defiance

at it for a second and maintained his fire attack, but then cut it off and

sprinted in the opposite direction.

As Richter ran, he started casting buffs. Minor Life Armor I, Minor

Life Aura, Haste I, and Barkskin I. He even cast Courage I, though he

couldn’t tell if it had an effect. He was still scared shitless by what he had

just seen. That thing had been huge, and he was pretty sure one of those

eyes had winked at him!

As he sprinted away, he aimed his run towards an area that seemed

to have a greater concentration of his Far Light I balls clustered together,

reasoning that had to be the direction he had been thrown from. It also

coincided with the section of the map where the cave entrance was.

Luckily, it was roughly opposite of the direction that the aberration had
skittered off in. Richter intellectually understood that didn’t mean it wasn’t

still following him in the dark or even that it hadn’t managed to get ahead

of him, but seeing as how he was running for his life from a giant tentacle

monster, it really didn’t seem like the time for deep thoughts!

It didn’t take more than a few seconds to cast his buffs and after that

he just cast Far Light I in all directions again until he reached the portion of

wall that was already festooned with his balls of light. His breath was still

coming fast and short and his heart thudded forcefully in his chest. He

quickly turned around, placing his back to the wall, and drew his new

sword. It gleamed green in the light of Richter’s balls of light. He looked

out over the cavern, searching for the aberration.

The first thing that struck Richter was the strangeness of the cavern

he was in. The ceiling was only twenty feet directly above his head, but in

front of him, the cave became a warren of holes and short tunnels. To

Richter, it looked like staring into a block of Swiss cheese. There was even

a four-foot hole leading directly up into the ceiling only a few feet from

where he was standing. Richter quailed internally when he realized he was

standing in a three-dimensional maze. He could only hope that he had run

in the right direction and that he could find the way out. It was now

abundantly clear why the position of the Far Light I balls was so

confusing.
 Richter looked around, searching for the midnight black body of his

attacker, but he didn’t see anything. He shot out a few more balls of Far

Light I, but each ball of light only illuminated the space around it for a few

feet. The oil-colored body of his enemy could be in any of the seemingly

endless shadows that were in front of him. Richter looked to either side,

trying to find the entrance to the chamber. He sidled a bit to the left, but

then whipped his head back to the right, fearing to be attacked from the

darkness again.

Richter took stock of his situation. Just like when he had been

confronted with a difficult situation on Earth, he remembered the wisdom of

Frank Herbert, “Fear is the mind killer, I will face my fear. I will let it pass

through me.” Richter took a deep breath and steadied himself. With his

short sword held before him, he faced the facts.

Fact, a monster wanted his life.

Fact, if he didn’t escape, he would have to fight for his life.

Fact, it was bigger than him.

Richter’s fear faded as he forced his mind to confront his situation.

In its absence, anger became his primary emotion.

Fact, he had already hurt it.

Fact, this was his damn house.

 Fact, he was going to kill this fucking thing!

Richter stopped looking for an escape and started planning for his

victory. Both hands flew out, and he cast Far Light I fifty more times in

quick succession. The village’s mana dropped by two hundred and fifty, but

there was still more than enough available. The village mana pool would

recover at more than forty points per hour, and the light should last at least

another ten minutes. He also cast Simple Light. Between that and the glow

that Minor Life Aura caused, he could easily see the area around him.

Richter drank a Potion of Clarity and then cast one of his new spells,

Summon Weak Saproling, for the very first time. The fingers of his left
hand contorted in a particular series of movements. The cast time was three

seconds, but the aberration left him unmolested as he completed his spell.
Richter felt his will push against the fabric of the world as he made a hole

in space between “here” and “somewhere else.” With a final word of

Power, he clenched his hand into a fist. The spell was completed. A green
disc four feet in diameter phased into view. Richter heard the sound of

leaves rustling in the wind, and the crisp scent of pine filled the cavern. A
creature stepped through the disc.

The saproling was three feet tall and seemed to be composed of

thick sticks and leaves. The pale wooden branches were bent and

intertwined like wicker. It was bent forward on all fours, but its stance was
more akin to an ape’s than a dog’s. The saproling didn’t have any feet.
Instead, each limb ended in a small mire of sprawling roots. The head was

a solid piece of wood. Two green balls of glowing light served for its eyes,
and it looked out from holes in the front of its wooden skull. Three more

holes ran down either side of its jaw, but Richter didn’t see any discernable
mouth.

The summoned creature looked around and then locked eyes on

Richter. No sounds came from it, but Richter understood the silent

communication. It was waiting for orders. It was waiting to discover why

it had been summoned from whatever world it called home. He really

didn’t know too much about its capabilities, so he Analyzed it.

Saproling. Level 5. Health 180. Mana 200. Stamina 220. Disposition:

Neutral. A low-level forest elemental, a saproling can take many forms.

They are often summoned by Novice Earth mages for a variety of tasks.
Though helpful, they can also attack with deadly force when needed.

“Protect me!” Richter shouted. He started casting more Far Light I

balls into the dark recesses. While he did, he kept searching for the

entrance in case the fight went badly. He still fully intended to kill
whatever was in here with him, but he didn’t see any shame in…

strategically retreating if the fight turned south. The hair on the back of his
neck was up as he tried to look everywhere at once. He kept imagining that
he could detect the pitch-black skin of the aberration. Each time he created
a ball of light, it stuck to whatever surface it met, but he saw no sign of the

monster. Richter just couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that even though
the aberration could be hiding ten feet away, he still might not see it.

As it turned out, the monster was only hiding eight feet away,
hanging from the wall above and behind him. A tentacle snaked out of the

darkness and wrapped around Richter’s neck. It yanked him off his feet and
cut off his oxygen like a noose. Richter felt the small mouths on the inside

tentacles bite him. What was worse was the nauseating pulling sensation.
With budding horror, he realized that this thing was drinking his blood even

as it choked him!

The saproling immediately rushed to the wall to attack the monster,

but that did nothing to help Richter directly. More tentacles reached out to
combat his summoned creature. The saproling was stopped a good five feet
away from the mouths Richter could now see yawning open. He reached

up instinctively and tried to dig his fingers into the space between his neck
and the tentacle holding him. There was no gap to be found, however. As

soon as he touched the tentacle, it tightened like a garrote. The pressure

increased behind his eyes as the flow of blood was constricted further. The

muscles in his abdomen constricted, and Richter had to fight a sudden urge
to urinate on himself. He probably wouldn’t have been able to resist that
primal defense mechanism, but the panic that rose within him as soon as his

feet left the ground suddenly abated slightly. An unseen notation on his
combat log detailed that Courage I had just taken effect. His conscious

mind took over, and he realized that he wasn’t using the best weapon at his
disposal. That actual weapon in his fucking hand!

The tentacle still held him aloft and had twisted his body around as
it tightened. This was good news because it let him face the wall where the

monster was fighting his saproling. If the tentacle were still behind him, he
would not have been able to hit it effectively with his sword. In this

position, though, Richter was able to first bring the sword across his body
and then swing at the tentacle with a mighty backhand.

The clear green blade refracted the light slightly as it arced through

the poorly lit cave. Richter’s vision was starting to darken when the blade
hit the tentacle. His teeth bared in a grimace triggered by both pain and a

desperate need to free himself from the aberration’s grasp. The oxygen
wasn’t the problem—Richter knew for a fact that he could hold his breath

for minutes. The lack of blood flow was another matter. If he didn’t get
free in the next few seconds, he would lose consciousness. Once that

happened… game over.

Time seemed to slow for Richter. External sounds faded as all he

could hear was a ringing in his ears and a distant thud from a just finished
heartbeat. Once the sword touched the tentacle, though, he rejoined the

world jarringly, and a horrifying screech filled the air. Each of the
aberration’s mouths was wide open and caterwauling at different tones,

from a deep roar to a ladylike scream.

His blade had struck the black tentacle a foot from his face. It was

more than close enough for him to see a flash of blue-white frost when it
struck. The elementum blade sank easily into the octopus-like limb and cut

more than halfway. Richter yanked his arm down, sawing the length of his
short sword the rest of the way through. The severed end of the limb

whipped back and forth, spraying black blood across Richter’s face and
body. He didn’t care, though, because he was in the process of falling to the

floor.

He was able to land on his feet, but he still collapsed to his knees
due to his blood-starved brain. The severed rubbery tentacle was no longer

squeezing with crushing force, but it remained tightly wrapped around his
neck. Richter dropped his sword and grabbed the bleeding stump with both

hands. He started unwinding it from around his neck, but when he was half
done, it seemed to stick. He heard a sound like a tree limb breaking and

assumed that the saproling was not faring well. Richter gave a mighty
yank, and a sucker came free, ripping a set of sharp teeth free as well. A red
teardrop icon appeared in the corner of his vision, indicating bleeding
status. Richter felt blood flowing freely down his neck and chest.

The blood loss of five HP per minute was minor compared to his
five hundred and eighty-nine health point total, so he didn’t hesitate to rip

the rest of the suckers free. Two more teeth-filled suckers were attached,
and the teardrop grew a deeper red in color, but he was finally able to

breathe unencumbered. His head was spinning, but Richter heard more
sounds of breaking wood. He didn’t have the luxury of recovery time. He
grabbed his sword with one hand and tried to cast Slow Heal I. Nothing

more than a rasp came out. Another loud crunch resounded in the cavern.
It drew Richter’s gaze to the battle between his saproling and the dark

aberration.

Pieces of wood littered the ground, and he could see that the

saproling’s legs had been ripped off. The forest creature had not finished
fighting, however. Large thorns had sprouted along the entire length of its

body, and it was clawing furrows in the dark aberration’s tentacles. The
only problem was that there were still so many tentacles to fight. Richter’s

summoned creature still had not gotten close enough to score against the
monster’s body. As he watched, five more tentacles wrapped around the

saproling despite the damage the spikes caused. The tentacles tightened,
and wooden creature inside the vise started to convulse in a hopeless
attempt to escape. Richter knew he didn’t have much time. Once the
saproling was disposed of, the aberration would devote its sole attention to

him. Without the ability to cast magic, he wouldn’t last five seconds.

Richter pulled an enhanced health potion out of his Bag and downed

it. He immediately felt the holes in his neck begin to close and the soreness
in his throat start to ease. Whether the potion was strong enough to repair

his bruised voice box was anyone’s guess. In hopes of bringing himself
back to full fighting potential, he also released the power of his Ring of

Healing.

That done, Richter sheathed his sword while the saproling continued
to be slowly crushed into oblivion. The aberration whipped a free tentacle

in his direction, but Richter was already moving backwards. He rolled out
of the way and stood, sheathing his short sword. In a now practiced motion,

he reached into his Bag of Holding and drew out his Recurve Bow of the
Wood Sprite as if he were drawing a blade. After it was fully clear of the
space-folding properties of the Bag, he let the smooth wood slide through

his hand until he reached the handle and with his other hand he pulled an
arrow from the quiver on his back and nocked it to the string. The entire
process took less than two seconds.

Without the ability to speak, he only had one other type of magic

available to him. His first type of magic. The sprite ability to Imbue his
arrows. The glow around the arrow started as a pure gold. A second later a
dark tinge could be seen on the surface of the golden shell. More cracking

sounds reverberated through the chamber, and the saproling’s head was now
whipping violently back and forth as it tried to free itself. Just hold on a
little longer, Richter thought with silent urgency. Another second passed,
and black streaks appeared on his golden arrow. He had to resist the urge to
try and force more mana into the arrow. That simply wasn’t the way sprite

magic worked. Instead, Richter had to relax and let the magic flow through
him and into the arrow. So that’s what he tried to do. Another second
passed. The streaks flowed faster.

Richter kept drawing mana from the village reserves. He watched

as another tentacle snaked over to wrap around the saproling’s head. With a
final tightening, the monster wrenched the saproling’s head free. The rest
of the wooden limbs lost all life and movement. In the dim light shining on
the aberration, Richter saw several of the eyes that were sunk into its body

turn in his direction. He was out of time.

With a shout that he hadn’t been capable of moments before, Richter

let the arrow fly. The aura around it had gained enough power that the
black line adopted a swirling candy cane appearance before it left his bow.
Even though the distance was small, Richter used Focus, magnifying his

target by 2.4x. He couldn’t risk hitting the sea of tentacles. The damn thing
just seemed to shrug that off. So he aimed for the most vulnerable spot he
could see.

The arrow moved across the twenty yards at a speed of hundreds of

miles per hour. As fast as the tentacles were, they couldn’t intercept the
glowing projectile. It threaded the needle through more than a dozen
writhing tentacles and reached its target, the largest open mouth that Richter

could see. The parrot-like beak was a foot across and two feet high. It was
open in a raucous scream of triumph over crushing the saproling. As soon
as Richter had seen the mouth open, he’d thought, Keep laughing,
muthafucka!

The arrow impacted just as he had hoped, several inches inside of

the hooked bill. A deafening boom sounded inside of the cavern, staggering
Richter. Less than a second later, the shockwave from the powerful impact
finished the job and knocked him down. Richter didn’t mind. He knew he
had hurt his enemy.

Even though his ears were ringing, he could still hear the piteous
cries coming out of the dark aberration’s remaining mouths. He looked up
from his crouched position and saw a large crater where the mouth had
been. Three of the tentacles near the impact site lay limp. The rest moved

in different directions without rhyme or reason. Pieces of black blood and

flesh fell from the wound.
 Richter stood and nocked another arrow, but had no time to Imbue

it. With a furious roar, the aberration flowed to the floor like oil. Richter
released his arrow, but it just struck the body of the monster, barely
penetrating its resilient skin. Meanwhile, it quickly scurried towards him,
half of its tentacles acting as legs.

Richter’s hastened body let him at least match the monster in speed.

He dropped his bow and slapped both wrists together. Bracing one foot
behind him in a staggered stance, he dual cast Flame I. His fear and anger
made his will powerful. For the first time he had no difficulty at all forcing
the words out, and his fingers almost danced as he completed the one-

second incantation.

A gout of orange flame shot from his hands and bathed the
aberration in fire. The mouths started screaming again, but it didn’t stop
coming. Some of the tentacles formed a shield to block the body from the

worst of the damage. Richter tried to pour more power into the spell, but he
couldn’t increase the DPS just by force of will. The lance of fire burned the
front tentacles to char, but precious little damage was done to the main
body. Before Richter could do anything else, one of the undamaged
tentacles grabbed his leg and pulled him off his feet.

Richter fell hard and struck his head. For the first time, he
experienced spell feedback. The Power he had been channeling stopped
flowing out of him and bottlenecked inside of his own body. Richter felt a

moment of blinding pain and then… nothing. He had been dazed and
confused before, but he had never felt anything like this. Richter was
conscious of his own existence, but all sensations fled.

The only saving grace was that he had only been channeling a

novice-level spell. The spell feedback was not prolonged, but it was still
more than enough time for Richter to be put at the mercy of the aberration.
When he came to, the aberration had a tentacle wrapped around each of his
arms and legs. Richter was spread-eagled and was being held several feet

in the air. He had no idea why he was still alive. Why would the monster
have left him alive?

That was when it spoke.

“Ssssso you are the new masssster.”

Of course, the evil tentacle monster can talk, Richter thought. The

mouth that was speaking had a long forked tongue set between thin lips. As
he hung there, he watched the various eyes opening and closing. More than
one of the eyes seemed lazy and appeared to be looking just past him. For
some reason, as he hung there at the mercy of this freak of magic, the fact

that he didn’t know which eye to stare at irritated the shit out of him.
 “Do you know what your people have done to us?” the aberration

asked. This time, it was a different mouth. The tones had the musical
cadence of the wood elves and the language was in wood elf speak as well.

Richter tried to yank one of his arms free, but the monster just
tightened its grip. He felt one of the suckers pierce the flesh of his leg and

then felt that horrible draining sensation again.

“Don’t do that,” the creature said. The mouth speaking was small,
with human lips. Horrifyingly, it was the voice of a young girl. “We had to
wait soooo long for you to wake up!”

“Well, not that long,” said a mouth with a sultry woman’s voice.
“Only a few minutes.”

“It felt like a long time!” The child mouth pouted. Then it giggled.
“If you want to keep being bad, though, you will have to be punished!”

All of the tentacles tightened more, and Richter’s shoulder and hip
sockets ached from the strain. His eyes almost screwed shut, but then a
tentacle moved towards his face. Richter braced himself to be choked
again, but it just gently caressed his face. The mouths started chuckling
evilly, then the tip of the tentacle was at his mouth, trying to force its way

in. Richter screwed his lips tight and twisted his head to the side, but a
tentacle wrapped around his neck to keep his head still. Soon he felt the tip
pressing against his lips again, trying to wriggle its way inside. This can’t
be happening! he thought.

Richter’s fingers were still free, but with his arms and legs spread as
they were, his Ice Dagger I and Flame I spells would just shoot off into

darkness. As the tentacle poked at his lips, the horrifying laughter coming
from the dark monster deepened. The strength in the tentacles holding his
arms and legs was massive. He had no doubt that the black tip pressing on
his lips could force its way in if it really wanted to. The damn thing was

toying with him.

“Shhh, shhh, shhh,” the sultry mouth said to the other voices. “The
young master here should know why he is so important to us. We have
been trapped here for so many years, living off of the ambient Dark energy
of this Place of Power.” The voice turned wistful. “You should have seen

us in the past. We were so much stronger… grander.” The mouth smiled at

Richter, showing a set of yellow, rotted teeth. “Now you are here, though,
and everything will be better!” The chuckling began again.

Another voice started speaking in the gruff tones of a male dwarf.

“You will join us. We will add you to us. The last time we added a Master
we were well fed for a century!” The tone grew insidious and teasing.
“Now would you like to know how we are going to add you?”
 Richter wanted to try to bargain with the thing, but he didn’t dare
risk opening his lips. The questing tentacle traced the outline of his mouth.
This shit CANNOT be happening, he thought again.

“We just have to put a bit of us inside you and leave it there. If you

die before you get it out, we can absorb you!” the child voice said,
giggling. “Of course, if you don’t want us to go in from the top there is
another option.” Yet one more black appendage snaked forward. It
touched the calf of his left leg, then slowly slid upward. The tentacle at his

mouth started poking the center of his lips again. It would try to wriggle
inside, withdraw an inch, and then poke his mouth again. He couldn’t even
move his head away because of the vise-like grasp the aberration had on his
neck. The tentacle between his legs latched onto the small space near his

groin that his greaves left unarmored. A sucker attached to his pants and the
sharp teeth sunk through the fabric and into the meat of his thigh. The
black feeler gave a sudden wrench downward. Both Richter’s pants and the
meat of his thigh tore free. A large chunk of Richter’s flesh was still

attached to the tentacle.

Blood flowed freely down his leg, and the bleeding status he had
earlier was put to shame. A large blood red teardrop appeared in the corner
of his vision, showing that he was losing fourteen health points per second.
An involuntary scream escaped from Richter’s mouth before he clamped it
closed again. The black limb at his face continued poking his lips. The
aberration’s raucous laughter filled the air.

“Oooh, you taste so good,” the sultry voice said with a disgusting

hunger. “We must have more!”

The tentacles holding Richter moved him upward and forward until
his body was suspended above the black mass of the aberration’s body. It
contorted him so that the blood draining out of his leg dripped directly into
one of the mouths. The creature’s other mouths cooed as the mouth beneath

him noisily smacked and gulped his life essence.

“Stop,” the gruff dwarf mouth said. “We can’t kill him yet.” Some
of the other mouths complained or grumbled, but Richter was moved back
in front of the monster, his limbs spread-eagled again. The monster had

drunk his blood for more than ten seconds. The time it had spent draining
him had at least allowed his bleeding status to improve. The large blood-
red icon had been replaced with a smaller one. Red blood continued to flow
down Richter’s leg but at a reduced rate. Despite the blood loss having

decreased, he still felt a trifle woozy.

“Now, we are sorry about that bit of unpleasantness,” said a voice

that hadn’t spoken yet. Richter couldn’t see which mouth was speaking, but
the voice was the most surreal yet. It sounded like a kindly old grandfather,
comforting and reasonable. “You must understand though, young Master,
we have been trapped here for so long. I’m sure you wouldn’t begrudge a
starving man a meal, would you?”

All of the eyes that Richter could see oriented on his face. The
tentacle was still poking at his mouth, so he kept his lips screwed shut. The
silence stretched out, and the eyes seemed to widen expectantly, so he gave
a slight shake of his head, all he could manage with the tentacle around his

neck.

“See, we knew you could be reasonable,” the kind voice said. Some
of the other mouths seemed to grumble in disagreement. The voice
continued, “You have hurt us. Your arrow silenced one of our voices and

your fire burnt many of our limbs, but we think we can put that behind us.
As we said earlier, we have been trapped here for many centuries. An old
runic enchantment has kept us tied to this place since we were created by a
Master of this Place of Power so long ago. We believe it is only fair that
because you are the new Master, that you fix this grave injustice.”

The voice started sounding less reasonable and adopted a note of

what Richter could only identify as religious zeal. “We have suffered long
enough. Our pitiful level and size are only the barest glimmer of our former
power. We must be free. You will set us free. If you do not, you will be

subject to the most depraved violations that we have come up with over
countless years of confinement. We see the defiance in your eyes! We feel
you still wriggling to get free! Perhaps you just need a taste of what we can

do!”

A tentacle slipped up his leg, having entered through the hole in his
pants. The tentacle at his mouth drew back a foot. The protrusion tensed,
and the tip grew more pointed. It quivered, and Richter knew that playtime

was over. The tentacle in his pants moved between his legs and up to his
buttocks. He knew that in just a second, the tentacle in front of his face
would drive forward into his mouth and down his throat. He had a pretty
good idea that the other one might try to meet in the middle. Richter could
see the future clearly, and the fear of what was coming felt like a black hand

wrapping around his heart.

He wasn’t done though, and his anger hadn’t abandoned him.

Richter hadn’t been wriggling just to try and free himself; he had
been trying to cast the one spell that could possibly help. He knew that he

would only have one chance. He had to inflict as much damage as possible
in the opening salvo, so he had been attempting to dual cast the only spell
that he could aim in his position, Sonic Wail I. Again and again the spell
fizzled as he tried to complete the necessary hand motions. His position

made it difficult to coordinate the specific gestures, and the word of Power
continually stuck in his throat.
 The impossibility of his task added to his panic, but this wasn’t the
first time he had dealt with an implacable enemy. The same rage he had felt

when he had triggered a bomb in Sonirae’s face rose inside of him. With
fury making tears leak from his eyes, he started moving his hands in sync
one last time. His mouth opened, and he forced out the word of Power.
“SONEKKIRU!”

Rings of force rose up through his throat and left his mouth. His
teeth bared in a wide-mouth rictus, and his eyes tightened against the force
he was expelling out into the cavern. The pain in his jaw made him think
that it was breaking under the force of the dual casting, but that was nothing

compared to what was happening to the aberration.

The invisible rings of force quickly widened as they left Richter’s

mouth. Though he couldn’t see the physical manifestation of the spell, he
could see the effect on the monster. The tentacle in front of his face bent
back. The force of Richter’s spell hit the black creature, and he saw the

skin on the body ripple as it was buffeted by a quick succession of sonic

waves. The monster screamed and seemed to lose the ability to control
itself. The black mass of its body fell to the ground as the tentacles keeping
it upright spasmed randomly.

The inky limbs holding Richter upright flailed around as well. The
ones holding his arms and right leg released their grip. The small mouths
left bloody wounds as they detached in some places, but nothing major.

The tentacle on his left leg actually tightened and yanked Richter to the
side. He fell to the ground, one leg still bound, but he kept his face and his
spell focused on the dark aberration. A second later, even that tentacle
released, and Richter was free.

He kept his mouth pointed at the monster for a final second,

enjoying seeing the mouths open in screams. He couldn’t hear it, the Sonic
Wail I having deafened him from being used in such a confined space, but
Richter still took pleasure in the silent suffering. Once his spell was done,
the monster was able to regain some control over itself. Some of the

mouths opened and closed forming unheard words as its tentacles tried to
lift its body off of the cavern floor.

Richter raised his hands. His fingers interwove, each five a mirror
for the other, and he spat a word of Power. Once again the orange lance of

flame spread over the monster. His leg was still bleeding and pained him
terribly, but when Richter spoke, there was joy in his voice. The
aberration’s mouths were once again unified in screams.

“I know you were probably trying to say something, but I can’t hear

you! When I was fucking you up with my sonic attack, I think it blew out
my eardrums. I want you to know, though, I do think you had a good
point! I do plan to fix the mistakes of those who came before me! Namely
that someone thought it was a good idea to make a schizoid rapist monster

like you!”

Richter focused the flame on the base of the tentacles closest to

him. It let him hurt the body and burn off the aberration’s ability to attack.
It was able to launch an attack or two at him, but he would immediately

turn his flamethrower on that tentacle and it would quickly slough off.
Soon, all of the tentacles on one side of its body were gone. It continued to

try and lift itself up with the tentacles on its body that remained, but Richter
turned his flame to those as well. When only a few remained in odd places,

he finally stopped his Fire spell.

As soon as he let up his fiery attack, he cast Slow Heal I and then
Grease I. Once the brown gravy colored film had settled over the monster,

he cast Flame I again. The oily residue left by the Earth spell fed the

flames even after he stopped the spell. As he watched the monster burn,
Richter’s hearing returned like someone unclicked the “mute” button. He

could hear the screams filling the cavern again.

“No, stop hurting us!” the child’s voice wailed.

“We will kill you!” the dwarf’s voice threatened.

“Please, Master! We can be nice!” the sultry voice begged.

 Richter ignored them all. Most of his balls of Far Light I had gone

out during his recovery from the spell feedback and the subsequent attack.

He cast Simple Light, and the glow was enough for him to see his discarded
elementum short sword. He walked a few paces away from the monster

and picked up the sword. He knew the one-minute cooldown had elapsed,
and so he cast Sonic Wail I for a second time. Once again, the spell

completely incapacitated the monster for three seconds. Once again, the

mute button got clicked, and all sound went away. That didn’t bother him
though. Richter still had a bit of pep in his step while he walked around the

aberration and systematically hacked off its remaining tentacles. The fire
went out after the Grease I spell expended itself. The aberration lay there,

several of the mouths mewling piteously. He cast Slow Heal I and happily

listened to its suffering once his hearing returned again.

Richter cast Simple Light, and a glowing ball rose above his head.
As he watched, the black mass quivered. It clearly strained and somehow

rolled over a bit. Uncharred flesh presented itself, and a mouth that had

escaped Richter’s assault spoke. The voice spoke in the musical tones of
the wood sprites and the language was sprite speak.

“Have mercy on us,” it wheezed. “We are only what we were made

to be.” Other mouths continued to cry softly.

 Richter extended his hand and spoke a word of Power. Soul Trap
settled onto the monster. He leaned over and spoke with a still certainty.

“You chose the right voice to plead for mercy. That’s what I will give to the

poor spirits who were sacrificed to make you.” As Richter raised his sword,
the monster’s eyes oriented on it. As the green blade fell, every one of the

monster’s remaining mouths screamed.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 6

Richter’s arm was tired by the time he was done. He had hacked the

aberration to pieces. Then he had hacked the larger pieces into smaller
pieces. Then he had stomped on some of the smaller pieces for good

measure. Through the entire experience, voices pleaded for mercy. Most
he could ignore—the barking of a kobold voice, the squeaking of a goblin

promising retribution—but the children’s voices tugged at his heart. He had

tried to localize where those were coming from and attack those spots first.

As his elementum sword swung down and mutilated the small mouths, he
had to continually remind himself that he was actually ending the life of a

monster.

The process took longer than he would have thought necessary, and

he had to renew his Soul Trap spell three more times. Finally, the last piece

of black flesh stopped moving, and a ribbon of rainbow light spiraled

around him multiple times before disappearing into his Bag. Richter sat

down heavily, almost collapsing to the ground. His throat was hoarse.

Sometime during his butchery of the aberration, he had started shouting…

or screaming… or laughing, he really wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he

was drained.

The wound on his leg pulsed with pain. He was still bleeding

slightly, but it wasn’t a significant problem. He had hundreds of health

left. Richter made a quick check of his village mana pool and saw that he

had used more than five hundred MPs during the fight. His head throbbed

from channeling so much magic, but he still cast Slow Heal I again.

The wound on his thigh closed, as did the other bloody rents caused

by the sharp tentacle teeth. The bleeding finally stopped. He drank some

water, and by simply supplying this basic human need, he felt much

refreshed. He stood and then cast Summon Weak Life Wisp. A ball of

golden light came into being and slowly orbit him in a two-foot radius. The

wisp would heal him if he suffered any more damage. He hadn’t seen

anything besides the aberration in the cavern system, but then again, he
hadn’t seen the aberration until it had attacked him. He hoped that the

monster had killed anything else that might be in here, but he wasn’t going

to take any chances. He recast Simple Light, Haste I, Barkskin I, Minor Life

Armor I, and Minor Life Aura. Between his buffs, the wisp, and the Simple

Light, he could easily see within ten feet of where he was standing. Past

that, though, was darkness.

 Richter knew he needed to get out of there, but he wouldn’t be able

to if he couldn’t see. This interlocking series of small caves was confusing.

The main problem was that he couldn’t see the entirety of the cave system

with the Light magic he had at his disposal. The novice-level spells just

weren’t strong enough. He thought about it for a minute; then he realized

the solution was literally at his fingertips.

He accessed his city interface and pulled up the “Spells” section.

He immediately saw the Summon Mist Worker spell. He had cast it plenty

of times before. Almost all of the other spells were greyed out. He didn’t

have access to them yet. Richter knew that one more was available, though.
He just hadn’t had the opportunity to cast it before. Finally, he found it.

Mist Light. Creates a ball of glowing mist. It will affix to whatever surface

it is pressed against or can be maintained in at a fixed point in midair. The

lights can be physically moved as needed. The properties of your Place of

Power will keep this spell going much longer than almost any other spell.

The mist light will last for a full year, fueled by the ambient magic of the

location. This is a settlement spell. Can only be cast within the domain of

your village. Cost: 50 mana. Duration: 1 year. Range: 500 feet. Cast

Time: 1 minute. Cooldown: N/A.

Richter accessed the spell. A cool and wet feeling built within him

just like when he’d summoned the mist workers in the past. A slow series
of movements came to him unbidden, and he began speaking a language of

magic that not even his Gift of Tongues ability could decipher. A minute

later, a basketball-sized grey globe shot from his hands towards the ceiling.
It rose fifteen feet and then affixed to the roof of the cavern.

For the first time since being attacked, he could see clearly in all
directions. The first thing that he noticed was a large round boulder about

thirty yards away. It was resting on a depression in the floor. Richter

suddenly knew why he couldn’t find the exit before. It also explained what

the loud crash had been when he had first been attacked. While he was

flying through the air like a demented squirrel, the aberration must have

rolled a boulder over the opening to prevent his escape.

Richter walked up to the rock. It was roughly rounded on the

bottom to fit snuggly into the hole. It was only about three feet high and

four feet to either side, but that still meant it was more than a cubic meter.

The thing probably weighed two tons! Even with his Strength of twenty-

eight, there was no way he could dead lift two thousand kilos. Maybe, just

maybe, he could shift it, though.

He took his Belt of Strength out of his Bag and put it on. The

Sustenance Belt took its place in the special folds of his Bag of Holding.

His muscles grew somewhat, and increased strength flowed through his

body. He walked around the rock, trying to figure out the best way to
approach the problem. The small boulder was only a couple feet from the

wall, so Richter ultimately decided that he should just brace his back

against the rock. He put his feet on the wall, and checking to be sure he

was in a good position, started pushing with his legs. The rock dug into his

back as he put more and more force into his push. It was extremely

uncomfortable, but finally, he felt the boulder start to shift. Giving it all he

had, he gave a mighty push and the rock rolled free of the hole.

The problem was that the last shove with his legs overbalanced him,

and he fell backwards and headfirst into the hole.

“Shiittt!” he said as he slowly toppled over. The hole was only three

feet deep, so he didn’t fall far, but it still hurt when he whacked his head on

the ground. The blow prompted a loud “Owwww!” His exclamation

stemmed more from irritation than pain. When he heard the rock shifting

again, however, he looked up quickly and saw that it was slowly tipping

back towards the hole. He hadn’t pushed it all the way into a stable

position. It was going to fall back into place. He’d be crushed!

With no time to do anything else, he pushed himself up into a

handstand and bent at the waist, so his body was in an “7” position. Then

with all of the force he could muster, he started kicking at the rock above

him. Each kick would rock the stone away from him, but it wasn’t enough

to get it to fully tip over and leave him in safety. So he just kept kicking.
 “Move, you son of a bitch! Take this boot! Just fall over, bitch!

Gahhh!”

This was how Sion, Terrod, Caulder, Futen, Alma, and several of the
guards found him. Upside down, kicking like a drunk baby, and shouting

obscenities up into a hole.

It was later explained to Richter that the entire rescue party had

come at a run. Sion had heard the sound of Richter’s shout when the dark

aberration had attacked, quickly followed by the heavy thud of the boulder

sealing off the entrance to the caverns above. He had tried to move the

rock, but to no avail, so he ran to get help. The guards had all come running

when Sion relayed the danger he suspected Richter was in, but it had still

taken time to run the miles between the village proper and the waterfall that

hid the cave. By the time they had returned, Richter had just freed himself

and was now trying desperately not to be crushed.

So as they walked up to the tunnel and peered in, they saw their

lord, upside down, with arrows strewn about him that had fallen from his

quiver, gyrating his hips as he kicked like a drunken baby and shouted at

something above him. Confusion and astonishment were the order of the

day for the now unneeded rescue team. Even Sion was rendered somewhat
dumbstruck at the bizarre tableau. So they watched Richter for a good little

while before the sprite said, “What the hell are you doing?”
 Richter looked over while still kicking the rock and said, “Don’t ask

me stupid questions! Someone get over here and help me push this fucking

rock over before it crushes me!”

Caulder ran up the incline, and after a bit of body manipulation

managed to push his hands up between Richter’s legs. Between the two of

them, Richter and his new sergeant were able to push the boulder over into

a stable position. The Master of the Mist Village breathed a deep sigh of

relief. That was when he realized that he was now in perhaps an even more
precarious position. He swore everyone present to secrecy, but he learned a

little-known fact that day. When you’re in a handstand and another man is
standing in front of you, at the very least, you’re going to get a whiff of

balls or ass.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 7

Richter finally righted himself, and everyone else filed into the

cavern. None of his guards said anything, and even jovial Caulder seemed
a bit uncomfortable with the sequence of events that had just unfolded.

There had been some confusion about whether he or Richter should move
out of the hole first, which in turn had caused some… grazing of cheek and

nethers, but again, that occurrence fell under Richter’s royal decree of
silence. It was made a bit more awkward by the large hole in his pants and

the unrestricted view that provided while Richter was upside down.
Caulder for his part seemed more comfortable wandering into the caves to

search for more monsters than hanging around a man he’d almost tea

bagged. All of the other guards fanned out in a loose circle around Richter,
and except for Sion asking if Richter needed to go wash his face, there were

no more awkward moments.

“You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?” Sion asked. He

walked over to the aberration’s mutilated body as he spoke. “It looks like

you won, though.”

 Richter shrugged as if his victory had been no big deal. “Some

muthafuckas always try to ice skate uphill.” Futen floated up and hovered

above his Master. Alma flew up into the cave and settled on his shoulders.

She licked a clean section of his face in affection but then nipped his ear

hard enough to draw a drop of blood. When he recoiled, she spoke in his
head to make sure that he had received the message.

*Where have you been?* she thought at him with consternation.

*You stay with me! I keep you safe!*

Richter chuckled at his protective little familiar. *You do know that

I am the master here, right?*

Alma just sniffed at him and tightened the grip her tail had on his

arm. The message was clear. Master or not, she was going to be watching

him closely for the next little while. Knowing the futility of arguing with

self-righteous women, he just smiled again. Richter looked over at his

captain and said, “Terrod!”

“Yes, Lord Richter,” the man replied with his fist clapped to his

heart. The other men followed suit. “I am so sorry about the danger you

were just in. From now on you will have a guard with you at all times. I

will need you to let me know if you plan to do any more exploring. Then I

will…”
 “Hey,” Richter said loudly. He could just see his future. If Terrod

had his way, Richter would be Lo-jacked. “We live in a dangerous world.

Shit happens. I appreciate your concern, but I won’t be coddled. I am in

charge here and you do what I say. Capish?”

Terrod looked somewhat confused by the last word, but Richter’s

general meaning was clear enough. Seeing the steely determination in his

liege’s eye, he dropped the issue, but not his salute. “I understand, my

lord.”

Richter relaxed. “Good. Now don’t worry about what just happened

in here. Let’s focus on what we need to happen now. Start searching the

cavern with your men. No one goes out alone though. Teams of five. If

anyone encounters a hostile, come back here and we tackle it together.”

Terrod nodded and started snapping orders. He took charge of one

group and Caulder took over the other. It worked out well because there

were two main exits from the entrance cavern they were in, a small one on

the right and one on the left that led downward slightly. Richter took a

couple of minutes to make two more mist lights and gave one to each
group. He also ordered Futen to move around the caverns and make

enough mist lights to illuminate the entire system. The two parties and the

remnant moved off into the side caverns while Richter and Sion examined

the remains of the aberration.

 In the mist light, several components of the slaughtered monster

caught his eye.

You have found: Tentacle of the Dark Aberration. Centuries of Dark magic

have coursed through this beast until its flesh is almost pure Element. The

concentrated Dark magic can be distilled from its flesh. You feel that it
could make a potion to greatly increase the strength of Dark spells for a

short time. It could also be added to certain items to add Dark damage or

defense. Only experimentation will tell for sure.

They were able to recover fourteen complete lengths of those, each

ten to fifteen feet long. The rest were badly charred or chopped into bits.

You have found: Flesh of the Dark Aberration…

The description was the same as the tentacles. Richter was only

able to find sixteen pieces large enough to register as “Flesh.” The rest of

the mutilated carcass didn’t provide a prompt.

You have found: Blood of the Dark Aberration. You feel that this could be

a component of a Potion of Dark Resistance or a Dark poison. It could

also be used to hide from means of detection reliant on Dark Power.

There was more than enough to be found in puddles around the

body. The chunks of flesh and the tentacles still dripped blood as well.
Richter filled several dozen vials and resolved to collect more later. He

stopped when he found a black gem shining dully in the light.

You have found: Dark Gem. This is a Quest item.

You have unlocked a Secret Quest: Who Will You Be II? Hundreds, if not

thousands, died in the experiments that created the dark aberration. Some

gave more than their lives, however. Their very souls were trapped by the

energies unleashed. The prison for one of these souls is the Dark Gem that
you hold. Find nineteen more and take them to a Light master if you wish

to free these souls. If you do not, these Dark Gems can be converted into

filled special-level soul stones. Do you accept this quest? Yes or No?

Reward: Unknown.

Richter’s mind was spinning by the time he finished reading the

prompt. Secret quest? And he was on part two? What had been part one?

He looked at the small jewel in his hand. The Dark Gem looked like a

shard of obsidian about four inches long and as big around as his thumb at

one end. The other end tapered to a dull point, and it had four flat smooth

sides. It was amazing to think that this thing could become a special-level

stone. According to the quest prompt, there were nineteen more!

He told Sion what the prompt had said, and they started searching

the rest of the blood and flesh. They quickly found five more. One of the
search teams came back while they were searching. Caulder and the other

men looked with revulsion at the sprite and their chaos seed Lord rooting

around in the foul smelling black blood and flesh, but that revulsion turned

to dread once Richter gave them an order to help. The men just stood there

until Caulder snapped some orders of his own.

“You hear the lord. Get your asses over there and find those gems.

What? Do you think you’re too good to get in the muck? I swear to the

banished gods, the last person over there will clean out the latrines with

their hands! Move your asses!”

The soldiers lost their reticence and dove into the task with gusto.

Whatever reservations Richter might have had about Caulder disappeared at

that moment. The sergeant kept strict discipline. Richter knew that his

people would need that if they were ever going to transition from a militia

into a true army. The soldiers took out knives and started inspecting the

pieces of the aberration. More than a few retched, and one actively started

vomiting when he reached a hand inside a body cavity, but they still did
what was required. Before Terrod’s group returned, Richter had all twenty

crystals in front of him. Seeing as how the soldiers were already soiled,

Richter took out several hundred empty vials and had them start collecting

blood. A simple “You heard him,” from Caulder got them moving again.

Richter asked the sergeant if he had found anything while searching the
caves, but the answer was a succinct “No.” When he saw that Richter

didn’t have any follow-up questions, Caulder stooped down to help his

men.

As the guards worked, Richter examined the notifications that had

appeared and been auto-minimized since he had been attacked.

You have trapped the soul of a Dark Aberration! Soul level: Special.

Richter couldn’t keep a smile from creeping onto his face. He

didn’t let himself get too distracted by his new swag, though, and kept
going through the notifications.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 5 in Focus. Zoom

increased by 0.1x.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 7 in Small Blades. +2%

attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Small Blades. +2%

attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 11 in Light Armor. +2% to

defense of all light armor.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 7 in Dual Casting. The spell

power of a dual casting is doubled at skill level 1. Advancing in this skill

will increase this bonus by 2% per skill level. At this level, total spell power
increased by 228%. Mana cost of dual casting a spell increases used spell
points by 300% (Cost decreased by 4x skill level). At this level, mana drain

increases by 272%. Chance of spell miscast decreased by increasing this

skill. This number is affected directly by spell level and caster’s proficiency

in that branch of magic.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 7 in Fire Magic. New spells

are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Fire Magic. New spells
are now available.

Richter cycled through those prompts quickly and found what he

had been looking for.

You have unlocked a Secret Quest: Who Will You Be I? You have found a
cavern that was once a sight of sacrifice. Countless lives were extinguished

in these dark caverns, far from the light or any hope of escape. The pain
and magic unleashed here created a Dark Aberration. Trapped within it

are the crystallized souls of some of these sacrificed men, women, and
children. Kill the aberration to find the Dark Gems that contain these

souls. Reward: Unknown. Do you accept? Yes or No?

Richter had never finished a quest before he had accepted it. He

wasn’t sure exactly what would happen, but he chose “Yes” anyway.
You have completed the Secret Quest: Who Will You Be I? You have slain
the dark aberration.

Reward: 25,000 (base 20,000) experience points.

He smiled. Richter was glad that he hadn’t missed out on so much

experience. Now the question was what to do with the second part of the
quest. Of course he wanted to help the unfortunate souls that had been

trapped for so long, but he’d have to give up TWENTY special-level soul
stones as well. He could make three full sets of highly enchanted armor and

weapons with them! While his elementum sword was wonderful, the
potential damage could have been so much higher if Krom had had a

special soul stone to work with.

Richter stared at the treasure in front of him, more than tempted to

take the money and run. He could rationalize that using the soul stones
could save the people that were still living here in the village. After all, it

wasn’t like he could bring back the people that were killed in the Dark
experiments that had made the aberration. What was done was done, right?

Richter stared at the gems so long that Sion asked him if he was

alright. Richter shrugged the question off and kept pondering the decision
he had to make. Did he owe anything to these people? Despite the fact that

he was the Master of the Mist Village now, he wasn’t responsible for the
actions of previous Masters, right? Richter played several arguments

through his mind, but the whole time a part of him knew what he would
choose… He had to help these people or what was left of them anyway.

He chose “Yes” for the second quest.

Richter placed all twenty Dark Gems in his Bag. He looked at Sion

and said, “Sorry. Just had a decision to make.

“And what did you decide?”

“I decided to be the good guy,” he replied.

The sprite nodded. His eyes grew slightly hooded and distant as he

responded, “I know that can be a hard choice to make sometimes.” Then

Sion’s expression changed. His eyes unfocused and in a surprised voice, he

said, “I received a quest as well. It says that I am supposed to bring these

twenty crystals to my mother.”

Richter looked at him with surprise of his own. Sion just happened

to get a quest that coincided with his own? It couldn’t be a coincidence.

The only thing he could think of was that their Companion status was

coming into play again. Being a Companion seemed to mean absolutely

nothing most of the time. When they had first been tied together, Sion
hadn’t even liked him, so it didn’t necessarily mean that you’d have a best

friend for life. At other times, though, it seemed to be vital. If the Universe
would give them complementary quests, what else could their Companion

bond mean?

“Should I accept it?” Sion asked hesitantly. Richter realized that he

hadn’t actually told `Sion what his own quest was. He clapped his friend on

the shoulder and filled him in on the complementary nature of their tasks.
Sion smiled in understanding and accepted his own quest. Right afterward,

Terrod walked up. His group had returned while the two friends had been
talking. The guards that had followed the captain were good-naturedly

making fun of the soiled appearance of Caulder’s group. The responses

were predictably vulgar.

“My lord,” Terrod said, “we found something.”

“What is it?” Richter asked.

“It would be easier just to show you. It isn’t far.”

Richter nodded. Wanting to be fair, he ordered the soldiers in

Terrod’s group to carry the tentacles and aberration flesh outside and to
collect more blood in vials. He chuckled internally at their small groans of

disgust. He had learned long ago, though, that what truly divided a
community wasn’t crappy treatment. It was unequal treatment. As long as

everyone had to wade through the same shit together, they’d grumble, but
they’d do it and laugh together as they cleaned off later. The soldiers in
Caulder’s group came along as escort to see what Terrod had found.

Richter’s group moved along, their way illuminated by the mist

lights the captain and sergeant still held. Alma continued to snuggle on his

shoulders. Terrod led him through a series of interlocking caves until they
arrived at a particularly large one. Water flowed down from the ceiling in a

small waterfall in a corner. It fell into a small pool on the floor that Richter
realized must drain off somewhere in its bottom. In Futen’s light, Richter
could see that this cave was formed of marbled quartz, and not simple grey

stone like the other caves. The walls sparkled beautifully. They got barely
a glance from Richter, though, because what was in the floor was infinitely

more interesting.

An intricate design had been carved a foot deep into the stone. It

appeared each groove had been filled with glass. Not the fragile silicon
substance that you would see in windows, but instead the impossibly hard

material that certain weapons and armor were made from. There were two
main symbols with small dots and squiggles coming off of them, and

surrounding them was a ring of much smaller symbols. The first large
symbol looked like a triangle with two circles above it. It lay inside of a

second symbol that looked like a square with concave sides. Richter
recognized the center symbol as the representation for “Dark Power” from
his book of lore. He could only imagine that this was the seal that the
aberration had wanted him to unlock.

The men with him spread out around the seal, wary of crossing over
it. He was about to walk closer to the seal when he heard one of the

soldiers exclaim, “It’s a rune!”

Richter quickly looked over and saw that the speaker was a gnome.

A quick use of Analyze showed that the woman was an arcane gnome.
“What did you say, Biruya?”

The short woman looked around, clearly not having intended to

draw her liege’s attention. He nodded encouragingly at her, and she spoke

up.

“I said it looks like a rune, my lord.”

“Why does that surprise you?” he asked. “I’ve seen plenty of signs

and writing since coming to The Land.”

Biruya shook her head. “A rune is no mere form of writing, my

lord. It is a spell made solid. It is magic given permanence by the spell

form carved into the rock and powered by a soul stone. Only a few in the
River Peninsula know any rune magic these days. I only recognized it
because one of the focuses of my parents’ research was lost magic. I
remember my father lamenting the lack of information about runic magic.”
 Richter’s face adopted a slightly confused expression. “This doesn’t
seem complicated, though. That symbol”—he pointed to the triangle

—“represents Dark magic. I recognize it from an introductory Lore book.

The other one looks like it’s there to contain the Dark magic symbol. If I
can discern that knowing almost nothing, how could rune magic be
completely lost?”

“It is not completely lost, Lord Richter. It is known that royal

builders know some of the minor runes for durability. That is why the walls
of the royal palace have such impossibly high hit points. I also agree that
the basic function of this particular rune is fairly easy to surmise, but that
doesn’t mean we could recreate it. All of those flourishes and marks are not

for show, my lord, they are integral to the workings of the rune. I also have
no idea what the outer ring of symbols mean. If there is one thing I
remember from listening to my parents, it is that runic magic is exact.
Everything you see here has a purpose, and removing any one would have a

consequence. The material the runes are made or carved from, the size of
the rune, even the depth of the etching in the floor would affect the final
spell. For this specific rune, the exact curvature of the square around the
triangle would be important as would all of the flourishes that we can see.

Many factors would alter the potency of the rune and countless more would
render it completely useless.”
 Richter nodded in understanding. If rune magic required that level
of detail, he could see why it might be hard to learn how to use it. “Is there

anything else you can tell me about it?

“I remember that every rune is powered by a soul stone. I can also

tell you that the fact that this rune is made of two different types of material
is beyond anything I ever heard my mother and father discuss.”

“If you studied it, could you figure out more?” he asked excitedly.

She looked uncertain. “My parents were the real scholars, my lord.
I don’t think I could understand it.” His ardor waned a bit, but then she
added, “Maybe if you found someone who understood basic spell theory,

then we could learn more.”

You have unlocked a new field of study: Basic Spell Theory.

You have become aware of a new field of study: Runic Magic, but have not
yet discovered the prerequisites for this branch of study.

So an insanely powerful magic rune made with knowledge that was

now lost to time… Richter was glad that he had been able to slay the dark
aberration. Seeing what lengths had been taken to contain it, he would
never have let it out. Which meant he would have most likely been tortured
and worse. Richter shuddered remembering the tentacle that had wormed

its way inside of his pant leg.

 Shaking himself loose from such horrible thoughts, he thanked the

gnome guard for her help. He also asked her to speak with Randolphus
later about the rat problem. She clapped her fist to her heart and told him
that she would seek out the chamberlain soon. Richter thanked her again
and then stepped forward onto the rune. The glass tracery began to glow as
if it recognized him. In the center was a glass circle like on the treasury

door. He bent down and aligned the circle with his Master of the Mist
Village Mark. A prompt appeared.

Welcome, Master of the Mist Village. You have accessed the Rune of Dark
Holding. It serves to keep any being of Dark magic within the confines of

the spell. Do you wish to deactivate the runic magic?

Richter stepped back and dismissed the prompt. He didn’t want to

turn it off until he was absolutely sure that there wasn’t anything else hiding
in these caves. If there was another aberration hiding, he wouldn’t risk

letting it loose on his people. He looked at Terrod. “Have you searched the
rest of the caves?”

“Yes, my lord. This cavern seems to be the center of the cave

system. There are no other open entrances that I could see. I did find two

other interesting things. One is a cave in the back filled with various items,
packs, and bones. I surmised that it must be the remains of whatever poor
souls were killed by the monster you vanquished through the years. The
other thing was a small metal door set into one of the rock walls. It was

made of steel with black swirls set into the metal. It had a clear disc like
that one set into it.” He pointed at the activation disc in the center of the
rune.

Titan steel, Richter thought excitedly. The only other time he had

seen it, or even heard it mentioned before now, was in his own treasury
door. If the old Masters of the village had used the powerful material as a
door here too, there must be something valuable inside. “Show me the
door!”

He had Caulder throw his Mist Light at the ceiling. It stayed where

it struck the roof, providing easy light in at least that cavern. After that,
everyone followed after Terrod. Only a short time later they arrived in
another cavern. Just as the captain had said, a door was set into the rock
wall. It was only three feet tall and was set three feet off of the ground, so it

looked more like a safe than an exit. Nonetheless, Richter was almost
trembling with anticipation when he raised his wrist to the clear circle. A
voice spoke in his head.

*Do you wish the door to open, Master?*

He thought back, *Yes.*

 A heavy thunk sounded, heralding the moving of a bar, and the door

swung open. The inside was not overly large, only about two feet deep, but
the entire vault was covered in titan steel. Even if something had burrowed
through the rock, it still wouldn’t have been able to get inside. There were
several shelves that held a number of items.

You have found: Magic Book. Durability: 12/12. Item Class: Common.
Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.5 kg.

You have found: Magic Book. Durability: 14/14. Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.7 kg.

You have found: Magic Book. Durability 20/20. Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.4 kg.

You have found: Small Chest. Durability: 168/204. Item Class: Common.
Quality: Above Average. Weight: 3.4 kg.

You have found: Pouch.

You have found: Magic Bottle. Durability 19/54. Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.03 kg.

You have found: Magic Blueprint. Durability: 4/20. Item Class:

Uncommon. Quality: Well Crafted. Weight: 0.2 kg.

You have found: Soul Stone. Level: Resplendent. Status: Filled.

You have found: Soul Stone. Level: Special. Status: Filled.

You have found: Soul Stone. Level: Special. Status: Filled.

You have found: Soul Stone. Level: Brilliant. Status: Filled.

Richter sent out a mental call to Futen. He would probably need his

help to identify these items. Sure enough, looking at the books, blueprint,
and bottle revealed nothing more. While he was waiting he opened the
pouch. A smile found its way onto his face. The heavy pouch was filled to
the brim with finger-length gold bars. They were the first he had seen since

he had bartered with Hafiz and each was worth one hundred gold. A quick
count showed there were twenty-one bars in the pouch. That equaled 2,100
gold coins! He had just gotten 200,000 grand richer!

He dumped the gold bars into his bag before anyone could really see
what he had found. He didn’t think his men would attack him, but no

reason to wave meat in front of the bear as his mother used to say. He
scanned the bread-loaf-sized chest for the telltale red of traps. Nothing
concerning appeared, so he decided to open it. Richter quickly closed it
again and hid it in his Bag along with the pouch. The chest was full of

multicolored jewels. He would have to count them later, but as far as he

was concerned, the same meat waving rule applied.
 Richter stared at the rest of the treasure while he waited for Futen to
appear. The gold and gems alone were amazing, but the soul stones could
potentially be invaluable. The highest level stone he had had before was
special. That had come from slaying the crypt mistress. He had never seen

a resplendent stone before. It was noticeably larger than the special stone.
He couldn’t wait to see what Krom could make out of it. The stones went
into his Bag as well. Futen floated up.

Richter indicated the magic items still in the small vault with a

motion of his head. Futen flared white, and Richter could see what the rest
of his haul was.

You have found: Book of Lightning Bolt I. Fire a bolt of lightning from
your hand. Chance to stun your enemy. Durability: 12/12. Item Class:

Common. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.5 kg. This is a spell of Air,
level 12.

You have found: Book of Explosive Lightning Ball I. Shoot a weak ball of
lightning forward. It explodes on contact and will strike everyone within

five feet. Chance to stun your enemy. Durability: 14/14. Item Class:
Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.7 kg. This is a spell of Air.
Must have Air magic skill level 19.
You have found: Book of Greater Air Containment. Create a containment
field for a strong Air creature. While the spell lasts, the creature must do as
you will it to. If the spell fades or the creature leaves the containment

circle, you will lose all control over the creature. Durability 20/20. Item
Class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.4 kg. This is a spell of Air.
Must have Air magic skill level 33.

You have found: Containment Bottle. This bottle contains a great wind

demon. Durability 19/54. Item Class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb.

Weight: 0.03 kg.

You have found: Blueprint: This blueprint will teach you to build a: Mana
Storage. This building will let you store mana to be used at a later date.
The capacity of the mana storage is 1,000 mana. You must be within one

mile of your mana storage to access the mana. Durability: 4/20. Item
Class: Uncommon. Quality: Well Crafted. Weight: 0.2 kg. Must have
Construction skill level 56.

Know This! As Master of a Place of Power, if you build the mana storage

within your domain, you may access the stored mana within one mile of the
boundaries of your domain.

In Richter’s mind, he just heard, “You can hate me now… but I won’t
stop now… you can hate me nowwww!” He laughed aloud. This was
amazing! He finally had his lightning magic!

Richter put the books that he couldn’t access yet in his Bag, but then
wasted no time reading the Book of Lightning Bolt I. He started reading

the first page, and the knowledge flowed into his mind and soul. The pages
started turning faster and faster until their passage was a breeze on his face.
Before he knew it, the back cover of the book slammed shut, and it
crumbled to dust. Richter’s eyes widened. He knew!

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Lightning Bolt I! Cast a

lightning bolt from your hand. Chance to stun your target for 1-2 seconds.
This is a spell of Air, level 12. Cost: 31 mana. Duration: Instant. Range:
20 yards. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 2 minutes.

Richter didn’t think for a moment to keep this bounty to himself.

He checked Sion’s status page and saw that his Companion had advanced
his Air magic skill to level twelve. He took two steps over to Sion and
placed one hand on the sprite’s head and the other on his Companion’s

heart. Sion’s eyes widened. His breath sucked in. A second later the sprite
smiled. Sion half raised his arm and slowly clenched his fingers into a fist
as if he could feel the new power coursing through him. Richter smiled
back. He knew exactly how his friend felt.
 Richter carefully placed the containment bottle with the wind demon
into his Bag. Somehow he didn’t think that breaking the vessel would be a

good idea. The durability was much less than its maximum. Richter didn’t
know if that was because it had held the demon for such a long time or not,
but either way, he felt much better once it was within the spatial folds of his
Bag.

The blueprint of the mana storage was also fascinating. He would

basically be able to double the amount of mana he could wield if the village
were attacked. Richter planned to discuss what was needed with Roswan as
soon as possible. He examined the small vault thoroughly one more time
but unfortunately didn’t find anything else. Richter was more than satisfied

with the contents, but something was nagging at him. While these items
would be very useful to him and his fledgling village, would they really
have been enough to warrant a protector like the dark aberration? There
was also the fact that this was a second vault built in a hidden cavern. A

great deal of trouble had apparently been gone to in order to make the rune
as well. It was enough to make him suspicious.

Richter mulled it over. The resplendent soul stone was arguably

worth a great deal, as were the other items, but they had just been pushed

into the vault together. None had been given a place of prominence over
the others. He knew he might be looking for something that didn’t exist,
but he had to try. He examined the walls, roof, and floor of the titan steel
cubby. He even examined the door, but still saw nothing. His last effort

was to remove the shelves. If that failed, he was just going to close the
vault and be done with it, but when he removed the first shelf, he saw the
smallest glimmer of blue. A spot the size of the head of a pin gleamed
azure at the back of the safe!

He quickly removed the other shelf and saw another pinpoint dot of
blue. He examined both and didn’t see suspicious red, so he just took two
lock picks from his Bag and inserted both into the holes. After pushing
each in for an inch, he felt a click. The bottom of the safe popped open like

a cigar box. Richter was sure that there hadn’t been a seam there, but now a
hidden compartment could clearly be seen.

Richter reached to lift the lid higher but then paused. The men were
all looking expectantly to see what their lord had found. Richter wasn’t
sure what was in there, but he was sure it was important. That meant he

didn’t necessarily want anyone else to know.

“Captain Terrod!”

“Yes, my lord!” The man jerked to attention at hearing the slight

snap in Richter’s voice.
 “Organize all of the men to start taking the pieces of the aberration

down to the area where the hunters clean their kills. It is the best we can do
for now. Instruct all of the men to drain as much blood as they can and
collect it in closed vessels. Commandeer anything you need. Then leave
all of the flesh and tentacles on large rocks to dry. I will send our alchemist
over to examine it later. These men are to be given the night off. They

have done enough today.”

The men cheered at hearing they would have a break after their dirty
day. More than one had started looking sad at hearing they had to deal with
the creature’s smelly remains again. The idea that they would be able to

join the feast, though, made it all worthwhile.

Richter held a finger up. “Make sure you bathe thoroughly before
you eat, though. Ingesting even a drop of this evil creature’s blood could
make pieces of you drop off!”

The men paled and one asked, “Could that really happen, my lord?”

Richter forced a grave expression on his face though he was

chuckling internally. “From teats to taint, you might lose something! Wash
well! Terrod, after you see them off, come back to show me the other room
that has the gear.”
 The men all snapped a salute and Caulder and Terrod moved them

out. Once they were all out of the cavern, Richter finally let a smile cross
his face. He had no idea of what would happen if they got any of the flesh
or blood in their mouths. Maybe nothing, but either way it would be gross.
Hygiene standards were not really a priority in The Land as far as Richter

had observed, so he resolved to help correct that where he could. If he was

able to get a laugh out of it at the same time… well that was win-win!

“Should I leave too?” Sion asked. “Do you have a task to keep me
busy while you open that as well?”

Richter laughed. “Didn’t fool you for a second, huh?”

Sion chuckled back. “I doubt you fooled the captain or sergeant

either, but I imagine they are used to taking orders.”

“Well the answer is no, my friend. I have no secrets from you.” A

thought did occur to Richter though. He turned his head and said, “Futen,
go put mist lights in the parts of the caverns that are still dark.”

“Yes, my lord,” was the monotone reply. The remnant glided out of

the cavern.

The two Companions waited for a moment before Sion spoke again.

“What was that about? Now you don’t trust your little floating light?”
 Richter thought for a second before replying in sprite speak. “Let’s

just say I’m learning caution. Futen is a remnant of an old mage, at least

that’s what he told me. I have just learned that an old Master sacrificed
hundreds, if not thousands, of sentient beings to create that thing that I

killed. How do I know that he didn’t serve that Master? How do I know he
wasn’t that Master?”

“You’re getting a little paranoid, aren’t you? Futen has been

nothing but helpful as far as I can see,” Sion said.

“I trust myself and those who are me. You and I are in this together,

so I trust you. Anyone else is on the outside until proven otherwise. That’s
how things will be from now on. Okay?”

Sion looked him in the eye and said, “Okay.”

Richter nodded and then turned back to the hidden compartment.

He lifted the lid and looked inside. It seemed like his precautions had all

been for nothing.

You have found: Map Fragment. Durability: 7/23. Item Class: Artifact.

Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.1 kg.

There was nothing else on the prompt. The fragment was about the
size of printing paper but with ragged edges. It was written on skin that

was light red. The letters were inked in a red that was so dark it was almost
black. It showed a series of mountains and what he thought was a desert.
There was also a large forest or maybe a jungle on the other side of the

mountains. Words were written across the top of the fragment, but to

Richter’s surprise, he couldn’t read them. None of that mattered, though.

He had found his first artifact! He had no idea what this map led to, but he

knew that it must be important. Richter was immensely glad that he had

asked everyone except for Sion to leave. He knew with almost absolute
certainty that the entire point of all the defenses was this scrap of

parchment. It was probably conducive to his long-term health that no one

else knew he had it.

“What do you think?” he asked Sion, showing him what was inside.

“I don’t know,” the sprite replied, “but I do know I don’t want to

touch that thing. Just looking at it makes my skin crawl.”

Richter moved the fragment away from his Companion. The only

time Sion had acted like that before was when he had seen the staff that had

housed the pixie chrysalis. That had been because the staff was an utter
perversion of good. Basically, it was an item of negative alignment, and it

had reacted badly with the sprite because he was positive alignment.
Richter had no idea what he was holding, but he was pretty certain it was

bad juju. He couldn’t just leave it there, though, so he put it in his Bag.
 “Don’t talk to anyone, even your mother about this, okay? If an old

Master went to these lengths to keep this hidden—an aberration guard dog,

a titan steel safe, AND a hidden compartment—it might be safer if we are

the only ones who know this thing even exists.”

Sion nodded. “I’m with you, brother. It stays between us.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re here. Let’s do what we initially came to

do.”

The two Companions walked back to the front of the cavern system,

to the room where he had initially been attacked. Futen had already left a
mist light on the roof of the cave they were standing in, and Terrod was

waiting by the hole that led back to the waterfall. Richter didn’t want to

plant the Focus Crystal near the room that had the rune. He had no idea
about the growth pattern that the garden would take, and if it grew near the

rune the results might be unpredictable. Planting it here should buy him

some time. Richter walked up to a flat section of wall and reached into his
Bag.

When he withdrew his hand, it was holding a pulsing crystal. The

eggplant-sized shard shed light on the wall in a soft white radiance. This
was the third time Richter had laid eyes on it, and while the size and shape

were the same, the pulse was coming slower than before. It would have
actually been more appropriate to call the light a flicker now rather than a

pulse. When he had harvested it from the chest of the crystal guardian, the
prompt had said that the Focus Crystal was a living thing and that he only

had one week to plant it again. Between running from the kobolds,
recovering from his injuries, and traveling back to the Mist Village, six days

had passed. Richter could only guess that the fading of the crystal’s light

meant that it was near the end of its life. He knew there was no more time
to waste.

Richter placed the Focus Crystal on the wall and a prompt appeared.

Do you wish to plant the Focus Crystal in this location? Yes or No?

Richter selected “Yes,” and the crystal floated from his hand. It
hovered in the air for a moment, then slammed against the wall like a

powerful magnet attracted to metal. The light began to flicker again and it
looked to Richter like the glow inside of the crystal was straining to grow

brighter, but was failing. Another prompt appeared.

The life force of the Focus Crystal is faint. You have planted it in time, but

it will take a long period of time before the garden begins to bear more
crystal. If you wish to restore its power faster, you may sacrifice a soul

stone. The level of the soul will be proportional to the amount of healing

performed.
 Richter’s forehead wrinkled in irritation. Now he had to give a soul

stone? Why did he always have to give so much more? He sighed. Mo

money mo problems. At least he had more in his pockets than lint. He

accessed his inventory to see what soul stones he had available. After

gazing at them for a while, he chose to use a special-level stone. He had

just gotten two of them, so it wasn’t really like he would feel the lack.

He held the stone up to the Focus Crystal. The internal light of the
soul stone faded, and the crystal’s light grew from a flicker to a strong and

bright pulse. A large amount of crystal grew over the Focus Crystal and

then continued to flow over the surrounding wall. The pulses came faster,
and each beat of the crystal’s luminous heart spread more crystal over the

wall. Richter and Sion smiled at one another seeing how much of the
precious substance was growing in just a few seconds… and it kept

growing.

“Uhhhh, is this supposed to stop soon?” Richter asked. The crystal

had grown to the edges of the wall and was now starting to cover the floor.

“Why are you asking me?” Sion responded. “What did you do with

that soul stone?” They both took a step back as the crystal spread across the
ground.
 “The Focus Crystal was weak! I got a prompt that said it needed

more juice!”

“What type of stone did you give it? What the fuck!” Sion and
Richter ducked their heads in alarm.

A tiny piece of crystal had shot across the room. The clear spike
had grown near the Focus Crystal like many others, but without warning

had sped away from its perch and imbedded in a nearby wall. Richter and
Sion whipped their heads over to look at the impact site. A small crater

now adorned the wall behind them. As they watched, more crystal started

growing from the impact site.

“Is that going to happen every time?” Richter said loudly. He hadn’t
thought he’d be dodging clear bullets when he planted the Focus Crystal.

“Why do you keep asking me stupid questions, gyoti? I don’t

know! But I think we should get out of here! I still want to know what

level stone you used.” The crystal had reached another wall and was
growing up it.

“Maybe we should leave, my lord,” Terrod said nervously.

Richter and Sion backed further from the wall. The white light from
the crystal was almost constant now. He looked over at the hole that led

outside. The growing crystals were only a few feet from the hole.
 “You might be right, Terrod. I think it’s time for a strategic
RETREAT! Gahhh!” Alma flew into the air with a squawk and flew down

the hole. Another bullet-like crystal shard had shot through the air… and
then through the meat of Richter’s shoulder before burying itself into the

wall behind him. It happened so fast that he didn’t even feel the pain

initially, just a bit of pressure. The Universe fixed that a second later.
Sharp, horrible pain shot through his body and his initial “gah” transformed

into “AHHHH, FUCK! Let’s go!”

First Richter, then Sion and last Terrod hopped into the tunnel. They

scurried down the narrow space until they could stand up straight. More
pings and crunches came from behind them. Richter looked behind him

and saw some crystals starting to grow down the narrow passage. They

jogged until they were halfway to the waterfall, then stopped and turned
around. The crystal didn’t follow them down into the cave they were

standing in, so they just listened as the pings grew in frequency for another
few minutes. Richter cast Slow Heal I on himself and waited for the pain in

his shoulder to abate. After about five minutes, they heard the noises slow

in frequency. After another two or three minutes, the cave was quiet again.

The three men had remained silent while they listened to the
explosive growth of the crystal garden in the caverns above them. When
the noises stopped, Sion slowly turned and stood in front of Richter.

“What… did… you… do…?”

Richter was still breathing slightly heavily and was examining the

newly healed wound in his shoulder. “Like I said, the Focus Crystal was
close to death, so I used a soul stone.”

“How strong of a soul stone, my lord?” Terrod asked. “I have seen a

crystal garden before. My squad was tasked with protecting one at a duke’s
estate once. I saw one of the enchanters use a soul stone to make the garden

grow faster, but it only grew at about an inch a minute. It was nothing like

what we just saw!”

“I used a special level soul,” he said.

“A special?” Sion asked incredulously.

“Yeah, what’s the problem?” Richter asked, irritated. His bicep was

still throbbing with ghost pain.

“The problem, gyoti, is that special level stones hold the souls of
low-level demons and angels! What did you think was going to happen

when you used a spirit of that power? These aren’t toys!”

“I know that!” Richter snapped. He seethed for a moment, goaded

by the fading pain in his shoulder, but then forced himself to be calm. His
friend was right. He was just irritated because of his injury. If he was
being honest, he was embarrassed too. He hadn’t really thought about
something bad happening when he had used the soul stone. Richter took a

long slow breath. After he audibly exhaled, he said, “You’re right, man.

I’m sorry. I should have considered the possible consequences of using

such a strong soul.”

Sion glared for a moment longer, but then a smile graced his face

and he chuckled. “Well, it does seem like we won’t have any shortage of

crystal. I just don’t want to be turned into a statue. Okay?”

“Deal,” Richter said sheepishly. He started thinking about their new

windfall. “I’ll have to send some people up to start harvesting this

tomorrow. Even more than we need the crystal, we need to be able to get to

that rune. I want to know more about it.”

“Don’t forget about the cavern at the back with all of the items and
weapons, my lord. Some of it could be quite valuable.”

Richter nodded. “That’s a good point.” He turned his head to get

Futen to remind him of that later and only then realized that the remnant

wasn’t with him. In fact, the last time that Richter had seen him was when
he sent him out of the room with the rune. That meant Futen was still…

Richter turned his gaze to the narrow tunnel. “There may be another reason
for us to clear away some crystal, guys.”
 As Richter related that Futen had been trapped, Sion slapped his

hand onto his forehead and shook his head slightly. Terrod stood stoically,

unwilling to criticize his lord, even if he had committed a totally bonehead

move. As Richter spoke, the crystal garden continued to grow, slower each

moment, but still fast enough to observe. The crystals grew new shards,
ready for harvest, and one particular bloom was unlike the others. In a

garden of iridescent shards, one particular outcropping was the dark red of

blood.

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 CHAPTER 8

Richter jogged back over to the tunnel and saw that crystal was

blocking the entrance to the caverns. It wasn’t a solid plug of crystal.

Instead, iridescent shards crisscrossed the narrow shaft. No one was getting

by until they were harvested. Richter stood back and cast a spell. Mist rose
from the ground and leaked from cracks in the walls. It pooled at his feet

and then it rose into a humanoid figure. Soon a faceless grey worker was
standing before him, waiting for instructions.

“Clear the way up to the passage at the end of this tunnel. Try to

break the pieces of crystal off in large chunks and then put them in a pile

here on the floor. Once you have cleared a way to the tunnel, stop

harvesting crystal.” He didn’t want to risk that the poor intelligence of the

mist worker couldn’t differentiate the Focus Crystal from plain crystal.

That done, Richter and his Companions turned to leave. Richter

ordered a guard to be stationed outside at all times. The lake was to be off-
limits to everyone except Sion, the guards, Randolphus, and himself of

course. Terrod told him it would be done, and they walked to the cave
entrance. The guards had taken the pieces of the dark aberration out of the

cave, but smears of black blood could still be seen on the ground. Richter

led the way out of the cavern. They all got soaked to the skin again as they

passed through the waterfall, but that wasn’t a problem for Richter and

Sion, who were happy to wash off the aberration’s black blood. Soon they
were walking through the meadow. Before they had gone too far, Terrod

spoke up. There was a tone of wonder in his voice.

“I just gained a level, my lord! I received 15,000 experience for

finishing a quest called…” Terrod’s eyes lost focus for a second. “Crystal

Garden II and another 20,000 for finishing Who Will You Be I.” The man

started to smile. “I don’t care what Sion said, this was worth almost being

encased in crystal.”

Richter laughed. It was good to see Terrod being excited about

something. It was easy to forget that a month ago the captain had watched
his friend die in front of him. Not to mention being racked with guilt over

what had happened to Isabella. Richter was happy to see that the man’s

overall mood was improving. As he looked at Terrod, he really examined

the captain for the first time in a long time.

Terrod’s musculature had increased, of that there was no doubt. He

also moved with greater ease though, and his features appeared a bit more

defined. It wasn’t a marked difference, but it was still there. Richter

wondered just how many points his Companion had invested in Charisma.

The captain was also a man in his mid-forties. He had always seemed

healthy and in shape, but now there was a vitality in his visage that Richter

didn’t remember seeing when they first met.

Richter continued his assessment of his friend and another thought

occurred to him. Terrod hadn’t exactly been present for either the fight with

the aberration or the planting of the garden. Did his Companion’s get

experience for every quest he completed?

A quick question to Terrod earned Richter a confused, “Yes, of

course, my lord. Were you not aware? With this latest experience, I am

now level fourteen, almost fifteen.”

Richter’s eyes bulged slightly. The last time he had checked

Terrod’s status, the man had only been level 7! He quickly accessed his

Companion’s page. While he watched, Terrod’s numbers shifted as the man

distributed his new points.

Name: Terrod
Age: 46
Level: 14, 77% to next level
Health: 250 Mana: 120 Stamina: 190
Strength: 25
Agility: 16
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 25
Endurance: 19
 Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 21
Luck: 14
Abilities:
Comradery
Skills:
Swordsmanship Lvl 8; 12% to next level, 63% affinity
Medium Armor Lvl 7; 53% to next level, 92% affinity
Light Armor Lvl 8; 39% to next level, 68% affinity
Shields Lvl 4; 84% to next level, 72% affinity
Cooking Lvl 8; 13% to next level, 96% affinity
Horsemanship Lvl 10; 7% to next level; 83% affinity
Repair Lvl 4; 64% to next level; 54% affinity
Repair Armor Lvl 3; 13% to next level; 52%
affinity
Repair Weapon Lvl 4; 18% to next level;
52% affinity
Gather information Lvl 18; 76% to next level; 92% affinity
War Leader Lvl 1; 14% to next level; 99% affinity
Marks:
None
Resistances:
None
Race: Human
Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”
Alignment: 0
Language: Common Tongue

Terrod had doubled his level! According to the captain, it was

mostly because of Richter’s quests. And his shield affinity…

 “Did your Shield skill always have such a high affinity?” Richter

asked.

Terrod smiled and nodded in understanding, “It happened when the

Quickening was planted. When I hold a shield now, things just seem to

come naturally now.”

Richter turned to Sion. “What about you? Did you get an XP

bump? Have you gotten the experience whenever I finished a quest? And
did any of your affinities increase.”

The sprite’s head bobbed back and forth noncommittally, “I haven’t

had an increase in any of my affinities. As far as the experience though, I

thought you knew. I have been benefiting from quests you finish since we
became Companions.” Sion’s eyes unfocused and then a broad grin split

the sprite’s face. “And I did again! I am level fifteen now.”

Shaking his head at his own lack of attention, Richter checked

Sion’s page as well.

Name: Sion
Age: 44
Level: 15, 35% to next level
Health: 243 Mana: 290 Stamina: 160
Strength: 18
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 60
Constitution: 20
Endurance: 16
Intelligence: 29
Wisdom: 23
Charisma: 10
Luck: 12
Abilities:
Wood Craft
Concealment
Know Thyself
Skills:
Herb Lore Lvl 12, 6% to next level, 63% affinity
Alchemy Lvl 7, 82% to next level, 78% affinity
Archery Lvl 43; 59% to next level, 72% affinity
Imbue Arrow Lvl 31, 30% to next level, 87%
affinity
Focus Lvl 26, 72% to next level, 81% affinity
Double Shot Lvl 8; 82% to next level, 87%
affinity
Drill Shot Lvl 6; 61% to next level, 90%
affinity
Stun Shot Lvl 5; 48% to next level, 95%
affinity
Tracking Lvl 14; 13% to next level, 76% affinity
Small Blades Lvl 19, 82% to next level, 72% affinity
Light Armor Lvl 26; 48% to next level, 81% affinity
Air Magic Lvl 12; 83% to next level, 94% affinity
Marks:
None
Resistances:
Types of Magic
Life 10%
Earth 10%
Light 10%
Schools of Magic
Enchantment 50%
Race: Wood Sprite
 Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”
Alignment: +2
Language: Sprite, Common Tongue

So being his Companion let them power level through his quests,

Richter reasoned. It was a bit of a letdown that his friend’s affinities hadn’t

increased. It was entirely possible that an affinity had increased in a skill

the sprite hadn’t discovered yet, though. Putting it out of his mind, Richter
began to wonder if being a Companion might also be a loophole for the

five-person party limit. A group larger than five had the consequence of
decreasing any experience gained from fighting or questing. If Sion and

Terrod weren’t counted, though, that could bring them up to seven. It had
the potential to drastically increase the power of any strike group he was in

without slowing down any of their growth. He could think of one rock
giant that he wouldn’t mind making his bitch!

“This might mean that we can increase party size when we hunt
together. I know we had a party of five people planned, but let’s add two

more. If we don’t get an experience reduction when we make a kill, then

we will have proved that this works. I just wish this whole Companion

thing came with an instruction manual.”

 Terrod nodded. “I will take care of it, my lord. Was there anyone in
particular that you had in mind?”

Richter thought about it as they walked. Who did he need to level?

The first person that came to mind was Krom. Who knew what useful skills

the dwarf might gain if he became a Professed Smith. It would be great to

have a powerful healer in the group, but Sumiko was too old and too

valuable to risk on a hunt. It could be nice having another archer along

though. “Have Krom come, and ask if Ulinde will come along.”

Terrod nodded.

“How long til the feast?” Richter asked. He silently cursed not
having Futen around. How else was he supposed to tell time? He sent a

mental call for the remnant. As soon as the mist worker finished getting
through the crystal covering the entrance to the caverns, he wanted the

remnant by his side.

“I don’t believe we have much time, my lord. The instruction was

for everything to be ready an hour before sundown.” The captain looked at

the sun. “I would gauge we have less than an hour.”

Richter nodded. That was what he had thought as well. There

wasn’t time to hunt before sundown, and he didn’t really want to be out

with all the monsters when night fell. “When we get back down to the
village, send someone to tell Caulder and Beyan that we will leave to hunt
at first light. I don’t care what everyone does tonight, but be ready at the

gate when the sun rises.”

They were at the edge of the slope leading down to the village.

Richter could see everyone bustling around. He heard laughter and happy
shouts as everyone prepared for the feast. He saw at least ten casks of ale

being set up behind a simple bar that had been cobbled together. It was

going to be a wild night! Richter looked back at his Companions and

smiled. “Ahhh fuck it. Let’s just start the hunt at noon.”

Sion threw a fist in the air and said, “Grendah!” Roughly translated
from sprite speak, that meant “Huzaah!”

The three of them walked down the hill. Terrod peeled off and went
to find Caulder and the others. Richter and Sion were walking towards all

of the hustle and bustle when Richter got a surprise. Futen came floating
towards them from the east. He was thoroughly confused seeing as how the

waterfall cave was to the west.

“How are you here?” he asked once the remnant was close.

Futen’s monotone voice replied, “You summoned me, my lord.”

“I know that! I meant you were trapped in the caves. How did you
get out?”
 “I did find it difficult to follow you once you had entombed me, my

lord.” Richter was sure he heard just a touch of attitude this time. “When
you called for me, however, I used my ability to transport to the Great

Seal.”

Richter hadn’t been aware that Futen’s transport ability was so

specific, he had just thought the remnant could teleport to a random spot in
the village. “Okay. Well, sorry about the whole buried alive thing, but now

that you’re here, let me know when it’s an hour to noon tomorrow.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Richter looked at Sion and said, “Now come with me. It’s time to

meet the new villagers… right after I put some new pants on. I’m tired of
flying in the wind.”

After Richter had donned another set of clothes from this Bag, they
walked towards the feast area. Richter took the opportunity to deal with his

own prompts. The very first brought a wide smile to his face.

TRING!

You have reached level 26! Through hard work you have moved forward
along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to
characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also get 25% advancement to the

skill of your choice! Crush your enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!
You have either characteristic points or skill percentage points to allocate

from the previous level. Now that you have progressed again, you must
allocate your points within the next week or they will randomly be assigned

for you.

He resolved to distribute his points later that night. He had three

levels worth of stat points to distribute and unless he was counting wrong,
he had SIX levels worth of percentage points to distribute.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 29 in Enchanting. All

enchantments 1% more effective and increased chance of enchantments

taking hold.

Well, that should help, Richter thought. He wondered if the bump in

enchanting was proportional to the level of stone he used. The soul of an

angel just had to be worth more than the soul of a frog or a fox. He’d have

to ask Gloran about it later. He dismissed the prompt and moved on to the
last one in the queue.

You have completed the Quest: Crystal Garden II. You have successfully

planted the Focus Crystal. As you have planted it underground, your

garden will experience a +10% growth bonus. If you need a boost to

crystal growth, expend a soul stone to increase production.

Reward: A Crystal Garden

Reward: 18,500 (base 15,000) experience points.

Bonus Reward: Planting the Focus Crystal on a Place of Power earns you

a bonus. One month’s worth of instant crystal growth per Power available.

Richter shook his head after reading the last prompt. No wonder
things had gone crazy. Abrams and Whedon! If he was reading the prompt

right, four months of growth had happened almost all at once. When you
factored in the 10% boost from being underground and the 30% boost from

his Life ability, and then compounded it all with the high-level soul stone he
had used… no wonder everything had gone ape shit all at once! It meant

there had been between five and seven months of boosted growth in just a
few minutes. A smile crossed Richter’s face. It also meant it wasn’t all his

fault. He knew just who he wanted to share that information with. Richter
tapped Sion on the shoulder and said, “Hey dickhead! Let me tell you ’bout

me!”

The two of them were arguing loudly within thirty seconds.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 9

Alma flew up to the bickering friends.

*Too loud. Stop making noises!*

“We aren’t making noises,” he replied to her aloud. “We are having
an intelligent debate!”

“What are you talking about?” Sion said. “I know I’m being

intelligent. In you, though, intelligence might be a bit of a stretch.”

“Shuddup! I’m talking to Alma. She said we were making too

much noise.”

“Your familiar is talking about me? Since when can she even talk?”

Richter chuckled. “She’s had a few upgrades.”

*Little man stop talking,* she thought. There was little doubt as to
who she was talking about seeing as how she had landed on Richter’s

shoulders and her sinuous neck was pointing straight at Sion.

“Is she saying something else?” Sion asked suspiciously.

 Richter weighed out the various permutations of how this might go

down if he relayed Alma’s last message. Many of the options were

potentially quite humorous from his perspective, but the responsible part of

him decided to just keep the peace and not share what Alma had said. Then

the asshole part of him decided to say “fuck it.”

“She said, ‘Little man stop talking.’”

“Little!” Sion bristled. “Listen here, you flying rat. I’ll shove my
arrow up your—Banished gods!”

Without even leaving her perch on Richter’s shoulders, a yellow

glow had started to surround the dragonling. A second later, a bolt of

lightning shot from her body into the ground at Sion’s feet. It didn’t strike

the sprite, but it did impact with a loud sizzle and both of the Companions

suffered the effects of the electricity bleeding through the ground so close to

where they were walking. To Richter, it was only a mild irritant, but Sion

immediately howled and started hopping from foot to foot. Richter actually

found it kind of funny to see the sprite slapping his legs, shouting about

pins and needles.

He chuckled slightly, but hid it in a cough when Sion turned an

angry glare his way.

“Is something funny?” the sprite asked.

 “Of course not!” Richter protested innocently. “You know I felt that

too.”

“That would mean something to me if I didn’t know that you had a

50% resistance to Air magic. Aren’t you going to admonish her?” Sion had

stopped hopping but was still massaging both calves.

“Oh yes. Of course.” He turned his head to look at Alma. “You

mustn’t use magic on our friends, Alma!”

*Yes, Master. I’m sorry.* She didn’t sound very sorry to Richter,

but he decided not to push it. *Sion wants to speak more?* she asked with

a sweet mental tone. Her head was pointing directly at the sprite again.

“What’s she saying now?” Sion asked warily, having caught the

direction of her attention.

“Well, she asked if you had anything else to say,” Richter said.

Sion looked from him to Alma, whose neck was still fully extended.

“Ahhh, no. I think she understood my point.”

The dragonling’s neck relaxed, and she settled down across her

master’s shoulders.

*You’re a bad bitch, baby!* She had made Sion back down and

Richter had seen the sprite go head-to-head with demons. Also, seeing her

so casually cast Lightning Bolt I made him excited for future battles.
 *This is true, Master,* she thought with a satisfied tone. Richter

chuckled again, and he and Sion just kept walking.

It didn’t take too much longer to arrive at the feast area. As Richter

had instructed, Roswan and the other builders had made a platform at one

end. Long picnic tables had been set up, and as he watched, Richter saw
guards and other villagers leading people to the tables. It seemed like slow

going leading the new villagers into place because of their lack of

immunity, but most of the tables were already filled so he didn’t think it

would take too much longer. They walked back to the stage. Randolphus

was waiting.

“Greetings, my lord. The food has been prepared, and almost all of

the new villagers have been seated. If you will give me your attention for

just a few moments, there are a few small pieces of business to discuss

before we begin.”

Alma flew off. Richter looked after her, thinking, “traitor.” Sion

also made good his escape, saying he planned to go get an ale. Richter was

alone and defenseless against his chamberlain’s efficient bureaucracy. He

exhaled a long suffering sigh and then gave Randolphus his almost

undivided attention.
 After some time had passed, a guard came up and told them that

Captain Terrod said that everyone was seated. Richter thanked him for the

information. The guard started to move off, but then Richter said, “Stop.”

He recognized the man. “Is that you, Sedrin?”

The guard turned back and stood at attention. “Yes, my lord.”

Richter reached out and extended his hand. The guard looked at

him for a moment and then returned the clasp. “I still think often of Petal. I
have not forgotten your little girl.”

“I think of her every day as well, my lord.”

“I am surprised that you joined the guard, Sedrin. Honestly, I

thought you would be leaving the village once your year was done.”

Sedrin’s jaw quivered with emotion before he spoke again. “I was

going to do just that. Then I asked myself what I was going back to. All

that was waiting for me was a country that spurned both my daughter and

me. She was half elvish. I don’t think you knew that.”

Richter was moved by the man’s emotion. Some time had passed

since the bugbear attack that had left twenty-one of his people dead. He

had been racked with guilt and shame at letting his people down. It had

been his own arrogance after all that had let the bugbears reach the village.
Seeing how the pain was still fresh for Sedrin brought his own feelings

flooding back. “I did not know that,” he said simply.

“She was,” Sedrin said. “Her mother was beautiful, but died in
childbirth. I tried to do my best, but the new king’s unjust laws and

prejudice made it impossible for me to even earn enough food to feed and

clothe her. I was spurned by my old so-called friends. Your offer to come

here to a new life was a blessing. She and I were so happy.” His jaw

firmed. Looking at him in the eye, Richter could clearly see the ferocity in

the man’s gaze. His grip on Richter’s wrist tightened, not to harm his lord,

but out of anger and passion. “When my daughter died, the joy I felt turned

to ashes in my mouth.”

Richter nodded. He knew people were waiting, but this man who

had lost so much deserved his time and respect. He would not rush Sedrin.

He would wait for the man to say his piece.

Sedrin kept his eyes locked onto Richter’s own. “I will not lie.

Initially, I blamed you for my daughter’s death. I harbored anger and hatred

towards you, my lord. I can understand if you cannot trust me. I will leave

both your service and the village if you command it.”

“Do you still blame me?” Richter asked with quiet intensity. He

was acutely aware that he was in close proximity to a man who had just
admitted to hating him. His muscles were tense, but he was ready to

respond however this should turn out. He waited for Sedrin’s reply.

The guard’s eyes didn’t waver. After a few moments, he said, “No.

When you unveiled the monument to the fallen, I saw in your eyes that you

felt the pain of her loss. My anger towards you faded. Afterwards, I felt

only emptiness. I almost ended my own life to rejoin her, but then I found

something to live for. Revenge!” Richter heard a bit of fanaticism in

Sedrin’s voice as he continued. “I plan to send as many of the bugbears as I

can find to the deepest hell that will take them!”

Richter used Analyze and saw that Sedrin was only level four. “You
will have to be much stronger if you plan to do that.”

“Then I will get stronger, my lord. This I vow or I will die trying.”

“Will you pledge your life to me to accomplish this?” Richter asked.

“For the deaths of my Petal’s killers, I will give you my life in

return,” Sedrin said, nodding.

Richter nodded back. The man was weak right now, but maybe only

in body. Sedrin’s will was a foundation he could build upon. “When I call
for allegiance tonight, step forward.” The guard nodded and clapped a fist

to his heart in salute. He then turned away to leave. Before he had gone
far, Richter spoke up again. “Find your captain and tell him that you are to
join us tomorrow for the hunt.” Sedrin saluted again and then walked away.

The exchange had reminded him of what was at stake. He had to

protect his people. He had to get stronger. His enemies were only growing

more numerous and his allies were too few. These were the facts that he
needed to impart to his people, both new and old. Randolphus had stood by

during the exchange, silently observing. When Richter turned towards him,
the chamberlain saw his liege’s intensity. He clapped a hand to his heart

and bowed slightly. “Your people are waiting, my lord.”

Richter nodded and walked up the steps of the platform. The whole
thing was simply a large table, albeit one that was fifteen feet high. He

stood and looked out over his people. Everyone was here except for the
guards standing upon the village walls. When he ascended the wooden

dais, hundreds of heads turned to see him. At half of the tables, hundreds
more simply looked around, confused. The new villagers could hear the

commotion around them, but their vision didn’t extend more than five to ten
feet through the mist. He decided to fix that.

His arms rose, and his fingers spread wide. He accessed the spell
Confusing Mist on his village interface and willed the mists to roll back.

Starting at the Great Seal, the enchantment cleared the mists like a drop of
soap would clear grease. Within seconds, the air was clear to the village
walls, and a second later, it had cleared to the edges of the farm and pasture
land. The new villagers caught their first sight of their new lord, standing

above them, arms raised, commanding the very air. The old villagers
cheered at the sight.

“Welcome! Half of you know me and have been bonded to this

village by sweat and blood. You have fought and sacrificed for a better

life. I am honored to be your lord! I am honored to be one of you! I am

honored to stand by your side!” The people cheered at his words. They all

remembered how he had not shied from a fight when the bugbears had
attacked. They all remembered how he had shared his power by awakening

the Air magic in many of them. Richter continued.

“Welcome! Many of you are new and have come to this village

hoping for a new life. Look to those who have been here before you. Some
have lost loved ones. Some have suffered injury, but they still stand tall.
Despite any losses, this village grows in strength and wealth. Here you can

learn to be your best self. Here, you can make a life for yourself
independent of your race, but instead, dependent on your character!” More

cheers greeted his pronouncement, and this time, many of the new villagers
cheered as well. Richter waited for the noise to die down before

continuing.
 “A third time, I bid you welcome! I will tell you the same words

that I spoke to Captain Terrod when I asked him to join me. I make no
promises for what the future will hold, but I promise that if you stand by

me, then we will meet whatever does come together.”

One of the villagers, a new Air mage that Richter recognized, stood

and shouted, “A cheer for Lord Richter! A cheer for our liege!” A
resounding shout broke out as hundreds of voices rose in solidarity. Again,

Richter waited for the tumult to die down.

“This feast is a celebration of life. Of the life that we have begun to

make for ourselves here. For the lives that we have protected. For the lives

that we have lost and for the new lives that are here to join us on this
journey. So eat! Drink! Celebrate this bounty that many of you have

worked so hard for. Let us welcome our new brothers and sisters with open
arms. Again I say welcome! Welcome to the Mist Village!”

Cheers broke out all over. This time, he did not wave to settle them
down. Instead, he pointed at one of the villagers who held a musical

instrument and the man began to play. Other musicians took his cue and
joined in. Soon a joyous melody was floating through the feast, and many

voices rose to sing counterpoint to the well-known song.

The sun is on the green and the scent of grass is in the air
 My love is on my mind and my mind is on her flowing hair

I will live my days in glory so that she will know me by my fame

I will live my nights in bed though so just listen for my name!

Ohhhhh ….

Laughter spread around as more and more people joined in.

Richter didn’t stay on the platform any longer. He wanted to join

his people. When he got to the bottom, though, he was shanghaied by

Randolphus and led through the tables. They were all perpendicular to the
podium, but there was one at the end that was parallel and sat on a raised

stage. When Richter had seen it from the podium he had assumed that it
was there for serving, but now that they were closer, he saw a bench along

one side and understood its purpose. Randolphus had made a high table for
him to look out over his people.

“I was planning to sit with the people. Walk around and get to know

them,” he said.

“You may, of course, do anything that you wish, milord. I believe

that spending personal time with the villagers is a wonderful idea. I would
also say, however, that if you wish to lead and command these people, they

must be accustomed to you being presented as a leader. As I said, however,

the choice is, of course, yours to make.”
 Richter gave his chamberlain the side eye, but then laughed and kept
walking to the table. He knew that he had just been manipulated. It wasn’t

like he could really refuse to sit at the table now without looking like a
stubborn fool. He also knew that Randolphus had done it only with the best
of intentions and that the man was also probably right. The table sat on a

platform four feet off of the ground so that Richter could have an easy view
of everyone and they all could have an easy view of him.

The sounds of song still surrounded him as he walked up the three

steps and stood in front of the table, looking out at the gathering. After his

people saw him, those singing gradually ceased, but those with instruments
still played, just at a lower volume. Everyone was looking to Richter, and

he realized they wanted some formal start to the beginning of the meal. He
also realized Randolphus was right that the people would naturally look to

him for their cues. Not one to pass up an opportunity for showmanship, he
extended his hand once again and cast Mist Light. The ball of glowing grey

light shot forty feet above everyone’s heads and hung suspended in the air.
Then he shouted jovially, “Let’s eat!” Everyone cheered again. Covers

were whipped off of the food and casks of ale were tapped. The feast had
begun!

Richter sat down on the bench and Randolphus stood to the side
behind him. He looked at his chamberlain and said, “Oh, no. If I have to
sit up here being looked at, then you will be joining me.”

“It wouldn’t be proper for me to sit next to you, my lord,”

Randolphus protested.

“Proper hell. I don’t mind taking your lead, and I appreciate your

advice, but we won’t be standing on pointless ceremony here. I can’t stand

useless traditions. So sit your bony ass down and share an ale with me.”

Richter’s tone was full of laughter.

The chamberlain smiled faintly and said, “As you wish, my lord.”

“Now where is everyone else? At the very least I want a few more

people up here with me.” He beckoned to a guard standing by the end of

the table and told him to fetch Sion, Terrod, Isabella, Sumiko, and Krom.

As the guard hurried off, one of the village women walked up and told him
that his special request from the cook would be ready soon. She smiled

shyly and gave an awkward curtsy when he thanked her.

“Bring six more servings of food and drink please, my dear. I will
be having company up here.” She curtsied again and rushed off to fulfill

her lord’s command.

Randolphus settled in next to him on the bench and said, “As long
as we have this time, my lord, there are a few more things—”
 “Ah! Stop! Good god stop!” he said quickly. The chamberlain
stopped. Richter exhaled a sigh of relief. Then he looked at Randolphus

and decided to seize this rare quiet moment. “There actually is something
that I wanted to ask you about. That bitch Sonirae was an Assassin. When
I analyzed her, I saw that being an Assassin was a Specialization of the
Rogue Profession. How does one become a Specialist? Do you know
anything about it?”

Randolphus look at him with an inscrutable expression. Richter

looked back at him slightly confused, but then the chamberlain’s face
smoothed, and he started speaking as if nothing had happened, so Richter
wondered if he had imagined it.

“Well, my lord. As you may already know, to obtain a noncombat

Profession you must reach a personal level of ten and be a journeyman in a
relevant skill. To obtain a combat Profession, you must be a personal level
of twenty and also be a journeyman. Each level that you reach after you

obtain your Profession, you are allocated a certain number of Talent points.
To become a Specialist, you must reach a personal level of thirty and have
saved enough points to ‘buy’ the Specialty.”

Randolphus’s answer just made a dozen more questions for Richter.

“How many Talent points do you get per level? How much does it cost to
buy a Specialty? How many specialties are there?” The questions came
rapid-fire and, for once, the chamberlain was the one who looked
overwhelmed.

“There are many factors that affect the answers to your questions,
my lord. Certain races have a predisposition to certain Professions and so
obtain more Talent points per level. Consequently, you may suffer a
penalty depending on your race if you choose the wrong Profession. That is

why you don’t see many gnome Barbarians. Humans typically have no
racial predispositions or weaknesses, though this is not always the case.
Humans born on the Twins typically make better Sailors, for instance, my
lord. Also, the affinity you have for whichever skill got you into the

Profession also affects how many Talent points you are given. There are
also other random factors that can affect a person’s Profession. Humans
normally get ten Talent points to distribute per level, but as all of this varies
from person to person, no specific numbers have ever been recorded with

any accuracy.”

Richter nodded with resignation. Same shit. Nothing could ever be

easy. At least he should get a bump if Randy was right about having a high
affinity. His Limitless ability would continue to help him progress. He
held off on any more questions as several of the villagers arrived with their

food and drink. One of the main cooks was with them and was holding a
plate covered by a cloth handkerchief.
 “My lord, we tried to follow your instructions as best we could. I

hope that you are pleased.”

Richter took the covered plate and Analyzed the woman to get her
name. “Thank you, Claren. I’m sure it will be wonderful.” He made a
mental note to see which of his cooks was of the highest level. He thought
the idea of having a noncombatant villager accompany hunting parties was

possibly high risk, but definitely high reward. Who knew what a Professed
Cook might be able to do for his people on a daily basis.

Not wanting to wait any longer, he ripped off the cloth and sighed in
contentment. Richter had never seen such a beautiful sight. He was so

overcome with emotion that he got choked up. In front of him lay a thick
slice of fresh bread, topped with a leaf of lettuce, a slice of tomato and… a
ground patty of fresh beef blessed with a thick slab of melted cheese,
FOUR slices of crispy bacon and finally, another slice of bread. A tear

escaped his eye as he saw his first hamburger in months.

“Are you well, my lord?” Randolphus asked with a faint amount of

concern.

Richter didn’t respond. He just took the miracle in front of him in

both hands and treated himself to a deep bite. An explosion of wonder and

spices filled his mouth. His eyes closed in bliss, and a faint croon came
from the center of his being. The grease in the burger burned his tongue

ever so slightly, and the smokiness of the bacon perfectly balanced the
sharpness of the cheese. A smile graced his face, giving him a chipmunk
appearance as his cheeks were still stuffed from the large bite.

Sion walked up just as Richter swallowed the first bite and asked the

same question Randolphus had. The Lord of the Mist Village simply said,
“They should have sent a poet.”

Everyone else that Richter had requested came to grace the high
table. As the hundreds of villagers enjoyed good food and better
comradery, so too did Richter’s friends and confidants. He sat back and

savored every single bite of his burger, one of the things he had missed
most from Earth. True there was no ketchup yet, but Richter resolved to
fight one battle at a time.

After he was done eating, he left the table and walked around

amongst the villagers. Terrod insisted upon accompanying him, citing that
more than half of the people present were new to the village. After his
encounter with Sonirae, Richter didn’t argue. Randolphus came as well.
Richter spent the next hour or so just walking among his people, shaking

hands, sharing laughs, and listening to their compliments and complaints.

Many people were deeply invested in their food or ongoing conversations,
so they simply smiled and bowed their heads as their liege passed. Many
others were well on their way to being deep in their cups, so they didn’t

even realize he was walking by. Richter was happy to see his people
enjoying themselves. More than that, he felt… fulfilled. He had made a
home that he could be proud of and proud he was.

As great as walking around was, Richter realized he needed to give

his speech quickly if he wanted people to still be coherent. Already loud

shouting was coming from a group of dwarves, and a bit of shoving had
broken out between two humans apparently vying for the affection of a
young wood elf lass. Richter spoke to Randolphus, who nodded and began

leading the way back to the raised stage at the end of the picnic tables. He
sent Futen to ask Sion and the others to join him.

Richter climbed the stairs and looked out over the festivities.
Laughter abounded, and many of the children seemed to be playing a game

of tag whose rules shifted from moment to moment. People began to notice
him on the stage and started chanting his name. The call was picked up by
others, and soon the feast resounded with “Lord Richter! Lord Richter!
Lord Richter!”

He raised his arms first in happy reception of the chant but then
turned his palms downward to quiet his people. Soon silence reigned, and
the people waited to hear what their lord had to say.
 “I hope you are all having a good time!” Cheers broke out again,
and Richter had to wait for them to die down.

“As I said before, this feast is a celebration of the accomplishments

of those who have been here. It is also a welcome to those who are new

here. There is a third reason, however. When many of us got off of the
boats from Yves, this village was barely discernable from unbroken
wilderness. It was raw material, and so were we. Times are changing now.
We have made this place into the beginnings of a village. We have made

ourselves into the beginnings of a community.” Many of the first-wave

villagers were nodding and sharing looks of pride. Most of the new people
were just looking a bit uneasy, unsure as to where this was going. They
were used to leaders taking whatever they wished, whenever they wanted.
Richter was still an unknown to them, and they feared for their futures.

“Things are changing,” he repeated. “We are getting larger and

stronger, but that means others are taking notice of us. We have been
attacked and suffered losses. I have been attacked personally by agents of
Ronin, the head of the Night Blades.” Many of the villagers shouted out,

some in anger and some in dismay. They all knew of the bloody
underworld leader. They had all heard of Richter’s raid on Ronin’s base
and his freeing of the nonhumans, most of whom were now villagers.
 Behind him a woman called his name. Richter turned his head and
saw Isabella looking back at him with determination on her face. Gone was
the wounded creature who had hidden beneath the branches of the
Quickening for weeks. Who he saw now was a woman who had chosen to

stand and face both her past and future head-on.

“May I speak, my lord?” she asked. Richter nodded and stepped

back. She took the center stage.

“I have already told my story to those who came here before, but for

those of you who are new, I will tell you what our lord has done for us.
What he has done for me! Lord Richter fought the Night Blades in their
very base of power to save many of us. After he had already saved so
many, he infiltrated the home of Count Stonuk to find me. Still he wasn’t

done, though. To bring me to safety he fought through an ambush of the

Night Blades. An ambush that claimed the life of my husband’s long-time
friend, Jeremy.” Richter looked over at Terrod, but the man just stared
straight ahead, his jaw tight.

Isabella continued speaking with intense emotion. “Since that time

we have suffered an unprovoked attack by the bugbears. How many of you
did Lord Richter save? How many of you fought next to him side by side
as he worked to defend our people? Who stood with him as he comforted
the families of the lost afterward?”
 Shouts of “Me!” “I fought with the lord!” “We showed those
bugbears they should never have come!” rung out from the crowd. The
villagers were getting fired up. Isabella still wasn’t done, though. “And he

saved my love! When those horrible people took Terrod away, our lord
immediately chased after those people and SINGLE HANDEDLY slew
them both and rescued his Companion. That is the type of person that our
lord is. He is someone who has given me power of my own!”

She extended her hand and cast Slow Heal I. There was no target to
her spell, but the gold glow surrounded her hand, bright enough to be seen
despite the torches and mist light. The villagers exclaimed loudly. “This
very day, Lord Richter gave me the power to heal. He is someone we can
trust. He is someone we can put our faith in. He is someone that I pledge

my fealty to!”

With that, she carefully arranged her skirts and then went down on
one knee. “I formally swear allegiance and loyalty to you, my Lord
Richter. From now, unto my very death, I will protect you and your

interests, to the best of my ability and without deceit.”

Richter was shocked. He hadn’t expected such a profound and

public show of support. He walked forward and laid a hand on her
shoulder. “I accept your oath of fealty, and swear to honor your pledge with

the same gravity in which it was given.” He offered his hand and helped
her back to her feet. He continued to hold her hand as he addressed his
people.

“I make the same pledge to all who swear fealty. The same pledge

that I have made from the very beginning. As I rise, so too will you rise.”
Shouts and cheers echoed out. “Just north of us in the meadow, a celestial
tree bears fruit that will increase our affinities. Our Smith is forging
enchanted weapons and armor in the Forge of Heavens to better prepare us

for future battles. The winds of change are upon us, and they blow in our
direction!” Raucous shouts of happiness rung out in the crowd.

Richter waited for the crowd to quiet again. “I have decided to

extend the same terms to our new villagers as I have to the old. You will be

paid a fair wage for your work. You will be fed, and you will have a place
to stay. These terms will last until the end of the year that my original
villagers agreed to. After that, all will be paid for work as appropriate and
will pay for everything else from these wages.” There was an almost
palpable sigh of relief. The people who had just come to the village had left

all they had known. They had boarded ships in the blind hope that the lord
of a forest village would welcome them. It was entirely possible that this
unknown leader could have killed them or sold them into slavery. That had
been the extent of their desperation to leave Yves. The news that they

would be treated fairly and with respect was like a dream come true.
 “Everyone here has a choice to make, however. The same choice
that you just saw Isabella make. This village is going to be a haven of law

and justice. It will continue to be a home for those who need and deserve
it. Only those who swear fealty will enjoy the special benefits of residing
here, the fruit of the Quickening, the weapons of the Forge, Potions of
Clarity and”—he held Isabella’s hand high—“my ability to awaken your
magical power. I want to say again, that any who do not swear fealty will

be treated fairly. Nothing will change for you. For those of you who will
bend the knee once, though, I promise I will help you to stand for the rest of
your life. What do you choose?” His voice rose through his speech and at
the end he was shouting. Isabella’s hand was still in his, and she looked out

at the crowd, radiating confidence.

“I swear fealty!” came a shout from the villagers.

“Lord Richter!” came another.

“Lord Richter and the Mist Village!”

Then the shouts grew too numerous to hear. The villagers surged to
their feet and amassed in front of the stage. Most of the first wave of
villagers was there. Not too many of the second group of immigrants
seemed ready to bend the knee, but Richter was not bothered by this. As he
looked out over the mass of loyal followers, he knew that he had time.
Shouts of his name continued to fill the air. Despite the fact that he could
bend the elements to his will, in that moment he realized that he was

experiencing his first true taste of power.

He liked it.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 10

Randolphus organized all those who chose to swear fealty into a

line, and they came up to the top of the stage, one after another. The music
started again, and the procession adopted a festive air. Sumiko stood next

to him and cast Soul’s Window on each as they gave their oaths. Happily,
everyone that swore fealty was genuine. It took several more hours, but

ultimately two hundred and thirty-seven people bent the knee. Almost
every one of his old villagers came forward as well as dozens of the new

villagers.

Some villagers brought their children up to pledge allegiance, but

after he saw the first small wood elf girl walking towards him, he put a stop
to it. A command to Randolphus was all it took, and an official decree was

made. No one under the age of fourteen could swear fealty. In all honesty,

even that was creepily young as far as he was concerned, but the
chamberlain had whispered to him that fourteen was the age of adulthood in

the River Peninsula.

 He was happy to see Quasea, Ulinde, and Zarr amongst those who

pledged their loyalty. All of the nonhuman elders he had met within

Terrod’s inn so long ago did as well. It also wasn’t a big surprise but was

still reassuring, when Caulder bent the knee. His example brought most of

the other guards and their families in line.

The ceremony would have gone faster, but for two things. He used

Analyze on every person that bent the knee and also took the time to try and

awaken their Life and Air magic. After analyzing about eighty of them, he
got a series of prompts that brought a smile to his face.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 10 in Analyze. Your

understanding of others has deepened on an intrinsic level.

You have received 2,500 (base 2,000) bonus experience for reaching level

10 in the skill: Analyze.

Congratulations! You have advanced from the rank Novice to the rank of

Initiate in: Analyze. In addition to the information you already receive, you

will also be provided with an abbreviated status page showing the

creature’s attributes.

Well, that could come in useful, Richter thought happily. His good

mood was improved at the number of mages he was able to awaken. When

all was said and done, he was able to make three more Air mages from the
new villagers, and thirty-two adult Life magi between the two groups.

Most of the new Life magi came from the old villagers, showing again how

lucky everyone was that had been present at the birth of the Quickening.

A wonderful surprise was that Krom had the affinity to become a

Life mage. The shocked expression on the dwarf’s face was priceless.

Richter began to laugh and soon his Smith joined him. Weeping was a far

more common reaction in many of the villagers. At first, Richter had been

concerned, but he soon saw they were tears of joy, and many of the

villagers embraced him when the magic was kindled inside of them. One

man explained that for his whole life he had felt incomplete, like a piece of
his soul was missing. With tears in his eyes, he told Richter that he now felt

a hole inside of him had been filled.

Each time he was able to feel a resonance inside of one of his

subjects, he taught them the level-one spells that he knew for that

discipline. His new Life novices were taught Charm I, Soul Trap, Weak

Cure, and Slow Heal I. All of the Air mages learned Haste I and Weak

Errant Wind. Whether they were Air or Life magicians, the way they

looked at him afterward was the same, with adoration and loyalty. Richter

had to disable the prompts telling him that his people’s disposition towards

him had improved. Each new caster’s disposition rose by one or two

levels.
 Once the ceremony was done, he left the stage and walked among

the children of those who had sworn fealty. With their parents’ blessing, he

awakened magic in as many as he could. He was able to awaken Air magic

in two of the children and Life magic in seventeen more. Randolphus was

nearby to record the starting spells of all of them. Most simply received

Slow Heal I or Weak Cure, but one received Cure Minor Disease. Other

notable spells were Summon Luminous Butterfly, which just seemed to

conjure a dozen small glowing white butterflies for a minute, and Call

Small Creature, which would bring the closest small creature running to

them. For the next five minutes, it would obey simple commands. What

Richter was most impressed by, however, was Life Beacon. The spell shot a

glowing gold ball high into the air. It would let anyone within a mile know

that help was needed even if they could not see the light. The knowledge

seemed to be instinctual. If they were ever attacked again, the spell could

be invaluable.

Richter was relieved that none of the children had been granted

battle magic. The idea of a petulant five-year-old casting Charm I on her

parents was not something he wanted to contemplate. He had known there

was a chance that might happen, but the opportunity to have children train

for years in their magic and one day be high-level magic users to fight for

his cause was too good to pass up. He would be lying if he said that it
hadn’t also occurred to him that children growing up knowing that they

owed their greatest resource to him might in turn feel a great deal of loyalty

through the years. Richter saw hushed discussions occurring between some

of the parents who hadn’t sworn fealty. Seeing such a tangible boon given

to other people’s children and not their own clearly gave them a lot to think

about.

No matter their starting spells, he taught each of the children with

Life magic Slow Heal I. He wished he could have taught them Summon

Weak Life Wisp as well, but their levels weren’t high enough. Still it was a

lot better than nothing. He went on to teach all of the Air children Haste I.

They were the spells that, if ever the village were attacked again, might give

the children a fighting chance and could keep them and others alive.

Richter pulled Randolphus aside and told him he wanted the children placed
in a daily class where they could practice their spells. The chamberlain

made a notation and promised it would be done.

The entire feast had been a wild success. Despite the fact that most

of the second wave of villagers hadn’t sworn fealty, he was happy to see

that the new people were meshing well with the old. It warmed his heart to

see families reunited. Now that the official work of the night was done, he

joined his people to party.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 11

“What is that goddamn noise?” Richter shouted while holding his

head. It felt like a tribe of kobolds had taken a dump in his brain. He
opened his eyes slightly and immediately groaned.

“Oh God! That was a horrible idea!” Despite the fact that he had

hated what had just happened to him, he had to know what that horrible
clanging was. He cracked one eye open again and blearily looked up from

the hard surface he was lying on. What he saw didn’t make any sense.

He knew that the sun was up because there was so much light to see
by, but for some reason he was looking at a black sky filled with stars. And

what the hell was that gawd awful clanging?

He painfully opened his other eye while holding a hand up in front

of his face to lessen the light that was shooting fire picks, he chuckled

slightly, into his brain. When he didn’t immediately die, which had been a

legitimate fear for him, he slowly widened his gaze. A rack of weapons was

to his left and a clear green anvil was sitting on the ground to his right. His
hangover-addled brain started piecing these clues together, and he realized
he was lying on the floor of the Forge of Heavens. He started to get up but

lost his balance and fell back down, one hand flying up above his head.

“Owww,” a grumpy and ladylike voice said.

Richter looked behind him and saw a beautiful wood elf woman…

who seemed to only be wearing his Cloak of Concealment. The cape had

adopted the smooth white appearance of the marbled quartz it was set

against. Grey lines even shot across the material, blending near perfectly
with the floor. It did nothing to hide the pale shapely leg that stuck out

from one side or the beautiful face and mop of red hair that peeked out of

the top of the cloak. He had inadvertently slapped the woman’s chest with

his hand. His first thought upon seeing this was that it couldn’t have hurt

too much since she had so much padding in that particular region.

“Sorry,” he wheezed out. She grumbled slightly without opening

her eyes and faded back into sleep. Judging by what he was seeing, he’d

had an amazing time the night before, but he just didn’t remember it! He

used Analyze and found that her name was Lorala. Seeing her name on the

prompt triggered a memory.

He groaned again as he remembered drunkenly walking up to her

and saying, “Hey, sexy lady. How’d you like me to show you heaven!”
 He attempted to stand again and this time succeeded, though he had

to lean against the weapons rack to stay upright. That was the moment that

he had his next grand realization. He was naked. Firmly believing that

walking around a forge in his birthday suit would be a bad idea, he cast

about for his Bag of Holding. Sure enough, it was only a few feet away.

He retrieved it and found his clothes strewn about next to it. He put on his
small clothes, pants, shirt, and shoes. Richter had no idea what had

happened to his armor, because it wasn’t in his inventory. He guessed that

it had something to do with the black scorch mark on his chest, and why his

health was down a few points. He didn’t waste more time with that

though. He had an important mission. The mission to find whoever the

fuck was making all that noise, kill them, and then sow their lands with salt!

He left the naked goddess under his cloak and stumbled around the

weapons rack. His head throbbed with every clang of metal on metal.

After picking his head up, and squinting very hard, he saw a dwarf at the

main elementum anvil. Richter knew he was imagining it, but he could

swear that he saw a red outline around the man, clearly marking him as an

enemy that must be destroyed. As he got closer, his bleary eye sight

showed a salt and pepper beard and a familiar face.

“Stooppp!” he croaked.
 “Ahhh, yer lordship!” Krom said loudly. “That was some shindig

last night!”

The dwarf put down the hammer and left what looked to be the back

of Richter’s chest armor on the anvil.

“Wha-wha-what happened?”

Krom let out a hearty bellow that made Richter hate him slightly.

“Well everyone was having a good time and then you said you wanted

something called a ‘shot.’ Zarr asked ye what that was and ye said that you

wished that the ale we had was stronger. Right after that, Zarr cast some

spell on all the casks and that be when the party really got going! When

you did that thing with Alma, I laughed so hard ale came out of me nose!

Ha ha ha!”

Richter shook his head, confused. “Alma? What does Alma have to

—” The rest of his question was cut off as he let out a rather ladylike
scream. His familiar had chosen that moment to speak with him and her

psychic volume was turned way up!

*MASTER! Master my head HURTS!*

“Alma! Please stop thinking so loud!” he shouted reflexively while

grabbing his head in both hands. Then, not wanting her to mentally shout at
him again, he thought to her, *Please think softer, my love. Where are you?

He heard a pitiful mewling and then saw her drunkenly flap up from

where she had been resting behind a bucket. Seeing her hovering in midair

brought back another series of memories. Him offering her a sip of his

drink. Her liking it and then sticking her face deep into someone else’s mug

and drinking more. A bunch of other stuff had happened… Then Sion had

dared him to do… something.

His memory got fuzzy again. He reached up to rub his aching head

and felt a twinge in his chest again. Suddenly, Richter’s eyes grew wide as

it all came flooding back. “No fucking way,” he said to himself. He hadn’t

been dumb enough to…

“Krom,” he said in a grave voice.

“Yes, yer lordship?” the smith said with joy in his voice.

“Did I climb back up on top of the stage last night?” he asked,

knowing what the answer would be.

“Oh. Ye did indeed, me lord.” Krom was clearly enjoying himself.

“And when I was up there, did I shout, ‘Someone call Kenny

Loggins because I’m about to go into the Danger Zone?’”

 “Yes, ye did. That part was confusing for all of us, but what

happened next more than made up for it!” Krom’s grin was threatening to

split his beard in half.

Richter just nodded. He could well believe what had happened next

would have been what people really remembered. Because what had

happened next was that first he had shouted at Alma, “Do it!” and then she

had obeyed and unleashed a lightning bolt directly into his chest. The bolt

had struck him dead center, and the force of it had knocked him off his feet,

and consequently, off the podium. At a guess, the fifteen-foot fall was why

Krom was now hammering a dent out of the back plate.

Richter closed his eyes and nodded to himself. That was, possibly,

not his finest moment. He opened his eyes and asked, “Is there anything

else that I want to know about last night?” Alma had made her way to his

shoulders and basically collapsed onto him. The poor thing was still

mewling pitifully.

Krom scratch his beard. “Anything that ye WANT to know? Well

that I can’t say for sure, but I can tell ye one thing that everyone else knows

now!”

Richter took a second to control a wave of nausea and then said,

“What’s that?”
 “The Mist Village can party! HAHAHAAA!”

Despite the throbbing in his head, Richter smiled back. Then he

vomited just a bit into his mouth. After washing his mouth out and spitting

several times, he thought about the sexy woman he had woken up next to

and decided that all in all, it had been a great night. “Can I assume you

have the rest of my armor here?”

“Aye, milord.” Krom reached to the other side of the anvil and

lifted up the other pieces, setting them by the chest plate. “And rest
assured, this dwarf will be ready to fight at noon. I could use a good hunt.

Now go see if you can bring that young lass you have back there back to
life. From the noises I heard coming out of here before dawn, you fair

killed her last night! Ha ha ha!” With that last quip, Krom walked away.

Richter cast Slow Heal I to fix the damage to his chest. Then he

donned his armor and withdrew his sword from his Bag. He shooed Alma
off of his shoulders to the sounds of her protest and then fastened the sword

onto his back. He was ready to greet his bedmate—floor mate—of the
night before, except for one thing. He plunged his head straight down into

a barrel of water. The chill water cleared some of the cobwebs from his
brain and he drank his fill. When he straightened up, he felt much more
alert. He walked back to where he had left her.
 “Lorala. Lorala, it’s time to wake up.”

The elf maiden, well definitely not a maiden anymore from what

Richter remembered, opened her eyes, and he was able to see that her irises
were the same green as elementum. She smiled sleepily at him and said,

“Good morrow, my lord. Was I so fearsome last night that you must gear
for battle before we go again?”

Richter chuckled at her saucy reply. “I would never put armor on

before joining you in bed. Why would I when all I want is for you to slay
me again and again?”

“Well I knocked you down at least five times last night, but you just
kept getting up. I supposed it would only be polite for me to do the same.

Though I believe eating that much star zenia was cheating!” With that she
stood and let the smooth material of the cloak flow off of her body and pool

on the ground. Richter let out a slow and appreciative whistle.

She was five-seven or five-eight. Apple-sized breasts sat firm on

her chest, and her white skin contrasted with deep pink nipples. His gaze
traveled downward to a trim waist and flat stomach, not muscular, but also

with little fat. His eyes traced the curve of her hip inward, and he observed
her femininity in all of its glory, contrasting on her skin like an apple

floating in cream.
 She looked at his expression of appreciation and gave a slightly
throaty chuckle. Her voice was a smooth alto as she said, “I’m glad you

appreciate the view, my lord. Last night you seemed quite pleased that my
‘carpet matched my drapes’ as you put it.”

Richter chuckled as well and said, “Well, thank you for last night.”
Then his male brain started scrambling. “I’m not sure how things are

supposed to go now. I’m also not sure what I might have said last night, but
I’m not really in a good place for a relationship. I was also kind of seeing

this other girl back on Earth, and even though we’re probably separated by
at least twelve parsecs now, I still don’t think I’m in the right emotional

space to make a serious…”

He stopped talking because she laughed at his babbling. “You

humans and your conservative views. I am not some stuffy high elf spinster
to deny myself the passion I deserve. Do not feel bad about enjoying me
and having to leave.” She gathered her dress and slipped it on over her

head. Then she walked up to him, grabbed the hair on the back of his head,
and kissed him soundly. “After all, I’m the one who used you.” She let

him go and started walking away. Seeing the cockiness of her stride,
Richter realized it would be more accurate to say she sauntered away.

Looking at her back in bemusement, he called after her, “But I came

up and propositioned you.”
 She looked back and winked. “Keep telling yourself that, Lord

Richter.” She walked off into the early morning light.

“This world definitely has its perks,” he said to himself. It was also

good news that he had taken the star zenia. He didn’t need any little
Richters running around right now. He looked around for someone to share

this moment with, but didn’t see anyone. So as Alma settled on his
shoulders once again, he gave himself a high five and walked out to greet

the day.

As he walked away from the Forge over to the Great Seal, he sent
out a mental call for Futen. Looking around, he saw more and more people

passed out in various states of undress. Some were up, but it looked like
they were hating life as they stumbled through their walks of shame.

Richter shook his head and said, “Fuck you, Zarr. What did you turn the
beer into? Chloroform?” With no one around to appreciate his wit, he just

kept walking and his head continued to throb.

He tried to distract himself from his discomfort by checking on his

notification log. Apparently, he had auto-minimized everything during his

speech and the party afterwards.

Your village has grown by leaps and bounds! Never forget, there are
consequences to your actions. The following adjustments have been made
to your village values.

Average Morale has decreased from +330 to +155.

Average Loyalty has decreased from +321 to +151.

DONG!

The Morale of your village has decreased from Happy to Neutral. The

Morale of your people has decreased to the point that there is no effect
upon population growth, productivity, or fighting spirit.

DONG!

The Loyalty of your village has decreased from Dependable to Neutral.

The Loyalty of your people has decreased to the point that there is no effect

upon productivity.

Know This! Your leadership has inspired more than 25% of your villagers

to swear fealty. Ongoing changes in Loyalty are twice as effective.

Know This! The Loyalty change from your Tenet, An Honorable Ruler I,

has increased from +0.5 to +1 Loyalty increase per day.

Hmmm, Richter thought. What was it the Aes Sedai said? The rule

of three consequences or something like that? He hadn’t really thought

about how adding more people to his village might take away the perks that

the increased morale and loyalty had granted. He supposed it made sense
though. Like adding water to dark red Kool-Aid, there would be more to go
around, but it would definitely be less sweet. The bump to his Tenet was a

nice surprise though. If the Loyalty of his people was two hundred and
thirty-one, the overall Loyalty should be back to “Dependable” again in a
little over two weeks. Not too long of a time to wait for a 20% production

bonus, Richter thought with a smile.

He smiled as he saw a series of prompts that showed increases in the

regard that many of the villagers had for him. There were dozens of them
and he quickly saw that they were the people whose magic had been

awakened. He hadn’t expected such an outpouring of love when he had

made his new magi, but he would take it. This time the rule of three

worked in his favor.

He closed all of the prompts and saw Futen floating towards him.

“Greeting, my lord,” he said in his deadpan voice.

“Good morning, Futen. Is anyone looking for me?”

“Not that I am aware of, my lord.”

“Well what time is it?”

“It is two hours until noon, Lord Richter.”

“Okay, find Gloran, Basil, and Randolphus and have them meet me
at the feast area. I need to get some breakfast. Then go over to the ships
and have Hafiz’s sons meet me as well. I think they’ve waited long
enough.”

Futen said farewell and floated off to do as he was bid.

*Are you ready for some food, my love?*

She didn’t respond for a second, but then she thought poutingly,
*Yes, Master.*

So they started off on the epic quest to find some grub.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 12

Richter was digging into his second helping of eggs, potatoes, and

venison, all the while bemoaning the lack of ketchup, when Randolphus
came up.

“Greetings, my lord. I am pleased to see that you survived the

night.”

Richter smiled at the disapproving man standing on the other side of

the table. “Things did get a little wild last night, huh?”

“Well, when the dwarfs started playing noggins, I decided it was

time to retire for the night.”

Richter’s face wrinkled in confusion. He didn’t remember that at

all. “Noggins?”

Randolphus sighed. “It involves a round of singing where the

dwarves walk in a circle, occasionally changing direction. When the song

stops, whichever dwarves are at the top and the bottom of the circle run at

each other full pelt until they slam their heads together. If you get knocked
down, you are knocked out of the game. There is, of course, a large amount

of drinking involved as well.”

Richter didn’t even need to ask if he had joined that particular

game. The fact that he didn’t have a skull fracture made it clear that he
hadn’t. “So what you’re saying is—”

“You threw a truly epic party, my lord.”

“Yes,” Richter said, nodding sagely. “Yes, I did. I’m surprised that

you would admit that though, Randy.”

“You ordered me to tell you that last night, my lord,” Randolphus

said somewhat sourly.

“Yes,” Richter said again, gently stroking his chin in satisfaction.

Then he smiled at his chamberlain. “I’ve asked Futen to bring Hafiz’s sons

to meet me. I wanted you here so we could make sure to place orders for

anything that the village needs. Now while we’re waiting, is there anything

else we need to speak about?”

“Well, my lord, now that you mention it.” Randolphus kept talking

and Richter went on autopilot, just saying “yes” or “no” perfunctorily. His

conscious thoughts were replaying the “meow” scene from Super Troopers
and wondering if Whoopee and Picard had gotten busy on the Enterprise.
 Thankfully he was saved before too much time had passed. Basil

walked up to the table they were sitting at and plopped down next to

Randolphus. The man’s shirt was slightly torn and a large stain that looked

like dried ale covered his front. Richter could see a burgeoning bruise on

the trader’s left cheek, and the man had some twigs and pieces of leaves in

his hair.

“What was in that ale, my lord?” Basil’s voice quavered and

randomly rose and fell in pitch. “Was it demons? Did that damn Earth

mage put demons in the ale?”

Richter looked at the man in amused shock. He’d never seen the

outwardly uptight man talk like that before. Basil saw his lord looking at

him in surprise and misinterpreted the gaze for one of rebuke. “I apologize,

Lord Richter. I just have a bit of a headache.”

Richter didn’t want the man to clam back up into a conservative

shell, so he confided that, “Don’t worry about it. I’m still looking for the

cat.”

“What cat?” Basil said, confused.

“The one that must have shit in my mouth while I was sleeping last

night,” he replied with a completely straight face.

 Basil just looked at him with surprise of his own for a moment, then

started chuckling. Even Randolphus laughed aloud at that one, and all three

men enjoyed the comradery you can only find by having drunk deeply from
the cup of Bacchus and having lived to tell the tale. Whenever the laughter

started to die, one of them would add another ribald comment and the levity

would be revived.

A few minutes later, Richter was wiping tears from his eyes. One of

the village men had brought over large platters of food and set them down

on the table. Randolphus explained that he thought a bit of food might

make the negotiations go smoother. For the thousandth time, Richter

marveled at his luck in finding his chamberlain. Then he wondered if it

really was his Luck characteristic having come into play. If so, he would

need to add more to the esoteric stat ASAP.

Once Basil had eaten some food and, at Richter’s strong urging, had

a bit of the hair of the dog that had bit him, the former Yves merchant

looked more alert. Richter decided to broach the topic at hand.

“Basil.” The man looked up from his plate at hearing the serious

undertone in his lord’s voice. He swallowed the last bite he had taken, put

his knife down, and gave Richter his full attention. “We have a fight

coming our way. If the past weeks have taught me anything, it’s that these
mists are not an absolute defense. We need to get stronger and we need

more allies.”

Basil nodded. “I understand, my lord, and I am ready and willing to

do whatever I can to serve.”

“Good man,” Richter said, nodding. “Tomorrow I want you to leave

at first light. You are to go into the Serrated Mountains and treat with the

dwarf tribes. Your primary goal should be to get fighters that are willing to
come down to the forest and fight the bugbears and their allies. A

secondary, but almost as important goal, is to foster relations between the

Mist Village and the groups that you find. I want to be clear that I’m not

expecting miracles. This is just a first step. After you leave this table, I

want you to go see Krom. He is to give you any weapons and armor that

you need. After that, I want you to spend the day getting as much

information about the dwarves from him and anyone else in the village that

can be helpful. Tell them that helping you is to take precedence over

anything else they may be doing. Knowing Krom, you will probably get

some pushback. Tell him that if I have to come make the point myself, then

Alma will be making the point with lightning.” The dragonling looked up

from where she was filching morsels from Basil’s plate. She flared her

wings happily and then unashamedly grabbed a piece of meat in her

forepaws and started tearing off hunks with her sharp teeth.
 Richter smiled at her lovingly. Then he reached into his Bag and

pulled out three purses. “These two have a hundred gold coins each. From

what Krom told me, money talks and bullshit walks with the dwarves of the

mountains.” Basil smiled at hearing that unknown idiom, but the meaning

was clear enough that Richter didn’t need to explain this time. He

continued speaking. “I’m sure that you are not going to convince anyone of

the rightness of our cause just by words. I’m equally sure that you’re going

to have to bribe some people to get through certain territories and to get

certain introductions. Use the money as you will. Once you get in to see the

chiefs or kings or whatever the hell the main man calls himself, that’s when

you use this pouch.” He tapped the larger brown hide bag. “I have twenty

Potions of Clarity in here. These are to be given as gifts of respect and as a

taste of what the village can offer to friends and good trading partners.

Now with all that being said, I have already seen among the dwarves in the

village that there are certain factions, like the Bone Crusher clan, that I

don’t think we would… mesh well with. I won’t fully write a group off

without meeting them personally, but I want you to use your own intuition

and Krom’s advice to decide if there are any groups you should avoid.
Keep in mind as you meet these tribes and clans that every potential ally is

also a potential enemy. Do not invite a snake into our garden. You’ll be
going with two dwarves that Krom recommends as guides and liaisons. I’ll

also be sending ten guards with you.”

Basil listened to the entire long speech without interrupting. When

Richter was done, he asked a few targeted questions. After that, he just

said, “I won’t let you down, sir.” Richter half stood and reached across the

table. Basil did the same, and the two men clasped wrists. When they let

go, the trader was going to leave, but Richter bid him stay a bit longer. He

could see four men approaching, led by Futen. He could only assume that
they were Hafiz’s sons. Though Basil would be an integral part in

preparing for the future war with the bugbears, Richter was fairly certain
that a different type of conflict was about to happen right now. It would be

bloodless and it would be economic, but he was glad Basil’s business

experience could help in this arena as well.

Richter stood, and his chamberlain and diplomat followed suit. A

mental command was enough for Alma to abandon the rest of her breakfast
and fly to perch on his broad shoulders. They stood waiting as the four men

approached. All were clad in the same white silk and red sash that he had
seen their father wear. They all also wore white turbans, but that was where

the physical similarities ended. He remembered Hafiz as a short, portly

fellow that looked just like the nice sultan in Aladdin. Basically a kindly,

but shrewd, grandfather.

 These guys looked more like Sons of Anarchy. Each was at least six
feet tall, and they had strong angular faces covered in well-trimmed beards.

Their tunics were sleeveless and large muscles stood out in easily followed
definition on their arms. Their skin was the color of toasted almonds, and

their weathered faces spoke of a life of frequent travel. They wore empty
sheaths at their waists that were curved as if built for scimitars. Each had

an intense expression and they looked around as if noting every little detail
of what they saw. There was a clear hierarchy in how they walked. One
pulled up the rear, holding a small metal chest. He followed the two in the

middle who walked with a sure dignity, but the leading man, who seemed a
bit older than the rest, exuded a palpable sense of authority. The two men

in the middle were carrying a large wooden chest banded with high steel
and with a thick padlock clearly seen on the front.

Four of Richter’s guards followed closely behind. Caulder was

among them. Richter was pleased to see that they were taking the security

of the village so seriously. There might have been a time when he would
have thought that an armed escort for trading partners was overkill. He

wouldn’t be so cavalier with the safety of his village again. The fact that
Terrod and Caulder seemed to be on the same page was one less thing he

had to worry about.

 The white-clad men stopped a good ten feet away from Richter. The
leader of the group spoke. “I bring you greetings, oh great leader of the

Mist Village.” The man’s voice was a rich bass, booming across the small
space that separated him. “My father wishes you good health and

prosperity. He wishes that he could be here to meet his good friend in

person, but hopes that you will accept myself, his eldest son, and my

brothers as a poor substitute.” The man swept his right arm far out to the
side and crossed his left arm across his waist as he went into a deep bow.

His brothers placed the chest on the ground and then swept into identical
bows.

They held that pose, and Randolphus cleared his throat slightly but
poignantly. Richter looked at him and the chamberlain indicated the four

men with a slight crook of his neck. Taking the cue, Richter took a step
forward and said, “I accept this greeting in the grand spirit with which it

was given. When you see your father, tell him that I look forward to the
day that we can sit together again. Until that time comes, however, I am

delighted to meet the sons of the man I hope to one day embrace as a
brother.”

All four men smoothly rose from their bows. The lead man looked

Richter in the eye and nodded slightly. Richter suddenly felt like he had
passed some sort of test. He smiled to himself. If the man wanted to match
flowery language, he shouldn’t go toe-to-toe with someone who had grown

up listening to Sting and Sade!

Tired of not knowing what to call him, Richter used Analyze.

Name: Abbas. Human: Lvl 17. Health 380. Mana 320. Stamina 260.

Disposition: Neutral. Humans are one of the shortest lived, but most prolific
breeders in the Land. Humans have a broader affinity for skills than other

races. No special bonuses to race. Humans get four points to distribute per
level. Profession: Trader.

Suddenly Richter was both happy and bothered. Happy that he had
learned more about the man he was about to be negotiating with and also

that he had had Basil stay with him. He was definitely bothered that he was
about to negotiate with a Professed Trader though. That made him realize

that he had never actually used Analyze on Hafiz. Richter had thought that
he had done well in those negotiations, but if the man was an old Trader, he

had probably been fleeced.

“My name is Abbas, Lord Richter. May we approach?”

Richter schooled his face so that his discomfort didn’t show. At

least he hoped he did. For all he knew, Traders had a Talent that let them

read micro expressions. Not wanting to draw the moment out, he smiled
expansively and swept an arm towards the food-laden table. “Of course.
We have set out some food so that you can break your fast. Please eat and

drink. We can talk about the future of our relationship after that.”

The four men moved over to sit at the table. Before they started to

eat, however, all four moved their hands in a circle over their food and said
a short phrase in a language Richter hadn’t heard before. His Gift of

Tongues ability translated it to “For the bounty our success has brought, we
thank you, dear Lady.”

Speaking in the common tongue, Richter couldn’t resist asking,

“Was that a prayer? I was under the impression that all gods had been

banished from The Land.”

Abbas nodded in understanding. “You are, of course, correct, Lord

Richter. That does not mean the teachings of our Lady Nadjah are any less
valuable. The wisdom of the Lady of Good Fortune has guided the actions

of our family since long before The Great Binding. We offer a prayer to her
in thanks and remembrance.”

Richter gazed back at the man, pondering what he had just heard.

Blind faith was a challenge in and of itself, but he had to reason that it must
be even harder to know that your god is real and that she had been forcibly

taken from you. For a family to remain devout for centuries and millennia
after that… what did that say about them? Richter wasn’t sure, but he was
fairly certain it meant he should take them seriously. As he opened his
mouth to continue the conversation, another thought occurred to him. Were

there any other pockets of faithful followers out there? What would they be
like if, instead of luck, their god had been one of death or pain?

Richter blinked such cheery thoughts away. “Well I would love to

hear more about your Lady Nadjah at some point, but not right now. I insist

that you eat. Can I offer you refreshment? Some ale or water perhaps?”

They all made small talk for about twenty minutes as Abbas and his
brothers ate their fill. He introduced his brothers as “Falih, Mahir and

Kadar.” Luckily, none of them were Professed Traders, though Falih and
Mahir were both above level ten so he assumed their trading skill just

hadn’t reached journeyman rank yet. Once they had committed enough
time to the niceties, they got down to business.

“In addition to greetings, my father has sent a gift in appreciation of

our profitable relationship.” At Abbas’s gesture, Kadar, the youngest

brother, placed the small chest on the table, angling the front towards
Richter. He opened the lid and revealed that the inside was lined with

crushed purple velvet. Sitting on a cushion of the same color was a

bracelet. Two clear red gems sat on a braided band of gold. Futen glowed

white, identifying the object without asking.

You have been presented: Bracelet of Home’s Heart. Durability 43/43.
Item class: Scarce. Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.2 kg. Traits: The gems on

this bracelet are actually two halves of a whole. Expertly cut, the jewel is a
rare drop from a silver wyvern. The last drop of its blood crystalized to

embody the speed and grace of this aerial predator. That magic has been
preserved. Now the wearer of this bracelet may leave one of the gems in

any location they choose. If the magic of the bracelet is then activated, the
wearer will gain the ability of flight and be pulled at the maximum flying

speed of a silver wyvern to the location where the other jewel was left. This
is a one-use item which will be destroyed afterwards.

Richter’s eyes widened as he read the item’s description. This was

the first example of fast travel he had actually seen. The calculations for

portals were rattling around somewhere in the back of his head, but the cost
of making one, let alone two of the expensive things just wasn’t feasible
yet. Hafiz truly had given him an amazing gift. This meant that he could

escape a horrible situation or come rushing back to defend his village if

need be. He would have to think very carefully about where to place the
gem he would be coming back to.

Richter stood and bowed slightly. “This truly is an amazing gift. I

do not know what to say. I, and my people, thank you.”
 The four brothers stood and bowed deeply in return. They sat back
down, but Richter remained standing. “In my travels and adventures, I have

come across many wonders. One of the most beautiful, however, was
this.” He reached into his Bag of Holding and pulled out a gem-encrusted
bracelet. Small diamonds formed the spine of the red-gold bracelet and the
two ends shined green. One end was a dragon’s head, with emeralds set as
eyes. The other was a tail made of creamy jade. The quality of

craftsmanship was such that the piece looked like it could come to life at
any moment. When Richter had examined the item, it had registered as
“masterwork.”

Richter held it hidden in his hands, until he spread them apart like a

book opening, leaving the jewelry balancing on his palms. The reaction he
received was more than he expected. Falih and Mahir immediately began
speaking to each other quietly in their native tongue. Richter could
understand them, though they didn’t know that, and heard them exclaiming

over the value of the piece. Kadar actually breathed the word “Tefonim,”
which earned him a cuff from one of his older brothers. Richter noticed all
of this peripherally, as most of his attention was on Abbas.

The lead brother showed no reaction. At least not one that Richter
could detect. The man raised his eyes from the gold dragon and looked

Richter in the eye. “Do you know what this is, my lord?”
 “It is a gift for your father. It is also a piece of jewelry from the
Tefonim people.”

Abbas licked his lips and considered his next words carefully. “It is
quite rare to find pieces from the master builders. Even more rare to find a
piece as exquisite and well preserved as what you have here, my lord. I
mean no disrespect, but may I examine it?”

Richter didn’t really get what the big deal was, but assumed that the
jewelry must be more valuable and therefore more expensive than he had
thought. “It is yours. You can do as you wish.” With that, he handed over
the bracelet.

Abbas didn’t bring it close up to his eyes and inspect it like Richter
had assumed. Instead he just held it in his hand and closed his eyes. A
slight hum could suddenly be heard at the edge of Richter’s hearing, like a
generator coming on down the street. When Abbas opened his eyes again, a
broad smile crested his face. His large white teeth were stark contrasted to

his sun darkened skin. “My lord, this truly is a wonderful gift. I apologize
for any doubt or hesitation on my part. Please do not believe that I thought
you would cheat us or my father, but there are many, many forgeries of the
work of the Tefonim. So much so that the chances of a piece being

authentic are less than a thousand to one. I am honored to receive this

princely gift. My father spoke of your fairness and strength, but left to me
the choice of how closely we would ally ourselves in business. Your gift

shows your caliber though, my lord, and I am happy to say that the
Company of the White Pearl considers you a Friend in Commerce.”

A series of prompts immediately filled Richter’s vision.

Know This! The saying is that there are more customs in the land than
drops of water in the ocean. It is impossible to know them all. Your innate

respect and generosity, however, have steered you well. The exchange of
gifts is a time honored tradition amongst the traders of the River Peninsula
and will set the tone for all future dealings. You have given a gift well
beyond what was expected and have been named a Friend in Commerce to

the Company of the White Pearl.

Your relationship with Abbas, Falih, Mahir, and Kadar has increased from
Neutral to Friendly.

The relationship of the Mist Village and the Company of the White Pearl

has increased from Neutral to Friendly.

Know This! As a Friend in Commerce, future trade dealings with the

Company of the White Pearl will be 10% more lucrative. New trade
opportunities may now become available.

Richter didn’t let the momentum of the moment pass. “It pleases me

that my gift is so well received. I hope that it is the start of many future
successful dealings.” He was about to refer them over to Randolphus when

he experienced the strangest of sensations. His nose tingled, and the most
tantalizing scent reached his nostrils. It came and went quick as a flash, but
despite not seeing a source, Richter was sure he had smelled something
wonderful. It was like an olfactory potpourri that reminded him of the scent

of a woman’s hair, spiced apple pie, and crisp mountain air all at once.

He looked around trying to pinpoint where the wonderful smell had

come from, but while he was distracted, the brothers had taken the time to
open the larger chest. “Our father sent along some items of interest.” Abbas

smiled faintly. “As I said, it was left to me whether these would be offered
or not. Now that we are all friends, though, I absolutely believe that a man
like yourself, someone of discerning taste, deserves to own such wonderful
objects.”

Basil objected. “I was under the impression that we had already

negotiated for everything you had to sell.”

Abbas shook his head. “The opportunities for trade are limitless, so
sayeth our Lady. Specifically, though, we were instructed by our father to
only reveal these to Lord Richter directly. A man of your wisdom and

foresight will understand, I am sure.”

 Richter chuckled at the obvious wind-up that Abbas had given him,

but as Abbas started laying items on the wooden table, his laughter changed
to frank appreciation.

You have found: Bottle of Royal Jelly from Aswani Queen. Durability 9/9.
Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.2 kg. Traits: The Aswani are

insect humanoids that form a hive culture. The royal jelly of the queen is
fed to her personal guard to make them stronger. Permanent boost of +2 to
Strength.

Know This! Your skill in Herb Lore also gives you the strong feeling that

covering yourself in this would improve how Aswani regard you. It could
also be a component of a levitation ring.

You have found: Book of Slow I. Durability: 6/6. Item Class: Common.
Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.3 kg. Slows the target by 10%. This is a

spell of Water, level 3.

You have found: Book of Fireball I. Durability 8/8. Item Class: Common.
Quality: Exceptional. Weight: 0.4 kg. Fires a ball of flame that detonates
upon impact. This is a spell of Fire. Requirements: Fire Magic skill level
12.

You have found: Bottled Elder Banshee Scream. Durability 10/10. Item
Class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.2 kg. Traits: This
bottle contains the scream of an elder banshee. Opening the bottle will
create a sonic attack in a funnel pattern in the direction of the bottle
opening. Range: 50 feet. Those affected may also suffer Stun, Silence,
Deafen, Madness, Bleeding.

Richter became especially excited when Abbas pulled out the next
item. It had the same dimensions as a cigar box, but was twice as big.
Richter had seen a similar case in Hafiz’s shop. It was a dark wood,
lacquered so that it was shiny and smooth. When the trader opened the lid,

Richter smiled.

You have found: Arrowhead of Multishot. Durability 10/10. Item Class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.2 kg. Traits: Will split into
five arrows upon firing.

You have found: Arrowhead of Tracking. Durability 11/11. Item Class:

Common. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Traits: Will leave an
easily followable trail upon impact for one hour.

You have found: Arrowhead of Analysis. Durability 9/9. Item Class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Traits: Provides

detailed information of the creature upon impact.

You have found: Arrowhead of Negation. Durability 12/12. Item Class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Traits: 5% chance
to ignore magical defenses.

You have found: Arrowhead of Quenching. Durability 14/14. Item Class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Will create an
explosion of water on impact. Increased damage against creatures of the

Fire element.

You have found: Arrowhead of Sleep Spores. Durability 13/13. Item

Class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Upon impact
releases a series of spores that, if inhaled, may place targets into a light

sleep.

You have found: Arrowhead of Freeze. Durability 12/12. Item Class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Will do additional 2-
4 damage on impact. Chance to cause Freeze.

You have found: Arrowhead of Dark Energy. Durability 18/18. Item

Class: Uncommon. Quality: Well Crafted. Weight: 0.1 kg. Will do

additional 5-8 damage on impact. Entropic effects cause increased damage
against whichever armor is struck.

Richter was so taken with poring over the arrowheads, that at first

he didn’t notice the next item that the brothers placed on the table. When
he looked over, though, he immediately forgot about the weapons.
You have found: Initiate Mapping Ring. Durability 60/60. Item Class:
Scarce. Quality: Well Crafted. Weight: 0.1 kg. Traits: Can be bound to a
Traveler’s Map. Whoever wears the ring will transmit their information to

the owner of the Map. Range: 200 miles.

“How does this work?” Richter asked, picking up the ring. It didn’t
look like anything special. It was just a gold loop with a stylized “T” on
top. It matched the “T” Richter had seen in the corner of his Map.

“My father thought you might want this,” Abbas said with a faint

smile. “He acquired it specially for you. It’s a mapping ring. Not everyone
in the Guild of Traveler’s has their own map. To prove their loyalty, many
will apprentice under a known Traveler. They are given a ring like this. It
records whatever the apprentice sees and puts the information on the master

map. Some Traveler had the bright idea of wearing the rings even if you
already had a Map. Established guild members started to trade rings so that
what one of them learned, the other could learn as well. They started
making rings with a better range than the apprentice rings, which only

worked within one hundred miles of the Traveler’s Map. This initiate ring
will work up to two hundred miles away.”

Richter smiled. An item like this could be invaluable. Not only

would it allow him to update his Map faster, but it would also let him find

whoever had the ring on them. If Terrod had been wearing this ring when
Sonirae had kidnapped him, then Richter would have been able to hone
right in on his location.

While he was thinking about the possibilities of the ring, the strange

scent reached his nose again. He glanced over and saw that the last two
items the brothers had laid on the table had gold lettering on their prompts.
Despite his fascination with the Mapping Ring, he gave the new objects his
full attention.

You have found: Blood of Aged Glass Dragon. Durability 6968/6973. Item
Class: Epic. Quality: Exquisite. Weight: 8.7 kg. Traits: ???

You have found: Soul Stone of Cloud Giant. Durability 45/46. Item Class:
Epic. Stone Level: Resplendent. Weight: 0.4 kg.

The high-level soul stone was obviously useful, but the scent was

somehow coming off of the “blood.” Richter only thought of it as such

because of the prompt provided. The bottle that contained the liquid was
about the size of his old one liter Nalgene. The blood was completely clear
and it was thick, moving like honey when he tilted the bottle. Richter held

it up to the sunlight and saw that the blood made a rainbow of vibrant color
on the table they were sitting at, just like his old glass knife. He brought it
close to his face on the pretense that he was looking at it more closely, but
in actuality he was breathing deeply of the wonderful scent that was
somehow coming off of it. He wanted this.

Richter didn’t want to overplay his hand though. He put the bottle
back down and looked at the soul stone closely. He “oohed” and “aahed”
and made sure that he held it longer than he had looked at the dragon
blood. For good measure, he looked over the box of arrowheads and the

ring again. He was actually just wasting time during his perusal since he
desperately wanted both of the items. He did see one interesting thing,
though.

The crafter of the sleep arrow had come up with a clever design.
The arrow was a broadhead that had a glass vial behind the initial metal

point. The tip of the vial was packed with tightly wadded cotton. It was
easy to see how, on impact, the force of the strike would both crush the vial
and push the cotton into the mold. The combined result would be to release
the spores in a cloud. Despite his minor fascination with the device, he kept

up his perusal much longer than necessary. He only stopped when he heard
Abbas ask, “Have you seen anything that you like, my lord?”

“Perhaps,” he replied nonchalantly. “I don’t suppose that these are

gifts as well?”
 “All things are gifts from the divine, my lord.” Abbas responded
with all seriousness. Then a twinkle rose in his eyes. “These particular

divine gifts require monetary compensation, however.” Richter smiled in

return. Then his smile faded as Abbas started outlining the exact prices.

“The Book of Slow and Fireball sell for eight gold six silver two
coppers and seventy-seven gold four coppers respectively.”

“SEVENTY-SEVEN gold?” Richter asked incredulously. “Are you

going to dip it in gold first? Cuz if so, just keep that gold and charge me
less!”

Abbas’s face now looked like he was wildly sympathetic. “I

understand, my Lord Richter. You must understand what goes into making
these spell books, however. Only a magician who both knows the spells
and has a high ability in either Enchanting or Scribing can make a spell
book alone. A mage working with a sufficiently skilled enchanter could

also make a spell book, but the process takes substantially longer, and of
course the price for two skilled individuals working for long periods of time
increases the price as well. Once a book is made there are other options to
make more, but the amount of each book in circulation is understandably
curtailed by various agencies. The general rule of thumb is that from skill

level one to ten, a spell costs one gold per level if you learn it from a
Master. Because of the specialized labor to make a spell book, and the cost
of materials, the cost of a spell book will be a minimum of 1.5 times as

much as learning the spell directly. If you also factor in the difficulty of
bringing such items to a distant locale such as this, I am sure you will agree
that the price is reasonable.”

Richter didn’t like what he was hearing, but he understood Abbas’s

reasoning. Magic had the potential to make a physically weak person into a
virtual powerhouse. What the trader was asking was a large amount of
money, but how much was it truly worth to be able to wield such a powerful
spell for the rest of your life? He had some questions first though. The first
of which was, “What materials go into making a spell book?”

With his enchantment skill on the rise, he might be able to sell his
own spells. The scribes in the village could help with that. Just like he
wanted Krom and other noncombatants to go on hunts, if he were able to
power level the scribes, then they could increase their Copy Talent to make

more spell books. Hello, new trade good! It sounded like the various
groups in Yves that made spell books were sitting on a shared monopoly. It
would be his absolute pleasure to break that monopoly. The nobles or
merchants might not like it, but as Sun Tzu said, “Fuck ’em!”

“The materials are not rare,” Abbas answered, “but neither are they
readily available to most people. The main materials outside of knowing
the spell are to have powdered crystals, quality ink, and a higher quality
book. More may be required, especially for higher level spells. The quality

of the materials also influences how likely it is for you to be able to learn
the spell. For lower level spells, if your affinity is good, the likelihood is
usually 100% or close to it, independent of the quality level. Believe me
when I tell you, my lord, that you will want a higher quality spell book if

you learn anything above Initiate level. There is no point in spending

hundreds of gold to buy a spell book only to have its low quality give you

only a 50% chance of actually learning the spell. The book turns to ash

either way.”

“Well that’s a hell of a sales pitch,” Richter grumbled. “How much

are you selling the rest for?”

“First, let me say that I see the prices I have quoted have given you

pause. I would never want such a valued trading partner as yourself to feel

unhappy with a transaction. Your happiness is my primary concern.”

Richter just looked back at him and said, “Uh huh.”

“I am sure that it is in the best interest of all of us to have a

profitable and long-term relationship. Neither one of us are so shortsighted

as to place momentary gains over our new friendship, I am sure you would

agree, Abbas,” Basil said.

 With a faint smile, Abbas continued, “As I was saying, I must

humbly apologize for any misunderstanding. Those prices would be for the

average consumer, my lord, not for someone such as you. You are now a
Friend of our company and will receive a 10% discount. I also respect your

skill as a trader, as well as Basil’s, and so will take off another 16%. With
that factored in, the Book of Slow I would sell for six gold, five silver, and

five coppers. The Book of Fireball I could let go of for fifty-eight gold, five

silver, and five coppers. Will that be more acceptable?”

Richter nodded slowly. He didn’t think that Hafiz’s sons would be

giving up gold out of the kindness of their hearts. His skill rank in Trading

would get him a 6.5% price reduction. The fact that he was being offered a

16% reduction probably meant that Basil’s Trade skill was level thirty-two.
Richter resolved to find out exactly what Basil’s skill level was later, but

right now he was just thankful he had asked the man to stay.

The reduction in prices was just another way that the Universe bent

events to fit the peculiar rules of The Land. He wondered how Abbas’s own
trading bonus factored in, but figured it must just be worked into an initial

markup. It irked him that he knew Abbas’s trade bonus must be at least
24.5% since the man was at least a journeyman in Trading.

Despite the fact that he was sure he was getting a pretty raw deal,
Richter also knew that his access to items like this was extremely limited, at
least until his boat was completed. He decided to just take the discount.
Besides, he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. “That does sound better.

Why don’t you tell me about the other pieces?”

“Well I saw you examining the arrowheads, my lord. They are all

made of high steel, so the base damage of each shot will be increased by
one. The true value of course has more to do with their special abilities.

My father remembered the interest you paid to the arrowheads you bought

in his shop, so made a special effort to procure these items. In Yves, each
arrowhead ranges in cost from one to three gold, but I could part with the

entire box for thirty-two gold.”

Richter ground his teeth at the markup, but knew there was nothing

for it so he simply asked, “So that would be twenty-four gold and three
silvers with the discount, right?”

“And two coppers, my lord,” Abbas corrected smoothly. “Of

course, the other items are more valuable and so unfortunately, the price

must reflect that. I truly wish it wasn’t so. Despite the cost, these items are
definitely reserved for the more discerning of customers. The Bottle of

Royal Jelly is two hundred and eighty-two gold. The banshee scream is
worth ninety-five gold, eight silvers, and the Mapping Ring I could sell for

another one hundred and thirty gold.”

 Richter wasn’t sure about the price of the bottles, but he was a bit

surprised at the cost of the ring. “One hundred thirty, you say?”

Abbas mistook the nature of Richter’s question. “I assure you that is

a good price, my lord. The Traveler’s guild itself is the only group in the
River Peninsula with the knowledge to make these. I believe that you could

find it very useful.”

Richter nodded, but then responded, “It is an item of very

specialized use, isn’t it? If it requires a Map to work, I imagine that there
aren’t many who could benefit from such an object. I wouldn’t mind

helping you sell it for say, seventy gold. Before my discount, of course.”

Abbas’s expression didn’t waver. “It is true that there are not many

who are blessed to have such a Map, but as the Lady says, blessings should
be shared. Would you begrudge a poor trader who traveled so far to share

the blessing of his ring? Not when I could give it to you for a mere one

hundred and five gold.”

“Of course not,” Richter said sympathetically. “It must have been a
heavy weight indeed to carry a ring so far. We are always sympathetic.

That is why I would never dream of making you carry so much heavy gold.
I would worry for your back. Seeing how strong your brothers are, though,
I believe they could manage carrying thirty gold each. Why don’t we agree

on ninety gold and then I won’t have to worry over your health!”

Abbas’s lips twitched in a slight grin. “Your concern is touching,

Lord Richter. How could I say no to such a caring and generous host?

Ninety gold it is.”

Richter nodded with a smile and gestured to the last two items.

Abbas resumed his price recitation, “Know that these last two items are
truly rare. The blood of the crystal dragon and the resplendent soul stone

are extremely difficult to come by, Lord Richter. I could not give away the
stone for less than six hundred and fifty gold, and the blood is eight hundred

and twenty.”

Richter choked on the water he was drinking. His throat burned as

the liquid went down the wrong pipe. “I’m sorry, I was just hallucinating. I
don’t think I heard you correctly.”

“Unfortunately, I cannot reduce my price on these items at all, I am

afraid. When an item is as difficult to procure as these, then the price of the

item is equally difficult to endure. It is a consequence as immutable as

when something is dropped that it falls to the ground.”

“Gravity,” Richter said sourly.

“I do not know that phrase, Lord Richter.”

 Richter opened his mouth to explain, but then said, “Forget about

it.” It really wasn’t the time to get into Newtonian physics. Especially

seeing as how Newton’s ideas fell short of explaining gravity on a stellar

scale anyway… and also because seeing something like a crystal dragon

would probably have made Newton poop his shorts. What mattered, was

that he knew he wasn’t going to leave this negotiation without the dragon
blood, but there was no reason to let Abbas know that.

“I get that this dragon blood is hard to acquire, but I’m not really

interested in being a collector for collecting’s sake. What does it do?”

“Well, the properties are unknown, sire. At least to myself and my

brothers. There are stories of incredible potions and items that have been
made from such blood, however. If anyone were to discover its hidden

potential, I am sure it would be you, my lord. After all, you have already

accomplished such wonders.” Abbas looked over to the left, where the
Forge of Heavens could be seen on a small nearby hill.

Richter’s face became serious and his eyes grew hard. “Of course it

would go without saying that anyone allowed into our village would be

expected to keep anything seen confidential. That understanding is

necessary for our survival. In fact, it’s necessary for the survival of anyone

who even witnessed the wonders that you have seen.”

 Abbas’s face grew equally serious. “The word and honor of the

Company of the White Pearl are accepted and trusted in all of the
Kingdoms of the River Peninsula and beyond. I would not like to think that

our new friend was questioning our honor.”

“Of course not,” Richter said levelly. “No more than you

questioned mine as you checked the authenticity of my gift.”

The seven men seated at the table all sat in silence as Richter and
Abbas gazed at one another. The four guards standing nearby tensed

slightly at the change in mood, and Alma picked her head up from the

table. Richter placed his hand on her back, not wanting her to attack his
guests, but otherwise remained motionless, simply staring at Abbas.

Thankfully the man smiled and the tense moment passed.

“My father told me that you had steel in you. Truth be told, I was

wondering what you would do when I mentioned your… luck in having

such a building. You can count on the discretion of myself and my

brothers. I see that you understand the truth of trust. It begins as only a
small seed. Only with time and attention may it grow strong. I look

forward to the day that it is a mighty tree that may shelter us both.”

Richter reached out his hand and Abbas did the same. As the two

men clasped wrists, he said, “We understand one another. If our

relationship continues to improve, perhaps the Company of the White Pearl
could help to sell some of our weapons and armor. Perhaps if our

relationship becomes very strong, your Company could be the only trading
group that sells our enchanted items. I imagine that could be quite

lucrative.”

Abbas’s eyes widened slightly as he started to understand what

Richter was offering. “Our relationship and my Trade skill is just high
enough that we could enter into a Trade Agreement…”

Richter held up his hand and with a kind smile said, “As you said, I
look forward to the day that we can shelter under the same tree, but that is

not this day. Just know that I value the friendship of the White Pearl and
that I am looking towards the future.”

Abbas bowed his head. Richter continued to move the conversation

forward. “So the total cost of everything would be…” He looked at

Randolphus.

The chamberlain finished doing a quick computation on his

clipboard. “Two thousand fifty-five gold, four silvers, and six coppers

before the discount. After taking it into account, it would be fifteen

hundred and sixty-two gold, one silver, and five coppers, my lord.”
 Richter nodded as if he had already done all of the math in his head.

“That’s what I thought. Before we get to what I am willing to pay, I would

like to say that I am glad that you enjoyed the gift that I provided. In light

of how happy it made you, I could be persuaded to part with another piece.

I am curious, what do you think this item would be worth?”

He pulled another piece of Tefonim jewelry from his Bag. It was a

platinum ring that was formed by the coiled body of a lizard. Sapphires

served as its scales and rubies as its eyes. Again the craftsmanship was so

realistic that it seemed that it might scurry off of his finger if anyone
startled it. Richter heard Abbas’s brothers murmur to each other again,

behavior that was swiftly curtailed by a sharp expression from their elder.
Again, Abbas himself showed no visible reaction to the valuable piece.

Richter wondered if it was a Trader Talent or if the man just had a deep well

of self-control that let him school his face to impassivity.

At Richter’s prompting, Abbas took the ring to examine it. Richter

told him to feel free to use his Talent again, which did bring a faint smile to

the Trader’s lips. A faint hum tickled Richter’s ears for a second time, and

then Abbas put the ring back on the table. “For this ring, I would pay one
hundred and thirty gold coins.”

Richter made his lips into a moue as if he was deep in thought.

Then he signaled Randolphus to lean in and raised his hand to hide his lips.
As softly as he could, he said, “I actually have no idea how much this is
worth. Is that a good price?”

The chamberlain, sharp as ever, caught onto the game and looked at

the ring on the table. He put on a slightly aggrieved expression and shook

his head at the ring before leaning back down to whisper in Richter’s ear, “I
cannot say for sure, but it sounds rather low. The old King once bought a

Tefonim ring for over one hundred gold and that was simple gold without

jewels. I do know the prices of the magic books and all of the other items,
except for the blood, sound appropriate if you factor in a substantial markup

from them traveling here to trade. My best guess is that he is charging you
150-200% more than what you would pay in Law. That is just going to

have to be tolerated, though, my lord. The blood I cannot advise you as to

an appropriate cost, though I do know that dragons are exceptionally rare on

the peninsula and that the older the dragon is, the stronger it grows. It just

depends on what you are willing to pay, my lord. Now I’m going to

randomly show you something on my clipboard and shake my head in

disapproval.” Randolphus flipped through a couple of pages on his ledger

and then pointed. He loudly said, “You see, my lord. I just don’t think we
can justify the expense.”

Richter nodded at his chamberlain’s apparent sage advice. “I was

hoping that we could figure out more in trade, but my chamberlain is

correct. I can’t justify buying all of these things. I suppose I will take the

arrowheads and the Book of Slow. Tell your father I appreciate his thoughts

and consideration.” He stood as if to leave.

“I’m sure there is something we can do,” the youngest one, Kadar,
said. Abbas’s reserve truly broke for the first time as he snapped at the

young man in their own language. Richter translated the words as “shut up,

dummy,” but he would have been able to pick that up from context alone.

Richter smiled and asked, “Is that true, Abbas? Is there something
we can do?”

Abbas stared at Kadar again, his gaze promising retribution later

before turning back to Richter. “Of course, Lord Richter. There are always

things that we can do.”

“Great! Now I think you might want to take another look at that
ring. I’ve been told on very good authority that a Tefonim ring can sell for

over two hundred gold if it was only a gold band.” A little creative license

never hurt. “This ring is platinum and encrusted with jewels. The quality is
exquisite. Now I am about to open trade relations with the dwarves of the

Serrated Mountains. My own trade ship will be finished soon as well, and
who knows what opportunities that may open up. I would like to continue

having the Company of the White Pearl as my primary trading partner,

however, as long as we can come to an arrangement. We are, after all,
friends.” Richter gave him a brilliant smile.

Abbas smiled back, like one dog baring its fangs at another. “I see
now that my earlier estimation was too hasty. My brothers and I will be

taking a trip towards the Twins after this. I do know of a noble who might
be interested in acquiring another Tefonim piece. I believe I could sell this

ring for about four hundred gold. I of course cannot buy it for the same

amount. I could offer you two hundred and eighty gold, however.”

Richter was sure that if Abbas said he could sell the ring for four
hundred, it was probably closer to five or six. That wasn’t the point

though. Richter decided that it didn’t hurt to drum up a little goodwill on

this one deal, especially since he actually would be able to send out his own
trade missions soon. So he decided to be magnanimous. “They will sing

songs of your generosity!” Basil coughed and shook his head slightly when
Richter made eye contact. The message was clear: “Dude! You’re doing

too much.” Richter reined it in. “I thank you for your honorable offer. I

gratefully accept.”

“Well, if we subtract the cost of the ring from the remaining items,
that would be twelve hundred and eighty-two gold and fourteen coppers.

Are you interested in procuring them all?”

 Richter slapped the table. “I think I would! I can have the gold

brought out immediately.” He started to stand, but then cocked his head to

the side as if just remembering something. “That is, unless you might be
interested in any of these items.” He placed four of the Dark Khan coins

and a heavy gold Tefonim necklace on the table.

Abbas’s brothers didn’t start talking this time, but it looked like the

youngest might pop a blood vessel from restraining himself. Abbas

examined each of the items and said, “So you just happened to remember

these items at this moment, my lord?”

Richter smiled broadly. “Damnedest thing, right?”

Ultimately, Richter didn’t pay a single gold piece. Abbas and his

brothers paid three hundred and ninety-four gold for the necklace and a
total of twelve hundred and sixty-five gold and seven silvers for the Dark

Khan coins. The price for the silver coins was more or less what

Randolphus had told him to expect. Richter was more than pleased.

That of course left them owing him a rather large surplus of gold,
nearly four hundred gold coins. The brothers offered to go back to their

ship and obtain the necessary funds, but Richter had a different idea.
Seeing as how they would be traveling to the Twins, he proposed that they

invest his money for him. Abbas immediately looked regretful and turned
down the offer. He said he was willing to discuss an agreement dealing

with weapons and armor from the Forge again, but otherwise wasn’t willing
to enter a trade agreement just yet. Richter just smiled and proposed

another idea.

He offered to let the brothers hold onto the difference if they would

search the Twins for certain objects he was interested in, namely low
quality enchanted weapons and armor, multiple copies if possible. He also

asked for one or two more specific magical items that he had been wanting
and said he would buy any books that the brothers could lay their hands on.

Richter thought the proposal would be attractive to the traders as

they had probably been planning on a cash windfall from selling these

objects to him. Not having liquidity might hurt their negotiating stance
once they reached the islands. He said they could pay him back in trade or

gold if they came here again after their trip to the Twins. All he asked was

another 10% discount for their next round of trading.

Abbas looked at him long and hard, thinking it over, before finally
agreeing. He even asked if Richter would be willing to front them a few

hundred more. Richter smiled and said, “Of course! For another 10% off

in ALL future deals.” Abbas just smiled and stood up. Richter did the
same. They clasped wrists and like that, their economic battle was done.
 Abbas took a moment to show Richter how to bind the mapping ring
to his Traveler’s Map. The procedure was actually quite simple. As the

owner of the Map, he only needed to bring the two items together. A
prompt appeared which asked if he would like to bind the items together

and that was that.

The four brothers stood and bowed a final time. Randolphus handed

them the list of sundry items that they needed and then they walked back to
their ship. Richter had offered them the village’s hospitality for another

day, but Abbas begged off saying that their trip had already been delayed.

The two parted, not as friends, but as business partners with a healthy
respect for one another. Richter smiled as he put all of his new loot into his

Bag.

“Okay!” he said, slapping his hands together and then rubbing them

vigorously. “Now I need to go kill some shit!” Alma tooted in excited

agreement.

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 CHAPTER 13

Richter told Randolphus that he would need to speak to Roswan

and the new alchemist, Tabia, later that night. The chamberlain said he
would have them both come to the Great Seal after dinner. Then he started

absently talking about the various things he needed to do and how he would
make a lap of the village to ensure everything was in order as he walked off,

flipping through the pages on his clipboard. Richter watched his

organizational guru leave and whispered, “You complete me.”

“Did you say something, my lord?” Basil asked.

“No! I said nothing!” Richter responded quickly. “Go get ready for

tomorrow. Krom will be hunting with me for the next few hours, but make

sure to check in with him later. Let me know if you need anything else

before tomorrow.”

Basil stood and bowed, then moved off. Richter picked Alma up off

the table and tossed her into the air. Her wings unfurled and she glided

behind him as he walked to the gate. While he was walking, he saw that he
had a new prompt.
Congratulations! You have reached skill level 14 in Trade. 0.5% bonus to

buying and selling per level.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 15 in Trade. 0.5% bonus to

buying and selling per level.

He smiled broadly. He had known that he had done well in his

negotiations with Abbas, but hadn’t expected the Universe to agree so

strongly. Two whole skill levels! Not a bad start to the day, he thought.
Then he thought about a certain sexy redhead and thought, definitely not a

bad way to start the day.

He dismissed both prompts and kept walking towards the gate.

While he moved through the village, he heard a shout. “Lord Richter! Lord

Richter!”

Turning his head, he saw Gloran running up with Futen floating

above. He stopped walking and waited for the high elf to catch up. The

man was breathing hard from having sprinted, so Richter let him catch his

breath.

“I’m sorry… my lord… I was in the… far pastures… when Futen

found… me.” The elf was wheezing a bit between gasped words. He had

actually forgotten that he had sent for the elf. Richter watched Gloran
wheeze with a bemused expression. It occurred to him that he might want

to institute a calisthenics program for the villagers.

“It’s fine, Gloran. I need some more soul stones.”

“Yes, my lord. You mentioned it… last night.”

Richter had no recollection of even seeing the man the previous

night, but then, he barely remembered taking a lightning bolt to the chest.

Gloran unhitched a heavy pouch from his belt and handed it over. The bag
was filled with amber colored soul stones of various sizes. Richter

identified many basic-level stones, which didn’t surprise him because the

marbled quartz could be changed into that level of soul repository. He saw

several common, higher, brilliant, and even a few special stones as well,

though. All of those required precious or semiprecious gems to make. So

where had Gloran gotten…

With a sinking feeling, Richter asked, “These are from the gems that

I gave you last night?”

“Yes, my lord. I converted all of the jewels you provided, the entire

handful you took out of your Bag.”

Richter sighed. At least the wealth had served a purpose. He

thanked Gloran and started to walk off when another though occurred to
him. “Gloran. Make sure that all of the Life magi have some basic-level

stones, especially the hunters.”

The elf hesitated before responding. “Errr, my lord. You told me

that last night as well. Right before you slapped me on the behind and

walked off with a red-headed woman. If I remember correctly, as you were

leaving you said you were going to, ‘Grind the pretty off of her.’”

They looked at each other for a moment. Then Richter said, “I think

we’re done here.”

Gloran nodded, looking relieved to escape the situation, and walked

off. Richter poured the soul stones into his Bag and continued walking

towards the gate. When he got there, everyone was already waiting. Sion

and Caulder were speaking about something that was making them both

laugh quietly. The main thing drawing his attention, though, was the loud

complaining coming from Beyan.

“This is unbelievable. Why am I here?” The gnome had been

outfitted in the same armor that the guards wore, a high steel chainmail

shirt, greaves, and helmet. He had been given a crossbow instead of a

spear, though, the idea being to let him stay away from any direct melee

combat.
 “You were told what this is about,” Terrod said, clearly irritated.

“Why do you keep asking?”

“First, you made me wait here last night, then tell me Lord Richter

got detained, then you drag me back out here again this morning! This is

ridiculous!” Beyan yelled.

Well, that’s actually a valid point, Richter realized. Still, better to

just nip this in the bud. “We discussed this, Beyan. You agreed to take a
wage to be here. So saddle up.”

“What? What saddle? What are you talking about?” the gnome

cried out, exasperated.

Fucking colloquialisms, Richter thought for the umpteenth time.

“Let me put it another way. If you don’t want to help with this hunt, where

you just might earn a large amount of experience, then you can always go

help on the building detail. I think they are widening the latrines today.”

Beyan’s face screwed up until Richter thought he might break

something, but he ultimately wandered off a bit, muttering to himself.

“Ha ha. Well done, yer lordship,” Krom guffawed. The Smith was

wearing high steel chainmail armor as well, and he held a two-handed

ebony warhammer. Futen flared and Richter could see that the hammer had

magical properties.
You have found: Ebony Warhammer of Crippling. Damage 40-52 (Max

42-53). Durability 132/158. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Exquisite.

Weight: 27.6 kg. Traits: Successful strike will decrease a target’s movement

speed by 37%. Charges: 440/440.

“Nice weapon,” Richter said with a low whistle of appreciation.

The thing looked heavy as hell, which probably meant it was slow, but if it

connected… bye-bye bad guys!

“Thanks, yer lordship. Ol’ Bessie has been in the family for

centuries. It’s one of the reasons I’m dying to increase my Smithing rank. I

won’t be able to get her to full durability and damage again until I’m an

adept.”

“She’s a lovely lady nonetheless,” Richter said. Then he turned to

Ulinde. “It is good to see you again. I’m excited to finally see you in

action.”

The archer clasped wrists with him. “It will be good to hunt with

you. I’ve been able to go out with some of the village’s other hunters, but

we always had to avoid and retreat from the larger predators. It is time that

they come to fear us.”

“Damn straight,” Richter said with a laugh. “Now I’ve got a little

present for you.” He handed him a bundle of his new ice arrows. Ulinde
smiled broadly as he inspected each arrow in turn. A consummate warrior,

he wouldn’t trust someone else with his weapons.

As Richter turned away, he heard Krom call out, “Don’t worry about

my work, pointy ears! Yer lucky to finally have something long and

powerful in yer hands!”

Richter decided to not get in the middle of it. There was an addition

to the group that he wanted to greet. “Sedrin, it is good to see you.”

“You as well, my lord. I am ready to hunt.” Sedrin had opted for a

large wooden spear with a foot-long head and a thick crossbar. Richter

recognized it as similar to a boar spear, a weapon made to skewer an

opponent and then ensure that your target would keep a safe distance away

from you as it died.

Richter nodded to the guard, but he was worried that they might
have too many people present. Assuming that his theory about Companions

not being counted against the total group number was right, he, Terrod, and
Sion would be one. With Sedrin, Krom, Caulder, Ulinde, and the Air caster

Terrod had brought along, a human male named Jean, that made six.
Richter was just about to ask Jean to leave when a prompt appeared.

Greetings, War Leader! It seems you are trying to make a war party. At
your current rank of Novice, you can lead six others in your war party.
These party members will share all experience from kills and quests
equally. Party members will also benefit from any badges or promotions

that are acquired. Any friendly forces within your Sphere of Influence will
still benefit from attack and defense bonuses from your skill rank in War

Leader. At your current rank of Novice, your Sphere of Influence is fifty

yards. Select your party members.

Everyone around Richter developed a faint aura and a “0/6” counter

appeared in the bottom right corner of his vision. Sion had a gold aura and

for some reason Terrod had a gold outline with a purple one lying overtop
it. Everyone else developed a green aura of various shades. Krom, by far,

had the richest green aura. He focused on the dwarf and thought about
selecting him. Immediately, the glow brightened and the counter became
“1/6.”

Richter smiled. It looked like he wouldn’t be included in the party

because of his War Leader skill. Next he selected Sion, and the gold aura

brightened, but the counter remained at “1/6.” Richter’s smile widened. He

quickly selected Terrod and another prompt appeared.

You have selected another war leader to be in your group. As you are only
Novice rank, he cannot lead another war party under your command. He is

counted as another party member. His benefits from being a war leader are
not cumulative with your own.
 He dismissed the prompt and saw that the gold glow around Terrod
had brightened. Richter wasn’t sure, but it seemed like the purple aura

stayed the same. He didn’t fully understand the implications of the last
prompt, but what was important was that Terrod had joined the war party

and the counter had remained at “1/6.” Richter quickly chose everyone else
and the counter increased as one by one each green aura brightened. The

color around the party members wasn’t glaring or distracting in any way, it
just made seeing them a lot easier. Another prompt appeared.

You have filled all available slots in your war party. If you are sure of your
choices, then select “Yes.” Be aware that you may only choose one war

party every twenty-four hours. Is this the group that you wish to proceed
with? Yes or No?

Richter selected “Yes.” As soon as he did, everyone started looking

around at one another in surprise. Other prompts came up, but he
minimized them for a second.

“What are you seeing?” he asked Sion.

“Everyone has a faint green aura around them. Except for you.

Your aura is purple,” the sprite replied.

“What about Terrod? His aura is green?” Richter asked.

“Yes, why wouldn’t it be?”

 Richter just shook his head slightly. “Is that what all of you see?”

Everyone gave nods of agreement. The War Leader skill was already
stronger than he’d thought it was. Being able to clearly see where all of his

people were was an invaluable boon. At the very least, it should cut down
on friendly fire. It would be hugely useful when fighting in low visibility

conditions or underground. It also seemed that no one could see the gold
auras that Richter assumed denoted his Companions and didn’t see that
Terrod had a purple aura that must indicate his War Leader skill.

While everyone continued to examine their new green lantern look,

he pulled up the prompts he had minimized.

Know This! Your ability in Map Making is synergistic with your War
Leader skill. The position of your party members can now be found on your

map as long as they remain inside of the Sphere of Influence.

Richter had to make leveling this skill a priority. He pulled up a

minimap in the corner of his vision and sure enough, there were two gold
dots, five green dots, and one purple one in the center. He instinctually

knew which dot indicated which person. The War Leader skill was
immensely valuable and could be the difference in the upcoming war with

the bugbears. Right now, his rank only let him affect five members and the
bonuses only extended fifty yards, but who knew how many people he

could include when he leveled up? One thing he didn’t understand was the
“badges and promotions” that had been mentioned in the prompt. He

needed to ask Terrod about it, but right now he had to prepare.

First, he needed to learn his new spell. Slow spells had been a

staple of every RPG he had ever played and could definitely come in
handy. He opened the Book of Slow I and started turning the pages. As

with past spell books, the pages started turning faster and faster as
knowledge was poured into his mind. He stood staring in a trance as the

page turning became a blur. Suddenly the back cover slammed shut and the
book fell to dust.

A new spell was now in his mind, ready to be used. The next thing
he had to do was load his Ring of Holding. He went through his spell list,

weighing the pros and cons. Charm I had been his go-to spell, but it
wouldn’t work on whatever monster they were probably going to find. His
eyes landed on Paralysis Beam I and he decided to give it a shot.

Focusing on the spell, he summoned the energy but didn’t finished

the casting. After three seconds, his mana dropped by thirty-nine and the
clear gem on the ring became filled with a faint green light. The spell had
been stored.

He handed the Mapping Ring to Sion and explained its use. The
sprite happily accepted and slipped it onto his finger. Richter looked at his
Map and saw that large sections of the forest lit up brighter than before as
the Map updated itself with Sion’s travels. Some rivers widened, and the

density of trees changed as those areas of the Map came to reflect more up-
to-date information than what had been seen by the Traveler who made the
map hundreds of years ago.

As a final preparation, Richter handed out his remaining health

potions to everyone and also gave each a Potion of Clarity. They all
downed the experience potions and he gave another to Alma, who tilted her
neck back and quaffed the contents of the vial.

With all that done, Richter smiled, looked around and said, “Let’s do
this!”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 14

The war party took off at a jog. Sion, Alma, Jean, and Richter cast

Haste I on everyone in a round robin to increase their speed. Terrod led the
way, heading south and east. The hunters had told the captain that several

monsters had been seen in that region in the past few days. It seemed like a
good place to start. While they moved, Richter pulled up next to Terrod.

He wanted to discuss his questions about being a war leader and also to put
some space between himself and Beyan. The gnome was already

complaining about having to move quickly while in armor.

“I had no idea how useful the War Leader skill was. I don’t know

what it meant by badges and promotions though. Do you have any idea
from your days in the Yves army?”

“Only loosely,” his Companion replied. “I was never high enough

in the ranks to work under a war leader, so everything I know comes from

soldier’s gossip. Basically, whenever a war party fights there is a chance of

them gaining a group ability called a promotion. I don’t know what earns

it, but I do know that it usually has something to do with how they fight.
Mountain fighters can get +10% to attack in the mountains. Survivors of a

siege can get +10% defense in a city. The promotion only works if the

fighter and the war leader both have it and are working together.”

“Okay, promotions definitely sound like they could come in handy.

What about badges?” Richter asked. He marveled at the capabilities of his

body here in The Land. There was no way that he could have held a

conversation like this while running with his old Earth physique.

“I know even less about that unfortunately, my lord. The basic

difference between promotions and badges is that while promotions require

both the war leader and fighters to have gotten the bonus, badges only

require that the war leader has gotten a bonus. I heard that General

Jameson has a badge that drastically increases the movement speed of his

armies. He is famous for quelling an uprising in an eastern duchy and then

force marching his men to the other side of Yves to fight off an incursion of
Gold Plains raiders. Again, all this is hearsay, my lord. I am afraid I do not

know anything more.”

“It’s more than I knew. Thanks, man.” Richter sped ahead. As he

looked around, he noticed a new icon in the corner of his vision. It was an

axe and hammer crossing over a shield. He focused on it and a translucent

window appeared.
OceanofPDF.com
*Base Values not adjusted for Characteristics or War Leader bonus

**Cumulative Armor Base Value not adjusted for Characteristics. Damage

will only be calculated based upon the specific armor piece struck.

OceanofPDF.com
 The War Leader skill could apparently give him an abbreviated
status page for each of his party members. Terrod and Sion’s info was clear,
but when he tried to access the values for party members other than his
Companions, he just received a short message saying his rank wasn’t high

enough to have that information. Just another reason why he would have to
level up the skill as quickly as possible. Richter dismissed the window and

bent his attention to examining the tracks that he could find.

He saw plenty of small game trails. Squirrels, chipmunks, and

rabbits abounded through the verdant forest. Following those small prints

were occasionally the tracks of wolves and foxes. He saw another set of
prints that he didn’t recognize, but that Sion identified as a mountain lion’s.

They found nothing that seemed beyond the capabilities of village hunters,
so he kept the party moving.

After a while, Terrod pulled up next to him again. “Can I have a

word, milord?”

“Of course, Terrod. What’s on your mind?”

“I know you have a lot on your mind, your lordship, but I’m still

worried about the people we left behind in Yves. Saving them won’t fix all
the ills in the world, but it will make a world of difference for them. I can’t

sleep some nights, thinking about what they must be going through.”

Richter nodded grimly. “That’s been in the back of my mind as

well. Between the bugbear attack, your abduction, and the new villagers,

though, there barely seems to have been any time to think.”

Terrod stopped running, an alarmed look on his face. The other

members of the war party slowed as well, but Richter waved them on,
saying he and the captain would catch up. The other fighters moved on.

Terrod said, “My lord! I never meant what I said to sound like a

recrimination. I am so very thankful that you saved me from that crazy

woman and the Warrior she was with. I know that you have done your

best. You saved my Isabella and so many others. You must beli—”

Richter held up a hand to stop his captain’s babbling. “I didn’t take

it as an accusation, Terrod. Before I say anything else, I want you to know

that I am always willing to listen to you. If there is anything that is

concerning you, anything that you want to discuss with me, not only are
you welcome to, but you are ordered to. Okay?”

Terrod looked relieved. “Thank you, my lord.”

 “Meanwhile, I’ll tell you that I gave Randolphus some papers I had

taken from Count Stonuk. He told me it was encoded, but that he would try

and crack it. I confess that barely a day goes by without me asking him to

do something else. Despite everything that needs to be done, you raise a

good point, Terrod. We can’t just forget these people. Will you give him

the ledger you took from the Night Blades’ chest?”

Terrod immediately agreed, confessing his frustration that he had

not been able to decipher any more of the encoded text. Richter nodded and

called out, “Futen!”

The glowing ball floated up. “Yes, Lord Richter?”

“When you see the chamberlain again, tell him I want the Night

Blade ledger to be made a priority.”

The remnant voiced assent and Terrod looked at Richter with

grateful relief. The two men quickly clasped wrists and then took off,

quickly catching up with the other members of the war party.

The Air casters re-upped the Haste I buff on the party regularly as

Sion and Richter kept searching. They staggered casting the enchantment,

buffing half the group, then five minutes later buffing the other half. It let

them get around the one-minute cooldown on the spell and keep up a fast

pace. Richter was delighted when he found an unexpected benefit of the

speed they were going—Beyan ran out of breath and so could no longer

complain.

They kept up their pace for about thirty minutes. The speed was

well below Richter’s top mph, but he was planning for a marathon, not a

sprint. The tracks he found continued to be relatively benign and he started

to wonder if they should search in another direction, but then Sion called

out. They slowed to a stop, and Richter jogged over to see what his

Companion had found.

Richter bent down and examined the print on the ground. It glowed

faintly just as all of the other tracks he had seen, but the color was slightly

darker. It didn’t have the intensity he had seen in the tracks of sentient

beings, but the difference between it and the tracks of normal animals was

clear. The print looked a lot like bear tracks that he had seen, but it was

twice as big and the claw imprints were much more pronounced.

“What is it?” he asked Sion quietly. He had no idea how far away

this thing was. The track looked reasonably fresh.

“It appears to be a really big bear,” Sion said.

“Thanks, Kemosabe,” Richter said sarcastically. “I thought you

might have something more to add.”
 “Well I don’t,” Sion snapped, matching Richter’s sarcasm with

irritability.

“Hisako said you sprites fought off monsters around the Hearth Tree

all the time.”

“Yes we do. In case you have forgotten though, Lord Richter, the

Hearth tree is more than a hundred miles south of here. You live in the

shadow of the mountains! Who knows what monsters could have come
down into the forest because some gyoti decided to reawaken a sleeping

Place of Power?”

Richter glared sourly at the sprite before saying, “I can’t hear you

from all the way down there.”

“You will hear me! You will hear me when my arrow goes up your

—”

Sion’s shouted threat was interrupted by a deep and bellowing roar.

Then they heard the sound of snapping branches not more than forty yards

away. The two Companions looked at each other and said simultaneously,

“Look what you did!”

*Big bear! Big bear is coming!*

Richter and Sion straightened quickly. Sion ran to a nearby tree and

scurried up into the branches. Richter drew his elementum short sword and
shouted, “Something is coming!” Most of the party formed up into a loose

line with him and prepared their weapons. Beyan hung to the back, cursing

and holding his crossbow, and Jean took position beside him. Another roar

sounded and then the beast came into view.

Barreling through the thick foliage came a wall of fur and muscle.

The basic structure was of a bear, but rather than a shaggy coat, its skin sat

taut over powerful muscles like the hide of a lion. Two round ears framed

its head, and its large mouth was open and slavering. Richter could see four

massive fangs as long as his forearm, two protruding from the bottom and

another set in place of its incisors. Each fang was a pure white, like fresh

cream. The pelt was brown in color, and a stripe of spiky hair ran down its

length like a Mohawk. Three wicked and long claws tipped each of its four

paws and were the same color as the fangs.

Richter Analyzed it.

Saber Bear. Level 19. Health 810. Mana 120. Stamina 710. Saber bears

are dangerous predators that are fiercely territorial. They are often found

near mines of metallic ore. They are able to ingest this ore and through a

passive use of magic, can digest it to grow their claws and fangs. These

natural weapons will be made of the latest metal the bear has ingested.
 Once the saber bear saw the war party, it stopped and looked at them

before letting loose another bellow. With its powerful forepaw, it swung at

a nearby tree. The trunk was five inches in diameter, but it was sliced in

half by the razor-sharp claws of the monster. The top half fell to the ground

with a resounding thud that they all felt reverberate through the ground.

The bear looked at them again. The message was clear: “Ya’ll stepped into

the wrong neighborhood!”

Richter looked at the downed tree, then back up at the ten-foot-tall

animal. “Kill it!” he shouted. Raising his hand, he unleashed his stored

Paralysis Beam I at the same time that Ulinde fired an ice arrow.

The beam struck the bear in its side as Ulinde’s arrow struck its right

shoulder. The arrow had more of an effect. The bear seemed to just shrug
off the paralysis spell. The ice arrow sunk in two inches and frost spread

out from the wound. The arrow was just a small irritant to the bear, though,
only taking off a small fraction of its health. With an irritated bellow, it
charged forward.

The saber bear crossed the distance to the fighters in two long

bounds. It had its arm raised to strike Richter when a lightning bolt struck
it in the back of the head. Alma pulled out of her bombing run and
swooped past the stunned monster. Krom struck it with his hammer as it

slumped, and Sedrin jabbed his large spear at its neck. The hammer sunk
into the meat of the bear’s shoulder with a wet thwack, but even Krom’s
ebony hammer couldn’t force the giant bear to fall. Sedrin’s spear pierced

its skin but caught on the collarbone, which stopped the thrust before it
could sink too deep.

At the same time, Jean the Air mage and Beyan loosed their
crossbow bolts. The shots went wide thanks to the panic both men were

experiencing. Thankfully Terrod and Caulder kept their heads and moved
to either side of the bear, hacking at it with their swords.

Richter took advantage of the bear’s disorientation to cast Slow I.

His fingers moved into a new configuration and a word of Power flew from
his lips. One second after he began, the spell completed and a blue glow

enveloped the bear for a split second. The stun from Alma’s lightning bolt
wore off, and it rose to its feet, but its movements were noticeably slower.

It roared in anger and pain and swiped at Richter. The chaos seed
was too close to dodge, but he had enough time to swing his sword up to

meet the blow. Green elementum met white moonstone and the glass blade
cut into the bear’s paw and severed all three claws. Guess you should have

snacked on titan steel, Richter thought grimly. The saber bear screamed,
and as soon as it brought its paw back down, it surged forward to bite

Richter. Its movement was too slow, though, and this time Richter was able
to dance back out of the way.
 Ulinde shot another arrow, which tore into its cheek and got caught
in its thick jaw muscle. Sedrin had lost his spear when it had attacked

Richter, so he faded back, but the captain and sergeant continued to attack it
from the sides. With a quick dart forward, Caulder stabbed it, the blade

sinking through muscle into the organs beneath. A gout of blood covered
the guard as his weapon did its brutal business. Terrod’s target was more

surgical. He sliced along the back of the beast’s right leg, cutting through
muscles, but unfortunately no major tendons were severed.

Jean and Beyan were still reloading their crossbows, which actually
pleased Krom to no end. Without having to worry about being shot by

some amateurs, he raised his heavy weapon again. Howling, he brought the
hammer down on the bear’s front elbow, which crumpled inward from the

blow.

The bear crashed to the ground with a deep-throated scream. As

soon as it collapsed, a glowing blue bolt struck the creature’s back with a

loud boom. Caulder and Terrod were knocked off their feet by the resulting
shockwave and fell onto the ground.

Richter moved back in as the creature mewled piteously and cast

Soul Trap. Looking up into the trees he thought, *Finish it, my love.*
 Alma swooped down and latched onto the bear’s head. The pitiful

mewling turned into a strange keening as Alma mentally drank all of its
experiences. Richter moved around to the side and drove his elementum

sword into its side. He poked around a few times until the tip of his sword
punctured the large monster’s heart. It gave a final sigh and died. A

rainbow swirl of color rose into the air, spiraling around all of their heads
before diving into his Bag.

Richter withdrew his sword and looked at it. The beauty of its green
glass was obscured by bright red blood which extended down to his hand

and wrist. He realized with an odd detachment that he must have pushed
his hand inside of the animal’s body while he was trying to reach its heart.
Behind him, Sedrin cheered. To his side, Caulder and Terrod good-

naturedly argued over whose sword thrusts had been better. He looked to
the left and even saw Beyan and Jean exchange sheepish smiles.

Richter looked back at his bloody hand and remembered the horrible
sounds the animal had made before the end. He understood that this thing

was a danger to his people. He understood that he had a responsibility to

deal with these kinds of threats before one of his villagers was killed. The

animal had seen so much more… real than his other enemies though.
Fighting skeletons, ghouls, rock giants, or a giant skeeling had always

seemed like he was battling something unnatural. Like he was fighting

against the powers of darkness or something. Even killing sentients like the

bugbears, Night Blades, and kobolds hadn’t bothered him overly much.
Those situations had always been kill or be killed. Seeing this bear being

slowly and bloodily… deconstructed, though, shook up something inside of

him. It had just been an animal. A baleful, savage, and magically enhanced

animal, but he couldn’t say that it was evil. He couldn’t justify calling it a
monster.

Richter looked at the bloody meat in front of him and then back at
his red hand, his red sword, and the small drops of scarlet that were

dripping from the blade onto the green earth. In his mind, Richter replayed
the scream as its elbow snapped, the pathetic mewling as it collapsed to the

ground, and soft wmpfh as its last breath left its body. The smell of hot
copper was filling his nose and his tongue experienced the faintest taste of

pennies to mix with the nausea broiling down in his stomach.

Sion dropped from the tree he had been in while Alma rose in the
air, trumpeting her triumph to the world. The sprite walked up to his friend

and asked with concern, “Richter. Richter. Are you okay?”

Richter gave him a slightly sick smile and said, “So what’s next?”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 15

Beyan walked forward and picked up one of the severed claws.

“These are pure moonstone. That’s amazing. I wonder what else we can
find of use in its body.” It looked like he was about to slice into the beast’s

hide right then and there, but Richter put a stop to it.

“We don’t have time to carve it up, Beyan.” He took a deep breath
and steadied himself. “We still have more work to do.”

“Do you plan to leave it here to rot?” the gnome asked scathingly.

“No,” Richter said. He silently added, ‘you pain in the ass.’ “We

have other options.”

He checked the village mana pool and saw that it had eight hundred
and seventy-three MP left. More than enough for his purposes. He started

his casting. The mists around them coalesced and soon a mist worker stood

before him. “Carry this back to the village as quickly as you can. Go

through the gates and then take it to the far eastern edge. Leave the body
there. Once you’re done, go to the center of the village and wait there until
you are commanded to do something. Follow any commands that do not

endanger another villager or cause harm to the village.”

The eastern edge of the village would probably be far enough away

from everyone that there wouldn’t be any commotion at seeing a giant dead
bear bleeding into the ground. It was also near where the hunters cleaned

their kills. Perhaps one of them might even show some initiative and carve

up the bear for them. As his cousin Yodi had said once, “Bears make good

eatin’!”

The mist worker walked over to the bear’s body, silent as its name

implied. It reached down to grab its body and the grey arms elongated to

completely encircle the bear. It easily lifted the carcass in what Richter

sardonically realized was a bear hug. Then its face, head, and feet fell

backwards into themselves and reemerged opposite to their initial

direction. With no other ceremony or delay, it started moving towards the

village at the speed of a slow jog.

Beyan picked up the other two severed claws and was about to

pocket them when Richter said, “Ah, ah!” He made a beckoning gesture,
and the gnome handed over the three claws with a surly expression. Richter

put all three in his Bag and then removed a water skin. He poured some in

his mouth and then more on his hand and sword. Richter wiped his sword
through the grass to remove most of the blood and cleaned most of the rest

off on a spare rag from his Bag.

“Now, when I analyzed that thing, the prompt said that you could

normally find it near sources of ore. Those moonstone claws might mean

there is a vein of ore near here. I say we follow it back to where it came

from.”

“That works for me, yer lordship,” Krom said happily. “It was a

good bit of fun we just found!” The dwarf was cleaning some blood from

the head of his hammer with a rag of his own.

“As good a direction as any,” Caulder said. “I trust your lordship

can lead us? I don’t have much skill with Tracking.”

Richter nodded and was about to tell everyone to move out, when

Terrod spoke up. “Sounds good to me too, my lord. I do have to say one

thing first though. You two!” He pointed at Jean and Beyan. “Do NOT

fire your crossbows unless your lives depend upon it. One of those bolts

that you blindly fired whizzed by my head! Now I will hear a ‘Yes,

Captain’ or you will spend the rest of this hunt without weapons.”

Both of them said “Yes captain,” and they looked down as they

abashedly recocked their weapons. Terrod nodded to Richter to say he was

done. No one else seemed to have anything else to add, so the party
rebuffed with Haste I and they took off with Sion and Richter leading the

way.

As they ran, Richter reflected on how his paralysis spell had been

rather lackluster. Nonetheless, he wasn’t ready to give up on it. If the spell

had worked, the fight might have lasted only seconds rather than minutes.
He decided to give it another shot. After a bit of focus, the gem on his Ring

of Holding was glowing green again.

They continued to move roughly west, and Richter checked the

prompts from the last fight.

You have been awarded 16,965 (base 226,195 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience

from Brain Drain against Level 19 Sabre Bear.

For slaying a Saber Bear, you have been awarded four War Points! Total

War Points: 4.

You have trapped the soul of a Saber Bear! Soul level: Common.

Not enough to level him or his familiar, but valuable nonetheless.

The group kept hiking another few minutes and then Richter saw the saber

bears tracks begin to crisscross themselves and he assumed they were

getting close. He and Sion spread out, and soon Richter found exactly what

he had been looking for.

You have found: Moonstone Ore Deposit.

 Richter called everyone over and bent down to examine the deposit.

A knob of grey-white rock stuck up two feet from the ground. White

streaks peeked through periodically, showing the metal locked inside of the

ore. Claw marks could be seen marring the stone, and a large chunk was

missing from one side. Richter picked up a fist-sized rock and received

another prompt.

You have found: Moonstone Ore. Durability 43/43. Item class: Common.

Purity: ??? Weight: 2.2 kg.

“I see ye found it, yer Lordship,” Krom said, walking up.

“Yeah,” Richter replied. “Doesn’t seem like too much, but maybe

we can get a few swords out of this. What do you think?”

Krom started laughing. “Ye need to not just judge things by the

surface, yer lordship. I know that ye only see a bit of rock here, but The

Land, she be a woman of hidden depths. I have the Mining skill to

apprentice rank. I can tell ye there be at least several feet of the ore under

our feet.”

Richter was pleased at the news. Bringing Krom along on the hunt

was having unseen benefits. He tossed over the chunk of ore he was

holding. Krom deftly caught it and began inspecting the rock. “Can you

tell me anything about its purity? All I see are questions marks.”
 “That I can. Ye have actually had a good deal of luck. This be

lunatite.”

Everyone else had spread out. Terrod and Caulder were slowly
circling their position, keeping watch. Sion started inspecting an orange

fungus that was growing out from the side of a tree like stacked shelves.

Beyan sat on a nearby rock with a sour expression. Richter just stared at

the dwarf, waiting for more.

“No doubt yer prompt be showing ‘ore’ or maybe ‘ore of

moonstone.’ My Mining rank lets me know more specifics. For any given

metal, there be multiple types of ore that can be smelted to produce it. For

moonstone, the lowest purity ore would be wanatite. The concentrations of

moonstone be only 3-8%. Lunatite, though, be one of the highest purity

ores. We can expect concentrations of 65-80%.”

Richter nodded in understanding. This find was much more

valuable than he had thought. “So 80% of what’s beneath us could be

moonstone?” he asked excitedly.

“Not exactly, yer lordship. Ore veins are bound to be mostly rock,

but the ore that we find could be that pure. What ye should take away is

that we should be able to make a fair amount of weaponry with what we

have found.”
 Richter smiled and pulled up a large version of his Traveler’s Map.

When the translucent map took up his entire view, he zoomed out until he

could see both the village and their position. They were only a few miles

away. He made a mark on the Map so he wouldn’t forget the position of the

ore deposit, then minimized it again to take up a small position in the

bottom right corner of his vision. He extended his arms and summoned two

mist workers.

He thought about what orders to give the simple creatures for a

minute. “Start digging up this ore. Keep going until you reach any of the

following conditions. One, twenty hours have passed from this moment.
Two, you have harvested as much as you can carry back to the village.

Three, there is no more ore to be mined. Once any of these conditions are
met, go back to the village as quickly as you can without losing any of the

ore. Deposit everything you find inside of the city gates. After that, return
here and follow the first three instructions. If you are attacked, however,

ignore all previous instructions and defend yourself. If you survive, follow
the earlier instructions again.”

Krom spoke up. “It is not uncommon to find jewels when mining

ore, yer lordship. Ye should have the mist workers pay special attention to
collect any that they find.”
 Richter was about to thank his Smith for the advice when something
occurred to him. “The other dwarves have been going through the iron mine

for weeks now, but I haven’t had any jewels turned in. Have I just had bad
luck?” The bonus from the Quickening made that somewhat unlikely.

Krom’s face adopted a slightly pained expression. “I have not heard

about any jewels being found, milord.” There was just the slightest

emphasis placed on “heard.”

“Uh huh,” Richter said, eyeballing the dwarf. Krom suddenly found
the ore he was examining much more interesting and didn’t seem to have

time to make eye contact. Loudly, Richter said, “Futen, tell Randy to come
up with some procedures to ensure we know exactly what comes out of the

mine next time you see him.”

“As you command, my lord,” came the flat reply.

Richter looked at Krom a minute longer before saying, “Uh huh,”

again. Then he shifted his gaze to the mist workers. He added the

provision about paying special attention to looking for jewels and then
changed one order. Everything that they took back to the village was to be

taken to the room of the Great Seal and deposited in a back corner. He was
fairly certain that nothing placed there would be disturbed. He hadn’t really

thought about having to worry about being cheated by his own villagers, but
with more than four hundred people walking around, he had been foolish
not to consider it.

At his command, the mist workers started working. Their arms

elongated and formed picks at the end. Soon a constant rhythm could be

heard as they chipped away at the ore deposit. The sound was actually
quite loud, and the entire war party was ready to be off. Richter’s map

showed a small stream a couple hundred yards away, so they moved off in
that direction.

At the stream, everyone refilled their water skins and cleaned off
any residual blood from the fight with the saber bear. Richter scrubbed

vigorously at his right hand and cleaned as much of the dried blood from
beneath his nails as possible. Some of the blood had stained his skin and

wouldn’t come off. He shrugged and just accepted that it was there. He
pulled up his Map again and tried to decide their best course.

There were several notable locations within twenty miles of where

they stood, such as dungeons and ruins, that had been annotated by the

Traveler that had made the Map. The information was hundreds of years
out of date, but would still be worth checking out. None of the locations
seemed to be inside of the mists, though, and Richter didn’t plan on a

prolonged excursion today. The moonstone deposit showed that there were
probably many other hidden resources close to home. He would have to
make exploration more of a priority. Now that Sion had the Mapping Ring,

having up-to-date information about the land surrounding the village should
be less of a problem. Despite that, Richter gave Futen another order to

bring the topic up with the chamberlain. Maybe the hunters could draw
maps of what they saw and the scribes could add them together into a larger

version.

“I say we keep going south and follow the waterway,” Richter

proposed. No one else had a better idea, so they were off again. Richter
and Sion took point the same as last time. They moved at a steady, ground-

eating pace. Both of the Companions kept an eye to the ground, examining
the tracks they came across. Their attention to following trails was
probably why they were caught completely off guard by the next attack.

The river they were following had continued to widen until it was
about twenty paces across. Sion had just said that he had found the tracks

of a timber warg. He was showing the imprint in the mud to Terrod when a
pack of green reptiles exploded out of the water. The attack couldn’t have

come at a worse time, which was perhaps why the monsters had chosen that
specific spot.

The war party was strung out in a line along the riverbank. A stand
of thick trees was to their left and had pushed them closer to the water. To

make matters worse, the river had just gone around a bend that contained a
silt bank, leaving the water turbulent and murky. There was no warning

before seven of the creatures surged out of the water. Before anyone could
react, one latched a powerful bite on Beyan’s unarmored leg. Another bit

Caulder on the arm. The sergeant swung his sword, but was only able to
strike a glancing blow against his attacker. Both monsters immediately

started dragging their prey back into the water. The rest of the pack surged
towards the other party members.

Richter quickly Analyzed one of the monsters to know what they

were dealing with.

River Skath. Level 14. Health 310. Mana 40. Stamina 350. These pack
hunters hide in the shallows of rivers. Their diet consists mainly of fish and

small land creatures, but they are extremely aggressive. Skaths are known
to attack parties of adventurers who walk along riverbanks. Their powerful
bite is almost impossible to loosen, and skaths will often drown their prey

by dragging them to deep water. Though river skaths are air breathers,
they can hold their breath for hours. The only warning travelers may

receive is the occasional air bubble piercing the surface of the water.

Beyan screamed as he was yanked into the water. The powerful bite

of the river skath was as strong as a vise. When it pulled sharply, the
gnome lost his balance and was thrown onto his back. No one was close

enough to help, and Richter feared that if the man was pulled all the way
into the river, then he would never resurface. Praying that it worked this
time, Richter raised his hand and released the paralysis spell stored within

his ring. The beam shot towards the skath and locked its body into place.
Richter couldn’t give any more attention to the alchemist’s plight, though,
because he was being attacked himself.

Two skaths surged towards him. Their bodies were compact like

Rottweilers, and their heads were oversized to match. Large serrated teeth
lined their gaping mouths and green-brown scales covered their body, the
perfect camouflage for hiding in the river. Their long claws let them gain

purchase in the muddy bank, which is how they were able to close with
Richter in just a few seconds.

Only two things saved him. One, his spell-hastened body let him
jump backwards and dodge the skaths’ first attack. Two, Alma was a bit of

a badass. For the first time in battle, she released her improved Psi Blast.
The ability had not only become stronger by reaching level two, but it also

let her narrow or widen the AoE with a corresponding change in strength.
Richter saw just how powerful the concentrated beam could be.

The effect was obvious and devastating. The two skaths attacking
Richter collapsed to the ground as if their strings had been cut. A small

amount of blood also leaked from their noses and eyes. Three more also
dropped, including the one that had been holding onto Caulder. That
unfortunately meant that Caulder was caught in the blast too. The sergeant
collapsed along with the skath that had bitten him, and his nose and mouth

were cast down into the water.

Terrod rushed to help his sergeant, while another skath was

attacking Krom. The dwarf cried out, “Eat this, ye ugly bastard!” as he
swung his ebony hammer diagonally. His target was the skath’s large head,

something that shouldn’t have been hard to miss, but the monster surprised
the smith. It bent its legs and flattened its body so that the heavy sledge

passed just over its head. The black weapon whistled through the air and
buried itself in the soft earth of the riverbank. While Krom tried to free his

weapon, the skath sprung up from its hunched position and clamped its
powerful jaws on the dwarf’s shoulder. Krom lost his grip on his weapon

and went down with an oath that sounded more like a curse.

Meanwhile, Sedrin and Jean fought together to hold back another

three skaths. The guard had his boar spear pointed towards the three
monsters, which were slowly stalking forward undaunted. Jean had scored

a lucky shot and had landed his crossbow bolt in the open mouth of a fourth
skath. It wasn’t dead, but the bolt had pierced the soft tissue on the inside
of its throat. It hacked violently as it choked on its own blood. The Air
mage was trying desperately to reload the crossbow before Sedrin was

overwhelmed.
 Sion and Ulinde retreated a small way to give themselves a better
field of fire. The move was almost instinctual, born of thousands of hours

each of archery training. The two men knew they needed to be back from
the melee in order to have the greatest effect. Unfortunately, the skaths that
were engaging the other members of the war party were too close to their
comrades for the archers to strike at safely. More monsters were surfacing
in the river, though, so the two bowmen kept up a steady rain of arrows,

hoping to thin their ranks before they could attack the rest of the war party.

Battles were raging all around Richter, but he couldn’t rush to his
party members’ aid just yet. He knew that the stun effect from Alma’s Psi
Blast would only last for a few seconds and he had to kill the skaths in front

of him while they were helpless. He gave Alma an order to help Beyan and
then drew his sword. He stalked towards the two helpless skaths. He cast
Soul Trap with his free hand and plunged his sword down through his
target’s skull. Withdrawing the gore-covered blade, he did the same with

the other. A muffled boom echoed from the water, and Richter looked up to
see a previously hidden skath reel back not five yards away from his
captain. It had not hidden well enough to escape Sion’s watchful gaze, and
the sprite had managed to strike it with an imbued arrow. The actual arrow

strike lost some of its power as the skath was still a foot underwater, but the
magic invested into the arrow more than made up for it.
 A bloom of red blood spread through the water. The captain looked
up in gratitude at Sion and tried to pick Caulder up out of the water. The

skath that had attacked the sergeant still had a death lock on his arm
though. Not wanting it to regain consciousness while he was struggling to
save Caulder, he knew that he had to kill it while it was helpless. Standing
in knee-high water, Terrod drew his sword and stabbed down into the

skath’s neck. He sawed his dusky grey blade back and forth to increase the
bleeding, but still the comatose skath maintained its grip. Knowing he was
running out of time, Terrod dropped his sword and grabbed Caulder with
both arms. He slowly dragged both the sergeant and his attacker out of the

water. He silently prayed to the banished gods that the monster died before
it could recover its wits, his only hope being that the skath would bleed out
before it regained consciousness. Another boom sounded as Sion struck the
hidden skath for a second time, giving Terrod cover as he tried to get his
compatriot to safety.

Krom screamed. The skath still had its mouth clamped on his
shoulder and now had gotten on top of the dwarf. It was raking his chest
with its brutal front claws, and only the high quality of Krom’s chainmail
had kept him from being eviscerated. The defense wouldn’t last long

though. As he fought to get free, links on his armor were already snapping.
He struggled to get to his dagger, but his belt had shifted thanks to the
skath’s efforts to maul him and he couldn’t reach the hilt. Having no other

recourse, he just kept pounding his fists against the skath’s hard skull.

Richter stabbed his two stunned enemies twice more to ensure their
deaths, but then a scream grabbed his attention. Looking over, he saw
Beyan had carefully aimed his crossbow and shot the skath that was holding
him in the eye. From the amount of bolt still sticking out of the skull,

though, he knew that the gnome’s shot hadn’t penetrated the brain. The
paralysis from Richter’s stored spell had elapsed, and the enraged monster
was dragging Beyan into deeper water again. The gnome screamed in pain
as the monster bit harder into his leg, but was saved by Alma. Diving in,

she used her special attack and latched onto the skath’s oversized head. The
animal screamed in agony, which finally loosened its grip on Beyan’s leg.

The skath tried to shake off its attacker, but its body would no
longer obey the command of its mind. It fell over on its side while Alma

continued to drain its memories, health, mana, and stamina. Beyan’s leg
leaked blood into the water, and the pain he was feeling overwhelmed
almost everything else. The one thing that he felt stronger than the agony in
his leg, though, was an anger that he spent his life trying to keep at bay.
With a furious shout, he contorted his body so he could reach the crossbow

bolt sticking out of the skath’s eye. Wrapping his hand around the length of
metal, he screamed in rage while moving his fist like he was scrambling
eggs. Finally, the bolt aligned with the eye socket and the weapon sunk

deeper, penetrating the river skath’s small brain. The beast's chest deflated
as it died. Alma released her grip on the dead monster and rose back into
the air. She crowed her triumph at another enemy vanquished and
immediately started winging back towards her master to protect him from

any other threat.

Beyan slumped down over the body of the river skath, both
physically pained and emotionally exhausted. The sounds of battle
continued to echo around him, but before he could even push himself out of

the water, he saw a telltale line of bubbles breaking the surface of the river
in front of him. The disturbance was only twenty feet away and it started
moving swiftly towards him. With a cry he threw himself backwards. His
hand extended towards the dead skath, and purple-black energy dance on

his fingertips.

While Alma had been draining the skath attacking Beyan, Terrod
had managed to get Caulder safely out of the river. The guard sergeant
recovered from Alma’s Psi Blast and fell to his knees, coughing up the river
water he had swallowed. Luckily, the skath that had been attacking him had

indeed bled to death, relaxing its bite as it died. Terrod drew a dagger to
protect the sergeant while he purged the river from his lungs.
 Sedrin’s fight was not going well. He had plunged his spear into

one of the skaths while the other two lunged. A speeding blue arrow struck
the one directly in front of him, but the third skath rammed the guard in his
side. Its oversized, thickened skull made the perfect battering ram, and
Sedrin went down. He fell onto his chest and the skath that had body

checked him bit savagely into his leg. The teeth penetrated the chainmail
leggings, but they at least kept the skath from tearing off a bloody chunk.
He screamed as the skath he had stabbed rushed forward as well. Sedrin
threw up an arm to keep the skath away from his face, but the monster just

began to savage his extended hand. It bit off two fingers, then proceeded to
bite and destroy the rest of his hand. Sedrin screamed. He screamed.

The Air mage jumped on the back of the skath that was chewing on
Sedrin’s leg. All he had was a steel dagger though. With Jean’s low

Strength, the blade barely broke through the monster’s hide. Each attack
drew a small amount of blood, but did little else. Jean didn’t stop though.
He kept stabbing, but the monster beneath him kept mauling Sedrin’s leg
and the guard kept screaming.

Richter finally made his way through the river mud to help his fallen

guardsmen. Another imbued arrow from Sion struck the skath that was
attacking Sedrin’s hand. It was knocked to the side, but the guard lost
another finger as its mouth was ripped away. Richter ran through the mud
to attack it while it was vulnerable, stabbed his short sword into its soft
underbelly, and yanked the sharp blade up. With a red spray, the skath’s
guts spilled out onto the ground. It still struggled to get to its feet, but
before it could manage it, Richter extended his hand and cast Flame I. Fire

shot out from his hand and burned the river skath’s flesh. The entrails and
skin burned faster than he would have thought possible, and in a few
seconds the skath stopped moving.

While her master killed his third skath, Alma had latched onto the

head of the monster attacking Sedrin’s leg. Its jaw loosened and it fell to
the ground twitching. Jean tumbled free from its back and stumbled over to
bandage Sedrin’s bleeding wounds. Delirious with pain, the man continued
to thrash, not understanding that Jean was trying to help him. His wounds
bled heavily. Richter ran back over and thrust his short sword into the skath

Alma was draining. He thrust his sword into it repeatedly, until it finally
died as well.

While all of this was happening, Krom had finally managed to draw
his cobalt dagger and was desperately stabbing the skath on top of him in

the neck, over and over. The tips of its back claws had made their way
through the chainmail on his abdomen and had pierced his stomach in
several places. The dwarf’s organs remained inside his body, but his
stomach was a bloody mess. He kept stabbing, hoping to kill the beast or at
least take it with him through death’s door, but his vision began to grow
dark. His fingers were losing strength. He knew his fight was done, but
then, strength suddenly surged through his body again! Richter’s Life
magic began to knit skin and muscle back together, and Krom found the

will to stab the creature with renewed vigor. Suddenly, the creature
shivered and fell atop the dwarf, hundreds of pounds of dead weight. Krom
didn’t know how his awkwardly positioned strikes had managed to slay the
beast, but he was relieved that it was dead. A second later, Krom

discovered the answer to the riddle. He hadn’t killed the skath, his lord
had.

Richter withdrew his sword from the skath’s body. The chaos seed
gave Alma a mental order to summon a life wisp and then stuck his sword

in the ground. He grabbed the jaws of the monster lying on top of the smith
and pulled with all of his might. In his Earth body there was no way that he
would have been able to manage this, but with his Strength attribute of
thirty-two it was well within his capability. He felt the sinews of the skath’s

jaws snap, but he was able to loosen its hold on Krom’s shoulder and then
kick it off of the dwarf. Krom got to his feet, cursing up a storm. His arm
was hanging limp.

“Where is my hammer?” the dwarf raged.

 “It doesn’t matter where. Hang back and heal yourself and Sedrin,”
Richter commanded.

“I can fight!” Krom spat.

“You’re a healer now. Sedrin is dying. Help him!”

Krom looked at the bleeding man. His face looked like he had just
swallowed something awful, but he did as commanded. Caulder and Terrod
made their way over to stand with Richter as more bubbles raced towards

them from the river. Four more skath surfaced and began stalking forward.
Behind them, came another one that was half again as large as the others.
Richter Analyzed it.

Bull River Skath. Level 34. Health 760. Mana 210. Stamina 610. The
larger of the species, male river skath are often solitary creatures. Unlikely

to attack unless threatened. The exception to this is during mating season

when one bull will mate with an entire pack of females. Travelers have
come to fear meeting a bull in this scenario as their normal solitary nature
is replaced with a horrible belligerence. They can also release magical

pheromones to increase the ferocity and strength of female skaths.

Richter shook his head. “This shit just keeps getting better and
better. Sion! Ulinde! Take out the big one!”
 Richter heard Krom muttering an incantation to summon a weak life
wisp as Terrod took position on his right and Caulder stood to his left.
Seeing Terrod holding only a dagger, he gritted his teeth, then said, “Take

this. Shit’s about to get interesting!”

He shoved his sword into the captain’s grasp and then extended his
hands. The skaths were only a couple yards away now, staring at the
villagers with their teeth bared. The bull skath stood right behind them, and

Richter saw a green glow start to surround it. They were out of time.
“Let’s do it!”

Sion released, and the blue arrow streaked forward and struck the
bull on its haunch with a loud boom. Ulinde’s shot struck the bull on the

snout. Frost spread outward from the wound. Neither attack stopped the
bull skath’s ability, though, and a green mist shot out from its body in all
directions for forty feet. It surrounded all of the female skaths, whose claws
grew longer and whose muscles grew more defined before Richter’s very
eyes. Each also seemed to grow several inches in both height and width.

The transformation was almost amazing enough to distract from the

disgusting fact that he had just gotten bull skath pheromone in his mouth.
As he spat it out in irritation, he finally understood the point that Jenny
Vanderhorne had tried to make when he was fifteen: you just don’t do that

without asking for permission! He channeled his anger and after a one
second cast, his hands snapped together and bathed the lead skath in orange
flame.

Buffed or not, the skath couldn’t withstand the flames and it scurried
away from the assault to take refuge in the river. Before Richter could
pursue, the other skaths attacked. The skaths to the far left and right
engaged Caulder and Terrod respectively. The inner two, however, attacked

Richter directly. He swept his flame towards the one on the left, which
shied away, but it left him completely open to attack on the right.

The skath jumped forward with its mouth open. Its hormone
enraged eyes were bulging as it swiftly closed the distance. There was no
way that Richter could dodge, but once again, his soul familiar saved the

day. Lightning fired from above and struck the skath, short-circuiting its
system. Three hundred pounds of enraged river skath cow struck Richter at
the speed of a run, but it didn’t have the ability to bite down for a couple
crucial seconds.

Nonetheless, Richter was knocked down, with the skath falling to

his side. When he hit the ground he looked over to see the skath’s stunned
form, the mouth not six inches from his face. He swiftly rolled away as it
struggled to regain its wits. Before he had gone more than a foot, though, a

massive set of jaws closed on his left thigh. The skath that Richter had
burned had rejoined the fight.
 Caulder and Terrod did their best to stand firm against the assault of
their respective skaths. They both knew that they had to keep the skaths

away from the injured party members. Even with the elementum sword,
though, the magically enraged skath attacking Terrod was barely kept at
bay. Caulder had already received another bleeding injury to the hip. A
constant staccato of booms told the story of Sion’s attack on the bull skath,

but the sprite wasn’t able to put much energy into each strike because of the
speed of attack.

Krom saw all of this while he knelt over Sedrin’s still form. The
man still breathed thanks to the dwarf’s healing spells, but he had swooned

and was defenseless. Jean was busy casting Haste I on all of the party
members and was still trying to reload his crossbow. Caulder went down as
a skath rushed forward and bit his leg. Terrod was pulled farther from the
group, trying to keep his opponent at bay. Richter was stabbing the skath

biting him with a dagger, but it wasn’t releasing its savage hold, and the
only reason he hadn’t been killed by the other was that Alma was attached
to its head. The skath was down, but the dragonling was also out of the
fight. To make matters worse, the larger skath was almost close enough to
join the fight again despite Sion and Ulinde’s withering fire. When he saw

two more shambling forward through the river, he knew that the fight was
over.
 The two skaths approached Terrod and the reptile he was fighting.

The captain came to the same conclusion as Richter, knowing that he

couldn’t hold off three. As he prepared for a last suicidal lunge, his only
thought was of Isabella. Before he could complete his attack, though, the
two skaths surged forward… and bit into the skath Terrod had been
fighting. None could ever say who was more surprised, the beleaguered

monster or him, but Terrod wasn’t going to waste the moment. The two
skaths had bitten into its left arm and leg. The monster roared in protest,
but Terrod wasn’t interested in fair. The captain shoved the green sword
through its open mouth and up into its brain. Its body froze for a second

before crumpling to the ground.

Terrod withdrew the sword and prepared to defend himself from the
other two, but they were already shambling towards the bull skath. Now
that he had a moment, he could clearly see that one had a crossbow bolt

sticking out of its eye and the other had a fist-sized hole in its side dripping
black ooze. A loud shout made him look to the right just in time to see
Beyan thrust his hand forward and finish an incantation. A purple-black
disc with a white chattering skull in the middle shot from the gnome’s hand

and struck the bull skath broadside. It rocked back from the blow and
roared in pain for the first time.
 Terrod stared at the alchemist in disbelief, but then Richter’s scream

of pain brought him back to the reality of the moment. He turned around
and saw that his liege was straining to keep the snapping jaws of a skath
away from his face. Krom had joined the fight and was bashing the skath in
the head with a rock, but between the monster’s thick skull and its enraged

status, it barely noticed the smith’s futile efforts.

Jean had finally loaded another bolt, but couldn’t get a clear shot on

anyone, so he just kept the crossbow up and waited for his moment. Terrod
ran forward a few more feet and plunged the short sword hilt deep into the

skath attacking Richter. The pain of the blade piercing its internal organs
got through to the monster in a way that Krom’s rock bashing had not. It

reared on its hind legs as its back arched in pain. Blood sprayed on Terrod

and Krom’s faces as the captain withdrew the sword.

Damaged, but not defeated, Richter snarled up at the skath from his
position underneath it. Before it had time to fall again, he forced a spell

form to coalesce in his mind as he made the necessary movements with

both hands. His wrists clapped together of their own volition and he spat,
“IGNO!” A gout of orange flame shot up into the skath’s belly, roasting it.

Again, the skin blackened and charred faster than should have been
possible. The monster reared back even further to escape the dreaded fire,

and its back legs slipped out from underneath it. As it crashed to the
ground, Richter sat up, keeping an unrelenting stream of fire on the skath.

It rolled on the ground, but was too overcome with pain to form the

coherent thoughts needed for escape. As the skath screamed and squirmed
under the onslaught, Terrod shouted for Richter to cease his attack so he

could finish the beast. Richter, savoring his enemy’s pain, heard nothing.

It took Krom grabbing his arm and shouting that they still had to
fight the big one for him to stop his spell. With the horrible heat gone,

Terrod stabbed the skath in the abdomen. Its flesh crumbled like charcoal

and the captain met almost no resistance as the blade claimed the skath’s
life.

Richter stood up and looked around, taking stock of the situation.

The archers had scored against the bull skath multiple times, but it showed

no signs of slowing. Jean had managed to fire and successfully hit the skath
that had been fighting Caulder, judging by the bolt sticking from the

creature’s side. The sergeant must have used the distraction to attack and

behead the river monster. An overlarge reptilian head lay next to the body,
weakening spurts of blood still coming from its ragged stump of a neck.

Alma had finished draining her skath and was hovering in the air nearby.
Sedrin was still passed out, but the bleeding had slowed thanks to

tourniquets Krom had fashioned out of strips from his shirt. The dwarf had

regained his hammer. His shoulder was healed enough to hold the large
weapon, but he was still clearly favoring one side. Terrod stood ready with
the elementum sword held down at his side, staring at the bull skath, and

Beyan stood far off to the side, looking between the last skath and his

party. His face was a collision of fear, anger, and uncertainty. Richter
turned his attention to the bull river skath.

The entire party had stopped their attack and were watching the

confusing tableau focused around the male skath. The large monster was

still fighting one of the traitorous skath cows that had come to Terrod’s aid.
The other had been torn in half, though the top half still seemed to be trying

to reach the bull by clawing its way forward on its front paws. The

remaining skath was down on its back with the bull’s massive foreleg on its
abdomen. As Richter watched, the bull bit down on one of the smaller

skath’s legs and, with a massive wrench, pulled the leg free. A spray of
blood covered the ground at the moment of separation, but no more blood

spurted from the severed shoulder. The skath didn’t scream or give any

indication that the loss of its limb troubled it, it just kept trying to bite the
bull.

Richter stared at it, confused. He activated Analyze.

Weak Reanimated River Skath. Level 3. Health 120. Mana 0.

Stamina 450. The corpse of a river skath that has been reanimated. The
level of this reanimated monster is substantially reduced and its values and

characteristics are adjusted accordingly. The exception to this is that its

stamina is increased. It will feel no pain and will only be destroyed by

massive tissue trauma or damage to its central nervous system.

Richter wasn’t sure how much longer the small zombie would

distract the bull, but he didn’t think it would be long. He cast Slow Heal I

and then focused on the present moment. He cleared his mind, and his
hands wove in sync. Words of Power flowed from his tongue. Each

syllable grew harder to speak until it felt like he was trying to swallow a
cracker after being denied water for a week. Despite that, he knew that this

fight had to end. Sedrin had to be taken home as soon as possible, where

Sumiko could minister to him. So Richter focused his entire will upon the
casting and forced the final sound from his lips. The casting was complete.

Richter felt the power he had manifested pierce the skein of reality,

and a six-foot-tall green disc appeared in the air. The scent of evergreen

flooded his nostrils, and a creature stepped through the gateway. This
saproling was larger than the last and it took the form of a five-and-a-half-

foot-tall grass-covered stag with prehensile tentacles rising from its back.
Richter’s head felt like it was splitting open from the strain of finishing the

dual casting, but he mustered the fortitude to shout, “Attack!”

 Sion and Ulinde resumed their fire upon the monster, which roared

in response. It ripped the head off of the skath underneath it, and the small
creature collapsed, limp, to the muddy bank. The skath ran at the party, but

was intercepted by the saproling. The earth creature rammed its horns into
the bull. The black prongs on top of the stag’s head pierced the monster in

the neck and chest. The bull roared again, trying to bring its sharp claws to

bear against the saproling, but the tentacles on the summoned creature’s
back whipped forward to wrap around the front limbs and thick neck of its

enemy.

Sion and Ulinde continued their ranged attack and Beyan cast his

skull spell again. Another dark purple disc with a white skull in the middle
shot from his hand and impacted against the bull. Both monster and

saproling were staggered by the spell, but didn’t fall. Jean shot his

crossbow at the struggling pair, but ended up hitting the saproling instead.
Luckily, the mage’s poor aim didn’t seem to have an effect either way.

Terrod looked at Caulder and said, “Shall we join the fun?”

Caulder plucked at his bloodied chainmail and said, “I didn’t get all

dressed up for nothing!” Both guards ran in to attack the bull from the

sides.
 A snapping noise brought Richter’s attention to the fact that the

saproling could not match strength for strength with the powerful bull.

Already the monster had pulled one of its arms free, severing the vines
holding it in the process as well as snapping off part of the saproling’s

horn. Unlike the first saproling Richter had summoned, this one did not

remain mute. It screamed in an all too human voice as it was ripped apart
by the skath.

Richter ran forward but stayed out of the general melee. He cast

Slow I. A blue aura surrounded the bull for a split second and afterwards, it

was just a touch slower. Terrod and Caulder attacked from either side,
drawing blood, but not achieving any true damage against its thick scales

and head. Beyan seemed to not have another offensive spell, and the
cooldown on the last had not elapsed, so he was more or less useless for the

moment. Once again, the archers couldn’t fire with impunity for fear of

striking their comrades, and Krom’s ability to fight had been greatly
compromised. Whatever had happened to his shoulder was a type of injury

that Slow Heal I couldn’t fix. The battle was up to Richter, Terrod, and

Caulder, he realized.

A second later, he was shown how wrong he was when Alma

released a bolt of lightning from above. The yellow energy forked through

the air and impacted the bull skath on its back. It roared louder than before,
and a black scorch mark appeared on its back. It freed its other arm and

hammered the saproling to the ground with a mighty blow. The forest
creature tried to rise again, but the bull skath knocked the deer’s head free

with a mighty swipe of its claws. Green blood flowed thick from what was

left of its neck. With the saproling disposed of, the bull looked up to target
the dragonling, but Alma wisely remained high and out of reach.

Not having to worry about hitting the saproling anymore, Richter

dual cast Flame I again. Trying to attack Alma had made the compact

creature rise up and present its chest. The lance of fire burned into the
bull’s breast, charring the skin and muscle beneath. Sion and Ulinde

released their shots in the short window of opportunity as well. Ulinde’s ice
arrow struck the bull’s face, paining it, but Sion couldn’t ignore the

tempting target of the bull’s chest. The imbued arrow struck with

concussive force in almost the exact same spot as Richter’s flame.

The sprite had poured almost every mana point he had into the shot.
In truth, Sion had feared losing control of his imbuement and soon would

have had to fire the arrow just to avoid damaging himself, but instead, the

timing worked out perfectly. When the arrow hit, ripples of force
propagated through the monster’s whole body and it was thrown

backwards. Even Caulder and Terrod, who were still harrowing its flanks,
were thrown onto their backs.
 The combined damage was too much for the bull skath. It struggled
to rise, but it had a ragged crater in its chest. Analyze showed that it had

only thirty health left. Richter sent out a mental call to his familiar and he
cast Soul Trap on his prone enemy. Alma latched onto the bull skath, which

tried to whip its head back and forth to reach the dragonling. Its motions

were weak, however. The last thing the monster heard was “Igno” before
more flames poured into the hole in its chest and consumed its heart. A

ribbon of rainbow light spun through the air. All was silent.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 16

Richter ran over to Sedrin and cursed when he saw the damage the

man had sustained. There were large bleeding holes in his leg where the
skath had bitten him. Far worse was his hand though. Only two fingers

remained, thumb and index. The rest had been torn off. Two were lying on
the ground not far away, but of the pinky there was no sign. Richter looked

at the scene and started barking orders.

“Futen. Teleport back to the Great Seal and tell Randolphus what
happened. Tell Sumiko that we have injured and that Sedrin will need to

have his fingers reattached. She should prepare whatever she needs to, so

that they can be reattached without delay.” He wanted to have another

guard detail dispatched, but they would have no way to accurately find him

in the wild. The last thing Richter wanted was for another group of his

villagers to be attacked.

“As you command, my lord,” Futen replied. The inner glow in the

floating orb flared to the point of being blinding and, with a clap of air

rushing into a vacuum, the remnant disappeared.

 Richter extended his hand and cast Ice Dagger I. The foot-long ice

shard shot into the ground at his feet. He picked it up along with Sedrin’s

bloody fingers and wrapped them all together in a loose length of cloth.

The entire package he tucked inside of his chest armor. He still wasn’t sure

if placing something inside of his Bag caused cell death, and he wasn’t
willing to risk Sedrin’s fingers. It was a blind hope that Sumiko would be

able to reattach the digits, but if she could, he would do everything he could

to increase her chances of success.

“Which of you have Agility greater than thirty?” Richter asked.

Only Ulinde raised his hand. “Then I need you to come with me. Sedrin

must get back to the village and Sumiko’s magic as soon as possible. We

cannot wait. Everyone else needs to follow behind us in a group.”

Terrod immediately protested. “My lord. You cannot travel through

the forest with only one man for protection.”

“I can do whatever I damn well please, Captain. I am the lord here.

I will save this man’s hand if I can, and you will follow my command. Am

I clear?”

Terrod stiffened and came to attention. Clapping a fist to his heart,

he said, “As you command, my lord.”

 Richter nodded and said, “Stick together and keep safe. I will see

you back in the village.” He looked at Beyan, who was still holding

himself back from the group. When Richter’s eyes fell upon the gnome, the

alchemist’s face grew guarded as if he was ready to fight or flee. Richter

took a deep breath to control his stress and said evenly, “I do not know why

you hid your magic, but I am sure you had a good reason. That doesn’t
matter to me right now. What matters is that you fought with us and helped

us survive. Go back with the group and know that you still have a home

among us. Come to the Great Seal tonight, however, because I will have

your story.”

Beyan bowed his head and, without any of his customary irritation

or arrogance, he said, “As you command, Lord Richter.”

Richter nodded back. Another thought occurred to him—discretion

might be the better part of valor in this situation. He instructed everyone to

keep quiet about Beyan’s magic. They all agreed, but several of the other

party members eyed the gnome suspiciously. It just underlined the

importance of speaking with the alchemist sooner rather than later. Now

was not the time though.

Richter checked the village mana pool and saw that he could

summon three more workers without compromising the village’s upkeep.

As soon as the grey figures had formed, he ordered them to take the bull’s
body and as many of the other skath bodies back to the village as possible.

He was about to pick up Sedrin, when Alma nearly shouted in his mind.

*Master! Master! Come see! Come see!*

The dragonling was hovering over a stand of thick reeds that was a

few feet out in the river. Richter had rarely heard her so excited, so he

decided to just run over and see what had captured her interest so strongly.

When he got close, he parted the fronds and understood why she had called

him over.

You have found: River Skath Nest.

A mound of mud had been piled on the inside of the reeds. In

individual divots, eggs were resting upright. Each one was about the size of

his hand and white, but the central egg was grey and twice as big as the

others. When Richter examined it, a prompt told him that it was a Bull

River Skath Egg.

He wasn’t sure what good they could do him, but he also didn’t

want to leave a nest of dangerous monsters behind to attack his people in

the future. He called over a mist worker and told it to forget bringing back

the skath bodies and to instead bring back the eggs, safe and unharmed. It
would have been easier if he could just put the eggs in his Bag, but he ran

into the same problem as with Sedrin’s fingers. Richter had once put a live
salmon in his Bag as an experiment. The fish had tasted fresh when he had

removed it, but it had definitely died.

Following his directions, the mist worker picked up the first egg and

then placed it inside of a cavity it had formed in its chest. Once the egg was

inside, the opening to the cavity closed off and the egg remained hovering

in place, suspended by whatever matrix made up the mist workers.

*Thank you, my love,* Richter sent. *We must travel fast now.
Keep watch for predators from the air and warn me of any danger.*

The dragonling tooted her assent and flew higher to get a lay of the

surrounding lands. He jogged back to Sedrin’s body and picked the man

up. The jostling brought the guard back to consciousness, and he cried out
in pain. Richter told him to be strong and that Sumiko would help soon.

Jean cast Haste I on Ulinde, while Richter enchanted himself. Sion wished

his friend speed and safety and with that, Richter took off, Ulinde in tow.

According to Richter’s map they were about seven miles away from

the village. He planned to break some records. Running full tilt, the two

men quickly put distance between themselves and the rest of the war party.

Even carrying Sedrin’s weight, Richter was almost able to run at his top

speed. Alma flew above and proved invaluable as a source of info. Twice
she steered the trio around potential predators, though thankfully these were

simply forest cats and a small black bear.

Sedrin lost consciousness again sometime during the run, a fact for
which Richter was grateful. The guard had tried to stifle sobs or gasps of

pain as his battered body was jostled, but the suffering he was experiencing

was obvious. Still, Richter didn’t slow. He knew that if the situation was

reversed, he would happily suffer almost any pain if it meant being able to

restore the use of his hands. In the end, they were able to make it back to

the village in less than an hour, though Richter’s endurance had been very

nearly empty for the last mile of the run.

Sumiko, Randolphus, and a contingent of guards were waiting for

them at the city gates. Richter quickly put Sedrin down as gently as

possible and moved out of the way so Sumiko could examine him. Ulinde

slumped to the ground, exhausted.

“Damn fools,” she said, with more fire than normal. “Look at the

mess those beasts made of him.”

Richter didn’t respond to the criticism. Instead he took the package

with Sedrin’s fingers from its resting place in his armor. The density of the

ice dagger had kept most of it from melting. “Can you reattach his

fingers?”
 As he unrolled the bundle, Sumiko scrutinized the fingers and said,

“Well at least you showed some good sense in keeping them cold.” She

looked at Sedrin’s ruin of a hand and said, “I cannot promise, but I think I

can.”

“Good.” He beckoned to the guards standing nearby. “Get ready to

run, we are going back for the others.”

“You’re dead on your feet, child. You can’t go back out like that!”

Sumiko snapped.

Richter was tired, in pain, and in no mood to be told what he

couldn’t do. He opened his mouth to snap a scathing reply, when Sumiko
raised her hand and said, “Hush!” in sprite speak. Her hand wove in a

complex pattern and she muttered an incantation. Gold light suffused her
arm and then flowed into Richter. His exhaustion fell away. If he had been

able to inject Red Bull directly into his veins it would probably feel like
this.

“I’ve fortified your max endurance and replenished your stamina

pool. The increase will only last an hour, though, so do what you need to
do and come back safely.” Her tough exterior cracked. “I don’t want you to

have to go to that awful place again.” Several of his people had seen him
come through a rift that led to a sea of pure chaos the last time he
respawned. Sumiko had been deeply disturbed by what she had seen
through the rent in reality.

Richter smiled, riding the ultimate runner’s high. All of his

irritation and anger of a moment ago forgotten, he said, “Don’t worry,

Mom, I’ll bring the other kids back safe!” She scowled at him again, but he
just laughed and started running, the guards close behind him.

Alma flew overwatch again and led them unerringly back to the

other members of the war party. The three mist workers were walking with
them, each carrying their assigned load. Even though they hadn’t been

separated overly long, Richter was still relieved to see all of them.

“So yer back from yer little jog, yer lordship?” the dwarf asked. A

smile was on his bearded face, white teeth poking through his salt and
pepper beard. One of the smith’s arms was up in a sling, but it didn’t seem

to have dampened his spirit at all. The dwarf had his hammer slung over
his other shoulder, and though his chainmail shirt was still rent, the flesh

Richter could see underneath was smooth and unblemished.

Richter smiled back. “Sumiko is a bit irritated with us for getting

banged up, but she says she can save Sedrin’s fingers. The ones we found
anyway.”
 Terrod walked up and handed over Richter’s sword. He could see
that the captain’s own sword had been recovered and was resting in its

sheath. “That is quite the instrument you have there, my lord.”

“Krom is to thank for that,” he replied. The village Smith nodded

with pride.

Richter examined the members of his war party. No one had made

it through the fight unscathed, but except for Sedrin, no one had been
seriously hurt. Terrod and Caulder stood tall, giving orders to the guards

Richter had brought. Jean looked a bit pale, but he still smiled reassuringly
when he saw Richter examining him. Krom looked energized from the

fight and would probably have said he was ready to fight one hundred more
of the lizard monsters. Only Beyan refused to meet his gaze, the gnome’s

face a complex mixture of emotions. Richter knew that this was not the
time to confront the man, but resolved he would do it that night. The last
member of the party, Sion, stood tall, bow in hand, steadfast as ever.

As the guards that Richter had brought with him fanned out around

the battered party, he and Sion clasped wrists. They shared a look that
communicated their friendship and their silent relief that they had survived
such a deadly ordeal. Since the end of the fight, Richter had been in

damage control mode, not letting the stress, pain, and bloody horror of the
fight reach him. Now that they were in relative safety, though, it started to
encroach on his psyche. The solidity of his Companion’s friendship helped

him to weather the emotional onslaught. Sion gave him a nod and released
his grip, and they made their way home. Richter looked around and said,

“Alright. Let’s go home.”

Alma continued to fly overhead. Richter looked up, and the

dragonling, sensing her master’s attention, dove into a complicated spiral

pattern. She pulled out of the dive at the last moment and buzzed directly

over one of the guard’s heads before regaining altitude. The man hunched
over with a surprised oath and Richter couldn’t help but chuckle at the

mischievous creature. He checked the prompts he had earned.

You have been awarded 10,547 (base 140,632 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience
from Brain Drain against Level 15 River Skath.

You have been awarded 4,290 (base 57,199 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from
Brain Drain against Level 11 River Skath.

You have been awarded 11,840 (base 157,865 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience
from Brain Drain against Level 16 River Skath.

You have been awarded 91,178 (base 1,215,703 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience
from Brain Drain against Level 34 Bull River Skath.

TRING!
You have reached level 27! Through hard work you have moved forward

along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to

characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also get 25% advancement to the

skill of your choice! Crush your enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!

TRING!

You have reached level 28! Through hard work you have moved forward
along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to

characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also get 25% advancement to the
skill of your choice! Crush your enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!

You have either characteristic points or skill percentage points to allocate

from the previous level. Now that you have progressed again, you must

allocate your points within the next week or they will randomly be assigned
for you.

You familiar has reached level 22!

You familiar has reached level 23!

You familiar has reached level 24!

Richter held off on opening the next prompt. He was delighted that
both he and Alma had leveled thanks to the battle, but it also reminded him

that he had been putting off allocating the points from his earlier levels.
This was his last night before his stats would be randomly allocated. He
promised himself that it would happen before he slept. He wanted to know
what he could do with Alma’s points right now though. Richter accessed

her status page.

Name: Alma
Level: 24, 41%
Health: 340 Mana: 442 Stamina: 340
(Unused level points: 4)
Abilities:
Psi Bond – Lvl 3, points to next level: 3
Psi Blast – Lvl 2, points to next level: 2
Brain Drain – Lvl 6, points to next level: 6
Can use:
Air Magic
Life Magic
Resistances:
Mental: 100%
Air: 50%
Life: 50%
Race: Psi Dragonling

Richter saw that with the points he had, he could increase either her
Psi Bond or Psi Blast once. If he waited another two levels he would be

able to level her Brain Drain again, but that just didn’t appeal to him. The
power of her Psi Blast was amazing and advancing it to level two had let

her deal direct health damage with the ability. Level three might unlock
another effect. More than anything, though, he loved how much… MORE
she was since the Psi Bond had been increased. She had been little more
than a pet at first, but now she was like a cherished friend. Richter shook
his head and realized it was actually more than that. She was family. That

thought helped him decide what to do.

*Come here, my love. I would like to see you,* he sent.

She immediately flew down towards him. Richter raised his arm
and sent a mental image of her alighting upon it like a hawk. She beat her

wings to slow when she reached him and then gracefully landed. Her tail
wrapped around his wrist for stability and then her little face stared into his

own, her draconian eyes full of love and affection.

*You have gotten stronger, my love. In the past, I have always made

this decision for you, but you are so much more than you used to be. I think
you should help to decide how you develop. So I am asking, what would

you like me to do?*

The dragonling continued to stare at him without moving for several

minutes. Everyone else knew there was something going on with their liege
and his familiar, but since Richter didn’t call out and his steps didn’t falter,

they just let him be. Finally though, Alma did speak inside of his mind. *I
trust my master.*

Her tone was full of love, but Richter thought he also detected a bit
of hesitance. He prompted her to continue. After another minute she sent,
*I like eating minds. It feels good. It makes us strong. I like help too. I
hurt master’s enemies. I keep master safe.* She stopped transmitting, but

he felt she had more to say. He kept walking, holding her up, and looked
into her small face.

When she spoke again, there was more strength to her thoughts. *I
like these things. I love knowing myself. I love knowing master. I love my

master.* She extended her neck forward and licked his cheek. Richter
smiled at his familiar, love blossoming in his heart. The answer was clear.
He allocated her points and confirmed his decision.

You have chosen to increase your familiar’s ability: Psi Bond to level 4.
Your familiar’s base innate intellect is increased by 75%. She can now

communicate in eight-word sentences. Her base Intelligence and Wisdom

are also increased by 45%. Your familiar’s Psi Bond has advanced to being
able to form a psychic connection even with those lacking the Psi Bond
ability. You will also benefit from this stronger tie to your familiar. Your

mental resistance from Psi Bond has increased to 30%. Maximum distance
of communication increased from 750 yards to 1000 yards. Finally, the
improved Psi Bond stabilizes your own mental fortitude. Tasks which
require strength of mind will now come easier.

Richter continued to stare into Alma’s eyes and what he saw took
his breath away. He stopped walking without realizing it, the rest of the
party halting as well. As the dragonling continued to look at him, her gaze
deepened. Gone was the unquestioning devotion he had seen a moment

before. In its place was love tempered with increased self-awareness.

Richter felt like he had watched her grow from a child to a young adult in
the blink of an eye. Even her tone was more measured in his mind and also
distinctly more feminine.

*Thank you, Master. Few dragonlings ever reach this level of

thought. My world is violent. The only law is eat or be eaten. You have set
my mind free. My consciousness is exploding with new ideas. I understand
so much more now than I did before…* She stopped for a second as she

seemed to reflect on the mysteries that her mind was now unraveling. She
stretched her wings, then hopped from his arm up to his shoulders. *I love
you, Master. I will be with you to death. Then I will follow through to the
beyond.*

Richter was moved by the depth of her sentiment. As she settled her

body onto his shoulders, he felt her chest rise and fall against the back of
his neck. *I love you too, Alma.* The expansion of her mental capabilities
had clearly worn the dragonling out because she fell asleep on his shoulders
without another word. Richter started walking again and addressed the rest

of his prompts.

You have trapped the soul of a River Skath! Soul level: Common.
You have trapped the soul of a River Skath! Soul level: Common.

You have trapped the soul of a Bull River Skath! Soul level: Higher.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 16 in Tracking. +1% attack

bonus vs individual prey. You can follow older tracks.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 9 in Small Blades. +2%

attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 12 in Light Armor. +2% to

defense of all light armor.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 9 in Grace in Combat.

Dodge increased by 15%.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Dual Casting… total

spell power increased by 232%… mana drain decreased to 268%…

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 9 in Fire Magic. New spells
are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 13 in Air Magic. New spells

are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in War Leader. +1%

effective distance. +1% attack and defense for all allies.
Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in War Leader. +1%

effective distance. +1% attack and defense for all allies.

Congratulations! Your war party survived a surprise attack from a superior

force without taking any casualties. Your party has been awarded the
Promotion: Vigilant I. +5% to perception of future hidden enemies. +5%

to response time to future surprise attacks.

You have unlocked your first Challenge: Leave No Man Behind I! Survive
a total of five battles with common soul enemies or higher without losing a
single party member. Fail Condition(s): Adding new party member. Death
of a party member. Reward: Thirty War Points.

Know This! War Points are awarded based upon the soul level of slain
enemies.

For slaying seventeen River Skath and one Bull River Skath you have been
awarded seventy-three War Points! Total War Points: 77.

Congratulations! You can purchase your first Badge! At the rank of Novice
in your War Leader skill you have access to the following promotions.

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 Richter smiled. The War Leader skill just got better and better! The
question now was which Badge to buy. If it followed the same logic as

everything else in The Land, then successive levels would require more
points. It looked like he would earn more war points for each enemy that

was slain by any member of his war party, though, so technically there were
an unlimited number of points that he could collect. That meant he had

some leeway with his investing. He had already collected over seventy

points on his first trip out, after all. On the other hand, there didn’t seem to
be any time limit imposed on when he had to spend the points, so there
really wasn’t any rush. Richter shrugged and decided to spend ten points
just to see what would happen.

He selected “Magical Attack I.” As soon as he had, another prompt

came up asking which magical school he would like to choose. The options

were Life, Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Death. He wondered at the lack of
Light and Dark magic, but then he reexamined the fine print under the
description and saw that only spell schools that had been used during battle
were eligible. Plenty of healing spells had been used, which covered Life.

Haste I had been cast continually and Richter had summoned the saproling,
which accounted for Air and Earth. He had also cast Slow I and Ice Dagger
I so he understood Water being available.

The fact that he could choose Death just confirmed what he had
already suspected. Beyan was a Death mage. The skull attack spell didn’t

seem like it could come from any other school, and the skaths that had
attacked the bull had received grievous wounds without any reaction. The
only question now was why Beyan had tried to hide his magical ability.
Richter resolved to get to the bottom of it, but right now the prompt was still
hovering in his vision.

Richter decided to choose Life attack. It was true that there weren’t
many offensive spells in the spell class, but Charm I remained an amazing
spell when fighting sentients. Of course it was only useful if it worked, and
his Life magi would be lacking his 50% bonus to spell power. The extra 5%
could make the difference between victory and death. And hey, it was only
ten points.

You have chosen Magical Attack I (Life). Life attack spells will be 5%
stronger. This badge will not take effect until you dissolve your current War
Party and form another.

Well there it is, Richter thought sourly. There always seemed to be

some form of check and balance in The Land. True, he could wait as long as
he wanted to spend his war points, but they would only be effective when he
made a new war party. Since he could only do that once every twenty-four
hours, it basically put a day-long cooldown on his ability to use new badges.

Still, if he thought ahead, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, he realized.

Richter kept going through his prompts.

You have unlocked: Magical Attack II (Life).

Richter brought up the table of badge promotions with a bit of mental

flexing and saw that it had changed slightly. Magical Attack II (Life) was
present now and it would provide an additional 5% to spell strength. Like he
had suspected, though, buying this next badge would cost him 20 points as
opposed to the original 10. Magical Attack I was still present for the same
10 points, presumably for the other spell school badges he hadn’t bought
yet.

Satisfied with the results of his experiment, he dismissed the

remaining notifications and just enjoyed walking through the forest with his
people. Apparently, Sion checked his prompts a short while later because he
excitedly asked about the Vigilant I promotion. The other members of the
war party checked afterwards and asked what it meant, which prompted
Terrod to explain what he knew about badges and promotions for the second
time. Richter smiled as he walked. He felt peace replacing tension and he
simply enjoyed his people, the cadence of their simple conversation, and the
gentle sounds of the forest.

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 CHAPTER 17

They returned to the village with no other difficulty. Matching the

speed of the laden mist workers, it took a couple hours to make it back to
the gates, but it was worth the wait. Sedrin, Ulinde, Sumiko, and

Randolphus were waiting with several other guards at the gate. Sedrin
looked pale, but he gave a wan smile at seeing everyone approach.

“Now you’ve seen them,” Sumiko said in a scolding tone. “No

more stalling. Go rest.”

Sedrin was leaning on a makeshift crutch with an irritated look on

his face. “I appreciate you healing me, Lady Sumiko, but like I said, I don’t

take orders from you!”

Richter and the others crossed through the gate in time to hear
Sedrin’s response. Richter wasted no time saying, “But you do take orders

from me. You and you,” he said, indicating two guards, “take him back to

one of the longhouses.”

 Sedrin started protesting again, but Richter would hear none of it.

“Sedrin. You have fought hard for your village and for me. You have done

enough for now. You need to rest.” Richter’s voice softened a bit and he

leaned in, his words for the guard’s ears alone. “Remember Petal.

Remember your vengeance! You must heal for a few days so that you can
fight again in the days after. Will you follow my command?”

The guard looked at Richter with both emotional and physical pain

on his face. He then stood straighter, and with a bit of balancing, managed
to salute with his fist to his heart. “As you command, Lord Richter.”

Richter nodded and turned to address Sumiko, though he waited to

speak until after Sedrin had moved off. “Were you able to heal him?”

She exhaled heavily. “Yes. Though it took several types of spells.

He wasn’t just missing fingers. He was also missing pieces of flesh and

bone. The bites of the river skath are also poisoned. The effects would not

take hold for several days, but if I waited then he would have been raving

with hallucinations. Come here, each of you.”

The tired sprite woman had each man of the war party kneel before

her. While he waited for his turn, Richter sent the mist workers over to the

east side of the village. Sumiko performed the same incantation, ridding

each of them of a latent infection that had not even produced an icon in
Richter’s vision yet. She complained while she helped them. “Absolutely

irresponsible to hunt creatures and have no idea of the dangers.” “You all

deserve the middle rot. Do you know what the middle rot is?” “If I was the

healer of this village, things would be different!”

Richter received his healing and then stood before the diminutive

sprite woman. “Will you be the healer of this village?”

His question caught her off guard. He didn’t wait for her to answer,

but instead pressed forward, “You have already done more for us than I

have any right to expect. I have benefited both from your magic and your

wisdom. The Mist Village is young, though, where the Hearth Tree is

venerable. I do not know if you can bind yourself here or if you must return

someday to the wood sprite home, but if you would stay, I would feel

honored to have you as the healer of this village.”

Richter delivered his offer with as much verve and sincerity as he

could muster. As he spoke, Sumiko stood taller, and the crotchety old

woman persona that she had been portraying fell away like a discarded

cloak. “The people of the Hearth Tree are not prisoners. I can pledge
myself where I wish, young Lord. The question is, what do you stand for?

Why should I pledge myself to your service?”

 Richter looked at her, searching her face for a hint of what she

wanted to hear. The men stood around them, completely silent. They

wouldn’t risk interrupting their lord and the Life master. More than that,
though, they wished to hear Richter’s response as well. He considered

various answers and decided to just tell the unvarnished truth.

“My people have a saying,” he began, “that the meek shall inherit

the Earth. What history showed again and again, however, was that the

meek would only be abused and killed. I believe a greater wisdom is that

freedom is not free. I will live my life as I choose. What I have chosen is

to make a haven for those who cannot simply live their lives elsewhere. I

do not plan to just be a shield, however. I am not here to always stand

between the helpless and oblivion. I am here to rid the helpless of their

weakness and make them strong. I have no illusions. I will have to spill

blood to make this village into something special, and I will make these

rivers red if that is what is necessary. I am not here to conquer though. I

am here to live.”

The sprite looked up at Richter and said, “Life magic is not just
about keeping people alive. It is about accepting the cycle of creation and

destruction. In my heart, I know that you are an agent of change. I do not

know if that change will be good or ill for the forest. Good or ill for The

Land. Good or ill for Life itself.” She paused, considering her next words.
“I do know that you have a good heart now, though. I will stand by you in

the hope that I can keep it so.”

With a grace that belied her age, Sumiko went down on one knee

and said, “I formally swear allegiance and loyalty to you, my Lord Richter.

From now, unto my very death, I will protect you and your interests, to the

best of my ability and without deceit.”

Richter placed his hand on her shoulder. “I accept your oath of

fealty, and swear to honor your pledge with the same gravity in which it

was given.”

He helped her up and asked, “Does this mean you will be the official

healer of the village?”

As if she had not just been discussing the existential matters of good

and evil, she again adopted the mantle of a termagant grandmother. “Well of

course it means I’ll be the healer. I didn’t get my knee dirty because I like

grass stains. I’ll also be in charge of the Life magi. They have a lot to

learn. And we will need to start making more health potions for those of

you going out to hunt. Also, I better get a healer’s hut built immediately! I

can’t be expected to deal with every little cut and scratch, especially not out

in the fields without a roof over my head! You warriors are always brave

until you get a little bruised. If I had a copper for every time…” She kept
up her verbal stream of consciousness as she walked away from the gate,

heading back into the village.

Richter looked after her with slightly wide eyes, wondering what he
had just signed up for. Sion looked at him, laughing, and said, “Be careful

what you wish for, brother!”

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 CHAPTER 18

The guards that had accompanied Richter went off to handle their

previously assigned duties. The members of the war party looked at one
another.

“I do believe most of us need to have some repair work done on our

armor,” Krom said. He plucked at one of the ragged holes that the skath’s
claws had left. “I know I do. I will get started on the repairs now. I won’t

be carrying yer armor for ye up to the Forge, though! I nae be a bloody

messenger!”

Richter checked his own weapons and armor. His chest plate

definitely had some scoring on it, but nothing so bad that it decreased the

defense potential. He checked his sword too and was amazed that despite

the serious work it had just done, the durability had only decreased by 12.
Looking at the ragged armor of the other war party members, it really

underlined what a difference better gear made. If they had to fight another

monster right now, many of the party members might not make it with such

large holes in their armor. His personal fighting ability on the other hand
was undiminished. As he thought more about it, he realized that this

particular facet of The Land was the same as how things were on Earth. A

Navy Seal with special forces gear could be a veritable god compared to the

average American. The conclusion of his line of thinking was obvious. He

had to get his people better gear and training.

“Krom is right. Go repair your armor and sharpen your swords.

Tomorrow we are going out again. Or maybe we will go down into the

lower levels of the catacombs.”

The dwarf perked up. “That stairway off the Great Seal? I’ve been

dying to get down there. Probably treasures galore!”

“I will admit that I have been curious as well, my lord,” Terrod

said. “I wouldn’t mind knowing more about what is beneath us.”

“The catacombs it is then. We will leave tomorrow after the

morning meal.”

“Should I find another guard to replace Sedrin?” Caulder asked.

“No. We received a challenge after our battles today. If we can

survive four more battles we get a bonus, but we fail the challenge if we

add any more party members. We will make do.”

“As you command, Lord Richter,” Caulder said.

Krom and Terrod echoed, “As you command.”

 Richter nodded to them in response. Then he reached into his Bag

and handed over the soul stones he had collected as well as two of the

special stones. Krom’s eyebrows rose as he saw the boss grade souls that

two amber gems held. Richter told him to use his best judgement and only

to use the special stones if he was making something truly amazing, but to

use the higher level and lower stones as he saw fit. Krom promised that he
would use them well, then he and the guards walked off in the direction of

the Forge. Ulinde tried to hand back the unused moonstone arrows along

with the one he had retrieved after the battle, but Richter told him to keep

the ammo. He asked if the archer would be ready for another battle

tomorrow and got a smile and a nod in return. Ulinde walked off, and Jean

said his farewells as well, saying his wife would kill him if he didn’t check

in with her now that he was back. The Air mage agreed to be ready to fight

again in the morning.

Beyan, Sion, and Richter looked at each other. Futen floated nearby

and Alma flew in lazy circles above. Richter looked at Futen and said,

“Check on the village. If the mist workers are still waiting in the center,

make sure they are put to good use. In fact, if they are free, run them back

to the spot where we found the moonstone vein and have them harvest as
long as they can. After you’ve checked on everything, report back.”

“As you command, my lord.” The remnant floated away.

 Richter looked at Beyan. “Let’s go take a look at the bodies we

brought back. Who knows what we might find. Sion, I’m sure you’d like

to learn more as well. Why don’t you come with us?”

The sprite took the hint and readily agreed. Beyan’s face had the

resigned look of a man walking to the electric chair, but he agreed as well.
The three of them slowly walked along the inside of the village wall. The

earthworks were gradually being replaced with marbled quartz, but there

was a great deal more work to be done. The sun shone down on them and

each step released the faint scent of crushed grass.

Richter checked a prompt that had appeared.

Congratulations! You have uncovered another Job of your Village. You

have filled the position of: Healer. Your village will benefit proportionally

to the skill of whomever you have chosen. Life mage Sumiko is an excellent

choice. Her highest healing skill has the rank of: Master. Diseases are less

likely to spread. All healing spells cast within the village domain are

increased in power by 10%. All healing potions are increased in power by

10%. Health of the village will increase by +5 per week. In light of your

choice being a master Life mage, you are awarded +250 to Health.

DING!
The Health of your village has increased from Neutral to Healthy. Good

health is the bedrock of a thriving settlement. Your village has made strides

towards a brighter future. Reward(s): +5% to Population Growth, Morale,

Loyalty, and disposition of your villagers towards you.

You have been offered a Quest: House of Healing I. Your new Healer has

demanded that you make a place for her to attend to her patients. Though

it was not discussed beforehand, she made it clear that you have no choice

in the matter. You must build a Healer’s Hut within one month. Reward:

Societal bonus from building a healer’s hut. Penalty: Decreased

relationship with Sumiko. Daily haranguing from Sumiko.

No choice? No CHOICE! Richter got ready to get all huffy about

the prompt, but then he just dismissed it with a sigh. Sion had been right.

It was important to be careful what you wish for. Those penalties sounded

like a pain in the ass. Having Sumiko as the village healer would be worth

him sacrificing a little pride. Besides, he thought, looking at Beyan, he had

more important things to think about.

None of them spoke and none of them were in a hurry to break the

silence. Richter had learned long ago the benefit of allowing people to do

things in their own time. He also knew from personal experience that

difficult topics were easier to discuss when one’s hands were occupied. If

Beyan hadn’t started talking by the time they were done with the messy task
of searching the bodies for useful components, then Richter would broach

the topic himself. He decided he would give the gnome that time, though.

They walked up to the area where the hunters skinned and dressed
their kills. The men were standing around the bodies of the skaths, poking

and prodding them. The workers had managed to bring back the bull and

three of the females. The saber bear’s carcass had already been skinned and

the hunters had rigged a large drying rack for it. Richter smiled. It was

good to work with industrious people.

Richter singled out the mist worker carrying the eggs and had it

stand to the side. The others he gave orders to run back to the site of the

fight with the skaths and to bring their bodies back here as quickly as

possible. He also told them to keep a lookout for more eggs and that if any

were found to store them safely and then bring them directly to him. The

two workers moved off at a slow jog. He cast Haste I on one of them

before they got out of range, and Sion buffed the other one. The spells

wouldn’t last long, but Richter figured every little bit helped.

The hunters praised the three of them for bringing down such

dangerous creatures. Sion joked with the men, saying they should have

seen the really big ones that were left out in the forest. That got a round of
laughs, but Richter saw that Beyan was feeling strained at getting such

attention. He thanked the hunters for their praise, but said they would be
digging into the monsters and didn’t want to spoil the good meat nearby. A

quick order later and the mist worker had dragged the saber bear carcass a

short distance away from the cleaning area. The hunters would still be

within eyeshot, but they should be far enough away that Beyan could feel

comfortable speaking, though with elf hearing you could never be too sure.

Before Richter moved off, two of the hunters who had become Life

magi handed over a handful of basic soul stones. Each was glowing with an

inner light, showing that they were filled, but the lights shone with various
intensities. When Richter checked them individually he saw that most of

the souls were only poor or weak quality. Still, every little bit helped. He
thanked the hunters. The two men prepared to leave, but stopped at

Richter’s command.

He gave them a copper for each weak and basic level soul and also

handed over four empty common soul stones. Richter told them to spread
the word that a similar bonus would be paid in the future, and that any
common level soul would earn them five coppers. The men smiled as they

pocketed the coins. From the happy expressions on the hunters’ faces, he
was fairly certain more stones would be coming his way in the near future.

Once Richter, Sion, and Beyan were around the dead monsters, they
took out their knives and got to work. The air filled with the scent of blood

and after a while, buzzing insects filled the air, feeding on the offal. They
only spoke when they found something useful. Their efforts were not in
vain.

You have found: Moonstone Claw. Durability: 178/178. Item Class:

Uncommon. Weight: 0.8 kg. Traits: Smelting three of these will produce a

masterwork quality moonstone ingot.

You have found: Moonstone Fang. Durability: 178/178. Item Class:

Uncommon. Weight: 1.9 kg. Traits: Smelting one of these will produce a

masterwork quality moonstone ingot.

You have found: Saber Bear Scent Gland. Durability: 5/5. Item Class:

Uncommon. Weight: 0.03 kg. You feel that this could be a component of a
potion or ring to give you a “sixth sense” regarding nearby metal deposits.

You have found: Skath Poison Sac. Durability: 3/3. Item Class: Common.
Weight: 0.01 kg. You feel this could be used to make a slow-acting

hallucinogenic poison. If squeezed into water, it also functions as a fish and

frog attractant.

You have found: Skath Fat. Durability 5/5. Item Class: Common. Weight:
0.2 kg. This can be converted into a highly flammable oil.

You have found: Bull River Skath Pheromone Gland. Durability: 6/6.
Item Class: Uncommon. Weight 0.02 kg. You feel this could be used to
enrage river skath cows. It might be useful to make a Strength potion or
appetite suppressant.

Whenever one of them found something useful, they would call out
and the item would be set to the side. It was gory work, but the components

they found made it worthwhile. The bear alone provided enough raw
material to make eight moonstone ingots, and the scent gland could prove to

be invaluable. The time spent harvesting also served a much deep purpose.
After a few minutes, Beyan began to speak.

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 CHAPTER 19

“My family comes from across the Beckoning Sea, south of the

Plains of Gold. We served the local ruler as magicians. For generations,

our services were valued and our family was respected. I was from a proud

bloodline.” Beyan’s voice was thick with bitterness and regret, like a once
sweet syrup that had turned rancid. “We were always strong in various

magics. My uncle was an accomplished Earth mage and my grandmother

was a Dark mage. It was known, though, that Death magic was the true

strength of my family. It was the magic that my grandfather was born with.
It was the magic that I was born with.”

Beyan laughed without any real humor. “I remember how, as a

child, I was praised. The local assessor discovered that my starting Death

affinity was 100%. My family was so proud and all I heard for days was

how wonderful my life would be. I sometimes wonder if they were right.
If my life might have been great if…” His voice caught. Richter and Sion

looked at one another, but neither spoke. Beyan kept sawing at the body of

the skath he was working on. They went back to work as well.
 After a few minutes, the gnome started speaking again. “My

grandfather was a powerful Death mage, but he was more interested in

creating life. At least that was how he explained why he dove between the

legs of every woman in the kingdom. My grandmother turned a blind eye

to it, but one day he chose a target that she couldn’t ignore. He bedded the
wife of the local duke. The fool! To make matters worse, the duke’s son

found them in the act, and my grandfather killed him.”

Beyan barked a short, dark laugh. “My bastard of a grandfather was

gravely injured as he made his escape. He only just managed to make it

home before he succumbed to his wounds. Mind you, he didn’t warn any of

the family of what he had done or what danger he had placed us all in. He

simply hid in his room and died.

“The duke had already started mobilizing his men to search for my

grandfather. If there was one thing my family was known for more than its
magical ability, it was my grandfather’s philandering ways. It didn’t take

the duke long to know exactly who was responsible for the cuckolding of

his wife and the murder of his son. To make matters worse, he had used

death magic to kill the noble heir. There was no doubt as to my

grandfather’s guilt.”

Beyan shook his head. His hands continued to saw back and forth.

They were all doing their best to preserve the skath hides while they
harvested. He collected himself again and added, “The duke was known as

a brutal man. My entire family would have been tortured before death in

retribution, if not for my grandfather’s warning.” Beyan’s voice quavered

at the end and he grew silent again.

A few more minutes passed and Richter couldn’t resist asking, “But

I thought you said that your grandfather spoke to no one before he died?”

Beyan smiled with sick fatalism. His hand continued its bloody

work. “You forget. There was another Death mage in the family. They

discovered my talent when I was five years old and for the next year, I

practiced incessantly until I reached skill level eleven and could cast the

spell Commune with Dead I. It would only work on the recently deceased,

but it forced spirits to appear and tell the truth for a short time.” He

chuckled darkly. “You have no idea how much ‘loving’ family members
were willing to pay to get the truth out of a dearly departed husband or

uncle. My chores didn’t consist of sweeping the floor or washing pans.

Instead I added to the family by hearing spirits confess to murders in detail

or reveal where they had hidden money from their families. I will say one

thing about being a Death mage. It gives an unvarnished and stark view of

life.

“So when my grandmother saw the bloody remains of my

grandfather, she knew that the trouble had not ended with his death. Unlike
him, she was no fool. Knowing time was probably short, I was called to his

bedside and stood there while my grandfather’s spirit related his latest

conquest in detail. I still remember my grandmother’s face. Even as she

listened to his betrayal, there were tears in her eyes at the loss of her love.

Then she made the mistake of asking if he still loved her.” Disgust filled

Beyan’s face. “‘I never loved you,’ he said. I swear I could hear my

grandmother’s heart break, Lord Richter.”

Beyan exhaled deeply. “Once the tale was done, she stoically had

me ask a few more questions. She found out that he had squandered most

of the family’s vast fortune on liaisons and drink, but also that there were

pockets of money hidden through the house and more importantly, hidden

books of magic. There were only six of us left, my mother, father,

grandmother, and two sisters. We raced through our home and grabbed

what we could. Then my grandmother started a fire and we raced for the

docks. When the duke’s men later came to the house that had sheltered my

family for centuries, blades out and looking for blood, they found only

flames and ash. I remember looking back and seeing the only home I had

ever known burning brightly with the body of my grandfather inside.”

“I’m sorry,” Richter said quietly.

Beyan shrugged and kept talking. “We fled. We were lucky enough

that the tide was high and a ship was sailing out. With only what we could
shove into the sacks that we carried over our shoulders, we sailed out. Over

the next few weeks, we hopped from port to port and ultimately we landed

in Lebaron. We lost ourselves in the capital city of Elecktra, and started

putting our lives back together.

“At first, things were not so bad. We had been able to grab enough

money and gems to buy a small alchemy shop with rooms above for us to

live in. Neither my mother nor my father had been born with an affinity for

magic, and so they had supported themselves by making potions. My

grandmother remained saddened by the loss of my grandfather, but the rest

of us had never been close to the callous man. Life continued.

“Years passed. My older sisters grew up and were married off.

Both to incredibly boring men as I recall, but they seemed happy. One

moved to Kailand to run a bakery with her husband and the other ran off

one night with a trader from the Twins. My parents had not agreed with her

choice of husband. They were both gone by the time I reached ten years of

age. I have seen neither of them since.

“More time passed and my family found happiness in our new life.

My mother and father worked hard and were able to buy a larger shop. I

worked with them each day and learned everything that they could teach.”
 The gnome smiled again, but with true happiness for the first time.

“I remember the scent of the herbs greeting me when I woke each morning.

The people of our neighborhood treated us kindly because they came to

trust that potions bought from my family would work as promised. We

began to prosper. There was only one rule that was instilled in me again

and again. I was never to show anyone my magic.

“You see, Lord Richter, Death magic is not overly common in the

River Peninsula. Especially not in gnome families. As such, while not

taboo, it, and those who practice it, are generally not trusted. My

grandmother foresaw that if word of a gnome death mage became well

known, our anonymity would be destroyed. Though we had not heard from

the duke for many years, my grandmother never let me forget the stories of

his cruelty. I was told over and over that we must remain hidden to remain

safe. My grandmother was wiser than I appreciated at my young age. I

should have listened.”

Beyan grew silent for several minutes. The only sound was the
buzzing of flies around the three men. The Death mage took a deep breath

before he finished his story. “You see, as much as I hated my grandfather

for what his actions did to me and my family, the hunda fruit did not fall far

from the vine. As I grew older, my gaze was drawn more and more to the

girls that lived near us. One night, I finally convinced one of them to lift
her skirts for me. Convinced! Ha! I learned later that I was the fifth boy to

gain that ‘honor’ in less than a month. I was a fool.

“At the moment, though, I was convinced that our love was a story

for the ages. As I lay next to her in a derelict storage shed, I compounded

my foolishness by telling my ‘true love’ my entire story. I even

demonstrated a spell for her. She was so impressed! I was so proud! I

knew that I would love her for the rest of my life…”

When Beyan spoke again, Richter heard no bitterness, only sorrow.

“I imagine that as soon as I had headed home, she immediately ran to an

information peddler. The going rate for information from street urchins was
a single copper. That was the price of my family’s lives. A tight fit, a wet

slit, and a single copper. That is what was traded for the only people in the
entire world who cared for me. Like my grandfather, I betrayed my family

for lust.

“From that moment, it was only a matter of time. My grandmother

was right you see, my lord. The duke had never forgotten my family and
what my grandfather had taken from him. Both his son and his wife. The

story of the duke who had blinded his unfaithful wife with his thumbs
before throwing her onto the street to live as a beggar was well known. No,
he had not forgotten us. The only thing that had changed through the years

was that the bounty on my family had grown larger. Less than a week after
my foolish mistake, my family was walking in the local market and a host
of men set upon them. They were slaughtered.

“The only reason that I still live is that a neighbor of ours risked her
own life to run back to our shop where I was watching the counter. My

heart darkened with every word as she told me of the deaths of my mother,
father, and grandmother. I remember that I stood motionless with shock for

a long moment, but then I started to move. Despite the joy and prosperity
we had found, my family never forgot the night we had to burn our own

home. Beneath a paving stone behind our shop we had hidden a bag that
contained the majority of our wealth and the magic tomes we had saved so

many years before.

“I took the satchel and started running. I didn’t stop for years. I
traveled all over the River Peninsula, never staying anywhere for long.

Ultimately, I settled in Law. My funds were much reduced, but I had

enough to repeat the example of my parents. I bought a small shop and

practiced the alchemy trade. I did not befriend my neighbors. I withdrew

within myself and kept small. I stayed quiet. I never used my magic again,

until today.”

Beyan put his skinning knife down and stood. He walked over to a

nearby bucket of water and plunged his arms in, scrubbing vigorously to
remove the skath blood. When he came back, he was calm. “I would have
been content to live that way until the end of my days. Perhaps not content
exactly, but I could have done it. I grew accustomed to my solitude. I

considered reaching out to my sisters from time to time, but I realized that
leaving Elecktra, leaving the family behind, was probably the only reason

that they were still alive. I knew that attempting to find them would only
place both them and myself in greater jeopardy. So I took the lesson that

close personal bonds were to be avoided.

“Living in Yves, I began being rude to people to keep them away.

After time, that practice became easier, and then it became reflex. For
years, I have thought that the anger in my heart was an armor that kept me

safe. I have thought that it existed by my own choice. When I used my

magic today, though, I felt a peace I have not felt in years. I now know that

my anger and misery came from denying my own nature. I will never do
that again.”

Beyan poured some water out of a skin onto his dagger and began

cleaning it with a rag. “Now you know my story, Lord Richter. If you wish
me to leave, I will. It has been many years since I fled Elecktra and I have

heard nothing of the duke in all of that time, but I cannot promise that my
presence is not a danger to you and the village.” He waited for Richter’s

response.
 Richter and Sion stood, washing their hands and blades as well.

Futen had returned while they worked and hovered nearby. Richter leaned
over and whispered to Sion. He handed over his Bag and the sprite nodded

and jogged off. He told Futen to have Sumiko meet him at the base of the
slope leading to the northern meadow. The remnant floated off, and Richter

turned his gaze back to Beyan, who still stood nearby, his bald pate burned
slightly red from so much time in the warm sun. “Walk with me.”

As they passed by the hunters, Richter told them to save and salt the
meat and also what to preserve when the other skaths were brought back.

The men told him it would be taken care of and the two men continued on.
They were silent until they were beyond earshot again, but then Richter
shared his thoughts. “You have a home here. You do not need to hide your

magic any longer. Every nonhuman here is fleeing oppression and the
dictates of vengeful nobles, and I see no reason to treat you differently. I

only demand from you the same thing I demand from everyone else that
lives within my lands. Do not harm any of your fellow villagers and work

to keep us all safe. Can you promise me that?”

In a tone of disbelieving astonishment, Beyan answered, “I swear it,

Lord Richter.”

“Then I have another question. Can you stop being such an

asshole? It’s a serious question. I honestly considered just punching you in

the face before today, but I quite like the version of you that I’m seeing

now.”

Beyan looked at Richter in shock. He was so taken off guard that he

tripped over a rock and fell onto his butt. Richter tried not to laugh, but it
sneaked out as a cough, then a chuckle, then a full-throated chortle. Beyan

looked up, annoyed at first, but then started laughing as well. Richter
helped him up and they kept laughing together for a few more seconds.

Wiping a tear from his eye, Beyan said, “Well if that’s not a sign
from the Universe telling me not to take myself too seriously then I don’t

know what would be. The answer to your question is yes. It probably
won’t happen overnight, but since I used my magic, I feel like a knot has

started unraveling inside of me.”

Richter nodded. “Well I can’t ask for a more honest answer than

that. Now I have one more question.” He started walking in a more

northerly direction. “Now that you’re using your magic again, are you

willing to put your Alchemy skill to good use on behalf of the village?”

“What does that mean exactly, Lord Richter?”

“One, you would teach others what you can do, share your

knowledge. Basically you will take on novices who will help you with your
work. Two, you’ll make potions for the good of the village. Sumiko is
right. We need to be better prepared for future battles. Three, you bend the
knee. Amazing things are on the horizon, but I can only make you a part of

it if you are truly with me. If you swear fealty, you’ll do so in front of
Sumiko. She will cast her truth spell on you, just like everyone that bent
the knee last night. You will agree to obey my commands and the

commands of those I place above you. There can be a home here for you
either way, but if you are tired of running from those with more power than

you and would like my help to become powerful in your own right, then I
can help you do that.” They had reached the bottom of the slope leading up

to the meadow of the Quickening, and Richter stopped walking. “If you
need time to consider it, that’s fine, but tell me now.”

Beyan looked at Richter with an intense stare. His body was tight
with tension and Richter could almost see a lifetime of distrust warring with

the gnome’s desire to have a better life. They stood there, unmoving, for
several minutes while Richter awaited the Death magician’s answer.

Sumiko walked up with Futen floating beside her. The sprite woman was
grumbling about being summoned by a flying rock, but when she felt the

serious air around the two men, she quieted and waited to see what would
happen.

Beyan looked from Richter to Sumiko and back again, then went
down to one knee. Sumiko, picking up on why she had been summoned,
cast Soul’s Window. After her hands stopped glowing, Beyan made his
pledge. Not the same formulaic words that had been spoken to Richter

hundreds of times now, but a pledge that was specific to the gnome and his
complicated path through life.

“I formally swear allegiance and loyalty to you, my Lord Richter.

Through life, and unto my death, I swear my service to you. I will follow

your commands and the commands of those you place over me. I swear
with my whole heart that if you ever punch me in the face without cause, I

will punch you back in a much more sensitive spot. I also swear to give
you my best every day.”

Sumiko coughed in a way that sounded suspiciously like a laugh and

said, “He meant everything he said.”

Richter laughed again and helped the gnome up. “I can live with
that. I accept your pledge and promise to tell you if you start being an
asshole again.”

Beyan smiled and said, “I can live with that too.”

“Well if this excess of manliness is done, I have work to do,”

Sumiko said with a huff.

“Actually, miss sassy,” Richter said with a smile, “I’d like you to
come up to the meadow with me. There is something that I think you
would like to see.” Sion jogged up to them and handed over Richter’s Bag
of Holding. The sprite nodded to him and Richter said, “Let’s go.”

They walked up the slope. At the top, Isabella and Terrod were
laughing about something and a few other people were working in the
garden. The woman ran up to Richter and embraced him again. How she
didn’t hurt her fun bags on his armor he had no idea, but since it didn’t

seem to bother Terrod, he wasn’t going to complain. “Thank you for

bringing him back safely from the hunt, my lord. My Terrod has told me
that you even gave him your sword, leaving yourself defenseless, when he
lost his. Thank you!”

Richter laughed and extricated himself from her embrace. “It was a

team effort. I’m glad you’re here though. There is something I would like
you to see.” He told all of the other gardeners to stop what they were doing
and to follow him as well. For good measure, he even cupped his hands to
his mouth and shouted towards the Quickening, “Come on over and see

something cool!” He had to imagine that the sprite guards Hisako had left
behind got bored just guarding the tree and the pixies.

Richter walked past the garden and went another two hundred
yards. He turned around and addressed everyone, “I wish the entire village

could be here, but I’m happy I can share it with you.” Then he reached into
his Bag and took out the item he had sent Sion to retrieve, the alchemy set
he had bought from Leandra’s shop so long ago. He carefully reassembled
it while his people watched, confused. When he was done, he turned back

to them and with dramatic flair, removed the Magic Core from his Bag.

“By the reaper’s gonads! You have another one?” Beyan asked,
shocked.

“What? Does the reaper even have gonads?” Richter asked in a half

laugh.

“Big as melons, just like mine,” Beyan replied without missing a

beat. “But the point is where did you find another one?” The gnome’s stare
was threatening to burn a hole through the object.

“The where doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am about to make

a Philosopher’s Cauldron. That’s why I needed to know where you stood.

Before today I would never have trusted you near this, but I want you to
work here. We both have a ways to go before we have a deep trust, but
today was a good start. Sion will be in charge here and there is apparently

another alchemist I need to meet, but I invite you to use whatever I am

about to create.”

Beyan bowed his head and said, “I am honored, my lord.”

Richter nodded to the gnome and without further ado, brought the

Core and the alchemy set together. A prompt appeared.

Do you wish to create a Philosopher’s Cauldron? Yes or No?

Richter chose “Yes.” The prompt disappeared and another took its
place.

Know This! A third component is required to create a Philosopher’s

Cauldron. You must supply a potion ingredient.

Richter dismissed the prompt. It only made sense, he supposed.

The elementum had been such an important part of determining the

character of the Forge of Heavens. The question was, what could he add?
The garden was right there and it was growing herbs and plants of various
types, but that seemed too mundane an option. He pulled up his inventory

to see what else he had available. If he didn’t find any good options, then
there was nothing forcing him to use the Magic Core right now. This was
the last day to use some of his skill bonuses from leveling, though, and if he
wanted to put them to the best use, it would be after he got whatever bonus

he would earn from building the Cauldron.

The first thing that his eyes landed on was the enhanced crystal he
had gotten from slaying the crystal guardian. When he put the components
together, though, a prompt told him that the crystal was a resource, not an
ingredient. So he put the crystal back and searched for the next item. He

smiled when he saw an item that he had completely forgotten about.

Know This! The ingredient will determine the Traits affecting the creation

of potions. You have supplied the ingredient: Rotting Blue Berries.

Trait(s): +0.5% potion creation success rate. +100% effectiveness of
intellect potions. +2% chance of adding random undesirable effect to
potions. Do you wish to make the Cauldron of Twisted Focus? Yes or No?

Well, I can certainly do better than that, he thought with a smile. He

handed the berries to one of the gardeners and told him to see if they could
grow anything. He also motioned for Futen to come closer and told him the
results and to relate a comprehensive list to Randolphus later on. A

compendium of the effects of Magic Cores could come in handy in the

future. Richter pulled out the next item. A simple healing herb that he had
picked from the forest.

Know This! The ingredient will determine the Traits affecting the creation
of potions. You have supplied the ingredient: Forest Sage. Trait(s):

Healing potions will automatically be one level higher. Do you wish to

make the Cauldron of Basic Healing? Yes or No?

“What are you doing with that sage, my lord?” Beyan asked. The
question was obviously directed at Richter, but the gnome’s eyes were

glued to the Magic Core. Richter tried not to laugh at him while he
explained what was happening. Immediately, everyone started shouting out
herb examples. Richter exhaled with irritation. This was why he hadn’t
told everyone immediately. It felt like he was on The Price is Right bidding

on a tube of toothpaste! He just nodded and fake smiled as he listened to

the cacophony and started trying other items from his Bag. He just couldn’t
resist seeing what would happen with the next ingredient.

Know This! The ingredient will determine the Traits affecting the creation

of potions. You have supplied the ingredient: Skath Fat. Trait(s): ‘Oil’
level potions will be twice as powerful. Incendiary potions will be twice as
powerful. Do you wish to make the Cauldron of Flammable Oil? Yes or
No?

Hmmm, stronger than he would have guessed, Richter thought. He

chose “No” again. He told Futen the effect, and decided to quit playing
around.

Know This! The ingredient will determine the Traits affecting the creation

of potions. You have supplied the ingredient: Blood of the Dark

Aberration. Trait(s): Dark magic and the agony of thousands suffuse this
blood. All Dark potions are 300% stronger. All Light potions 60% weaker.
Spilling the life’s blood of creatures in the central cauldron will increase the

power of any created potions for a short time. This benefit is increased
both by the level of sentience of your offering and the degree of suffering it
experiences before death. Do you wish to make the Cauldron of Dark
Sacrifice? Yes or No?
 “Holy fuck!” Richter exclaimed. A chorus of questions immediately
came his way, but he waved them away. He would NOT let this
information out into the world. He wasn’t interested at all, but he was sure
some sick fuck would have no problem torturing puppies and babies to

make stronger potions. Still, knowledge was knowledge. He whispered the

effects to Futen and then took out the next ingredient. Richter was fairly
certain this wouldn’t be nice and cuddly either, but he had to know.

Know This! The ingredient will determine the Traits affecting the creation

of potions. You have supplied the ingredient: Crypt Mistress Ichor.

Trait(s): The true power of this demon lies in the spell disciplines of
necromancy and enchantment. Potions dealing with those disciplines are
200% stronger. You will be able to make a unique potion: Death’s Kiss.
Forcing another to take this potion for ten days in a row will make them

your slave, though it will halve their natural life span. Do you wish to make
the Cauldron of Demon Slavery? Yes or No?

Richter’s lips twisted in disgust. He wasn’t sure which option

would have disgusted him more. He started to whisper the results to Futen,

but this time he decided not to even do that. The Land could continue on
without this particular knowledge. Even if it was already out there, he
wouldn’t compound the problem. He just put the vial away.
 His eyes were drawn to another item, and he felt something. It was
a still moment. Like after you throw a dart and know it will hit the bullseye
while it’s still in the air. Or the moment right before you lean in, but
already know she’s going to kiss you back. He knew he had the right

choice. He withdrew the item from his Bag and completed the trinity of the
ingredient, the set, and the Core.

Know This! The ingredient will determine the Traits affecting the creation
of potions. You have supplied the ingredient: Blood of Aged Glass

Dragon. Trait(s): Glass dragons are not the most powerful beings in The
Land, but they are among the toughest. Their blood and bodies embody the
impossibly hard and clear metal, glass. Dragons will continue to get larger
and stronger as they age. This Cauldron will do the same. New

characteristics may appear as the Cauldron ages. The advanced years of

the dragon this was obtained from has magnified the effects of its blood.
Created potions have a 0.08% chance of having another effect which will
permanently increase a characteristic, skill, affinity, or resistance. Potions

will also increase in strength the longer they go unused. Do you wish to
make the Dragon’s Cauldron? Yes or No?

Richter smiled and selected “Yes.”

The Core and bottle of clear blood rose from his hand. The glass
holding the blood suddenly shattered with a loud crack. Richter and
everyone else threw up their arms to shield their faces, but the force that
sundered the bottle was so great that all that was left were tiny particles.
The explosion still distracted everyone enough that no one saw a single

drop of the blood fall onto Richter’s left forearm. It oozed through the
small holes in the straps that secured Richter’s bracer to his arm before the
clear blood soaked into his skin without leaving a trace.

When everyone looked again, they saw that the blood had formed

into a sphere equal in size to the Core. The two spheres began to follow the
track of an unseen circle, tracing a matching orbit as they descended
towards the alchemy equipment. The circle they followed grew tighter until
they were so close that they merged and became a shining ball of light. It
grew in intensity until it was almost blinding. Even when Richter blinked,

he could still see a red and orange afterimage.

The brilliant globe touched the alchemy set and infused it with the
same light. The globe disappeared. The set just stood there shining for a
few seconds, but then spherical pulses of light began to come off of it like it

was the nucleus of a slow-moving explosion. The light washed over

Richter, Sion, and everyone nearby, then it swept through the meadow past
the city walls and into the forest. As it washed over everyone, they rocked
back slightly. The pulse had the same resistance as a slow moving ocean

wave. Once the first pulse was gone, another two came in swift succession,
then three, then four. Despite the fact that each pulse barely had any force
to it, the frequency increased until it felt like it was a steady push.
Everyone standing with Richter was slowly bowed down, until they knelt

before the majestic birth of The Land’s newest wonder.

All of a sudden, the light vanished. Everyone had closed their eyes
against the sea of light that had washed over them. A host of prompts
cluttered his vision even with his eyes shut, but Richter just minimized

them all. He had to see his new awesomeness!

Richter looked up, blinking quickly to clear his eyes of sunspots,

and saw that he was standing in a building made of pure glass. The walls
were faceted and cut like a gemstone, and the sun made faint rainbows on

the inner surface as it shone through. Just as with the birth of the Forge of
Heavens, the building had grown up around them. The villagers with him
exclaimed in wonder as they examined the many parts of the Dragon’s
Cauldron.

As Richter looked around, he was astonished not just by the beauty

of the building, which was larger than the Forge of Heavens, but by the fact
that many parts of it looked like a twenty-first-century lab. Beakers and
cylinders of various sizes sat against the walls, all made of glass. Against
one wall was a vented hood that looked just like the one in his tenth grade

chemistry class. There were even streams of water coming down from the
ceiling in each of the corners. Richter walked up to one of these streams
and saw that inside of a nearby wall, water was being funneled up from the

ground and then released to fall back down and drain out through the floor.
It was plumbing!

Alchemical sets of various types were in discrete stations around the

room. Some were large and others were small and Richter even saw one

that was in a case. He checked it and it registered as a portable alchemical

set of Core-level quality. He closed the lid on the case and placed it in his
bag. Who knew when something like this might come in handy?

In the center of the building was the cauldron itself. It was perched
on four waist-high pillars that curved in a counterclockwise spiral. The

cauldron was the size of a large pumpkin and had a wide circular mouth.
The entire thing was built of glass which refracted the light beautifully, but
what was amazing was that through the thick walls of the cauldron, he
could see clear blood vessels tracing through it. On closer inspection, each

of the four pillars also had vessels as well. As he watched, the vessels
slowly pulsed, growing larger, then smaller as they pushed the glass blood
around the circuit of the cauldron and up and down the columns. Standing
next to it, he felt like he was actually standing next to the beating heart of a

dragon. As close as he was, without even touching it Richter could feel the
slow vibration of the blood coursing through the cauldron like the rumble of
a far-off train.

Richter’s inspection was interrupted when he heard a feminine

exclamation of delight. He looked to the right and saw that attached to the
main building of the Cauldron was what looked like a greenhouse.
Scratching absently at his arm, he walked over to Isabella and the other

gardeners who were running around the spacious attachment. The

greenhouse was about twice as large as a two-car garage. Once he had
walked in, he could see that at one end, the glass was completely frosted
over so that much less light would filter through in that section. He

supposed that would make it much easier to grow a wide variety of plants.
If this was meant to grow anything an alchemist might need, though, what
about plants that could only grow in darkness like the lichen in the
catacombs?

Terrod shouted out, “I found a trapdoor.”

Well ask a stupid question, Richter thought. He walked over and

drew his sword while Sion nocked an arrow to his bow. He didn’t think that
anything would come out and attack him once the door was opened, but he
hadn’t expected a greasy black tentacle monster to almost rape him when he

went into the waterfall cave either. Caution was definitely called for.
Everyone else stood back, and at Richter’s nod, Terrod grasped the ring

handle and yanked the door open.

There was simply a series of steps leading downward. Sion

chuckled and then Richter and Terrod joined him. Richter’s heart rate
slowed down, and he exhaled in a short, forceful huff. The levity died

quickly, though, because they all realized the job wasn’t done. Alma flew
up and landed on his shoulder, her neck extending past his face. He figured
he was as ready as he was going to be and he walked down the stairs.

The steps were made of glass just like the rest of the Cauldron, but it
was pebbled to have the texture of fine sandpaper, so he didn’t need to

worry about slipping and breaking his neck. It seemed that whatever
cosmic architect had made the Cauldron had thought of everything. The
stairs crossed back on themselves three times so that at the bottom, it was
near pitch-black. After the last stair there was a short hallway and a door.

Casting Darkvision I, he opened the door ready for violence… and saw the
inside of an empty room.

Smiling at his own paranoia, he called up that it was safe and looked
around. There actually wasn’t too much to see, just a series of alcoves that

looked like scalloped wall lamps built into the walls. He could see them
being the perfect spot for potting plants.
 Chuckling to himself, he saw that the only other things in the room

were three long glass tables that grew out of the floor. Turning around, he
squeezed past everyone on the stairs and headed back up to the sunshine.
When he got back up, he saw a mist worker carrying eggs and decided to
sneak off while everyone else was still busy.

He cast Haste I on the mist worker and then quickly moved off
towards the banks of the lake. A mental call to Futen brought the remnant

floating along behind him. The roar of the waterfall grew louder the closer
he got, and before long, he was at the edge of the lake. The guard that he

had ordered stationed here was walking the perimeter of the lake. When he
saw his lord, he began to jog over, but Richter waved him away. He then

hunted around for a few minutes before finding a nice muddy patch of earth

that was hidden from view by a small overhang of turf that extended over
the lake by about a foot.

Richter had the mist worker give him the eggs one at a time. Taking

a break only to try and dig his fingers under his bracer to scratch an itch, he

carefully worked each one into the mud until they were half buried, just like
they had been when he found them. He didn’t really know if he would be

able to tame these things, but some of his favorite games had been when he
was a beast master. If he was able to harness the baby skaths’ potential, he

could grow them into an aquatic strike force or maybe even attack mounts.
It was probably a long shot, but he had no idea what was possible in The

Land. It didn’t hurt him to try.

His efforts were rewarded. After he placed the last egg into the

mud, Richter received a prompt.

You have been offered a Quest: Beast Tamer I! Every creature in The Land
struggles for survival. Conflict is not the only way to survive, though. Even

the most violent monster can be turned into an ally if you have the skill.

Will you protect this clutch of skath eggs until they hatch? Yes or No?
Reward: Baby skaths. Reward for accepting the Quest: The spell Tame.

Richter smiled. It looked like he was on the right track. He selected

“Yes” and was about to head back to the Philosopher’s Cauldron when

more prompts appeared.

Know This! Not everyone has the skill to breed the dangerous creatures of
The Land. As you possess the requisite affinities, however, you are awarded

the skills: Beast Bonding and Blood Magic to aid you in your quest.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Beast Bonding. The types of

life that fill the various planes and realities of The Land are more numerous
than the stars in the sky. Masters of this skill can cause even the mightiest

creatures to heed their call. Be not fooled, the roads to bonding are many

and total dominance is only one.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Tame! Bend the will of a
creature to your own. Creature level must be less than or equal to your

rank in the skill: Beast Bonding. At the rank of Novice, you may attempt to

tame weak-level souls and may use the spell once per day. If you tame the
same creature for a required number of days in a row, then it will be loyal

to you til death. As a novice in Beast Bonding, the required time is six days

for every level of the creature you have tamed. Betray the sacred trust with
your bonded beast to your peril! This is a spell of Blood Magic. Cost:100

mana, 100 health, 100 stamina. Duration: 40 hours. Range: Touch. Cast
Time: 5 seconds. Cooldown: 12 hours.

Know This! Your close bond with a psi dragonling gives you an advantage
in taming reptiles. At Psi Bond level 4, you receive +8 skill levels to Beast

Bonding when taming reptiles.

Know This! The likelihood of taming a creature is based primarily upon its
level compared to your effective skill level (not including specific

resistances). Each time a creature is successfully tamed their effective level

is decreased by one for the purposes of your chances of successfully taming

again. Their actual level remains unchanged by casting Tame. Leveling

your creature will make repeat tames more difficult.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Blood Magic.

Know This! Blood magic is a form of Deeper Magic. The path to Power is

never without cost. Beware using your power without thought, there could

be consequences to such reckless pursuit of your goals.

Richter read through the prompts several times. A spell that had a
stamina, mana, AND health cost? And a hundred points of any one of them

was no small thing. If he had tried the spell when he first came to The

Land, it would have killed him! It never entered his mind that he wouldn’t
pay the spell cost, though. Tame opened up too many possibilities. The

collar of submission had been burning a hole in his proverbial pocket, but
he hadn’t wanted to waste it on a low-level monster. Now that he had

Tame, though, he could start bringing some monsters over to his side.

He looked at the skath eggs again and this time there was more

information on the prompt.

You have found: River Skath Egg. Health 9/10. Durability: 4/4. Item

Class: Common. Weight: 0.5 kg. Trait(s): Will lose 1 HP per day unless
properly cared for. Will hatch in fifteen to thirty days.

Well I guess I can’t just leave them here, Richter thought. He

thought about it for a moment. Maybe they’re just dry, he reasoned. They
are “river” skath eggs after all. He dipped his hand into the lake and poured
some water on top of the white shell. There wasn’t any physical difference,

but he did get another prompt.

You lack the necessary skill to care for: River Skath Egg.

“Damn,” Richter said quietly. He had to hope that someone in the

village could do it or maybe one of the sprites. If none of the villagers

could help, the six-day round trip to the Hearth Tree would still let him help

the eggs before they died. “Futen, tell Randolphus to go through the
knowledge tablet and see if anyone has the skills to care for some skath

eggs. I have Beast Bonding. None of the villagers have that skill, but
maybe they have another that will work. Make sure he knows where the

eggs are hidden. I also want you to summon a mist worker to watch these

eggs twenty-four seven, at least until we can find someone to care for
them.” The last thing he wanted was for a skath to hatch and harm one of

the village children. “Also tell Randy to have Roswan build a small

paddock around the eggs. It’ll serve to protect them and keep them penned
in if they suddenly hatch.”

“As you command, my lord,” came Futen’s typical monotone reply.

“Thanks, Futen,” Richter said absently. He ordered Futen to take

the mist worker to go find Roswan. He was sure the builder would put the

worker to good use. As he started the walk back towards the Cauldron, he
saw a steady stream of villagers walking from the other direction to look at

the new Core building their Lord had created. A nagging red blinking in the

corner of his vision reminded him of the prompts he had minimized during
the Cauldron’s creation. A torrent of transparent windows flooded his

vision.

Congratulations! You have created: The Dragon’s Cauldron! Each

Philosopher’s Cauldron is granted powers based upon where it has been

created. The dragon’s blood used in its creation has found resonance with

the Life magic of your Place of Power. Your central cauldron has been

imbued with a hint of life. What this bodes for the future cannot be known,
but the beating heart of the Cauldron may rarely infuse potions with a touch

of the dragon’s essence, increasing their potency many fold.

Know This! Your Philosopher’s Cauldron has been built with the blood of

an aged glass dragon. Your Philosopher’s Cauldron is currently: Level 1.

At this level, any potions created by the Dragon’s Cauldron will have a

0.08% chance of having an extra effect which will permanently increase a

characteristic, skill, affinity, or resistance. Potions you create will grow

stronger over time.

Congratulations! You have crafted a Legendary Object: The Dragon’s

Cauldron. In light of this amazing achievement, you may choose to

drastically increase your skill level in either Enchanting, Alchemy, Crafting,

or Herb Lore. Which do you choose?

Richter paused before moving onto the notification window. He had

been hoping to get the option to improve his Enchanting skill again. He had

planned to choose it despite whatever options were offered, but he hadn’t

counted on Herb Lore being present. On the surface, there was no

comparison between the two. He would choose Enchanting ten times out of

ten. There was one other thing to consider, though: the Quickening. Sion

had mentioned once that Herb Lore was so valued by his people because at
higher ranks it allowed you to accelerate the growth of plants. Richter

pondered the decision as he walked towards the Cauldron.

He ultimately decided on the Enchanting skill bonus. Better to go

with a known benefit that he could use now rather than an Herb Lore

benefit that might still mean years of waiting for a potential gain. Richter

selected “Enchanting” on the prompt and waited to see what he would get.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 30 in Enchanting. All

enchantments 1% more effective and increased chance of enchantments

taking hold.

…
Congratulations! You have reached skill level 46 in Enchanting. All
enchantments 1% more effective and increased chance of enchantments

taking hold.

You have received 7,500 (base 6,000) bonus experience for reaching level

30 in the skill: Enchanting.

You have received 10,000 (base 8,000) bonus experience for reaching level
40 in the skill: Enchanting.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Apprentice to Journeyman in:

Enchanting. You can now create magic books based on spells that you

already know or if you are in the presence of someone else who is willing to
have you scribe their knowledge. You can now create skill books based

upon skills that you already have or if you are in the presence of someone

else who is willing to have you scribe their knowledge. You can now add
enchantments to already created items, albeit with a 40% penalty to

effectiveness. You can now help other craftsmen enchant items they are
creating. Enchantment will be based upon your skill level.

Richter clapped his hands together. “Whooose house? Richter’s

house!” He laughed wildly at the huge bump to his skill. Alma’s head rose

from his shoulder. She glared at him before lying back down. He turned
his head and winked at her before continuing to go through his prompts.
Know This! Your creation of the Dragon’s Cauldron represents devotion to

the furthering of alchemical sciences. You now enjoy an increased

relationship with all alchemists in the village.

Bonus Reward: Your people are impressed by the creation of a Legendary

Object. Morale increased by +50.

Congratulations! You have created a Legendary Object! You have won

+1,000 fame points!

Know This! You have built a fully functional alchemist’s workshop. Your

settlement will now enjoy the Building Bonus of increased chance of higher
strength potions and increased chance of successful potion creation.

Know This! As you have built a Philosopher’s Cauldron, you have maxed

out the Building Bonus of having an alchemist’s workshop. +10% chance

of a potion being automatically upgraded to a higher quality once

completed. +10% chance of a potion being successfully created.

There was more to read about the Cauldron’s properties, but

something strange happened. A prompt with a flashing red outline jumped

to the front of the message queue. The color flashed as if to demand his
immediate attention.

Know This! You are intrinsically linked to your Place of Power. By

creating a Legendary Object within its boundaries, you have been Marked.
The dragon’s blood you have absorbed will change you, and the full effects
may not be seen for millennia to come.

Richter abruptly stopped walking. “When I absorbed what now?”

he exclaimed loudly. He began to experience a familiar tingling over the

entirety of his body. It began as barely noticeable but quickly became

intense, like the worst itch of his life. This is different than my previous

marks, Richter thought with some concern. The sensation began to localize

to the inside of his left forearm and as the area grew smaller, the itch grew
more intense. It felt like beetles were crawling under his skin! The area

was covered by the straps of his bracer, so he hurriedly started untying

them. His fingers fumbled in his panic and before he had even undone the

first clasp, the pain skyrocketed and spread out from his arm to encompass

his whole body. His blood was boiling!

Richter screamed. His back arched from a muscle spasm and one of
his vertebrae fractured from the strain. His only thoughts were of the

horrifying agony that somehow still seemed to be getting worse. His red

status bar flashed as whatever was happening to him drained his health
points at a prodigious rate. Alma flared golden, casting Slow Heal I, but it

didn’t stop the transformation that was racking his body with more pain
than he would have thought physically possible to experience.
 A rib broke and punctured his lung. Blood shot from his mouth in a

brief spurt as the change in pressure in his chest cavity triggered a reflex to

expel perceived foreign matter. An evolutionary reflex meant to buy a few

more moments of life when his body was faced with massive trauma.

Richter’s neck contorted in a hopeless attempt to escape the pain he was

experiencing, and his last sight was of his guards running towards him,

swords drawn. As he fell to the ground and blackness flooded in all around
him, Alma landed and placed her head on his chest, crooning in despair.

OceanofPDF.com
 HAPTER 20

Richter came to a few minutes later. The first thing that he noticed

was the lack of pain. Without even opening his eyes, he said, “Oh thank
god!”

One of the villagers cried out, “He calls upon the banished gods!

His end must be near!” A wailing moan rose up from many throats all
around him. Fuck me, Richter thought. Tears and hysteria were the last

thing he needed at that particular moment. He was about to open his eyes
and tell everyone to be calm, when a matronly voice spoke up with the

commanding certainty of a general.

“Quiet all that noise before I thump you and give you something to

really cry about. Our lord just spoke. In my experience that is much more

likely to indicate life than impending doom! Now get back. Get back!”

As Richter opened his eyes he saw a brown blur in the shape of a

cane swing out and rap someone on top of the head. There was a

corresponding “OW!” and the crowd of shapes hovering above him pulled
back. Well, dude, she warned you, he thought. Terrod’s face came into his
field of vision and the captain reached down and helped Richter up. Once

he was standing, though, the captain took a step back with a startled, “Wha

—?”

Richter couldn’t be sure of course, but he was fairly certain Terrod’s

exclamation had something to do with the fact that it seemed like he had

grown. Terrod was a tall man and had always been able to look Richter

straight in the eye. Now, though, Richter had to crane his neck down

slightly to make eye contact. By his guess, he must have grown two or
three inches!

Despite everything that he had just been through, his first thought

was that maybe he could dunk now. His second thought, he was ashamed

to say, was that this should make it easier to get laid! Luckily, his third

thought showed at least the smallest amount of introspection and maturity,

as he wondered if there were any external changes to his appearance. He

raised his hands and cast Mirror.

A flat reflective surface appeared in front of him. While his people

whispered to each other around him, he moved close to the mirror and
examined himself. After a minute of close scrutiny, he felt fairly certain he

hadn’t grown any scales and that his tongue wasn’t forked. He dismissed

the mirror and was about to address his people when one final and horrible

thought occurred to him. He reached his hand into his pants and made sure
that everything was where it should be, then exhaled a sigh of profound

relief. The monster was safe! Sumiko let out a disgusted grunt and started

walking off muttering about the idiocy of men.

“Are you alright?” Sion asked. “What just happened?”

Richter shook his head. “I’m not exactly sure. I was reading about a

new Mark when— Alma! Not so tight!” The dragonling had flown down

from where she was circling overhead and had wrapped herself around his

neck in a tight hug.

*I was so worried, Master! You were bleeding from your eyes! Oh,

Master, never do that again!* Then her tone grew scolding. *What did you

do? Whatever you did, never do that again!*

Richter pried her body loose from the choke grip she had and then

shook his head. Why was it that the smarter and wiser a woman got the

more they believed that anything bad that happened was somehow a man’s

fault! It was quite rude in Richter’s opinion. The fact that the women in his

life were usually right in blaming him for any mischief that might arise was

completely beside the point. He sent calming thoughts to his familiar, but

only received a mental huff in response. He absently noted that Alma’s

thoughts were clearer than he had ever heard them before.

 He looked around and assured his villagers that he was fine. A

subtle look to Terrod spurred the captain to start shooing everyone away. It

wasn’t too difficult to convince everyone though. Now that they could see
that their lord was up and about again, they remembered the majesty of the

Dragon’s Cauldron. Krom was known to chase lookeyloos away from his

Forge with a hammer, so most of the villagers hadn’t been able to closely

examine a Core building before. Besides, the old villagers had started to

become accustomed to their lord’s eccentricities.

His people moved off, and Richter felt a bit of relief at no longer

being under the microscope. The truth was, he was just as eager as anyone

else to know what had happened. The only time he had felt pain worse than

what he had just gone through was when that bitch Sonirae had maimed

him. His lips twisted in disgust as that particular memory flashed through

his mind, but he didn’t let himself dwell. Instead, he focused on the now.

Richter turned his left arm over and started undoing the straps of his

bracer. After watching him pick at the tight knots for ten seconds, Sion

grunted in irritation and moved over to help him. The sprite’s smaller
fingers made quick work of the knots, and the bracer fell free. All Richter

saw was smooth unbroken skin, but with a bit of focus, his newest Mark

revealed itself.
 The Mark itself looked like a glass dragon that had been pressed

into his skin. Its body was bent into a circle and its snout was touching its

tail. The entire thing was only two inches in diameter, and Richter looked

at it bemused. It seemed crazy that the horrid ordeal he had just lived

through had just been to get this strange little tattoo. When he started

reading the prompts waiting for his review, he realized he had gained much

more than that.

You have received a Mark: Dragonkin I.

Know This! You are now considered dragonkin. This may drastically

change how some races respond to you, for good or ill. The reaction may

be instinctual as few will be able to detect the change simply based on your

physical form. The full ramifications for this may never be known, but the

following changes have taken place immediately: Strength +5.

Constitution +5. Fire resistance +5%. Fire magic +5%.

Know This! Being dragonkin gives you a considerably increased

connection with the Dragon’s Cauldron. What this bodes for the future,

only time will tell.

Richter smiled. Well that explained the increase in height. His body

was just making allowances for his increased stats. And dragonkin? It

didn’t get much more badass than that.

 Sion and Terrod looked like they were ready to brain him if he

didn’t share, so he told them about his increased stats. Something made

him hold back from telling him that he was now dragonkin, though. He

didn’t understand what it meant, but the message on the prompt was clear.

The people of The Land could have a strong reaction to the information,

and the response might not be a good one. Now was not the time to find

out that Sion’s ancestors had been killed by dragons or something like that.

Sprites were known to hold a racial grudge, as evidenced by Sion’s hatred

of goblins, even harmless ale-serving ones. No, Richter decided, he would

keep this to himself for now. He waved his Companions forward, and they

started walking back to the Cauldron. Richter dealt with the rest of the

prompts.

Know This! As dragonkin, your bond with your dragonling familiar has

deepened. Psi Bond increased to level 5! Your familiar’s base innate

intellect is increased by 100%. She can now communicate with you without

restriction. Her base Intelligence and Wisdom are also increased by 60%.

You will also benefit from this stronger tie to your familiar. Your mental

resistance from Psi Bond has increased to 40%. Maximum distance of

communication increased from 1000 yards to 1250 yards. Tasks which

require strength of mind will come even easier than before. The Psi Bond
has provided your familiar with a greater understanding of herself and has

unlocked a new ability!

Your familiar has gained the ability: Psi Channeling. You may now cast

spells through your familiar. The cast time will still be the same for you,

but any restrictions based on distance can use the location of your familiar

as the casting point! At the current level, the range of Psi Channeling is

one hundred yards, and using this ability will require 300% greater mana

usage. Any other spell requirements will remain unchanged.

Know This! Tame is now much more effective in regard to reptiles. Being

dragonkin gives +10 skill levels to taming reptiles. Psi Bond level 5 gives
+10 skill levels to taming reptiles. You may attempt to tame up to common-

level reptile souls.

Though Richter couldn’t bring himself to actually admit that the

new skills and abilities were worth the pain he had experienced, in his heart
he knew he would go through it again. The increased stats were great, but

the ability to channel his magic through Alma was amazing. He wouldn’t
have to wait for enemies to get within striking distance anymore! True, the

mana penalty meant he couldn’t use the ability indiscriminately, but it was
awesome to have the option.
 The three Companions were a few hundred yards away from the
Cauldron now, so Richter quickly went through the remaining prompts. He

planned to clear most everyone else out when he got there and then play
with his new toy!

Know This! Your Philosopher’s Cauldron can transmute one base

ingredient or resource into another. The conversion ratio will be greatly

determined by the abundance of both the initial resource and the final
resource in the surrounding lands. Simply place the ingredient you wish to

change into the central cauldron to initiate the transmutation. The

Cauldron can only make ingredients or resources that have already been

placed in the central cauldron and subsequently consumed.

Know This! Placing an assortment of ingredients in the central cauldron

will allow you to know if a potion can be created from that combination. At

the Cauldron’s current level, this can be used once per day.

Know This! Placing a potion into the central cauldron will give you the

chance to learn the exact recipe used to create the potion. The potion is
used up during this procedure. If local equivalents of the ingredients exist,

those will be provided as a substitute recipe. Each time the potion is

created there is a small chance to learn another recipe for either that potion

level, the level below, or the level above.

Know This! Your Map Making skill is synergistic with your Cauldron.
While ingredients common to your location will not be marked, the general

location of rarer ingredients may be indicated. Increase your Herb Lore

and exploration to increase the effectiveness of this.

Know This! At this level, your Dragon’s Cauldron has a final function to
separate it from common alchemy sets. If a potion is successfully created, it

can be placed in the central cauldron. If enough materials can be provided,

there is a 100% chance to make nine additional potions of the same level

and strength. Potions created in this way cannot be used to trigger this or
the Cauldron’s other powers.

Richter still didn’t understand exactly how potion levels worked or

what the difference was between levels and strength, but he was excited to

find out. He couldn’t wait to start learning some recipes. He still

remembered Beyan yelling at him for almost idly drinking the luck potion.
He still hadn’t used it for fear of needing a boost to his luck sometime in the

future. If he could get an unlimited supply of them though… the sky was
the limit.

He went through the final prompts.

You have completed the Quest: If It Grows From The Ground, It’s

Probably Okay I. You have completed the first quest given to you by one of
your villagers! Doing this has shown that you are attentive to their needs.

You have been granted the Administration skill. You have gone above and
beyond the call of this quest by supplying a Core-level building! All

rewards doubled!

Reward: 7,500 (base 3,000) experience points.

Bonus Reward for supplying underground area: 10,000 (base 4,000)

experience points.

Reward: +20 (base +10) village-wide Loyalty.

Know This! As you have built a Philosopher’s Cauldron, you have maxed
out the Building Bonus of having an Herb Shed. +10% growth of herbs.

+10% strength of herbs.

Congratulations! You have been granted the skill: Administration. Not

every conqueror can rule the conquered. Not every ruler can rule well.
You have shown that you can meet the needs of your people, however.

Increasing this skill will affect every facet of your village’s abilities.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in Administration. +1% to

Morale, Loyalty, and Production for your village.

They walked into the Cauldron, and Richter gave an order. Terrod

and the other guards slowly began ushering everyone else out. Isabella,
Beyan, and Sumiko were allowed to stay. Terrod’s wife leaned in and

thanked Richter profusely.

“My Lord, I never expected something so grand! This is amazing.”

She looked around the building and ran her hand through one of the
rainbows being created by the sun shining through the walls. She looked

through the wall to her tilled garden outside and then looked at Richter
while biting her lip. She opened her mouth slightly, but then closed her lips

again and seemed to withdraw into herself. He watched her follow through
that pattern a few more times before he took pity on her.

“Is there something else I can help you with, Isabella?”

“My Lord, you have already done so much! I couldn’t ask—”

Richter held up his hand with a laugh. “Just ask, Isabella. What do

you need?”

She shrugged cutely and said, “It’s just that…”

You have been offered a Quest: If It Grows From The Ground, It’s
Probably Okay II. Isabella has asked you to find five rare-class herbs and

bring back a cutting or seeds to plant in the herb garden. Reward:

Unknown. Yes or No?

Richter easily acceded and chose “Yes.” He waited for everyone

else to file out. One thing was bothering him. He was above level twenty
in his personal level and he now had a journeyman rank. For Enchanting,
he should only need to be personal level ten since it was noncombat. Why

hadn’t he been offered a chance to get a Profession?

A prompt appeared before him. Silver background with black

lettering.

Do you wish to be tested for your Profession? Yes or No?

Richter smiled. It had finally happened. He had some things to do

first, like test out the Cauldron’s capabilities and distribute his level points.
He still needed to speak to Roswan, and Randolphus almost definitely had a

list of things to discuss with him. After that, though, the answer was
obviously going to be yes!

No sooner had the word “yes” popped into his head than a twenty-
foot-tall black disc appeared directly in front of him. A hand the size of an

elephant shot out and grabbed him quick as a flash. Alma squawked as one
of the fingers pinched her tail as it closed over his shoulder. A split second

later, the hand yanked both Richter and the dragonling through the disc.
The hand held him suspended above an inky nothingness for just a

moment. Then it let go.

The whistle of passing air was so loud in his ears that Richter barely

heard his own voice, but the fell creatures that called the netherspace their
home remarked to one another about the strange creature that fell shouting
one word.

“SHHIIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 21

Richter’s face slammed into gravel. He slid for a short distance and

the small stones bit into the tender flesh of his face. It felt like he had been
falling for damn near three or four hours, but he hadn’t hit nearly as hard as

he’d thought he would. It still hurt like hell, though.

“Gunnhhhhh,” he moaned.

“You really needn’t grovel like that, darling,” a masculine and

cultured voice said. “It’s not very dignified.”

Richter picked his head up to look towards the voice and his mouth

dropped open in shock. In front of him was a giant canopy bed with purple

sheets and white silk strung between the posts. The thing was twenty feet

across, and atop it were four huge people. A bare-chested man sat in a lotus
position upon the bed. His skin was an ebony black and hair the color of

old gold hung down to his shoulders. He was at least twelve feet tall,

though it was hard to tell because of his seated position, but even if he had

only been four feet tall, it would have been clear that he radiated strength
and power.
 With him on the bed were three beautiful women. They were all

draped over him, and all completely nude. What made Richter’s mouth

drop open, though, was the fact that he recognized them! Nine-foot-tall

Halle Berry smiled at him seductively from her position stretched across the

man’s lap, while eleven-foot-tall Scarlet Jo rubbed his shoulders and

nibbled at his ear. Rosario Dawson lay on her back to the man’s side and

was slowly playing with her bare breasts while her black hair fell off of the

side of the bed.

“What that fuck is this?” Richter asked, standing up quickly. Except

for the dude being there, he was definitely looking at one of his favorite

dreams. A pebble fell from where it had been imbedded in his forehead.

Scarlet made a beckoning motion with one finger. A part of him wanted to
immediately dive into whatever was happening on the bed, excited that this

could actually be true. Another part of him was screaming, “It’s a trap,

stupid! This type of shit doesn’t actually happen!” For some reason that

part of him was talking in Rob Corddry’s voice.

Rob had never done wrong by him yet (Hot Tub Time Machine,

hello!) so he stayed where he was despite the fact that Black Widow was

now pouting at him.

“So you’re more than just a cock on legs, huh? Well that’s

refreshing,” the man said. He slapped Halle on her beautiful chestnut

colored ass and shooed her off of him. Richter was momentarily distracted

by the wonderful ripples that slap had made in the woman’s perfect bottom,

but then was somewhat bothered by what was about to be revealed when

she moved. Richter breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that the

man was wearing underwear. European speedo underwear that was quite…

bulgy, but underwear nonetheless.

The man started walking closer and said, “I suppose that

introductions are in order. You may call me Nexus.” As he said it he placed

all five fingers to his perfectly proportioned chest and bowed ever so

slightly. “You are %&*#-^!” When Nexus said the last word all Richter
heard was a series of random sounds, most notably a jackhammer and the

screeching of a dial-up modem trying to connect. “And this,” Nexus said

while tracing a finger along Rosario’s areola, “is a fantasy I found in your

mind. Though I don’t know why you made me so… ‘bulgy’ I believe is the

right word?”

“Wha-wha-what? I didn’t make you anything. What the hell are

you talking about?” Richter protested. His gaze kept being drawn to the

bed behind the giant man. The girls had decided to start entertaining

themselves and had made some type of vanilla ice cream sandwich with

Scarlet Jo in the middle. Richter shook his head to focus, but his gaze was

drawn right back when he heard another giggle.

 The man made a tsk, tsk, tsk sound and patted his crotch before

saying, “Methinks the man doth protest too much? Hey! Eyes up here,

cowboy!”

Richter’s gaze snapped to the man’s face. He hadn’t been looking…

“Shut up! I’m not here to play games with you!” Nexus cocked his head
and raised one eyebrow, but Richter didn’t stop. “I’m here to—”

Nexus held up a hand and interrupted. “I know why you have come,

%&*#-^.” This time the noise created sounded like a TIE fighter

screeching by. “You have come because a giant hand plucked you out of

your village and then dropped you down a giant fucking hole. I also know

why you think you’ve come, to be granted a Profession. You are here,

though, to find out your name.”

“I know my name,” Richter said, already disliking the pompous ass.

“My name is %&*#-^.” He heard the sound of paint cans falling onto the

floor. He tried again, but this time he just heard Gerard Butler shout, “This

is SPAR-TA!”

Nexus laughed and clapped his hands together excitedly. “Ohhh,

your mind holds so many wonderful ideas and stories! Delights of all”—he

looked back at the bed—“colors, types, and proclivities.” He walked

towards Richter and leaned over. In a conspiratorial whisper, he said, “One

of them likes backdoor action. Do you want to know which one?”

Before Richter could answer, Nexus’s hand shot out and slapped

him ringingly across the face. “Saucy, saucy,” Nexus mocked as he backed

up. Despite the giant’s playful tone, the blow had been powerful, and

Richter was knocked down to his knees. His health dropped by 10% and

his jaw felt loose in its sockets.

“Enough! I’m here to get my Profession, and if I have to fight you

to get it, then that’s fine by me!” He stood up, trying to ignore the pain in

his face. He glared at the large man with the gravest expression he could

manage.

“Ooooh, so serious. It seems you are determined for there to be

violence! That’s fine, but let’s keep this gentlemanly, sooooo, PUTTEM

UP, PUTTEM UUUP!”

The man’s hair grew into a long mane around his head and his voice

was a dead ringer for the cowardly lion from Oz. Richter looked at Nexus

in utter confusion as he pranced around with both fists up. The giant moved

his hands like they were cycling a bike’s pedals, revolving them in small

circles until he threw a quick jab into Richter’s nose before prancing off

again.
 Richter was getting thoroughly annoyed. That shit had hurt! He

decided it was the last straw. He had been grabbed by some giant fucking

hand, dropped for who knew how long, face planted in gravel, and then

bitch slapped by an insane fucking giant! The muscles in his neck grew

tight and the pain in his jaw just stoked the fires of his anger. Maybe this

was all a test and he was supposed to defeat this asshole in a fair fight, but

fuck fair. It might be true that a great man met his opponent on a field of

honorable combat, but he’d settle for being a good man and just frying the

sumbitch!

He wove his hands in a specific series of movements and sighted

upon Nexus. The giant wasn’t more than ten yards away. Richter smiled

slightly as he shouted the word of Power, “Stati!” Nexus’s body blurred as

the lightning left Richter’s hands in a white bolt. Despite the sort distance,

the spell struck nothing but air before dissipating into the wall behind where

the black giant had stood.

Before he could even look around to see where Nexus had gone,
Richter heard a voice speaking from just behind his right shoulder. In a

thick Latin accent, Nexus asked, “Really, primo? Chu want to play by

prison rules? Chokay culo!”

Richter felt a massive pull on his left shoulder and he flew down

onto his back. Nexus didn’t let him recover as the air fled his lungs, but
instead stomped down on his chest. Three ribs cracked and a sizeable

portion of Richter’s health bar disappeared. The remaining air in his lungs

was squeezed out of his mouth with a horrible sounding wheeze. He looked

up and saw Nexus’s smug face looking down at him. “Who you tryin to get

crazy with, Ese? Don’t you know I’m locooo!” Richter was saved from

answering because suddenly the man disappeared in a flash of light and a

clap of sound.

Richter struggled to catch his breath. After a profound struggle, he

was able to cast Slow Heal I. His health began to rebuild, but the spell

wasn’t able to fix his broken ribs. Every breath was like knives driving into
his left side. When he stood, though, he heard a comforting flapping and

Alma flew down to hover by his shoulder. She let out a small and defiant
roar at the downed giant.

Nexus slowly stood, his back smoking. When he turned to face

Richter and his familiar, there was a broad smile on his face. “I didn’t
expect that! How did she get in here?” He looked up slightly, like he was

examining a screen only he could see, and his fingers moved in a strange
pattern. An orange glow surrounded his hand for a brief second and then

Nexus turned his attention back to Richter. “She’s a soul familiar? I haven’t
seen that in forever! Well it explains how she made it into the Trial.”
 Nexus gave Richter a cocky grin and said, “Still, we can’t really
have her interrupting our duel. Why don’t I summon a little playmate to

keep her company?”

The giant started a furious incantation with his hands moving

quickly to complete the spell form. Richter cast Ice Dagger I, but Nexus
didn’t even bother dodging. The icy shard simply broke against his black

skin as he finished his chant. A metallic grey egg came into being in front
of him and then slowly faded away. In its place was left a mechanical eagle

with a four-foot wingspan. The tips of its wings were razor sharp and its
beak was hooked viciously. It turned its head towards him, and Richter

could see the artificial oculus of its eye tighten as it examined him and his
familiar. It flexed its claws as its metallic wings beat, somehow
noiselessly. The motion kept it suspended in midair, a feat that would have

been impossible for a normal eagle.

Nexus looked at the bird and then back at Alma before he said, “Go

play.”

The eagle shot towards them like a bullet, crossing the space

between them too fast for Richter to even finish a one-second casting.
Instead, he hunched forward slightly and drew the sword on his back in one

smooth motion. The green blade swished through the air almost at a ninety-
degree angle as he tried to bisect the mechanical beast. The eagle surprised
him though.

Barely losing any forward thrust, it tucked both wings into its sides
and corkscrewed its body. The metal bird basically became a ballistic

missile weighing hundreds of pounds, and with its heavy beak leading the
way, it crashed into him like a sledgehammer to the chest. His already

cracked ribs gave way and for the second time in as many hours, bone
punctured his lung and he coughed blood.

Richter fell onto his back with the bird on top of him, and to add
insult to injury, it unfurled its wings as he fell. One taloned claw grabbed

his armor, the tips of its nails easily pierced his sprite armor, and with a beat
of its wings, Richter’s collapse was turned into a measured fall. Even

through the pain he was experiencing, it was clear to him that he was at the
construct’s mercy. As if in agreement, it opened its beak and let loose a
raucous and artificial sounding cry of triumph.

Alma was not about to let her master be manhandled by some

mechanical bitch! Landing on the ground near Richter’s head, she looked
up at the metallic monstrosity atop him and carefully funneled her Psi Blast
in a cone that bypassed Richter’s head but completely encompassed the

bird. Her little dragonling heart beat with anticipation and savage
righteousness as she attacked the foe that had dared touch her beloved
master. The blast of pure psychic energy struck the bird directly in its chest,

but nothing happened.

Nexus laughed loudly. “Psychic attacks might not be your best

option against a mechanical construct, Alma, my love. Just one man’s

opinion. Have fun, you two!”

The eagle beat its powerful wings once more while still standing

upon Richter’s chest. It lowered its head and let loose a scream of defiance
directed at the dragonling. The pressure on his chest increased ever so

slightly, and Richter knew that the artificial bird of prey was about to
launch itself at his familiar. Weaving one hand in the necessary movement,

his other crossed his body to grab the leg that was still holding his armor.
He thought, *RUN!* and finished casting Slow I.

A blue glow surrounded the bird for just a moment. Alma didn’t
like it, but she obeyed her master and shot into the air. A yellow glow

surrounded her and her speed increased. Meanwhile, the construct

apparently didn’t appreciate being held by Richter. It opened the claw that

was holding his armor and pressed down. Four-inch-long talons entered his
body and blood began to flow.

“Gawk!” Richter coughed weakly. One of the claws had pierced his
other lung and an icon appeared in the corner of his vision. It showed a
torso with bands of metal around it. He could easily interpret what it

meant. He was suffocating even though he was surrounded by air. Still he

didn’t let go of his grip on the eagle’s leg. If he was to die, he would give

Alma every chance he could to fly away.

The construct screamed and beat its wings, but it couldn’t get into

the air with his death lock on its leg. Then it looked down at him and
slammed its metal head into his tender organic one. It took care not to

pierce his flesh with its wicked beak, but his head was still compressed
between the hard ground and the mace-like blow. It was too much. He

became dazed and his grip released. The eagle shot into the air with a cry,
chasing after Alma, and Richter was left bleeding and helpless on the

ground. Through his stupor, he thought he heard, “Ooooooh, you know that
had to hurt!”

He came to a few seconds later and immediately reached into his

Bag and pulled out a healing potion. Richter yanked the stopper out with
his teeth and downed the red solution in one go. It immediately started

repairing the internal tissue damage, but could only do so much with his
ribs still out of position. Still, it helped relieve some of the horrible pain he

was feeling. He heard a mechanical attack cry above him and knew he had
to work faster. Alma needed his help.
 Still on his back, Richter dual cast Slow Heal I and golden light
surrounded his hands. Blood flecked his lips as he spoke the word of

Power, but he managed to complete the casting. Healing magic worked

with the potion, and he was able to stand again. He looked around to see
his enemy leaning against a bedpost, looking up and clapping. The ladies

were… otherwise occupied with one another. Richter followed the ebony
giant’s gaze and his heart dropped.

Alma was frantically weaving through the air, trying to avoid the
horrible claws of the eagle. She wove and dodged the aerial hunter, which

was at least four times her size. If it wasn’t for the speed differential that
Slow I and Haste I had provided, it was clear she would have already been

killed. As it was, Richter was pained to see that red blood fell as she
frantically tried to evade death. A gash marred her beautiful dusky scales.

Richter was about to pull his bow from his Bag, when Nexus looked
over with an easy smile. His voice was cultured again. “Oh you’re back

up. Good! I think I’ll take one of your eyes!”

The giant rushed at Richter, each large stride devouring the distance

between them. Richter had time for one move. Praying it would work, he
flexed his legs and jumped away. Nexus reached for him, but before

Richter fell to the ground, he finished the casting he had started before he
moved. A beam of green energy shot from both of his hands. The dual
casted Paralysis Beam I was twice as thick as what had resulted from his
previous castings. It struck Nexus in the chest as his black hand was

extended towards Richter. A horrible smile froze on his face as the spell
took effect, the pearl whiteness of his teeth contrasting with skin the color

of midnight.

Richter hit the ground in a roll. He only had four seconds before the

giant was back on him, and he couldn’t waste it. He kept an internal count.
One!

*Alma! Fly to me!*

The dragonling banked again and avoided the awful talons of the

construct by a hair’s breadth. She immediately dove towards Richter, the

construct just behind. As soon as he was on his feet again, Richter set his

feet wove his fingers in a furious spellcasting. Two!

There was no cleverness to Alma’s flight now, just pure speed. The
aerodynamics of her dracanoid body couldn’t match the artificially
streamlined body of the mechanical eagle, though. The distance between

her and the eagle decreased by the millisecond, but she trusted her master
and would do as he had bid. Power crackled between his hands as she dove
straight towards him, then she heard his voice again, *Drop!*
 Richter channeled the energies of his spell. The dual casting that
had given him such problems in the past now flowed easily and almost

without thought. Independent of any conscious decision, both of his hands

had half bent into claws and then came together until they were almost
touching. He called out a frantic mental warning to Alma, and two sparks
of light appeared in the cage his hands made. THREE!

The sparks combined and formed a brilliant arc of white lightning,

much brighter than any other he had ever created. The crackling bolt shot
towards the space Alma had just vacated. His aim was true and the
lightning sped across the distance to the eagle in a time span measured in
milliseconds. The electrical attack impacted against the large bird, and the

energy overloaded whatever internal process gave it flight. Its wings locked
into place and it plummeted to the ground. When it struck, it was with a
horrible clanging crash. The bird was only ten feet away from him. Richter
finished his count with satisfaction. Four.

He reached for his sword. His hand grasped the hilt, but before he
could draw it free, a hand grasped his shoulder and spun him around. A
large black fist crashed into his face and his body flew through the air.
Teeth and blood filled the back of his throat, and the vertebrae of his neck
ground together as they struggled to protect the delicate spaghetti of his

spinal cord. He lost consciousness before he even struck the ground.

 Alma cried out in her own mind. For the first time, her anger drove
her to connect to a mind other than her master’s. *Leave him alone!* A

yellow glow enveloped her body again and lightning shot towards the
giant. Nexus just smiled that same arrogant grin.

As soon as light began to surround Alma, the giant raised his hand.
A disc of crystalline light appeared and the lightning bolt was drawn to it.

The disc absorbed the energy and then with a pulse, fired it back to the
dragonling. Alma was struck in the head by her own spell and collapsed
just as the eagle had. The bones of one of her wings snapped, and the gash
in her side widened, blood pulsing out onto the ground. Nexus tutted at her

and cast another spell. A cage of purple light appeared over the dragonling,
both keeping her constrained and draining her mana and stamina. He
started walking towards Richter, but then paused and looked at the familiar.
After a moment’s thought, he cast another short spell and gold light

surrounded his fingers briefly before winking out again. Alma’s breathing
eased as her wing straightened and her wound closed. The black giant
didn’t spare her another look. The eagle stirred while Nexus stalked
towards Richter.

Richter had hit the ground hard. Pain woke him back up, but this

time, the damage was too severe for him to recover. His left shoulder had
snapped out of joint and some nerve damage must have resulted, because he
couldn’t move that arm at all. He turned his head to spit out the teeth and

blood filling his mouth and then raggedly gasped for air. His face was a
ruin and every breath was an agony as bone shards were driven deeper into
his lungs. Richter tried to weave his fingers into a healing pattern, but he
couldn’t recover enough air to breathe out the word of Power. Nonetheless,
he tried until a black foot stomped down cruelly on his hand, snapping the

bones. Richter cried out, blood spattering weakly from his ruined mouth, as
he saw Nexus’s leering face look down at him. The eagle flew into view,
slowly circling above them.

“How do you think the fight’s going?” Nexus asked in the smooth,

cultured voice that he had first spoken in. “Personally, I think everything is
going swimmingly.”

Richter glared up at the giant. Tears leaked out of his eyes, bringing
shame to his heart, but the pain skyrocketed as Nexus pressed down harder

on his ruined hand. Richter screamed again. The giant smiled and said,
“Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Foot, do you get it?” Nexus ground
his heel down and Richter screamed until he started choking on his blood
again. “Good! You do get it. As I was saying, we can stop all of this. It’s
not necessary. I can send you home and you can forget all about the fact

that I just made you my bitch. I won’t even kill that flying rat you seem so
fond of. Now how does that sound?”
 The eagle landed next to him and drove its sharp beak into his

shoulder. Richter squirmed and screamed, but couldn’t move anywhere.

Nexus started speaking again. “Come on. You don’t really need to be here.
Let it go. All you need to say is, ‘I relinquish my Profession.’ Just four
simple words. I mean is it really worth more of this?” Nexus whistled

again and the eagle tore off a chunk of Richter’s shoulder, leaving a bloody
hole that drained his blood onto the rocky ground. He passed out again.

Nexus twisted his foot, and Richter came back with a sob. Sweat
from his forehead stung his eyes and mixed with his tears. Alma revived

and cried out to him psychically, but the cage she was in made her too weak
to even move, let alone aid him. She almost immediately sunk back into a
spell-imposed stupor. Richter looked up again and saw Nexus arch an
eyebrow at him, silently asking, “Well?”

Richter closed his eyes and mumbled his reply.

“What was that, old boy?” Nexus asked.

Richter coughed weakly and strained to get his limbs free, but still
couldn’t. He spoke again, his words weak and garbled by the blood in his
mouth.

Nexus sighed and went down on one knee. Richter almost passed
out from relief when the pressure was relieved from his hand. The giant
spoke softly. “Come on. I just have to hear you say the words and this is all

over.” He forcefully grabbed the hair on top of Richter’s head and pulled
the chaos seed’s face towards his own. “So what do you say?”

Richter looked Nexus in the eye and opened his mouth again. He
inhaled and then spit a large glob of congealed blood into the man’s

perfectly sculpted face. Richter began to laugh maniacally, both at his own
audacity and in fearful denial of the retribution that he knew was to come as
the bloody spittle oozed down Nexus’s cheek.

Nexus just continued to hold Richter by the hair as the spittle slowly

oozed down his face. Then he shook his head slightly and said almost
sympathetically, “Oh lad. You shouldn’t have done that.” As Nexus started
to torture him, Richter learned the truth of that statement.

The black giant hurt him again and again. Richter tried distributing

his unused attribute points in a bid to get strong enough to defeat his
tormentor, but for the first time he couldn’t access his personal interface.
Nexus smiled sadistically at him when he tried. With what had become a
familiar tsk, tsk, tsk, he rained blows into Richter’s face until the chaos seed

passed out.

Throughout the brutality, Nexus kept him just short of death, healing
him when necessary. Intermixed with the torture, the giant kept up a
running train of verbal abuse and questions. “Do you give up? Who do you
think you are coming here? I’m not your enemy, you are! No one is going
to help you. Why don’t you help yourself?” Richter wasn’t allowed to
sleep and for some reason didn’t need to eat or drink. His world became

only pain as layer by layer, his personality was stripped away to lay bare the
core of what he was.

After what felt like days of brutality, Richter was limp. The only
reason he was not lying in a heap on the ground was that he was held

upright by glowing magical bands surrounding his chest. His feet were a
few inches off of the floor. He had learned that this was one of Nexus’s
favorite spells. It made escape impossible and left his body accessible for
any torments that the giant could devise. Richter had tried to fight back
several times, and each time it had triggered an even worse round of

retribution. Nexus had just finished his latest attempt to break Richter’s
will—dripping acid, which would burrow its way straight through him, all
over his body—when the giant finally said something different.

“Maybe we can come to a deal. I’m actually getting tired of cutting

and burning you. So how about this. You don’t actually need to say the
words. Just give me… the most valuable thing in that Bag of yours. We
will take that to be your acceptance of the inevitability of your situation.
What did your people always say? The definition of insanity is doing the
same thing over and over and expecting a different result. All that is going
to happen if you stay here is I will keep hurting you. I will hurt you until
the stars burn out. Time moves differently in this place. I’m not making
idle threats. I will break your mind until all that is left is a drooling ruin of

who you used to be. Or”—Nexus’s face softened and his tone grew
convincingly kind—“you can be reasonable, be logical, and help yourself.”

Richter looked at the giant. The finality in Nexus’s voice when he

said he would keep hurting him had been terrifying. He believed that the

giant would break his mind. He was already balancing on the edge of a
precipice. If he had to endure much more, Richter felt like he might snap.
He had come to hate the beautiful black face and golden hair of his
tormentor, a face that often wore a sadistic smile.

Now though, Nexus’s face was a study of compassion. Richter

knew he couldn’t trust him, but he wanted to believe that Nexus was telling
him the truth. That everything would be okay if he just gave in. A deep
part of him needed to believe that. It begged and pleaded to just be released
from this hell. It was willing to give anything to just stop the pain and

degradation.

A deeper part of himself, though, stood fast. If it was only his own
wellbeing that was at stake, he would have succumbed long ago. Each time
he got close, though, he thought about his people. He thought about Petal,
who had died because of his foolishness and pride. He thought about
Sedrin, who had been mauled because Richter hadn’t been strong enough to
protect him. He thought about the upcoming battle with the bugbears and

other enemies that would inevitably come to find them. Richter knew that
whatever suffering he experienced now would be nothing compared to the
anguish he would feel if he gave up and his people suffered because of it.

So he continued to look at Nexus trying to stall for time. He knew

from experience that the giant wouldn’t wait long for an answer though, so
he started inching his hand towards his Bag. Nexus’s ever present smug
smile deepened, and his eyes widened slightly in anticipation. Richter’s
hand went into the Bag. When he withdrew it, he slowly turned his arm
until his fist was upright… with his middle finger extended.

Nexus looked at him in disbelief and Richter laughed, or sobbed, he

wasn’t sure. “This is what I’m willing to offer. A big handful of ‘fuck
you.’ So you better just fucking kill me because I won’t stop! That’s not
who I am!”

Nexus’s expression became cruel and angry. The giant wove one
hand in a series of gestures, and black and red light surrounded his body.
Harsh guttural words of Power spewed from his lips and then he drove his
hand into Richter’s chest. Pain worse than anything he had ever felt spread

through Richter as his very soul was scorched. Nexus bellowed

unintelligently into his face. Spittle landed on his cheek as the giant
grabbed the back of Richter’s neck with his other hand and screamed, “Who
the fuck do you think you are, you little shit?”

“My name is Enchanter!” Richter shouted. The answer had come

without thought or guile. As soon as it was spoken, he felt the truth of what
he had said. A loud bell rang three times and the giant took his hand away.
The red and black fire died out, and Richter cried out in relief.

Nexus looked up into the darkness above and cocked his head,
listening to something that Richter couldn’t hear. When Nexus looked
down at him again, there was a smile on his face, but for the first time it
wasn’t mocking. Instead, it seemed like a different person was looking at

Richter from behind the chiseled black features.

Nexus began a casting and gold light surrounded his arms. When he
was done, another light surrounded Richter’s body, and all of the pain left
him. Muscle reknit and his bones bound together. Richter’s lacerated

organs healed and his nerve damage was repaired. The many icons
indicating the disabilities he had gained during his torture disappeared one
by one until he was left whole. Nexus cast another spell, and a wave of
green light restored his weapons and armor to perfect condition. With a
final wave of his hand, Nexus released Richter from the bands that held him
and released Alma from the cage that had kept her in an unnatural sleep for
days on end.

Richter stared at the giant, thinking this must be the start to some
new sick torment. Then he realized that whether it was or not, he had to
help Alma. He circled around Nexus, never taking his eyes off the giant,
then ran over to where his familiar lay on the ground. He picked her up and

was relieved to feel her small chest rise and fall. Richter was relieved to
see that she didn’t have any obvious injuries. She stirred and then opened
her eyes. She looked at him, licked his face, and then asked, *Did we win,
Master?*

He smiled down at her. *Yes, my love. We won.* He didn’t have the

heart to tell her that these might be their final moments together.

She closed her eyes again and purred. Richter placed her atop his
shoulders and she settled in comfortably. When she wrapped her tail
around his arm for balance and fell back asleep, Richter turned his attention

to Nexus.

The black giant still stood in the same place. His hands were at his
side and he calmly regarded Richter. “Do you remember what you said?”

Richter licked his lips. “I said…” Nexus nodded encouragingly. “I

said, ‘I am Enchanter.’”
 “So you are, Tim,” Nexus said with a bow of his head. “It has been
my honor to help you uncover this truth.”

“Uncover what?” Richter screamed at the giant. His arms and legs
shook uncontrollably, though he couldn’t honestly say which emotion he
was feeling at that moment. Anger, fear, sadness, joy… his nerves were
scraped raw and all of his feelings felt like a live wire searing his brain.

“That I wanted to become an Enchanter? I could have told you that! You
didn’t have to torture me! It felt like days, you sadistic fuck!”

Nexus weathered Richter’s verbal assault without reaction. When

he was done shouting, the giant replied, “You did not become an

Enchanter. You have learned that you have always been one. A Profession
is not a choice. It is not who you are, it is what you are. I stripped away the
surface layers, the ‘who’ of how you define yourself, so that you could see
the truth of ‘what’ you really are. You are an Enchanter. In time, you may
find other truths about yourself.”

Richter looked at Nexus, still seething, but the giant’s words held
the same feeling of immutable truth that he had felt when he had named
himself “Enchanter.” He stared and asked the only question that seemed
pertinent, “So what now?”
 “Now you return home. From the viewpoint of your villagers, you

will have been gone for one week. As I said, though, time moves
differently here. Though you have experienced several weeks of pain, your
body has only aged a fraction of that time. Before you go, however, I was
asked to give you a message—‘Hurry.’”

Richter looked at Nexus for a long moment. “Is there any more to
it? If not, you might as well tell me not to go chasing waterfalls! And
given a message by who?” He could finally identify what he was feeling.
Perhaps the oldest emotion. Anger. A distant and reasonable part of his
mind posited that speaking harshly to a powerful being that had just

tortured him with impunity might be a bad idea. Another part of him told
that part to fuck off though. If Nexus were going to attack him again, it
probably wouldn’t be for being snarky.

Nexus smiled slightly, again with real humor, completely different

from the cruel grin Richter had grown used to seeing. “I was told that you
had something to do before you were brought here. Specifically, that you
had seven hours and fourteen minutes before your leveling decisions were
taken out of your hands. When you arrive back into your village, your

personal time will have advanced by seven hours and twelve minutes.
Hence, the message ‘Hurry.’”
 “Let me get this straight,” Richter said slowly and with intense

irritation. “You have been torturing me for a month, but only a week has
passed in The Land, AND I’ve only aged seven hours? That makes no
damn sense.”

Nexus smiled wider. “He told me that you would say that. Then he

said I should tell you Time is not linear. It’s more like a big ball of wibbly
wobbly timey whimey stuff.”

Richter had been about to tell Nexus to wipe the stupid smile off his

face, but then he stopped. He knew that he had heard that before, he just
couldn’t place where. “Who gave you the message?”

Nexus cast a spell, silently bringing a black disc into existence

behind Richter. He ignored Richter’s question and said, “It’s actually kind

of lucky that you started your Trial when you did. If you had finished
spending your level points before you came here, you would have been

treated as if you were level twenty-eight rather than level twenty-one.

Those extra Talent points you might have wasted will probably come in

handy. It’s almost like you have someone looking out for you.” Nexus’s

expression seemed to indicate that Richter should be picking up on

something.
 “Wait! What do you mean? Give me a straight answer god damn y

—”

Nexus rushed forward and pushed Richter backwards into the disc.

The last thing he saw was the smiling giant winking at him, then everything
was black.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 22

“He has returned! Lord Richter has returned!”

Richter raised his head up from the grass. Looking around he

realized he was in the feast area, and judging by the smells, it was
mealtime. He didn’t really remember how he got here, but he must have hit

with some speed because his face had been driven into the ground. He had
to spit a bit of turf out of his mouth as his people rushed up. It wasn’t

exactly the dignified homecoming he would have hoped for, but at least he
was home. Alma flew in front of him and licked his face while Richter

groggily looked around. His mind was having trouble processing.

As the villagers surged around him, babbling, Richter tried to make

sense of what was in his head, but his memories felt… compressed. He

quickly replayed the events of the last few days, shuddering sometimes as
he relived a particularly bad moment. It took only seconds, but then he

remembered the message Nexus had relayed at the end and his heart began

to pound. He quickly checked his status page and saw that he did indeed

still have points to distribute. If Nexus was right, though, he only had two
minutes to do it after coming back, and he had already wasted at least one

of them!

More and more of his villagers were coming up to him. The fact

that he hadn’t gotten up from where he was lying on the grass filled some of
them with fear that he had been mortally injured or was afflicted with some

malignant spell. It didn’t help at all that Richter had accessed his personal

interface so it looked like he was randomly staring off into space and

mumbling to himself. The villagers’ voices grew louder as they started

shouting to him. Richter absently noticed that apparently in every world,

people believed that if they only spoke louder, then other people would

finally understand them. With an irritated start, Richter realized he was

wasting even more time and just pulled up his status page.

First, he dumped the 200% of skill points into Enchanting. That

done, he quickly looked at the rest of his status page.

Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 28, 70%
Health: 589 Mana: 454 Stamina: 300
Strength: 37
Agility: 32
Dexterity: 38
Constitution: 46
Endurance: 30
Intelligence: 41
Wisdom: 24
Charisma: 24
Luck: 17
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
Fast Learner
Bounty of Life
Psi Bond
Qualities:
Resolute
Honorable
Implacable
Skills:
…
Marks:
Master of Mist Village
Blood Oath
Forge of Heavens
The Dragon’s Cauldron
Dragonkin I
Resistances:
Air 50%
Earth 20%
Fire 5%
Life 50%
Mental 55%
Spiritual 15%
Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my attention.”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All
 There wasn’t any one area that he was particularly lacking in, but

Richter knew he didn’t have time to waste. He checked and saw that he had

thirty points to distribute and quickly dumped ten points into Constitution.
He could always use more health. He also put five points into both

Endurance and Intelligence. His eyes scanned the rest of his stats and in a

near panic he placed another three into both Wisdom and Charisma and

finished by placing the final four into Luck. He pushed accept on all of his

choices and breathed out in relief. He had made it! Richter immediately

promised himself that he would never leave his leveling to the last minute

again.

Richter looked around to see a truly large crowd surrounding him.

He reached out his hand and one of the guards helped him to his feet. The

villagers bombarded him with questions which Richter answered as best he

could. “Yes, I am fine.” “No we aren’t under attack.” “Yes, I’d be happy

to talk to your… ‘cheating whore of a husband.’”

Terrod saved him just as his patience was running out. He showed

up with a contingent of guards who shooed everyone away.

“Welcome back, my lord,” he said once Richter had some breathing

room.
 “That’s it?” Richter asked. “No, where have you been? Or what’s

going on? Why aren’t you panicking like everyone else was?”

Terrod smiled. “I may not have ever reached such heights

personally, but I have met Professionals before. The portal to their Trial is

always a black disc. The hand that Sion and Beyan described was

something new, but the Trials are said to last a week, so I expected you back

sometime today. If you hadn’t returned, then I would have started to

worry.”

Always dependable Terrod, Richter thought with a smile. It was

good to be home. It was a bit strange to hear confirmation that he had

actually been gone for a whole week, but the village was still standing and

Terrod didn’t seem panicked so Richter decided to take a beat for himself.

He took another look at Terrod and saw that the captain’s gloves, boots, and

chainmail pants were now a creamy white color.

“New threads?” Richter asked, examining the moonstone armor.

The quality was all superb.

Terrod smiled appreciatively. “Krom is to thank. The mist workers

have been working daily to bring in more ore. We did have a problem

where one day they did not return. The next morning, I led a squad to the

ore vein and found signs of a fight and harvested ore strewn about on the
ground. I’m not sure what destroyed the workers, but it was clear why they

didn’t return. I assigned two five-man squads to oversee the retrieval of the

metal and safeguard the workers as they return to the village. Since then,

we haven’t had any other major issues, though the strike teams have had to

kill a few animal predators.”

Richter congratulated the captain on a job well done. Then he told

Terrod to gather Randolphus and other important people and to bring them

to the high table. While he was at it, Richter sent out a mental summons to

Futen.

Terrod nodded and said, “Very well, my lord. What are you about to

do?”

“Have lunch, man. I’m starving!”

Terrod chuckled. As he walked away, the captain said offhandedly

that he had dealt with the issue in the mines and that a squad would be

patrolling them from now on. Richter thanked him, confused as to what he

was talking about, but too hungry to press the issue. He went to the food

table and made himself a heaping plate of cold meat and hot vegetables. He

sat down and tucked into the meal. After washing it down with a cup of ale,

he felt one thousand percent better. As he waited for everyone to come fill

him in, he checked his notifications. As soon as he opened the first prompt,
the sound of trumpets filled the air. Richter looked around in surprise, but

didn’t see anyone else reacting to the music. He quickly realized the music

was only in his head.

Baaa-baba-baba-ba-baaaah!

Congratulations! You have discovered your Profession! You are an

Enchanter! Your efforts will bring magic and wonder to The Land. A ring

is no longer a simple band to you, it is a pathway to power. A sword is not

only for a soldier’s hand, it can also grant the power of flight. Scoff at
those who put their faith in the fleeting might of muscles or the taxing

strength of spells. Your enchanted creations will last until the Universe
grinds all stars to dust and their power shall rival the gods!

You have earned new Talent Points! As a Chaos Seed, you earn 15 points
per level as opposed to the usual 10! For having a 100% affinity in your

chosen talent you receive an additional +5 Talent points for each level this
holds true! For affinities of 95-99% you will receive +3 per level and then

+1 of an affinity of 85-94%. As a human, you have no bonuses or penalties

to choosing the Enchanter Profession. Choose your path well, it will affect

the progression of your life and most likely determine the nature of your
death. Revere your craft, take your power, LIVE!

You have: 160 Talent Points. Do you wish to expend them?

 He selected “Yes,” and then his eyes widened in amazement. The
next prompt was unlike any that Richter had ever seen before. It was nearly

opaque. What was more impressive though was that the background wasn’t
the standard monochromatic black, grey, or white. Instead, Richter felt like

he was gazing into a nebula of shining stars surrounded by gases of various

colors. Rich reds, blues, and greens contrasted with patches of black space,

and sprinkled throughout were the shining jewels of stars. Floating above it
all was a series of pale blue glass spheres connected by filaments of light.
The central sphere was the largest and it glowed with a soft light. A single

word was emblazoned across its surface: “Enchanter.”

Six glowing filaments extended from the central sphere, roughly

following the x, y and z axes. Each of the filaments ended with another
sphere attached to the opposite end. More filaments extended out from

those spheres, but these threads were dark and the entire picture grew hazy
and distorted past the initial six globes. Richter could faintly see more

spheres through the haze but couldn’t make out any wording. The six
attached to the central sphere were easy to make out, however. Each sphere

had words written on it. Richter found that he could change the orientation
of what he was looking at with a simple thought. He examined each in

turn.
Increase Enchantment Potential I: Increase the number of enchantment
slots on the object you wish to enchant. Increases enchantment slots by

10%. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

Deconstruct Items I: Gain the ability to deconstruct an enchanted item.

Increase this Talent to improve chance for successful deconstruction and to

increase chance of obtaining better items after item is destroyed. Cost: 5

Talent Points.

Increase Enchantment Success I: Increase this Talent to improve the odds

of an enchantment taking hold. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

Macroenchantment I: Increase this Talent to have your enchantment affect

larger items. This is extremely helpful for creating enchanted buildings,

ships, engines of war, and other large projects. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

Increase Number of Charges I: Increase the number of charges on items

with finite uses. Will increase number of charges by +10 or by 10%,

whichever gives greater yield. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

Increase Enchantment Strength I: Increase strength of enchantments by

5%. Talent Cost: 5 Talent Points.

He frowned. Buying Talents was not exactly cheap. True, he had

one hundred and sixty points to play with, but if he had understood
correctly those points were from increasing his personal level eight times.

Once those points were gone, he couldn’t expect a large windfall again.

Without his bonus as a chaos seed and his boost from having 100%

affinity, buying just one of these would constitute half of his spending for a
level. He had to imagine that the cost would only go up the farther he got

into the upgrade tree. He also had no idea what Talents were covered by the
haze on the prompt. If he went down one line of improvements, he might

miss something truly spectacular on another branch.

Richter shook his head. He clearly had to learn more about this. He
resolved to speak to Randolphus and Gloran to see if either could shed light

on the situation. As he waited for everyone to show up, though, he couldn’t

resist spending just a few of his points.

He mentally clicked on the sphere for “Increase Enchantment

Strength I” and bought it for five points. Richter figured no matter what,

having stronger enchantments could come in useful. Both the globe and the
filament leading to it started to glow like the central sphere and the name

changed to “Increase Enchantment Strength II.” Examining it, he saw that

the cost had doubled to ten points to gain another 5% bonus.

Something else happened, though, he saw excitedly. A section of

the Talent tree revealed itself. Three filaments lit up, leading from the
Talent he had improved to three more spheres. The picture resolved to

show more upgrades.

Increase Strength Weapon Enchantment I: Accessing this Talent will

increase the strength of any weapon enchantments by 10%. Talent Cost: 10

points.

Increase Strength Armor Enchantment I: Accessing this Talent will

increase the strength of any armor enchantments by 10%. Talent Cost: 10

points.

Increase Strength Item Enchantment I: Accessing this Talent will increase

the strength of any accessory enchantments by 10%. Talent Cost: 10

points.

These spheres had even more filaments extending from them, but

again, the new threads were muted and everything past those three globes
remained shrouded. He wanted to see what else he could uncover, but

decided to hold off on any further experimentation. Besides, there were

more prompts to deal with and he could see Sion and Randolphus

approaching from across the feast area. He quickly accessed them.

You have been offered a Quest: Practice makes Perfect I. Trust thyself,

every heart vibrates to that iron string. You are an Enchanter, in the same
way that you are a man or a chaos seed. Practice your new Profession and
honor who you are. Will you enchant ten items? Yes or No? Reward: Five
Talent points.

You have completed the Quest: Hunters or Hunted I. At your instruction,

Krom has outfitted your hunters with better leather armor and arrows.

Nothing special was done to complete this quest so you will be granted no
extra rewards.

Reward: 1,250 (base 1,000) experience.

Reward: Village-wide Loyalty +5 (+10 for hunters).

Reward: Increased regard of the hunters for you.

You have unlocked the Quest: Hunters or Hunted II. Speak with one of
your hunters for more information.

You have completed the Quest: Splat the Rat! At your instruction, your
chamberlain searched through the new villagers and found a human with

the knowledge and ability to alter a standard repel vermin charm. Your
food stores are now safe from burrower rats.

Reward: 1,250 (base 1,000) experience.

Reward: Village-wide Loyalty +5.

You have completed the Quest: Noises in the Dark I. At your

chamberlain’s order, your guard captain took a squad into the iron mine
and discovered the source of the strange noises. It had been a nest of
gibberlings. Though foul smelling and aggressive, in low numbers these

monsters posed no threat to your guards and were quickly destroyed. Your
miners are already back to work and normal iron production rates have

been restored.

Reward: 1,250 (base 1,000) experience.

Reward: Village-wide Loyalty +5.

Reward: Access to the second floor of the iron mine.

You have unlocked the Quest: Noises in the Dark II. Upon exploring the

second floor of the iron mine, signs of more monsters have been found.
Sending your miners there without protection would risk their lives. Will

you explore the second floor of the iron mine and do what is required to
ensure the safety of your people? Yes or No? Reward: Unknown. Penalty:

Failure to accept or complete this quest could endanger the lives of your
miners.

He accepted the quests and dismissed the prompts for the completed

quests. His people had been busy while he was gone. Richter had never
thought that asking Futen to keep Randy in the loop would have ever paid
so many dividends. It was true that the rewards for each quest weren’t very
much, but then again, he really hadn’t done anything to complete them. It
was amazing that being leader of this community meant he could start
delegating not only the work that needed to be done, but also experience-

gaining quests. Richter supposed it made sense though. As the village got
larger and larger, if he had to deal with people’s needs personally and by
himself, then he would be run ragged within a week. He resolved to follow
the old adage of the successful administrator: hire good people, then take
credit for their work.

Before he could ponder the implications of delegating quests any

further, his Companion and chamberlain walked up. He clasped wrists with
both and then Sion asked, “Back from your vacation? Always like a lazy
human to disappear when there is work to be done.” The sprite plopped

down across from him and grabbed some meat from his plate.

Richter scowled at Sion, but he could only keep the expression on

his face for a moment before he broke out into a wide grin. It was good
seeing his friend again. “Trust me when I tell you, it wasn’t a picnic.”

“Did you come back with anything nice?” Sion asked.

Richter raised his arm and made a muscle. “You are looking at a
Professed Enchanter. Feel free to be impressed.”

“Congratulations, my lord,” Randolphus said with a bow.

 Richter forcibly raised his chamberlain’s arm until his hand was up.
Then he gave the man a high five. “Randy! You totally crushed it while I

was gone. Thanks for knocking some of those quests out while I was
gone!”

The chamberlain smiled weakly while he shook the hand Richter

had slapped, slapped perhaps a bit too hard considering his thirty-seven

Strength points. “It was my pleasure, my lord. I always endeavor to

provide both for your needs and the needs of the village. If we are done
slapping palms, however, there are several matters to discuss…”

Richter chuckled and settled in. Same old Randolphus, he thought.

The chamberlain proceeded to catch Richter up on the events of the past

week. Besides resolving the quests, precious little had actually happened.
One of the hunters had been injured by a wild boar, but otherwise, there
hadn’t been any violent incidents. The patrols continued to circle around
the borders of the village, but except for the two groups stationed to protect

the mist workers, stayed near the walls. Terrod had apparently curtailed all
other trips deeper into the mists after the battle with the skaths. Futen had
floated up while the chamberlain was speaking and now hovered silently
over the table. Alma continued to gorge herself on meat off of Richter’s

plate.
 At mention of the skath fight, Richter was suddenly reminded of the

eggs. “Randy! Did Futen tell you about the eggs?”

“Yes, my lord,” the chamberlain said, nodding. “We were lucky

enough to have found a pair in the second wave of villagers with the skill
Beast Taming. They are a bit… eccentric, but I have had them check in
with me daily. They say the eggs are doing well. I would like to ask

though, my lord, what exactly do you plan to do with them?”

“I’d like to tell you that it’s all part of some master plan, Randy, but
honestly I have no idea. I have already gained some interesting skills
because of the clutch though. Let’s just see the eggs hatched, then we will

go from there. Has an enclosure been built around the nest?”

“It has, my lord.”

“And is a mist worker stationed there to watch it every hour?”

“I made a slight alteration to that command, my lord,” Randolphus

said. “With the speed of construction happening around the village, not to
mention the mining and ship building, mist workers are extremely
valuable. Some of our new workers have very little in the way of useful
skills however. I have assigned three to watch the skath clutch in shifts. In

addition, I asked Captain Terrod to station three guards in the meadow at all
times. Two to keep other villagers away from the lake and the third to

guard the entrance to the waterfall.”

Richter nodded in agreement. Conversation was halted briefly as he

stood up to greet Krom, Sumiko, and Shivona. He embraced the women
and clasped wrists with Krom before having them join him at the table.

One of the village women brought more food and drink when she saw her
newly returned lord holding court. He got a report from each in turn.

Krom told him that the moonstone had been a richer vein than he
had originally thought. He had already smelted two dozen ingots of the
white stone and told Richter that he should be able to make three full suits

of chainmail armor from them. The dwarf warned, that making the white
armor would take a fair bit longer to forge than the highsteel armor he had
been making. Richter nodded, now understanding why Terrod’s armor was
mismatched. Krom also said that he had been able to master the creation of

Heavy Arrows and had used the moonstone to make two bundles of them.

Richter thanked him and said he would need to work with him soon
anyway to practice his new Enchanting Profession. He moved on to
Sumiko, who said that she had been working with Roswan to make the

latrines more sanitary and she had also dealt with the pit that the hunters
threw offal into. It had apparently been breeding a bad disease when she
first examined it. She had ordered the entire pit burned for three days and
then had cast a series of cleansing spells. There was also a new ordinance

that trash was to be placed in a central pit and burned weekly. She said the
ash could be used to make a high quality fertilizer.

Richter thanked her. Then he thanked her again. He was truly

grateful that she had stepped in and helped to put some new health

protocols in place. In retrospect, he should have immediately known that a

pit filled with rotting remains was a disease risk. He hadn’t seen an
outbreak here, but even on Earth, plagues had still existed. True there was
magic here, but didn’t that also open the door to magical plagues? Richter

started considering the possibilities of that and shuddered. He closed the

mental door to that particular brand of horrors and just thanked Sumiko
again.

Shivona didn’t have too much more to report. The ship construction

was going well. Krom had done a good deal of work on a scorpion
ballista. It would have the capability to fire both bolts and pots of various
weaponized potions. The boat itself would take another five to seven weeks
to complete. Richter did some quick math in his head and realized that, as
suspected, the timeline to finish the ship had increased once he lost the

bonuses for increased Morale and Loyalty. The fact that he had changed his
request for her to make a war vessel rather than a simple trading boat also
probably had something to do with it. He still felt that the decrease in
production was more than a fair trade-off for increasing the population of
the village.

Roswan and Terrod had joined the table as well. Richter asked if
anyone else had pressing issues to discuss. Randolphus of course had his

unending list of notes to go over, but when Richter glared at him, the
chamberlain begrudgingly said there was nothing that couldn’t wait.
Richter nodded calmly, but internally was doing a fist pump and cheer that
he had been able to back Randy the Reporter down.

“Terrod, get our war party together. The same people and no one

else. We have a Challenge to complete. Everyone is to be ready to go and

at the gate at midday. Have everyone go by the Forge first though. Krom,
outfit them with the best gear that you can. Also go to the Philosopher’s
Cauldron and pick up any helpful potions. Speaking of which, how is our

newest marvel, Sion? How has Beyan been?”

Everyone looked at each other uneasily until Sion said, “We have
been able to make some potions in the Cauldron, but we haven’t been able
to use any of its abilities.”

“Why not?” Richter asked, confused.

“You didn’t give anyone permission to use it before you were taken
to your Trial.”
 “Oh, my bad,” he said. He still didn’t understand why everyone was
looking like they had bad news. If anything, he would have thought that
people would be irritated with him for wasting a week of potential potion
making. He looked at Sion quizzically until the sprite started speaking

again.

“Beyan has been having a few issues with the other alchemist,
Tabia. They don’t exactly… mesh.”

“Ha,” Sumiko said. “I’ve seen wet cats with dysentery trapped in a

bag that get along better.”

“Well thanks for that visual, Sumiko,” Richter complained. He

turned back to his Companion. “So you’re basically saying that this is a
problem that requires my direct intervention?”

“That might be best,” Sion said brightly. The sprite was clearly

happy not to have to be put in the middle of the two alchemists anymore.

“Fine, I’ll deal with that too,” Richter said with just a touch of
irritation. “As I was saying before, Terrod, make sure everyone is equipped
with at least some health and stamina potions, because then we’re going

hunting.”

“Yes, my lord,” Terrod said.

 Richter dismissed everyone except for Roswan and Randolphus.
Before leaving, Krom handed him the copper cylinder and piping that he
had requested. Richter’s grin almost split his face in half. He placed the

entire five-foot-long device into his Bag of Holding. No matter how many
times he saw a large object disappear into the small space, it never got old.
Of course, that was the way all of his exes had felt as well, he realized.

Richter chuckled to himself as the rest of his informal council stood

and left. Before Richter could start speaking again, Randolphus placed a
small pouch on the table. Opening it, Richter saw that it contained at least

two dozen glowing soul stones. The chamberlain said they had been
collected by the hunters and the patrol that had cleared the iron mine while
Richter had been gone. Richter opened his mouth to ask a question, but the
chamberlain preempted him by saying that the bonus had been paid for each

soul. Then the man went on to say that it would be nice if such financial
decisions were communicated to him before villagers came up asking for
money. Richter took the slight rebuke in stride and said, “Yes, dear.”
Randolphus just gave a long suffering sigh and flipped through his notes.

Richter winked at him and said, “You’re pretty when you’re angry.”
Randolphus didn’t respond.

“What can I help you with, Lord Richter?” Roswan asked. As

always, the gruff elf’s expression seemed fixed into a perpetual slight
frown. The mustache on his face shifted like a fuzzy brown caterpillar as
he spoke.

“I have been trying to talk with you for the longest, Roswan. Things

just seem to keep getting in the way, though, so I thought I’d take this time
and do it now. What have you been able to build so far?” Richter asked.

“We built another longhouse while you were gone. I personally

believe that real men should sleep under the stars, but I was told that I

sounded like a forest loving maniac. Less than a third of the wall has been
converted to stone, but the work speed is improving with the influx of
villagers. We are still having to divide our effort between the wall and the
outer trench you ordered dug, however. Things might go faster if we had a

workshop.”

You have received a Quest: Every Tool has its Place. One of your villagers
is requesting for you to have a workshop built. Yes or No? Reward:
Settlement bonus from building a workshop.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about,” Richter said.

He accepted the quest. “I’ve been getting a good number of requests for
buildings. I think that we’ve been spreading ourselves too thin on too many
projects and we might do better focusing on one at a time. What do you
think?”
 “Grrrrmmm” and a nod was the only reply Richter got. It sounded
like a low, rumbling way to say the word “grim.”

He sighed. “Well after the workshop, what do you think we should

build next?”

Roswan looked at him with that perpetual half frown. The

caterpillar above his lip seemed to dance as his frown lines deepened. Then
the elf said, “More buildings.”

Richter prayed for strength. “This is what I was thinking. We build

the workshop, then the Healer’s hut. After that we build the barracks and a
storage shed. How does that sound?”

“Grrrmmm.”

“Roswan, I love these talks we have.”

“Grrrmmm.”

“You are my Oprah, buddy.”

“What’s an opahbudie?”

Richter shook his head. What he wouldn’t give for just one person
to discuss primetime cable with. “So can you make them one at a time so
we can get them done faster? How many workers do we have, Randy?”
 The chamberlain flipped back through several papers. “Of the three
hundred and forty-eight workers, seventy-three have become militia, which

with the eighteen guards from Leaf Crossing and Sergeant Caulder and
Captain Terrod give us a fighting force of ninety-three men and women.
Eighty-two villagers spend their days caring for the crops and the animals.
Including Isabella, there are six villagers that tend to the herb garden.

There are seven smiths, seventeen hunters including Ulinde, eight

fishermen, fourteen cooks, eleven washers, and nine weavers. Twenty of
the villagers have been assigned to watch the one hundred and thirty-three
children.” Richter’s eyes bulged a bit at hearing how many children he was

responsible for, but he didn’t interrupt. “The nineteen children who you
awakened magical power in have been taken charge of by Lady Sumiko.
She instructs the Life magi children and teaches the Air children mental
exercises and healing techniques for a portion of each day. Lady Sumiko

has also commandeered all of the Life magi. Twenty-two of the Life magi
have joined the militia, but the other ten are being taught by the village
Healer each day and so cannot help with other duties. Quasea and Zarr
have also spoken to each of the village children and villagers. One child
with Dark magic has been identified and two with Earth magic. They have

also found three adult mages with an affinity in each magic. Twelve of the
villagers have mining experience, and are now back to work in the iron
mine since Captain Terrod cleared the first level. The two scribes have

been helpful to me, and nine of the villagers have the Construction skill and
have been leading the building efforts under Roswan’s direction. Finally,
Shivona has two apprentices helping her with ship building. That leaves
only fifty-seven unskilled workers that have been helping with manual
labor, my lord.”

The sheer amount of work that was taking place every day just to
keep the village running was staggering. Richter was again immensely
grateful for the chamberlain’s tireless efforts. “How much do I pay you,
Randy?”

The chamberlain paused for a second with a slightly surprised look

on his face. “I make the same four silvers as the other villagers.”

“Not anymore,” Richter said. He took a piece of paper from

Randolphus’s clipboard and then took his pen. Richter surreptitiously wrote

a number on the paper, folded it in half, and then slid it across the table to
the chamberlain. “Now you make this much.”

Randolphus opened the paper and coughed. “This isn’t necessary,

my lord!”

“I disagree,” Richter said.

 “My lord, it is my honor to serve. You have given me a home. If

you would do anything for me, then I would appreciate it if you would stop
calling me ‘Randy.’”

Richter waved the request away. “Naw, that’s not going to happen.
Congratulations on your raise though!”

“Uhhh, thank you, my lord. Why did you write my salary down and
then slide it across the table, however?”

Richter made a face to indicate that the answer was obvious.

“Because it’s a baller move, Randy. Try to keep up. Now just for my own

curiosity, what do you have the unskilled people doing?”

“Various jobs,” Randolphus answered. “They have been helping

with chopping down trees and carrying some of the iron ore. Most recently

they built the fire in the hunter’s refuse pit and helped to dig a new latrine

pursuant to Lady Sumiko’s new health regulations.”

Ugh, Richter thought to himself. The message here is stay in

school, kids. Apparently being unskilled and uneducated led to “shit” jobs

no matter what world you lived in. Hearing about their duties reminded

him of something. “I heard that the iron mine can sometimes yield gems.
When I asked Krom if anyone had found jewels and not turned them in, he

seemed a bit cagey. I don’t want to believe the villagers are stealing from
me, but on the other hand, I absolutely believe that some of them would

steal from me. What can we do?”

Randy nodded. “Futen notified me of your concerns. Zarr knows a

level eight Earth spell that can detect the presence of gemstones within two
feet. He has agreed to teach this spell to his new novices. Once they know

it, part of their duties will be to scan everyone that comes in and out of the
mine. I have limited entrance and exit from the site to three times a day. I

have also started a story that the magi will be casting spells on everyone

entering and leaving to detect any dangerous earth creatures that might hide
in their clothes or in the ore. I have also made it clear that the spell will

also detect any metals or gems present on a person.”

Richter nodded. He saw the wisdom in letting people know they

would get caught if they stole, but also supplying a cover story so they
wouldn’t feel like they were being scrutinized. Basically, it would let him

catch the guilty and not offend the innocent. He motioned for Randolphus

to go on. “As you may know, in light of the attack on the mist workers as
well as the gibberlings that were found in the mine, Captain Terrod has also

dispatched a squad to patrol the area in and around the mine whenever there
are workers present. I think these measures should be sufficient to deal

with the problem, though any theft that has occurred so far will remain

undiscovered.”
 “That’s alright, Randy. A little bit of graft is inevitable in a setting
like this. I’m not worried about the past. I’m looking towards the future.

Which bring us back to you, Roswan. Defense is obviously important, but

we can hold off on transitioning the walls to stone for a few days. Can you
use these fifty or so free workers, the other builders, and the mist workers to

build each structure quickly rather than spreading the work around?”

Roswan looked up from the food he was eating. A bit of egg was

nestled into the left side of his mustache. Rather than answer, he flagged
down a passing woman who was carrying a jug of water. For the first time,

Richter heard the elf speak with a lighthearted tone and with joy in his

voice. “Excuse me, ma’am. Would you please bring me some more bacon
and eggs? Please and thank you.” She smiled and bobbed her head before

continuing on. Only then did Roswan look at Richter and say “No.”

Richter stared at him, then over at Randolphus. The chamberlain

shrugged his shoulders slightly and wore a perplexed expression. Richter

turned back to the builder and said, “You gotta give me more, man. I feel

like I’m talking to a Kardashian. I have no idea if there’s actually anything

going on in your head.”

Roswan frowned for a minute then said, “When you build

something, you should build it right.” Silence followed the statement.

 Richter looked at Randolphus again to make sure he wasn’t missing

something. “It’s like he’s trying to communicate with us. If only he knew

the language.” No one could miss the irritation in his voice. Roswan
looked completely unperturbed by Richter’s ire and just kept chewing his

bacon like a cow eating cud. The chamberlain proved his value again by
diffusing the situation.

“I believe Roswan is referring to the quality of the building created.

Perhaps you could tell Lord Richter how that works.”

“Grrmmmm.” The elf’s frown deepened until Richter couldn’t be

sure that the man wasn’t taking a poop, or at the very least wasn’t extremely

constipated. Like lactose intolerance plus chocolate shake topped with

cheese constipated. Since he didn’t smell anything and the elf started

talking, Richter let it go.

“I am journeyman ranked in my Construction skill. That means I

have a high chance of building a well built or exceptional work quality

building. I have a smaller chance of building an above average or superb

craftsmanship quality building.”

Richter interrupted. He took Randolphus’s clipboard and drew a

bell curve on a piece of paper. “Is this the way the probability would shake

out?”
 Roswan glared at him. “I can tell you about making strong

buildings. If you want to discuss drawing and finger painting, the children
are up in the meadow. If you hurry you can make it in time for juice.”

Richter started silently counting backwards from ten: Ten, don’t kill

him. Nine, he’s the best you have. Eight, I could shave his mustache while

he’s sleeping. Seven, I’m sure that Isabella could whip me up a potion to
knock him out… That was as far as he got because Roswan started talking

again.

“There are several levels of building quality: slum, shoddy, poorly

made, average, above average, well built, exceptional work, superb

craftsmanship, and masterfully constructed. There are also Core-level

buildings, which are the highest quality known. Those are basically like
cheating though. A real craftsman would never really count them as true

buildings.”

Is that this guy’s problem? Richter asked himself. Building envy?

Roswan continued, “Anything below average quality has a chance

of just collapsing, being blown over by the wind, or catching on fire

depending on what type of building it is. Each rank below average also

decreases any building perks and there is a higher risk of injury just from

someone being inside. That’s just to name a few potential issues. On the
other hand, any building with a quality greater than average gets a 10%

durability increase. Well built has a +20% increase to durability and

exceptional work has a +30% increase to durability. What I build is even

stronger because I have the subskills ‘masonry’ and ‘woodworking.’”

“Why don’t I ever see durabilities when I look at a building?”

“It is a benefit from the Construction skill. Feel free to come swing
a hammer with the real men if you get tired of watching us work.”

Richter ground his teeth. With a strained voice, he said, “Okay, I’m

still not seeing the issue with having everyone work on one project.”

“Grrmmm,” Roswan grrmmed. The sound was starting to make

Richter’s eye twitch. “If someone without any Construction skill tries to
build then they have a strong chance of creating a shoddy or poorly made

building. I can use others to help me, including unskilled labor, but only so
many on one project. For each rank in Construction, I can include five

other workers and still have my rank and skill level apply to the final

quality of the building. At my journeyman rank, I can also include three

other builders who can have work crews of their own, as long as their

Construction rank is less than mine. The problem is that all of the other

villagers with the Construction skill are novices except for one initiate. So
the maximum number of people I can have working on any project is forty-
five. The best thing to do if we want to erect one building quickly would be

to put all of the villagers with the construction skill on my crew and fill the
rest of the slots with unskilled workers. That means there is no one else to

work on other projects, though, unless you want subpar work. Luckily, the

mist workers don’t seem to affect the number of people counted on the crew
and they have been a great help.”

Roswan looked almost exhausted by the long speech. One of the

village men came back carrying the elf’s order. To Richter it looked like a

massive amount of food, especially for a second helping. Roswan took the
plate and was about to dive into the food, but then he said, “This is going to

be a challenge, but we can get through it together.”

Richter was taken aback. Maybe he had misjudged the elf. He

hadn’t really spent too much time with him after all. Was it possible that he

had been projecting an unfair bias upon the man? Roswan did remind him

a bit of his mean uncle Reggie, now that he thought about it. Maybe he just
needed to try and connect with the taciturn builder. Maybe this was the

start of a productive and healthy working relationship. As sincerely as he

could, Richter said, “Thank you, Roswan. I agree. We can do anything as

long as we all stick together.”

The builder looked up from his plate with a mouthful of eggs. “Oh.

I was actually talking to my food.”

Richter closed his eyes. Ten, he won’t respawn if you murder him. Nine, I
definitely need to shave off that fucking mustache. Eight…

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 23

Richter walked away from the table a few minutes later. In the end,

he was able to divert Roswan’s attention away from his meal long enough
to finalize the building order and to get the elf to agree to creating a

building crew to finish individual projects faster. The order they agreed on
was to build the workshop, healer’s hut, barracks, and lastly the storage

shed. One constructive thing that Roswan did add was that work could go
faster if they had even rudimentary roads. He proposed that the unused

unskilled workers break rocks into gravel and then strew it between key
locations. Apparently a job as simple as that wouldn’t be affected by a lack

of the Construction skill and it would lay the framework for better roads

later. At Richter’s nod, Randolphus made a note to start the project

tomorrow. The three men agreed to discuss other projects, like the scholar’s

hut, once the first four buildings were completed.

They also discussed the blueprint for the mana storage.

Unfortunately, Roswan’s skill level in Construction was only fifty-one, five

skill levels shy of being able to construct the magic repository. He had even
less luck when he asked the elf if he could build a caster’s chamber.

Roswan just looked at him and asked how he could be expected to build

something he had never heard of before. Disappointed and irritated, Richter

took the blueprint back. He just hoped that Roswan would level up his skill

enough by erecting the new village buildings. He handed the blueprint to

Randolphus, telling him to get the scribes to make a copy. The chamberlain

said he wasn’t sure if they had that capability, but he would enquire.

Most importantly, Richter got Roswan to agree to be the official

village Builder. It was another Job of the Village, and with Roswan’s

journeyman rank in Construction, having him as a builder provided a 6%

boost to construction speed. The elf initially didn’t seem at all interested in

the position. Richter offered him more money, but the elf just said
“grrrmmm” and kept eating. Then Richter had an idea. He said he would

make sure that Roswan could eat eggs with every meal—breakfast, lunch,

and dinner. A rare smile crested the builder’s face. To Richter, it made his

mustache look like the caterpillar was now floating on a bowl of yellow-

white milk, but he was still happy to have the man’s services. Roswan

agreed to bend the knee as soon as Sumiko was available. He said it with a

mouthful of bacon, but Richter just sighed and decided to let sleeping dogs

lie.
 Randolphus and Richter stood up and began wandering away. “My

lord, there was one other matter I wanted to discuss. The encoded Night

Blade ledger has begun yielding its secrets.”

“You know where the other nonhumans are?” Richter asked

excitedly.

The chamberlain shook his head in regret. “It appears the ledger was

written by several different people. Because of that, the code used varies

from entry to entry. I am getting closer though. I should have the first one

deciphered soon.”

Richter thanked him and the man took his leave. As Richter started

walking away, he asked Futen how much time he had before midday, and
the remnant told him about two hours. He decided to head up to the

meadow first. He wanted to check on the Quickening and then go see the

Philosopher’s Cauldron.

“I really wish that I could tell time without asking you, Futen,” he

remarked.

The remnant flared, and a clock appeared in the corner of Richter’s

interface.

“What the fuck?” Richter exclaimed. “Could you have done that the

whole time?”
 “Yes, my lord,” came the flat reply.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“You never asked before, my lord.”

Richter’s blood began to boil. He had known that was going to be

the answer as soon as the question left his lips, but he just didn’t catch

himself in time. “For the last time, Futen! Provide this kind of info

BEFORE I ask for it! And don’t ask me ‘what kind of info’! That’s a

circular argument! If I knew what kind of info, I could just ask for it! Do

your best!”

Futen voiced a monotone agreement, calm as a Hindu cow. Richter

glared at the remnant, a little annoyed that his rant hadn’t had more effect,

but then just let it go. He examined his clock. It seemed standard, two

numbers before and after a colon. Sure enough, it read “10:13.” He willed

it to disappear, and his vision cleared. His arms glowed yellow as he cast
Haste I on himself, and then he picked up the pace.

*Come meet me by the Cauldron, my love.*

Alma agreed, projecting that she would be along soon. Richter ran

up the slope leading to the northern meadow and greeted the gardeners

working at the entrance to the meadow. He then turned left and jogged up
to his glass building, appreciating the rainbow colors it made on the

surrounding trees.

The peaceful feeling the Dragon Cauldron’s beauty created was

shattered by a cacophony of raised voices.

“I don’t care what you think, you crazy woman! For the last time,

stay away from my side!” Richter recognized Beyan’s dulcet tones.

“Call me crazy one more time, you balding bastard, and I’ll make

the right eye match the left one.”

“Can you two stop fighting? I’m tired of this racket! Keep this up

and neither of you will get to run the Cauldron!”

Richter jogged up to see Sion with his arms extended to either side.

He was physically holding back Beyan with one hand and a glaring elf

woman with the other. Richter stopped and appreciated the image of the

three-and-a-half-foot-tall sprite holding back the four-foot-tall gnome and a

six-foot-tall high elf woman. He was especially amused by the fact that

Sion’s hand was pushing against the elf’s stomach because of their disparity

in height. If his hand was just a foot higher, Richter was fairly certain this

scenario would be a good deal more interesting, volatile perhaps, but

definitely more interesting.

 “What is going on here?” Richter exclaimed in his best “dad” voice.

He thought it might have been laid on a bit thick, but it worked. Beyan and

the elf woman took a step back with chagrined expressions on their faces.

Richter used Analyze, enjoying the skill’s expanded utility for the first time.

Name: Tabia Race: High Elf Disposition:

Friendly
High elves are gifted in archery and most magical arts. They have
increased resistance to magical attack. Bonus to Intelligence and
Wisdom each level. High Elves get three points to distribute per level,
and each level gives +1 to Intelligence and +1 to Wisdom.
Age: 31
Level: 14, 58%
Health: 190 Mana: 320 Stamina: 140
Strength: 13
Agility: 13
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 19
Endurance: 14
Intelligence: 32
Wisdom: 25
Charisma: 21
Luck: 11
So this is Tabia, he thought. She… made an impression. High

breasts hugged an athletic body. She was wearing light brown leather

armor that contrasted with her beautiful dark brown skin. Her black hair

was dreaded down her back and held with a simple rawhide strap, revealing

her high pointed ears. The hair fell down to her waist, ending atop a taut

bottom and matching leather brown leggings that looked like they had been
painted on. In short, she was a knockout. Which might explain why

Beyan’s ugly mug was sporting a black eye… but probably didn’t.

“I asked a question,” Richter said sternly.

“This might be partly my fault,” Sion said. Both Beyan and Tabia

looked at him sharply, but the sprite quickly held up one hand, palm facing
out, letting the two know that their input was not required or desired. “We

have been trying to familiarize ourselves with the Cauldron. I figured the

more the merrier, so I invited Tabia to come because of her journeyman

rank in Alchemy and apprentice rank in Herb Lore.” Sion’s tone indicated

that he thought his decision had been completely reasonable.

“Somehow I don’t think that’s the end of the story,” Richter said,

fixing Sion with a glare.

“Everything was fine… at first, but then these two started fighting
about every little thing. So I made a very simple statement that I might

need a second-in-command to run the Cauldron.”

“I won’t work for or put up with advances from someone that

doesn’t even have the right tool for the job!” Tabia spat.

“You would be so lucky,” Beyan shot back. “My height isn’t the

only thing on me that’s four feet!”

“So you do want a matching set then?” Tabia snapped, raising a fist.
 “Enough!” Richter said loudly. Everyone quieted and he said, “I
think I see the problem here. You’re both trying to fight it out to see who is

going to be able to run things when Big Daddy isn’t around. Let me make
this simple. THIS,” he said, gesturing around at the entire Cauldron, “is all

MY shit. Ya’ll are just guests here. So there isn’t any need for you to fight
over something that isn’t, and never will be, yours.”

Richter turned to his Companion, who was nodding along at his

words. “And you! Quit pissing in my Kool-Aid, man! Don’t start trouble

that I have to deal with.”

Sion rolled his eyes a bit, but still said, “Okay. I’m sorry I didn’t
handle this myself, but we still need to have someone be in charge when

you and I are gone.”

Beyan and Tabia looked to him for a ruling. Richter glared at Sion,

communicating a big “fuck you” with his gaze. Sion just smiled back. He
turned his attention back to the two alchemists. “Okay. We’ll do it like

this. You both have a week to make the best potion you can. I will give
each of you temporary access to the Forge during that time. Whoever can

impress me the most will be granted temporary command of the Cauldron,

after Sion and myself of course, for a one-month trial. Let me repeat, one

month. Whoever loses agrees to do their best to work under the other
person. You are only eligible if you will swear fealty though, Tabia. Now
are the two of you in or out?”

A prompt appeared in front of him. His eyes widened slightly as he

read it. Beyan started speaking, but Richter waved him quiet as he took in

this interesting new development.

You have created a Quest: Prove Your Worth. The alchemists Tabia and

Beyan have been vying for power in the Dragon’s Cauldron. You have
given them the task of creating a potion that will “impress” you. Whoever

does better will be granted a one-month trial of running the Cauldron,

answerable only to you and your Companion Sion. This is a Duel Quest:

Failure of one person to fulfill the objectives or accept the quest results in
the other quest recipient immediately winning. Rewards: Trial management

of the Dragon’s Cauldron. Penalty: The loser will work for the winner to
the best of their abilities. Fail Conditions: Lack of fealty by end of the
week. Do you wish to offer this quest? Yes or No?

Know This! You are bound by the terms of the quest you created. Failure

to honor these terms could have grave consequences, both long and short
term.

Richter read through it several times. This was the first time he had

created a quest! In the back of his mind, he had wondered if it was

possible, especially after receiving so many quests from his villagers. He

never got the feeling they were creating them though. Was this a special
function of him being Master of this village and Place of Power? Richter

shook his head. Whenever he got a handle on things it seemed like

something else popped up to show him how little he actually knew. He

didn’t really see any downsides to issuing the quest, even though he didn’t
like the idea of being locked into a course of action. It was true that he
didn’t know Tabia that well, but even the quest had specified that it would

just be a trial management position. Also her disposition towards him was
“friendly.” Richter decided it was worth it, even if just to see what

happened as an experiment. He selected “Yes.”

Both Tabia and Beyan’s eyes unfocused. Tabia appeared to finish

reading first as she oriented on Richter again. He got a “Quest accepted by

Tabia” prompt, quickly followed by one for Beyan. The beautiful elf spoke

up. “I will make you a wonderful potion, Lord Richter. Also, I have spoken
to many of the original villagers over the past week and based on what I

have been told, I believe you are someone I can put my faith in. I will
swear fealty now if you like.”

Richter shook his head. “Thank you for your faith in me. All
pledges of fealty must happen before the village Healer, Sumiko, however.
She is able to detect any lies or falsehood. We can handle it any time in the

next week.”

“I understand, my lord. I will see you in a week.” She turned to

Beyan. “As for you, pig! I look forward to having you work beneath me.”
With that, she stalked off towards the herb garden.

Three men watched her leave, one standing more than six feet tall,
another at four feet and the third at three and a half. They all shared an

appreciation for what they were seeing though. When she was beyond
earshot, Beyan grumbled quietly, “I already tried to work under her.”

Richter looked at him, taking in his black eye again and asked,
“Okay, man. What the hell happened to your face?”

Beyan looked down for a second like he was embarrassed. “I was

just taking your advice and trying to connect with people.”

“Ha!” Sion scoffed. “He was trying to connect with her alright.

Just a specific part of her!”

Richter chuckled, the picture becoming clear. “So you made a pass

at her and she decked you?”

“No,” Beyan said sullenly.

“No?” Richter echoed.

 “No,” Sion said with a smile. “A woman named Mimi decked him.
Apparently she didn’t like Beyan flirting with her wife!”

“Oh?” Richter said, wondering if he had heard wrong. Then he said,

“Oh. Oooh!” He started chuckling as he looked at Tabia again in the

distance. She was chatting with Isabella, presumably about getting access
to ingredients she would need to make her potion. “Well if it makes you

feel any better, man, I’m going to give you credit for having a threesome.”

“Really?” Beyan asked. His face had a hopeful look that the
situation could somehow be salvaged.

Richter laughed even louder. “Of course not! You got beat up by a
girl! But come on. Let’s go deconstruct some potions.”

Sion joined in on the laughter. Beyan had a sour look on his face,
but still followed the two Companions into the Dragon’s Cauldron.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 24

Once again, Richter was overwhelmed with the beauty of a building

made entirely of glass. He held his hands under one of the rainbows created
by the light coming through the walls and smiled at seeing the vibrant

colors. Beyan cleared his throat, impatient to learn new recipes, and
Richter acceded. He was eager to see what would happen too. He walked

over to the central cauldron and put his hands on the rim.

The first thing he did was give Sion complete access and the ability
to alter other people’s access. Sion’s eyes unfocused for a second, but then

he told Richter he had received his new clearances to use the Cauldron.

Richter also gave Beyan and Tabia access to the Cauldron for one

week. Then he asked them to organize anyone else with Alchemy skill in

the village and see if they could be helpful. Richter wanted to have a
stockpile of potions. If he had his way, every villager would carry at least

one health potion in their belt pouch at all times. While he was attending to

those matters, Alma flew into the Cauldron and settled onto his shoulders.

He reached up and scratched the scales along her back, eliciting a happy
croon from the familiar. Now that the administrative matters were out of

the way, he pulled out his first potion.

The first thing that he did was place a Potion of Clarity into the

cauldron. A prompt appeared asking if he wished for the potion to be

deconstructed. He excitedly chose “Yes.”

This is a naturally occurring substance. No recipe exists and so it cannot

be deconstructed.

“Boo,” Richter said aloud. He told Sion and Beyan and they looked

equally nonplussed.

Then Sion asked a pertinent question while looking down into the

central cauldron at the small amount of liquid at the bottom. “How do we

get the potion back out?”

All three of them looked down and Richter said, “Shit.” He put his

hands back on the Cauldron, and was about to try and lift it to pour the

valuable liquid out when another prompt appeared.

Do you want to retrieve this potion? Yes or No?

He chose “Yes,” and the liquid rose into the air in a thin stream and

deposited itself into the empty vial he was holding.

“Well that was easy,” Richter said with a smile. “Let’s do the next

one.”
 He pulled out the box that held all of Sonirae’s poisons. He placed

the first one in and selected “Yes” on the deconstruct prompt. This time

something spectacular happened. The beating vessels of the cauldron began

pulsing faster. As they watched, the potion drained out of the pot though

there was no obvious hole. Then Sion exclaimed and pointed at one of the

vessels in the walls of the cauldron. The blue potion could be seen flowing
through the clear veins before tracing down through the vessels in one of

the cauldron support columns and then disappearing into the floor. The

barely perceptible throb of the central cauldron increased in strength until it

seemed like it was all Richter could hear. The sound wasn’t deafening, it

just seemed like all other sounds in the Universe had disappeared until all

that existed was him and the beating heart of the Dragon’s Cauldron. His

own heartbeat synced up to this mighty rhythm and then a prompt

appeared. Suddenly the knowledge of how to make the potion was etched

into Richter’s mind, chapter and verse. He was also provided the

knowledge of how to make it with local ingredients. In the space of three

more beats, the volume of the Cauldron returned to a normal, barely

perceptible level. He smiled broadly at his Companions.

“Did it work?” Beyan asked.

“What do you mean? You didn’t hear that?” Richter responded.

 “Hear what?” Sion asked. The gnome and sprite looked at one

another in mild confusion.

Richter just laughed. “I can’t explain it to you. You’ll understand

when you connect with the Cauldron.”

One by one, he placed all of the Assassin’s potions into the central

cauldron. He had to use several doses for some of them before the recipe

was revealed, but they all yielded their secrets and all had local equivalents

of their ingredients. The names changed to represent the underlying

purpose of the potion.

Drowned One Poison became Water Damage Poison. Beyan said

the recipe contained some expensive ingredients if they would have had to

buy them in Yves. The local ingredients did not sound hard to procure

though. It required three scales of a sling eel, the dried petals of the dusk

clover flower, the congealed blood of a spotted deer, bark shavings of a

kerrigan tree and a few other things. Brewing the potion required several

steps and had specific cooking and drying times as well as a prescribed

number of times to grind certain ingredients. The petals, for instance, just

needed to be broken into small pieces while the bark had to be ground into

powder. Richter had no idea how anyone would find this out by trial and

error.
 Just figuring out the recipe of the first potion made Richter

appreciate the power of the Cauldron. It also made him appreciate how

difficult it was to make potions. Beyan told him that specific recipes should

be used to make only a small number of doses. The number of doses was

determined by the alchemist’s skill rank. Beyan, as a journeyman, could

make four measures of a potion without compromising the formula.

Apparently, proportionally increasing the ingredients to make large

quantities of the potion all at once increased the chance of the entire

alchemy being ruined. Learning that made Richter appreciate the

Cauldron’s ability to clone a potion and make nine more copies all at once
with a 100% success rate. Beyan said that at his rank, he had a 65% chance

of making a solution-level potion correctly, but that it would also take at

least three hours. Richter quailed at hearing how involved the process was.

One thing was clear. He had to find more alchemists and level up the ones

he had.

He told Beyan to expect more hunting trips and that he would be

required to start training with the militia to increase his martial skills. There

was no hemming and hawing this time. The gnome understood. He also

gave Futen an order to pass along to Randolphus. He wanted every recipe

to be recorded and compiled on a daily basis. Then the scribes were to

make a copy and create a book. The third part of the order was to get his
villagers taught in the ways of Herb Lore if possible. There were long rows

of empty shelves running down several of the Cauldron’s walls. Richter

wanted the building stocked with any ingredients that they could find.

Next they put in various health, mana, and stamina potions. For

each, they received the recipes and instructions on how to make them.

Most of the recipes Beyan and Sion already knew, but there were a few that

were unknown to them. Richter was happy to find that apparently a

common weed could make a solution-level mana potion. It would be good

to have a few more of those in his Bag.

The last thing he pulled out was the Elixir of Luck. Before he

poured it into the central cauldron, he looked at Beyan and asked, “Happy

now?” They both remembered Beyan’s meltdown when Richter had almost

“thoughtlessly” drank the potion. The gnome smiled expansively and

waggled his eyebrows.

“Don’t… don’t do that, Beyan,” Richter said.

“Yeah, it’s a bit creepy,” Sion cosigned.

Beyan stopped in mid waggle. “Pour it in then! My lord.” The last

two words were clearly added as an afterthought.

Rolling his eyes, Richter unstoppered the silver potion and poured it

in. He answered “Yes” on the prompt, and the Cauldron consumed the
elixir. Once again, they saw the liquid drain through the vessels of the

quasi-living cauldron. This time in addition to the two recipes, he received

another prompt.

The primary ingredient of the Elixir of Luck, Shiverleaf Frond, is ‘rare’

quality. The general location has been marked on your map. This spined

plant grows in water in the absence of light.

Richter opened his Map and saw an area a couple hundred yards
across highlighted with a red circle. It was about eight miles to the west.

Beyan and Sion checked the other ingredients and said they were relatively
easy to come by, but agreed that they had no idea where to find the

shiverleaf. Richter remained undaunted. “Looks like we’re hunting to the

west today, boys.”

He checked his clock and saw that he had a little under an hour left.
He decided not to risk the Potion of Nil Ability yet. He only had one dose

after all. The way Sonirae had gone on and on, it sounded like it was
incredibly valuable. Once they made some luck potions, he’d feel more

comfortable taking the chance. Sion and Beyan said they could make a
quick potion or two before noon, so he bid them goodbye. Right before

leaving, though, he remembered something.

 “Sion, do you still have that recipe for the stagnation poison? The
one that stops health regeneration?”

“Yes. Honestly, I’d forgotten about it.”

“Well, get it to Beyan and see if you can make a few doses. I still

remember that troll we saw a while back. If we see another, I think it will
go better if we had something like that.” The two men nodded at him and
said they would handle it. His business at the Cauldron done, Richter

jogged over to the Quickening. Some of the village children were playing
tag in the meadow and one used him as an obstacle to avoid being made

“it.” Watching the future of his people, his heart felt light. It was good to
be reminded of what all of his fighting was for. Walking towards the white

tree with the sun shining down on him, it felt like everything would work
out.

As he got closer, the two sprites Hisako had left to guard Elora and
the tree appeared in front of him. They appeared to step out of nowhere and

once again, Richter was glad to have the sprites as his allies and not his
enemies. “Anything to report?” he asked.

“There is one thing, Lord Richter. Perhaps you should see for
yourself,” one replied, gesturing to the tree.
 Richter walked under the boughs of the tree, and as always, the
presence of the Quickening filled him with utter contentment. The soft

velvet undersides of the leaves seemed to float on the wind, slowly shifting
on their branches. As he got closer to the braided trunk, he could make out

the intricate tracing on the bark. Above him, he saw the fruit of the
Quickening changing from a green color to a dark silver. They still showed

as “immature” on the prompts, but he took the change in color as a good

sign.

When he was close enough to touch the trunk, he saw immediately

what the sprite guard had been talking about. On the inside of the hollow

trunk was Elora’s cocoon. It shined and looked like it was spun from pure
silver. Those details were no different than before, but now light was

peeking through the cocoon in odd spots. Richter could clearly see yellow,
gold, and blue lights. He even saw several filaments of black light that

seemed to leech color from whatever it touched.

“How long has it been like this?” he asked in awe.

“Two days, Lord Richter. We assume it means that the pixies will
be born soon.”

“I look forward to meeting them,” he said, gazing at the cocoon in

excitement.
 Richter left the warm embrace of the tree and made one more stop

before leaving the meadow. He jogged over to the memorial made for his
fallen villagers. Gazing at it for several long moments, he silently vowed to

do better for his people in the future. Then he cast Haste I again and started
jogging back down to the village proper. He would have liked to have

checked on the skath eggs and crystal garden, but they were on the far edge
of the meadow and he had two more stops to make before noon.

The first place he planned to go was the eastern edge of the village,
where the hunters dressed their kills. He had to get the new quest. Before

he was halfway through the village though, he ran into one of them.
Without even needing prompting, the woman told him about worrisome
tracks that had been seen to the west. They were large and always seen

around broken trees. The hunters were too afraid to hunt over in that
direction since they had started seeing this. A prompt appeared in Richter’s

vision.

You have been offered a Quest: Hunter or Hunted II. Your hunters have

seen signs of a powerful and violent creature. They have not seen the
actual monster, but the tracks are large. Will you look for and remove this

threat? Yes or No? Reward: Unknown. Penalty: Decreased hunting

grounds for your people.
 Richter accepted the quest. He couldn’t just allow something to

control part of his lands. It was also in the direction of the shiverleaf, so
hunting it would be killing two birds with one stone. The huntress thanked

him and then also thanked him for the increased weapons and armor. She
showed him that her arrows were now tipped with moonstone heads. He

smiled, said he was glad to help, then left and headed to the Forge.

Several of the dwarves were hard at work and Krom was at his

customary spot at the main anvil. His hammer rose and fell with regularity,
a level of proficiency that was enjoyable to watch. This time, though,

Richter interrupted him. “It’s time to add some new enchantments to the
Forge.”

The dwarf smiled and relinquished the anvil. The entire thing was
the color of clear green glass except for two small motes of light that
danced near the center, one blue and one gold. Richter planned to add some

more lights to the show, and hopefully his increased Luck would help out
with that.

The first thing he pulled out was his Arrow of Confusion. He placed
it on the anvil and accessed the Forge’s power.

You have brought an enchanted weapon into contact with the Forge of
Heavens: Arrow of Confusion. Do you want to deconstruct this weapon
for a chance to have the enchantment stored for future use? Yes or No?

Richter selected “Yes” and watched as motes of white light appeared

around the arrow. They circled the weapon, and every passing moment,
more sparkling light joined the rest, until the arrow could no longer be

seen. The lights began to flow down towards the anvil and then into it. The
sparks coalesced into a black sphere that floated near the initial gold and

blue ones.

Richter did a fist pump. “Woohoo! Right out of the gate.”

“Good job, yer Lordship! What else ye got?” Krom said with a grin.

Richter laughed and pulled out the next item to be deconstructed.

For the next thirty minutes they went through the enchanted weapons and

armor Richter had managed to collect. They were able to add Earth
Resistance and Goblin Slaying—Richter noted Krom was exceptionally

excited about that one. They were also able to successfully destroy his
Shadow Dagger and learn Ignore Defense. He smiled when he saw the Iron

Axe of Strength he had taken from the goblin chief to claim the Mist
Village. A green light joined the others floating in the anvil’s center.

Some of the enchantments failed to be absorbed, though, and just

fell to dust. He lost the Summoning Staff of Earth, the Steel Dagger of

Beast Slaying and most of his new arrowheads. The motes of white
cascaded off of the large anvil again and again without kindling a new
colored light. Richter began to grit his teeth as it happened again and again,

but he was able to save three of the enchantments: Dark Attack, Tracking,
and Analysis. The sleep powder arrow was a device that the Forge couldn’t

deconstruct. Krom said he could take it apart to see if he could recreate it,
but he was doubtful. Richter placed it back in his Bag.

He wasn’t willing to risk the Ebonwood Bow of Sundering or the

Glass Boots of Shockwave until he had the luck potions. Just like the

Potion of Nil Abilities, they were too valuable. Richter also discovered that
his set of unenhanced sprite armor wasn’t able to be deconstructed. Krom

thought it must be because sprite armor wasn’t forged in a traditional sense.

Richter didn’t let him daunt him though. He had actually felt a bit off about

sacrificing the first armor he had ever worn.

There was one embarrassing moment when he brought out the

Ouroboros armor. Krom examined the hood and asked Richter, “When you
were underground, how many of those darkvision potions did ye drink?”

“Six or seven. Why?”

“And every one of those had squished kobold eye jelly in them?”

“Yesss. Why?” Richter asked with a hint of consternation.

“Did it taste good?” the smith asked with a smile.

 “No! It tasted like old taint! Why?” Richter was getting pissed at
Krom’s random teasing.

“Well you do know that you could have just worn this hood and you
would have been granted darkvision, right?”

Richter’s mouth hung open. He started talking, but then stopped

and just stood there with a pained expression. Finally, he said, “Let’s not
tell anyone about this, okay?”

Krom looked at him with barely concealed glee. “Of course not! I
would never embarrass ye, yer Lordship!”

Richter glared at him suspiciously, but Krom moved them past the
moment by asking if Richter wanted to hold onto the hood or deconstruct it.

“Well of course we’re going to destroy it! Give it here!”

A few seconds later, Richter forgot about his bonehead move

because he had earned another black sphere in the Forge. They went
through the rest of the Assassin’s armor. He was able to successfully add
the enchantment from the leggings, fighting gloves, and arm wraps. They

provided the ability to increase movement speed, increase unarmed attack

damage, and increase attack speed, respectively. The other pieces of armor
simply fell to dust.
 Despite the fact that a fair number of his attempts had resulted in the
items just being destroyed, when Richter looked at the good number of

lights dancing in the central anvil, he knew he’d made the right choice. It
also felt nice to have unloaded so much of the gear he had been carrying
around. Checking his clock, he saw that it was actually a few minutes past
twelve. He literally had to order Krom away from the anvil. As they

walked away, the dwarf kept throwing longing looks back at the Forge and
all of the new enchantments that were waiting for him.

Richter clapped his arm around the Smith’s shoulders and said,
“Don’t worry, mi amigo. We’re going to go kill some shit! There might

even be goblins.”

A smile broke out both on Krom’s face and in his heart. “Aye!”

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 CHAPTER 25

Before they left the Forge, Krom handed him some high steel heavy

arrows. Richter happily took his quiver out of his Bag and placed the
arrows inside. He also took several pieces of armor and weapons from the

Forge and put them into his Bag, then they were on their way. When they
arrived at the gate, Richter found that everyone was waiting. He looked

around and was pleased to see Sedrin standing with the others. The guard
walked up to him, and the two men clasped wrists. Looking down, Richter

saw that his fingers had been reattached, but that his left pinky was still
missing the last two segments.

“Good morrow, my lord.”

“Hello, Sedrin,” Richter greeted him. “I wasn’t sure that you would

be here, but I’m glad to see you.”

“How could I stay away when our smith has provided me with such

an excellent weapon?”
 Richter looked and his eyes widened as he took in the stats of

Sedrin’s spear. The head was pure moonstone. A central spear tip extended

a foot and a half from the socket, three inches across at its widest point. It

appeared to almost be a pitchfork, as two prongs extended horizontally

from the base of the spearhead before turning at a right angle and extending
up six inches. These solid spikes ended in wicked points. No man or beast

skewered with this weapon would reach Sedrin as long as the man kept a

sure grip. As the guard moved the spear, Richter saw the same glowing

four pointed star that was on his short sword. The weapon was a beauty of

utility, but its properties were what stood out. It was clearly Forge born.

You have found: Charging Moonstone Spear of Freezing. Damage: 24-

29. Durability 96/96. Item class: Scarce. Quality: Exquisite. Weight 4.1
kg. Traits:10 points of water damage per attack. 6% chance to cause

freeze. +10% damage vs spell barriers. Charges: 290/290. Bonus Trait:

Can absorb direct moonlight to increase attack power. Current charge

0/10.

Richter arched an eyebrow at Krom. The smith shrugged. “I

thought he deserved it after what he had been through. I had intended to

make a simple spear, but as sometimes happens, the metal took on a life of

its own. After I saw how beautiful it was, I didn’t hesitate to use a higher

stone and one of the commons.”

 Richter smiled. “I think you did a great job. I pray the rest of my

men can be so well equipped. Let me speak with Sedrin a moment, though,

Krom.”

The dwarf nodded and walked away. Richter looked Sedrin in the

eye and was about to speak when the guard beat him to the punch. “I bear

you no ill will for what happened, my lord. I knew that things could be

dangerous when I agreed to be a guard. As promised though, you met the

danger with me. I was a bit delirious on the way back, but I know that you

carried me yourself. Most rulers I know see their men as disposable, little

better than slaves. I am proud to serve you, and if you allow it, I will serve
you for life.”

Richter was quiet for a moment. “I am honored, Sedrin. I don’t

know what else to say. Thank you.”

Sedrin nodded, then a smile broke out over his face. “There was an

unexpected benefit. I got a nickname! ‘Ten Fingers.’”

Richter’s face took on a bemused expression of confusion. “I don’t

get it, man.”

Sedrin leaned in and whispered, “One of the village women gave me

the nickname. It’s because my biggest finger is the one you can’t see!”

Then he started laughing.

 Richter joined him in the laugh and they walked over to the rest of

the men. Everyone else was chuckling a bit, and he heard Krom say, “and

he had the hood in his bag the whole time!”

Richter fixed the dwarf with a glare. “You’re a dick, Krom.”

Krom smiled back. “Thank ye, yer lordship!”

Shaking his head, Richter created the war party again and made sure

that everyone was visible on his minimap. Then he had Sion hand out

health and stamina potions. The sprite also handed over thirteen mana

potions for Richter and several more for the casters. Richter looked at him

in surprise.

“Did you think I just wasted the week you were away?” his

Companion asked with a laugh.

Richter put the potions into his Bag and then handed out Potions of

Clarity. After feeding one to Alma, he took one himself. Then he loaded

his Ring of Spell Storage. Not knowing what they were going to find, he

decided a little extra help couldn’t hurt. His hand glowed green as he

finished the three-second incantation. As the light died out, another green

light flared within the clear gem on the ring, letting him know that he had
successfully stored Summon Weak Saproling.
 The last thing he did was to distribute some of his items. He made it

clear that everything was a loan, just like any weapons or armor they may

have gotten, but he wanted to see his war party better equipped. When he

had been deconstructing items at the Forge, he realized that his extra rings

weren’t doing any good just sitting in his inventory. Coupled with the fact

that he had drank all those darkvision potions when he could have worn the

hood (he shuddered again remembering the taste), he came to two

conclusions. One, he should spread the wealth. Two, he had so much stuff

that he forgot to use his items. He had to unload.

First, he pulled out all of the armor he had taken from Orvin, the

Warrior who had accompanied Sonirae. All of it went to Caulder. The

sergeant groaned when he hefted the Steel War Door Shield, but he was

strong enough to handle it. The task became much easier when Richter
gave him the Belt of Strength. Caulder smiled as soon as he buckled it on

and started moving around with much greater ease than a few seconds

prior. Richter looked at his new Tank and knew that he had made the right

choice. The Belt of Sustenance went around his own waist, and the

sleepiness gnawing at the back of his mind faded substantially.

Next he offered the Stone Lizard armor he had taken from the

bugbear ranger to Beyan. The gnome begged off, though, saying he was

concerned about disruption of his spells, so instead, Richter gave him the
Apprentice Dark mage robes he had scavenged after the bugbear attack.

The defense on the robes was only +5, but it covered the alchemist head to

toe and would give extra protection against magical attacks.

The armor ended up going to Ulinde. The archer seemed more than

happy with the durable, but lightweight, protection. Richter also handed

over the Ebonwood Bow of Sundering. Though the bow was powerful,

Richter wasn’t willing to relinquish the Dexterity boost his wood elf bow

provided. Ulinde reverently took his weapon and immediately began

checking the wood for cracks.

The Wand of Dark Bolts he handed to Jean. Krom happily took the

crossbow away from the Air mage. He considered giving Jean his original

sprite armor, but it just seemed wrong somehow. He told the mage to stay

back from any direct fighting and hoped that the mail armor Krom had

provided would be enough. Richter asked the mage what his Air magic

skill level was, but unfortunately Jean was still only level seven. That

meant it would still be five levels before the man could cast Lightning Bolt
I.

He also equally handed out his extra rings and amulets, increasing

everyone’s health and stamina slightly. The mana ring went to Sion. He
searched through his inventory once more and lastly pulled out a wooden
shield that he gave to Terrod. With his war party as well equipped as he

could make them, he addressed the group.

“We have two objectives today. We will be searching a small area,

looking for a specific plant, a shiverleaf frond. We are also going to be

investigating a monster sighting that the hunters have reported. Any

monsters or dangerous animals that we find while we are doing those two

things, we take out. Any questions?”

Caulder spoke up. “I thought we were going into the Catacombs, my

lord. I was looking forward to that.”

Several other party members nodded. Richter could understand

where they were coming from. He had told them that this excursion was

going to involve the Catacombs and yet they were going nowhere near
them. In fact, he had barely thought about the Depths since he had put the

kobold egg back in stasis. Despite that, he said, “Suck it up, Sergeant. The
Catacombs aren’t going anywhere. We’ll get to them, just not now. So get

your game face on.”

Caulder bobbed his head in acquiescence, but Richter heard him

mutter, “Promises were made.”

The Air magi cast Haste I on everyone, and the party took off
through the gate. The guards stationed there saluted as the war party jogged
past. The sun was warm, and looking up, Richter appreciated the azure sky
dotted with fluffy white clouds. The farmers waved to them as they moved

by, as did the villagers tending the livestock. They crossed into the trees
with a light breeze at their backs and birdsong echoing in the trees around

them. As they got into their stride, Richter rechecked their collective status
page.

OceanofPDF.com
*Base Values not adjusted for Characteristics or War Leader bonus
**Cumulative Armor Base Value not adjusted for Characteristics. Damage

will only be calculated based upon the specific armor piece struck.

OceanofPDF.com
 Yup, Richter thought, we are some bad hombres. He noticed that
the challenge had been added to the top of the page. He intended to
conquer that task or die trying.

For the first fifteen minutes, they jogged through the woods, Richter
and Sion leading the way. The overall speed of the party was limited to

their slowest member, Caulder, so the two Companions ranged ahead. At

first they didn’t find anything more dangerous than a wolf or bear track, but

then Sion froze. Richter silently made his way over to his friend and
examined what he was looking at. At the sprite’s feet was a trail that looked

like a broad ribbon on the ground. Sion made eye contact and said, “Shale
adder.”

The other members of their party caught up and Sion explained what

they were facing. “These things are big. At least ten feet long, often up to

twenty.”

“Okay, so what else?” Richter asked. “Does it spit acid, mesmerize

us with it gaze, fart poison?”

“No,” Sion said, shaking his head, “but it’s big, fast, and
camouflages itself well. Very well.”
 Richter raised his head as the others approached. “Okay. We have

our first customer of the day. Sion says it’s a big ass snake called a shale

adder.”

Everyone nodded, except for Ulinde who asked, “How big?”

“At least twenty feet,” Sion answered. The elf blanched slightly, but

nodded.

“We move forward together now. Tight formation. Caulder, bring

that slab of metal up here. You’re right behind me and Sion. Beyan and

Jean, you’re in the middle. Let’s move.”

Haste I was rebuffed and they got back to it. Richter and Sion kept

one eye on the ground and the other on the surrounding trees. The sprite

had told them that the adders liked to strike prey from above. They moved
slowly through the thick trees, making far too much noise for Richter’s

liking, but he knew it couldn’t be helped. Most of the other party members

were just lacking in stealth or wood craft. The trail started leading them

north.

The war party slowly jogged on following the slithering tracks.

Almost an hour later, they found a splash of red blood. Not too much, but

still enough for them all to go on high alert. After a minute when nothing

else happened, Sion and Richter fanned out and found a blood trail that
continued to follow the path of the snake. The strange part was that the

sinuous trail was fainter than it had been before the blood.

“If the snake killed something and carried it off, wouldn’t it be

heavier? I mean wouldn’t the tracks be deeper and easier to follow?”

Richter asked. Sion nodded. “Then what’s with this?” Sion just looked

back and shrugged.

Having nothing else to go on, they kept moving forward. Ten

minutes later, the trail ended at a hole in the side of a small hill. Richter

never would have seen it if they hadn’t been following the snake’s trail.

The entrance was on the far side of the hill and covered by thick bracken.

After they had chopped through the briar, it was clear that they had found a

lair.

The bones and remains of animals both large and small littered the

ground around the cave. What was even more concerning, was that as they

had cut their way closer to the cave entrance, they had started seeing

webbing as well. Standing in front of the cave, Richter turned to Sion. “I

don’t suppose that this is a special type of snake that makes webs?”

Sion slowly shook his head while keeping his eye on the cave.

Richter turned back to the cave with a grim expression on his face.

“That’s what I thought. Fuck. I hate spiders.”

 He had Futen turn invisible and then scout inside. The remnant

came back a few seconds later reporting a large cavern filled with webs. He

could not go any further without disturbing the white strands. Richter
nodded and placed his bow back into his Bag, drawing his short sword

instead. Underground, it would probably come to some close quarters

work. The green blade made a shing sound as it cleared his back scabbard.

He waved Caulder to the front of the group and they filed into the dark, one

at a time.

As soon as they were underground, Richter cast Far Light I several

times. The slope leading into the cave had been somewhat steep, and they

went down about fifteen feet before reaching the earthen floor. Loose and

stringy roots hung down above their heads and larger roots interwove

through the ceiling and walls. More webs were strewn across the room,

making moving forward impossible. Sedrin tried cutting through the

webbing with his dagger, but the stuff was thick and somewhat sticky. It

quickly clung to his blade, like tape on scissors, forcing the guard to stop

and peel it away. To make matters worse, the webbing numbed any

exposed skin it touched. It wasn’t a problem for those of them wearing

gauntlets, but the webs still stuck to the armor in the most irritating way.

Terrod’s cobalt sword was able to cut through well enough, and the threads
fell right away from Richter’s elementum blade, but it was still taking too

long.

“Stand back and be ready,” he told everyone.

Richter began casting with both hands. He didn’t dual cast this

time. Instead, he cast Flame I twice. Twin jets of fire lanced out from his

hands, severing and burning the webs in front of them. The cauterized ends

of the white strands snapped back under pressure, sending reverberations

through the web. His flames revealed a doorway to the far left; the blood

trail continued on in that direction.

They were about to go through, when Richter heard something.

Click, click. Click, click. They all stopped and listened. The noises started
coming faster and closer together and it soon became clear that more than

one creature was making the noises. Noises that were getting closer. They

all shared a look and then Richter shouted, “Back up to the entrance and get

ready!”

Richter cast Grease I in front of the doorway and then hastened to

rejoin his party. They moved back, always facing towards the deeper part

of the cave. The clicking grew louder and louder. Richter began casting

buffs, Barkskin I and Minor Life Armor I. Before he could do anything

else, the doorway leading deeper into the cave exploded with black spiders.
 Each was about the size of a German shepherd. Their bodies were

long like a wolf spider’s, and two clusters of red eyes sat above slavering

mandibles. Clear spittle dripped from their mouths and several thorn-like

teeth lined the top and bottom of their jaws. Their mandibles were to either

side of their mouths, like pincers. The clicking came from them snapping

together again and again. The ends of their legs were sharp like pins, easily

digging into the floor and walls as they boiled out of the entire

circumference of the hole. They climbed on the walls, the ceiling, and the

floor. First one, then five, then more than a dozen ran into the room.

Richter quickly Analyzed one.

Name: Assengai Spider Drone Disposition: Neutral

Assengai spiders are pack hunters. Their speed, numbers, and natural
weaponry allow them to overwhelm enemies many times their size.
These fallen foes are taken back to their lair and assengai drink their
blood, slowly draining them to death. The process is not quick as the
nest will live off of several enemies at once, allowing one victim to
recover as they move on to the next. The webbing of the spiders is a
weak tranquilizer, keeping prey docile, but also conscious. It is said that
the prey of the assengai die of hunger rather than blood loss, knowing
one irrevocable truth as they starve: they are food. Drones are the
lowest members of the assengai hierarchy. With extremely low
intelligence, they are fiercely loyal and will attack enemies of their
queen with little regard to their own safety.
Level: 12
Health: 310 Mana: 0 Stamina: 260
Strength: 16
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 18
 Constitution: 31
Endurance: 26
Intelligence: 0
Wisdom: 3
Charisma: 4
Luck: 10
As soon as Sion saw them, he shouted, “Spear spiders!” and began

loosing arrows into the creatures.

Richter watched, hoping to see the ones on the floor slip in the

grease, but their eight legs and the fact that each ended in a sharp point was
enough to keep them upright. Gritting his teeth, he thought, *Psi Blast!*

Alma let loose a cry and then flew forward several yards. When all

of the members of the war party were clear of her mental blast, she
unleashed her devastating psychic attack. She chose to narrow the beam in

the confined space of the cave, still striking all of the spiders that had made
it past the doorway. The assengai fell to the ground twitching. Sion and

Ulinde wasted no time peppering the fallen spiders with arrows. More
continued to pour from the opening, with no concern for their fallen. One

was even in such a rush that its sharp legs pierced the abdomen of a fallen
spider, sending green ichor spraying as it ran past.

Richter pointed his Ring of Spell Storage and released the spell. A
green disc phased into being, but Richter didn’t waste any time watching

the saproling be summoned. The first spiders had reached the party and
they were slamming their sharpened legs against Caulder’s heavy shield.
The ting ting ting sound left no doubt as to how strong and dangerous the

spiders’ attacks were. Knowing they needed time, he cast a spell he had
never tried before. Both hands wove through a slow, but exacting, series of

movements. A cry of pain threatened to undo his concentration, but the fact
that spiders continued to pour into the room firmed his will. Words of

Power poured out of his mouth, getting thicker and harder to say, but since
Alma’s Psi Bond had leveled up, his ability to focus had deepened. Three
seconds after he started, he finished the spell with a shout and wrenched his

hands down in a slashing motion. For the first time he saw the power of
Rending Talons I.

The entire area in front of the hole the spiders were coming out of
became a spinning maelstrom of talons and hooked nails. They randomly

spun around the space at high speeds, scoring against anything they could
touch. The talons weren’t strong enough to do more than score the spiders’

armor at first, but they moved with increasing speed and soon green gore
was flying.

Caulder and Terrod stood side by side, fending off the attacks of the
spiders that were already beyond the AoE of Richter’s spell. Their attacks

complemented one another as Terrod held his shield in his right hand and
Caulder held the war door in his left. Caulder stood slightly forward, taking
the brunt of the attacks. The cry of pain had come from Terrod, and blood
leaked down his leg from a puncture mark, but a dead spider now lay at his

feet, neatly bisected. Sedrin stood behind them both. The longer reach of
his weapon let him jab the spear forward whenever a spider tried to get past

his fellow guards’ blades. The creamy white spearhead already dripped
green.

Sion and Ulinde stood several feet back from the guards, flanking
them and forming the two bottom points of the party’s triangle formation.

They shot as quickly as they could, each arrow causing frost to spread from
the impact point. Occasionally spiders were knocked back by a heavy

arrow connecting. They would always regain their feet, though, and surge
forward again. The space was too small for Sion to use imbue arrow, but

his shots still struck with devastating force and accuracy. From the center
of the formation, Jean added to the ranged attacks with shots from his

wand. There was a slight bzzzt as each black bolt left the wand. Krom
stood near the center of the formation, ranging left or right whenever a

spider attempted to sidle past Terrod or Caulder’s shields. Beyan’s

contribution was seen in a reanimated spider attacking its former

compatriots.

As Richter had been casting Rending Talons I, the saproling had

crossed into the cavern. This time, the saproling took the form of a six-
footed pit bull, comprised of roots and thorns. It stood four feet tall at the

shoulder and had an oversized head. Its mouth was full of sharp thorns that
oozed a green poison of some type. It dove into the spiders with gusto, not

at all minding that it was outsized and vastly outnumbered. The spiders
attacked it with their needle-like legs and powerful bites, but the tough

wood that made up its body was highly resistant to piercing attacks. The
Earth creature also drew strength from being underground, surrounded by
the roots of mighty trees. It drew energy through its legs and it was able to

self-heal some of the damage it suffered.

The spiders started falling one after another. To Richter’s surprise,

rainbows of light traced through the cavern with each one’s passing. He
looked over and saw Alma weaving through the cavern, casting Soul Trap

on any spider that looked to be near death. The mana expenditure was
significant, but at level twenty-four and with the 60% bump to her

Intelligence, she had almost five hundred and fifty mana to draw on. The
dragonling had become a force to be reckoned with.

Despite the effectiveness of the party’s new gear and efficient

fighting tactics, spiders continued to pour into the room. They pushed

mindlessly through Richter’s AoE spells. A few were knocked down by the
claws, but more and more were making it into the room having suffered

only minor to moderate wounds. Richter drew his sword, prepared to rush
forward. If he could get close enough, he could light the grease on fire. At

the very least, it would give his party some breathing room. Before he
could step a foot forward, though, a mass of spiders swarmed the saproling.

It went down under their weight. Richter held back because he could see
the same thing happening to him. The spiders continued to grow in number,

uncaring that the war party needed a respite.

Alma fired a lightning bolt at one of the spiders on top of the

saproling, and it fell to the ground, twitching. Seeing her use of magic
reminded Richter that he wasn’t using his full capabilities. He sent a mental

order to Alma, who immediately looped in the air and began flying towards
the tunnel. One spider jumped to strike at her, but the lithe dragonling

avoided the attack and quickly crossed the distance between the war party
and the storm of swirling claws.

Richter extended a hand, his fingers moving in a precise pattern. He

finished the one-second casting, but instead of channeling the energy

through his hands, he reached for a recently unlocked portion of his mind

and directed the Power there. Alma glowed red for a split second before
flames shot out from her body in a five-foot jet. She strafed the ground for

a few feet before the fire finally touched the grease. Flames shot up in a
circular inferno, and the spiders finally made a noise besides their incessant

clicking. A high-pitched keening began, and those caught in the AoE

scrambled and lashed out in confusion, some even fighting each other as
they burned to death.

*Keep soul trapping them!* he thought to Alma. Then Richter

turned his attention to the spiders that were already attacking his party. The

triangle formation was slowly moving forward, now striking at the spiders
with impunity. They all recognized that they had a small window to kill the

spiders that had made it into the cave. Another zombie spider had joined
the first and struck its fellows with its spiked legs. Krom had taken a
wound to the shoulder, but he had already healed himself and was still in

the fight. Jean continued to fire dark bolts from the wand and Sion and
Ulinde showed no signs of stopping their distanced death dealing. His war

party was doing well, so Richter focused on trying to save his summoned
creature.

With one hand, he cast Slow Heal I and with the other swung his
elementum blade in an overhand chop. His mind easily compartmentalized,

and he was able to finish the spell form while smoothly executing the sword
form Setting Sun. His blade almost effortlessly swept through three of his

target’s legs and, in the same motion, the tip of the sword split open the
assengai’s side. The spider toppled over and then rolled onto its back,

pincers clicking madly. He cast Soul Trap with his left hand while he swept
his sword through the spider’s head, shearing it in two. Another ribbon of
light spiraled around him.

As his war party pushed forward, hacking and stabbing, rainbow

swirls of light began to come from all sides. Alma, mana nearly depleted,

flew back to his side. Richter took a step back from the fighting, happy to
see that his saproling was still biting and clawing against the five spiders

attacking it. He reached into his Bag and uncorked a mana potion and gave
it to his familiar. She drank it down in one fast gulp, the blue solution

restoring one hundred fifty-eight mana over the next nineteen seconds.

She took off into the air and fired a lightning bolt at a spider
attacking Terrod. It collapsed to the ground stunned. With a gleeful shout,

Sedrin’s white spear stabbed it through the abdomen while Terrod skewered
it with his dusky grey cobalt blade. A ribbon of light rose from its body

thanks to Krom’s quick thinking. The party continued to surge forward,

desperate to kill the assengai in the room before Richter’s grease fire burned
itself out.

Meanwhile, Richter knew one thing. When the saproling finally

succumbed, those spiders were going to be on him and his men. Thrusting
his short sword into the ground, his hands wove in a dual casting. Pressure
built in his throat for the next three seconds. With a shout that seemed to

stretch out longer than should be possible, rings of weaponized sound

energy shot from his throat and washed over both the spiders and his
saproling.

The attack traveled at Mach 1 and overwhelmed the spiders’ senses.

His ears rang, but the spiders were far enough away that the feedback didn’t
immediately deafen him this time. Three fell to the ground, legs lashing out
blindly, while the other two ran aimlessly in a desperate bid to escape

Richter’s attack. One was able to leave the cone-shaped AoE of the sonic
assault, but the other circled and tripped over the body of another spider. It
stabbed its legs into its brethren again and again, maddened by the pain of
Richter’s attack. The one which got away suddenly collapsed, Alma’s sharp
claws latched onto its back. The poor intellect of the spear spider was no

match for her level six Brain Drain.

Krom ran past Richter, and with a savage yell, swung his ebony
hammer in a 270-degree windmill. The dense black metal impacted against
a spider’s hardened carapace. The spider’s natural armor was quite good at

resisting tooth, nail, and even the glancing blow of a blade, but it could
nothing to stop the raw blunt force trauma of the dwarf’s attack. The
spider’s body burst as its insides were compressed past its exoskeleton’s
ability to contain them.

Green gore sprayed everywhere including Richter’s face and open

mouth. He spit in disgust, but neither the taste nor Krom’s manic laugh
deterred him from swinging his sword. One! Two! Three! Each sword
stroke laid open the belly of another spider, not killing them, but doing

massive damage before they could fully recover from his sound attack. He
cast Soul Trap on each as Caulder, Terrod, and Sedrin rushed forward to
finish them off. Richter turned to kill the last spider, but two arrows shot
forth from behind him, taking it in each eye. With a last click of its

mandibles it fell silent.

Everyone gathered together in the chamber. Beyan’s zombies had

been taken apart, but everyone else had made it through the fight with only
minor damage. They were all breathing heavily, and to a man, they were

looking at the slowly dying fire in front of the exit and listening to the ever
present clicking of the spiders waiting on the other side. The spiders in the
next chamber shared every creature’s fear of fire, which was the only reason
why the war party had found a respite. The entire war party knew that

battle would recommence once the fire died. Richter looked around at his
people, struggling to take a deep breath. The air had begun to grow thin as
the fire continued to burn in the confined space.

“You always take me to the nicest places,” Sion said.

“Let’s not forget that it was your idea to lure that skeeling out,”

Richter quipped back.

 “My lord, do we stay and fight or do we retreat?” Terrod asked, a

pained look on his face.

Seven pairs of eyes looked at him, awaiting his command. Richter

looked behind them to the entrance to the surface and then back at the
doorway that led deeper into the caves. Before he started speaking, he took
Jean’s wand and recharged it with several of the weak and poor soul stones

the hunters had provided. After he had handed it back, he looked at each of
them one by one. “I don’t want to be here either. I didn’t expect to find a
nest like this, but we are here and we did find it. I can’t leave this den
behind to grow stronger. To one day spawn more of these things that can

attack our friends and loved ones. Can you?”

Each and every member of the war party met his eyes and shook
their heads slightly. Their jaws were firm and they turned to the dying fire
and spiders that waited beyond. Richter spoke up again. “Well I don’t see

any reason to wait for them to come to us, do you, Sion?”

“No reason at all, Richter my friend.” With a grim and bloodthirsty

smile, he nocked an arrow, and blue light flickered into existence. Beyan
started chanting, Ulinde prepared to fire and Jean raised his wand.

Richter started to dual cast Rending Talon I again, only too happy to

teach these monsters that he was the true master of these lands.
OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 26

They fought off three more waves of spiders. Richter was able to

halt the influx of enemies each time with a grease fire, preventing them
from being overwhelmed. They went through most of their restore health

and stamina potions, Beyan suffered a dislocated shoulder, and they all
suffered flesh wounds, but otherwise they made it through unscathed. After

finishing the last spider, Richter looked around and with weariness in his
voice said, “Let’s finish this.”

It had taken more than an hour of fighting, but they made their way

into the next chamber. As they proceeded, Richter burned away any

webbing he could see. Once it was gone, they found several blind end
caves that were offshoots from the one they were standing in. There was

also a tunnel entrance leading downward at the far end. They

systematically cleared each cave, but there were no more enemies

remaining. Richter assigned Caulder, Terrod, Sedrin, and Ulinde to guard

the tunnel entrance, and everyone else just searched around. Each cave
turned out to just have a mixture of bones and small eggs sacs. Beyan had

called Richter over when he found the first one.

You have found: Assengai Spider Drone Egg. Durability 1/1. Item Class:

Uncommon. Weight: 0.01 kg. If kept in a dry place this will hatch an
assengai spider drone. Your Beast Bonding skill lets you know that this egg

will probably hatch in 3-4 weeks. You also have a feeling that this could be

used to create a cure poison potion and the jelly of the egg could be used to

slow decay.

Richter’s first impulse was to burn all of the golf-ball-sized eggs.

Each had a transparent skin and he could see the developing spider within.

It filled him with a sense of revulsion. There were hundreds of eggs,

though, and if they were a source of making cure poison potions, it was a

resource he would be foolish to squander. He also reasoned that he could

just put them in his Bag. The spatial folds that comprised the inside of the
storage device had shown to be incompatible with any higher form of life,

but the Bag would keep the eggs fresh until they could be stored in the

Dragon’s Cauldron. Basically, he could be sure that he wouldn’t wake up

one morning covered in baby spiders with insanely sharp legs. The thought

of it made his skin crawl. Richter physically shivered, but when Beyan

asked him what was the matter, he just gave a manly, “I’m good! What’s

wrong with you?”

 He tried picking an egg up, but it immediately popped in his hand.

The fragile skin of the egg clung to his fingers, making them burn and

tingle at the same time. The jelly inside the egg coated his hand and the

scent of old rotting fish filled his nose. The warm sensation of the goo felt

like someone had just blown their nose on his hand. The sound Richter let

loose could never have been willfully repeated. “Blehaguh!” He vigorously

wiped his hand back and forth on the cave wall until it had mostly been

cleaned off, though he could still feel a bit under his fingernails. Beyan was

looking at him with a barely held in laugh, but Richter held up a finger and

said, “Not one word, Beyan!” The gnome shrugged innocently, but his lips

were still suspiciously and tensely pressed together like he was struggling to

keep something in.

Not wanting to repeat the experience, Richter unshouldered his

Bag. Holding the opening wide, he scooped the eggs in. Going through

each of the five small caverns, he was able to collect more than a hundred

eggs. He didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if this

nest had gone unfound for another month or two. Hisako had told him that

as he awakened his Place of Power the monsters around his village would

become stronger and more numerous. He had assumed that she had meant
just higher-level monsters that he would have to challenge and fight. This

was something else though. If the number of eggs he was seeing was any
indication of how quickly these spiders normally bred, they posed a very

serious danger to his people. Five hundred of these bastards would be

enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the village! He had to start
exploring his territory more seriously.

He also had to seriously consider if he was ready to unlock another

Power. Having 30% better loot from his Dark Hidden Treasures ability or

having a 30% reduction in his spell costs from the Water Tranquil Soul

ability sounded great. If the trade-off meant increased danger for his

people, though, he might have to wait until his village was better prepared.

The simple fact that his war party was better equipped during this

expedition drastically improved both their ability to deal damage and

protect themselves. Richter nodded to himself. He had to think like a

leader, not some selfish prick that was only out for himself. If that meant

having to wait a bit, then so be it.

Once he was sure there was nothing else of value in the caves, the

party gathered in front of the tunnel entrance. The lights he had cast in the

cavern they were in barely penetrated the darkness, so Richter extended his
hand and cast Far Light I again. The ball of white light shot forward,

showing that the tunnel remained at roughly a thirty-degree slope. It struck

the floor when the tunnel leveled out, shining like a flare dropped down a

well. The tunnel continued forward out of sight. Richter had Futen turn
invisible and scout ahead again. The remnant went to the end of his tether

before returning.

“There is a wide cavern with high ceilings forty yards down the

tunnel. Several large cocoons are either hanging from the ceiling or lying

on the floor. There are several large piles of eggs, and eight spiders are

moving around the floor. They are quite a bit larger than the ones that you

just fought, Lord Richter.”

Richter gritted his teeth in annoyance. “How much larger?”

“Twice as large, Lord Richter,” came the monotone reply.

“Futen! If you’re going to tell me that I’m going to fight a spider

the size of a horse, maybe you could put some fucking inflection on it?

Like the high likelihood of us being eaten is a bad thing, maybe?”

“Yes, Lord Richter. That would be very bad.” There was no change

in the remnant’s voice.

“We’re going to be eaten?” Jean asked in a small voice.

Richter made eye contact with the Air mage and shook his head

reassuringly. Then he turned back to the remnant. “Did you see anything

else?” It was a big assumption of course, but the spiders they had fought

had been “drones.” The large ones below sounded like soldiers guarding a

nest or larder. That posed the question, where was the queen?
 “I did not, my lord, but there are large stalactites and stalagmites

throughout the cavern. It is possible there were other monsters hiding that I

did not see.”

Richter took the information and made a command decision. “We

just don’t know enough. I won’t risk our lives on incomplete info. That’s

why I’m scouting ahead. The rest of you wait here.”

“My lord, no! It is too much of a risk,” Terrod protested in a hushed

voice.

“I agree, Lord Richter. Let one of us do this,” Caulder added.

“I am quite skilled at scouting and have an apprentice level stealth

skill, Lord Richter,” Ulinde said. “I can undertake this mission.”

Jean, Krom, and Sion expressed their displeasure with the plan too.

Everyone looked at Beyan, who was the only one who hadn’t spoken up.

When he saw their attention, he raised both hands to ward off their gazes.

“What! I’m not going to be the one that goes down to play with the giant

spiders,” he whispered harshly. “Best of luck, my lord!”

Richter chuckled to himself. “I hear all of your objections, well,

almost all of your objections,” he amended, eyeballing Beyan. The gnome

looked back with a perfect “honey badger don’t care” glare. “This isn’t just

about recon though. Ulinde, you may be able to stealth, but I doubt you
have experience with traps. My Traps, Trap Disarm, and Pierce the Veil

skills are all above twenty. I am going, and that is the end of the matter.

Futen will go with me. If things go sideways, he will make the brightest

light and loudest sound he can to distract them. I’ll escape in the chaos. All

of you wait here. If I give you the signal, run like hell for the surface.”

“What will the signal be, yer lordship?” Krom asked.

“Something like me running my ass off shouting, ‘Run, you sons of

bitches, run.’”

“I’ll make sure to watch out for that,” Sion said dryly.

Richter nodded to him and started walking off, but the sprite
grabbed his hand. “Be careful. I don’t want you to go on… vacation

again.” Richter’s ability to be reborn was still a loosely kept secret, and
Sion understood the wisdom of keeping it that way. The sprite clasped
wrists with his Companion for a second, then Richter moved off. Alma

protested for a moment, but he explained that he might need to move

quickly. In the end, she agreed to stay behind.

He cast Haste I and Barkskin I on himself, then loaded his Ring of

Spell Storage with Paralysis Beam I. After taking a deep breath, he lifted

the cowl of his hood and activated Stealth. To his fellow war party
members, it looked like he faded into the stone. There was a rustle of
fabric, then Richter was moving down the tunnel. He flexed a mental
muscle and extinguished the ball of Far Light I at the bottom of the slope.

His eyes slowly acclimatized to the new ambient light level. One of his
hands twisted and he muttered a word of Power. Black energy surrounded

his hand for just a moment, practically invisible in the low light. His world
became a contrast of green and black. Richter reached the bottom of the

slope and started walking forwards, the floor now irregular stone.

The tunnel was ten feet across. Thirty yards ahead, it opened into

the large cavern Futen had described. Richter walked forward carefully,
making sure not to slip in the loose scree. It never entered his mind that the

monsters in the room ahead hadn’t heard the sounds of battle, but they were
clearly protecting something so had held back from the initial fight. That
still didn’t mean that he wanted them to know exactly where he was

though.

He crossed into the cavern and saw that it was indeed about the size

of a large amphitheater. Monstrous spiders that were six feet tall were
stationed around the room. They were motionless except for a slight up and

down movement as they tensed and relaxed their legs. They looked like
larger versions of the drones except for their front legs. As opposed to

simple poniard-like extremities, their front two legs were in the form of
heavy doubled-edged blades. Though Richter didn’t dare get too close,
from where he stood the edges of their legs looked wickedly sharp. As he
crept through the room, the only sound was the off-tempo clicking of their

various pincers. He Analyzed one of them.

Name: Assengai Spider Cutters Disposition: Neutral

Assengai cutters are larger, meaner, and more powerful than their drone
cousins. They are normally seen only when the queen is being
threatened. Their front blade limbs have been seen to bisect horses and
tear through leather and chainmail armor with ease. Cutters are also
able to spit a magically corrosive venom. Assengai cutters are not foes
to be taken lightly.
Level: 19
Health: 510 Mana: 80 Stamina: 410
Strength: 25
Agility: 19
Dexterity: 24
Constitution: 59
Endurance: 41
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 4
Charisma: 4
Luck: 10
Richter continued to skirt around the outside of the cavern and he

counted eight of the large spiders, all between levels eighteen and twenty-
three. He didn’t see the queen though, so he kept edging around. Then he

saw a telltale flash of red.

He had gone more than halfway around the room. As he inched

closer, he saw more red spots appear on the floor, more than ten when he

stopped moving. Barely breathing, he looked up, and his heart dropped.
Suspended twenty feet above him and thirty feet to the side, was a monster

of a spider. Twelve feet long, it had to weigh hundreds of pounds. Its

forelegs looked like double-sided war axes. Unlike the cutters and drones,

it had a bulbous body, and Richter could see an egg sac upon its back. He
used Analyze, praying that it hadn’t seen him.

Name: Assengai Spider Queen Disposition: Unfriendly

The assengai queen is smarter than her drones. Cunning and proficient
in Dark magic, the queen is not meant for the frontlines of battle, but
this does not mean she is helpless. The power of her spells and traps
have led many to their deaths.
Level: 36
Health: 750 Mana: 640 Stamina: 590
Strength: 39
Agility: 27
Dexterity: 20
Constitution: 75
Endurance: 59
Intelligence: 64
Wisdom: 22
Charisma: 4
Luck: 13
Well that’s all sorts of bad news, he thought to himself. He held his
breath as he slowly eased away from the queen. Now that he knew what

was waiting for him in the cave, he moved even slower. He gradually made
his way back to the party, not dropping Stealth until he was back on the

upper level. Richter dismissed Night Vision and told them what he had
seen. The response was predictably cheery.
 “You have got to be joking,” Beyan exclaimed. “I say we leave and

come back with… everyone else!”

Terrod just puffed up his cheeks and slowly exhaled at hearing about

the forces they were up against. The other guards stayed silent, waiting to
do whatever Richter ordered. Krom looked at Richter and said simply, “I

be with ye.” Jean looked depressed, and Sion stood by, ready to support his
friend.

Richter wasn’t upset with Beyan. He had had almost exactly the
same thought himself. Then he had decided that retreat wasn’t an option.

The queen was a clear and present danger to his people. So he had come up
with a plan.

“We aren’t leaving. We are going to kill the queen. So here is the
plan and just for fun let’s skip the part where you protest and then end up

doing what I say anyway. I want to get out of this fucking hole.” Richter
paused, and for a moment he acutely missed being back on Earth. It would

have been the perfect time for someone to say “phrasing.” “I need to know
one thing though.”

Richter focused for a moment and Alma flapped into the air from

where she was clinging to the wall. She stopped in front of Sion, intently
gazing into the sprite’s eyes. Sion looked uncertain as the dragonling
hovered in front of his face, but then his eyes widened. “I heard her! She
said ‘Now.’”

Richter smiled in satisfaction, pleased that Alma was able to make a

psychic connection despite Sion not having Psi Bond. Apparently her

communication skills were limited, but it still meant that the war party
could communicate nonverbally over distance. That would be important.

“So what is the plan?” Sion asked.

Richter reached into his Bag and held up the remaining vial of
shrieke venom with a smirk. “Well, depending on your perspective, this is

actually the easiest part.”

Sion groaned.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 27

Richter stood in the same place he had before, almost directly

underneath the assengai queen. The cutters remained in their defensive

stance. In his left hand he held his bow and in his right, he kept an arrow

nocked on the string. The hood of his Cloak of Concealment was up and
his Stealth skill was activated. Now that he was in position, he sent a signal

to Alma. All he had to do now was wait… and wait… and wait.

He was about to irrationally shout for Sion to hurry up, when the
cutters howled in rage. The clicking of their mandibles increased in speed

as they rushed to attack the lone sprite that had dared to fire at one of them.

Two at a time, they bottlenecked into the tunnel, chasing after Sion. Before
the fifth and sixth spider could enter, an arrow shot out of the cave and

struck the cutter on the left. It paused and then started lashing out wildly. It

did serious damage to the spider by its side before the beleaguered assengai
warrior started to defend itself. The final two approached the scene and

were attacked by the maddened cutter as well. It started to fight a losing

battle against three of its fellows, but it still bought the war party at the
other end of the tunnel precious seconds. Alma launched from her hidden

spot by the tunnel lip. Her slate grey body had gone unnoticed by the

monsters passing beneath, but they did not miss her when she unleashed her

Psi Blast. Her power swept over the four assengai that were fighting each

other, and all fell to the ground, green ichor leaking from their mouths.
Then she started winging towards the back of the cavern as quickly as her

little body could move.

Richter witnessed none of this. His attention was riveted upon the
queen. As soon as the first cutter cried out, he soundlessly drew his bow

back to full extension and activated Focus. At a distance of less than forty

feet, he felt like he was suddenly within spitting distance. He continued to

prepare his attack against the bloated spider that was comfortable in its
perceived safety. Seconds passed and the eight cutters became fully

committed to their attack, and Richter knew his moment had come. His

bow made the slightest creak as he finished his draw. It was enough to alert

the queen, but there still wasn’t enough time to evade his attack. Richter

released and his arrow left the string with a twang. To him, it sounded like

the strong certainty of the inevitable.

The arrow crossed the distance in less than two-tenths of a second,

and Richter’s aim was true. It sank deep within the queen’s bulbous eye,

more than two-thirds of its three-foot length buried in the queen’s face. The
shrieke venom started to do its work before the arrow had even stopped its

passage, causing more than a hundred points of damage each second. The

critical damage was compounded by the sneak attack, and the queen

screamed in rage and pain.

Richter had already nocked another venom-coated arrow as the

monster turned her gaze upon him. She summoned dark energies as he

drew back and just before he could fire another arrow, she unleashed her

fastest spell, Blind Madness. Her spell attacked his eyes and mind at the

same time. His strong bond with Alma kept his mind from being

completely fractured, but he still lost most of his sense of self. He was also
immediately robbed of all sight. He released his second shot blindly, but it

only grazed the queen, not even breaking through her tough exoskeleton.

Before he could do anything else, she activated another ability, Shadow

Shift, and suddenly she was on top of him. The queen was intelligent

enough to know that she was dying, but with her last hateful act she would

kill the human who had killed her and her children.

With a mighty slice of her axe-like front leg, she struck Richter in

the chest. His armor saved him from most of the damage, but a rib still

cracked and he tumbled to the ground, the queen’s entire weight on top of

him. Her pincers clacked together in quivering anticipation and she leaned
down to bite Richter’s head from his body, but then she heard a diminutive

shout in her mind, *NO!*

A bolt of lightning struck the queen in the face, worsening the

already horrifying arrow wound. The light blinded the queen for just a

moment, and though the low-level spell was not enough to stun her, it did
allow Alma to latch onto the monster’s bulbous head. Alma cast another

spell and then started her special attack, Brain Drain.

Maddened by pain, the queen collapsed onto Richter, trying to reach

the small dragonling that was siphoning its little remaining life away. It

swung its axe-like arms at its own head, gouging deep furrows in its

carapace, but missing the brave dragonling, who clung to the ridge of its

remaining eye. Richter’s last thought as blackness claimed him was, I’m

dying with a homicidal bitch writhing around on top of me… it’s just like

that old gypsy woman said…

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 28

“Push it!”

“I am pushing it! Caulder, you pull!”

“Yer lord is dying and me and the lizard be running out of mana!”

“It’s finally shifting! Grab his arms and pull him out! Hurry!”

Richter felt someone grab him by one wrist and pull him from under
the warm cover he had been sleeping under. He tried to fight off the

intruder, but for some reason, he felt horribly weak. Darkness took him

again.

When he came to for the second time, his head was cushioned atop
something soft, but foul smelling. He tried to jerk his face away from the

offending scent by sitting up. As soon he was upright, though, the blood

rushed from his head and he simply passed out again. This time, he fell to
the other side, where there was no soft pillow, foul smelling or otherwise,

and he struck his head firmly against the stone floor, causing a lump.
 Muddled voices filtered through to him. “Krom! Did you really ball

up your used underclothes for Lord Richter’s pillow?”

“I didn’t see ye running out for goose down and silk pillowcases!”

retorted an angry dwarven voice.

“Quiet! All of you! He’s waking up again.”

Richter slowly opened his eyes and saw Sion looking down at him
in concern. Alma hovered in the air behind him and Futen floated above,

casting enough light for everyone to see by. Krom and Terrod glared at

each other, and the other members of the war party looked down at him.

Richter started to pick his head up, but the movement made pain

shoot through his still reeling mind. “Oh god. How long was I out?” The

last word was said in a half groan, half moan.

“Only a few minutes,” Sion said. “Just enough time for us to tidy

the place up a bit,” the sprite said in light jest.

“Uhhh, Sion?”

“Yes, Richter?”

“Shut up, then help me up, then shut up again. I feel like a puma

scratched my brain.”
 Shaking his head, Sion and Terrod helped him up to his feet. “What

happened?” Richter asked.

Sion smiled broadly. “Your plan worked. The dart traps you set in

the tunnel struck the cutters that were coming for us. Setting the trip wires

at four feet was a brilliant move. I was able to run back quickly, but they

triggered every one. The shrieke venom on the darts weakened them

enough for us to finish taking them down. I will admit that I didn’t think

that Arrow of Confusion you had would work, but it slowed down the last

four. With Alma having blasted them, we were able to rush forward on two

of the last four while they were still recovering. Between us, we were able
to take down another one, then Alma came out of nowhere and did that

mind suck thing she does to take out the last one. After that we saw that

you were trapped under your girlfriend here,” Sion said, kicking the queen,

“and we got you out.”

Richter smiled to himself. He had honestly thought the plan was a

Hail Mary. His only real point was to kill the queen. To do that, he had

needed the cutters to be distracted. It had only been a slim chance in his

mind that he would actually escape afterwards. He had been seriously

doubtful about how effective the arrowhead he had bought from Hafiz so

long ago would be. If the arrow’s special confusion power hadn’t worked,

his group might have been overwhelmed. Still, everything had gone better
than he could have hoped. Alma flew up and rested on his shoulders. Her

neck snaked around and she licked his cheek.

*You saved me, little one.*

*Of course I did, Master. Who knows what trouble you would get

into if I wasn’t around?* Alma definitely had a sassy tone to her thoughts.

Despite the pain still racking his body, Richter smiled. He was

relatively unscathed, though he did have an icon showing a broken rib. It

hurt and caused a 2% reduction in his max health, but it wasn’t enough to

distract him from the wonder that his familiar was evolving into. It was

amazing witnessing the progression of her personality. It was like raising a

child all at once and being able to see them turn into first a loving teen and

then a worthwhile adult. He positively shone with pride.

“What else is happening?” Richter asked. “I’m assuming they’re all

dead since you’re just standing there looking at me?”

“No! We decided to leave one alive to dramatically attack us later,”

Sion said sarcastically.

“Ha ha,” Richter said loudly. Then he leaned in and whispered to

Sion, “You did make sure they’re all dead, right?”

Sion leaned in too and whispered back, “Yes. I stabbed each one of

them again just to be sure. I hate it when they pop up afterwards.”

 Richter pursed his lips and closed his eyes before giving Sion a

vigorous nod of approval. “Well search around, guys. I don’t want to leave

anything that could be useful. Remember not to go any further into the

cavern than this though. I can still see the traps, and I don’t know what they

do. I’ll get you some help with the heavy lifting.” He focused his power

and, with a series of particular gestures and words of Power, summoned

three mist workers. He told them to follow the instructions of anyone in the

war party. With a parting quip to “share their toys,” his eyes unfocused and

he addressed the notifications blinking in the corner of his vision.

You have trapped the soul of a Assengai Spider Drone! Soul level:

Common. x 27

You have trapped the soul of a Assengai Spider Cutter! Soul level: Higher.

x6

You have trapped the soul of a Assengai Spider Queen! Soul level:

Brilliant.

Many other prompts were awaiting his perusal, but he stopped

reading in shock. He knew that they had reaped quite a crop of souls from

the drones, but he hadn’t known they had been able to trap any of the

cutters, let alone the queen!

*Did you do this, my love? Did you capture all of these souls?*
 *I captured the queen before she died, Master. I also trapped one of

the big spiders. The others were caught by the stinky one with the beard.*

Alma had a decidedly feminine tone of distaste and disapproval as she

thought about Krom. The fact that Richter was sure that she knew Krom’s

name, but chose instead to just call him “stinky,” just made him chuckle as

he marveled at her increased intellect. He told her she was amazing, and

she happily trilled as she flew through the air.

“Krom,” he called out.

“Yes, yer lordship?” the dwarf called back as he trotted over.

“Alma tells me that you are the reason we captured most of the

cutter souls.”

“It seemed a shame to let them go to waste,” Krom said with a

smile. He lovingly rubbed the head of his ebony hammer as he spoke.

“Well, then you’re entitled to a bonus.” Richter reached into his Bag

and pulled out six silver, four for the cutters and the other two to round out

his contribution in capturing the drone souls. He put them in the dwarf’s

hands. Krom opened his mouth, looking like he was about to argue, but
then seemed to remember that he was a dwarf. Instead he just thanked

Richter and continued to search the chamber, biting one of the silver to test
its veracity. Shaking his head slightly at the compatriots he had found

himself since coming to The Land, Richter went back to his prompts.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 14 in Stealth. +1 to

concealment.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 5 in Focus. Zoom

increased by 0.1x.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 10 in Small Blades. +2%

attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 9 in Dual Casting… total

spell power increased by 236%… mana drain decreased to 264%…

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 7 in Earth Magic. New

spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Earth Magic. New

spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Fire Magic. New spells
are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in War Leader. +1%

effective distance. +1% attack and defense for all allies.

…
Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in War Leader. +1%
effective distance. +1% attack and defense for all allies.

You have received 2,500 (base 2,000) bonus experience for reaching level
10 in the skill: Small Blades.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in: Small

Blades. You now enjoy a -5% penalty for each hand while dual wielding
(this benefit is cumulative with increasing ranks).

Congratulations! Your war party dug out an entrenched enemy and

slaughtered every member of the enemy force! Your party has been

awarded the Promotion: Sapper I. +5% to attack against an entrenched

enemy.

Congratulations! Your war party killed more than five times its number in
an underground battle! Your party has been awarded the Promotion:

Subterranean I. +5% to defense when fighting underground.

For slaying forty-two Assengai Spider Drones, eight Assengai Spider

Cutters and one Assengai Spider Queen, you have been awarded two
hundred and fourteen War Points! Total War Points: 281.

You have been awarded 7,386 (base 98,481 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from
Brain Drain against Level 13 Assengai Spider Drone.
You have been awarded 4,684 (base 62,449 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from
Brain Drain against Level 11 Assengai Spider Drone.

You have been awarded 5,725 (base 76,328 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from
Brain Drain against Level 12 Assengai Spider Drone.

You have been awarded 5,372 (base 71,623 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from
Brain Drain against Level 12 Assengai Spider Drone.

You have been awarded 21,684 (base 289,119 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience
from Brain Drain against Level 21 Assengai Spider Cutter.

You have been awarded 107,027 (base 1,427,037 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience
from Brain Drain against Level 36 Assengai Spider Queen.

Your familiar has reached level 25!

Your familiar has reached level 26!

Your familiar has reached level 27!

TRING!

You have reached level 29! …

TRING!

You have reached level 30! Through hard work you have moved forward

along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to

characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also receive 15 Talent points
instead of the usual 10. +5 Talent points for 100% affinity in Enchanting.

You also get 25% advancement to the skill of your choice! Crush your
enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!

You have either characteristic points or skill percentage points to allocate

from the previous level. Now that you have progressed again, you must

allocate your points within the next week or they will randomly be assigned
for you.

Know This! By having a Profession and by raising your personal level by

+10 since obtaining it, you may now purchase a Specialization. The option
is available on your Profession screen.

Richter closed the last prompt. The fight had been long, but it had
been worth it in more ways than one. He hadn’t expected the boost to Dual

Wield when he advanced his Small Blades skill, but he would take it. Since
his first disastrous attempt to wield two blades against the fades, he had

never really tried again. When he thought about the potentially devastating
power of wielding two elementum blades, though, he resolved to make

training with two blades a priority again. Trying to use the skill in combat
would be insane, but maybe he could level it by training with the guards.

He also had a lot to think about regarding his own Profession and
the war party. He could choose a Specialization now! He was still hesitant
to just use his points willy-nilly, but he couldn’t wait to see what he could

specialize in. The war party points were also stacking up. Something held
Richter back from investing more. It might be a good idea to at least reach

initiate rank in War Leader and see if other options opened up first. There
was a third way he could move his party forward though.

Richter decided to open Alma’s status page to invest her new points,
when Krom called out. “One of these things still be alive!”

“Dammit, Sion!” Richter snapped. He drew his sword and

immediately started running towards where Krom was standing.

“I stabbed every one of them!” the sprite protested as he nocked an

arrow. “In the face!”

Richter grew confused as he saw Krom wasn’t swinging his

hammer. His befuddlement increased as he saw the other party members

who were closer just stop and look down when they got next to the dwarf.

When he finally got close enough, he saw that Krom wasn’t looking at one
of the spiders, he was looking at one of the cocoons.

The entire thing was about twenty-five feet long and about four feet
wide at the middle. It was stuck next to one of the stalagmites. The cocoon

was dotted here and there with bloody stains surrounding small holes,
evidence that whatever was inside had been fed upon. Richter could see
small movements within the cocoon, weak attempts by whatever was inside
to break free. When he was standing next to the other members of his party,

Caulder looked over and asked, “Should I finish it, my lord?”

“Finish ‘it’? What is ‘it’?” Sion asked.

“That’s a good question,” Richter said. “Let’s unwrap our present.

Everyone stand ready to stab and beat whatever this is to death if it doesn’t
want to play nice.” He drew his sword and proceeded to saw into the

cocoon. With his free hand wrapped in a strip of spare cloth, it was slow
going, but that didn’t bother him. Moving too quickly might have risked

killing whatever was inside by accident. The webbing was layered, and he
removed one after another until he saw the top of a white scaled head the

same color as the webbing. The head was diamond shaped and the size of a
large watermelon; two lids opened, showing yellow eyes and large black

elliptical pupils. Its jaws opened wide, showing horrifying fangs, and a
forked tongue shot out from between its jaws.

Richter jumped back. “It’s the snake! The adder!”

Terrod raised his grey blade, ready to stab it down in the cocoon.

“Do I kill it, my lord?”

Richter looked at the drugged creature and knew that it wasn’t a

threat. It continued to struggle to free itself, but it couldn’t manage to break

the tight bonds of the webbing. He used Analyze.

Name: Shale Adder Disposition: Neutral

Shale Adder are stealth hunters. Their chameleon abilities coupled with
great strength and speed earned them the name “The Unseen Killer.”
Level: 19
Health: 70/420 Mana: 40 Stamina: 5/370
Strength: 22
Agility: 29
Dexterity: 32
Constitution: 42
Endurance: 37
Intelligence: 4
Wisdom: 5
Charisma: 6
Luck: 12
*Come here, my love,* Richter thought. He held out his arm and

Alma flew down to land lightly upon it. Her tail wrapped around his wrist
and she stared at him inquisitively. *I’m going to try to Tame it. If I fail,
stun it, cast Soul Trap, and then drain it. Do it as quickly and painlessly as

possible. This creature doesn’t deserve to suffer any longer.*

*Yes, Master,* said her small voice in his mind.

Not wanting to place his hand too close to the adder’s mouth,

drugged or not, he moved a few feet away from the area of the cocoon he
had already opened and started sawing through the webs again. Soon he
had revealed an area of the snake’s white back. Not letting himself consider
the pain the spell would probably cause, he began casting.
 The spell required both of his arms to move in intricate
counterpoint. The words and syllables were harsher and more guttural than

any he had spoken before. The power began to visibly coalesce on his
arms. It was red in color, not the bright red of Fire magic, but a dark rouge
the color of raw, still bleeding meat. Richter was used to being a conduit
for his magic. His invocation allowed him to manifest a specific result, but
the power had always come from elsewhere.

This spell, however, was Blood magic. It tapped into a primal force
of nature, and that force was him. His blood sang in gleeful savagery and
called for the incomparable beauty of destruction. His body yearned to
dominate and reproduce, to live forever through the immortality of his

lineage. As he continued the demanding spell, he lost control of his

restraint and ceased to be restrained. Petty concerns did not matter.
Kindness, jealousy, friendship, pride, and other weak definitions no longer
served any purpose. His will was all that mattered. His desire was the only

god to be worshipped. He WAS!

With a savage shout, he finished the incantation and slammed his

hand flat against the shale adder’s back. Dark red light shone all about
them, and the energy spilling over from the spell made Richter’s hair fly
back and away from his face. His features were portrayed in a contrast of

blood light and shadow, stark and unforgiving. The other members of his
party stared at him, feeling a mix of awe, caution, and fear. Only Alma and
Sion looked at Richter undaunted by what they saw—Sion with acceptance

of the darker side of his friend’s nature and Alma in exaltation of her
master’s unforgiving power. The snake bucked wildly for one second, the
blood magic banishing the sedating effects of the webs. The moment
seemed to stretch into infinity, unending until suddenly, it did.

The sensation of being pure id left Richter as his conscious mind

reasserted itself. He fell to one knee gasping, each of his status bars
decreased by one hundred points. The effects from each loss—pain for
health, mental exhaustion for magic, and weariness for stamina—were all

handled with relative ease. What Richter hadn’t been ready for was the
unchecked ferocity of his own deeper self. It had been terrifying… and
exhilarating.

As the snake continued to writhe, a prompt appeared.

You have bonded your first beast! The Shale Adder. Treat your bonded

beast well and it will serve you unto death. Treat it poorly and it may turn
upon you. Taming a well-treated beast that has already been bonded is
almost a certainty.

Know this! Your Psi Bond ability is synergistic with Beast Bonding. You

can communicate mentally with your bonded beasts, but the level of
communication will still be limited by their intellect.

A new area of his mind unlocked, similar to what he shared with

Alma, but dimmer, like a candle compared to a sun. Richter looked at the
snake and thought, *Stop fighting.* The writhing motion in the cocoon
instantly stopped. With a deep smile, he thought, You’re mine now.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 29

“Cut it free,” Richter ordered. He cast Slow Heal I and Summon

Weak Life Wisp. The adder’s health bar quickly refilled, though it still
remained too weak to move.

“Are ye sure, Lord Richter?” Krom asked.

“Do it, and strip the bodies of anything useful.”

Richter walked away from the snake without waiting to see if his

orders would be followed. He knew they would be. He ordered the mist
workers to gather the other cocoons and bodies and bring them to the tunnel

entrance. The adder he ordered to wait by the tunnel and not to harm

anyone when freed. While all of this was happening, he turned his

attentions to the traps at the far end of the tunnel. He wanted them.

After crossing the distance, he knelt and began to examine them.

Three hours later, Richter looked up from his work. He had toiled

with single-minded obsession, focused on his desire to take what he

wanted. His efforts had paid off.

You have found: Tranquilizing Web Trap. Durability 5/5. Item Class:

Uncommon. Quality: Exquisite. Weight: 0.3 kg. Triggering this will flood

a 15x15 foot area with sticky threads. Contact with this webbing will

slowly drain the stamina of whoever is trapped within. x2

You have found: Constricting Web Trap. Durability 14/14. Item Class:

Uncommon. Quality: Exquisite. Weight: 0.3 kg. Will wrap whatever

triggers the trap in tight bonds that will tighten until the target is killed or

freed. x2

You have found: Razor Web Trap. Durability 21/21. Item Class: Scarce.

Quality: Exquisite. Weight: 1.5 kg. Triggering this causes strands of razor

webbing to shoot in all directions. Range: 15 feet.

You have found: Acidic Web Trap: Durability 15/15. Item Class: Scarce.

Quality: Exquisite. Weight: 0.4 kg. Triggering this will coat a 10x10 foot

area in webbing coated in a caustic substance that will eat through armor

and flesh alike.

Richter smiled as he put each into his Bag. There had been more

than thirty traps, but most had been destroyed once they were disarmed.

When he stood up from bagging the last one, he turned towards the tunnel

entrance and saw everyone staring at him.

“What?” he asked, confused. They looked concerned.

 Sion walked up and said, “Are you alright?”

Richter shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Of course. I

was able to grab some great traps. Why are you all looking at me like

that?”

“Ye were over there for hours, yer lordship,” Krom said softly.

“Yeah, but I needed to get them. I wanted them… so badly.”

Richter stared off into space as he remembered that single-minded devotion

to his own desires.

Sion asked again, “Are you alright?”

Richter came back to himself and forced a smile onto his face. “I’m

fine. Ready to get out of this damn hole, though, how about you guys?”

There was a round of chuckles and nods.

“Well, did we find anything else good?”

“We did!” Beyan said excitedly. “The glands from the cutters can
be used to make a strong acid, and all the webbing from the cocoons has

some great numbing properties. It is also great at stopping bleeding and

infections. We need to get all of this back to Sumiko. The egg sac from the

queen is also interesting. It has growth properties that could be used to

make several enlarge potions. The other cocoons just held dead animals,

but I did find another interesting thing—”

 “Meh, that na be what is interesting,” Krom interrupted. Beyan

glared at the dwarf, but Krom just kept pushing through. “The tips of the

spiders’ legs be hard enough to make +2 arrowheads, and the bigger one’s
front legs will make +3 swords. The axe legs on the queen can make even

stronger weapons, but I saved the best for last! Yer lucky yer arrow took

the beastie in the eye, because her armor was hard and thick. The same way

me third wife described me!” Krom chuckled at his own joke. “The point

be, I could make a good suit of armor out of her shell.”

“That is good news,” Richter said with nod. He walked over to the

stripped carapace and rapped his knuckles against it. It rang like metal.

Looking around at everything that needed to be carried, he summoned four

more mist workers from his personal mana. The village mana pool had

replenished slightly over the last few hours, but the battle had still made a

sizeable dent in it. His personal mana would replenish much faster, and

they still had work to do.

Richter ordered the mist workers to take everything, including the

bodies, back to the eastern side of the village. The grey figures silently
started about their task and Richter knew that no matter how many trips it

took, the workers would get the job done. The party members made their

way back up to the surface. While they walked, Richter received some

good news. Except for Sion, Terrod and Caulder, everyone in the group had
reached another level. Jean had actually increased two! The entire party

was in good spirits when they walked outside. The sun still shone down

and the tranquil forest sounds contrasted pleasantly with the life and death

struggle that had taken place in the spider nest.

“Anyone that wants to head back to the village can, but I still intend

to investigate the disturbance the hunters were complaining about.”

The party members looked at each other and then Terrod said, “We
follow where you lead, my lord.”

Richter smiled at them in appreciation. He and the other Air magi

cast Haste I on the whole party over the next few minutes and then they

took off. The adder easily kept pace, sliding through the undergrowth. Its
scales became a mosaic of brown and green, and Richter had trouble seeing

it at times despite knowing it was there. Birds sang above them as they

jogged in a southwest direction towards the area the hunters had seen the

monster.

They traveled for another several miles and were almost out of the

mist when Richter saw a large track that he recognized. His heart beat

faster, and without consciously deciding to, he picked up the pace. Alma

beat her wings faster and everyone else jogged faster as they struggled to
keep up. Soon he was sprinting and barely heard Sion’s shout to stop. Not

that he listened. They left the mists.

Richter kept running through the forest, rage building in his breast
as he followed the distinctive trail. Some of the slower members of his

party began to fall behind, sweat pouring from their faces. He forced

himself up a hill and pushed through a stand of trees, seeing the meadow

that extended below on the other side. There, only a hundred yards away,

he saw a distinctive three-pointed crown. The rock giant looked up, its

mouth smeared with blood, the body of a slain bear at its feet. When it saw

him, it roared both in rage and recognition. Alma, hovering above,

screamed back, and the adder rose ten feet in the air and hissed. Richter

drew his elementum short sword and roared back, “Missed you too,

motherfucker! You and I have UNFINISHED BUSINESS!”

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I hope you all enjoyed traveling with me, Richter and Sion! I
really appreciate all of you joining me again! The adventures
of your favorite Chaos Seed continue in “The Land: Swarm”
which will be coming soon! Dance the funky chicken and as
always: Peace, love and the perfect margarita!

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The Land comics are coming soon! (Really this time lol)
OceanofPDF.com
 INDEX
Richter’s Spells
Earth

- Barkskin I: This spell will increase natural armor by +2.

This is a spell of Earth Magic, level 2. Cost: 20 mana. Duration:

20 min. Range: self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: N/A.

- Grease I: This spell will make a 10x10 foot area slick greatly

increasing chance of anyone in the area falling down. This is a

spell of Earth Magic, level 1. Cost: 15 mana. Duration: 5 min.

Range 25 feet. Cast time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 10 min.

- Summon Weak Insects: Summons a host of stinging and

biting insects in a ten-foot wide circle. Causes minimal damage,

but impedes concentration. This is a spell of Earth Magic, level 1.

Cost: 25 mana. Duration: 5 minutes. Range 20 feet. Cast time: 1

second. Cool down: 20 minutes.

- Rending Talons I: Summons invisible claws to attack all

targets within 10 foot AoE. This is a spell of Earth, level 4. Cost:

52 mana. Duration: 8 seconds. Range: 60 feet. Cast Time: 3

seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
- Sonic Wail I: You can make a sound attack with your voice.

All within cone shaped AoE suffer damage and risk being

deafened. This is a spell of Earth, level 6. Cost: 27 mana.

Duration: 3 seconds. Range: 20 feet. Cast Time: 1 second.

Cooldown: 1 minute.
- Paralysis Beam I: Fires a beam that will lock the target’s

body into position. This is a spell of Earth, level 5. Cost: 39

mana. Duration: 4 seconds. Range: 25 feet. Cast Time: 3

seconds. Cooldown: 6 minutes.

- Summon Weak Saproling: Summons a level five forest

creature to do your bidding. You can only have one summoned

creature at a time. This is a spell of Earth, level 6. Cost: 39 mana.

Duration: 5 minutes. Range: 5 feet. Cast Time: 3 seconds.

Cooldown: 1 hour.

- Acid sphere I: Creates a ball of acid that can be thrown at

your target. Damage 4-6 per second. This is a spell of Earth, level

5. Cost: 22 mana. Duration 10 seconds. Range: Throwing range

of caster. Cast Time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: N/A.

Water

- Ice Dagger I: This spell will throw a dagger made of ice at

your target. This is a spell of Water Magic, level 1. Cost 20
 mana. Duration: 1 min. Range: 40 feet. Cast Time: 1 second.

Cooldown: N/A.

- Slow I: This spell will slow the target by 10%. This is a spell

of Water Magic, level 3. Cost 25 mana. Duration: 10 min. Range:

5 feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: N/A.

Air

- Haste I: This spell will increase the speed of the target by

10%. This is a spell of Air Magic, level 1. Cost 25 mana.

Duration: 10 min. Range: 5 feet. Cast Time: 1 second.

Cooldown: N/A.
- Weak Errant Wind: Increase the dodge of your party to

projectiles. This spell will only work when you are outside. This

is a spell of Air Magic, level 1. Cost 50 mana. Duration: 20 min.

Range: 50. Cast Time: 4 seconds. Cooldown: 45 min.

- Lightning Bolt I! Cast a lightning bolt from your hand.

Chance to stun your target for 1-2 seconds. This is a spell of Air,

level 11. Cost: 31 mana. Duration: Instant. Range: 20 yards.

Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 2 minutes.

Fire

- Flame I: Shoot a weak gout of flame from your hand. This is

a spell of Fire Magic, level 1. Cost: 10 mana. Duration: 3

 seconds. Range: 5 feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: N/A.

Life

- Charm I: You can convince an enemy that they are your

friend. In battle, they will fight for you. Casting this upon a

creature lowers they regard for you after the spell wears off. This
is a spell of Life Magic, level 1. Cost 60 mana. Duration: 1 hour.

Range: 20 feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

- Slow Heal I: Restore 30 missing health over 60 seconds

upon casting. This is a spell of Life Magic, level 1. Cost 20

mana. Duration: 6 seconds. Range: Touch. Cast Time: 1 second.

Cooldown: 1 min.

- Weak Cure: Remove minor poison effects! This is a spell of

Life Magic, level 1. Cost 50 mana. Duration: 1 second. Range:

Touch. Cast time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.

- Soul Trap: Binds the soul of the target to this plane,

preventing passage to the beyond at the time of death. They will

instead be pulled into any nearby empty soul stone of appropriate

size. This is a spell of Life Magic, level 1. Cost: 30 mana.

Duration: 2 minutes. Range: 10 feet. Cast time: 1 second.

Cooldown: N/A.
- Minor Life Aura: The caster’s body is surrounded by a

golden shield of pure Life energy. Any nearby death, dead or

undead creatures will be discomforted. Any actual contact with the

shield will cause damage to the undead. This is a spell of Life,

level 3. Cost: 50 mana. Duration: 15 minutes. Range: self. Cast

time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 20 minutes.

- Courage I: Improves your Fighting Spirit by +50. This is a

spell of Life, level 4. Cost: 25 mana. Duration: 15 min. Range:

self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 15 min.

- Minor Life Armor I: Defense of all armor pieces increased

by +1 (+3 vs. Death attacks). This is a spell of Life, level 5. Cost:

30 mana. Duration: 10 min. Range: self. Cast Time: 1 seconds.

Cooldown: N/A.

- Summon Weak Life Wisp: Summons an entity comprised of

Life magic. Will float in the area and restore a total of 100 health

to you or one of your allies. This is a spell of Life Magic, level 6.

Cost 60 mana. Duration: 5 minutes. Range: Self. Cast Time: 3

second. Cooldown: 20 minutes.

- Banish Undead I: If successful, you will dissipate the energy

allowing a Death creature to exist in this plane. This is a spell of

Life, level 3. Cost: 40 mana. Duration: instant. Range: 40 feet. Cast

Time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

- Minor Stabilize: If a target is stricken with a ‘Bleeding’

status, this spell will decrease the rate of bleeding and total

bleeding time. Effects will vary based on extent of the injuries.

This is a spell of Life, level 3. Cost: 27 mana. Duration: instant.

Range: Touch. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 1 minute.

- Life Bolt I: Fire a bolt of concentrated Life energy. Damage

5-10. Increased damage against Death Creatures. This is a spell of

Life, level 4. Cost: 22 mana. Duration: Instant. Range: 30 feet.

Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 2 minutes.

Dark

- Night Vision: You can see even in the deepest darkness. This

is a spell of Dark Magic, level 1. Cost 5 mana. Duration: 3 hours.

Range: 10 feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: N/A.

- Cloying Darkness I: Cast a cone of thickened darkness from

your hand. Movement and Attack speed of targets decreased by

20%. All in area of effect will suffer from spell. Will not work in

direct sunlight. This is a spell of Dark Magic, level 2. Cost 30

mana. Duration: 10 minutes. Range: 10 feet. Cast Time: 1

second. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

 - Troubled Sleep I: Places your target in a restless sleep. He

will be plagued by nightmares until awakening. Any attack or

hostile action taken against target will awaken them. Area of effect

five feet. This is a spell of Dark Magic, level 3. Cost: 50 mana.

Duration: one hour. Range 15 feet. Cast time: 3 seconds. Cool

down: 15 minutes.

- Flood of Darkness I: Blankets an area 25 yards around you

in darkness. Effect banished by direct sunlight. Blocks out all

light based sight. This is a spell of Dark, level 3. Cost: 46 mana.

Duration: 1 minute. Range: self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown:

45 minutes.

- Dark Bolts I: Fires a bolt of concentrated Dark energy at

your target. For every three skill levels the caster has in Dark

magic, the spell will fire another bolt (Max 10). Damage 7-9. This
is a spell of Dark, level 4. Cost: 31 mana. Duration: instant.

Range: 40 feet. Cast Time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 30 minutes.

- Darkvision I: Provides Darkvision for 25 yards. This is a

spell of Dark, level 2. Cost: 43 mana. Duration: 20 minutes.

Range: Self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Light
 - Simple Light: Creates a ball of white light that will hover
above your head, moving with you. This is a spell of Light Magic,

level 1. Cost: 2 mana. Duration: 10 minutes. Range: Self. Cast

Time: 1 second. Cool Down: N/A.

- Far Light I: Creates a ball of white light that can be fixed to

a distant surface. This is a spell of Light Magic, level 1. Cost: 5

mana. Duration: 10 minutes. Range: 100 yards. Cast Time: 1

second. Cool Down: N/A.
- Mirror: Creates a 6x3 foot reflective surface. This is a spell

of Light Magic, level 1. Cost: 15 mana. Duration: 1 minute.

Range: 10 feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cool Down: N/A.

Spirit

- Weak Aura Lance: Fires a blast of spiritual energy at your

target. Does no physical damage, but causes disruption of the

target’s aura. Reduces resistance to all spell types. This is a spell

of Spirit, level 1. Cost: 168 mana. Duration: 1 hour. Range: 100

feet. Cast Time: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 1 day.

Blood

- Tame: Bend the will of a creature to your own. Creature

level must be less than or equal to your rank in the skill: Beast
Bonding. At the rank of Novice, you may attempt to tame ‘weak’
level souls and may use the spell once per day. If you tame the
same creature for a required number of days in a row, then it will

be loyal to you til death. As a novice in Beast Bonding, the

required time is six days for every level of the creature you have

tamed. Betray the sacred trust with you bonded beast to your
peril! This is a spell of Blood Magic, level 1. Cost:100 mana, 100

health, 100 stamina. Duration: 36 hours. Range: Touch. Cast

Time: 5 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours.

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Richter’s Skill Rank Bonuses
1) Herb Lore
1. Novice: Can detect one trait from picked herbs.

2. Initiate: Can detect two traits from picked herbs. Can

avoid one negative trait when ingesting

3. Apprentice: Can detect three traits from picked herbs.

Can avoid two negative traits when ingesting

2) Pierce the Veil

1. Novice: Can see hidden traps

2. Initiate: Can see hidden compartments

3. Apprentice: In addition to seeing hidden traps and

compartments, you can now find hidden doors and a

have a chance to detect magical concealments.

3) Trade

1. Novice: Can create standing trade agreement with those

who have ‘Loyal’ disposition and higher. Can “smell”

a deal, gets stronger with higher ranks.

2. Initiate: Can create standing trade agreement with

those who have ‘Interested’ disposition and higher.

“Feel the market” – You can get an idea of what will

 sell well in a given market, gets stronger with higher

ranks.

4) Portal Construction

1. Novice: Can travel only between two points on the

same ley line.

2. Initiate: Can create portals to allow travel between any

two points on the same type of ley line.

3. Apprentice: Can create a portal with multiple exit

points. This can only be built at a Place of Power. The

number of destination points is determined by the

number of ley lines present.

5) Enchanting

1. Novice: Can add an enchantment to an item while it is

being created.

2. Initiate: You now will gain more charges when

recharging with a soul stone. Items you enchant now

have their enchantment potential increased by +5. For

each new rank in Enchanting that you achieve,

enchantment potential will increase by another five

points. You can now add enchantments to already

 created items, albeit with an 80% penalty to

effectiveness.

3. Apprentice: You can now enchant scrolls based on

spells that you already know. Items that you enchant

with a finite number of charges will now have +10

charges. For each new rank you obtain in Enchanting,

you will get another +10 charges. You can now add

enchantments to already created items, albeit with a

60% penalty to effectiveness. You may now use two

soul stones on one enchantment.

4. Journeyman: You have advanced from Apprentice to

Journeyman in: Enchanting. You can now create magic

books based on spells that you already know or if you

are in the presence of someone else who is willing to

have you scribe their knowledge. You can now create

skill books based upon skills that you already have or if

you are in the presence of someone else who is willing

to have you scribe their knowledge. You can now add

enchantments to already created items, albeit with a

40% penalty to effectiveness. You can now help other

craftsmen enchant items they are creating. The

 resulting enchantment will be based upon your skill

level.

6) Tracking
1. Novice: You can now follow tracks and spoor to find

your quarry.

2. Initiate: Your sense of smell is now heightened. You

can track an enemy by scent if you have a piece of

clothing or an item they were recently in contact with.

7) Archery

1. Novice: Increased ability to wield a bow

2. Initiate: 25% chance to retrieve special arrows after

they have been shot. This is cumulative with

successive ranks.

8) Small Blades

1. Novice: Increased ability to wield small blades

2. Initiate: You now enjoy a -5% penalty for each hand

while dual wielding. This benefit is cumulative with

increasing ranks.

9) Light Armor

1. Novice: Movement speed penalty of 3% per piece of

armor (including shield). Can wear Light Armor
2. Initiate: Movement speed penalty decreased from 3%

per piece to 2% per piece. Decreased casting penalty

from wearing light armor. Stamina drain from

exertions while wearing armor reduced. You have

learned to move in your armor gaining the Perk:

Synergy. Synergy gives a +20% defense bonus to light

armor as long as you are wearing only light armor.

Synergy stacks with each successive level.

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Richter’s Qualities

1) Resolute - The choices in your life led you to a critical point. A

nexus of opportunities were laid before you, many leading to disaster!

You have chosen a finer path! The experiences of your entire life have
culminated in this one moment. You have decided not to kneel, but to

stand; not to beg, but to take; not to wait, but to forge ahead. Bonus to

mental resistance 15%. Bonus to spiritual resistance 15%

2) Honorable - You chose to save the life of a comrade rather than
eliminate a threat. In a key moment, you chose to honor life rather

than pursue death. +2 to Charisma, 3% decrease in critical strike

chance and critical strike damage.

3) Implacable - When faced with the near impossible task of

rescuing a Companion from a superior enemy, you did not pause.

When attacking a battle hardened Warrior, you did not flag. When

mortally wounded and kneeling before a sadistic Assassin, you did

not succumb. You have shown that you will conquer whatever is

before you, even burning your own head and skin to destroy your
enemies! Your relentless focus and pursuit of chosen goals will be

reflected in your skills. You are awarded Initiate level in the skill

Tracking.
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Richter’s Abilities

1) Limitless: 100% affinity in any and every skill

2) Gift of Tongues: Ability to comprehend almost all languages

including writing. Cannot comprehend certain higher or lower

languages. Cannot understand nonsentients.

3) Fast Learner: +30% to skill advancement

4) Bounty of Life: +30% growth for the physical manifestation of

your Place of Power
5) Psi Bond (Level 5): Your mental resistance from Psi Bond has

increased to 40%. Maximum distance of communication increased

from 1000 yards to 1250 yards. Tasks which require strength of mind
will come even easier than before.

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Alma’s Abilities
1) Brain Drain (Level 6): Successful kills will now give x% of total
experience to both you and your familiar. Drain occurs faster. Stun

can occur on enemies level [1 + (x-1)*5] and below. (x = level of

brain drain)
2) Psi Blast

1. Level 1: This concentrated blast of psychic energy

can stun enemies for 2-4 seconds. The AoE is a cone

extending 10 feet from the direction your familiar is

facing. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

2. Level 2: The mental disruption caused will now also

cause direct health damage. The 2-4 second stun

effect is increased to 5-7 seconds. The initial AoE of

10 feet can be increased to 15 feet with a

corresponding drop in the blast’s effectiveness or

narrowed to five feet with an increase in the blast’s

effectiveness. Cooldown decreased to four minutes.

3) Psi Bond

1. Level 1: Thoughts can be shared with another being

that has the ability Psi Bond. A connection can only

 be completed by both parties being willing to

participate.

2. Level 2: Your familiar’s base innate intellect is

increased by 25%. She can now communicate in two

word sentences. Her Intelligence and Wisdom are

also increased by 15%. You will also benefit from

this stronger tie to your familiar. Your mental

resistance has increased by 10%. Maximum distance

of communication increased from 250 yards to 500

yards.
3. Level 3: Your familiar’s base innate intellect is

increased by 50%. She can now communicate in

four word sentences. Her base Intelligence and

Wisdom are also increased by 30%. You will also

benefit from this stronger tie to your familiar. Your

mental resistance has increased by 20%. Maximum

distance of communication increased from 500 yards

to 750 yards. You can now each sense if the other is

in danger.

4. Level 4: Your familiar’s base innate intellect is

increased by 75%. She can now communicate in

 eight word sentences. Her base Intelligence and

Wisdom are also increased by 45%. Your familiar’s

Psi Bond has advanced to being able to form a

psychic connection even with those lacking the Psi

Bond ability. You will also benefit from this stronger

tie to your familiar. Your mental resistance for Psi

Bond has increased to 30%. Maximum distance of

communication increased from 750 yards to 1000

yards. Finally, the improved Psi Bond stabilizes

your own mental fortitude. Tasks which require

strength of mind will now come easier.

5. Level 5: Your familiar’s base innate intellect is

increased by 100%. She can now communicate with

you without restriction. Her base Intelligence and

Wisdom are also increased by 60%. You will also

benefit from this stronger tie to your familiar. Your

mental resistance from Psi Bond has increased to

40%. Maximum distance of communication

increased from 1000 yards to 1250 yards. Tasks

which require strength of mind will come even easier

than before. The Psi Bond has provided your

 familiar with a greater understanding of herself and

has unlocked a new ability! Psi Channeling.

4) Psi Channeling
1. Level 1: You may now cast spells through your

familiar. The cast time will still be the same for you,

but any restrictions based on distance can use the

location of your familiar as the casting point! At the

current level, the range of Psi Channeling is one

hundred yards and using this ability will require

300% greater mana usage. Any other spell

requirements will remain unchanged.

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Quality Ranks
1) Weapons and Item Qualities
1. Trash
2. Poor
3. Average
4. Above Average
5. Well crafted
6. Exceptional
7. Superb
8. Exquisite
9. Masterwork
2) Weapon and Item Rarity
1. Common
2. Uncommon
3. Scarce
4. Rare
5. Mythic
6. Legendary
7. Artifact
8. Unique
3) Potion Level
1. Brew
2. Tincture
3. Solution
4. Elixir
5. Philter
6. Draught
7. Essence
4) Potion Strength
1. Tainted
2. Clouded
3. Weak
4. Basic
5. Enhanced
 6. Strengthened
7. Processed
8. Refined
9. Oil
10. Pure
5) Buildings Quality
1. Slum
2. Shoddy
3. Poorly Made
4. Average
5. Above Average
6. Well Built
7. Exceptional Work
8. Superb Craftsmanship
9. Masterfully Constructed

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Status Pages
Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 30, 85%
Health: 689 Mana: 504 Stamina:
350
Strength: 37
Agility: 32
Dexterity: 38
Constitution: 56
Endurance: 35
Intelligence: 46
Wisdom: 27
Charisma: 27
Luck: 21
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
Fast Learner
Bounty of Life
Psi Bond
Qualities:
Resolute
Honorable
 Implacable
Skills:
Herb Lore Lvl 40; 72% to next level
Alchemy Lvl 2; 48%% to next level
Enchantment Lvl 48; 3% to next level
Crafting Lvl 1; 0% to next level
Smithing Lvl 1; 0% to next level
Analyze Lvl 10; 57% to next level
Pierce the Veil Lvl 23; 72% to next level
Stealth Lvl 14; 9% to next level
Traps Lvl 22; 22% to next level
Trap Disarm Lvl 22; 48% to next
level
Tracking Lvl 15; 88% to next level
Riding Lvl 7; 76% to next level
Archery Lvl 11; 76% to next level
Imbue Arrow Lvl 7; 29% to next
level
Focus Lvl 5; 13% to next level
Double Shot Lvl 2; 11% to next
level,
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 81% to next
level
Swordsmanship Lvl 1; 43% to next level
Small Blades Lvl 10; 65% to next level
 Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 78% to next level
Pressure Points Lvl 1; 0% to next
level
Dual Wield Lvl 1; 0% to next level
Light Armor Lvl 12; 24% to next level
Grace in Combat Lvl 9; 51% to
next level
Dual Cast Lvl 9; 35% to next level
Air Magic Lvl 13; 48% to next level
Life Magic Lvl 7; 53% to next level
Earth Magic Lvl 8; 87% to next level
Water Magic Lvl 5; 96% to next level
Dark Magic Lvl 8; 98% to next level
Light Magic Lvl 7; 61% to next level
Fire Magic Lvl 10; 23% to next level
Spiritual Magic Lvl 1; 0% to next level
Blood Magic Lvl 1; 19% to next level
Beast Bonding Lvl 1; 21% to next level
Map Making Lvl MAX
Trade Lvl 15; 77% to next level
War Leader Lvl 8, 51% to next level
Portal Construction Apprentice
Lore Lvl 1
Marks:
Master of Mist Village
 Blood Oath
Forge of Heavens
Dragonkin I
Resistances:
Air 50%
Earth 20%
Fire 5%
Life 50%
Mental 55%
Spiritual 15%
Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone
worthy of my attention.”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All

Name: Alma
Level: 24, 41%
Health: 340 Mana: 442 Stamina:
340
(Unused level points: 4)
Abilities:
Psi Bond – Lvl 5, points to next level: 4
Psi Blast – Lvl 2, points to next level: 2
 Brain Drain – Lvl 6, points to next level: 6
Can use:
Air Magic
Life Magic
Resistances:
Mental: 100%
Air: 50%
Life: 50%
Race: Psi Dragonling

Name: Sion
Age: 44
Level: 15, 73% to next level
Health: 243 Mana: 290 Stamina: 160
Strength: 18
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 60
Constitution: 20
Endurance: 16
Intelligence: 29
Wisdom: 23
Charisma: 10
Luck: 12
Abilities:
Wood Craft
Concealment
Know Thyself
Skills:
 Herb lore Lvl 12, 8% to next level, 63% affinity
Alchemy Lvl 8, 7% to next level, 77% affinity
Archery Lvl 43; 64% to next level, 72% affinity
Imbue Arrow Lvl 31, 32% to next
level, 87% affinity
Focus Lvl 26, 78% to next level, 81%
affinity
Double Shot Lvl 8; 82% to next level,
87% affinity
Drill Shot Lvl 6; 61% to next level,
90% affinity
Stun Shot Lvl 5; 51% to next level,
95% affinity
Tracking Lvl 14; 74% to next level, 76% affinity
Small Blades Lvl 19, 82% to next level, 72%
affinity
Light Armor Lvl 26; 48% to next level, 81%
affinity
Air Magic Lvl 13; 12% to next level, 94%
affinity
Marks:
None
Resistances:
Types of Magic
Life 10%
Earth 10%
Light 10%
Schools of Magic
Enchantment 50%
Race: Wood Sprite
Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”
Alignment: +2
Language: Sprite, Common Tongue

Name: Terrod
Age: 46
Level: 14, 91% to next level
Health: 250 Mana: 120
Stamina: 190
Strength: 25
Agility: 16
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 25
Endurance: 19
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 21
Luck: 14
Abilities:
Comradery
Skills:
Swordsmanship Lvl 8; 17% to next level, 63%
affinity
Medium Armor Lvl 7; 82% to next level, 72%
affinity
Light Armor Lvl 8; 39% to next level, 68%
affinity
Shields Lvl 5; 16% to next level, 72% affinity
Cooking Lvl 8; 13% to next level, 96% affinity
Horsemanship Lvl 10; 7% to next level; 83%
affinity
Repair Lvl 4; 67% to next level; 54% affinity
 Repair Armor Lvl 3; 18% to next level;
52% affinity
Repair Weapon Lvl 4; 18% to next
level; 52% affinity
Gather information Lvl 18; 76% to next level;
92% affinity
War Leader Lvl 1; 14% to next level; 99% affinity
Marks:
None
Resistances:
None
Race: Human
Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”
Alignment: 0
Language: Common Tongue

Name: Elora

You didn’t really think I’d throw out a spoiler like this did you?

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