The Land: Forging

By

Dr. Aleron Kong

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This book is dedicated to my friend James who put a book of
blank pages into my hand, and told me to write. I
absolutely love that you will be naming your new child after
me! Aleron totally works for either a boy or a girl!

P.S. – Alerondra has been getting some traction.

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Contents
THE LIGHT COURT

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 16

CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

Index

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 THE LIGHT COURT
Figures moved at a stately pace along a white marbled
floor inlaid with veins of diamond. Others stood in their
assigned places. The same places where they always stood.

There did not need to be any concern for someone stepping

out of place in the Light Court. Those roles had been

established eons before, and had not changed. They would

never change.

Three bells chimed to announce the arrival of a new

figure to the Light Court. In practiced measure, everyone

turned to acknowledge the High Chancellor. The tall figure

stood dressed in raiment of spun platinum. He took exactly

seven short steps forward in honor of the seven higher

planes and stood quietly. His movement had placed him

the center of a stylized golden sun set into the floor.

The Chancellor stood for the predetermined amount of

time that all entrants to the Court had to wait. No one knew

exactly why that amount of time was required, but that

didn’t matter. It was simply the way things were done. That

was enough for all present. And if it wasn’t… well then they
had all learned to make it appear that it was enough. No

one spoke, and no one moved.

Two bells chimed, and the Chancellor bowed deeply

once. He then walked seven times seven steps forward into

the Court. His precise stride brought him exactly to the

center of another sun set into the pristine white marble.

Once he stopped, the Chancellor bent into an elaborate

bow, his head bent down. This one was created from the

red crystal heart of a dying sun. The period of waiting

began again. None spoke. The Light Court was the heart of
power for the armies of Light. It had the pristine cleanliness

of an operating room and the solemn gravity of a vigil.

After a period of time, a third bell tolled. The High

Chancellor straightened and looked at his leader. The King

of Light sat on his raised throne. The ivory chair was carved

from the skull of a dragon god. It was well known that the

King had enjoyed a good hunt before the Exile. His trophies
festooned the walls of the Court. To the left of the throne

was the tattered banner from the capital city that had once

spanned several galaxies. To the right was the massive

spiraled horn of an evolved unicorn. One urn that sat on a

pedestal behind the King’s throne was rumored to be a

stasis pod that contained the ashes of a phoenix that had

heated a planet’s core. No one ever discussed how the King

had reached the phoenix. It was also never discussed why,

instead of a planet, there was now only an asteroid belt.

In a stately and regal voice, the King spoke, “The High

Chancellor is welcomed back to the one and true Court.

When last we spoke, I tasked you with discovering the

source of the disturbances I have felt in The Land. I trust

you have not come back without an answer.” The King’s

voice did not change at all while speaking, but the threat of
horror and agony was understood. In an unspoken law,

more immutable that gravity, no one disappointed the King

of Light. At least, no one did it twice.

The High Chancellor bowed once again. His arms

flowed out to his sides in a slow flourish. When he stood, he

brought his hands together in a steeple over his chest.

“Indeed, my King. Since I was tasked with this assignment, I

have turned my sole attention to The Land. At first, I

detected nothing out of the ordinary. There were no

changes or realignments of ley line energy. There were also

no significant alterations in the Deep Magics. It was only

when I began scanning for Higher Energies that I found

something.”

The King spoke again, “Are you telling this Court that a

denizen of The Land has discovered how to manipulate

Chaos or Gravity?” The King did not even breath into

existence that one of the specks of life that inhabited The

Land could have stumbled upon the ability to use any of the

stronger Higher Energies, let alone the strongest, Time.

“Not exactly, my King,” the Chancellor replied. Seeing

the King’s expression tighten slightly in impatience, he

quickly continued. “There have been no spells cast or

manipulations of the Higher Energies that I could detect.

What I did sense, however, were trace amounts of raw

Chaos in various locations around the world. The Land, of

course, has various amounts of every magic in existence,

but as you know, Chaos cannot remain in a stable form

without a massive containment spell. So when I detected

these sparks of energy and saw that they did not change in

character, I was curious to say the least. As I watched the

location where I had detected the Chaotic energies, I
noticed that there had been changes in the status quo

permeating most of those regions. Nothing large enough to

disturb our plans, but changes nonetheless.”

The King’s nostrils flared ever so slightly. The

Chancellor hastily corrected himself, “Of course I mean your

plans, my King.” He wasted no more time moving past his

faux pas. “Despite the changes in The Land being minor, I

found it concerning that your majesty detected disturbances

at the same time I have found these emanations of Higher

Energy.”

“Where are these motes of Chaos coming from?”

“I have not yet discovered that, my King.”

“Have you not found anything else,” the King asked.

The leader of the Light Court did not seem pleased with the

Chancellor’s progress.

If the platinum clad being were mortal, he would have

started sweating. As it was, he still felt a twinge of fear. “I

will continue to study these areas, my Lord. I will divine

more information, but something happened that I believed

you should be made aware of immediately. A pixie chrysalis

has been found. More than that, it has made its way into

the hands of a Sprite Life Master.”

The King absorbed the information in silence.

“None of our agents are in the area. It is in a small

section of The Land called the River Peninsula. At your

order, I can start moving assets towards the region,” the

High Chancellor continued.

The King just stared at him. The other members of the

court looked at the High Chancellor, more than a few silently

hoping for his death. Removal of someone from a position

of power always opened the possibility for advancement

after all. The Chancellor pretended to ignore the attention,

not daring to look away from the dais. There was no

movement for a long period of time, then a white-robed

figure leaned forward and whispered into the King’s ear.

The Royal Chamberlain was the only other entity

allowed near the throne. No one knew anything about him

except that he was a close advisor to the King. His white

robes and deep hood hid any clear view of his face or body.

He was smaller than most other members of the Light Court,

but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. Those who

opposed the Chamberlain often found themselves on the

wrong side of the King’s favor. Death was the best result

that could be expected after that. If there was one other

figure in the Court that the High Chancellor feared, it was

the secretive figure in white.

The Chamberlain finished giving his advice, and then

stepped back behind the throne once more. The King

nodded to himself, lost in thought. When he looked at the

High Chancellor again, he just thanked him for his service

and bid him to continue watching The Land closely. The

Chancellor bowed again and walked out of the Court. If his

steps were not quite as slow and measured as before, no
one watching would blame him.

The King had dismissed the weakling Chancellor from

his mind and from the Court simultaneously. His thoughts

were instead focused on an order he had given long ago.

An order that he had pondered the utility of in the years
since. Self-reflection and doubt were not feelings the King

were accustomed to, but it did not change the fact that his
decision to unleash a plague that wiped the entire pixie race
from the face of The Land had seemed… wasteful.

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 CHAPTER 1

“Be welcome at the Hearth Tree, Richter of the Mist

Village,” Hisako said with a smile. “And welcome home my

son, I see you have grown in strength, hopefully in wisdom as

well,” the last said with a wry arch of her eyebrow.

“Thank you, mother. Yes, I have learned much, and found

a good friend and ally,” Sion replied with a smile.

Richter walked forward and took her hand, “Hearth

Mother, thank you. Sion is more than a friend to me, he is a

brother. There is no way I could have accomplished what I

have accomplished without him. I formally extend the

friendship and welcome of the Mist Village to you and your

people. I sincerely hope that you will ask me for any help that

you might need.”

A serious look came over her face, “I was hoping that you

would say that. There have been small camps of goblins and
bugbears seen in the forest between here and the Fire Tip

Mountains to the east. They are slaughtering all of the local

wildlife and despoiling the Forest. We need to clear them out

and learn why they are making inroads into the Forest. I will

not stand by and watch the Forest of Nadria become like the

Whisper Woods, overrun with evil creatures. The Forest will be

protected, no matter how many battles it takes. Will you

help?”

You have been offered a Quest: Protect the Forest I. Bugbears

and goblins have invaded the Forest of Nadria and are
disrupting nature’s balance. The Hearth Mother is asking your
help. You must destroy an enemy camp. Optional: Find out
why the invaders are coming into the Forest. Reward:
Unknown. Yes or No?

“Ready to take out some more bad guys,” Richter asked

smiling.

Sion looked back with that happy bloodthirsty grin of his,

“Oh yes brother! That’s what we do!”

“Yeah man! Now like we practiced.” Richter stuck his

palm out, which Sion slapped with his own. Immediately, they
slapped the backs of their hands together, then made fists,
bumped them, drew their fists back opening them slowly,
closed them again, bumped them again, twisted their fists to

lock it, then opened their hands quickly and both said,
“BOOM!”

Hisako just stared at them with wide eyes and her mouth
ajar, “What are you doing?”

“That is called giving ‘dap’ mother. You wouldn’t

understand,” Sion said with a laugh that was echoed by

Richter. Shaking her head, she just turned around and walked

to the Hearth Tree. The two of them followed, still chuckling.

They left the golden glade of the wood sprites the next

morning. Their armor was left behind as well. Their

adventures so far had left holes, gouges and dents in the gear.

Unfortunately, the magical armor could not be repaired by a

normal smith. The sprite magicians promised they would
make it whole, but it would take several days. They decided to

use the time to walk to Richter’s concealed glade.

Besides wanting to see Hisako, the other reason they had

left the village was to collect water from the Pool of Clarity.
The magical waters gave a 25% bonus to any experience

earned over the course of a day. Richter had taken the waters
for granted at first. He had later discovered that a Potion of
Clarity normally sold for two to three gold pieces, however, or
the equivalent of three to four months’ wages for most people
in The Land. This wonderful little pond was going to be the

cash cow that helped him grow the Mist Village as quickly as

possible. Hisako had offered to send guards with them in light

of the encroachment of bugbears into the forest, but despite

the fact that they were now basically allies, he didn’t feel

comfortable disclosing such sensitive information, i.e., where

his glade was. Having guards come along would have been as
good as drawing a map.

The two Companions set out just as the forest was coming

alive. The birdsong that Richter had first heard when coming

to The Land had grown more complex as the weather got

warmer and more birds made the forest their home. The trip

was relaxed and easy. Going without armor for the first time in

weeks was also a freeing experience. Though invaluable, his

Light Armor did decrease his movement speed. According to

Ulinde, a journeyman of Light Armor who had decided to join

Richter’s village, the decrease was about 3% per piece at his

current skill rank. That meant when he was wearing the entire
suit, he moved about 18% slower than he otherwise would
have. Apparently when he became an Initiate, the penalty
decreased to 2%, then 1% at Apprentice rank. Journeyman

and on, the speed penalty would disappear completely.

Richter was really looking forward to that! Medium and heavy

armor had even worse penalties to speed. Dodge, casting, and

several other things were affected by heavier armor as well.

These were all reasons that casters, rogues, or fighters

specializing in ranged combat, typically wore light armor.

Despite the short distance between the Hearth Tree and

the glade, finding their destination would normally not have

been easy. It might have been near impossible in fact, but the

Traveler’s map Richter had bought let him retrace his steps
exactly. Anywhere he had been showed up brightly on the

map. While locations he had not visited personally, but the

map maker had, were in greyscale. Everything else was pure

black. It was interactive so he could track his location, and

find his way unerringly to anywhere he had already been.

Even so, when the two friends approached the entrance to the

small glade, there was nothing to indicate its presence except

the rocks Richter had strewn around which would only be

significant to him. The entry looked like nothing more than a

stand of trees against a cliff face. Richter decided to test what

Xuetrix the imp had told him when he had first awoken in the

Land. When they were directly in front of the entrance, he

turned to his Companion.

“Sion, walk in.”

“Walk in where,” the sprite replied. “There is nothing in

front of us except for trees and cliff face.”

“Trust me,” Richter said. “Just start walking forward.”

Sion looked at him in disbelief, but did as he was asked.

He put both hands out in front of him and tried to push past
the trees. He didn’t go more than two feet when he stopped.

It was clear that he was leaning on some sort of barrier. The

sprite moved several feet to his left and tried again. This time

his shoulder’s bunched as he pushed against whatever was in

front of him.

“Are you having a laugh at my expense Richter? You are

never really funny, but if so, then this is just pathetic!”

“Calm down! I was just testing something! When I first

got here, an imp told me that no one else should be able to

enter the glade. Looks like he was right.”
 “An imp? You should not be interacting with those things!
They are always causing mischief and problems!”

“He wasn’t so bad,” Richter said. “He gave me some

good advice and information when I got here.”

“Trust me when I tell you that you were lucky! EVERYONE

knows not to trust them. At least you don’t owe it a favor!”

Errrrrr, yeahhhh, Richter thought. He decided not to bring

up that the imp HAD, in fact, tricked him into owing it a favor.

No use talking about it now. Besides, what’s the worst that

could happen?

“Well, like I said, the imp was useful. The point is that the

entrance is right in front of you, it’s just that an enchantment

is keeping you out. So come with me. I’ll walk you in.”

Richter held his hand out.

Sion’s face lost all expression, “What do you think you’re

doing?”

“Well, you can’t get in by yourself obviously. So come

hold my hand.”

Sion’s sword materialized.

 Richter held his hands up. “You can always wait out here,

but there are a large number of herbs that grow inside. I

haven’t seen most of them anywhere else I’ve traveled so far,

so they’re probably pretty rare. Like I said, it’s up to you,

though...”

Sion’s face screwed up in a pained expression. Richter

could practically hear the sprite’s teeth grinding. He shoved

the sword back into its sheath with his uncannily fast attack
speed. The next words were said with deadly intensity, “If you

tell N-E-ONE about this. I will make you pay for it!”

Richter nodded innocently. With a look of complete

understanding on his face he extended his hand again.

Muttering under his breath in the wood sprite home tongue,

Sion clasped his hand without making eye contact. The two of

them walked forward together, and after only a few feet

Richter felt the light tingle over his skin that denoted when he

entered the boundaries of the glade. Turning to Sion he said,

“Now see there little buddy, that wasn’t so – Argggh! You

bastard!”

Sion apparently did not appreciate Richter’s attempt at

gentle ribbing. He had drawn his sword and slapped the flat of
it across the back of Richter’s thighs. He didn’t even have the

good grace to say anything, merely sheathing his sword again

and walking forward into the glen. Muttering about angry little

Napoleons, Richter massaged the back of his legs and glared

at his Companion. Deciding nothing constructive would come

from dragging the moment out, he let it go and examined a

prompt that had come up.

You have brought a Companion to your hidden enclave. Do

you wish to allow this person access in the future? Yes or No?

Selecting ‘Yes,’ he took in his surroundings. The small

grassy area looked just as he remembered. Sunlight shone

down through a break in the cliff face illuminating a pool of

water surrounded by a small meadow. Colorful flowers and

herbs were strewn about the grass. The ache in his legs
quickly fled his mind. Richter had forgotten the wonderful

serenity of this place, and he took a few minutes to just

appreciate the beauty around him. Coming back to himself, he

walked with the slightest of hobbles over to the Pool of Clarity.

After he had filled first vial, he held it up to his eye.

Richter was able to see motes of light floating through the

crystal clear water; a detail he had missed previously. After

filling the pinky sized vial, he placed it into the Bag of Holding

and withdrew another empty vial with the same motion. While

he was collecting the precious liquid, Sion seemed to be

fascinated by the varied plant life. Richter heard him mutter,

“Dragon’s Tongue, Bloodwort, Star Lily, Amarintha Cap, …”

The sprite’s attention was so enthralled by the varied plant life

in the glen, that they ended up spending the night there. Their

day was spent carefully gathering plants. They finished their

herb collection for the night and Sion’s breathing was deep

and regular in slumber. Richter was about to follow his

Companion’s example when he noticed a faint glow coming

from the pool. Moonlight was falling directly upon it, and a

blue light was shining up from the bottom, illuminating the

water.

Richter quietly got up from his sleep roll. He waded out

until he was knee-deep, and reached his hand into the pool.

The blue gleam was coming from the floor of the pond. He
scraped the mud and muck aside dirtying the water. When it

cleared, he saw a glowing blue rock. A prompt came up:

Glade of Serenity. This secret glade was the home of Karim

the Knowledgeable. He was of a long-lived species, the
Hanketsu, that were typically prone to quick anger and
judgement. He turned from this path, however and devoted
his life to the study of the natural world. It was his belief that
through the proper application of knowledge, one could create
a society of just and fair laws. Feeling his death was near, he
laid down by this simple pool and breathed his last. His death
transformed it into a Pool of Clarity. The bones of the Hanketsu
glow blue in the moonlight.

Richter realized then that he wasn’t touching a rock. It

was a skull. The skull of Karim the Knowledgeable. Standing

in the slightly too cool waters of the Pool, Richter bowed his

head and stood silently. He would never know who this man
was, but he honored him. He stood silent vigil over the bones

of a man who had dedicated his life to a worthy cause, and he

quietly thanked him for the help the Pool provided. When he

was done, he left the water and laid down for sleep.

The next morning, Sion enlisted Richter’s help again to

pick every remaining plant and herb that could be useful, and

then place them in his Bag. One wonderful trait of the Bag of

Holding that Richter hadn’t been aware of initially was that it

either stopped or severely slowed decay. Food that was placed

in the Bag, and then removed days later, did not lose any of its

freshness. The Bag was not a form of cryogenic freezing,

unfortunately. A simple experiment had proven that. A live

fish fresh from the river had been placed inside. It was most

definitely not alive when he pulled it back out even a few

seconds later, though. On the plus side, it was still tasty!

They set out that afternoon, the glade almost stripped

bare of herbs. A bonus of the time they spent was that

Richter’s Herb Lore skill had increased. They would have been

done faster, but Sion spread seeds of the collected plants in

the glen and then watered them. He was planning to do the

same at the Mist Village. The meadow above the village

proper had already shown itself to be naturally fertile ground

for rare plants. The Bag of Holding would keep everything

viable until they got back home.

They walked back to the Hearth Tree enjoying the warm

day. Spring was present now in full effect and everywhere

Richter looked, small animals were scurrying about. The

Hearth Tree was less than a day’s walk from the hidden glade,

so they took their time. Richter examined his status. It was

remarkable how far he had come in such a short time.

Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 10, 11%
Health: 290 Mana: 250 Stamina: 170
Strength: 15
Agility: 17
Dexterity: 30
Constitution: 17
Endurance: 17
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 21
Charisma: 21
Luck: 14
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
Fast Learner
Skills:
Herb Lore Lvl 5; 36% to next level, 100% affinity
Alchemy Lvl 1; 0% to next level, 100% affinity
Analyze Lvl 5; 17% to next level, 100% affinity
Stealth Lvl 4; 76% to next level, 100% affinity
Archery Lvl 7; 78% to next level, 100% affinity
Imbue Arrow Lvl 4; 94% to next level, 100%
affinity
Focus Lvl 2; 60% to next level, 100% affinity
Double Shot Lvl 3; 20% to next level, 100%
affinity
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 28% to next level, 100% affinity
Swordsmanship Lvl 1; 88% to next level, 100%
affinity
Small Blades Lvl 1; 11% to next level, 100% affinity
Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 10% to next level, 100%
affinity
Pressure Points Lvl 1; 15% to next level, 100%
affinity
Light Armor Lvl 6; 59% to next level, 100% affinity
 Grace in Combat Lvl 2; 42% to next level, 100%
affinity
Air Magic Lvl 3; 51% to next level, 100% affinity
Life Magic Lvl 1; 49% to next level, 100% affinity
Earth Magic Lvl 2; 98% to next level, 100% affinity
Water Magic Lvl 1; 19% to next level, 100% affinity
Dark Magic Lvl 3; 31% to next level, 100% affinity
Map Making Lvl MAX
Trade Lvl 2; 27% to next level, 100% affinity
Marks
Master of Mist Village
Resistances:
Air 50%
Mental 15%
Spiritual 15%
Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
Reputation: Lvl 2 “I think I know that guy!”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All

They were met at the edge of the glade by a female

sprite.

“Well met, Sionavar,” she said.

“Well met, Daniella,” Sion responded sounding annoyed.

“I have told you to call me Sion.”

She simply laughed, “The Hearth Mother wants the two of

you to come to the Tree. Follow me.”
 The three of them started walking towards the massive
tree. Richter was able to successfully fight the impulse for all

of ten seconds, “So Sionavar, huh?”

“I DON’T want to talk about it!”

“Hahaha, whatever you say… Sionavar!”

Sion half drew his sword again and pointedly looked at

Richter’s legs. The laughter trailed off into a bout of coughing.

When they arrived in front of the Hearth Tree, Hisako was

standing with three other older sprites. “Welcome back,

Richter of the Mist Village. Welcome back, my son. Were you

able to retrieve the supplies you needed?”

Richter smiled and said, “Yes. In fact, I would like to give

you a small gift.” He pulled ten Potions of Clarity from his bag.

One he placed in her hand, and the other he laid at her feet.

When she saw the motes of light in the vials, her own
eyes began to sparkle, “This is a wonderful gift! Thank you!”

“It is a small token of appreciation for what you have

given me. I am sure you have many wonders associated with

your Place of Power Hisako. I would like it if, in addition to
helping each other with defense, we could become trading
partners as well. I know we could both profit from this
arrangement.”

The sparkle in her eyes was replaced with a crafty gleam,

“I am sure we can come to some arrangement in the future.

I’m not sure our relationship is quite strong enough for a

standing trade agreement right now, however. Perhaps if you

employ an experienced trader we can discuss it again. If we

do become trading partners, do not expect special treatment,

just because you are friends with my son!”

Richter was confused by her refusal, but then a prompt

came up.

Know This! Both parties involved in making a trade agreement

must either be a minimum skill level of Initiate or employ a
trader with that level. The stronger the relationship between
two civilizations, the lower the level of trader required.

Richter nodded to himself, the rebuttal now making more

sense. Not wanting to make the situation awkward, he gave a

small laugh and answered, “I wouldn’t have it any other way,

Hearth Mother. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She gave a laugh of her own, “Well enough talk of state.

We have repaired your armor, and made a few, ahem,

improvements.” The tired looking elders moved out of the

way. What was behind them took his breath away.

You have found: Sprite Helmet of Mana. Defense +7.

Durability 30/30. Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Type:
Light Armor. Weight 1.3 kg. Mana +50.

You have found: Sprite Breastplate of Brawn. Defense +12.

Durability 60/60. Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Type:
Light armor. Weight: 6.1 kg. Strength +8

You have found: Hardened Sprite Bracers. Defense +10.

Durability 30/30. Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Type:
Light armor. Weight: 3.0 kg. Dexterity +7.

You have found: Studded Sprite Gauntlets. Defense +7.

Durability 40/40. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb.
Type: Light Armor. Weight 2.2 kg. Increased climbing +10.

You have found: Greaves of the Wood Sprite. Defense +9.

Durability 45/45. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb.
Type: Light armor. Weight: 2.8 kg. Movement speed increased
by 10%.

You have found: Reinforced Sprite Boots. Defense +8.

Durability 35/35. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb.
Type: Light armor. Weight: 1.8 kg. Silence +15.

Congratulations! You have obtained an entire set of matched

armor: Enhanced Sprite Armor. Defense given by each piece
increased by 25%. Special Bonus: 50% less noise made while
moving through forest. Special Bonus: +20% Earth
Resistance.

Hisako looked at him and chuckled, “Close your mouth,

Richter. That’s how you catch flies.”

“Hisako, this is too much!”

“This is well within my power Richter. My son is wearing

an almost identical set of enhanced armor. The resistances
are different, and there are one or two other small variations,

but otherwise you are now wearing the armor of a sprite

warrior. We fight for the good of the Forest of Nadria, and you

have proven that you do as well. The least that I can do is to

give you better protection.”

Richter looked at Sion, “You have been wearing enhanced

armor? And I was the one that had to run from the giant
skeeling?”
 “What giant skeeling,” Hisako asked confused. Sion

looked at the ground and kicked it with his foot.

Richter looked at the stats of the gauntlets, “And

increased climbing? Is that how you always make it into the

trees so easily? When I asked, you said I just needed to apply

myself!” Richter’s voice was getting louder.

Sion looked up with a smirk on his face.

“And your Strength? I asked you how you were so strong

when you were so much smaller than me! You told me it was
because of ‘secret sprite exercises!’ You had me do all of

those pushups!” Richter’s hands leapt out to choke the little

man who was now cackling with abandon. Richter was sure he
heard chuckles from behind him too, but he stayed focused on

manipulative leprecaun in front of him.

Violence would most definitely have ensued if Hisako had

not placed herself between the two of them. “Peace, Richter,

peace! My son has a lot of growing up to do! I am sure he is

sorry!”

Sion kept laughing and shook his head. Richter glared at

his Companion. Tears were coming out of the bastard’s eyes

now!
 “Ignore him, Richter! Look what else we have for you!”

Richter exhaled heavily, “Okay Hisako. You’re still a dick,

Sion!”

“Sion! That was not funny,” she half-heartedly

admonished. Was that a note of suppressed laughter in voice?

When Richter looked at her, all he saw was her normal serene
mask so he couldn’t be sure. Still not quite trusting her calm

exterior, he decided to let the matter drop. For now, anyway.

He would be getting even with Sion at some point, though.

Hisako looked to one of the older sprites who nodded

back. He went inside of the Hearth Tree and came

immediately back out. His arms were holding… something.

When he shook out his burden, though, Richter whistled softly

in appreciation.

You have found: Cloak of Concealment. Defense +4.

Durability 30/30. Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight:
0.9 kg. Increased Concealment all terrains +25.

Richter placed his hand on the cloak and felt the fabric.
The smooth cloth molded to his skin. It almost seemed to

anticipate his movements. Putting it on completely, he found

that it reached down past his calves. The molding quality of
the cloak kept it close to his body as he moved. At the same
time, it was light as a feather, and when he extended his
arms, it easily fell away. It would be perfect for either stealth

or battle.

“Once again I am overwhelmed by your generosity,”

Richter said his irritation forgotten as he played with his new

and latest toy.

“Fight well Richter. Enjoy our gifts,” a wry expression

found its way onto the Hearth Mother’s face.

Richter smiled back, “Thank you again. There were one

or two other things I would like to discuss. Master to Master so

to speak.”

Hisako nodded, “Daniella, take Sion to his armor. The rest

of you, thank you for your help. I will speak with Lord Richter
alone.”

Everyone began to shuffle away. Sion and Daniella

appeared to be arguing good-naturedly as soon as they started

walking together. In a short period of time, Hisako and Richter

were alone in the see of golden grasses. They walked leisurely

through the meadow. The grasses reacted to the Hearth
Mother’s presence, both bending out of her way and also
caressing her outstretched hands.

“So what did you want to discuss,” she asked.

“First, I’m guessing from your surprise about hearing

about the giant skeeling, Sion did not tell you about that
battle?”

“No, I had no knowledge of this. I have never heard of a

skeeling any larger than a raccoon.”

“Well, to make a long story short, we found an Offshoot.

Sion said it was a baby Hearth Tree or something like that. The
Seed Core was still active, and a skeeling had been feeding off

of its energy. It had grown to the size of a bear. We killed it

and skinned it. Once it was dead, we were able to recover the

Seed Core.”

“Now I’m sure there is still a lot I don’t know about it,”
Richter continued, “but Sion told me that if could grow any

number of magical trees. He also told me that you would not

mind me planting it in my village. Now I can only imagine

what an amazing asset it could be for my village. Whatever

benefits the tree might provide however, your friendship is

more important to me. The Seed Core seems like a relic of

your people. I will give it to you if you want.” Richter pulled
the brown sphere from his bag. The green veins pulsed with

light. Once more, he was filled with a feeling of contentment,

and the smell of warm rain on grass filled his nose.

“My son was correct. If the Forest led you to the Seed
Core, then it belongs with you. But,” a speculative look

crossed her timeless features, “perhaps we can help one

another. Your Mist Village is the physical manifestation of your

Place of Power, much as the Hearth Tree is the physical

manifestation of mine. I am guessing that your village is still

at level 1, however. I have access to certain high-level spells

that you do not yet. Both of our Places of Power share a Life
ley line. As long as the spell is of that school there shouldn’t

be any… unforeseen consequences.”

“Okay, you lost me. What do you mean consequences,”

Richter asked.

“It is never a good idea to recklessly blend magic of

different types. It can cause short or long term effects that
might be good or ill. To fully explain would take years of study,

but an example is casting Heal on a zombie. A spell of Life

cast upon a creature of Death can have the opposite effect. In
this case, casting Heal actually harms the zombie because it is
undead. The same spell would might heal a vampire, though,

because it is living dead. As you can see the details can get
quite frustrating and irritating. It is best not to imbue an

already powerful relic with a blessing that just might

negatively react with the massive Powers your village is built
upon.”

“Makes sense,” Richter said. “So what blessing did you

have in mind?”

“There are several, but what I suggest is the Life Blessing

of Growth. Seed Cores grow much quicker than other trees,

but it would still take years for even a level 1 tree to develop. I
can advance the growth one level, which would equate to ten

to fifteen years of growth. The Blessing of Growth is also the

best because we do not know what type of tree will be made. I

don’t know if Sion explained, but Seed Cores create whichever

type of tree best serves the needs of the lives around it. We

can almost be assured it will be a strong tree, though if you

plant it at your Place of Power.”

“I will trust your judgement. The growth blessing sounds

wonderful, but you mentioned that I could help you as well.
What can I do?”

“I am sure you remembered the chrysalis from the staff?”

Richter nodded. “Unfortunately, we have been unable to

revive the Royal Pixie inside. I can only deduce that the pixie
has been in stasis for too long. That, coupled with the

chrysalis being used to fuel that evil weapon, must have made
its life spark flicker dangerously low. We need an infusion of
Life energy to safely extract it from the chrysalis. A Seed Core

is the purest expression of Life Magic that I know.

Unfortunately, the Hearth Tree will not make another for at

least one hundred years. That is why I need your help. When
a Seed Core is planted, it releases an amazing amount of Life

energy. You can save the pixie trapped in the chrysalis. Will
you help?

You have been offered a Quest: Resurgence of Light I. The

pixie race was destroyed many years ago by a magical plague.
One chrysalis has been recovered. One last light has been
preserved. When you plant the Seed Core at the Mist Village,
will you help Hisako birth the Royal Pixie Chrysalis. Reward:
Unknown. Yes or No?

Richter nodded at Hisako, “Of course I will help.”

 She breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank you. The ceremony
for the blessing will take place at tomorrow morning. I will

need to use all the mana that can be generated by my Place of

Power, and I have already used a large amount to enhance

your armor. My stores will replenish by the morning. As long

as we get the Seed Core planted within a week, the Blessing
will last. While you wait today, I have a suggestion. You

should work with Yoshi. He is an adept in swordsmanship. He

can teach you how to use that sword on your back.”

“Thank you. I would be honored,” Richter said somewhat

surprised. It never occurred to him that the diminutive sprites

would have a high-level swordsman. Before he let Hisako slip

away, there was one last piece of business to address, “Do you

know where the bugbear and goblin camp is yet?”

Hisako sighed, “We are looking, but so far we have found

nothing. We must be cautious, though. The bugbears have

been sending out patrols of their own. We have already had

several skirmishes. Thankfully none of my people have been

seriously wounded yet. Don’t worry, we know they are to the

east, so there are only so many places they can hide. We will
let you know soon.”
 Richter nodded and the two of them walked back through
the tall grasses. Once they reached the Hearth Tree, Hisako

took her leave. As she was walking away, she called out to

another sprite to bring the sword adept. She also looked back
and said, “Don’t worry about returning your old armor. I have

a feeling it might come in handy for you to have a spare set.

Also,” she paused, “you might want to put on your new armor

now.” The last was said with what could only be described as
a devilish grin on her face. With that parting rejoinder, she

walked away.

A little confused as to why he would need stronger armor

in the heart of the wood sprites’ defenses, he still took her

advice. Once that was done, he stowed his old armor in his

Bag of Holding. It took up a ridiculous amount of slots in the

20x20 grid. He would have to unload it in the vault as soon as

he got back to his village. Once that was done, he drew his

long sword and took several practice swings with it. The tall
gold grass bent out of his way whenever the sword came near.

At first he thought it was a trick of the wind, but when he

intentionally tried to hit the grass, it still avoided the strike. He

started a bit of a game, fencing with the grass which

continually dodged out the way. Despite his efforts, he got
nowhere near cutting even one of the tall gold blades of grass.

He jumped back with his sword extended, and one arm thrown

in the air behind him and shouted, “En garde!”

“Don’t play with it son,” a gruff voice said. “That’s how

you go blind!”

Confused, Richter turned towards the voice. He was

surprised by who stood before him. The sprite was taller than
most. Hisako was the tallest he had seen at four feet. This

man was closer to five. He also lacked the smooth, childlike

quality to his face that the other sprites possessed. That may
have just been due to the scar that pulled the left corner of his

mouth down into a slight perpetual frown, but Richter didn’t

think so. His ears were also more pointed and his skin a

slightly darker hue. Richter decided to use his Analyze skill.

Name: Yoshi. Half-Sprite, Half-Human. Level 26. Health 520.

Mana 200. Stamina 290. Racial blends are erratic in their
disposition. They can end up with some or none of any of their
parent races characteristics. Profession: Warrior.

Level 26! And he had a profession! This was not

someone to take lightly! Richter nodded at him. “So you are

the sword adept?”

 “That I am. Hisako asked me to help you. Is there a
reason you’re staring at me like that?”

Richter had been closely examining the man. He had

never seen a mix of the races before. When Yoshi asked the
question, though, he jumped, not realizing he had been so

obvious with his observation.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just never met someone who was born of

two races before.”

“And? Do you have a problem with it,” Yoshi asked with

raw ire in his voice.

“Not at all! I did not mean to offend you! I am truly

appreciative of any help I could receive from an adept like

yourself.” Richter raised both hands in a mollifying gesture.

Yoshi gave a loud ‘hmpf.’ “Well enough then. We might

as well get started. Hold onto that crowbar you call a sword if

you can!” Yoshi picked up a bundle of thick sticks he had next

to him and walked over to Richter. He dropped the bundle

when he was a few steps away from Richter and drew a four-

foot long piece of wood from the collection. It was a thumb

width in size and bare patches showed where smaller twigs

had been torn off.

 “Now attack me,” Yoshi said.

Richter looked at him with uncertainty, “You’re not going

to use a sword?”

“No, I’m going to use these branches.”

“Why? I don’t want to hurt y-. Owww!”

As Richter was talking, Yoshi had leisurely raised his stick

and then there was a blur. Richter hadn’t seen the man move,

but he felt the stick strike him in the side of the head. He

grabbed the spot that was throbbing, taking a step back.

When he looked up again, Yoshi was standing in the same

place with a calm expression on his face.

“I am using this stick for several reasons. You have just

discovered one of them. It allows me to instruct you without

the risk of immediate and irreparable injury. When I give you a

command, I expect it to be followed. You may always ask

questions, but only after, or time permitting, during, the

completion of my command. Now come face me and attack.”

Richter rubbed his head and glared at the man. He

wanted to be attacked? Fine! Richter would give Yoshi a little

scar to remember him by. He stomped up to the smaller man.

With no hesitation he lunged forward, sword positioned to

scrap the man’s ribs. That was the intention anyway. What
actually happened, was Richter began to move forward, Yoshi

did something, and then he was lying on his back. The sword

was no longer in his hand and now his right wrist, both
temples, chest and left leg were all throbbing. It was now very

clear why Hisako had told him to put on his enhanced armor.

Even wearing it and with Yoshi using only a stick, this was
incredibly painful!

Richter heard a long suffering sigh come from Yoshi.

“Banished gods, why have I been sent such a hopeless case?

Well, get back up human. We have a lot of work to do.”

Richter’s only answer was the combination of a slow

exhale and a groan.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 2

The rest of the day was a study in abuse. The strikes

with the stick didn’t remove more than one health at the

most. The worst injury Richter received was actually when

he tripped over his own feet and landed on a rock. The

minor loss of health did not translate to the pain he felt,

though! Yoshi was a true sadist. Richter was convinced that

the man had methodically beaten every square inch of his

body. After hours of torment, with no lunch break, Richter

might add, Yoshi said it was time to stop. That was only

because the sun was going down.

After Yoshi called it quits for the day, he just picked up

his bundle of sticks and walked away without another word.

The reason for the large number of sticks became clear after
Yoshi had broken the first one against Richter’s thigh. The

point was further illustrated when the second stick broke

across Richter’s back. By the third break, Richter stopped

thinking about it. That was partly because when that

particular branch broke, it was across the back of his head.

It was nice having a pause in the training, even if it was

because he had been knocked unconscious for a short

period of time.

Richter slowly stumbled after the sword adept/sadist,

his entire body screaming in protest. He just wanted to lay

down and stop existing, but he refused to give Yoshi the

satisfaction. The entire time they had been “training” Yoshi

had taunted him. ‘All you need to do is walk away’ ‘This is

not fun for me either’ ‘Well its kinda fun’ ‘Only sissies
vomit…’ ‘Well I guess I am looking at a sissy.’ Richter was

kept upright through the day out of pure spite. He had

pride, and would not be broken! Who cares if it now took

twenty minutes to walk a hundred yards? That’s not the

point!

The sprites were gathered at the base of the Hearth

Tree for their evening meal. Sion was sitting at the center

table next to Hisako, and Yoshi was sitting next to him. An

empty seat was at Hisako’s side reserved for Richter. When

Sion saw Richter’s pathetic appearance, he started laughing

loudly until Yoshi jabbed a quick finger into his throat. After

that, his so-called friend was more focused on breathing

than mocking him.

Richter sat down with a pained noise, and Hisako just

looked at him with a sympathetic expression. Was she

smirking right before he had turned to look at her? He had

to keep his eye on this woman. She might not be too

different from her son in terms of twisted humor! All such

unworthy thoughts fled, however, with what she did next.

Hisako reached out her hand and laid it atop of his.

With a few muttered words a gold light enveloped her hand

and spread up his arm and then over the rest of his body. It

alleviated his aches and pains and left him with a refreshed

feeling. He sighed in relief. Then he looked at Sion still

struggling to breathe. Richter took an exaggerated deep

breath while looking his Companion in the eye and then

exhaled overly loud. Sion glared daggers back.

“Thank you, Hisako. Your sword adept was… very

energetic in his lesson!”

 Yoshi looked up, “Are you complaining, son?”

“Not at all, Yoshi. Who doesn’t like being beaten with a

rod for twelve hours?”

The half man laughed, “Happy to oblige then. We will

do more when we leave tomorrow.”

“We,” Richter asked, with a sick feeling in his stomach.

“Yes, of course. The Hearth Mother is leaving the

protection of the glade for the first time in over a century.

Her protection is paramount.”

“Ahem, yes,” Hisako said. “I was going to speak with

you about this tonight Richter. I would like to be there

personally for the planting. If you are okay with that.”

“I would be honored,” Richter said.

“Well that settles it,” Yoshi said. “We will train each

morning, a bit over lunch and for two hours when we stop

each night. Right now your sword work looks like a gnome

having a seizure. I shouldn’t have to say this, but that is

NOT what you should be striving for. It’s important to

remember…”
 Yoshi continued to drone on, and Richter just sat back

with a sour expression on his face. His appetite had fled for

some reason.

The next morning, countless sprites were gathered in

the golden grasses around the Hearth Tree. They were

arrayed in an expanding spiral with Hisako in the center.

Each sprite held hands with the sprite to either side. They

had gathered while it was still dark. As the sky began to

lighten, they sang. Their already musical voices rose and

fell in soft counterpoint. There was no direction or

guidance, they simply coordinated as if being led by an

orchestra conductor. The music grew as the sky lightened,

and a golden glow began to infuse all of the tall grasses.

The glow built in intensity, matching the tone of the sprites’

voices as the first rays of the sun shone down into the glade

of the wood sprites. Hisako raised her own voice, and her

soprano rang clear. The Seed Core was in her hands and

she raised it above her head. The aura of magic permeating

the glade flared, focusing upon Hisako. Pure golden light

shot into the sky like a spot light and then went out. The

sprites voices subsided at the same time.

 Hisako was left standing in the center of her people

with the Seed Core still above her head. The green veins of

light glowed much brighter than before and small cracks in

the shell of the Seed leaked golden light. Richter expected

Hisako to look exhausted, but instead she seemed

exhilarated. She handed him the Seed with a broad grin on

her face.

“Everything went wonderfully! The spell might have

yielded a result even be more powerful than I had hoped!

Let’s not waste any time. I think it is time that I saw your

home.” She turned in a circle looking out at her people.

“My fellow sprites, I travel now with our friend Lord Richter

of the Mist Village. We will plant a Seed Core and bring life

to a tree of magic!” The wood sprites cheered her

pronouncement. “I will miss you all, and will return soon.

Follow the wisdom of the elders, who will lead in my

absence. Thank you for your help this day, and, as always

stay true to the Forest!”

Another cheer sounded, and then all of the sprites

broke up into various smaller groups and went on about

their days. Hisako turned to Yoshi, who was flanked by

twenty other armored sprites. “Are we ready to go, sword

adept Yoshi?”

“We are, Hearth Mother. In addition to the guard we

have arranged, Daniella requests to accompany us.”

Sion who had been standing quietly at his mother’s

side until that moment decided to chime in, “I don’t really

think that is necessary. A smaller group is less likely to

attract attention. Especially with bugbears and goblins

roaming the woods.”

Daniella was walking as up he spoke, “Thinking Sion?

Never really your strong suit. I would like to see the home
of our new neighbors. If it is okay with Lord Richter, that

is?”

Richter looked at the female sprite and then looked at

his friend Sion. The beseeching gaze on his Companion’s

face was almost pitiful. But what are best friends for, if not
to gain a cheap laugh at your expense. He plastered a huge

smile on his face, “I would be honored to have you join us,

Daniella. In fact! You are welcome as long as you like.” He

gave his best impression of a courtly bow, and dipped his

head toward the pretty sprite who laughed delightedly and
clapped her hands. When he picked his head back up, he

looked at Sion whose face was screwed up in silent anger.

Richter simply smiled even bigger and mouthed the word

‘pushups.’ Oh yes, he thought dramatically, you will learn

the truth of this old Tarantino proverb, Revenge is a dish

best served cold! And it looked like it would be a cold day in

hell before Daniella gave Sion a moment’s peace.

“Well that settles that,” Hisako said. Turning to Richter,

she said, “I did have a thought last night. I do not want to

infringe upon your hospitality, but you would you do me the

favor of hosting one of our elders?” She beckoned forward

an older sprite who had been standing several paces behind

her. “This is Sumiko. Her counsel has guided me through

many difficult decisions. I would ask that you accept her as

an ambassador between our two peoples. She is also a

Master of Life Magic. I believe you would find her aid

invaluable.”

This wasn’t Richter doing Hisako a favor, which she

clearly knew. He had very little Life magic at his disposal

other than his Charm spell. It was not the kind of spell he
could practice with often. Having a Life Master to teach him
spells and speed his leveling would be incredible. He looked

at Sumiko and said, “I would be honored to have you join us

for as long as you are willing. Your presence will be a gift,

and I will treat it as such.” Man, he was really getting good

at this grownup talk!

Yoshi looked at them all and shouldered his pack, “Well,

the sun slows for no one. Let’s get going.”

They started walking, but paused at the edge of the

golden glade while Hisako took a long look at the Hearth

Tree. Then she turned away, squared her shoulders, and

kept walking forward. The sword adept set a brisk pace.

Yoshi said he wanted to limit the time spent out in the open.

Richter used the time they were walking to speak with

Sumiko. The older sprite was only a few inches above three

feet, but was spry enough to keep pace. She had an easy
smile and short cropped black hair. Her skin was a touch
lighter than the normal olive complexion of the other

sprites. Her face was a bit rounder as well. Richter spent

the first day just discussing the strengths of Life Magic with
her. She was every bit as pleasant as she looked. Sumiko

promised to teach him a spell in the morning.

His interactions with Yoshi were somewhat surprising.

At the lunch break, the sword adept walked over with a

stick. Richter groaned internally, but stood and raised his

sword none the less. The man simply shook his head and

told Richter to sheath the blade. Rather than beat Richter

pillar to post, Yoshi instead showed him a sequence of

movements called a “form.” The first form was named,

“The Forest Wind.” It focused on shoulder length sweeps of

Richter’s blade for attack. The second was called, “Willow in

the Storm.” He was made to move through a series of

motions that bent him at odd angles, keeping his sword

between him and the anticipated “attack.” For both, Yoshi

focused a great amount of attention on Richter’s stance.

Each movement required him to be both flexible and

balanced. They went through the same series of

movements for the half hour allotted for lunch each day.

When it was time to move again, Yoshi just corrected his

stance a final time by gently prodding one leg, grunted and
then walked away.
 Richter was certainly not disappointed that he didn’t

need healing again, but the man’s demeanor was so

different that it was a bit a mystery. He wasn’t about to

complain, though. He shouldered his bag and walked on

with everyone else, resuming his conversation with Sumiko.

The next several days followed the same pattern.

Walking with Sumiko, and during their rests, training the

forms with Yoshi. He would steal a little time in between to

read the lore books he had bought from Leandra. At the end

of the second night, Yoshi stood opposite him again holding

a small branch. The sprite attacked from a high guard.
Richter responded with Willow in the Storm and flowed out

of the path of the attack. It somehow left him in the perfect

position to attack with The Forest Wind form. The two of

them flowed through the movements, their two sticks

clattering together. Richter saw now how the two forms he

had been practicing naturally complemented each other.

They kept up this exchange for almost an hour. When they

finished a final rapid exchange, Yoshi stepped back and

grunted.
Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in
Swordsmanship. Damage +2%. Chance to cause bleed
status +0.5%.

The sprite was turning to leave when Richter called out,

“I really appreciate you teaching me, but I’m not exactly

sure what I am supposed to be learning. When I studied

with other Masters, I leveled up several times, but my

swordsmanship skill seems only to go up when we spar.

Why don’t we spar the whole time?”

“I am teaching you the art of the blade, not how to

increase your level. You could bash away at a monster all

day long with your sword. It would raise your level, but you

would learn nothing. To you, a sword would still just be a

club with edges. If you go that route, anyone with a bit of

training will still kill you no matter how high your level is,”
Yoshi replied.

That made sense. If there was one thing he had found

about The Land, it was that the proper application of force

was just as, if not more important than, brute force alone. “I
understand. Thank you again, Master Yoshi,” Richter said
with a slight bow of his head. The sprite was turning away
again when a thought occurred to Richter. “Master Yoshi!”

The sprite turned back. “If you are meaning to teach me

the art of sword fighting, why did you just beat me with

sticks the first day?”

Yoshi looked at him for a moment, then a rueful

expression crossed his face. “To be completely honest, I

was nursing a massive hangover when they told me Hisako

wanted me to meet you. I was in a foul mood. Beating you

with rods seemed like a great way to vent my frustration.
That might not have been fair, but if it helps, it did put me in

a better mood.” With that shameless comment, the sprite

walked away. Richter just stared after him with his mouth
hanging open.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 3

The party arrived at the edge of the Confusing Mist

enchantment mid-morning on the third day. Richter gave

the entire party immunity, and they continued on. Over the
past several days, Yoshi had taught Richter a third form, Cat

Swatting at Mouse. It focused on quick stabbing attacks

while keeping his center of gravity low. Yoshi drilled him in

all three, randomly calling out the name of a form. The goal

was to have Richter’s body respond without thinking. Yoshi

made sure that Richter knew he had a long, long way to go.

Richter’s time with Sumiko had not been wasted either

as shown by the prompts he had accumulated.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in Life

Magic. New spells are now available.
Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Slow Heal!
Restore 30 missing health over 60 seconds upon casting.
This is a spell of Life Magic. Cost 40 mana. Duration: 6
seconds. Range: Touch. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 1
min.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Cure! Remove

minor poison effects! This is a spell of Life Magic. Cost 50
mana. Duration: 1 second. Range: Touch. Cast time: 2
seconds. Cool down: 30 seconds.

Neither spell was exceptionally powerful, but Sumiko

assured him that as his level increased the spells increased

in usefulness drastically.

A few hours passed as they walked through the mists,

and suddenly the village was before them. Richter and Sion

had been gone a little over a week. The village was

showing the same hustle and bustle that had been there

when they left. There were also a few welcome

developments. The framework for a wooden cradle had

been started by the river, presumably for ship building.

Work had also been started on the forge, three walls already
having been erected. Also, the crude earthwork walls at the

inner edge of the moat surrounding the village had been

leveled in long stretches. It would let people stand on the

walls to see a greater distance. Richter wondered who had

taken the initiative to do that. He certainly approved. As

always, Futen met Richter at the boundaries of the village.

“Hey you sexy beast,” Richter greeted the remnant.

Futen was the fragment of an ancient magician’s soul. He

had been tied to this Place of Power and was meant to serve

whomever was the current Master of the Mist Village. He

looked like a grey floating sphere with a white light in the

center.

The orb just pulsed slowly hovering several feet in the

air.

“Well don’t go getting all mushy on me,” Richter

laughed. “Okay then, what’s been happening since I’ve

been gone?”

“Would you like a full report, my Lord?” Futen’s

deadpan voice was no longer strange to Richter. It was

even comforting after a fashion. Like the unique sounds and

smells of your grandmother’s house, Futen’s voice just

served to remind him on a visceral level that he had come

home.

“No, just anything that requires my immediate

attention.”

“All events can wait until you are settled then, my

Lord.”

“Good! No news is good news. Futen, this is Lady

Hisako, the Master of the Hearth Tree, and leader of the

wood sprites. She and all members of her party are

honored guests. Extend them every courtesy and respond

to their questions when asked. Now please go ahead of us,

and have some accommodations prepared for them. The

men can bunk in the barracks. Lady Hisako and Daniella,”

he indicated the other female sprite, “will stay in my room.”

“Richter that isn’t necessary,” Hisako protested.

“I won’t have it any other way Hisako. I do not have

much hospitality to offer yet, but what I do have is yours.

Now please come see my village.”

 The party continued walking forward, and the various

new settlers of the Mist Village looked up as they passed.

Whatever tasks they were attending to were forgotten. How

could carrying water compete with the Master of their new

home being accompanied by a squad of armed sprite

warriors? By the time they had walked to the foot of the hill

leading to the first floor of the catacombs, more than a

hundred villagers had gathered. Richter partly climbed the

hill and then turned to look out at his people.

“I was planning on gathering everyone later, but

enough of you are here now. This is Lady Hisako, the leader

of the wood sprites. They are our friends, and we are lucky

to have them. This is the first time she has graced us with

her presence, but I look forward to a warm and profitable

relationship between our two peoples for many years to

come. The benefits of our friendship start for us today. The

Hearth Mother has come with a blessing. We will be

planting an enchanted tree, and the blessing will make sure

that it grows strong.” The people nodded and smiled. It

wasn’t exactly a resounding cheer, but it seemed they were

on board, so Richter would take it. He hadn’t really thought

about the logistics of keeping close to three hundred people

happy when he had recruited them, but he had a feeling

that morale wasn’t something he just wanted to ignore.

Richter looked at Hisako, “When should we do this?”

“I see no reason to wait,” she said. “The weather is

clear now, but there are clouds on the horizon. We can do

the ceremony before the weather breaks.”

Futen floated towards them from the entrance to the

catacombs. “My Lord, am I correct in assuming that you

plan to plant a Seed Core in the village?”

Richter was somewhat surprised that the remnant

knew what the Seed Core was. Futen had been around for

tens of thousands of years, but his memory was

fragmented. “That is what I’m planning. What do you know

about the Seed Cores?”

“Only that they are powerful relics, and that several

previous Masters have attempted to obtain one but had no

success. They always lamented that the sprites would not

provide one.”
 Hmmmm, the remnant’s memory seemed to be

improving, Richter thought. “Do you remember anything

else?”

“No, my Lord, many specific details still remain beyond

my grasp. I would offer a suggestion, however. I heard the

sprite Mother suggest planting the Seed now, but I believe

tonight would be better.”

“Why do you say this,” Hisako asked. She was looking

at the remnant with curiosity, but also with caution. Richter

didn’t understand why she looked so pensive.

“I believe you are operating as if you were at your own

Place of Power, Master Hisako. I can sense that you are a

Master of Light, Life and Earth. Were we planting the Seed

at your seat of power, then this would be the perfect time.
The Mist Village, however, is built upon a nexus of Life,

Dark, Water, and Air. The most auspicious time would be

when the environment compliments those Powers. I

suggest that we wait until nightfall. That will coincide with

our Dark Power. The presence of the storm will fulfill the

obligation of the Air and Water Powers. The Seed Core itself
is Life magic. I believe that waiting will provide the highest
chance to obtain a powerful tree.”

Richter looked at Hisako, “What do you think?”

“His reasoning is sound. When I advised to plant the

Core now, I admit that in the back of my mind I was

applying reasoning that would be best for the Hearth Tree.

The blessing will easily last until tonight. It will also let me
find the best place to plant the Seed Core.”

“Okay then,” Richter said. I will let you all explore and
relax after our trip. If you need anything, just ask. I’m

going to check in with my people.” He looked over at Sion,

who, as usual, had not been able to shed Daniella’s

company. His Companion looked at him with hope in his

eyes, expecting to be asked along. Richter smiled toothily,

“Sion, why don’t you show Daniella around. I won’t need

you until the ceremony tonight.” He then turned and

walked to greet his people. Sion’s glare washed over him

with the all of the comforting warmth of a sunlight.

Richter’s first stop was to check in at the half

constructed smithy. He was greeted by his wood elf

carpenter Roswan. The elf was a gruff six-foot tall man, with
a somewhat terse manner. What made him truly stand

apart was his hair style. Most elves had long straight hair
that they wore loose or plaited. Roswan cut his hair short

and wore it high and tight with a large part on the left. He
was also one of the few elves with facial hair, and he

sported a thick brown mustache.

“Hello Roswan,” Richter said.

Roswan just made a half mmmm, half growl, and kept

working on his current project.

Richter gave a sigh. The cantankerous man was not

the easiest person to work with. If only he wasn’t so good

at his job! “So how are we looking for the forge?” The
framework was up, as were the several walls he had seen

upon coming back to the village. They had apparently also

laid the floor, using slate as opposed to wood. Probably a

good idea seeing as how there would be countless sparks

and embers from the forge.

The elf gave the same response he had given before

when Richter had asked for a progress report, “It’s being
built.”

Richter waited for any more information, but as per

usual, nothing more was forthcoming. “I love our little talks

Roswan.” Grrmmm was the only response. Richter gave a

half sigh, “Where are Hilda and the other dwarves?” Hilda
was one of the dwarf elders that had initially agreed to

come to the village.

“Grrmmm, they are poking around in the mountain,” he

said gesturing to the foothills and mountains north of the

village. “Might be back tonight for dinner.”

“Well is there anything you need,” Richter asked.

“More wood… more help… more bacon and eggs,” the

elf said without looking up.

Richter just shook his head at the man. Not even a

“grrmmmm” that time. Richter walked on. He tried to say

hello to everyone. Most just gave a polite smile or wave,

and then went on about their business. Luckily, his Analyze

skill let him know everyone’s names, or he would have had

no clue as to most. His skill did require mana, though,

which wasn’t limitless, so there was a fair amount of
“Looking good!” and “My man!” thrown into his greetings as

well.

Richter walked past the walls of the village, out into the

newly cultivated farmland. Dozens of people were planting

various crops. He had bought corn, wheat, potatoes, some

soy like plant called ifiz, tomatoes, and a host of others.

There were no citrus or other fruit trees, unfortunately. One

of the things Richter planned to buy from Hafiz was a series

of fruit trees. He had bought several barrels of apples and a

type of large citrus fruit that tasted like a mix between

passion fruit and limes, but with no refrigeration, they would
not last long. Richter had wondered about getting a

balanced diet. Of course, he might be worrying for nothing.

After all, who knew how his body here matched up with his

old Earth body. It would be the bone head move of all time,
though, to become a powerful warrior and mage, and then

develop scurvy.

All of his impromptu farmers seemed to be on task and

happy, so Richter didn’t rock the boat. He was not one to

micromanage people who knew their job better than he did.

It was a well-stressed point during his upbringing, that a
smart leader found people smarter than himself, and then
put them to work. Richter had seen no reason to think he

had chosen his new villagers poorly. He spent an hour

walking among the farmers and speaking with the guards
who patrolled the edges of the forest.

It had never been far from Richter’s mind that though

the mists were an effective deterrent against most

humanoids, wild animals, and certain monsters would not

be affected. Luckily, the guards said there had been no

incursions close to the village. They also reported though,

that the hunters had spied several cave bears to the north,

and a pack of wolves had been close enough to hear their

howls a few days ago. Richter decided to start organizing

larger hunting parties. The site the village was being built
upon had been wild and untouched land for hundreds of

years. There was no overestimating the dangers that lurked

nearby, and he swore to himself that he would not forget

that.

After walking through the fields, Richter then walked to

the river that was to the west of village. His destination was

the wooden cradle that had been set up to start building the
village’s first ship. The closest hub of trade was the
Kingdom of Yves. On foot, the journey took almost three

weeks. With a ship to navigate the countless rivers in this

part of the world, the journey could be accomplished in a

fraction of the time. If trade was to become a regular part

of life, the ship was of paramount importance.

Richter had been lucky enough that a high elf adept

shipbuilder and her two apprentices had agreed to come to

the village. Skill ranks were not arbitrary in The Land.

Novice was skill level one through nine. Ten through
twenty-four granted initiate level, and levels twenty-five

through fourty-four meant you were an apprentice.

Journeymen were levels forty-five to sixty-nine, adepts were
seventy to ninety-nine, and masters had achieved skill level

one hundred and above. What the ranks meant seemed to

vary from skill to skill as far as Richter could tell. Magic
masters and adepts could teach spells without spell books,
and training with someone of a higher rank than you would

increase the rate that someone leveled their skills. Other

than that, Richter really didn’t have an understanding of
how the ranks impacted anything.
 “Ho the ship,” Richter called out.

“Very funny, my Lord,” the ship builder said. Shivona

was short for a high elf at five and a half feet. She had long
black hair plaited to her waist, a petite figure and broad
hips. Rather broad and round actually… Richter had noticed

that she switched when she walked in a… very distracting

way. Richter liked her for her confident attitude and
competent manner. When they had first come to the
village, she had caught him staring a time or two. She

never seemed angry, though, she just gave him a

challenging little smile and then stared right back. He
decided to forgo that this morning, speaking up before she
noticed him.

“I’m glad to see that you’ve started on the ship.” The

ribbing was well on the way to being completed as far as
Richter could tell. “Is there anything you need from me?”

“Things are moving well, but if I could have one of

those Mist Workers allocated to me, then things would move
a good deal faster,” she said.
 “Done,” Richter said promptly. Mist Workers were
magical constructs that Richter could summon. They lacked

any real intelligence, but they were strong and had good
reserves of stamina. They couldn’t be trusted with
complicated tasks, but were perfectly suited for manual
labor. Unfortunately, he could only summon so many per

day, the amount dictated by the 1,000 mana limit on the

village’s mana pool. It did regenerate every hour, but only
so much. When the villagers had found out about the
magical beasts of burden, they all decided they had to have

one. Needless to say, demand was high. Ship construction

was a priority for Richter, though. There were no internet or
telecoms in The Land. The only way for his village to be
connected to the rest of world was to physically travel to
neighboring towns and settlements. He had arranged for

one of the ships that had brought the settlers to the Mist
Village to return to the boundaries of the Confusing Mist
spell in several weeks’ time. The cost of arranging that had
been several gold coins paid upfront. That amounted to

several hundred US dollars that were eating into his

potential profits!
 “How long until the ship will be ready,” Richter asked.

“She should be river ready in three months,” Shivona

said with certainty.

Richter widened his eyes, “That soon? I was expecting

it to take the better part of a year!”

“Ha,” she scoffed. “Maybe it would take that long for

ham-fisted humans…,” she looked up with a stricken look
when she remembered the lord of her new village was
human. Richter just gestured for her to keep going with an

amused expression on his face. She nodded gratefully and

continued, “As I was saying, high elves are the finest ship
builders in The Land. Each of us are proficient with a certain
type of magic as well. I have affinity for Water and Earth

magic, both at apprentice skill level. My aides have

affinities to Water and Air magic respectively.”

“So you cast spells to make the work go faster,” Richter

asked.

“That is part of it, but also, we just maintain a low level

of ambient mana when we are working.” Seeing that

Richter wasn’t following, she explained further, “You can

cast different types of spells, correct? I am sure you have

noticed that right before casting spells of different types of

magic, there is a recognizable feeling. For myself, casting
Water spells feels different than casting Earth spells.”

Richter nodded, his Earth magic spells made him feel

‘solid’ for lack of a better description. Water magic gave
him a cool “fluid” feeling, and his Ice Dagger spell made his
hands feel cold right before casting, though that may have

been specific to that spell.

“Well my Lord, we focus on that feeling while we work,

not actually using mana, just accessing it. We have found

that the ships will ultimately be stronger and faster by

infusing mana while we work. That’s one of the reasons
high elves are such excellent craftsmen. In addition to
having a high shipbuilding skill, we increase our skill level in

magic as well. Of course, this ship won’t be as strong as

enchanted ships and won’t have anywhere near the power
of kytachi vessels.”

“Just call me Richter,” he said absently. It wasn’t often

his Gift of Tongues ability didn’t automatically translate
every word. It seemed only to happen when the word

expressed a concept he wasn’t fully familiar with. Kytachi

seemed to translate as ‘caught souls.’

“I don’t understand,” Richter said. “Are you saying you

can make the ship stronger? Why don’t you?”

Seeing his confusion, Shivona explained further, “A

jewel can be infused with a spell and attached to the ship.

An example would be the Earth spell Durability. The spell
could be infused into a jewel and then attached to the ship.
The ship’s structure would be stronger. The size of the ship

usually means that several jewels need to be strategically

placed in key positions, though. Otherwise, you have one
part of the ship much stronger than the others. It might not
seem important, but the boards of a ship need to swell and

shrink together. If one area is much stronger than the

others, it creates a stress point that might snap the ship in
two. I’m sure you can see that using several jewels for one
effect, while beneficial to the ship, would be very costly.”

Richter nodded his understanding. He wasn’t

completely disregarding the possibility, though. He still had
many jewels in his inventory, and it might be worth using a
few to enchant the ship. “What about a kytachi?”

“A kytachi vessel is something else entirely, my L-,

Richter. It requires that a soul stone that has been invested
with a spirit to be irreversibly bonded to a ship. The
stronger the spirit, the stronger the vessel. It is not an
exact process, though,” she cautioned. “Over time, the

vessel takes on the characteristics of the spirit. I’ll give you

an example. There is a monster called a water dancer that
skips over the tops of rivers and lakes on long thin legs. It
spreads its weight out so each point of contact only dimples

the water, but never actually penetrates the surface.

Dancers are detestable creatures, and will use a paralytic
poison to stun you. While you’re immobilized, they insert a
thin proboscis into your body and drink your blood.” She

shuddered for a second before continuing. “As horrible a

creature as it is however, if its spirit was caught in a soul
stone and then bonded to a ship, that ship would skip over
the waves and move faster through the water than almost

any others.”
 “So if I got you a soul stone filled with the right type of
sould, you could bond it to the ship,” Richter asked.

“Well that takes a shipmaster who is also at least a

Journeyman in the subskill kyatchi bonding,” she said
regretfully. Richter’s hopes fell.

“Lucky for you, I am just that amazing,” Shivona said

with a smug look on her face.

Richter smiled back at the saucy elf, “Really? Oh, I

could kiss you!”

“Settle down, Richter, it’s not that kind of party!” She

was still smiling, though.

“How do I get a soul stone,” he asked.

“Now that is outside of my realm of expertise,” she

said, “but some of the other mages here should have some
ideas.”

“Fair enough,” he said delighted. “Then I will let you

get back to work. Futen, send over a Mist Worker daily from

here on out. Instruct it to follow the instructions of Shivona

and her apprentices.”
 “Yes, my Lord,” the remnant said.

Richter started walking back towards the village. He

needed to talk to Randolphus. As he was entering the walls,
he was greeted by his Companion Terrod. “Hello my friend,”
Ricther said clasping wrists with the former innkeeper.

Terrod had large bags under his eyes and a harried

look. Barely two weeks ago, the man had carried the dead
body of his best friend in a desperate escape from Law, the
capital city of Yves. That loss, coupled with trying to be

pillar of support for his psychologically damaged love,

Isabel, was clearly wearing the man down. Richter felt a bit
of guilt over having left his Companion in charge for the last
week. Terrod needed more time to recover. He would speak

to the carpenters about building a small private cottage for

Isabel and his friend as soon as there was time.

“Hello back,” Terrod said with a tired smile. “Did you

accomplish everything you needed to on your trip?”

“I did. I’m not sure if you know, but the leader of the

wood sprites has come back to perform a ceremony for us.”

 “I had heard a contingent of sprites had come back
with you, but I wasn’t sure why.”

“Well, either way, it is good to see you. Is there

anything I should know about that happened over the past
week,” Richter asked.

“Some predator animals were seen by hunters, but

none came close to the village. As you can see, all the
villagers are settling in well. Randolphus has been amazing

in forseeing problems before they arise.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It brings up the other topic I

wanted to talk with you about,” Richter said. He looked the

man in the eye, and spoke softly but firmly, “I think you
should have some private time with Isabel. You don’t need
to do anything else for a while. Just let me know when
you’re ready.”

“That isn’t necessary,” Terrod protested. “I can pull my

weight!”

Richter continued to look at him with a serious

expression, “I know you can Terrod. Look around you. None
of the people you see would be here if it wasn’t for your
efforts. You are the one that included me in the raid with
the Night Daggers. You are the one that organized for me to

speak with the five elders. And you are the one who
introduced me to Mama.” Richter paused before continuing,
“You have already done more than I could ever ask. Now I
need you to focus on just one thing. Be there for Isabel.
Help her heal and heal yourself as well. I have a feeling

there will be many trials in the days to come. I will need

you at your best.”

Terrod looked at Richter a few more seconds, and then

reached out and squeezed his friend’s shoulder. “Thank
you. I will take a few days to be with Isabel, and will be
ready when you need me.”

Richter smiled, “Good! Now walk with me for a

moment, until I find Randy.”

Terrod smiled back, “You know he hates being called

that.” Randy, or Randolphus as was his proper name, was a
wonderful aide but was also a bit stuffy.

“Why do you think I do it,” Richter asked with a laugh.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 4

The two Companions walked slowly through the village

talking about this and that. Richter sent Futen ahead to look

for Randolphus, and then report back. As he was talking with

Terrod, he realized that he had not taken a look at his latest

Companion status page. Letting his vision relax, Richter’s

interface came up. He focused on the small icon of Terrod’s

face that was floating next to Sion’s.

Name: Terrod
Age: 46
Level: 7, 41% to next level
Health: 190 Mana: 120 Stamina: 140
Strength: 16
Agility: 12
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 19
Endurance: 14
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 19
Luck: 14
Abilities:
Comradery
 Skills:
Swordsmanship Lvl 2; 67% to next level, 87%
affinity
Shields Lvl 4; 82% to next level, 98% affinity
Cooking Lvl 8; 13% to next level, 96% affinity
Horsemanship Lvl 9; 32% 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
Marks:
None
Resistances:
None
Race: Human
Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”
Alignment: 0
Language: Common Tongue

Richter looked at his Companion. “Have you noticed that

since we have become Companions you can see my status

page?” Terrod nodded. “Well, I just looked at yours for the
first time. You have a strange mix of skills.”

Terrod gave a small chuckle, “Yes, I know. I didn’t serve in

the army if that’s what you were thinking. At least not in a

traditional way. I come from a very minor noble line several
times removed from power. My mother convinced a cousin to
take me on as a page when I was a child. He was a knight in
Yves’s army. I followed his patrol for two years. That’s why I

have some martial skills. One of the main responsibilities of a

page is caring for his knight’s armor. If you have seen my
status, then you’ve also seen that I was piss poor at that.

What I was good at however, was making dinner each night

and caring for the horses. I seemed to have a real connection

with the animals. I also have good affinity for sword and
shield, but riding was my true passion. That is what saved my
life. My skill in Horsemanship was noticed, and I was promoted

from page to mounted messenger. While I was away from the

rest of my squad, delivering dispatches, they were attacked by

a tribe of gnolls from the Whisper Woods. They were wiped

out to the last man.”

Terrod stopped talking for a second. “I was the one who

found them. The gnolls had taken their scalps as trophies, and

the battle hounds they train had savaged the rest of the
remains. I could even tell which of the bodies was my cousin.

That was it for me. I had already been debating whether or

not I should leave. I never could get used to being ordered
around. When I saw their bodies though… I still remember
the way they looked, and I still remember the smell of the
blood and entrails…”

Terrod shook himself slightly as if to be rid of the bad

memories. “Well, that’s why I have the strange collection of

skills. I came back to Law and took on odd jobs til I landed at

the Laughing Imp. Ten years later, I owned the inn. My

Comradery Ability made things easier. It makes it more likely

for people to enjoy my company, and want to work with me.

As abilities go, it certainly helped me in life. And on more than

a few dates, if you catch my meaning,” he laughed.

Richter laughed as well. He was glad that the shadow

that had been cast over his friend’s mood with the telling of his
story was gone again. He hadn’t expected to be digging up

such painful memories with his question. Despite the

discomfort, it seemed to have caused, Richter was pleased

that his Companion felt comfortable enough to share those

personal details. He tried to further lighten the mood.

“So you’re saying that if it wasn’t for your Ability, then

you would be completely annoying and not just the pain in the
neck that you are now,” Richter asked.

Terrod chuckled, “Shut up.”

 “You got it,” Richter said. The remnant was gliding back
towards them. “Futen, where is Randy?”

“He is in the catacombs, my Lord. The chamberlain

appropriated one of the side rooms as an office.”

“Lead the way.”

The remnant led them to the inclined entrance leading to

the chamber of the Great Seal. Terrod split off saying he was
going to find Isabel. Richter entered the tunnel and came out

into the large chamber that housed the mosaic. The four

spirals constituting the four Powers of the nexus of ley lines

the village was built upon were much the same as he

remembered. Each spiral represented on of the four Powers he

could master. So far only one spiral showed signs of life. The

clear crystal indicating Air Magic glowed with an inner light

and depicted a cyclone in two dimensions. The other spirals

for Dark Magic, Life magic and Water Magic remained only cold

tile.

There was one other change that made Richter smile.

Someone had hung one of the larger paintings and the rug

that Richter had stolen from Count Stonuck. They actually

made pretty nice wall hangings, he thought. None of the

smaller paintings were anywhere to be seen. Randolphus had

told him previously he would see them hung as soon as the

carpenters had time to make frames.

Futen continued across the Great Seal and into one of the

side rooms. Richter followed him, sparing only a bit of time to

look at the stairs leading downward through another arch set

into the wall. It led to the next level of the catacombs. Richter
had not gone there yet due to Futen’s warning that it was

populated with monsters. He would have to conquer the lower

levels at some point if he ever wanted his village to progress

to level two. It was one of the requirements Futen had told

him about. He wasn’t sure what it meant to move on to level

two exactly, but Richter was sure that he wanted it to happen!

Richter also peeked into his room before following Futen,

but Hisako was apparently occupied elsewhere. He continued

on to speak with his chamberlain. Randy was sitting at a

rough-hewn table bent over a stack of papers scribbling.

Richter had not bought much paper and ink from Hafiz, he
would have to remember to negotiate for more. “Hey Randy,”

he said in a loud, boisterous voice.

 The man gave a clear sigh before looking up, “Welcome
back, my Lord. I trust your trip went well.” He really didn’t

like that name, Ricther thought with a silent chuckle.

Randolphus, as was his full name, had been the chamberlin for
the late king of Yves. The rules of proper decorum were

heavily entrenched within him. So even though the shortening

of Randolphus’s name clearly frustrated him, the man was too

enamored of the proper rules of conduct to correct his liege.

That kind of circular logic trap was exactly why Richter just

spoke his mind. Being PC all the time took way too much

effort and needless complicated things.

“It did, thank you for asking. I’m guessing there are some

things that require my attention?” Richter looked pointedly at

the stack of papers on the desk.

“Yes sir, there are.” Randolphus reached under the table

and pulled out a previously hidden, and much larger stack of

papers. He set them on the table top and picked up the first

page, “Item one…”

Richter gave a sigh of his own as he sat at the table. Was

that a smirk on Randy’s face?!?

 Richter wasn’t able to escape Randy’s grasp for hours.

Food was brought, but they kept grinding away. They covered

topics ranging from resource management, defenses, the need

to allocate people to key positions like trade master and

captain of the guard, requests of the new villagers and items

that needed to be bought during the next trip to Leaf’s

Crossing. Unsurprisingly, the man had already included paper

and ink in that list. As painful as the hours of book keeping

were, there was no denying that Randolphus was thorough and

indispensable.

Richter stood and stretched. There were more items to be

discussed according to his chamberlain, but he just couldn’t sit

still any longer. When Randy had pulled a list of all the new

villagers and wanted to go through each person’s

qualifications and skills, he thought, enough! It was probably a

few more hours until full night. Richter had more to

accomplish before the planting ceremony. He was leaving the

room when a thought occurred. He walked back to Randolphus

and reached into his Bag of Holding. He withdrew the stack of

papers he had taken from Count Stonuk’s private safe. The

count was involved in nonhuman slavery in the Kingdom of

Yves. He was also the reason that Terrod’s love, Isabel, had

suffered so much emotional trauma.

“Do you know Count Stonuk,” Richter asked.

A look of distaste crossed Randolphus’s face, “Yes I do.

One of the new king’s inner circle. A distasteful man that

would not have been tolerated at court in the days of his

father.”

“Well, I was able to… procure, these papers from his

private safe. They were well hidden so I’m assuming they are

important. I’ve only glanced at them, but there are references

that I don’t understand. It seems to be in code as well. Do

you think you could make sense of them?”

“I had many duties under the old King, my Lord. Part of

that was to monitor the correspondence of less desirable types

in court. Count Stonuk never struck me as overly bright. I

have an ability called Code Breaking. I am sure that I can

decipher these papers given time.”

“Code Breaking,” Richter asked incedulously. Just who

was Randolphus? All Mama had told him was that Randolphus
had been a chamberlain. Richter wasn’t 100% up on his Ye
Olde English terms, but he was pretty sure a chamberlain was
kind of like a supped up butler. Now he was finding out that

the man was 007! Analyze didn’t reveal much, however. Like

Terrod, his level was a bit higher than other humans, but it was
nothing to write home about. Richter didn’t know why he

hadn’t analyzed the man before.

Name: Randolphus. Human Level 9. Health 170. Mana 120.

Stamina 140. Disposition: Friendly. 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.

“Yes, my Lord,” Randolphus answered.

“Just ‘yes’?”

“Yes, my Lord,” he said with just a touch more force.

Richter was silent for a moment. Who would be born with

an ability in Code Breaking. How often could that come up? It

seemed very coincidental that the former King of Yves’

chamberlain had such a useful and appropriate ability. Then

again, Richter thought, maybe that was one of the reasons

that Randolphus had risen to power.

 “Well, no rush. I truly appreciate you help.” Every man

was entitled to his own secrets, Richter thought. It didn’t

seem like he was getting the whole story though, and so he

resolved to pay a little closer attention to his chamberlain in

the future.

“It is my pleasure to serve, my Lord.”

Richter left the room with Futen floating along behind him.

He stopped at the Great Seal. When he had searched his

inventory for the count’s paper, he had seen two other items

that required his attention. The first was also from the count’s
safe. It was a blue wand tipped with a white jewel. Richter

had no Lore to speak of yet, despite finding snippets of time to

read Leandra’s book, and had no identification spells. When

he looked at it, the prompt simply said, “Magic wand.” Luckily,

Futen had an ability to identify items.

He held the wand up, “Futen if you would be so kind.”

A white light flared from the center of the glowing

remnant.

You have found: Wand of Magic Illumination. Durability

30/30. Item class: Common. Quality: Above Average. Weight
0.3 kg. Sends out a beam of blue light that illuminates the
darkness. Magic seen in this light will glow white. Twelve
hours of illumination per day.

Well, that could be useful, Richter thought. He resolved to

play with this latest toy as soon as possible.

The second item he had retrieved from a thief. To be

more specific, he had stolen it from a den of thieves right

before burning their house down. Richter wasn’t one to dwell

on details, though. He held the book out and Futen pulsed

again. The light in the remnant built for several seconds

before subsiding this time. That’s strange, Richter thought, it

had never taken more than a split second for the remnant to
identify an object before.

“You have found an item of exceptional power, my Lord.”

You have found: Tome of Soul’s Familiar. Durability 500/500.

Item Class: Epic. Quality: Masterwork. Weight 0.5 kg. Let’s
you cast: Summon Soul Familiar. Tome destroyed upon
casting. Requirements: Master of a school of magic.
Intelligence 20. Cost: 1200 mana. Do you wish to use the
Tome? Yes or No?

Twelve hundred mana?! That was more expensive than

any other spell Richter had even seen! The most costly spell
he had cast was Confusing Mist, and that was an enchantment

that protected the entire village! It had only cost eight

hundred! Why was this spell so expensive? Despite the

prohibitive cost, that was probably the reason that he was

holding the Tome at all, he realized. The thieves probably

didn’t know what to do with it. Also, Masters of magic didn’t

exactly grow on trees. The book was almost priceless, so

finding a buyer would have been difficult, but for the same

reason they certainly couldn’t just give it away. So it had sat

collecting dust until Richter had come along and ‘freed’ it.

None of that mattered, though because Richter came to a

profound realization. He wanted a familiar!

In games and old stories, familiars always lent their

masters awesome powers! He could get a mouse that gave a

bonus to lock picking checks or a falcon that would let him see

through its eyes. Maybe a cat that he could have pithy banter
with. No matter what, it would be awesome. Most gamers

would sell a kidney to get an item like what he had here!

There were, he realized practical things to consider,

though. The village generated a thousand mana per day. That

clearly wasn’t enough.

 “Futen, can I combine my mana with the village mana to
cast this spell?”

“Yes, my Lord. At the time of casting, simply focus upon

how you wish to allocate the mana expenditure. The spell will
use it accordingly.”

Okay, one problem solved. So if he combined the village

and his personal capacity, it would give him the grand total of
thirteen hundred to use. That didn’t take into account the

mana upkeep for Confusing Mist, though. The spell required a

hefty four hundred mana smackeroos each day or the mists

would fade away.

“Futen, what time is the upkeep for Confusing Mist paid?”

“At midnight, my Lord.”

“What happens if the village doesn’t have enough mana

to pay the upkeep,” Richter asked.

“The spell would dissipate at midnight, my Lord. It would

have to be cast again at the full cost of 800 mana.”

Hmmm, Richter thought. He needed 1200 mana to cast

the spell. The village reserves were full now so he had access
to the 1000 maximum. If he used his personal mana and took
the rest from reserves, it would leave 100. The village
recharge rate was determined by the total mana the village

could have divided by hours in the day. Put another way

1000/24 gave 41.67 mana regen per hour. So he just needed

to know…

“Futen, how many hours until the upkeep is due?”

“Four hours and thirty-seven minutes, my Lord.”

Richter stared at the remnant in surprise for a moment,

not having expected such a specific answer. It was useful

information, though. It meant that if he cast the spell now,

the village would only regenerate 192 mana by the time the

upkeep was due. It would leave him more than a hundred

mana short of the upkeep!

He stood in silence for a while. He understood the

importance of the defenses around the village. The Confusing

Mist enchantment was definitely important. On the other

hand, the hunters had not seen anything dangerous coming

too near the village. They also had the trench and the sprite
warriors if something randomly made its way close. He did a

few more quick calculations.

 The cost to recast the enchantment was 800 mana. His
own mana would refill at about 12 points a minute so his 300

would be full well before the village’s had replenished.

Counting his own 300, only 500 more mana would be needed.

That would take… just 12 hours. He made his decision, the

risk was negligible. It was time to get a familiar! He chose

‘Yes’ on the prompt hovering in his vision.

Suddenly, there was a complete absence of sound.

Richter blinked, then snapped his fingers, but still heard
nothing. The Great Seal changed. The spiral of black became

a hole devoid of all light. The edges of the hole distorted

space, causing the floor to ripple and bend. The spiral of gold

tile was replaced by an arched doorway standing ten feet tall.

A gentle radiance spilled into the room and a shining gold tree

could be seen through the portal, waving in an otherworldly

wind. The blue spiral was replaced by a swirling pool of water.
The spiral of Air became an actual ten foot tall swirling

maelstrom, lightning crackling across it. Each transformation

was independent and silent. In the center of it all stood

Richter. He was amazed at the power around him. He could

not have left the Great Seal if he wanted to. The boundary of
each transformation touched the next, leaving free only the

grey diamond in the center of Great Seal.

The silence was sundered by a horrific tearing sound. A

small black rent appeared in the space above Richter’s head.
It started small, no larger than his forearm, but quickly

widened to the height of a man. The sound intensified

proportionally to the size of the tear. It kept growing until it

reached all the way to the top of the vaulted chamber and
stretched from one wall to the other, bisecting the room. On

one side was Richter and the transformed Great Seal. On the
other side was a white sky. Black clouds were lit with orange
bolts of lightning. Beneath that alien sky, was canyon formed

of midnight blue rock. The surface of the rocks was

multifaceted like the inside of a geode, and each streak of

lightning lit the canyon with reflection. At the end of the

crevasse were massive trees festooned with thick vines. As

Richter watched, a monstrous reptilian head poked through a

break in the grove. It looked about with copper colored eyes,
scanning for the source of the noise that had drawn its

attention. Two large slits were at the end of the snout and as
Richter watched, a forked tongue sampled the air.
 Instinct took over, and Richter froze in place hoping that

the wormhole, or whatever he was standing in front of, acted

like a one-way mirror. He did not want this THING to see him!

That hoped faded as the bus-sized head oriented on him and

the jaw dropped open. The monster stared at him with a
sadistic leer. The steel colored fangs were each the size of

short swords and it rolled its beet colored tongue around in its
horrific mouth. With a graceful step that shouldn’t have been

possible in such a monstrosity, it moved more of its large body

into the rocky dell. A clawed hand attached to an arm the size

of an ancient oak shook the ground with an impact tremor. It

brought its other arm forward, and continued making its way
towards him. The head moved closer and closer. Richter

looked around, but there was no escape! The four Powers still
hemmed him. He drew his high steel sword, but knew it would

be like attacking a bull with a toothpick! Either way, he would

go down fighting! He just REALLY did NOT want to be eaten

again!

The monster’s mouth was only a dozen yards away from

the tear in space now. Richter could see rotting flesh in

between its fangs, and the nauseating smell of decomposing

flesh washed over him with its exhale. Richter held his sword
up, preparing for his pointless last stand, but all of a sudden

there was a resounding boom! The portal slammed shut, and

a wave of force emanated from the rapidly closed rift. It blew

Richter down off of his feet. He struck his head on the ground
and was momentarily dazed. When he picked his head up a
few moments later, the Great Seal had returned to its previous

appearance. Silence once again reigned in the chamber, but it

was a natural silence, filled with tiny, almost imperceptible

sounds.

Richter’s heart was pounding wildly in his chest. As the

monster had approached the portal, he had been playing out

various scenarios. In the rosiest one, the dragon thing had

swallowed him whole and killed him in the process. The next
scenario was decided less pleasant, and it taking a big enough

bite that arms or legs were left behind. He would still be alive
when he was eaten, but blood loss should make his death

relatively quick. The worst case is he was swallowed whole

and screamed all the way down the beasts gullet just before

he was digested for one thousand years in the equivalent of

the pit of Sarlaac… None of those options were very
attractive, but the last would most definitely not be on fleep,
or whatever that stupid phrase the kids were saying these

days!

His mood wasn’t great, to say the least. He had used a

massive amount of mana and almost been eaten for his

trouble. And there was still no familiar! His temper was not
helped by the bachelor party sized headache that was

triggered by the depletion of his mana. If he wasn’t already on

the floor, he would have fallen. His head felt like it was full of
cotton. This was probably a good thing since it also felt like

someone was hammering on the outside of his skull!

“Futen!”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“What the hell?”

“My Lord, are you all right,” a voice shouted. Randolphus

was standing just inside of the doorway of the room he had

been working in.

“I’m fine Randy. The danger has passed. I’m sorry, I

should have warned you I was going to cast a spell. Please go

back to work.” The man stared at Richter for a few seconds
before turning around. He was shaking his head as he walked
back to his desk.

Richter returned his attention to the source of his ire,

“Well Futen? I’m waiting!”

“I do not believe that was a lower plane of existence.”

“What,” Richter asked exasperated and confused.

“You asked what type of hell that was. It was not a hell. It
was simply an alternate dimension.”

Richter ground his teeth. The lack of idioms in this new

world was going to kill him! This stupid conversation was not
helping the headache that had barely started to subside.

Through gritted teeth he said, “I wasn’t asking if that was a

hell or an underworld. I was asking you why I was almost
eaten by a dinosaur on steroids when I was trying to summon

a familiar. Was that thing it?”

“Ah, thank you for clarifying, my Lord. As you know, my

memory is still fragmented, but I have no recollection of a

familiar trying to eat its master. Except for perhaps a demon

familiar. As we have already established, however, that portal

did not go to a netherworld.”

 Futen’s inane babble was driving him crazy, “So what was
that thing?!” Richter felt like he was shouting. Was he

shouting? He couldn’t be sure. His ears were still ringing from

clunking his noggin.

“I believe that ‘thing’ was a monster intent on eating you,

my Lord.”

Richter just started his silent mantra, ‘Don’t kill him, Don’t
shoot him, Don’t see if you can light him on fire. Don’t kill him,
Don’t shoot him, Don’t see if you can light him on fire.” By his

fifth iteration, he was calm again and opened his eyes. In a

tranquil voice, he said, “Futen.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Then where is my familiar.”

“Behind you, my Lord.”

“What,” Richter asked as he twisted in the sitting position

he still occupied. He turned almost all the way around and
locked eyes with the small creature on the ground behind him.

His world changed forever.

Know this! You have summoned your soul’s familiar. Every

living being is born incomplete. Connecting with others is the
only way to move beyond this limitation. You have cast the
spell: Summon Soul Familiar. The spell has reached across all
timelines, dimensions, realities and fractal causalities to find
another piece of your fragmented soul. You and your familiar
are bound until this Universe ends and all souls are once again
returned to the True Essence.

Know this! Unlike the paltry connection of most mages and

familiars, the Soul Bond between you and your soul familiar
has unlimited benefits. You will have to discover these over
time, but the first is perhaps the most powerful. Abilities are
bound to the soul. As such you will have access to some of
your familiar’s abilities. Increasing your familiar’s strength and
level will unlock further abilities for you to access.

Congratulations! You have been granted the Ability: Psi Bond.

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.

Congratulations! You have bonded your soul familiar. You’re

familiar is a Psi Dragonling.

Know this! You have summoned your soul familiar at the

center of your Place of Power. As you level your Place of
Power, your familiar will evolve. As Master of a Place of Power,
your familiar has the ability to cast spells in any Power you
unlock, and the associated resistances. You’re familiar has
access to: Air magic.

The psi dragonling was about a foot and a half long. Its

tail was another foot long and was a deep black. The body
was long and sleek. The diamond-shaped scales on its
appendages and back were slate grey, like the color of a storm

in late afternoon. No light reflected off of its hide. The lack of

shine didn’t make it look boring or dingy, however. It looked

beautiful. Two wings were folded against its sides. They were
the same color as the body. It sat up with its two back

haunches folded and its two front legs extended. The

dragonling stared up into Richter’s eyes. He didn’t know what
to do with this new creature which was bound to him, for

eternity it sounded like. He was about to reach out to touch it

when he heard a small voice.

*Hungry!*

Richter was confused for a moment. The voice was

different than anything it had ever heard. It was slightly high

pitched and definitely insistent. It didn’t seem to come from
any direction, however. Had the familiar spoken?

“Say that again,” he said.

*Meat!*

Richter pulled his head back slightly. He narrowed his

eyes and shook his head lightly. He focused on the small
dragon and thought at it, *Did you just say you were hungry?*

*MEAT!*

The dragonling blew a small but strong burst of air into

Richter’s face. It felt like being whacked in the forehead with a

chicken leg. His head jolted back slightly, and he looked at his
new life long companion with an amused grin. Well, Richter
thought, I guess I don’t like stupid questions either.

“Come on little guy. Let’s get some food.”

Another gust of air struck Richter in the eye.

“Gah! What was that for?”

The dragonling just stared at him and extended its neck

to full extension, head cocked slightly to the side.
 “Girl,” Richter asked with a questioning note in his voice.
The dragonling relaxed and purred slightly. “Okay girl, let’s go

get some food.”

He stood up and then turned to face his familiar. He was

about to reach down and pick her up when dragonling hunched

her body and with a powerful jump, launched into the air. One
flap of her wings allowed her to gain altitude. Soon the

familiar was gliding lazily above Richter’s head. Fair enough,

Richter thought.

He started walking to the exit. Before he got to the

tunnel, a slight weight settled onto him. The dragonling had

landed on his shoulders, draped across him like a mink stole.

She wrapped her tail around his arm to secure her position.

Her weight was in no way troublesome. He had expected a

reptile to be cool or slimy, but she radiated a gentle heat.

Shaking his head in disbelief of how his life had changed in the

last few minutes, he continued into the tunnel.

Soooo, my soul familiar is a demanding female who

rejects offered affection but later clings to me in a way that

everyone can see… There is probably a lesson in all of this…,

Richter thought. Then the dragonling jumped off of him and
dug her claws into one of the wall draperies, and all he said,
“Oh shit, my rug!”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 5

Richter walked outside and looked out over his village.

His people moved about with purpose and with smiles on

their faces. He was witnessing the beginning of something

special, he realized. Building this village was a cause worth

devoting his new life to.

Apparently none of the events in the chamber of the

Great Seal had registered on the people outside. He looked

farther out over the surrounding land to see the translucent

mists. When they disappeared later, it might cause a bit of

an uproar. He decided to make an announcement before

people panicked. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he

shouted.

“Everyone! Everyone! Please give me your attention.”

His familiar shuffled a bit on his shoulders at his shout.

 A few people heard him, who then nudged others to

give their attention. After a minute, everyone within sight

had stopped what they were doing and were looking up at

him. “Again, I am so happy to see all of you again! We are

already transforming this place. It is no longer the blank

slate that we saw when we got off the ships! It has become

fields for food, hearths for warmth, and roofs for shelter. It

is becoming a home!” There were cheers from all around.

“I want to spend more time with each and every one of

you, but first I wanted to tell you a few things. One, the
mists ringing the town will dissipate through the night. They

will be back tomorrow morning, but for now, no one should

go out past the moat ringing the town. For that reason, we

will be withdrawing the logs that serve as our bridge across

the moat. We will also be shutting the gate until the

protective enchantment is back in place.”

Richter made eye contact with one of the men who was
serving as a guard in the village, “Gather all of the other

guards, and make sure no one is beyond the walls. I see

that everyone working the fields looks to have come back in

for the night, but I want to know without a doubt. Please do

that now. I want the gates closed in twenty minutes.” The

man gave a salute and ran off.

Turning his head to address the crowd again Richter

said, “The next announcement concerns what many of you

seem to be pointing at. This is my new familiar. She is a psi

dragonling. She won’t hurt anyone, but you will be seeing

her around so please don’t be alarmed.”

He thought at her quickly, *You won’t hurt anyone,

right?* She just gave an uninterested sniff. Taking that as

affirmation, Richter continued.

“Lastly, I’m sure you have all seen our friends the Wood
Sprites throughout the village. Some of you may have been

here earlier, but I’ll repeat for those of you who were not.

Tonight we will be planting a Seed Core. It will grow a

magical tree that will greatly benefit us. The Hearth Mother

has done us the great favor of placing a blessing upon the

Seed that will let it grow much quicker than otherwise

possible. We are truly lucky to have such good friends!”

Richter looked up at the darkening sky. The color was not

just due to the setting sun, but also because it was heavy
with storm clouds. Richter gave a laugh, “All are welcome to

attend the ceremony if you’re willing to brave a little rain.”

The people laughed good-naturedly along with him. A

sympathy laugh, Richter thought, but I’ll take it. Richter

raised his hand to signal that he was done speaking. The

people dispersed and he walked down the slope that led

from the tunnel to the village below. One of the sprites met

him at the bottom. The green clad warrior stared at

Richter’s familiar before speaking.

“The Hearth Mother is at the lake in the hills north of

the village. She asks that you join her. She says that there

is no rush, but to please come before sunset.”

“Please tell her I’ll be there soon.” He would have gone

straight there, but a stream of air into his ear reminded him

of his responsibilities.

He turned his head to look at the dragonling, “Don’t go

getting fresh.” His familiar didn’t deign to reply. A quick

question to a passing villager pointed him in the direction of

the makeshift store houses for their food. He walked up to

the small series of sheds. He was about to open the first

door when his familiar jumped off his shoulders with a

shriek. She glided through the air and landed on a deer that

a hunter was dressing with a broad-bladed knife. The man

stumbled back with a startled cry and raised his dagger.

The dragonling hissed at the man, then turned back to the

deer. She stuck her face into the bloody haunch, and then

began tearing off bloody chunks and swallowing them

whole.

Richter took in the scene and recognized it for what it

truly was, a calamity in the making. There would be no

bloodshed right now because he was here to intervene. In

the future, however, that was not necessarily a sure thing.

He needed to deal with this now. Better to establish

boundaries early. He walked up to the dragonling, and said,

“Stop.”

His familiar ignored him. He repeated himself only

louder but had the same result. Having had enough, he

reached out and yanked the deer to the ground. *STOP!*

The dragonling grabbed hold of the wooden frame that

the deer had been hanging from. She twisted her sinuous
neck to stare at Richter. She let loose a harsh hiss and

bared her fangs at him.

Richter didn’t move. He just looked into his familiar’s

eyes and waited for whatever would happen. He knew two

things. One, in every pack there was an alpha. Two, that

alpha was him. They stared at each other for long minutes,

the dragonling’s back arched as she hissed at him

intermittently. After a time, she stopped baring her teeth,

though her wings remained flared.

*Mine,* she thought at him defiantly projecting an

image of the deer carcass

He had a feeling that a well-reasoned argument would

not convince his familiar. Instead, he thought of the image

of her sitting on his shoulders, and communicated the

thought, *Family*. Then he thought of looking at all of the

people who had listened to his announcement. He

projected *family* again, but with less intensity. Then he

thought of the hunter and repeated *family* at the same

level. Finally, he projected the image of the deer carcass

back to her, *Ours.*

 The dragonling kept her eyes lidded, but relaxed her

stance and loosened her neck from full extension. She

turned to look at the hunter who was still standing nearby,

looking confused at Richter and the psi dragonling. Not

surprising seeing as how the man could not hear the silent

communication between the two of them. She looked back

at Richter and thought, *Hungry!* The thought had much

less animosity in it, though.

Richter relaxed his stare as well and put a smile onto

his face. He extended his arm and projected, *Trust me.*

She gathered herself and gave a small jump. She left the

wooden post and clambered up onto his shoulders. He

addressed the hunter.

“I’m sorry about that. I know it must have been

startling to have her jump out at you like that. She is going
to live here, though. Apparently she prefers fresh meat, a

fact I learned at exactly the same time as you. I have told

her it was wrong that she almost attacked you.”

“You told her, my Lord?” The hunter still hadn’t

completely calmed his stance, not that Richter could blame

him.

“Yes,” Richter said. “We are able to communicate

without words. Mind to mind. The point is, she is my

familiar, and she is here to stay. I doubt this is the last time
that she will greet you or the other hunters looking for a

morsel. If she comes around, I would appreciate it if you

would cut off a large piece of meat and set it aside for her.”

The man looked at the other hunters who indicated

with small gestures and head shakes that they would not be
the ones to feed Richter’s vicious little friend. After a long

sigh, the man walked forward towards the deer, but his gaze
never left the dragonling. Even when he started cutting the

meat, he kept looking back and forth. This was why he

almost cut one of his fingers off. He was able to avoid

disaster though, and he quickly removed a two-pound piece

of meat. That was as far as he was willing to go. It was

clear to Richter that he had no intention of getting any

closer.

“Place it on the rock please,” Richter said, indicating a

low to the ground piece of stone. The man complied and
then walked several yards away. Richter turned his head to
look at the dragonling. He sent several more thoughts. One

was of his mother feeding him, *Family*. Then a second of

Richter and the dragonling in the Great Seal chamber,

*Family*. Last, an image of what was happening right now,

Richter, the hunters and her, *family*. After that he said,

“Go eat love.”

She flew from his shoulders and settled onto the meat.

In no time at all, she was attacking it again and eating with

abandon. Richter looked at the hunters. “I have to go. I

have no idea how much she will need to eat. It would

probably be a good idea, that if it looks like she is still
hungry, just to give her more meat.” The hunters nodded

vigorously. Richter didn’t really want to leave her so early,

but he needed to go see Hisako. Despite the small battle of

wills he had just won, he realized she was a wild creature.

He couldn’t watch over her all of the time hoping she didn’t

fly away. He decided to put faith in their soul bond.

*Come find me when you are done.* She didn’t give an

indication that she had heard. He decided not to push the

issue. He realized that he was lucky to have survived even

one instance of getting between a hungry woman and her

meal. He wasn’t stupid enough to try it a second time.

He started walking toward the lake in the hills above

the village. The sun had just fallen behind the trees. No

rain had fallen yet, but the first peals of thunder could be
heard in the distance. Walking through the village, he

couldn’t help but feel pleased at the gentle industry taking

place around him. All of these people, human and

nonhuman, were working together to create a meaningful

home. He felt lucky to be a part of it.

It didn’t take long to reach the foot of hill. The hilltop

was several dozen yards in elevation above the village. It

was an easy climb if approached by the slope that was

about ten yards across, the base of the slope being within
the walls of the village. There was no other way to easily

ascend. To the left of the slope was a steep escarpment

that quickly became a sheer cliff. The lake above drained

down the cliff forming a small waterfall. The waterfall in

turn made a small river that joined another minor river that

came from the base of the cliff. The resulting larger river
flowed west into the forest.
 Hisako, Yoshi, and the other sprites were waiting at the

top of the hill, speaking softly. Mostly talking softly, Richter

corrected himself. It brought a faint smile to his face to see

Sion’s beleaguered expression as Daniella continued to

express her latest opinion of his Companion’s faults. Richter

looked past the sprites out over the meadow he now stood
in. It was the first time he had ever come up here, he

realized. It was a beautiful sight.

The grassy field was more than a mile long, probably

closer to between two or three. The southern boundary of

the meadow curved outward slightly, the edge defined by
the sharp drop off of the cliff. Along the edge, several rows

of tall trees grew. They acted like a screen, blocking

visualization of much of what was past the drop off. The

northern and eastern borders were sharp cliffs of white

stone. Grey lines traced through the rock and it sparkled

slightly. Randolphus had told him the stone was called

marbled quartz. It was the same stone that the Mist

Workers had been collecting from the nearby quarry. It was

apparently extremely strong. That coupled with its

attractive appearance, made the quartz a highly sought

after building material, at least according to his new
chamberlain. The western edge of the meadow was a stand

of tall trees that perched above another drop-off. The only

easy entrance was the slope Richter had just walked up.

The western end of the hilltop was dominated by a

lake. It was easily a quarter of a mile across. A waterfall

came from the northern cliff face falling into the lake. A

phosphorescent green algae hugged the lake bed, making it

glow slightly in the fading light. The undulation of the

glowing plants gave the appearance of slow movement

beneath the surface of the water. The southern edge of the

lake drained down the escarpment creating the second

waterfall that fell to the level of the village. The entire rest

of the meadow was a riot of color. Countless flowers and

vibrant plants dotted the grassy surface, and even in the

fading light it was beautiful.

“Thank you for coming, Richter,” Hisako said. “This is

an amazing place. Some of the herbs and plants that are

numerous in this meadow are actually quite rare.”

“Sion had mentioned that,” Richter replied.

 “I asked you up here because this is the perfect spot
for planting the Seed Core. The land is obviously fertile, and

the tree would be protected by the landscape. We will do

the ceremony in the northeast corner if you have no

objections.”

“I don’t, and thank you again Hisako. This means a

great deal to me. When should we start?”

“The storm is almost here and night has almost fallen.

In a few hours the conditions should be perfect.”

“Which is just enough time of us to get some training

in,” Yoshi said with a sly grin. He held up a length of wood

and waggled it slightly.

Richter’s face did not have a grin on it.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 6

Richter went through his forms for the next two hours.
At some point, the rain broke, but that did not slow Yoshi

down. He kept drilling with Richter, correcting each

improper stance with a whack of his stick. The villagers

came up to watch the show. They began to shout out,

“Keep your head up!”, “Don’t let your sword drop!”, “Oooh,

that one look like it hurt!”

Richter didn’t mind the good natured ribbing. These

people had been working hard, and it wasn’t the worst thing

in the world for them to see him sweating and enduring

hardship as well. During the training, Yoshi introduced a

third form, Dancing Fireflies, and a fourth, Rain on Hot

Stone. He was starting on a fifth, when Hisako called a stop.

“People of the Mist Village! Please douse your torches.

The ceremony will proceed best in darkness. Follow me.”
She started walking toward the northeast corner of the

meadow. The Seed Core was held high above her head.

The tracings of green veins cast a small but distinctive light,

so following her was easy despite the rain and darkness.

They walked until they were only a few hundred yards from
the northern cliff face. She turned and faced Richter and

the other villagers. The only light was from the green glow

of the Seed Core, the soft white light from Futen and the

phosphorescent lake in the distance.

“Richter please come stand beside me.” He moved to

comply, and she handed him the Seed Core. He looked at

her questioningly. He had assumed Hisako would do the

actual planting. She just shook her head with that gentle

smile she always had. “It needs to be you,” she said quietly.

“Simply focus on the Seed Core, and you will know what to

do.”

Richter turned his gaze from the Hearth Mother to the

object in his hands. Being so close to the Seed Core

brought its wondrous scent to his nose. This time, the smell

was of pine, clean wood burning, and food baking in the

oven. He was overtaken by a memory. He had been playing

football in the front yard with his older brother. His brother

had teased him about a bad throw, but did it with love and

warmth in his voice, so it was alright. They had been out

front for about an hour. Initially, they had been sent to the

yard to rake the leaves up. Football had been a master plan

to stay out of the way of their mother, and thereby avoid

being assigned any other chores.

That morning, his brother showed him again and again

how to throw a perfect spiral. Unfortunately, it was also

something he failed at again and again. But then, he finally

got it right! When they finally were called inside by their

father, cheeks tingling with the cold, James was still riding a

wave of elation. The warmth from inside the house

competed with the wonderful smells coming from the

kitchen to capture his attention. It had been a perfect day.

Richter came back to himself. Other nearby villagers

seemed to have been caught in their own remembrances,

and all had smiles on their faces. Not wasting any more

time, Richter raised the Seed Core above his head with both

hands. The rain fell down on him, and he had to blink the

water clear. “Thank you all for coming up here and braving
this weather. Those of you near me caught a taste of this

object’s power. You have felt its goodness. It is not just an

object of power, but also a symbol of what we are trying to

create here. We will care for this tree, and it will care for us.

That is how we will live.” The next words that he said

seemed to come from somewhere else. It was if something

was speaking through him.

“Through service, ascendance. Through dedication,

transcendance!”

You have created the motto of your village! These words

and the ideals they embody will find seed within the heart of
all who embrace the Mist Village as their true home. Loyalty
of all villagers increased by +100.

DING!

The Loyalty of your village has increased from Neutral to

Dependable. You have shown yourself to be a capable
leader and exemplify ideals they believe in. Your people
are not just a collection of individuals anymore, they have a
common goal. +25% to Productivity.
 Richter read the prompt twice. There was still so much

he didn’t know about this new world. Looking out over the

sea of faces in front of him, he saw only joy and

encouragement. The people stood a bit taller and waited

for him patiently. He focused on the Seed Core.

Do you wish to plant the Seed Core at this location? Yes or

No?

He was about to finish the quest, and then he realized

he was missing an opportunity. He quickly withdrew a

Potion of Clarity from his Bag, and drank it. Choosing ‘Yes’,
he stood, arms above his head with rain pouring down over

him. Then the Core began to vibrate. The vibrations grew,

and the Seed began turning in his hands. The rotation was

slow at first. As it picked up speed, the green veins on the

outside glowed brighter and brighter. The Core was moving

so fast that the friction burned Richter’s hands and he

dropped it. The Seed didn’t fall, though. It continued

spinning in midair. The green light was now bright enough

to clearly see everyone in the Meadow. All of a sudden, the

Core fell to the ground. Plummeted would have been a

better description. It shot down, but was spinning so fast

that only the barest ripple was felt in the feet of those

standing around the impact site. A clean hole could be seen

in the ground with the green light shining straight up onto

the clouds like a spotlight.

Richter, Hisako, Yoshi and Sion stood directly at the

impact site. Hisako thrust her hand into the light. Richter

started to reach out to stop her, but she stood there calmly

with no ill effects so he stopped himself. The beam of light

lasted for about thirty seconds, and then vanished, leaving a

column-shaped afterimage in everyone’s vision. All was

quiet and then a white light could be seen from the depths

of the hole. That was when the rumbling began. It built in

volume and was soon accompanied by vibrations in the

earth. Richter felt like he was standing on the back of some

huge awakening beast. It occurred to him that standing

right next to this particular hole might no longer be the best

idea. He picked his head up to share his sentiments with

the others, but couldn’t. Of course the only reason that he

couldn’t, was because everyone else had already backed

away. He quickly followed their example.

 Before he had moved twenty yards away, a silver

tendril shot up from the hole. That metallic fiber was only

the tip of the spear. The growth continued moving upwards

and was joined by others. They all ascended until they were

each one hundred feet in the air. Then they began to

interweave into a complex braid. When each tendril

finished weaving, only half the length of each had been

used. The remaining segments arched upward and then

bent outward. More branches sprouted from the original

eight columns. Each branch gave birth to another smaller

generation. Dozens at first, then hundreds, then even

more. In the rain and darkness of night, the amount grew

into an uncountable lattice of silver branches, weakly

reflecting Futen’s light and the occasional flash of lightning.

It occurred to Richter that standing in the middle of a

lightning storm by a tree that very well could be composed

of metal could perhaps be a bad idea. It also occurred to

him that he couldn’t be seen as the only person running

away from what was basically a miracle. He’d look like a

punk!
 Apparently oblivious to the potential danger, Hisako
cast a quick spell that sent a golden ball of light into the air

above their heads. The shine was strong enough to

illuminate the entire glade like the sun. As soon as the light

fell upon the tree, she gasped in shock, “A Quickening!”

You have completed the Quest: Tree of Power I. The Seed

Core has been planted within the boundaries of your
domain.

Reward: 25,000 (base 20,000) experience points.

Congratulations! You have advanced to level 6 in Herb Lore.

Herbs are 3% more effective. Increased chance of finding
higher level herbs.

Congratulations! You have advanced to level 7 in Herb Lore.

Herbs are 3% more effective. Increased chance of finding
higher level herbs.

Congratulations! You have advanced to level 8 in Herb Lore.

Herbs are 3% more effective. Increased chance of finding
higher level herbs.

…
Congratulations! You have advanced to level 38 in Herb
Lore. Herbs are 3% more effective. Increased chance of
finding higher level herbs.

You have received 2,500 (base 2,000) bonus experience for

reaching level 10 in the skill: Herb Lore.

You have received 5,000 (base 4,000) bonus experience for

reaching level 20 in the skill: Herb Lore.

You have received 7,500 (base 6,000) bonus experience for

reaching level 30 in the skill: Herb Lore.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate

in: Herb Lore. You can detect two effects from picked herbs.
Can negate one negative effect from ingested herbs.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Initiate to

Apprentice in: Herb Lore. You can detect three effects from
picked herbs. Can negate two negative effect from ingested
herbs.

Bonus Reward: 20,000 experience points for all of your

Companions.
Bonus Reward: 5,000 experience points for all members of
your village.

Reward: A Quickening.

Know This! You have successfully grown a Quickening. This

is a celestial tree normally seen only in higher planes of
existence. Many scholars attribute the overall greater
powers and health of higher planes denizens to this tree. It
bears fruit that, when eaten, helps to unlock the hidden
potential of the imbiber. Your people will surpass their
previous potential! Affinities for all skills increased by
consumption of fruit of the Quickening.

Know This! Your Quickening has been built on a Place of

Power. Consequently, it is infused with the Dark, Life, Water
and Air magic. Consuming the fruit of the Quickening now
has a specifically increased chance of increasing affinity for
learning these branches of magic in addition to increasing
affinities as a whole.

Know This! All present at the sprouting of a Quickening will

have an increase in random affinities.

Congratulations! Your Quickening has reached level 1!

Congratulations! Your Quickening has reached level 2!

Know This! The Blessing of Growth cast by the Hearth

Mother of the Wood Sprites has combined with the Life
magic of your Place of Power! The strength of the Blessing
has been magnified. Your Quickening has advanced to Level
2!

Know This! It is well known that the fruit of the Quickening

can unlock the potential of individuals. The tree can do
much more, however. At level 2, it will awaken the potential
of your lands. All resources in surrounding area improved in
yield by 25%. 25% greater chance to find rare resources!

TRING!

You have reached level 11! 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 12! 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 13! 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 have unlocked the Quest: Tree of Power II. The

emergence of a celestial tree on this plane will not have
gone unnoticed! The tree requires care to cultivate it and
strength to protect it! Will you protect it and assign
caretakers to your Quickening? Yes or No?

These prompts crowded his vision one after another.

He was barely able to glance at each before the next came.
He quickly read through each… WHAATTTT?!? He had no
idea that you got experience from progressing in your skills!

He made a mental note to ask Randy exactly how that

worked later. He kept going through his prompts and

accepted the quest. When he cleared his vision, he looked

at all of his villagers. He hadn’t expected them to receive

experience from his quest, but he was sure glad of it!

From the expressions on their faces, they were stunned

too. Some of them were only level one or two. Most people
did not advance farther since the two main ways of
receiving experience were battle, quests and apparently

skill leveling. The last depended heavily on your inherent

ability for a skill and how much time you could invest into
practicing it. Richter took his fast leveling for granted, but

he had the boon of his Fast Learner ability. He had primarily

been in combat for most of his time in The Land, and as
such his magic and combat skills had leveled quickly. Not
too many bakers were fighting, and not too many glass

blowers were pursuing large quests. There were always

small quests associated here and there Richter had been
told, but apparently the experience earned was modest. As
such, most nonfighters did not advance their level past two
or three.

The point was, the 5,000 experience points would

bump his lower level villagers up one or two levels all at
once. Richter just hoped the parents would guide their

children to wise point allocation. He didn’t need a bunch of

super strong toddlers knocking down walls!

Randolphus was at the front of the crowd. He looked at

Richter with an unreadable expression. Wiping rain off of

his face he asked, “Is this experience because of you, my
Lord?”

“Yes,” Richter replied. “It is a bonus reward for planting

the Seed Core.”

A chorus of ‘Thank you’ and ‘Hooray for Lord Richter’

issued from the crowd.

Your efforts have aided the development of your people!

Morale increased +300. Loyalty increased by +150.

DING!
The Morale of your village has increased from Neutral to
Happy. Your guidance has made the general mood of your
village increase! +10% to Population Growth. +10% to
Productivity. +10% to Fighting Spirit.

“Thank you, my Lord,” Randolphus said with his head

bowed. Richter just smiled at him and nodded his head. He
turned back and took in the sight of the Quickening
illuminated by Hisako’s golden light.

The tree truly did belong in heaven, Richter thought.

The base was about fifty feet across, each of the eight
tendrils about five feet in diameter. Gaps could be seen in

the trunk, the tendrils forming an octuple helix. It wasn’t

the width of the trunk that was remarkable, however. The
tree had the shine of polished silver. Every surface was
smooth without the ridges that were normally seen in bark.
Instead, intricate tracings ran across the trunk in smooth

whirls. The branches exhibited the graceful bowing limbs of

a willow tree, and the tips were only five feet above the
ground.
 It was the forming leaves that made the tree truly

breathtaking. Each was about the size of Richter’s hand and

were a soft white in color. The leaves’ thick velvet
appearance made them appear heavy, but they easily
shifted in the wind, showing their silver underbellies for just
a moment before again presenting the creamy white

smoothness of their tops. The effect was mesmerizing.

Hisako was walking under the boughs of the tree with her
hands cupped to her chest. Just before passing under the
canopy she looked back, and then motioned with her head

for him to follow.

Richter and the rest of the villagers walked forward to

shelter under the tree. The broad leaves formed a thick

canopy which effectively kept all rain off of them. Hisako
cast another globe of light that made a cheery atmosphere
under the protection of the trees limbs. As Richter joined
her, she gave him a brilliant smile with tears flowing freely

down here face. Her words were so soft they seemed like
an exhale, “We did it.”

She had been holding her cupped hands to her chest.

She slowly and carefully lowered them to show all what she
had been holding. An opalescent orb was resting in her

hands. As he watched it grew more and more clear until it

was gone all together. In its place was a small figure curled
up in the fetal position. The creature was wrapped in clear
wings that had an iridescent shine. They unfurled and the

diminutive person stood, using Hisako’s hands as a

platform.

She, because despite being only six inches tall there

was no doubt as to her femininity, was clad in white cloth

that looked like a woman’s slip. Her skin was a pale blue
that contrasted with the jet black hair. Her eyes were still
closed when she tilted her head back, opened her mouth

and began to sing.

There were no words. There didn’t need to be. Images

came clear to the minds of all present, produced from the

pure light of her voice. She sang of love and family. Of a

people dedicated to life and the cultivation of forests. Then
the song became melancholy, and imparted a story of death
and loss. The melody spoke of an entire people dying out.

The music pulled sorrow out of Richter’s soul and he wept.

 The tone became frantic as the survivors struggled to

stay ahead of the plague that had savaged her people. The
complexity of the song had decreased as the pixie sang, and
all present realized that the loss of each tone it represented
the loss of a life. Suddenly there were only two tones left

from the entire tapestry of beauty they had initially heard.

The incalculable loss tore at the hearts of everyone present.
It was enough to bring Richter to his knees.

Out of despair, though, came one note of hope. A hope

for a people to one day be reborn. The light and younger
tone… a daughter, was overjoyed by the news. The queen

mother sang once again of love, and then then sacrifice. A

life consumed by a spell to halt time. The two tones
became one, and the remaining tone was once again
overcome with sorrow and grief. And the then the song
ended, not tapering away, but abruptly shut off, as if the

remaining life was walled away from the world.

Richter continued to weep on his knees, but with the

ending of the song was able to collect himself once again.

He looked around and saw everyone present was weeping
freely, many laying down, completely overcome. A warmth
wrapped around his shoulders, his familiar drawn to comfort
him in his sorrow. Even Yoshi’s gruff exterior was
overcome, and tears trailed down his cheeks. Richter’s eyes
ached from expressed sorrow, but he could see the prompt

clearly.

HARK AND REJOICE! The pixie that emerged from the Royal
Pixie Chrysalis was none other than a queen! Her mother
sacrificed her life to keep her daughter in stasis until the
plague had died out. The pixie race can be reborn!

Congratulations! You have won +3,000 fame points! You

have brought back the lost race of Royal Pixies!

CHIME!

Congratulations! You have advanced to Reputation Level 3!

“You seem like someone I should listen to” New quests and
opportunities will become available to you!

You have completed the Quest: Resurgence of Light I.

Reward: 6,250 (base 5,000) experience

You have unlocked the Quest: Resurgence of Light II.

Witness the following interaction between Hisako and the
pixie queen to learn more.
 Hisako was the only one in the glade that had stayed
on her feet. She looked at the small pixie in her hands and
said, “Your mother’s sacrifice was not in vain. Hope still
exists while you are here. Sprites still exist in many places

in The Land, and we will all fight and die for you. You are
home my queen!”

The pixie opened her eyes and looked at Hisako. Each

sclera was cornflower blue, but her irises were an intense
violent, that glowed in the night. With a flap of her wings
she flew up and hovered in front of the Hearth Mother’s

face. Her voice was the piping notes of a piccolo, “But I am

all alone! I have no one!” The sorrow in those two short
sentences was heart wrenching.

“You are not alone, little one,” Hisako said. Her voice
was full with sympathy and comfort. “Though you and your
people have been absent from the land for long centuries,
you have not been forgotten. We have kept your memory
alive through the old stories. Every sprite living has grown

hearing the stories of your people’s beauty and goodness.

The deeds of great pixies live on in our stories. We well
remember the valor of Petanu, the pixie general who held
back the gremlin army. We laughed at the stories Eniola,
the pixie trickster. And we will remember your mother, little
one, if you would only tell us her name.”

The pixie hovered in the air looking at Hisako. When

she spoke, she did so softly, “Her name was Alexandrella.”

“Ahhh,” Hisako said, “and so we shall remember Queen

Alexandrella the Loving. We will revere her for eternity, and
share the story of how her sacrifice brought light back into
the world. The only question now little one, is will you honor

her sacrifice? Will you bring the beauty and wonder of the
pixie race back into The Land?”

Again, the pixie hovered silently before replying. After

a few moments, though, her slouched posture straightened.
When she spoke, the self-pity was gone from her voice.
Though her voice still quavered with sadness, it also had the

practiced tones of royalty, “I will. I give thanks to the Wood

Sprites for their faith and love through the long years.” She
then turned to Richter, “I also give thanks to you. I feel in
my heart that you played a large part in releasing me from

my chrysalis.”
Your relationship with Royal Pixie Queen has improved from
neutral to friendly.

“I will happily do my duty and honor my queen’s

sacrifice,” she continued. “Will you help me, Hearth
Mother? I need protection and a suitable tree to foster my

children. It will be several months before my first children

are born. Is there a Steelborn Oak or a Silver Elm that you
know of?”

Hisako simply looked at Richter.

Know this! The life cycle of pixies is intrinsically tied to

nature. Male and female pixies exist, but that is not how
they reproduce. Male pixie are larger and stronger than
their female counterparts, but are sterile. Any female pixie
can create more pixies, by binding their spirit to a tree. A
cocoon is created that adheres to the tree and after a time,
two pixies are born of this union. The offspring have unique
attributes that are determined by the type of tree they are
born from. Pixie females can only bind their spirit to a tree
once per year. A queen pixie is special in that she can
generate a great deal more mana, and so each binding will
create one hundred pixies. She can also bind her spirit to a
tree twice per year. Be aware, the binding between pixie
and tree is unto death. Both benefit from the binding, but if
one dies the other may as well.

Update on Quest: Resurgence of Light II. The Royal Pixie

queen needs a tree to “foster” her progeny. Will you accept
responsibility for this task? Reward: Increased regard of
Royal Pixie queen. Yes or no?

Richter had to read the first prompt three times to

make sure he understood. When he dismissed it and
minimized the second, he looked back at Hisako. The pixie
queen was still hovering in the same place. He thought he

understood what the Hearth Mother was trying to silently

communicate. Would he allow the pixie to bind to his new
celestial tree? On the one hand, if the pixies would truly
gain properties of the tree they bound to, it would mean a

great boon for the queen. Her progeny might be powerful,

and therefore better able to protect themselves. It could
also mean another ally for his village. Pixies could even be
considered caretakers, couldn’t they?
 The other argument, though, was that if the queen
died, the Quickening could be destroyed with her. He hadn’t

known what tree would grow out of the Seed Core, but now
that he did, could he risk it? The Quickening would make his
people, and the very land his village was built on more
powerful! Was it right to risk the future of his people on a

very small new life, basically alone in this large and

dangerous world?

More thoughts for and against went through Richter’s

mind quick as lightning. He felt like he was drowning in
calculations and moral obligations, both to his people and
his conscience. Ultimately, he based this decision on a
decision he had made early in his life. Many years ago he

had decided that when all things were equal, he would act
on what he hoped to be true, rather than on what he feared
to be true. His hope was that his village would grow to be a
force of positive change in The Land. Bringing a peaceful

species back from the brink of extinction… well that was

exactly the type of change he imagined.

“What is your name, my queen,” Richter asked.

 “I am Elora, my Lord,” she said with a bow of her tiny

head and a midair curtsy.

Richter consciously accessed his Gift of Tongues ability,

rather than passively let it translate for him. In the pixie

language, Elora meant ‘hope.’ Well if ever there was a sign

you’d made the right choice, he thought. He pulled up his
minimized prompt and selected ‘Yes.’

“Elora, I would like to make a deal with you. I will

protect you and help you in whatever way I can to further
the rebirth of your race, and in return…”

“Yes,” she asked in her small voice.

“You have to call me Richter,” he said with a small

smirk.

She flew from her position near Hisako to hover before

his face. He was able to make out the small details of her
tiny expressions. She ranged from confusion to curiosity as
she searched his face, then she gave a small smile and said,
“I accept your terms.” She held out her small hand to

shake.
 Richter gave a laugh that was echoed by everyone

present. Elora was speaking in the pixie tongue, so his

people most likely had no idea what she was saying. The
sight of a tiny flying woman shaking hands with the Master
of their village was amusing all by itself, though. He raised

his hand and extended his pinky to touch her hand. He bent
his finger once slightly up and down, and everyone cheered.

“Thank you, Richter! Oh, thank you! What tree do you

have for me? I promise that I will make it grow tall and

strong.”

“I believe you, Elora. And to answer your question,

look up.”

A confused expression on her face, the pixie looked up

as requested. She looked around for a second, searching.

Then she faced him, her eyes round and wide with

comprehension. “But I can’t, my Lord! This is a celestial

tree! I could not be so bold as to bind myself to such a

wonderful and vast spirit! I am not worthy of this!”

Richter held up a finger, “Now we just shook on the

agreement, so I don’t want to hear ‘my Lord’ coming from
you again!” Elora’s distress was so cute he was struggling

not to laugh. “Now more importantly, you are unique in The

Land, just the way this tree is. If even half of what I hear
from the wood sprites is true, your return is a great boon to

all of us. Not only are you worthy, but I believe this tree has
grown for the purpose of being your home.”

Hisako had walked closer while he was talking. “Elora, I

understand your hesitance. I am in awe of seeing a

Quickening in The Land as well, but it is not our place to

question the will of the forest. You belong here. Will you
stay?”

The pixie looked back and forth between the two

Masters. She settled on Richter, “Are you sure?” He could

see the excitement on her face.

“Of course,” he said. “Welcome home.”

“Thank youuu!” Elora leaned in and placed a kiss on

his nose, and then disappeared.

You have gifted with the Kiss of the Royal Pixie Queen. +3
Charisma.
You have completed the Quest: Resurgence of Light II.
Binding to a celestial tree will accelerate the pixie life cycle.
Because of the choice of tree, you have gone far beyond the
requirements of the quest. You will be rewarded
proportionally. Reward: Elora has increased regard for you.
Bonus Reward: A new Companion. Reward: 1,250 (base
1,000) experience. Bonus Reward: 5,000 (base 4,000)
experience.

Your relationship with Elora, the Royal Pixie Queen, has

improved from friendly to loyal.

Elora, the Royal Pixie, has become you Companion.

Companions will stay with you only as long your goals align.

You have completed the Quest: Tree of Power II. You have
found the perfect caretakers of your Quickening. Pixies are
the bound to the fabric of The Land. All trees thrive under a
pixie’s care. Reward: 5,000 (base 4,000) experience.

TRING!

You have reached level 14! 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 have unlocked the Quest: Resurgence of Light III. It will

take one month for her first children to be born. Will you
protect the Royal Pixie Queen until new pixies are brought
into the world? Reward: Unknown. Yes or No?

You have unlocked the Quest: Tree of Power III. Grow the
Quickening to Level 3. The Quickening is a force of good in
this world. Help it to thrive and protect it as it grows.
Reward: Unknown. Yes or No?

Accepting both quests, Richter smiled broadly. He

almost broke his arm patting himself on the back. His

thoughts ran something like, ‘I love it when a plans come

together! Now where’s my cigar! I’m the man! I piss

excellence BEFORE I wake up!’
 Narcissism aside, he now saw exactly why Potions of

Clarity were so prized. If you could coincide it with a boss

fight or quest completion, you could shave years off of the

time it would take to level.

After he finished stroking his ego, he tried to figure out

where his newest Companion had gotten off to. Richter

looked at Hisako, “She can turn invisible?”

The Hearth Mother just laughed, “Not that I know of,

but there is one common theme to all of the stories about

pixies. They are FAST!” Then she did something

unexpected. She embraced him. “Thank you for this. You

found the evil weapon that imprisoned the chrysalis. You

provided the magic to finally release her. Now you have

given her a home, and risked the most powerful object in

your realm to do it.”

Richter tensed, feeling a bit of shame that she had

deduced his thought process and hesitance to allow the

pixie to bind to the Quickening. She released him from the

hug, but didn’t fully let go, keeping her hands on his

forearms and holding him at arm’s length.

 “Do not feel shame,” she said. “You are a Master of a

Place of Power, and the Lord of a village. Your decisions

carry great weight, and deserve to be considered from all

angles. I might like an innocent saint, but I would not trust

him with the wellbeing of the only pixie in existence. A man

who has the ability to think selfish thoughts, however, but

then chooses a finer path... That is a man who I would fight

side by side with. That is a man I would trust.

Your relationship with Hisako has improved to Ally.

The relationship of the Wood Sprites of Nadria to the Mist

Village has improved to Ally.

Richter looked at her with surprise. She simply nodded

and said, “May our two peoples rise together, and if

necessary, fall together.” Richter had no words and so

simply embraced her again.

When they broke apart, Richter saw all of the villagers

and the sprites staring at the two of them. Raising his

voice, he said, “The people of the Mist Village and the wood
sprites of the Forest of Nadria are allies! May we rise

together!”
 First one person took up the shout, then another, then

everyone present was repeating the same phrase with

passion.

Under the canopy of a heavenly tree, in the wake of the

rebirth of an ancient race, two groups celebrated their

friendship and hope for the future, “May we rise together!

May we rise together!”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 7

The good times kept rolling. Even Yoshi loosened up.

Some of the dwarves brought a cask of ale up from the

village stores, and they all enjoyed each other’s company

for hours. The rain eased at about midnight, and people

meandered down to the longhouse as they got tired. Many

decided to just rest under the limbs of the Quickening,

however. Shiovana had cast a spell to drive the water in

the ground away from the surface, leaving a perfect

campground.

It was a wonderful chance for the sprites and the

villagers to mix. Even Richter’s familiar also got in on the

fun. She swooped around blowing gusts of air into people’s

hair. There was also a spirited game of “catch the

dragonling,” played by all of the village children. Their

shrieks of delight allayed the parent’s fears, and soon the

dragonling was apparently accepted by everyone present.

After hours of play, all of the children were put to bed, and

Richter and his familiar sat against the base of the tree.

Some people still laughed and sang, but most had settled

down to rest. Sion sat next to him.

“You have made a wonderful home here,” Sion said,

still laughing over some of the antics he had seen through

the night.

“Yes,” Richter said, smiling back.

“You know you’ve said almost nothing about your old

home. Do you have family or friends that you miss?”

“Yes,” Richter said, a bit of the joy fading from his face.

“I do.”

“Then why don’t you ever talk about them,” Sion

asked.

“I was raised to focus on what’s in front of me, and to

accept the reality of a situation. The reality is that I’m in

The Land now, and I probably will be forever. Thinking of

the people I left behind doesn’t help, so it doesn’t matter. I

choose to focus my energy on what does matter,” Richter

said, still looking at the die-hard partiers, who were drinking

and sharing stories.

“Come on,” Sion wheedled, “just tell me something.”

“I don’t really want to talk about it! It doesn’t matter

who I was! All that matters is that I’m Richter!” He was

shouting at the end. He didn’t look at Sion. He just kept

gazing at his people.

Sion looked at him with a shocked face. Anger also

made its way across the sprite’s features briefly, but it fled

when he realized his questions much have scratched at a

buried hurt. So he just sat back against the trunk of the

Quickening, and shared his troubled friend’s company in

silence.

They both watched the laughing villagers. Richter let

his anger extinguish in the soothing tones of his people’s

joy. Then he started talking softly. “My mother is a strong

woman. My father is kind. My brother has the biggest heart

of anyone I know. My sisters devote themselves to helping

those in need. I have nieces and nephews, who are the

most brilliant and beautiful creatures in any world. I was

training as a healer. What my people called a doctor.” He

stopped talking. They sat in silence again.

“How can you be okay leaving all of that behind,” Sion

asked when Richter didn’t start talking again.

“I would have them here with me if I could,” Richter

said, “but they would all encourage me to listen to my

heart. And as much as I loved looking up at a Georgia sky, I

have always wanted an existence of magic and wonder. I

had an amazing life there, and yes, there are people I left

behind that I miss dearly. The Land is my home now,

though,” he said firmly. “My mother always said, ‘Indecision

causes confusion, confusion causes accidents, and

accidents cause death.’ I won’t be indecisive.”

Sion nodded in appreciation. He too had a strong

mother who had both wisdom and an inability to not share

it.

“Of course,” Richter continued, “she also said that

every time I masturbated, god killed a kitten… So her

advice was all over the map.” Richter’s voice lowered

conspiratorially, “Just so you know, that was the day I

started actively making a world without cats.” Sion

chuckled and Richter smiled. “Like you said, I am making

something wonderful here. I feel truly blessed to have you

as a part of it, my friend.”

The sprite looked at him, and they shared a quiet

moment of friendship. That was short-lived, however. It

ended when Daniella shouted, “Sion. Quit loafing around

and come over here!”

Seeing the sprite wince, Richter chuckled, “You better

get over there before her voice hits a higher octave.”

He waved his friend away, and then looked at the psi

dragonling that was lying across his lap. Richter was

convinced she just viewed him as a walking pillow. His hand

rested on her warms scales, slowly stroking her. She purred

at the attention. “What do I call you,” he said. She gave no

response except to continue enjoying the attention. He had

learned that if he stopped stroking her, he would earn a hiss

in response.

“Well if you don’t care, then I will name you myself.”

He ran through dozens of names until he found a special
resonance with one. “Alma. What do you think of that?”

She raised her head, and then sniffed before settling back

down. He chuckled, “I’ll take that as agreement.”

Richter spent more time just looking out over his

people and the sprites. This was a perfect moment. He was

smiling as he drifted off to sleep.

*Danger!*

*Wake!*

*DANGER!*

That was the first thing he heard even though it was

only in his own mind. The next thing he heard were distant

screams.

When he opened his eyes, the only light was a faint

radiance from the silver trunk of the Quickening. Not

enough to make out details when he was facing away, but it

gave him an orientation. He ran away from the trunk. The

shouts and bellows getting louder as he sprinted toward the

edge of the meadow. When he was able to see over the

escarpment, his heart sank. The longhouse was on fire! He

cast Night Vision on himself. What had been a black canvas

with one spot of light was now a world of green and black.

He almost wished he couldn’t see it.

His village was being attacked! Large humanoids had

made their way across the trench. He couldn’t tell what

they were, but he could tell they were big! There were

bodies on the ground! The invaders seemed to be trying to

break into the longhouse. What had happened to the

guards? He could see that there were dozens inside the

village, but Richter could see an even larger second wave of

attackers approaching! How had they gotten in? One

attacker was hanging by the gate… Yes, there! The

bastards had made a crude bridge with several trees lashed

together. An advance team must have hacked down the
gate. The rest were going to get in!

Hisako and the other sprites came close. The villagers

that had passed the night under the Quickening were right

behind them. Cries of panic arose from the group. He felt

the panic himself. They were being attacked! He froze in
disbelief at what was happening. Then he heard Sion.
 “Richter, look at me.” He turned his head to look at his
Companion. The sprite just said, “We’re here with you. We

will save them.”

The solidity of his friend broke him out of his immobility.

“Right! You, you, you and you,” he said pointing at four

sprites. “Hold this line. You are to protect the children and
nonfighters. Don’t let anyone past you!”

“Yoshi!” Richter cast Night Vision on the sword adept.

“Can you see the second wave of attackers? We can’t let

them get into the village. Go to the bridge that they made.

I need you and the other sprites to destroy it!” He nodded

once and then started giving orders to the sprite warriors.

Richter looked out at the villagers, “We are being

attacked. Those of you who do not know how to fight need

to stay here. But anyone that can wield a sword or swing an

axe, I need you to come with me. I need you to do it now!

Our people have barricaded themselves in the long house,

but these attackers have set it on fire. They don’t have long

until they will be forced to open the doors. We need to kill

whoever this is before that happens! Now who will fight?!”
 He had been afraid that his speech would not rouse
anyone, but he was wrong. Thirty men and woman stepped

forward. One dwarf woman held onto her man begging him
not to go, but he gently disengaged and stepped forward.

Richter was ashamed that he didn’t remember his name.

“We are with you, my Lord. But we have no weapons. What

can we do?”

Hisako stepped forward with a fierce expression on her

face, “We take them from their dead hands! You four, guard
this hill, like Lord Richter ordered.” She pointed at Daniella

and Sion, “You two come with me. The rest go with Yoshi
and hold the line of the village to make sure no more get in.
Mages, you have one minute to cast whatever buffs you

can. It’s time for battle!”

“I have some extra weapons,” Richter said handing out

the short sword and two daggers he had in his inventory.

Then Richter gave a bloodthirsty grin, “These stupid
bastards have made the mistake of invading our home!

They will NOT live to regret it! We are life takers and heart
breakers! Let’s go!”
 You have made a Call to Action: Kill the majority of
your attackers to be awarded the skill: War Leader. Failure
to so give you the trait, Fool in War: -50 Fighting Spirit to
those near you.

Richter just nodded to himself. It’s not like failure was

an option anyway. It did remind him about the boost in

Morale providing a boost in Fighting Spirit as well. He

quickly checked his village status page, and saw that the

entire village should get a 10% increase to their ability to

deal damage. He prayed it would be enough.

He cast Barkskin on himself, unfortunately, the range

was only ‘self’ so he couldn’t buff anyone else. He then cast

Haste on himself and the sprites that would be in his group.
The spell was prohibitively expensive at twenty-five mana
per cast. Each cast only affected one target, so he could

not extend the buff to all of the villagers and sprites. Sion
cast Haste on Yoshi and several of the other sprites.

As they had been preparing, Alma had been circling

above them.

*Fight,* she thought to him.

 *Stay here,* he thought back. He didn’t not want his

little familiar to be harmed. He had no idea if she could be

reborn like he could.

*Fight,* she thought again with determination. Then he

felt something surprising. Alma cast Haste. The dragonling

zipped through the air. She was so fast that he couldn’t

follow her grey body in against the night sky despite having

cast Night Vision.

The last thing Richter did was to hand out Potions of

Clarity from his Bag of Holding. Those attackers were going

to die tonight. There was no point in wasting the

experience. He himself drank two precious mana potions

from his limited stores. If his village survived this fight,

potion making needed to be a priority!

They all streamed down the hill, with the armed

fighters in front. At the bottom, Yoshi’s group broke off and

moved quickly toward the bridge. Richter, Hisako, Sion and

Daniella ran towards the long house. It wasn’t long before

they could see enemies in front of them. Just before they

were upon them, Hisako warned them to look away, then

gave a shout and thrust her hand up. A ball of golden light
ten times as large as what she summoned earlier that night

flew from her hand, and up into the sky. Even though he
was looking in another direction it seemed like he was
staring into the sun! He quickly dismissed Night Vision and

opened his eyes, everything was bleached white, and he

noticed a blinking icon of an eye that was clouded over. A

number beside it counted down from three, and when it

reached zero the icon disappeared and his vision was again

normal. He was immediately thankful for Hisako’s warning.

With his increased light perception, he might have been

blinded for the whole fight!

Luckily, his momentary disorientation hadn’t cost him.

The light caught the attackers, on the other hand,

completely by surprise. They cried out in pain, vainly trying

to cover their eyes. The ball of golden light didn’t just make
it easier to see, it also immediately made Richter feel

stronger!

You are in the aura of Blessed Light. All creatures of neutral

or positive alignment gain +10% to physical attack and
defense. All creatures of negative alignment suffer -10% to
physical attack and defense.

Hisako followed her first spell with another shouted

incantation. One of her hands contorted through a series of

gestures in quick succession, while words in a tongue that

not even Richter could decipher poured from her lips. She

formed her other hand into a claw with her palm face up,
and swiftly lifted it. Five different rock spikes, each six

inches wide, shot up from the earth and impaled one of the
attackers! Two spikes pierced one arm and one leg. The
other three spikes tore through the invader’s torso, and left

the dead body suspended in the air. That opening salvo

brought the attention of three nearby enemy fighters.
Richter was given his first up-close look at the creatures that

had ruined the peace of his home. He used Analyze.

Name: Krin’ak. Bugbear Level 8. Health 220. Mana 100.

Stamina 190. Disposition: Enmity. Bugbears are the result
of sorcerous experimentation blending cave bears with
goblins. The race is naturally strong and hardy. They are
adept at hiding. Warlike to a fault, it takes a strong leader
to control them. Well known to incorporate other races in
their war parties. Bugbears get one point to distribute per
level, and each level gives +1 to strength, +1 to
Constitution, +1 to Dexterity, +1 to Endurance.

The bugbears! They had found the village! But how,

the mist was only down for… the Quickening! The beam of

light that had shot into the sky would have acted like a
beacon! Then once the defenses had fallen, it had led the
bugbears straight to them. Then it would have been a
simple matter of making a bridge to cross the trench. This

was his fault!

The time for recriminations was not now, though. That

point was made clear when the bugbears roared, and then

rushed forward to attack. The first ran forward to attack the

Hearth Mother. At six feet tall, the burly goblinoid must
have thought that Hisako’s diminutive four feet would make
her easy prey. He was wrong.

Without breaking her stride, she threw her hands out to

the side, more magical words pouring from her throat. Two
vertical panels of gold light appeared. Each was 5x10 feet,

and hung a few feet off of the ground. The shields

separated the three attackers in front of them, creating a
hallway that flared out towards Hisako. It both left her only

one enemy to directly confront, while simultaneously

impeding the forward progress of the others. The bugbears
on either side of the shields struck with axe and mace, but
their strikes couldn’t penetrate the shield.

The middle attacker moved forward undaunted with a

buckler raised and his sword poised to stab. Before he
could make his lunge, though, she shouted and slapped

both wrists together, fingers outstretched and separate. A

bar of white light shot from between her fingers and struck
the buckler. In an instant, the beam was gone, and only the
afterimage of the light remained in Richter’s vision. Looking

at the bugbear, though, Richter realized that a square hole

six inches in diameter was missing from the buckler… and
from the chest of the bugbear that had been holding it. It
dropped to the ground in a clatter of armor. Holy shit! Was

that a Kamehameha?!?

The other two struck the gold panels again, and a web
of cracks appeared on the left panel. The two sprites

ducked low and each shot an imbued arrow into one of the
bugbears’ legs. Neither were wearing medium or heavy

armor over their legs, and the strikes savaged their limbs.
Both fell face first into the gold panels screaming, their
furred hands scrabbling for purchase. You wouldn’t have
expected such high-pitched noises from such big guys,
Richter thought. Hisako swept her right arm down quickly,

and both shields vanished. The bugbears collapsed to the

ground. Before they could even try to roll over, a pair of
swords stabbed into each neck and they lay still. Hisako
and the sprites had killed four attackers in the space of ten

seconds! He was glad they were allies!

The villagers behind him were in shock as well! Most

were simple craftsmen or workers. Even the casters

probably hadn’t been in combat before. The wood sprites,
however, fought constantly to protect the forest from
invaders and monsters. When faced with the fighting
prowess of the sprites, the villagers were dumfounded. A

feeling Richter could well understand. Despite having

fought beside Sion, he had never seen the sprites working
as a group before. His village had a long way to go if this
was an indication of the level of battle that they would need

to operate at.

He clapped his hands to break his people out of their

reverie. If enemies hadn’t heard the short, but fierce battle

then his clap wouldn’t alert them. And if they had heard the
fight, then the element of surprise was gone anyway. “Grab
their weapons!” He pointed to one of the villagers that he
remembered was an Air caster. “Take the shield. Support

our fighters! Those of you without weapons yet, stay in the

center of the group!”

The better armed group continued to move toward the

burning longhouse. The screams were getting louder and

smoke was thick in the air. More than half of the roof was
covered in flames. The goal of Richter’s group was to get to
the doors of the longhouse. Ten bugbears were still

hammering at the doors. If his people were going to

survive, they would have to be dealt with.

A series of loud booms came from far ahead of them,

heralding Yoshi’s arrival at the bridge. A fold in the land
coupled with the distance and darkness kept Richter from
seeing exactly what was happening, but the night was lit

with blue flares of color. They provided brief moments of

illumination, like a storm on the horizon. No time at all
passed between the sprite’s initial attack and the
responding roars of defiance from the bugbears. In the

resulting clash, at least one scream ripped itself from a

sprite throat.

Hisako looked at him upon hearing the pain of her

people. Richter thought she would immediately run to their
aid, but the only expression on her face was one of steely
resolve. “We will finish our task and save your people. My

warriors will last until we can join them.”

Richter just nodded back, “Onward!”

They hadn’t made it another one hundred yards when

the next attack came. The bugbears had indeed heard their
attack on their comrades, and they had prepared. The
group of defenders was making their way to the longhouse

when Richter heard Alma’s voice in his head, *Danger!*

Suddenly the air in front of them… rippled. There was

shriek of pain, and whereas before there had been nothing

but open space in front of them, they could now see
bugbears arranged in broad horseshoe pattern no more
than ten yards ahead. Directly in front of Richter’s group, at
the tip of the arch formation, was a tall figure wearing black

robes. The hood was thrown back showing a mostly bald

head with a top knot tied in a bun on top. The face was
green and the lower jaw protruded, two large fangs
extended upward in place of incisors. At that moment, the

robed figure’s face was screwed up into a rictus of pain, and

both hands were slapped to the sides of his head. The wail
of pain was tearing itself from his throat.

Richter looked in shock at the force arrayed against

them. The bugbears had gotten so close! If the defenders
had walked forward for only a few more seconds, they would
have been hemmed in on three sides, and most likely

slaughtered to the last man! Suddenly, he knew had

happened. At least he knew part of it.

Alma had been flying above Richter and the others.

Then she had felt the thought patterns of the hostile group
in front of them. She could not read thoughts, but she had
been unable to miss the clustered minds in front of Richter
and his group. She had flown ahead, and as soon as she
passed the veil of Dark magic, she saw the ambushers. She
then dove and used a psi blast to distract the caster. The
attack made him loose concentration and the ongoing

enchantment was interrupted. The spell backlash coupled

with the psi attack, had caused the shriek of pain that
alerted them!

Richter had no time to wonder about how he instantly

had this information. The dark veil had apparently
protected the bugbears from the effects of Hisako’s spell.

The removal of the concealment spell, however, made them

shy from the light the same as the first three. That was
probably the only reason that Richter’s group had not been
immediately overwhelmed once the caster was distracted.
Despite not being in the perfect position for them to spring

their ambush, the fifteen or so skirmishers in front of them

were still more than enough to cause serious damage.

“Shoot,” Richter shouted! His own target was the

caster in front of him. The mage was the first enemy magic
user Richter had seen so far, and he well knew that this
battle could hinge on removing the caster from play. He
imbued his arrow and shot, not taking much time to channel
his mana. The pure gold aura around arrow made an after
image in his sight as it sped towards the helpless mage. At

the last moment, though, a large bugbear with a kite shield

jumped in the path of arrow. The projectile struck the shield
with a loud bang! The contact did knock the off balance
bugbear backwards, but the mage was spared.

At the same time that Richter shot, Sion and Daniella

both unloaded arrows into the closest bugbears. Both were
critical hits, one to the face and another to the knee,

shearing off the lower part of the creature’s leg. Even if

they weren’t immediate kill shots, the attackers wouldn’t be
back in the fight anytime soon.

Hisako looked around at the enemies arrayed against

them, and then fell to one knee. Both of her hands reached
out at shoulder height, and then circled opposite each other
until they were vertically in line with her sternum. Her

finger tips touched in three complex hand configurations.

Then her hands shot back out to shoulder height a second
time, and she once again started circling them back. She
looked off in the distance, completely focused on her
casting, her lips forming words in an unbroken chant.
Richter had no idea what spell she was casting, but it clearly
required more than a one second casting time. It was also

clear that she was vulnerable while she cast it. She had to
be protected. He turned to the villagers with weapons,
“Protect her at all costs! Whoever is unarmed, stay back!”

The other bugbears had started moving forward. The

sprites’ fiendishly high Dexterity let them loose one more
imbued arrow each, but only Daniella’s shot knocked an

enemy down. Sion’s shot was blocked by a hasty side swipe

of his target’s buckler. The arrow skewed past and
detonated harmlessly on the ground twenty yards away.
Richter knew that if the attackers made it to them, they
would be torn apart. He did the first thing he could think of.

He cast Grease.

The spell summoned a slippery substance coating the

ground in a 10x10 area. The two enemies in front of him

fell. Unfortunately, his aim was off, and he was inside of

AoE (area of effect) as well. He fell as the two attackers
continued to slide towards him. One had fallen forward and
she raised her half- moon axe to chop down into Richter as
soon as she got close.

Two of the villagers stood with Sion, fighting hand to

hand against the goblinoids. Daniella had backed up
several feet and continued to fire arrows past the defenders

into the mass of enemies. In such close quarters however,

imbuing her arrows would harm both friend and foe, so she
relied on skill alone to make her kills. The remaining armed
villagers and the Air mage holding the shield stood in front

of Hisako who was still chanting her spell. The rest of the
villagers remained in the background, throwing small rocks
they found on the ground. It served as little more than a
nuisance, however. The battle was joined!

The bugbear’s slide in the grease had ended only a few

feet from Richter’s prone body. If she had slid the entire
way, then he was sure that her axe would either be either

battering at his armor or buried in his body. Even so, she

was up on both legs and one arm. The other arm still held
her axe aloft and was about to slam it down onto him.
Praying that the spell was strong enough, he cast Charm.
 The axe had already descending towards him when he
finished the one-second cast. They made eye contact as

the blade passed the halfway point. A brutal smile broke

out over her face, and then she twisted her body like a
corkscrew. She rolled over completely, and struck the
bugbear to her right in the shoulder. The blade bit, but the

thick leather armor her former comrade was wearing

stopped any serious damage. He snarled and grappled with
his traitorous ally. Though wounded, he was putting up a
large fight, and her axe was useless in such close quarters.

Richter rolled out of the AoE of his Grease spell. Carefully

standing on his feet, he didn’t see how he could help his
charmed fighter without risking damage to her as well.
They were rolling around too fast for him to risk an arrow.

He turned his attention to the rest of the fight.

Sion, Daniella and two armed villagers were facing off

against five bugbears. Sion was holding his own, but the

villagers were hard pressed. If it wasn’t for Daniella taking

shots of opportunity the two would be dead already. The
large bugbears were not appreciably slowed, however.
Their leather armor was tough and hard to penetrate. Even
the arrows that did strike flesh hit nothing critical. None of

them could sink too deeply through the natural armor of

their hide. The stalemate didn’t last long, however. With a
terrified scream that became a wet burble, one of the
villagers fell!

The bugbear that killed him had brought its

warhammer down in a mighty overhand swing. The poor
fool tried to parry with his sword. The blade was just swept

down by the hammer and cut into the villager’s own flesh.
It wouldn’t have made a difference if the sword were
involved or not, once the hammer fell into the man’s chest.
All that was left was a ruined bloody mess. The attacker

pulled his weapon out with a horrible sucking sound.

Richter bellowed in outrage. These people were under

his protection! He activated Double Shot. Two arrows flew

from his bow in the space of a second. The only flaw to

using this subskill of Archery was that both arrows had a
greatly decreased accuracy than normal. The second arrow
suffered twice as much penalty as the first. True to form,

Richter’s first shot struck true, hitting the bugbear in the

abdomen, but the second went wide. That didn’t matter
though, because he immediately used Drill Shot. Aiming for

the impact of site of the first arrow, he concentrated for a

moment and then released. The arrow spun in the air true
to its name and hit a bare centimeter to the side of the first
strike. The already weakened armor gave way, and the

arrow imbedded several inches into the bugbear’s stomach,

continuing to spin. The invader gave a small groan and

collapsed onto the wet ground. The attacker wasn’t dead,

but at least Sion’s group won a few seconds of respite.

One look at the fallen villager made it clear that he

would never be getting up again. His friend didn’t seem to

know that though, and fought furiously to drive the

attackers back. It was clear that he had no formal training

with a blade, but the man still made two of the invaders fall

back a step. It was the opening Daniella had been waiting

for. She shot an Imbued arrow into the face of the bugbear
on the left, and he collapsed. Richter fired an imbued arrow

at the other but missed. A grunt drew his attention to the

right. The brawl between Richter’s charmed bugbear and

the one she had been fighting ended with her dagger

sticking from the center of his chest. She stood tall, one ear
having been torn off. She grinned with blood on her sharp

teeth.

The group of villagers protecting Hisako were

challenged by several bugbears. The awkward swings of

the men and women were only completely ineffectual. The

only thing they did accomplish was to make the bugbears

they were fighting cautious. It was only their stronger

numbers that made this particular part of the fight a

stalemate.

Hoping that the villagers would remain safe, Richter

began to take aim on the fallen mage again, but then he

heard a scream. He looked around and saw that four of the

ambush group had circled wide around the sprites who were

fighting their fellows, and were now running with weapons

raised towards the unarmed villagers. He pointed quickly

and shouted, “Attack!” His charmed enemy began running

towards them, but it was clear they would reach the

villagers first. He drew and took aim, knowing full well that

he would not be able to stop them all before they started

laying to waste to his people.
 A screech rent the air and a dark shape buzzed by the
bugbears heads, too fast for them to react. Suddenly they

stopped their run and began holding the sides of their head.

Their weapons fell to the ground forgotten. In the heat of

the battle, Richter had forgotten about Alma! Her psychic

attack had dazed them all. He released his well-imbued

arrow and shot one in the groin. Only a mist of blood and a
ruin of flesh was left of the bugbear’s former pride and joy.

A howl of despair and injustice filled the battle site.

Richter pointed at the bugbears and addressed the

unarmed villagers, “Attack while they are vulnerable!” The

mass of villagers fell on the bugbears who were already

shaking off the psychic attack. Though they were no longer

stunned, the attackers had lost all momentum and soon fell
to the combined counterattack of the twenty plus villagers.

A furious and bloody scuffle broke out, which left seven

villagers injured, but all of the bugbears dead. Now six

more villagers were armed and rushed forward to help.

A shout drew his attention back to Sion and the

invaders he had been fighting. The other villager was still

on his feet, though one arm hung limp and bloody. Next to
him was the dwarf that had chosen to fight against the

wishes of his woman. He had initially been guarding the

Hearth Mother, but must have stepped forward when the

other villager died. The dwarf was now trading blows with

an attacker.

The shout had come when Sion had driven his needle-

like sword into the knee of another bugbear. A vicious swipe

of a studded mace made him let go of the handle as he

rolled out of the way. He unshouldered his bow, but before

he could nock an arrow, the mace wielder was on him again.

It was all the sprite could do to keep out of the way of the

swings.

Richter was knocking an arrow to help his Companion

when his body was locked into immobility. Everything he

could see had developed a purple tint, giving the world a

surreal look. Just as importantly though, his health started

falling at five points per second! From his vantage, he could

see the air caster and one of the villagers guarding Hisako

were also surrounded by an aura. Since everything was

purple to him he couldn’t be sure theirs were as well, but it

was a safe bet. That damn mage must have recovered from
the spell backlash! At this rate he would be dead in less

than two minutes. The villagers in even less time. Richter

really hoped that they had invested the points from their

leveling into Constitution. Without investing the points, they

could be dead in twenty seconds!

Richter tried and strained, but he couldn’t break free.

What was the duration on this damn spell? Twenty, forty,

eighty health gone! And the pain! It felt like his muscles

were being torn apart from the inside! He would scream if

only he could. Worst of all though, was that he could see his

people in the same spell. They couldn’t last much longer!

And then, something amazing happened. Hisako finished

casting her spell.

He had been wondering what spell would take such a

long cast time. Richter wasn’t disappointed. Above her

head a ribbon of gold light appeared stretching ten feet

vertically into the air. It rotated clockwise began to form a

window into a day lit realm. The area around the portal
grew perceptibly warmer. It continued to spin until it was a

perfect circle, the entire process taking no more than a few

seconds. Through the hole in the air, Richter could glimpse

endless fields of gold grass. They looked like the grasses

surrounding the Hearth Tree, but whereas that was a small

circular patch this was a plain that extended on into the

distance. A figure emerged from the portal. Seven feet tall,

the creature’s physique was astounding. Sculpted muscles

were highlighted by tattoos that covered every area of

exposed flesh. He was wearing a white sleeveless vest with

a hood that was drawn up, hiding his face from view. Pants
of the same color extended down to his ankles, and his feet

were bare. On his back were two white wings that slowly

flapped. They were longer than the man was tall when
extended. In his hand, was a crystal sword that created

rainbows when it refracted the light of the portal. Once he

was out the summoning portal, he landed in front of the

Hearth Mother. The light from the portal filled Richter with a

sense of wellbeing.

You have been exposed to the light from the Plains of Sana.
All healing spells 100% more effective for positive alignment
and neutral creatures while the portal remains open.

Unable to help himself, Richter cast analyzed the angel.

Name: Zacharia. Cherubiae. Level ???. Health ???. Mana
???. Stamina ???. Disposition: Neutral. Among the lowest
levels of the celestial army, cherubiae are often used as
scouts and messengers. Cherubiae gain seven points to
distribute per level, and have 1.3x modifier to all stats from
their base value. Denizens of the Plains of Sana are well
versed in healing and have some regenerative properties.

The angel spoke, his voice a rich tenor, “Hark,

Daughter of Light, you have my service until the portal

fades. How may I serve?”

Hisako was clearly drained from such a powerful

summoning, “Break the spell that binds these three. Kill the

mage, and then all other bugbears and orcs that you can
reach!”

“As you wish, Daughter.” The angel simply raised a

hand and three gold beams shot out to Richter and the two

villagers. He collapsed to the ground, almost in ecstasy at

the lack of pain. He looked up a moment later to check on

the two villagers that had been caught in the spell. Neither

were moving. “Nooo,” he croaked. He cast Slow Heal on

the Air mage, but no glow surrounded the man. It was too
late. He couldn’t cast it again on the other man because of

the one-minute cool down for the spell, but he knew in his
heart that it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Two more of

his villagers were dead.

By the time he had recovered from the pain and failed

to heal the villager, the angel had reached the remaining

bugbears. Four warriors had been left to oppose the

seraphim, all standing in front of the mage. It didn’t matter.

The crystal sword struck down at one. It raised a shield to

block. The sword cut straight through the buckler however,

a single blow overcoming the shield’s durability. The blade

continued forward and bisected the body at angle. Before

either half had fallen, the angel spun and thrust his sword

through the throat of another, and yanked to the side. The

head was left attached by only a few tendons. The spin had
presented the wings to the two other bugbears. With a

forceful extension, each wing connected with a fighter

knocking them off their feet. With no other impediments,

the angel turned to the Dark mage.

 The mage was no fool however, and had started

casting as soon as the angel moved in his direction. A pool

of darkness welled up and surrounded the man like a

cocoon. When the crystal sword flashed into it, the pillar of

black dispersed like wisps of cloth on the wind. The angel

finished the two bugbears it had struck prone, and then flew

back to Hisako.

Sion and Daniella had managed to kill their opponents

now that they weren’t facing so many. The angel alighted in

front of Hisako, as the villagers came up behind Richter. It

was only then that he remembered his charmed bugbear.

Apparently it had come to stand with him after the villagers

had killed the four bugbears Alma had stunned. It had also

been caught in the Dark mage’s spell and had succumbed

to the life drain.

“The mage fled, Daughter,” the angel said in its strong

sure voice. “Would you have me pursue? The teleport he

used is only short range.”

“No,” she said. “Please heal all of us, and then go help

my people who are still fighting.” Blue flashes could still be

seen to the south.

“As you wish.” The hooded head bent, and he puts his

hands together with the sword held pointing up. A gold light
began in his hands and then infused into the sword bathing

a forty-foot area in light. Richter immediately felt his pain

diminish and he saw his health bar improving. He recovered

all of his lost health in only three seconds. He absolutely

had to get a healing spell like that! A quick look around

showed all of the injured villagers had been healed as well.

The dead, sadly, remained down.

“I go now Daughter, but advise you to join the fight.

My time here grows short.” He gestured to the gold portal

which had lost half of its bright intensity. The angel then
jumped into the air, and with a flap of his powerful wings,

flew towards the fighting at incredible speed.

The villagers looked around in shock at the dead bodies

of their friends and loved ones. Richter raised his voice,

“We will mourn soon, but right now we must finish this fight.

Our people are still in the longhouse and are running out of

time. Our brave allies are fighting for us right now to keep
still more of the invaders from getting to your families!

Anyone that can fight now is the time!”

With that short speech, Richter started running towards

the burning building. Hisako and the sprites were right

beside him, and he could hear the villagers close behind.

Running up one final rise in the land, the longhouse came

into view. The entire roof was ablaze and smoke came out
of the high air vents cut into the walls. The invaders were

no longer trying to break in, but instead simply waited

several yards back from the barred doors. They knew the
fire would succeed where they had failed, and that soon the

villagers inside would soon come running out. At least ten

were standing in front of the building.

Seeing them waiting to slaughter his people, Richter

flew into a rage.

*Alma!*

*Attack?*

*No,* he thought. *Kill!*

*Yesss!* came her happy and brutal reply.

 When they were only a seven yards away, the
bugbears finally caught sight of them. They noticed too late

because Richter was able to get close enough to cast

Grease again. He caught more than half in the AoE. As

they turned to meet the attack, they fell prone. He had

targeted his spell to the center of the attackers and so only

one still stood standing on the left and two on the right.
Alma dove from the left and targeted her psi attack at the

one still upright. Rather than continue her dive past,

though, she latched onto the bugbear’s head with four legs.

Clinging like a tick, her tail wrapped around her prey’s neck

securing her hold. The skirmisher reached up to pluck her

off, but Sion shot him with an imbued arrow. The damage

from the attack, coupled with whatever Alma was doing,

was apparently enough to overwhelm the bugbear’s psychic

defenses. The last sight Richter caught of the invader’s face

was of the eyes widened in absolute terror, as blood ran

freely out of his nose.

Sion and Daniella began targeting the fallen warriors

with imbued shots. Three were dead before they regained

their feet. Not to be outdone, Hisako fired off beams of light

at two bugbears once again leaving cauterized holes in the

bodies. They were dead before they struck the ground. The

villagers fell upon the remaining two standing bugbears and

literally tore them into pieces. The panic in his people knew

no bounds. They all feared their loved ones might be dead

in the building before them, and would let nothing stand in

the way of opening that door. Several of his people were so

blinded by rage that they had rushed forward and were

caught in the Grease spell as well. Rushing forward, it was

almost impossible to see the slightly darkened surface that

warned of the spell.

Once all of the attackers were dead. Richter ran up to

the door and shouted, “It’s Lord Richter. Come out! We

have killed the attackers!”

There was no response at first, but then there was a

scrabbling at the door. Richter heard a scrape, followed by

a loud thump, as something heavy hit the ground. Richter

pulled on one door while a dwarf villager pulled on another.

The heavy wood moved easily when confronted with his

strength. A cloud of black smoke came out blinding them all

momentarily.
 Richter was hit by a weak tackle. He was ready to

attack when he heard, “Thank you, my Lord! We would all

have died in a few more minutes!”

Richter blinked his eyes clear and saw he was holding a

high elf woman. She looked up with bloodshot eyes set in a

soot-stained face. She began to sob, clinging to him like he

was the last light in a suddenly dark world. He held her

awkwardly for a few seconds until another villager led her

away to make room for more people escaping the still-

burning building.

Someone shouted, “There are still some inside! They

were too weak to move! Help them!”

Richter ran inside hacking against the smoke. He

couldn’t see anything, but then Hisako cast a spell that shot

a dozen shining globes into the rafters of the longhouse.

Five bodies were on the ground. Richter ran to the closest.

He didn’t waste any time checking for life, but just picked

him up in a fireman’s carry and ran out of the door. He kept

running until he was ten yards away, and then put the body

down. He was going to go back, but he saw others had

taken the other bodies out. Besides as he watched, a
portion of the roof collapsed with a crackle. The structure of

the building had finally succumbed to the flames.

He looked back to the body he had drug out of the

flames. The smooth face of a young dwarf male looked

back at him. The eyes were half open and stared sightlessly

up. The dwarf hadn’t even been old enough to even start

growing a beard yet. Guilt and anger surged up from deep

within Richter. “Noooo!”

He cast Slow Heal, but again the spell couldn’t find

purchase on the body. Richter wasn’t done though. He

slammed a fist into the dwarf’s chest. He then started

compressing the dwarf’s chest. “One, two, three, four,” he

said under his breath in time with his exertions. After a

count of thirty, he moved to breathe into the dwarf’s mouth.

After tilting the dwarf’s head back, he placed his lips on the

young dwarf’s and blew forcefully into his mouth. Richter

blew a second breath into his lungs before he began to

compress the chest again.

 A small hand touched his shoulder. “He is gone

Richter,” Hisako said.

He ignored her. There was a lot he couldn’t control.

There were mistakes that he would make. Hell, this whole

attack was his fault! He would have to live with the

consequences of this night for the rest of his life. The

needless deaths of his people occurred because of his

carelessness, and he couldn’t change that. He would not let

THIS life go, though. One, two, three, four, … He breathed

into the dwarf’s mouth again.

He was starting his third round of compressions when

Hisako touched him again, “We need to keep fighting. Yoshi

needs out help! I am sorry for your loss, but…” Her words
trailed off.

The dwarf youth coughed. Richter couldn’t believe it!

It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard! Placing

a hand to the dwarf’s neck, Richter could feel a faint pulse!

It was weak and thread, but it was there. As he was

checking it faltered. It might go out at any moment.

“Hisako! Please heal him.”

 She was staring at the dwarf in shock, “But how… this
is impossible…”

“Hisako! Please,” Richter pleaded. She shook her head

to clear it and extended one hand. A golden glow

surrounded her hand and extended to the body of the dwarf.

The pulse grew strong under Richter’s hand and the

breathing eased. The dwarf lapsed into an easy sleep.

Once breathing normalized, she looked at Richter, “We

have much to discuss, Lord Richter.”

“Later,” he replied. “We need to help Yoshi.”

Turning to the villagers, he raised his voice, “All of you

who can stand support those who cannot. Those who can

fight, your job is to protect the other villagers and make

your way back up to the meadow. No arguments,” he said

sharply. Several of the villagers had opened their mouths to

protest at being sidelined, but they closed them quickly at

his tone.

Terrod had walked up while he was speaking. His

blackened face made it clear he had been trapped in the

building. “You heard Lord Richter. Let’s get moving!” The

man’s voice was scratchy from smoke inhalation, but it still

radiated authority. How much of that was due to the

Comradery ability, and how much was due to his learned

gravitas, Richter didn’t know, and he didn’t care. He

nodded his appreciation to Terrod, who simply nodded back.

His Companion turned away, and picking up an unconscious

villager, began walking towards the meadow north of the

village. Not wasting any more time, he just turned to Sion

and said, “Ready?”

The sprite nodded and they ran to the flashes of blue

light, Hisako and Daniella not far behind.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 8

Hisako cried out in outrage and pain. Six of her people

lay on the ground. Their bodies were bloodied and ruined.

More than one was decapitated. Eleven bugbears bodies

joined them in unnatural positions. None were moving. The

remaining ten sprites were split between firing out of the

village to keep the reinforcements out of the village or

attacking the knot of bugbears still inside walls. They were

outnumbered even if their attention had not been divided.

At least fifteen bugbears remained inside the earthwork

walls. The only reason the sprites had not been

overwhelmed was the presence of the angel. Zacharia was

battering with its crystal sword against an unseen barrier.

The Dark mage was straining to keep the defense in

place. He was down on one knee with both hands raised

above his head. The drain of maintaining the shield was

telling upon obvious. Next to the Dark mage was another

figure. She wore tight-fitting robes that in the light of

Hisako’s Blessed Light spell, looked more dark grey than

black. There was no submission in her face however, unlike

her comrade.

The grey-robed sorceress had dark grey skin and fine

features. Jet black hair hung loose and straight down her

back. She held a staff of braided black wood. The end was

pointed at the angel. Her face would have been considered

beautiful if not for the cruel snarl fixed upon it. She was five
and a half feet tall and her ears were upturned like an elf’s.

Even at a distance, her form fitting clothes showed off an

athletic and pleasing build.

All of this registered to Richter in a moment, but what

caught his attention was Yoshi’s battle with a bugbear

several inches taller than the other bugbears Richter had

fought. Aside from being bigger, he wore a mix of chain and

leather armor, not just the leather of the rest of the

attackers. He wielded a large sword. The blade swelled out

closer to the tip resembling an axe blade. In the other hand,

he held a heater shield. Analyze showed:

Name: Lif’alt. Bugbear Raider Level 24. Health 410. Mana
130. Stamina 430. Disposition: Enmity. Bugbears are the
result of sorcerous experimentation blending cave bears
with goblins. The race is naturally strong and hardy. They
are adept at hiding. Warlike to a fault, it takes a strong
leader to control them. Well known to incorporate other
races into their war parties. Bugbears obtain the title of
‘Raider’ by undergoing special training. Every raider has +3
to Strength and Constitution. They also have advanced
weapons training. Bugbears get one point to distribute per
level, and each level gives +1 to Strength, +1 to
Constitution, +1 to Dexterity, +1 to Endurance. Profession:
Warrior.

The steady banging of the angel against the two mages

shields provided a slow tempo. The movement of the two

Fighters though was faster by far. Everyone around them

fought in what looked like slow motion. Yoshi had two

blades out, held in either hand. Each was three feet long

and double-edged. The blades were one inch wide

uniformly until they tapered to a point. They glowed the

pale blue of a glacier. As Richter stared, the two exchanged

furious blows.

The raider swung his sword down in an overhand chop.

Rather than trying to block, Yoshi smacked his sword against

the flat of the falling blade while jumping slightly to the side.

The heavy weapon served as a relatively unmoveable

surface, allowing Yoshi to push himself out of the way.

Getting back on the ground, he spun in a circle both swords

lashing towards his opponent’s legs, using the form Samara

Seed Falls. The bugbear didn’t even try to dodge, and

instead just took the strikes on his iron greaves. Yoshi’s

swords left blue white splotches of ice against the iron but

did little else. In response, the raider thrust out with his

shield trying to bash the sprite. Yoshi had not stayed still

however, and used the momentum of his spin to continue

behind the invader. That was the idea anyway.

Seeing his shield bash fail, Lif’alt lowered his center of

gravity and pivoted on his front foot, keeping the shield

between himself and Yoshi. He activated Thrust, and his

heavy blade shot forward several times faster than it would

have by strength of arm alone. Richter’s breath caught in
his throat. At such a short range there should be no way

that Yoshi could dodge. Richter was wrong again.

Yoshi bent backwards at the waist almost to ninety

degrees, putting one leg behind him for balance. At the

same time he crossed his swords in front of him, catching

Lif’alt’s weapon in the crook of the two blue blades. The

other side of the angle they formed was only an inch from

Yoshi’s chest. The tip of the sword drew a drop of blood

from the end of the adept’s nose. Drawing his blades across

his body in a reverse scissoring motion, he pushed the

sword up and away. He straightened and he spun both of

his swords back into a guard position.

The two circled one another before resuming their

deadly dance. The raider led with his shield, with the sword

laid atop sticking towards Yoshi. Taking half steps forward,

he closed the distance and jabbed over the top of the shield.

Yoshi struck the sword away and swung the sword in left

hand over the shield. The bugbear had already retracted

his blade though, and was able to deflect the half sprite’s

strike. The two started to circle again, putting some space

between them.
 Lif’alt activated another Warrior ability, Lunge,

triggering an unexpected burst of speed. He crossed the six

feet in under a second, the sword leading with a straight

thrust. He followed this with a sideways slash, a shield bash

and then overhand chop. Yoshi barely dodged the first

strike and ducked under the second. Richter saw that the

bugbear had waited until Yoshi was backed up against a

large stone. The first two attacks of the combo had just

been a distraction! The shield bash connected and flung

Yoshi back. Richter resisted the impulse to look away from

the last attack that he was sure would cleave the half-

human in two.

Once again Richter had underestimated the sword

adept. The shield had indeed connected, but it had not

knocked Yoshi off balance. He used the force of the shield

bash like a spring board to propel him to the stone. He

quickly kicked off the large rock and jumped over the

bugbear.

The invader’s downward slash had brought his body

forward and made him bend down to a certain extent. As

Yoshi passed over the bugbear’s head, he stabbed down

with one sword, two feet of the icy blade entering just above

the clavicle. The blue blade sunk two feet vertically into his

opponent’s chest, leaving frost at the penetration site. A

startled grunt escaped the raider, but Yoshi was not done.

He maintained his grip on the imbedded sword, using it as a

fulcrum. He ended his flip by hanging crouched on his

enemy’s back. One hand was holding the handle of the

buried blade and his other sword was poised to strike. A

moment of stillness came and went, ending when Yoshi

thrust forward. The tip of his sword entered through the

base of the neck, traveled up at an angle, and then fangs,

blood and glowing blue metal exploded from the bugbear’s

mouth. That was how the story of Lif’alt ended.

Richter had been totally distracted by this battle

between two fighters and came back to himself with a start.

Though it had captivated his entire attention the fight took

less than one minute. The other bugbears upon seeing the
death of their strongest fighter seemed to deflate and lost

some of their intensity.

Death of an enemy Champion: -100 Fighting Spirit points for

enemy forces for the duration of the battle! +50 Fighting
Spirit points for allied forces for duration of battle.

He finally felt like the battle was going their way! The

only real question was… when would he stop making stupid

assumptions? The sudden absence of a particular sound
caught his attention, and he realized he could no longer

hear the angel’s sword banging upon the enemy wizards’

magic shield. Turning his head he saw the cherubiae raise

his crystal sword in salute to Hisako.

“Good luck, Daughter of Light.”

The angel faded from view, its time on this plane done.

Large cracks could be seen in the black shield that the

mages had huddled behind. The disappearance of

cherubiae created an unspoken cease fire. The remaining

bugbears broke off their attack on the remaining sprites,

backing up towards their casters. Their large shields were

dented from blocking imbued magic strikes. The sprites

broke off to form around Hisako and Richter. Yoshi stood in

front, both swords glowing softly blue in the darkness.

No one spoke at first, and the two groups just glared

daggers at one another. Richter took the opportunity to

drink several mana potions. Something about this particular
piece of land tickled his memory, but he stopped thinking of

it when the female caster said, “Hello Hisako. It has been a

long time.” Her voice was a sultry syrup. The kind of tones

that everyman thinks he wants to hear.

“Hello, Modara,” Hisako replied with venom in her

voice. Richter looked at her surprised. He hadn’t ever

thought he would hear such vehemence coming from the

kind and matronly sprite. Her face was a mask of stark

anger. Richter looked back at Modara who seemed amused

by the Hearth Mother’s fury. “You will not escape this time!”

Modara just laughed. She held up her staff, “I think you

might be overconfident, or do you not recognize what I am

holding?”

“I see your new bauble,” Hisako said in the same tone

as before. “I also saw how much you strained to keep the

angel at bay. There can’t be much mana left in it. You WILL
die!”

Yoshi spoke up, “Let me take her head now, Hearth

Mother! I know what this whore of darkness has done.”
 “Watch how you speak to your betters fool! I will drink

the fluid from your eyes,” she spat back at the sword adept.
Turning to look at Hisako again, she resumed her previous

languid tone of voice, “You are quite right Hisako. I have

used most of my reserves, but I have enough for one last

spell.”

Modara raised the staff in the air and shouted an

incantation. The sprites started firing at the mass of

bugbears, but they huddled behind their shields. Braced by

their massive strength, the shields protected them from

harm. The two casters were behind the warriors, and the
fighters seemed content to let Modara finish casting her

spell. After a few seconds, she let loose a shout and thrust
the staff into the air. Dark streamers of energy plunged into

the ground between the two groups. The earth immediately

started rumbling, and then a bony hand shot up, followed by

another and another. That was why this patch of ground

had seemed significant. It was where Richter and Sion had

burned the bodies of the goblins they had killed cleansing

the forest!
 Modara’s laugh rose into the air. “You really should be

more careful where you put a mass grave!”

In no time at all, dozens of skeletons had climbed out of

the ground. The sprites started firing at these new enemies,

and the first volley dropped several, but the Dark mage had

not been sitting idle. He finished his spell and dark tendrils
wrapped around each skeleton. Whereas before the sprites’

imbued arrows had caused the skeletons to collapse, now

they caused much less damage. The defenders would have

been overrun, but Hisako saved them again.

The Hearth Mother raised both arms in a “X” in front of

her face and then spread her arms wide. A large gold panel

like the ones she had cast before flashed into existence.
This was much larger however, and covered two dozen

yards in width and ten feet in height. She gave a second

and a third shout, each magical yell starting with making
another “X” and ending with an open armed stance. The

shield became more substantial and glowed brighter at the

end of each of her movements. The golden panel was a

formidable defense, but the strain of such a large shield was

clearly telling on the Hearth Mother’s face. Richter could
see the bugbears had joined the skeletons, and all were
beating against the wall of light.

Modara laughed again, “How long can you last Hisako?

And just how are you going to kill me after my minions rip
you into little pieces? Hahaha.” Hisako didn’t answer, the

stressed look on her face did that for her. Richter knew she
couldn’t last much longer. Both enemy casters began firing

dark beams of energy at the shield. The impact points of

their blasts created a fine series of cracks that grew by the

second.

Yoshi spoke up, “The Hearth Mother cannot fight on her

own. Form up! We will send these evil creatures to the hell

of their choosing. Foresuto No!”

The sprites responded, “Foresuto No!” Richter

translated the phrase silently, ‘For the Forest!’

He readied himself to fight. He wasn’t concerned about

his own life; he would be reborn. The thought of the sprites

dying though, filled him with horrible guilt. He couldn’t

even think about what would happen to the villagers once

the fighters were dead. He knocked an arrow to his bow and

prepared for Hisako’s shield to collapse. The sky began to
lighten as the assault continued against the gold plate,

making it even easier to see the wide spread cracks. It

wouldn’t be much longer.

Wait, lighten?! The sun was coming up! Richter

accessed the town interface and checked the mana

available. 517! With his personal mana pool he was over

800! He began to laugh. First the sprites, then the

bugbears, and then the casters, started to stare at him. The

only person that didn’t seem to notice was Hisako, who was
fully committed to their defenses.

Modara shouted, “Do you think the sun will save you
idiot? You’ll be dead before it is fully up!”

Richter held up his middle finger. “Modara,” he paused

to make sure he had her attention, “you’re fat.” She looked

at him with utter shock on her face, then her expression

twisted into something truly ugly. She screamed in rage.
The magical attack from her outstretched hand grew thicker
and darker. Richter just laughed evilly, and then threw his

hands up above his head. He cast Confusing Mist.

 Thick mist shot out of his body in all directions. It
penetrated the golden shield and continued on. Visibility

was soon zero for everyone present. He concentrated this

time, and mentally focused on making the mist permeate to
the boundaries of his domain without leaving a clearing in
the middle. As the mist flew faster and faster, he selected
all of the sprites and gave them immunity. He also thought

of Alma giving her immunity as well. The skeletons had

continued to pound at the shield, but the bugbears had
stopped in confusion and the two streams of black magic
had stopped as well.

Richter moved to Yoshi, “We need to retreat with

Hisako. Tell everyone to be as quiet as possible so that we

can loose them in the mists.” The sword adept nodded and
spoke quickly to the other sprites. All shouldered their
bows, and Sion came to stand next to Richter. Alma
alighted on his shoulders hissing at the enemies on the
other side of the golden shield. A glowing grey orb was also

floating thirty feet away. Richter shouted, “Futen!”

The orb flowed towards Richter, “Yes, my Lord?” The

remnant’s deadpan voice sounded even stranger than

normal against the screams of outrage and bloodlust
coming from their foes. Modara’s voice rose above the

others as she threatened the bugbears with painful deaths if

they let Hisako flee.

“We need to escape. We are going to run as silently as

possible. Lead them off in another direction by imitating our
voices.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

At a nod from Yoshi, Richter picked up the Hearth

Mother and began running. They quickly reached the range

of her ability to maintain the shield, which shattered to

golden pieces. She cried out at the spell backlash and
lapsed into unconsciousness. The fragments dissipated
before striking the ground. As soon as the wall was down,

the skeletons and bugbears surged forward. Blasts of black

energy shot in their general direction. One caught a sprite
in the shoulder throwing him to the ground. The brave
fighter didn’t make a sound however and regained his feet

quickly. Yoshi moved to support him, and they all continued

forward. The increased agility of the sprites let them
outstrip the bugbears and skeletons. After a minute, voices

issued well to the left, and the sounds of pursuit followed it.
Once again Futen’s ruse was working.

They ran for another five minutes until there were no

sounds behind them. Stopping to assess, Richter looked at

Hisako. She still had not regained consciousness, but she
didn’t seem to be in any distress. He waved to two of the
sprites and whispered furiously, “Take the Hearth Mother to

the meadow. Stay there and protect them all.” He carefully

handed over her body. A thought occurred to Richter, and
he spent a few seconds giving immunity to the sprites that
were guarding the villagers and all of the villagers he could

remember.

Sion came close and asked softly, “What do we do now,

Richter?” Yoshi and the other sprites looked at him as well.

He looked at his best friend, and the other fighters with

a harsh glare, “We kill them all.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 9

Yoshi made eye contact and nodded once. Bows were

unlimbered, and the fighters walked back towards the

distant sounds. There was more blood to be spilled. Yoshi

separated the remaining sprites into three teams. The order

for the other two groups was to find pockets of attackers.

They would fire and retreat, using the concealment of the

mists for protection. Richter advised all of them about the

properties of his spell.

“They won’t be able to see you unless you get too

close, within five or ten feet. Once you attack though it

negates the enchantment for a short while. Also, if you

imbue an arrow, they may be able to detect you despite the

mists. If that happens retreat until they lose sight of you,

and then attack again. They ALL die!” The sprites had no

objections. They had lost treasured friends and comrades.

 The final group was comprised of Yoshi, Richter, Sion,

Daniella, and a fifth sprite named Red. Richter guessed it

was because he was wearing a red shirt. When Daniella had

asked what their mission was Yoshi had simply said one

word, “Modara.”

They all moved off into the mists following the distant

sounds of shouts. Richter had handed out his last mana

regeneration potions to his group. They drank the potions

on the run. Each group separated from the others as they

ran. Being able to see through the mists meant the sprites
could move much faster than the bug bears. It wasn’t long

before Richter saw blue flashes in the distance to his left,

followed by shouts of pain. Thirty seconds later a similar

scene unfolded to their right. Yoshi didn’t pause. He kept

running with the rest of his party right behind him. They

passed two more pockets of enemies, but still the half

human didn’t slow. He wanted the Death mage.

They finally found the hooded caster at the boundary of

the village. She and the black robed mage were surrounded

by five skeletons and three bugbears. The rest must have

gotten lost in the Confusing Mist. Richter expected Yoshi to

rush in, but he waved them to stop once they had found

their quarry. The mages would most likely already be gone

if not for the trench. Bugbears on the other side were

bringing up another make shift bridge though. The casters

would escape in mere minutes.

Yoshi turned to Richter, “We need to remove one of the

casters quickly. If we imbue our arrows, they’ll see us and I

don’t think we can stand against both Modara and the Dark

Mage. Do you have a way to take one out quietly?”

Richter thought for a moment going through his skills

and spells. Nothing came to mind except… He pulled an

arrow out his bag of holding with a smile. Yoshi looked at

and then smiled in return.

Arrow of Stun. Chance to stun target for 3-5 seconds.

“This will do,” the sword adept said. Turning to the

other sprites, he said, “Poison your arrows. The first two

volleys will be done without imbuing. After that, just fight

well. Do not risk yourselves unnecessarily, but you all know

what that dark elf bitch took from the Hearth Mother. The

goal is to kill her. All else is secondary. Lord Richter has a

stun arrow. Red and I will approach them from the south.

You begin firing from the north. The signal for both attacks

is when the first caster falls to the stun arrow. Lord Richter I
suggest you target the weaker caster, the Dark Mage. The

risk of Modara resisting the effects of the arrow is too great.

I will finish her myself,” he said as he held his two blades.

They quickly rebuffed, and then Richter gave the

dangerous sword adept a simple nod. Richter took aim on

his target. Yoshi and Red faded to the left while Sion and

Daniella moved to the right. Counting to ten to allow

everyone to get into position, Richter then drew his bow

back and sighted on the black robed Dark mage. His

breathing slowed. He drew in a final breath, and then let

loose his bow with his exhale.

The arrow pierced the Dark mage in the chest. The

simple robes she was wearing were no match for Richter’s

Recurve Bow of the Wood Sprite. It penetrated and she

collapsed to the ground not moving. At the same time,

Alma swooped down releasing a burst of psychic power that

made Modara shriek, and two of the bugbears drop to their

knees screaming. Sion and Daniella sank arrows into and
the final bugbear. One sank found a home in his furry

throat, and he fell back with a wet gurgle. The critical strike

coupled with the poison on the arrow heads ensured he

would not rise again.

Modara thrust her staff at Alma in a rage, unleashing a

dark destructive beam. Much to Richter’s relief however,

his agile familiar was able to avoid the attack and flew off

into the mist. Thank god she had cast Haste again! The

skeletons started moving towards Sion and Daniella. That

was when Yoshi attacked. He flew into their midst and his

twin swords flashed in every direction. Bones flew off as he

deconstructed the skeletons piece by piece. The Dark

magic that had initially made the undead stronger had since

faded.

Red ran into the fray, swinging his sword. He was able

to dodge the swings of the skeletons easily. The Dark mage

was starting to rise, but Yoshi broke off his attack on the

undead and stabbed him in the heart. With his death, the

remaining skeletons dropped to the ground in a clatter of

bones. Sion and Daniella’s Imbued strikes were keeping

Modara huddled behind a spherical purple-black shield. She

was chanting a spell, and with a shout her hand extended

out in a claw. Two beams made of silver black fire shot from

the chests of both bugbears to her hand. Pulses shot from

their bodies towards Modara, and the energy gathered in an

expanding ball centered on her hand. The two bodies slowly

rose into the air, as their life energies were drained away by

the Death mage. Unfortunately, Red’s dash brought him

within the radius of Modara’s spell as well, and a third tether

shot from his chest. The sprite’s back arched in spasm.

Yoshi yanked his gaze up from the Dark mage’s body

and seeing Red being attacked reared back and threw his

sword at Modara. Seeing him start his motion she snarled

and yanked her arm down. The black ball of energy became

a tear in space that she fell through. The tear closed and
Yoshi’s sword flew through the space she had occupied only

a moment before. The bodies of Red and the two bugbears

dropped to the ground. Yoshi said nothing as he walked

stiffly to where his sword had fallen. Richter ran over Red,

but there was nothing to be done. The sprites skin was pale

and cold. His expression was frozen in a rictus of pain.

 Sion and Daniella joined Richter looking at their red-

shirted fallen comrade. Yoshi started walking towards the

trench. The area that Modara and the others had been

trying to cross was actually not far from the ruined gate.

The original bridge was just to the side of the gate, and

would have given them an easy escape from the village it

only they had seen it through the mist. Yoshi sheathed his

swords and picked up one corner of the heavy log bridge.

He looked back at them, “Come.”

“Come where,” Sion asked with sadness in his voice.

He was kneeling beside Red, holding the dead sprite’s hand.

“Modara has gone. Probably miles away if she is even still

on this plane! Where are we going,” Sion’s voice was
stressed and fatigued.

Yoshi put the corner of the bridge down and pointed at

Red’s body, “They all die. Come.”

The sword adept walked back to the bridge and picked

up the same corner again. Daniella, Sion, and Richter all

looked at each then followed and picked up a corner. If

Richter was being honest with himself, his desire for blood
and vengeance had been extinguished. The original order
had been his, however, and he wouldn’t have others fighting

while he rested. They extended the wooden bridge out over

the trench, and then crossed out of the village into the wild

forest beyond. They began to hunt. Even years later they

never discussed what happened after they crossed the

trench, but not one bugbear left the mist alive.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 10

It was afternoon by the time the four made it back to

the village. Once their bloody task was completed, they had

all waded into the river. None of them had wanted to

reenter the village covered in gore. Richter had retrieved

the better weapons and armor from the slain invaders, but
even his Bag of Holding was not large enough to hold them

all. He mentally made marks on his Traveler’s Map so that

all of the gear could be recovered. The map would also

serve to help gather the bodies as well. In addition to being

a health risk, Richter believed that even enemies were

entitled to proper disposal of their bodies. In this case, they

would all just be placed in a pit and burned, but it was still

better than being left for the animals. The loot from the

bugbears was nothing amazing. Most of the gear was

standard, but Richter did find several potions of healing
which would come in handy. They crossed the bridge,

pulling it in behind them.

The Dark mage offered better loot.

You have found: Magic Ring. Durability 12/12. Item class:

Uncommon. Quality: Average. Weight 0.1 kg.

You have found: Magic Ring. Durability 11/11. Item class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight 0.1 kg.

You have found: Magic Ring. Durability 25/25. Item class:

Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight 0.1 kg.

You have found: Apprentice Dark Mage Robes. Defense +

12 (additional +15 vs magical attack). Durability 20/20.
Item class: Common. Quality: Average. Weight 2.8 kg.

You have found: Magic Amulet. Durability 20/20. Item

class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight 0.3 kg.

You have found: Magic wand. Attack 4-6. Durability 17/17.

Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb. Weight 0.2 kg.

You have found: Minor Mana Potion x 4. Taking this will

restore 40 mana points over 6 seconds.
 He was well familiar with the blue mana motions and so

could identify them by sight. Richter would need Futen to

identify the other items whenever he turned up. Despite

having spent several nights reading the Lore book, he had

yet to achieve the skill to identify unknown magical items.

The remnant had found them after they had crossed out of
the village, and had been instrumental in locating enemies

throughout the morning. If it wasn’t for Futen and the Sion’s

tracking skill, they would never have found all of the them.

After the last bugbear was killed, Richter had sent Futen

back to the Quickening. The remnant was to inform

everyone that the attack force had been defeated, and then

to keep watch at the base of the hill leading to the meadow.

He would serve as an early warning in case any enemies

were still hidden and tried to attack the noncombatants.

The four walked slowly through the village passing the

bodies invaders and defenders alike. Each one was marked

on Richter’s map, but not even Yoshi had the emotional

wherewithal to deal with the bodies of the dead after the

morning they had had. Richter felt a painful stab of guilt

every time he passed one of his villagers that would never

wake again. He took his mind off of it by examining his

combat log. Experience was allocation seemed to be

different in larger battles. Any enemy that he killed directly

he received experience for, but it also seemed he received

varying amounts of experience if he helped in the kill at all.

Trying to figure out the math was giving him a headache, so

he closed his log again.

They walked until they reached the top of the hill

leading to the Quickening. A sea of saddened and weary

faces greeted him. The sprites stood around Hisako. The

Hearth Mother was now awake and stared at Richter with

sympathy. Her empathy touched him. That she could

understand his pain and guilt, when her own people had

died as well, moved him deeply. He knew that he needed to

remain strong though. Sensing his turmoil, Alma landed on

his shoulders offering him her warmth and support.

Terrod stepped forward, “Has the danger passed,

Richter? Are we safe?”

He looked back at his Companion, “They are gone. We

killed all that we could and the defenses are back in place.”
 One of the villagers shouted, “Here here! Cheers to

Lord Richter! Cheers to our savior!” The villagers took up

the cry. All except those who had the vacant look of numb

loss. Several families had been irrevocably damaged, and

nothing would bring their loved ones back. One mother

held a small doll which she gazed at, slowly stroking its hair

and murmuring to herself.

Richter couldn’t stand having them cheer him for

stopping an attack that he had allowed to happen in the first

place. “Stop, stop! Do not praise me! This is my fault!

Because of my arrogance and impatience our defenses were

lowered. It was me! I chose to dispel the protective

enchantment. I assumed that our location and our trench

would protect us. I was wrong.” He walked over to the

woman mourning the loss of her daughter, “I’m sorry.”

With those words, his walls came down. He hadn’t

been able to face the complex emotions that had arisen

over the last hours of battle. There hadn’t been time. The

needs of the moment had helped him to compartmentalize,

but saying those simple words broke him down. He reached

out and held the woman holding the doll. She looked at his
face and began to sob. Unnoticed tears began to stream

down his face as well. She clutched the doll to her chest as

if it was the child she had just lost. The two of them slowly

crumpled down to the ground. He didn’t know how long he

sat there with the survivors of the attack. After a time,

though, a hand touched his shoulder. Looking up from the

embrace he shared with the grieving mother, he saw the

faces of Wisteria and Poltan.

Both were elders of their people, Wisteria was a high elf

and Poltan was a hill dwarf. Richter had met with both of

them a month before in the Kingdom of Yves. He had

convinced them that his village was a chance for a better

life, and they in turn had convinced their people to come.

Looking up into their faces, he braced himself for the

condemnation that he knew he deserved. Instead of

berating him though, Wisteria just placed her hand gently

against his cheek.

“Before you came to us, we were struggling to feed our

children. The laws of Yves were crushing us, and it was

becoming shamefully common for our men to be wantonly

killed or our women abused. Nothing was done about it by

the authorities because they saw us as less than human.

That changed the day that you came to speak to us. You

didn’t promise a miracle or a perfect life. Instead, you

offered us the chance to rise or fall based on our own

merit.” Wisteria’s voice was soft and understanding.

Poltan spoke after her, “If I remember correctly you

said, ‘I make no promises for the future, but I do promise

that if you come with me, we will meet it together.’ Today

when we were attacked, you didn’t look to save yourself,

you plunged into danger. You fought and defeated those

that were a threat to us. And,” the hill dwarf paused. When

he continued his voice was thick with emotion, “you saved

my son, Dargren.” Poltan gestured to a reclining figure
behind him. It was the dwarf Richter had used CPR on.

Dargren looked exhausted and worn, but was alive. When

he noticed Richter’s attention, he smiled weakly and raised

his arm in greeting.

Wisteria withdrew her hand from Richter’s cheek. She

offered a hand to help him stand up. He gently disengaged

from the woman he had been holding. She stood as well,

and then shuffled over to some of her kin who held her in
turn. Richter accepted the offered hand and stood. Her grip
was sure and reassuring.

Poltan spoke again, “It is easy for us to forget your

youth when we are confronted with the knowledge that you
are Master of a Place of Power. You made a mistake, and it

was a terrible one. It had real consequences, and as a

result, lives were lost. You will have to live with this forever.

Nothing you do will ever undo what happened here tonight.”

Richter would not have thought it possible, but his heart

sunk even lower with the dwarf’s words. He didn’t try to

deny it, though. He deserved these words of recrimination

and more. So much more. Poltan wasn’t done speaking

though, “If I guess correctly though, you have gained in

wisdom tonight.” He looked at Alma, “And perhaps you

have gained a great deal more as well. Know that you do

not need to make every decision alone. If you but ask, we

will readily give our counsel and help. Either way however,

if your offer remains to stand with us come what may, then

we will stand with you.”

Richter looked around at all the faces around him.

Many of the villagers nodded to show agreement with

Poltan’s words. The rest at least looked at him with
acceptance. Terrod gave him a small smile while he held

Isabel, and Sion moved to stand beside him. The sprite

didn’t say anything, but then he didn’t need to. They had

been through fire and death together. They would always

stand together.

Richter squared his shoulders and set aside his self-pity.

His guilt would be with him for some time to come, but

Poltan was right. He had made a mistake. He had

forgotten that this was not a game. He had been so

wrapped up in the loot of the Tome, and so eager to use his

cool new ‘toy,’ that he had sacrificed the safety of his
people. He would have to live with that.

A mistake was not all he had made, however. He had

also made a promise to stand with these people come what

may. He couldn’t undo what had happened, but he could

start preparing for the future. It was time to get back to
work.

He was about to address everyone, when a prompt

clouded his vision. The notification symbol in the corner of
his vision was blinking indicating that at least one other

message had appeared, and been auto-minimized during

the course of the battle. He was about to minimize this one

as well to just deal with them all later, but the interface was
a silvery color that he hadn’t seen in a prompt before.

Congratulations! Your actions on behalf of your village have

awarded you your first Tenets! A Tenent is achieved when a
preset series of conditions are met. The Tenent will provide
certain qualities or privileges to your settlement. At the
current level of your village, you may have: one Tenent. At
the next level, you may have two Tenets. All previous
Tenets can be replaced at the time of the village leveling.

Congratulations! You have been awarded the Tenent: Don’t

mess with Texas I! You have been attacked, and taught
those fools a serious lesson! Specifically, less than 10% of
those who started the attack lived to see another day.
Defense +10% in future attacks, small chance of future
attackers acquiring ‘Fear’ status when faced with your
merciless forces.
Congratulations! You have been awarded the Tenent: An
Honorable Ruler I! You have made an error that negatively
impacted your settlement. More importantly, however, you
acted in a way that was consistent with your conscience.
You were honest with your people and admitted your fault.
As a result they will trust you more and feel more
comfortable relying upon you. Loyalty for all inhabitants
increased by +0.5 per day.

Would you like to assign a Tenent now? If you do not, then

one will be randomly assigned in one week. Yes or No?

Richter shook his head. His first impulse was to choose

the first prompt. Right now all he could think about was

protecting his people, but he resisted the urge to act

impulsively. That was the kind of the action that had led to

the attack. He would have to learn more about both

options. He decided to deal with it later. What he needed
to do was take care of his people. There were tasks in front

of them that needed to be completed.

Richter started speaking, “Okay then. This is what we

do.” Over the next several minutes he outlined tasks for

everyone that was able to help. Even the children were
given assignments. He detailed several of those more

comfortable with weapons to go stand guard around the

trench. The defenses may have been back up, but Richter
wouldn’t take chances again. Randolphus thankfully had

survived the attack and assured Richter that a guard

rotation would be setup around the clock. Quasea, the

gnome Dark magic adept, promised to cast Night Vision on

the guards for the night shifts. A quick request to Yoshi also

got him a detail of sprites to sweep the village and

surrounding land a final time, to ensure no other enemies

were near.

He then tasked several of the villagers with collecting

the bodies of their fallen comrades. The enemy bug bears

would be left for the Mist Workers. Sumiko said she would

aid with the disposal of the bodies. There was apparently a

simple blessing that would keep the corpses from being

resurrected in the future. He instructed Futen to summon

as many of the workers as possible as quickly as possible,
but to pay special attention to having the full four hundred
mana needed at midnight to pay the upkeep of Confusing
Mist. Futen responded with his customary, “Yes, my Lord.”

He asked Sion to make more potions, specifically as

many mana potions as possible. It was time to put the

superb quality alchemy set he had bought to good use.

Thankfully another sprite said he was skilled in Herb Lore,

and an arcane gnome said he was quite skilled at potions.

Unless they could make their own mana and health potions,

the only other source would be to wait until they got a

shipment from Leaf’s Crossing. That would take at least a
month. That brought him to the next important issue.

He asked Shiovana to go with the sprites once they

went outside of the city walls. He needed to know if work

done on the ship had been destroyed or not. Connection to

the outside world was of the utmost importance. He also
asked several of the farmers to go on the same trip and
check the crops.

The children that had shown skill with Herb Lore were
to sweep the meadow with Sion or the other sprite and help

collect herbs for potion making. The rest of the villagers

were to salvage whatever could be useful from the fallen
invaders and the ruins of the longhouse. Terrod was in

charge of that group. His ability to get along with people

would make this day go much easier. It might also soften
the realization that they would all be staying in the rooms
off of the Great Seal until another longhouse could be built.

Elora flew up while he was talking. She felt terrible that

she had not been helpful during the attack. In turn, Richter
just apologized for putting her in danger. He assured her

that her only task was to live and grow. She seemed to feel
better after their short talk, and flew over to hover by
Hisako. Richter checked in with the Hearth Mother, who
besides being a bit tired, appeared to be none the worse for

wear. She agreed to rest in Richter’s quarters for at least

the next couple of hours. Yoshi and a few other sprites
would stand guard. She protested it wasn’t necessary, but
the adept was not to be budged on this matter.

Richter addressed the group of human and nonhuman

villagers once again, “Thank you for everything! We will
rebuild. I promise you that. When you first arrived here, I

chose not to include all of you in the immunity to the mists.

Right or wrong, I own up to that decision. We are in a
different place now, though. We rise, or fall, together. I

trust you all with the safety of our village. I will work to
keep us safe. Make sure you do the same.” Richter’s voice
took on a heavy tone, and he drew his glass dagger, “I
swear to you that this attack will be avenged. I will find the

rest of those responsible. They are already dead; they just

don’t know it yet!” He drew his dagger against his palm and
showed the blood to his people. Hisako gasped a weak,
“No,” but the deed was done. Richter squeezed his fist

shut, and the first drop of blood dripped down and struck
the ground. There was rumble of thunder.

Know This! You have made a Blood Oath of Vengeance. In

The Land, your words have meaning. You have one year to
enact vengeance on the attackers of your village. If you do
not accomplish this, the anger in your heart will poison your
soul. This soul sickness will cause the loss of one Charisma
per week until your vengeance is complete. Any losses will
be permanent.

You have received a Mark: Blood Oath of Vengeance.

 A tingling began all over his body and swept over him

until it concentrated on his inner right wrist. Looking down,

he saw a red diamond with skull inside of it. A slight glow
was in the center of the eyes. It faded from view in a few
seconds.

Richter could live with the countdown. Whoever was

responsible for this attack would be lucky to make it a year.
As far as the physical Mark … He would figure out what it

meant and deal with that too. He was preparing to leave

the meadow when he heard someone say “Through service,
ascendance.” The other villagers answered together in a
shout, “Through dedication, transcendence!” Yes, Richter

thought, I will protect these people. In fact…

“My people! Before you leave to start your tasks, I

would like to make an offer. If any of you wish it, I will use

my power as an Air Master to awaken any Air magic you

have inside of you.”

His announcement drew a sharp intake of breath from

most of those present, and everyone started talking at once.

He could only awaken Air magic in those who had over 50%
affinity for that school of Power. Just because they had over

50% did not mean they would ever naturally manifest

though. With Richter’s intervention, however, anyone over
50% was guaranteed to be able to cast spells. His
pronouncement raised such an uproar because knowledge

and magical power were jealously guarded secrets in Yves.

Only the rich or powerful would be able to be taught magic
without a lifetime pledge of service to the King or one of the
magical guides. It was like Richter had just offered a chance

for a free ride to Harvard (or somewhere even better like

Dartmouth or Morehouse), to EVERYONE in the glade!

The quickly formed a line, and as each passed by he

placed his left hand on their heads’ and his right hand on
their hearts. He would then murmur, “By the Right of My
Power, I Awaken Your Power.” For most nothing happened,
and they would leave with a disappointed, but grateful

expression on their faces. In no less than thirty one

villagers though, eleven of them children, he felt the same
warmth he had experienced when he had awoken Sion’s
power. The feeling would emanate from the center of his

chest and flow down his arms into the man, woman or child,
and find a resonance within them. For only a few hours of

work, he now had thirty-one new Air novices in his village.

Each of them were pulled aside from their duties, and
Randolphus documented their affinities, and any starting
spells they were granted.

Most of the villagers only received one spell or none. It

seemed like it was tied to their affinity however, and five

villagers with affinities above 90% at skill level one,

received two spells. For the most part, the spells were the
same as what Richter had started with, Haste and Errant
Wind, but a few received spells that Richter didn’t have.
Randolphus’s descriptions were exact.

Glitterdust! This spell will create a 5x5 foot area of shining

sharp dust. Anyone caught in the AoE will suffer certain
effects. Effect 1: Hidden creatures will be revealed. Effect
2: Chance to blind creatures susceptible to such attacks.
This is a spell of Air Magic. Cost: 30 mana. Duration: 1 min.
Range: 10 feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 30
seconds.
Air Push! This spell creates a column of air ten feet in front
of you, one foot in diameter. Does no real damage, but will
knock enemies back and possible prone. This is a spell of
Air Magic. Cost: 15 mana. Duration: 1 second. Range: 10
feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 2 min.

Gentle Rain! This spell summons a small rainstorm. This

can be cast inside. This is a spell of Air Magic. Cost: 40
mana. Duration: 20 min. Range: 100 yards. Cast Time: 5
min. Cool Down: 1 hour.

Some of the spells were very useful! Glitterdust would

have been indispensable in the attack on the Night Daggers.

At the very least, it might have kept Richter from being
shived in the back. The Air Push was also a good offensive
spell, and as far as Gentle Rain… Richter smiled, he had a

feeling that the crops would always have what they needed.

To finish increasing the Air magic skill of his villagers,

he had a group teaching session. When he was done, all

thirty-one Air novices knew at least, Haste and Errant Wind.
He left them with the instruction to practice their new
powers every day. Unfortunately, they could not teach
Richter their spells, but at least someone knew them, he
thought. When he was done, he started walking down the
hill.

As Richter was turning away, Sion asked him, “What

are you going to be doing, my friend?”

Richter stopped his movement, and instead placed his

hand on his Companion’s shoulder, “It’s time to get
stronger.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 11

Richter handed his map to the sprites that would be

sweeping the village, and the lands beyond. Futen had
already summoned four Mist Workers that would accompany
the sprites and retrieve the bodies. As he was walking down
the hill, he asked Sion to join him in the Great Seal room once
he had retrieved enough herbs to get started on making
potions. Hisako, Yoshi and several other sprites followed him
intending to go into the catacombs to rest. Alma flew in lazy
circles above his head and Futen floated along behind. While

they walked. Richter examined all of the combat prompts he

had gained during the battle.

Congratulations! You have received racial bonus Level I vs

bugbears. +3% attack and defense bonus when fighting
bugbears. Kill total 100 bugbears to reach next level.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill: War Leader. Your
presence will now be seen as a rallying point in war. Those
around you will fight harder. Base distance for bonus is radius
of 10 yards from War Leader. Take a prominent role in larger
battles to increase this skill. Being a War Leader automatically
qualifies you as a Champion in battles.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in War Leader.

+1% effective distance. +1% attack and defense for all allies.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Archery.

+2% bonus to aim. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 3 in Focus.

+2% bonus to aim. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 7 in Light Armor.

+2% bonus to aim. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 3 in Grace in

Combat. Dodge increased by 12%.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 4 in Grace in

Combat. Dodge increased by 13%.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 3 in Earth Magic.

New spells now available.
Congratulations! You have reached skill level 3 in Life Magic.
New spells now available.

Your familiar has performed her special attack: Brain Drain.

She can latch onto the mind of an enemy, and drain its
thoughts and experiences. The minds of other creatures are
not meant to undergo this, and the affected creature will
suffer an ongoing drop in health, mana and stamina while she
continues her attack. Additionally, the mental attack will
cause confusion and disorientation, in already weakened or
low-level creatures it will create a stunned status. Brain Drain
requires her whole focus however, and she will essentially be
helpless while performing the attack. If the creature expires
while the attack is in place, she will absorb 1% of the its total
accumulated experience. Her master will also receive 1% of
the target’s experience.

You have been award 521 (base 41,723 x 0.01 x 1.25)

experience from Brain Drain against Level 8 Bugbear.

The first prompt raised mixed feelings in Richter. Having

it reported in black and white that he had taken more than

twenty-five lives was not something he was proud of. At the

same time though, they weren’t the first deaths he had

caused since coming to The Land. They most certainly

wouldn’t be the last. It was the last combat prompt that truly
fascinated him, though. It raised some very interesting

possibilities. If Alma could target some high level enemies

with Brain Drain, he could really power level!

The combat play by play wasn’t all that was awaiting his
perusal. Apparently, the destruction the bugbears had caused

made a measurable effect.

You have lost the 100% of the constructed shelter for your
people. This occurred during an attack, and so your people
will be understanding. If you do not build another shelter
within one week however, the morale of your people will
decrease by 5 per day to a maximum loss of 50. Shelter is a
basic tenant of survival. You will not receive the bonus to
morale that you initially did upon completing your shelter.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, Richter thought

to himself. When they got back to the catacombs, Richter saw

Hisako to his room to rest. Rather than leave, he stopped by

the bedside. The other sprites also stayed because him, and

Yoshi looked at him questioningly. Not wasting anytime, he

spoke, “I am so thankful for everything you have done for us.

I am equally sorry about the loss of life you have had to

endure to do it. I have little to offer, but I would like to offer

this. I will try to awaken Air Magic in you,” he said to Hisako,

“and any of your warriors.”

She looked at him surprised. Even after seeing him

invest his magic into his people, it had not occurred to her

that he would make the sprites the same offer. The ‘every

man for himself’ philosophy seemed heavily entrenched in

The Land. Well, that was something he would change. He

preferred the motto of enlightened self-interest. Richter

wasn’t a push over, but he did believe that by serving the

interests of friends and allies, he would ultimately be

furthering his own interests.

“This is not necessary, Lord Richter. We are allies. It is

our honor to fight by your side!”

“I know, Lady Hisako,” he replied just as formally. There

was a time for friendship, but right now he was operating as

the leader of his people. He was extending a potential

weapon to an ally. In truth, he should have done this before.

“I offer this freely.”

 “You do not know how precious the gift that you offer is,

however. It is not to be done lightly.”

“It is not, Hearth Mother. Will you accept what I offer?”

She nodded her head in acquiescence. Richter walked

forward and placed his hands upon the Hearth Mother. He

soon felt the magic intertwine with her soul, and she opened

her eyes an Air mage novice. He smiled and was about to

extend the same offer to the other sprites, but she caught his

hand in a surprisingly strong grip.

“I offer this freely as well,” she said her hands extended.

Understanding what she offered, Richter bowed his head and

bent down. “By the Right of My Power, I Awaken Your Power,”

she breathed, and Richter felt for the first time, what he had

made others feel. Much of it was indescribable, but it felt like

his soul was a house with many rooms. Some were darkened,

but in one a light had now been kindled. Forever on from this
day, he would be… more.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Light Magic.

Increasing your skill will allow you to cast more advanced
spells.
 He thanked her profusely, and then they taught each
other the spells that they could.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Simple Light!

Creates a ball of white light that will hover above your head,
moving with you. This is a spell of Light Magic. Cost: 2 mana.
Duration: 10 minutes. Range: Self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cool
Down: N/A.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Far Light!

Creates a ball of white light that can be fixed to a distant
surface. This is a spell of Light Magic. Cost: 5 mana.
Duration: 10 minutes. Range: 100 yards. Cast Time: 1
second. Cool Down: N/A.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Mirror! Creates

a 6x3 foot reflective surface. This is a spell of Light Magic.
Cost: 15 mana. Duration: 1 minute. Range: 10 feet. Cast
Time: 1 second. Cool Down: N/A.

Once they were done, Richter tried to teach Air magic to

the other sprite warriors. Only three were able to learn, but

Hisako was surprised even at that. She told him that seeing

thirty-one of his people being able to become Air novices was

shocking. Apparently magical affinity was nowhere near that
common. Also various races were known for a predisposition

to certain magical schools. According to Hisako, meeting a

dwarf Air caster, when Air was the natural opposite to their
racial predisposition of Earth magic, was strange to say the

least! The only explanation she could come up with was that

it was due to everyone’s exposure to the birth of the

Quickening.

When they were done, Richter finally left Hisako to rest,

and then walked back into the Great Seal room. “Futen.”

“Yes, my Lord?”

“I need help with identification.” Richter pulled out the

items from the Dark mage. The grey orb flared with an inner
white light, and then Richter reexamined the items.

You have found: Ring of Health. Durability 12/12. Item class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight 0.1 kg. +20 to
Health.

You have found: Ring of Minor Mana. Durability 11/11. Item

class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight 0.1 kg.
+10 to Mana.
You have found: Ring of Flowing Thought. Durability 25/25.
Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight 0.1 kg. +20% mana
regeneration.

You have found: Apprentice Dark Robes. Defense + 8

(additional +12 vs magical attack). Durability 18/20. Item
class: Common. Quality: Average. Weight 2.8 kg. +10% Dark
magic resistance.

You have found: Amulet of Minor Mana. Durability 20/20.

Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight 0.3
kg. Mana +10.

You have found: Wand of Dark Bolts. Attack 4-6. Durability

17/17. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb. Weight 0.2
kg. Casts spell Dark Bolts. Charge 0/50.

Hmmm. Most of the items were no better than what he

already had. He was already wearing eight rings. In the game

that was the max that could be worn. Might as well test that

theory now. Keeping an eye on his mana, he slipped the Ring

of Minor Mana onto a finger. There was no change. He then

took off his Dungeon Ring and tried again. His mana

increased by 10 points. Well, that answered that. He

rearranged his ring configuration and ended up wearing his

four old Rings of Health, increasing his Health by +120. He
also put on the slightly inferior Ring of Health the Dark mage

had been wearing, increasing his Health another +20. He

kept on his Ring of Hidden Dangers because he no likey’d da

traps. The Minor Ring of Healing also stayed put. Even

though it only healed 30 health, the effect was immediate

rather than spread out over several seconds like his spells or

potions. That made it invaluable. He also held onto his old

Ring of Mana, which increased his mana reserves by +20.

Last, he equipped the Ring of Flowing Thought. An increase to

mana regeneration was just something he couldn’t pass up.

The amulet would be a definite step down from his Necklace

of Scry Defense, so he just put all of the other items into his

Bag.

Next, he quickly allocated the points and percentages

from his previous level increases. His fingers almost tingled at

the thought of being able to drop 24 points into his stats! The

running and the fight had given him +1 to Agility. Strength

had been a neglected attribute for him so far, as most of his

kills had been at a distance. This first larger battle showed

that things did not always go as planned. He invested +6 into

Strength. With the +8 from the sprite breastplate, he could
put some real power into his melee attacks now. The same

logic of investing in close combat went for Stamina, it would

be of greater importance in close quarters combat. He

invested +3 in Endurance. His Dexterity was high enough for

now, and he was also benefiting from the sprite armor bonus.
Constitution, however, would always be important. Higher

level enemies meant higher level damage. He allocated +8 to

Constitution. Last, something inexplicable drove him to do it,

but he put +1 into Luck. The other 6 characteristic points he

decided to hold off on. Seeing as how he was going to be

tackling a dungeon soon, it might be nice to have an ace in

the hole. He did a quick check of his status.

Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 14, 21%
Health: 390 Mana: 300 Stamina: 200
Strength: 29
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 34
Constitution: 25
Endurance: 20
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 21
Charisma: 24
Luck: 15
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
 Fast Learner
Psi Bond
Skills:
Herb Lore Lvl 38; 91% to next level, 100% affinity
Alchemy Lvl 1; 0% to next level, 100% affinity
Analyze Lvl 5; 24% to next level, 100% affinity
Stealth Lvl 4; 76% to next level, 100% affinity
Archery Lvl 8; 18% to next level, 100% affinity
Imbue Arrow Lvl 4; 62% to next level, 100% affinity
Focus Lvl 3; 11% to next level, 100% affinity
Double Shot Lvl 3; 31% to next level, 100% affinity
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 40% to next level, 100% affinity
Swordsmanship Lvl 2; 29% to next level, 100% affinity
Small Blades Lvl 1; 11% to next level, 100% affinity
Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 10% to next level, 100% affinity
Pressure Points Lvl 1; 15% to next level, 100% affinity
Light Armor Lvl 7; 5% to next level, 100% affinity
Grace in Combat Lvl 4; 88% to next level, 100%
affinity
Air Magic Lvl 3; 82% to next level, 100% affinity
Life Magic Lvl 3; 57% to next level, 100% affinity
Earth Magic Lvl 3; 29% to next level, 100% affinity
Water Magic Lvl 1; 19% to next level, 100% affinity
Dark Magic Lvl 3; 64% to next level, 100% affinity
Light Magic Lvl 1; 24% to next level, 100% affinity
Map Making Lvl MAX
Trade Lvl 14; 52% to next level, 100% affinity
War Leader Lvl 2, 43% to next level, 100% affinity
Marks:
Master of Mist Village
Blood Oath
Resistances:
Air 50%
Earth 20%
Mental 15%
Spiritual 15%
Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
 Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my
attention.”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All

He was really getting an extensive skill collection. The

page was actually starting to look a bit cluttered. He played

with the settings a bit and was able to remove the 100%

affinity that was on every skill. Better, he thought. Then he

put the 100% of skill percentage points into Archery, which

was still his strongest combat skill. It brought him to skill level

9. Only one level away from more sweet experience!

Satisfied with how everything was shaping up, he addressed

Futen again, “A while ago I was offered a quest to unlock more

of my power, but I hadn’t met the requirements yet. I have a

feeling that now that I’m above level 10, you can help me to

learn more about it.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Futen flared and a prompt came across

Richter’s vision.

You have met the requirements of a previously restricted

Quest: Unlock your Power II. Your village will increase your
power, but you must care for it in turn. Go to a local dungeon,
and clear at least the first level. Reward: Unlock one of the
Powers. Yes or No?

Choosing ‘Yes’ he asked, “You know where the dungeon is

I’m guessing?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“We will leave tomorrow morning. I need to rest. Help

the villagers and summon Mist Walkers as soon as you can.

We need to get more trees to rebuild the longhouse. But that

is only after all the bodies have been collected and buried. Do

whatever Sumiko asks of you until it's done.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Richter walked to the barracks and fell onto the bed.

Alma curled into a circle, resting on top of his chest and closed

her eyes. In seconds, he too had fallen into an exhausted

sleep.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 12

He slept like the dead. It was impossible to tell time

inside of the catacombs, but it felt like he had slept for a

while. A quick check showed that Alma had left while he

was sleeping. The first thing he did once he got up was to

look for Hisako. She wasn’t in her room or in any of the

other rooms off of the Great Seal. He paused once to enter

the armory and unload the gear he had picked up yesterday.

Though the Bag of Holding decreased weight by 90%, it still

felt nice to relieve himself of all the extra kilos.

He was walking down the tunnel to check on his people

when he ran into Randolphus.

“Greetings, my Lord.”

“Hello Randy. I trust nothing else horrible happened

while I was sleeping?”

 “Thankfully not, my Lord. But I do have some slightly

unpleasant news.”

Richter gave a sigh and nodded, “Walk with me. You

can tell me on the way to the Quickening.”

Randolphus fell in step behind Richter, “The first thing

you should know it that we lost twenty-one villagers in the

attack. Seven sprites were also killed.”

Richter stopped walking and closed his eyes. He knew

it was more than a few, but hearing how many had died

made his heart drop. He opened his eyes and looked at his
chamberlain, “I assume you have a list of dead?”

Randolphus handed him a sheaf of paper. It had

names, race and age. Richter resolved to memorize each

and every name. He scanned it quickly and was about to

put it for later away when the last entry caught his

attention. Petal, Human, Age 6. Richter had to resist

crumpling the paper in his hand, but he still shook with

rage. Randolphus showed supreme wisdom and experience

by not disturbing him over the next few minutes. It took

some time, but Richter composed himself, carefully rolling

the paper up and put it in his Bag. Those bastards were

going to pay!

“Thank you for preparing this, Randy. What else do I

need to know?”

“Unfortunately, my Lord, the invaders attacked from

the direction of the farmland. Most of the fields were ruined

by them. The farmers still have seed, but they worry that

by the time they till the earth again and go through the

process of planting, it might be too late for certain crops. If

that is true, then we would need to buy additional supplies

to last us through the winter.”

Richter nodded, which Randy took as an indication to

continue. “We have collected our dead and have taken

them to the meadow north of the village. I thought that

would be the proper place to bury them. They could

overlook the village they had died for through eternity.”

Richter nodded again. He mentioned a thought he had had

regarding a memorial, which Randy said he would look into.

“What else, Randy?”

 “The Mist Workers have gathered the bodies of the

dead invaders. A large pit has been dug outside of the city

walls. Lady Sumiko has been blessing them as they are

brought over. I detailed some of the more stoic villagers to

strip the bodies of anything useful. We will bring the

weapons to the armory, and I will arrange for any other

items to be brought to my office for cataloging. I will have

Futen identify any unknown objects and make you a list, if

that is alright with you, my Lord?”

“Of course, it is Randy.” They had walked outside, and

enjoyed the view of the setting sun. Standing at the top of

the slope leading to the catacombs the village looked like

such an idyllic setting. It was hard to believe it had been

the site of a potential slaughter just yesterday. The scene

helped to calm his still raw nerves. Then he caught sight of

the charred remains of the longhouse and anger once again

ruled his heart. He started walking and motioned for

Randolphus to continue.

“We still have a large number of logs prepared that

were going to be used for other buildings. I am working on

choosing another sight for the longhouse, and will organize
crews to take away the wreckage of the previous one.

Housing will be given the utmost priority.”

“No,” Richter said a touch sharply. He looked at

Randolphus while they walked. “Priority must be given to

building the smithy. I also want you to take Yoshi and our
most accomplished smiths to the armory.” Several doors in

the first floor of the catacombs had required Richter to show

his Mark which declared him Master of the Mist Village

before they would open. He had discovered upon returning

to the village from Yves, that he could give privileges to

anyone he chose to open the doors at will. He had given

Sion, Terrod and Randolphus access to most of them. He

was still the only one that could open the treasury though.

Even though it was mostly empty, it held most of the wealth

of the village. “I also want to see the smiths tonight. After I

meet with Hisako, I want you to find them and bring them to

me. The same goes for any of our crafters, casters and

hunters. Find out if anyone has experience with potion

making and bring them as well. We also need to decide who

we can send on our trade trip back to Yves. I need someone

with high Charisma and preferably a good level in the Trade

skill. Make sure they are smart as well though. I don’t need

an ample chest and an empty head! I have a feeling these

trade trips are going to be very important to all of us. I will

also need a detailed list of the skills and abilities of

everyone in the village.”

Randolphus opened his mouth to reply, but Richter cut

him off. “Yes, yes, I know. You tried to show me that before,

and I shut you down. I’ll do better to listen to you, but we

all need to be stronger. Even the weakest of the bugbears

would have been a match for almost any of our villagers in

terms of training, weapons and armor. If it wasn’t for the

sprites we would not have survived the night. That can’t be

allowed to happen again!”

Randolphus nodded solemnly. He didn’t write down

anything that Ricther had said this time, but there was no

doubt that everything would be taken care of. If there was a

skill for government administration, Randy would be a

master. “What else,” Richter asked.

Their conversation meandered while they walked.

There seemed to be a never-ending list of things to deal

with. Richter was once again convinced that Randolphus

just might be the most useful member of the village. The

chamberlain stopped speaking as they ascended the hill to

the meadow of the Quickening. Walking across the field,

Ricther saw several sprites along the outskirts of the tree.

He knew Hisako must be beneath its boughs. “Thank you

Randy, is there anything else?”

Randolphus firmed his lips while he looked at Richter.

The man looked uncertain, which concerned Richter. As far

as he could remember, the chamberlain had never seemed

anything but confident and competent. Richter realized that

the past day must have weighed on Randolphus as well. He

softened his expression and asked, “What do you need to
say, Randolphus?”

“May I speak freely, my Lord?”

Richter nodded.

“It may not be my place, but I heard your confession

this morning, and I witnessed the forgiveness the elders

gave you.” He sighed deeply before continuing, “I know you

let the attack weight heavily on you. What I need to say is

that it should have. More you should have considered the
gravity of the attack, BEFORE you cast your spell. Because

you were impatient, several of your people died. Some of

them children. Now I don’t know if we could have avoided

the attack if the enchantment had stayed in place, but we

would have had a better chance. You failed your people

yesterday.”

Richter just stood with his jaw tight. Hearing this was
rubbed salt on his emotional wounds. Randolphus wasn’t

saying anything that wasn’t true, however. So he nodded,

and waited for the man to continue.

Randolphus stared at his Lord, seeing that his words

were having an effect. He continued, “I have served men of

power for several decades, and seen countless more in my

position at court. Some of them have been strong and some

have been weak. Some have been wise, but far too many

were foolish. One thing was true of all of them, however.

They all made mistakes.” Randolphus voice softened

somewhat while Richter stood listening with unshed tears.

“What matters is what happens afterwards. You are not

hiding from your errors, but instead are letting them inspire
you to be better. What I have said was all true, my Lord. It
is also true however, that I am proud to serve a man who

values of the lives of his subjects. I believe you to be a man

of honor.” Randolphus bowed his head, “I am in turn,

honored to be your chamberlain.”

A small bit of the tension and guilt Richter had been

feeling alleviated. It wasn’t much of a change, but it was

noticeable. He put his hand on Randolphus’s shoulder,

“Thank you for your words. I know that I could not do this
without you. Please do not ever hesitate to share your

thoughts or your counsel with me… especially if you think I

am making a huge mistake.” Richter wanted to lighten the
mood with a faint smile, but couldn’t draw one to his face.

Randolphus looked relieved that his words had been

received well. When he spoke his next words, he was once

again the epitome of propriety. “Of course, my Lord. I will

take leave your leave now, and put in motion what we have
discussed. I will bring everyone you asked for to the Great

Seal.”
 The chamberlain turned and left, and Richter walked

under the canopy of the Quickening. He soon saw Hisako

and several of the other sprites. She had cast globe of light

spells in response to the setting sun. Once again the silver

undersides of the leaves shone with the golden white light

of her spell. As he got closer, he saw a look of wonder on

her face. The expression was mirrored on the faces of the
other sprites. They were all looking at the six-inch tall figure

flitting around in the air above their heads. When Elora saw
him, she crossed the ten yards separating them in the blink

of an eye.

She stopped and hovered a few feet in front of his face,

and then curtseyed while hovering in midair. She had

somehow turned one of the leaves of the Quickening into a

flowing dress. The outside was soft white, but as she moved
around he caught flashes of silver from the inner hem.

“Well met, my Lord Richter.” The melodious notes of

her voice stilled some of the agitation within him, and the
formal greeting from such a small creature brought a faint

smile to his face. He decided to mirror her tone so that she

wouldn’t be embarrassed.
 “Greetings, Queen Elora, but please just call me

Richter.”

“I’m sorry, I forgot. Thank you… Richter.” Elora gave a

small giggle at her boldness and then swiftly zipped back to

hover above Hisako.

Richter walked over to the Hearth Mother and knelt

down so they were eye to eye. “Thank you for your help,
Hearth Mother. If it wasn’t for you and your warriors, I am

sure we all would have been killed.” His voice broke a bit,
“Again, I am so sorry for the loss of your people.”

She looked at him with a serene expression, “Thank

you, Richter. I know well the pain and guilt you must be
feeling because I have felt it myself too many times. All I

can tell you is that over time the pain will lessen. What do
you plan to do now?”

“I need to be stronger. So does my village. I plan on

clearing a dungeon, and unlocking another one of my

powers. I will leave as soon I know my village is safe.

Before anything else though, I offer my time and my
strength to you. You may ask for anything. I will never be
able to repay the debt I owe you.”

“Shush,” she lightly admonished. “You are the Master

of a Place of Power. You should have learned by now, the

danger of idle words. I asked you to take up arms against

the bugbears. We are allies against a common enemy. It

was always an unfortunate reality that some of us would

die. Do not apologize again, just continue to stand and fight

with us.”

“That I can promise you,” Richter said with some steel

in his voice.

“Good,” she said, matching him in intensity. “I have

information for you. When my people were sweeping you’re

the area around the village, we found one bugbear that had

been hiding. He was captured and questioned. I know why

you were attacked. As my people have been looking for the

main bugbear encampment, it appears that they have been

looking for us as well. Apparently they had greater success.

We were followed by one of their scouts after leaving the

Hearth Tree. He trailed us to the boundaries of your
domain. Because of the mists, it could follow no further.
The scout retreated, found reinforcements, and then

returned to the edge of your defensive enchantment. They

were waiting for the express purpose of laying an ambush

once we exited the mists again. Then, two things

happened.”

Hisako held up a finger, “The first was that the

Quickening was planted and it sent the beam of green light

into the air. It was as good as a beacon giving them a fairly

specific direction to move in.” Richter nodded as this had
been what he had already surmised. “The second was the

drop in the village’s enchantment. With the disappearance

of the mists, they moved forward in a broad line and found
the village after only a few hours. At that point, it was the

simple matter of creating a make shift bridge to span the

trench around your village. The only thing that saved us
was that they sent a scouting force into the village first as
opposed to sending their entire force at once. Bugbears are

adept at stealth, so under the cover of night it is not

surprising that they made it by whatever guards you had
posted, and then killed them before they could raise an
alarm. One of your villagers must have seen them however,
and raised the alarm. It made them attack prematurely and

you know the rest.”

“The point is Richter; we all share the blame for this

attack. This is a war. And though you are only now just

joining it, this is a war that has been raging for millennia on
countless fronts. You do not owe me anything. I only ask
that you do what you have already resolved to do. Grow
stronger, follow your conscience, and oppose evil as you

come across it.”

The perspective he gained from Hisako’s recounting

gave him some peace. He turned to Yoshi, “Where is the

bugbear?”

The sword adept pointed down the hill and past the

village wall, “Waiting to be put in the pit. I had to asking

some of my questions… forcefully.”

There was no ambiguity to that. Richter could not

muster any criticism of Yoshi’s tactics. He and Sion had

done the same to a goblin in the past. Even if he hadn’t,
the invaders put themselves in harm’s way when they
attacked. They got what was coming to them.

“Understood,” Richter said. “Well you know my plans,”

he said to Hisako, “What are yours?”

“I will stay here for a time if that it is alright with you. I

wish to spend more time with Elora. She will bond to the
tree soon, and I will want to be there for that. Besides, Yoshi

doesn’t want me leaving the protection of the village until

there are more guards to escort me back.”

“I trust that is not an issue,” Yoshi asked. Of course, he

wasn’t really asking.

“No. You are all welcome here for as long as you wish,”

Richter said. “I need to go take care of certain matters.”

Before he could walk away, though, Yoshi stepped in

front of him. “You are overdue for a sword lesson. You

skipped the lesson yesterday completely.”

“We were attacked! I got enough practice!” Richter’s

voice rose a bit.

 “I’ll be the judge of what constitutes practice,” the

adept said. “Tonight, practice will resemble… our very first

lesson.”

Richter’s eyes widened and all of the fire went out of

him, “Th-the first lesson?” His voice rose again, but this
time in a most undignified manner.

“Yes, Lord Richter,” a thick and quite hard looking

length of wood had appeared in Yoshi’s hand.

“Yes, well… as I said, I do have quite a few duties to

attend to, and people to speak to.”

“They will wait,” the sword adept said advancing.

Richter looked to Hisako for help, but she seemed to be

finding something completely engrossing in the exact
opposite direction he was standing in. Yup, this time he was

sure she was smiling!

When Richter looked back, Yoshi’s face was only inches

away from his own. The half-human lowered his voice and

said softly, “Why don’t we get started?” A toothy grin was

on his face, and a manic gleam had made its way into his
eyes.
 Richter said the only thing that came to mind,

“Derrrrrrr…”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 13

“Goddamnhalfbloodsadistsunuvabitch!” This was the

first utterance Richter made to the collection of skilled

people that Randolphus had gathered at his request. More

than a hundred people were crammed in the chamber of the

Great Seal. He was sitting at the head of the table that his
chamberlain had brought out of one of the larger rooms on

the first floor of the catacombs. Alma lay curled in a ball on

the table in front of him. After his training with Yoshi,

standing during the meeting was out of the question. Even

sitting would have been beyond him if Hisako hadn’t taken

away the worst part of his pain with a spell. He was still left

with minor to medium aches and pains, however, which had

elicited the aforementioned expression when he had turned

too fast and felt a painful spasm in his back. There wasn’t
even any point in casting another healing spell. His health

was full; he was just sore.

“Sorry about that,” Richter said. “I have gathered you

all here because I want us to be working in the same

direction. First, we need to speak about rebuilding the

longhouse and finishing the smithy. The smithy will take

priority.” There were a few murmurings at that, but Richter

held up his hand until they died down. “We were woefully

unprepared during the attack. We have a very small

amount of guards and fighters when we examine our entire

population. That will be fixed, but in the meantime, we will

balance it out with better equipment and training. So we

get the smithy finished as quickly as possible, and then the

longhouse. After that, I want a switch to building with the

quarried stone as opposed to just wood. Let the

chamberlain know if you need anything else.” He asked the

builders and carpenters if they had any questions. They

merely said they would need a great deal more stone and

more Mist Workers. Randolphus made a note of it and they

moved on.
 Next he turned to the hunters, “You need to range a bit

more afield. I don’t want the hunting grounds near the

village to be depleted. But the bugbears are out hunting for

us so be especially careful. No one hunts alone for the

foreseeable future. If you find an enemy, and can make a

kill safely then go ahead. If it is a larger force send one

person back to notify us, while the other follows from a safe

distance.” The seven strong force just nodded. He went on

to the next item on the agenda.

For this next question, he addressed the entire room,

“Why aren’t there more enchanted weapons?” No one

spoke, they all just looked at one another. Finally, a high elf

spoke. Analyze showed:

Name: Gloran. High Elf Level 14. Health 210. Mana 320.
Stamina 150. Disposition: Friendly. …

The elf’s stats were normal for his level, but he had the

Profession of Crafter. Richter really had to learn more about

Professions, but now was not the time.

“Without getting into specifics, Lord Richter, it is

expensive and not many have the expertise to enchant. It

also requires specialized items that are rare and difficult to

acquire.” Several people around the table nodded in

agreement.

“Do any of you have skill with enchanting,” Richter

asked.

“I cannot speak for anyone else, but I have some

experience, my Lord. I made enchanted jewelry in the

past,” Gloran replied.

“So what do we need specifically,” Richter asked

undaunted. If there was one thing that his years of gaming

had taught him, it was that the right gear was crucial. Even

more than training, enchanted items were a force multiplier

and really could turn a person into an army of one.

“First you need a captured soul, my Lord.”

“Someone needs to give up their soul?!” Richter

couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Gloran laughed, “No, my Lord. The souls of most

sentient humanoids cannot be captured. For instance, none

of the races in this room could be captured. All creatures

have souls, however. If a spell like Soul Trap is cast prior to

a creature dying, then its spirit will be captured if you have

a soul stone.”

Richter sighed, “Well then how do you get a soul

stone?”

“They are made, my Lord. It is a relatively simple

process. Any stone can be made into a soul stone, even

simple rocks.” Well, that’s good news, Richter thought

happily. “Those soul stones would only be sufficient to

catch the souls of simple animals, though, like rabbits or

deer. Even the soul of a large bear could not be contained

in such a low-level gem.” Well, that news is not as good,

Richter thought sadly.

“So how do we make better soul stones,” Richter asked

afraid that he already knew the answer.

“Gemstones are used sir. The higher quality of gem

used, the stronger the soul that can be trapped.”

“And I’m guessing that stronger souls make stronger

enchantments?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Gloran replied. He must have seen

Richter’s crestfallen look, because he added, “Even cheaper
semiprecious jewels can make soul stones strong enough to

trap most basic monsters.”

Richter nodded at the Gloran’s last statement. That

was helpful information, but he was just adding up how

much outfitting his people was going to cost him. This world

seemed dedicated to bankrupting him. The chest of jewels

that was his nest egg just didn’t seem like that much

anymore. He really needed to sell those Potions of Clarity.

He told Gloran he would need some soul stones made later

that night, and the man assured him it wouldn’t be a

problem.

Not wanting to get bogged down in his own economic

woes, he continued, “Okay so that covers the soul stones.

Does anyone know the spell Soul Trap?”

Zarr, the Earth Master mage spoke up, “Every branch

of magic has a version of that spell, but it is well

acknowledged that of all of the Basic Elements, Life and

Death have the strongest versions.” The other casters in

the room nodded.

Richter looked around confused, “Basic Elements?”

 “The ley lines which cross under the earth are ribbons

of Power, Lord Richter. There are eight different types of ley

lines: Life, Death, Water, Fire, Earth, Air, Light and Dark.

These are the eight Basic Elements. Each has different

strengths and weaknesses,” Zarr said. “Earth, for example,

is excellent for defense and construction. Dwarves have a

natural affinity for Earth which is why we build such strong

citadels and craft the best weapons and armor. Mountain

dwarves in particular.” He said the last with a smirk and the

comment was answered by some grumbling by the other

races present. It all seemed in good fun though. From the

back of the room someone yelled, “Gnomes rule!”

Richter was happy that his people could smile with

each other. It meant that the attack had not broken their

spirits. “Alright, I will ask Sumiko to teach me the spell. So

if we are able to capture a soul, what’s next?”

A dwarf from the back of the room spoke. His beard

was black but well threaded with silver and white. Despite
these signs of age, he stood straight and muscles bulged

from his arms, “This is all well and good for making cute
baubles to look at as you sit for afternoon tea, but what you
need for a strong enchanted weapon is good metal and a
better smith. The iron that has been harvested here is good

enough quality to make steel, perhaps even a bit of high

steel. What we want though is quicksilver, cobalt, or mithril.

THAT is how you make a quality weapon!”

“How do we get access to that,” Richter asked.

Analyze gave the dwarf’s name, ‘Krom.’

“Well those damn mists of yours kept us from searching

the mountains to the north. It doesn’t go underground, but

we couldn’t even find the rotten entrance to the rotten

tunnels! Now that your lordship has given us all immunity,

we can search for veins of rarer metal. We will sell them to

the village. Plus our standard search fee and finder’s

commission of course.” Krom had a wide grin on his face.

Knowing he was about to get fleeced, Richter opened

his mouth, but Randolphus spoke up, “We will come to

agreeable terms. I negotiated the longstanding contract

between the old King of Yves and King Gromhold of the

Serrated Mountains. I am well versed with the customs of

dwarven negotiation. Gd’urt rikud alam b’tren!”
 The smile faded from Krom’s face. Richter realized that
his chamberlain had said the last phrase in the language of

the mountain dwarves. The best translation Richter could

come up with was, “Never bet against a Sicilian when death

is on the line!” Haha, score one for Randy! Richter was

going to have to get him whatever The Land’s equivalent of

a Klondike bar was!

Sure that Randolphus would handle the finer details,

Richter turned back to Krom, “Keep a lookout for any gems

as well. Now let’s say that we get the soul stones and the

metal. Is there anything else I need to know about the

requirements?”

“Just that the quality needs to be Average or better.

You can’t just enchant any ol’ trash.”

“Can you make Average quality weapons,” Richter

asked him.

The dwarf’s chest puffed up, “I make superb quality or

better! Who do you think you are talking to?”

Not wanting to get sidetracked by the dwarf’s ego,

Richter redirected to the original topic, “So when we have

all of that done, what enchantments can we make?”

Krom’s chest lowered and his expression took on a

rueful look, “I am the most advanced smith in the village. I

am a journeyman in my Smithing skill and have reached

apprentice level in Earth magic. I am known to make strong

and durable weapons. I have also almost reached

journeyman level in Enchanting. The knowledge of how to

create magic weapons is jealously guarded, however, and

my old master only taught me a few enchantments. I can

improve damage by +1, increase durability, and I can make

armor with +2 defense.” Krom stopped speaking, and

shook his finger at Randolphus and Richter, “Even those

enchantments won’t come cheap! They can make a real

difference!”

Damn greedy dwarves, Richter thought. “Well, how

can we learn more?”

“Only masters or adepts can pass down those

enchantments without a skills book. Masters can even

make new enchantments or alter existing ones. Learning

enchantments is actually one of the tasks a journeyman

smith must undertake in order to one day be recognized as

a true master by the dwarven people. Even if your skill

level gets to one hundred and you can technically be called

a master, without ten enchantments to your name you will

never be recognized as one by the other dwarf smiths.

“Okay,” Richter said with some impatience, “that’s

fascinating and all, but what does that have to do with us

finding more enchantments to put on our weapons?”

Hearing his tone, the surly dwarf snapped back,

“Because! Only one dwarf is recognized as a Smith-Master

by the Mountain Dwarves each year. Because the

competition is so fierce, no journeyman would make a skill

book for another, and we only trade in rare circumstances.

Masters tend to stay in one place so you have to go to

them. Even then you must devote years of service to pry

even one enchantment from them!”

Richter was growing frustrated. Not only was it going

to cost a great deal to make magic weapons, but it seemed

they would be relegated to crappy little enchantments! “Is

there no other way to learn enchantments?!”

 “No,” Krom said definitively. “Well… not unless we can
find a Magic Forge.” The dwarf started laughing, “and I only

know of seven of those south of the Wilds. Not even you,

Lord Richter, could afford to use one of those!”

This guy was really starting to get on Richter’s nerves.

First the dwarf had tried to rob him with a smile on his face,
and now he was getting all prickly. “Well, how would a

Magic Forge help?”

Speaking slowly as if to a toddler Krom said, “Magic

Forges can deconstruct other magic items. The item is

destroyed in the process, but the Forge has a chance to

learn the spell forever. The more a smith uses the forge the

greater the chance he can learn the enchantment, and then

make more items with that enchantment. Because of that,

it costs a minimum of one hundred gold coins to use a Forge

for even one day. And as I said, even then it’s not a sure

thing that you will learn an enchantment.”

“Then how do we make a Magic Forge,” Richter asked.

It was quiet for a moment, then all of the dwarves and

even some of the elves and gnomes started laughing. The

laughter seemed to feed on itself and only got louder as
they all saw each other having a chuckle at Richter’s

expense. Shouts started to ring out,

“Make a Magic Forge?”

“Why don’t you make your bed first?” (Was his mom

here?)

“As if Magic Cores just fell from the sky!”

“Gnomes rule!”

After a minute or two the laughter died down and Krom

spoke again, “You need a Magic Core to make a Magic
Forge! Magic Cores are relics from the time before the gods

were banished! They cost more than a king’s ransom!

Hahaha! I tell you what. If you find a Magic Core, I will

enchant for free!”

Richter put an uncertain look on his face, “Well that

doesn’t seem fair. You would still be getting to learn new
enchantments without having to pay for them.”

Krom laughed even louder, “True enough. Then I would

pledge myself to you as I would a dwarf chief. To serve by
your side in war, to make your clan my own, and to work to
increase the power of the village. What do you say lads?

What will we give Lord Richter to let us use his ancient relic
of power?” Krom’s voice was more than mocking.

The laughter started up again followed by shouts.

“We will give up half our finder’s fee!”

“Serve in the militia!”

“Two casks of Mithagan Red Ale!”

“Gnomes Rule!”

Richter still couldn’t see who was saying that last bit.
Almost a hundred people were now shouting what they
would give if Richter could produce something as wondrous
as a Magic Core. Laughs and catcalls were mixed in.
Fighting a losing battle to keep a smile from his face, Richter

quickly added one last point, “And you would all teach your
skills freely to other villagers so we may all get stronger?”

“Aye!” Came a shout from all in the room.

Gotcha bitches, Richter thought with extreme

satisfaction. He reached into his Bag of Holding and took
out the Magic Core he had obtained during a quest. He
placed the clockwork sphere on the table. Red and white

light peaked through the gaps in the mechanism. The

silence in the room was so profound Richter could have
heard a pin drop.

Looking at Randolphus, he asked, “Did you record all of

that?”

Randolphus smiled broadly, “Oh yes, my Lord.

Negotiating pay for services should go quite well here on
out in light of the promises that have just been made.”

Richter was quite pleased with himself at getting so

many to agree to reduced rates. Apparently the Universe
agreed.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 3 in Trade.

0.5% bonus to buying and selling per level.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in Trade.

0.5% bonus to buying and selling per level.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in Trade.

0.5% bonus to buying and selling per level.
…

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 14 in Trade.

0.5% bonus to buying and selling per level.

You have received 2,000 bonus experience for reaching

level 10 in the skill: Trade.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate

in: Trade. You can now “smell” when there is a deal to be
made. You can now make trade agreements with other
settlements that you have an Ally relationship with.

Well! Started from the bottom now I’m here indeed,

Richter thought seeing the cascade of windows. He
dismissed each quickly as they were all basically the same.

It was awesome having that bump from leveling his skills

again, though. But he hadn’t taken a Potion of Clarity in the
last 24 hours. Damn! He had to remember to ask Randy
about the experience from skill leveling. Maybe there was a

way to power level more skills… hmmm.

It looked like he could enter into a trade agreement

with the Wood Sprites now too, he realized with a smile.
 He would have kept enjoying the shocked looks on the

faces of his villagers, but the silence only lasted for a few
moments. Then it was pandemonium.

“My Lord, don’t waste the Core on a Forge!”

“We can use it to make a golem,” a gnome shouted.

“No, no! A Creation Table!”

“The Core can power a shield for the village!”

“Gnomes rule!”

“Just let me study it!”

Richter held up his hands for quiet. At first, no one

seemed to want to follow that direction, but Randolphus

stood with a thunderous look on his face. He slammed both
hands down on the table, and shouted, “Your Lord called for
quiet!”

The tumult died down as everyone looked at Richter

expectantly. He hadn’t known there were so many uses for
the Core, but his priority was arming his people right now.

He also had something important to deal with.

 Turning his gaze to Krom, he rested his hand on the

Magic Core, “Well Krom, what do you have to say?” All

levity had left his voice. As much he needed the dwarf’s
skills, he wouldn’t force someone to work for him. “I will not
put the lives of my people in your hands if you do not wish

to be here. If you say the word, I will release you from the
promise you just made.”

Krom stared back at him and a series of emotions that

Richter couldn’t read crossed the smith’s face. He looked
back and forth between the Magic Core and Richter’s face
several times before speaking, “You would truly release me

from the deal I just made?”

“Yes, Krom. You need only say the word.”

Krom started into Richter’s face for another full minute,

searching for something. Then he went down on one knee
and bowed his head. In a formal voice, he said, “I pledge
my fealty to Lord Richter of the Mist Village. I will raise my

hammer for him in war or in service, and never against him.

If you maintain faith with me, I shall never break faith with
you. Will you accept my pledge?”
 Richter didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it
wasn’t this. He had hoped that he could maybe get a better
price out the dwarf. He paused for a moment and the room
was once again dead quiet. Words came almost unbidden

to his lips, “Do you accept the position as Smith of the Mist
Village?”

Krom looked up, surprise evident on his features, but

he didn’t hesitate, “I do.”

Richter stepped forward and pulled the dwarf to his

feet. “I accept your pledge, but I require those who serve

me to stand, not kneel.”

Krom looked him in the eye and nodded thanks.

Your relationship with Krom has improved from friendly to

loyal.

Congratulations! You have uncovered the first Job of your

Village. You have filled the position of Smith. Your village
will benefit proportionally to the skill of whomever you have
chosen. The level of your Smith is: Journeyman. All
weapons and armor produced in your village 8% more
effective.
 Richter read the prompt and smiled. It looked like this
meeting would get him more than just a boosted Trade skill!
“I will grant you access to the armory,” he said. “Let me
know what we can use, and what can be melted down for

new weapons.”

“I will see to it, my Lord,” Krom said in a respectful

voice.

“And one more thing,” Richter said, “no need to be so

formal.” Then he did what he had seen other dwarves doing

with their friends. He head butted the smith. Now what

normally happened is both dwarves laughed and clapped
each other on their shoulders. That is what Richter fully
intended to happen. What actually happened is that he felt

like he had slammed his head into a boulder. Richter

promptly dropped down onto his butt. A “stunned” icon
floated in the corner of his village.

Then a hand reached under his armpit and pulled him

up. Laughter echoed and he heard scattered cheers. “We
will make a dwarf chief out of you yet,” Krom shouted.
“Isn’t that right boyos?” Shouts of “Here here,” punctuated
the revelry.

Richter found himself being led back to his chair, his

head still spinning. When he sat down he said, “Okay
then,” still blinking far too often. “I need to speak to
Shivona, the rest of you can go. Gloran, speak to the other

villagers and make a list of the enchantments that you can

place on items. And Krom,” the dwarf looked at him, “make
my Forge,” Richter said holding out the Magic Core.

Krom came to take the Core with no small amount of

reverence. They filed out, but not before Richter heard
Krom say, “That’s why he’s my Lord. He is smart to hand off
a task before he works himself to death, but just to be sure,

he keeps a woman around to bring him back to life!

Hahaha!”

The only people that remained in the room were

Richter, Sion, Randolphus and Shivona. Richter started
stroking Alma’s scales. The dragonling gave a contented
purr. “I am going to say this simply. I want you to build a
kytachi vessel. Can you do it, and if so, what type of soul
would you need?”

Shivona looked at him with surprise, “That is not what I

was expecting you to say.”

“What were you expecting,” he asked.

“Maybe some sort of joke about the motion of the

ocean?”

Richter looked at her form, curved in all the right

places. Sion was laughing freely and Randolphus had given

a hard cough at her words. “Not today,” Richter said with a

smile. “My stomach still feels a bit queasy from all the
blood that was spilled.”

“Oh, I can understand that…,” she said, “but how does

your mouth feel?”

Sion stopped laughing and stared at her in shock.

Randolphus’ cough now threatened to bring up a lung.

“Errr, pretty much all of me is closed for business right

now.”
 “Your loss,” she said with a smirk. “Now if you’re
serious about making a kytachi, some monsters are better

than others. Water based monsters are generally the best.”

“Like what,” he asked. “Lochness monster?

Piranaconda? Sharknado?”

“Hmmm,” she said to Randolphus. “It’s almost like he

is trying to be funny…” Looking at Richter, she said, “No
sweetheart I mean like a water dancer, water elemental, or

a kelpie.”

“Okay, so how soon do you need it,” Richter asked.

“Not until I have finished with the boat. It would be

dangerous to attach a spirit to an unfinished vessel.”

“You mentioned enspelling jewels and attaching them

to hull. Would that work with the defense +2 that Krom had
mentioned?”

“I don’t think so. First of all, you can’t forge a ship. His
skill with making enchanted weapons won’t translate to
building an enchanted ship. Even without that, and I don’t

know much about smithing, but it sounds like he changes

the quality of the object he works upon. Something like that
would not mix well when you are going to bind a spirit to the
boat. Just trust me, Lord Richter. You don’t need to worry

about the boat. If you give me five or six jewels, then I’ll
handle the rest. What you need to worry about is who will
sail it. One of the reasons kytachi vessels are not often
made is that it takes an extremely strong will to pilot one.

Ideally, someone with the Sailor profession would captain

her, they get a bonus to ship related skills. Theoretically,
anyone with a strong will could force the spirit into
submission, but if you lose the battle…”

“What happens,” Richter asked.

“If you lose the battle, you run the risk of spiritual
damage. You could have a piece of your soul ripped out.
You could be killed. You could even be possessed.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Richter said. “You didn’t mention

anything about possession before!” Now that he was
thinking of it, possession might be one of the only ways to
permanently kill someone like him. “There have got to be

ways to minimize the risk.”

 “There are,” she assured him. “I just have no idea

what they are.” Richter felt less assured. “I told you that I
can build your kytachi vessel. I never told you I could
captain one. My Lord, what I recommend is you just let me
build you an enchanted ship if you can spare the gems.
Whoever you choose to crew the boat can cut their teeth

sailing this first enchanted vessel, and improve their sailing

skills. I also will fulfill a quest of mine by working on these
boats. Speaking plainly, if we wait to build the kytachi, I can
build you a better boat and you’ll have more experienced

people to sail it.”

“You make a good argument,” he said. “Okay, we will

hold off on the kytachi right now. I need the first ship built
ASAP. How quickly can you have it done?”

“You said I could have one Mist Worker per day. Can

you spare another?”

“After the armory, building the ship is the top priority.

How about four a day?”

“More than I need, just make sure I have two at the

start of each morning if you please.”
 Richter nodded, “How many gems do you need, and

does it matter what type?”

“Mid-level gems will work for this. I need five, though

six would be better. I can have the ship ready in a little over
two months.”

Richter looked at her with some surprise, “You said it

would take three months when I asked you a few days ago.”

She shrugged, “Things are a bit different now.”

She offered no further explanation, so Richter just

shrugged in return. If he could get his ship faster, then he

would take it. Richter pulled out the appraisal sheet Hafiz
had made for him. After a quick check, he removed the

gem chest from his Bag of Holding. It was what he kept his

gems in. He selected three agates, two tiger eyes and one
malachite. Shivona caught a glance at the wealth of gems

in the small chest and gave a small gasp. Leaning in, she
breathed words softly into his ear. After the first few

sentences, Richter began coughing. Whatever Randy had

must be catching, he thought. When she was done

speaking, Shivona stood up slowly and gave him a smile full

of promise, before walking out of the room.

Sion looked at him quizzically, “Huh! I didn’t know that

someone your color could blush!”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 14

Randolphus, Sion, and Richter talked over a few more

items. Richter resolved to include Terrod in future

discussions like this. Even though the true significance of

Companions was still unclear, Richter knew in his heart that

they were important. He needed to spend more time with

the man and figure out how he fit into this new society. He

didn’t think he would be including Elora in discussions yet

though, he thought with a smile. Giving birth to a new race

had to be hard enough!

Sion gave an update on his task. He told Richter that

he had the components to make health potions of various

strengths. The other sprite that had helped him with

collecting herbs, Fudave, was an apprentice in Alchemy, and

the arcane gnome that had spoken up, Beyan, was a

journeyman in Alchemy. Apparently, the gnome knew

several useful potion recipes including mana replenishment.

It took at least day to prepare, but several mana potions

would be ready by tomorrow. Sion gave him a smile and

told him a few other potions would be ready as well. When

Richter asked what they were, the sprite just waved off the
question. Richter told Sion that he intended to leave in the

morning to unlock his next power. The sprite said he would

be ready.

Sion left, and only Randolphus and Richter remained in

the room. And Alma of course. She had flown to rest on a

sconce set into the ceiling when Shivona had started getting

naughty. The chamberlain and his liege sat together in

silence. Richter was pretty sure Randy was feeling the

same thing that he was, relief and satisfaction at being able

to just sit and do nothing for a moment. Randy started

scrawling some more of his endless notes. To Richter, it

seemed the perfect time to learn about a few topics that

had been confusing him.

First, the topics of moral and loyalty. He, of course,

understood the basic definitions, but it seemed like they had

a specific and quantifiable meaning in The Land. He

checked his village interface. Once again the sprawling

forest of pulldown menus filled his vision. He chose “City

Mechanics.” Sure enough there were two subtabs next to

each other. Choosing Loyalty, a timeline appeared in his

vision, but instead of dates it had words: Traitor, Faithless,

Disloyal, Unreliable, Neutral, Dependable, Loyal, Faithful,

and Unto Death. Each had a certain number assigned to it

and productivity bonuses or penalties as well. Right now

‘Dependable’ was highlighted. Apparently it took +250

Loyalty Points to reach this tic on the timeline, and it offered

a +25% productivity bonus. Morale showed a similar

timeline, but the grades were: Rebellious, Hateful, Angry,

Unhappy, Neutral, Happy, Delighted, Joyous, Party Every

Night! ‘Happy’ was highlighted. The associated factors for

Morale were productivity, population growth and something

called fighting spirit. Apparently because his people were

‘Happy’ they had a +10% to those three elements. And if

he got to Party Every Night… 50% bonus to all three,

including population growth?! That’s the kind of party he

could live with! He would surround himself with fine leather

bound books… and make sure his room smelled of rich

mahogany!

All jokes aside, there were clear benefits to increasing

both morality and loyalty. Richter snapped his fingers. That

must be why the ship would be completed faster now! He

made his choice.

You have chosen the Tenet: An Honorable Ruler I. Loyalty

+0.5 per day for all inhabitants.

There were other subtabs under City Mechanics:

Health, Commerce, Statistics, and that was just to name a

few. Two more specifically caught his eye. One was

Science. It was grayed out, however, and nothing happened

when he mentally clicked on it. The second was Faith. It

wasn’t only greyed out, it also had a deep irregular gouge

through the word. Of course, clicking that tab also

accomplished nothing. It was interesting to see it, though…

The other thing he needed to know about was the

bonus experience he received from leveling, “Randy,” he

said breaking his chamberlain out his work focus.

“Yes, my Lord?”
 “I leveled my Trade skill recently, and before that I

leveled Herb Lore. I received experience for both.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Randolphus sounded unsure as to what

Richter was asking.

“So why did I get the experience?”

“Ahhh. I apologize for my confusion. To most people

this is common knowledge. When leveling skills, you will

receive a bonus every ten levels. It starts with 2,000

experience points and each level gives you an extra 2,000

for every ten levels. At level 20 you would receive 4,000

experience points and so on, until level one hundred, when

you receive 20,000 experience points.”

Richter did some mental math, plus 4, then carry the 1,

so… that was another 110,000 experience points for making

it to the level of master! Richter had been taking his skill

leveling at a rather relaxed pace, but now that he knew it

could provide so much experience… well that changed

everything! Richter would have to set aside some time for

skill grinding sometime soon, but not until some other

things were done.
 They spoke about other sundry items. Richter asked if

Randolphus had a good candidate to go on the trade

mission. The chamberlain said he had found the perfect

man, a human named Basil. Apparently, he was naturally

gregarious and had managed a successful business for

years in the Kingdom of Yves. His success had

unfortunately made him a target for one of the King’s noble

friends. Basil was given an ‘offer he couldn’t refuse’ to sell

his business for coppers. The man certainly had an axe to

grind against the current government of Yves. It made it

easier for Richter to trust him.

More importantly from Richter’s perspective, he was a

long-time personal friend of Randolphus. The chamberlain

personally vouched for the man’s honesty and said he could

be trusted. Richter wanted Basil sent as soon as possible to

rendezvous with the ship captain. He removed two hundred

Potions of Clarity and set them on the table. He also placed

five hundred gold on the table for any expenses that might

arise.

Randolphus protested the sum was too big, but Richter

disagreed. If he was going to trust Basil, then he was going

to trust him. Richter didn’t believe in half measures.

Randolphus nodded his head saying he was honored for the

faith he was being shown. Richter waved it away,

uncomfortable with the older man getting emotional. He

focused on what he needed done. Richter had a list of

things he wanted to be brought back from Leaf’s Crossing.

It included another two months of food rations, more vials,

paper and a dozen other little items. Richter instructed

Randolphus to poll the villagers and sprites to see if there

was anything specific that they needed. He promised that

he would take care of it.

That just left one unfortunate item to discuss, “Have

the arrangements of the funeral been made?”

“Yes, my Lord. I have arranged for the bodies to be

taken up to the meadow. I was actually going to suggest

that we leave now.”

Richter nodded and stood up. Together, the two men

walked to put their fellow villagers to rest. The funeral went

smoothly. There were tears to go around, but the villagers

pulled together in support. Hisako and the other sprites

were present as well. Sumiko had cast a spell on the fallen
sprites. It left their bodies wrapped in golden threads like a

mummy. Richter was told that it would halt decay until they
could be returned home to be buried in the custom of the

wood sprites. The Hearth Mother recited a small speech in

the language of her people at the end of the ceremony.

No one felt like saying much after that. They all went

in separate directions to retire for the night. More than a

few walked to the Quickening to sleep under its canopy.

Richter couldn’t blame them. The sense of wellbeing that

exuded from the tree was palpable.

Richter walked up to the Hearth Mother. She was

surrounded by Yoshi, Sion and the other sprites, “I am

leaving tomorrow morning. I need to finish my quest,” he

said.

“Will my son be accompanying you,” she asked.

Richter looked at Sion, who seemed confused by the

question as well.

“Yes,” Richter replied. “Do you not want him to?”

 “I am not saying that, but I well remember how
dangerous my own quests to unlock my powers were. My

son must follow his own path, and it will be as the Forest
wills. I have a request, however.”

“Anything,” he said immediately.

“I would like you to take Yoshi with you.”

Both Richter and Yoshi began to argue against that at

once, but she raised a hand to stop them. “I am quite safe

here behind the enchantments now, and I have recovered

fully from the battle. We will be working and fighting

together quite a bit in the future. It will be to our advantage

if two peoples are familiar with each other’s weakness and

strengths. There is no better way to accomplish this than
working together to complete a quest.”

Yoshi waited for her to finish speaking, then

immediately said, “I cannot leave you alone Hearth Mother.

These mists are not full proof as you well know! Anything-”

“Enough Yoshi,” she said sharply. She seemed to

immediately regret her tone because then her voice

softened, “I know you worry for me, but we must all take
chances in the coming days. There have been more

incursions into the Forest by those with evil in their hearts

than any time in recent memory. Do not forget, if not for

the efforts of Sion and Lord Richter, where we now stand

could have been the heart of a goblin stronghold. Instead,”

she sighed and looked at the Quickening with satisfaction,

“we are sitting in the presence of a celestial tree. Most
importantly, the other half of our souls has been returned to

us. Instead of new enemies, we have new friends.” She

patted Richter on the shoulder with a smile.

She looked at Yoshi again, “Please be ready to leave

with Lord Richter in the morning. Help him accomplish his

quest.”

The sword adept bent his head in acquiescence, “As

you wish, Hearth Mother.”

“Daniella, will you go as well? This quest could benefit

from someone with brains,” Hisako said with a wry smile.

“Of course, Hearth Mother,” the cute sprite said with a

smile of her own. Sion gave a faint groan.

 “Then we leave in the morning,” Richter said. “Sion,

finish preparing the potions. Yoshi, let’s do some sword

practice.”

The look on the sword adept’s face was almost worth

the pain that followed.

Yoshi decided that this time, practice would consist of

multiple sparring sessions. Richter first sparred Sion, both

of them holding stout sticks. The sprite soundly trounced

him up and down the meadow. His Companion was, of

course, trash talking the entire time.

Unexpectedly, Yoshi had saved him by saying that Sion

needed to work on his own forms and they faced off against
each other. It was Richter’s turn to be amused as Sion was

whacked in the backside more than once. Then entered

Daniella. With a cheery smile she asked if Richter would

like to spar. He made a mental promise not to hurt the

small woman. He soon found out that his promise wasn’t

necessary because apparently she had already resolved to

beat him like he owed her money.
 It wasn’t the most humbling experience in two lives to
be beaten soundly by a three and a half foot tall woman, but

it was up there! She moved like a ghost. Her two blade

style was strongly reminiscent of the sword adept’s fight
with the bugbear raider, leaving no doubt who had trained

her. He face planted at least five times! At one point he

was pretty sure he shouted at her, ‘Stop laughing at me!’

That may have been a hallucination, though. Richter was

relieved when she finally stepped back and thanked him for

the exercise. That relief only lasted until he saw the other
sprites standing in a line, patiently waiting for their turn to

‘spar’ with the Master of the Mist Village.

Richter was nearing the end of his patience as he

sparred with the last sprite in line. Yoshi had been watching
his practice silently. When he started his fight with the last

sprite, however, he started ordering Richter to use certain

forms. The names came faster and faster, and Richter’s

training allowed him to follow. Before he knew it, he was

standing over his sparring partner with his stick pointing at
the sprites chest. A cheer rose up from the other warriors

and even his vanquished ‘foe’ smiled ruefully before

excepting Richter’s help to stand again. They shook hands
and parted with no animosity. Yoshi just walked up and said,

“That was less horrible.” Then he walked off.

Richter’s mouth dropped open in shock. He spread his

arms wide and looked around as if to say, ‘Yeah boyyyyy!’

Sion just shook his head and turned away with a laugh.

Daniella followed close behind him, already restarting her

constant monologue on the sprite’s many faults and how he

could improve if only he would listen.

Laughing quietly as his friend’s stoic demeanor, Richter

walked over to Hisako. He made a quick request to which

she readily agreed. Thanking her, he decided to keep

moving before the heat left his muscles. Prior training

sessions had taught him that as soon as he slowed, his

muscles would cool down, and then the aches would begin.
He collected his map from the sprites, and then began to jog
down to the village. While he was moving he saw a

minimized unread prompt, he had advanced his sword skill

by a level! Pleased with his progression, he made his way
down to the village. The sun was going down and he
wanted to speak with Sumiko and Gloran quickly before
passing out. Luckily, Futen showed up while he was jogging,
and Richter sent him to gather the high elf and the Life

master to await him at the Great Seal.

When he got closer to the soon to be site of the rebuilt

smithy, he heard raised voices and arguing. Sighing to

himself, he jogged over. Krom and four other dwarves were

shouting at each other. Every word uttered got louder and
brought the arguers closer together. Anyone could see this
was about to come to blows. In fact, judging by the lack of

other people around, Richter was the only dummy running

towards this conflict.

“Whoa! What’s with all hubbub bub?” The dwarves

stopped fighting and looked at him confused. Richter

sighed. Damn colloquialisms. He tried again, “Why for art
thou fighting?”

Krom immediately started talking again. Why the hell

did that work, Richter thought. “These short sighted fools
want to just shove the Core into any ol’ anvil!”

Richter just looked at him. When the dwarves started

arguing again, in dwarvish this time, Richter held up his
hand again, “Hey! Somebody tell me what the problem is.”
He pointed randomly at one of the dwarves, “You, what’s

the argument about?”

“Well your lordship, the Core can be combined with any

anvil to make a Magic Forge. But it will combine with the

highest quality metal it is touching and change the entire
anvil into that metal. Thereafter, any weapons or armor
made will have special traits based on the metal the Forge
is made out of.”

Richter had to take a second to process that, “So you

are saying that if you put gold next to the Magic Core, then

you could turn an entire anvil into gold?”

“Yes, my Lord, but gold would make a horrible anvil,”

one of the dwarves responded.

This guy didn’t get it. “And we can do this over and
over,” he asked. Richter was already dreaming of a factory

churning out gold anvils by the dozens. He was going to

invent both the car and grey poupon, just so he could drive
around handing it out!
 “The Core can be taken out of the Magic Forge, but the

anvil would return to its former metal.”

Richter sighed, he guessed that would have been too

easy.

“We would also lose any levels or spells that the Forge
had learned,” the dwarf continued.

“Yes,” Krom spat, “and that’s why we need to do this

right. The material that is used in the anvil will convey
certain properties to the weapons we make! Right now we

only have common metals, and these blockheads want to

waste a MAGIC CORE when we don’t have anything stronger
than high steel! Even orichalum would be a better choice,
but I would sooner make love to ant hill in winter than use

the metal of those accursed bastards!”

“Wait,” Richter said raising a hand to hold off any more

of Krom’s tirade, “what do you mean levels. The Forge

could get stronger?”

Another dwarf spoke up, “That is the other reason

Magic Forges are so valued. They will absorb the skill of

those who work upon them. Each weapon that is made

upon them and each weapon that is deconstructed on it will

add to the experience of the Forge. When it has enough

experience it will level,” the dwarf smiled, “and that is when
the really amazing things start to happen. You see, my
Lord-”

Richter held up his hand for the umpteenth time. He

was too tired to get a lesson in smithing right now. He
turned back to Krom, “What metals are there, and which

one should we use?”

Krom’s face lost much of its animosity as he started

thinking of a topic near and dear to his heart, “Well iron and

steel of course. Bronze or its base metal copper is also

possible, but only a blockhead or back woods tribesman
would make weapons out of bronze these days. High steel
can be made by combining molten steel and xanthite. Glass

is stronger, but only those crazy islanders know how to

forge it. Moonstone will make you a nice light armor.
Quicksilver will give you something even better, though
whoever could find enough quantities to make even a

decent dagger is someone I would like to meet. Cobalt will

make you a fine piece of medium or heavy armor, and
ebony will protect you from almost anything, though you will

need to be as strong as a bear and probably hung like one

to if you want to move around in it. My pappy used to talk
about red duranium, but I’ve only seen it once. Of course,
mithril is the dream of every smith, but you might as well

wish for a great dragon’s scales or adamant while you are at

it.”

Richter was shocked that such a long winded and

thoughtful discourse had come from the hot-tempered
dwarf. It was clear that there was more to Krom than just
the barroom brawler persona that the smith initially exuded.

Krom wasn’t done, though.

“So if I had my wish, it would be duranium or ebony. I

suppose in a pinch, quicksilver or moonstone would do,

though. That’s why,” Krom’s voice regained its previous

levels of derision and annoyance, “I’ll not hear about
wasting the Core on high steel!”

From what Richter had heard, he agreed with his new

vassal. Even though he was eager to have the Forge made
and to start constructing weapons, he had always been a
measure twice and cut once kind of guy. (Previous
girlfriends might point out that certain Ikea desks or tables
had been left a bit wobbly because he had refused to read
the directions first, but that’s not the point!) Richter had a

question to ask before he made his decision.

“How much metal will we need?”

Krom answered, “Well I have never done this before.

The only information we have is based on fables the oldsters
would tell us, but I remember is my mam telling me a story
about Frederico the Axesmith.”

“Holding one globe of silver mithril,

and one sphere of red and white,
he brought the two brother orbs
together,
and unleashed his hammer’s might.
The Magic Forge was created,
to manifest the Axesmith’s will,
he swore to forge to save his people,
and never just to kill.
 Educational dialogue and now poetry? Richter smiled
at seeing the softer side of the cantankerous dwarf. “So it
needs to be the same size as the Core then,” he asked. The
clockwork sphere was about the size of a large grapefruit.

“We think so, my Lord. The problem is even if you

could find someone selling that much precious metal, an

ingot of pure quicksilver would cost near two gold coins.

Ebony at least five times as much. Also, to be completely
honest, the Kingdom of Yves regulates the purchase of
higher level metals. All known mines that produce them are

either owned by the Kingdom, the nobles, or one of the

mining guilds that wouldn’t risk breaking the law just to sell
to us. Some could be bought on the black market, but you
would need a high skill level tradesman just to find one.”

Metal costs that much, Richter thought incredulously.

He supposed it made sense. In medieval times on Earth, it
was only the upper crust that could afford to wear armor. A
knight clad in full plate was literally wearing a fortune. The

kingdom’s stanglehold on metal also meant only their

soldiers would have access to the best gear.
 One of the other dwarves piped in loudly, “That is why
we should not wait around for something that we will
probably never find!”

“Quit flapping your sausage wrappers,” Krom shouted

back. Turning back to Richter, he asked in a respectful tone,
“Can you get us a high quality metal, my Lord?”

You have been offered a Quest: The Right Tool for the Job.
Your smiths are arguing over which base metal to use when
making the Magic Forge. You have been put on the spot to
solve the problem for the fractious dwarves. Weapons and
armor made on the forge will have special properties based
on the type of metal that is used. The benefit of gaining a
better forge must be weighed against the difficulty of
finding a higher metal and delaying the production of arms
to defend your village in a dangerous world. Failing this
quest will lower the regard the smiths have for you.
Reward: A Magic Forge that gives better traits. Do you
accept? Yes or No?

Richter thought about it for a moment, and ultimately

based his decision on the boon of the Quickening. The level

2 bonus provided a 25% greater chance of finding rare
resources. There was a real chance that they could find a
high-quality metal in the surrounding lands. Richter knew

he would always kick himself if he just took the easy path

that was right in front of him, to get a quick result. If he
only applied himself, he could get something so much
better. It was the same reason he never paid for sex. It

wasn’t really so much about being moral, as it was about

believing in himself… and having good fiscal sense.

“I agree with Krom. There is a good chance that we

might find what we need around here. Search the iron
mine. We might discover a previously unseen vein of
precious metal. Also, carefully go through the armory Krom.
There might be weapons made of what we need. If we don’t

find anything after a time, we will reach out to our trader

friend in Yves and see if he can help.” Richter quailed at
thinking about how much the tubby, but shrewd, trader
Hafiz would charge. It didn’t’ matter. The Magic Forge was

worth investing it. It had to be invested in.

The dwarves seemed comfortable with that decision,

and they walked off still good-naturedly grumbling amongst
themselves. Richter stared after them. Now he was getting
quests from his own villagers? That possibility hadn’t really

occurred to him before. In some ways, he had just viewed

the village and the people now living here as macro
extensions of himself, like an arm or a leg. Even though he
knew that this wasn’t a game, his thinking had unknowingly
shifted back to those thought patterns. He supposed it

would be good to remember that each new member of his

community was an individual, real and distinct.

Richter resumed his jog over to where everyone had

gathered to eat. A large bonfire had been made from the
wooden remnants of the longhouse, and the villagers circled
it. The overall demeanor was not joyous, but neither was it

depressed. The people ate and spoke quietly. Richter was

pleased that he saw a few smiles here and there. He was
pleasantly met by his people who made room for him to sit.
He begged off, saying there was no rest for the wicked,

which earned a few good-natured laughs. He piled some

food on a wooden plate and made his way up to the Great
Seal.
 Sumiko and Gloran were sitting in a small room that
had also had a table set into it. They seemed to be laughing

about something, but both rose quickly at Richter’s

approach. He waved them back down, futilely tell them
again that things like that weren’t necessary, and then
came to the reason he asked to see them. Sumiko readily

agreed to teach him the spell Soul Trap.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: 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 you
possess of appropriate size. This is a spell of Life Magic.
Cost: 30 mana. Duration: 2 minutes. Range 10 feet. Cast
time: 1 second. Cool down: N/A.

Richter was thankful for the new spell, but the short
duration and range were not ideal. Sumiko told him that

there were other spells like Soul Trap with increased stats,
but his level in Life Magic was still too low to learn them.
She further told him that the basic Soul Trap spell only
lasted sixty seconds if learned in another school of magic
besides Life and Death. Richter thanked her again and

spoke to Gloran.

The high elf had already prepared several dozen low

level soul stones using pieces of the marbled quartz he had

found near the cliffs. Apparently it served as a better

template than he had thought it would. Gloran explained
that there were multiple levels of soul stones: Weak, Basic,
Common, Higher, Special, Resplendant, and Absolute. The

marbled quartz had made ‘basic’ soul stones when he had

only been expecting ‘weak’. Each level captured higher
level souls. Gloran couldn’t give him a specific breakdown
of which monsters went into which category, but he did tell

him that ‘resplendent’ level stones were required to capture

high level angels or demons, and ‘absolute’ could capture
anything.

When Richter asked if an absolute gem could capture a

human or elf, Sumiko’s face tightened. She said in a
scolding tone that only the most perverted magic could be
used to make a gem like that. Richter took the rebuke

easily, but he still thought about it. Call him cold, but he
knew that at some point he would face other Chaos Seeds.
If he needed to put one down, Richter wanted him to stay

down.

Richter took the basic soul stones from Gloran and

looked at them. None were overly large, and Richter could

fit several in one hand. He had expected them to look like
the original stones they were created from, but none
resembled the white stone of the cliffs. Each was the color

of amber and formed a perfect six sided gem. Holding them

made his hand tingle. Richter pulled some gems from his

Bag that he had put aside earlier. He had taken Shivona’s

reaction to heart, and wouldn’t be flashing the contents of

his whole chest again… not that he expected Gloran to start

whispering sweet nothings into his ear and make a move,

but better safe than sore. He put several jaspers, a

turquoise, a topaz, and a few opals on the table. He also

placed one ruby, sapphire, emerald and diamond on the

table with the other gems. “What can you make these

into?”

Gloran’s eyes had widened at seeing so much wealth

so casually strewn in front of him, “Are you sure that you

want to use all of these, my Lord?”
 “Wealth should serve a purpose,” Richter told him.

“The primary purpose of my wealth is to make us safer and

stronger. So what can you do with the gems?”

Gloran pushed the diamond, emerald and ruby back

towards Richter, “My old master told me that these can be

turned into resplendent soul stones, but my skill level in

enchanting is too low to make them. I can turn the sapphire

into a special soul stone, and the other gems into common

or higher level stones.”

“Can you have it done by the morning,” Richter asked.

“I can do it now, my Lord. It is a simple spell of Light

magic. It just also has the requirement of possessing the

enchanting skill.” Gloran placed his hands over the gems

and murmured a few words. A green glow shone down from

his palms, and the image of each gem wavered, like air over

a hot desert. Each gem grew a bit larger and when the glow
vanished, more amber jewels sat in their place. Gloran

identified the largest as the special stone, the slightly

smaller gems were higher level soul stones and the common
gems were smaller still. Easy enough to figure out which
was which.

“A soul will go into the smallest appropriate soul stone

available. Be careful not to run out of low-level gems or a

weak soul will use up a valuable higher level gem,” Gloran

cautioned. Richter asked if he could turn more quartz into

soul stones by the morning. The enchanter bowed his head

in agreement.

Richter had one more question, “I want you to look at

something else.” He reached into his Bag and pulled out

the depleted Wand of Dark Bolts. He placed it in front of

Gloran, and said, “I found this on one of the attackers. It

doesn’t have any charges left, can you fix that?”

Gloran picked up the wand, examining it, “The

procedure to recharge the wand is fairly simple. Just place a

filled soul stone next to it, and will the wand to be

replenished. This wand, though, is not completely empty,

my Lord.”

Richter frowned and took the wand back from the

enchanter. When he examined it, he saw that Gloran was
right.

You have found: Wand of Dark Bolts. Attack 4-6. Durability

17/17. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb. Weight 0.2
kg. Casts spell Dark Bolts. Charge 2/50.

“I don’t understand,” Richter said. “I was sure that it

had zero charges when I examined it earlier.”

Gloran nodded in understanding, “The enchantment

that made this wand was a ‘charged’ enchantment, my

Lord. That means that unlike your armor which gives a

constant bonus, the wand has a limited number of uses.

After that, it just becomes a stick with a weak attack. The

charges can be restored by using filled soul stones as we

discussed, but it will also slowly recharge over time.”

“So if I just wait, then my enchanted items will

replenish?” Gloran nodded again but warned that it could

take a long, long time.

Richter thanked them and said goodnight. His muscles

had started locking up from his sparring session, and he

wanted nothing more than to fall asleep.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 15

Richter’s dreams were full of shouts of sword forms, and

the pain of Yoshi correcting him when he made a mistake:

‘Forest Wind! No, left leg back!’

Crack!

‘Argh, you bastard!’

‘Cat Swatting at Mouse. I told you to find your center!’

Crack!

‘Son, of, a, Bitch!’

Richter blinked the dreams away, waking in the barracks.

He thanked god for the improved healing of The Land. When

he had finally laid down for the night, his body was wracked

with pain from the numerous bruises he had suffered while

sparring. This morning though, he barely felt stiff. The

villagers filled the other bunks, most still sleeping. A few

spoke softly to one another, but no one had left their beds yet.

At the start of the tunnel leading outside, there were three

large bundles and a cloth bag. Checking the bundles, he saw

the arrows he had asked Hisako to create. The sprite arrows

were still the best projectiles he had encountered since coming

to The Land with their +1 to damage and accuracy. The bag

was full of basic soul stones. He slid the three bundles of

arrows and poured the soul stones into his Bag of Holding, and
then walked outside and greeted the day.

Alma had swooped down from the arches above the Great

Seal and settled on his shoulders in what was becoming her

customary perch. The darkness of night had just fled, and the
clouds above were lit with peach and orange hues. The forest

was waking up around the village, and distant animal calls

could be heard. He had always enjoyed the stillness of
mornings. He just stood there with his familiar and watched

the sky lighten over the tree tops.

After a time, he saw three figures walking from the

meadow north of the village, and the forms resolved into Sion,
Yoshi and Daniella. It was time to go. Richter was wondering
how to find Futen when the remnant floated along.
 “How do you always seem to appear when I want you,”
Richter asked.

“Because you will it, my Lord. I can sense your desire.”

Well that’s not at all creepy, Richter thought, but still,

good to know.

“Take us to the quest site,” he said.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Alma rose into the air as the four adventurers started

following the remnant out of the village. They went east

following the foothills of the mountain above. The path was

initially the same as that which Richter had taken to unlock his
first power, but after an hour, Futen began to move in a more
southeasterly direction. They walked in relative silence. One

of the things that Richter shared with the sprites was an

appreciation of nature and its beauty. After fighting a pitched

battle barely a day ago, the forest’s sounds and scents were a
form of spiritual healing.

Sion handed out the potions he had been able to make.

Everyone got two healing potions. He gave Richter three

restore mana potions, keeping two for himself. Everyone also

got a restore stamina potion. The potions were all classified as
minor, restoring a base 43.6 points over 6 seconds. Sion
explained that the potion had a base healing of 40, but the
bonus in his Alchemy skill made his potion 1.5% more effective

per level.

That made Richter wonder about the bonus from his Herb

Lore skill. Herbs were supposed to be 3% more effective per

level, so he should get a 114% bump now. He pulled a sprig of

forest sage, one of the common healing herbs that grew in this

region of the forest, out of his Bag.

Forest sage: Ingesting this will restore 21.4 health points over
30 seconds. You also get the feeling that this is a component
of cure poison potions and will make a savory dish to boost
stamina.

Still not as good as potions, Richter thought, but a definite

improvement. The restoration potions were all useful, but not

what Sion was excited about. He handed over two more to

Richter.

You have received: Potion of Bottled Fire. When smashed, this

potion will create a 5x5 foot circle of intense flame. Anyone
inside the AoE will suffer thirty health damage per second.
Duration: 20 seconds.

You have received: Bottle of Pure Light. Shake potion

vigorously to activate. Will emit an intense light that drives
back creatures of negative alignment. Activation will render
potion inert. Duration: 10 minutes.

Richter congratulated Sion profusely. The sprite looked

embarrassed for the first time Richter had ever seen, but was

clearly pleased as well. He warned Richter that he wouldn’t be

able to make other high-level potions unless they found more

crystal. Richter just looked at him in confusion, and Sion

explained that powered crystal was an important resource in

making magical equipment and arms. Richter shook his head.

It meant just one more thing that he would have to take care

of when they got back. He would have to ask Randolphus

about it. How was he supposed to remember all of these

things? Just then, Futen caught his eye, though.

“Futen, remind me to ask Randy about finding more

crystal when we get back to the village.”

“Yes, my Lord.”
 Ha! I may not be Master Chief, but I do have my own

Cortana, he thought.

Alma glided above them, often flying off to hunt squirrels

or other small animals. The dragonling never seemed to get

enough to eat. She would then come back to circle above

their heads or fly down to perch on Ricther’s shoulders. At

least the familiar was fastidiously clean, Richter thought,

happy that he wasn’t getting bloody bits all over him. He was

walking along letting his mind drift when he noticed a change

in an icon at the corner of his vision. The black dragon

indicating Alma had a small gold cross affixed to it. He

focused on it and her status window popped up.

Name: Alma
Level: 3, 78%
Health: 130 Mana: 130 Stamina: 130
(Unused level points: 2)
Abilities:
Psi Bond – Lvl 1, points until next level: 1
Psi Blast – Lvl 1, points until next level: 1
Brain Drain – Lvl 1, points until next level: 1
Can use:
Air Magic
Resistances:
Mental: 100%
Air: 50%
Race: Psi Dragonling
 The screen was different from his own status page. For
one thing, it was lacking all of the characteristic points that

were on his or Sion’s pages. It also looked like he could invest

in his familiar’s abilities. The question was, which ability to

invest the points into? He thought about each choice.

The Psi Bond was already useful in that it let him speak

with Alma. Who knew what further benefits there could be to

deepening the bond? The value of the Psi Blast was obvious as

well. During the attack by the bugbears, Alma had been able

to break up their lines of defense. The battle could have gone

very differently if not for her.

Richter had always been one to play the long game,

though. When he was gaming in head to head matches, while

other players skirmished and scavenged for as much territory

as possible as quickly as possible, he had always built up a

solid and defensible base. From there he would strategically

increase his holdings while keeping his defenses intact. The

ability that gave him the best chance of a long-term yield

would be Brain Drain. Even though he didn’t know exactly

what would happen when the ability increased, the extra

experience would make leveling a lot easier.

 He allocated one point to Brain Drain.

You have chosen to increase your familiar’s ability: Brain Drain

to level 2. Successful kills will now give 2% of total experience
to both you and your familiar. Drain occurs faster. Stun can
occur on enemies level 6 and below.

Richter had been right, this was going to come in handy,

he thought with a smile. The next level up for Brain Drain

would require two points. So he left one point unused. He also

chose to be notified by prompt of any increase in his familiar’s

level in the future.

They traveled until about midday and then Futen stopped.

Yoshi and the other sprites stopped walking before Richter who

had been lost in his own thoughts. He bumped into a tree

before he noticed that no one else was moving. When he

looked around though, he didn’t see anything except more

trees and some ivy-covered rocks.

“So where are we going now,” Richter asked.

“We are here, my Lord, the entrance is hidden behind the

rock in front of you.”
 Richter and Sion walked up to the vine-covered rock they

had stopped by. He started pulling at the thick vines. The

strength of his new body was enough to pull them off easily.

Yoshi and Daniella joined them. Richter used his dagger to cut

through thicker vines and roots. Nothing was seen except for

bare grey stone until Daniella called him over. A small circle of

clear glass had been set into the rock. Smiling Richter raised

his left wrist willing his Mark to show. Then he thought about
how he wanted the entrance to open, just as Yoshi shouted,

“Wait!”

That was the last thing Richter heard before the ground

dropped out from under their feet and they plummeted down

into darkness.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 16

Richter came to with a knot on the back of his head and

a throbbing headache. The only light was from the hole

thirty feet above them and from Futen’s soft white glow. It
was just enough to illuminate Yoshi’s angry face.

“Stupid gyoti!”

Richter looked over at him, “You kiss your Hearth

Mother with that mouth?” Yoshi just started pacing and

muttering under his breath. ‘Gyoti’ was sprite speak for

irritating fool. Sion had called him that a time or two. “Is

everyone okay?”

Daniella spoke up saying she was fine. Sion groaned

and then questioned Richter’s parentage. He took that to

mean that his Companion was fine. Yoshi’s pacing back and

forth was coupled with a quiet monologue that had a fair

amount of cursing. At the very least, it reassured Richter

that the sword adept had avoided serious damage as well.

Richter had lost eighteen points of health, but it could have

been a lot worse. Where was Alma?

A gust of air right in his face answered that question.

*Dumb*, she thought at him. He couldn’t really disagree

with her statement.

Yoshi turned and verbalized his ire directly to Richter

again, “You don’t just push buttons and activate magical

locks. They can do anything! Do you realize there could

have been spikes at the bottom of this pit?”

Richter nodded to show he had heard and then

apologized. Yoshi just repeated, “Gyoti,” and then started

muttering and pacing again. Richter looked around. A new

prompt stated:

You have found: Timeworn Dungeon

“Futen, give us some more light.”

The grey orb increased its inner light until it was easy

to see the details of their new surroundings. The prompt

had said ‘timeworn.’ That meant the dungeon they were

facing was anywhere between 1,000 and 10,000 years old.

This was not going to be easy.

They hadn’t just fallen into a sinkhole; they had

dropped into an antechamber of some sort. The floor was

made of square blocks of brown stone. The walls were

made of the same material, but the blocks were more

rectangular. The surface of each was rough like sandpaper,

and the stone had a porous appearance. Crumbling mortar

filled the cracks between the blocks, leaving all surfaces

pockmarked with holes. Along one wall was a doorway.

The double doors and the doorframe were made of

black iron, and were almost completely corroded through in

spots. Despite that, the door was solid and rang loudly

when Richter rapped it with his fist. This of course earned

him another glare from Yoshi, which he ignored. When he

started examining the clear circle set in the center of the

left door though, Yoshi half drew one of his swords. Richter

decided there were other things to examine in the room.

Sion was looking at the wall opposite the door. Loose

rocks were strewn around on the ground and a series of

protruding bricks could be seen in a rising line along the

wall. They almost looked like… stairs. Richter realized with

a drop in his stomach that long ago a staircase had

extended out of the wall. All that was left now though was

the rubble on the ground. From the resigned look on Sion’s

face, he had come to the same conclusion.

“We won’t be leaving this way,” Sion said.

They all just looked at each other. Richter pointed at

the door, “We need to go forward then.”

“No,” Yoshi said sharply. “We are in this hole because

you acted rashly. After the attack on your village, I would

have thought you had learned your lesson.” Richter opened

up his mouth to angrily retort, but the truth of Yoshi’s words

and the guilt from his latest mistake combined to keep him

silent. Yoshi continued, “There are cracks in the walls. With

the climbing boost in our armor, we can reach the top.”

Richter looked at the walls doubtfully. He had seen

Sion scamper up a tree like a squirrel, but he had yet to test

the climbing properties of his own enhanced armor. He was

also lugging a lot more weight around than the three and a
half foot tall sprites, and even more then Yoshi with his half-

human frame.

“We are here to beat this dungeon,” Richter said. “We

can’t turn back at the first little bump in the road.”

“I am not saying we give up,” Yoshi said. I am saying

that we get to a safe place, ideally outside and thirty feet

above our current position. Then we can approach this

quest from a position of strength. At the very least, we can

tie off a rope and climb back down. Then we would have a

ready escape if we needed it.”

Richter was about to concede the point when Daniella

shouted and pointed behind Yoshi. Faster than Richter could

follow, the sprite had one of his swords out and slashed

downward. The creature that had jumped at him from one

of the holes in the wall fell in two pieces. Yoshi leaned over

to look at it and called out, “More light.”

Futen was in another corner in the room and did not

move. Sighing Richter said, “For the duration of this

mission, do as they say, Futen.” Richter didn’t wait for the

remnant, though, and cast Simple Light. A white ball of

light appeared about his head.

The insect, because it was clearly somewhere along

that particular branch of the genetic tree, was about one-

foot long. The black carapace reminded Richter of a

cockroach, but it was split into three distinct segments.

The mouth was framed by serrated pincers and sharp teeth

could be seen lining its jaws. It had six thin legs, and its

blood was green. The fluid steamed slightly where it

dripped out along with white viscera. Yoshi swore as soon

as he saw it.

“Open the door!” The sword adept had drawn both

blades. Once Sion and Daniella saw the bisected insect,

they cursed as well and nocked arrows.

“Why,” Richter asked. “What’s going on?”

“Open the door!”

“What’s the problem,” Richter asked confused. This

bug thing had been easy to kill.

“They are coming! Listen!”

 All Richter heard was a low buzz. It was getting louder,

though, and pretty quickly… and it didn’t sound like a buzz

anymore. It sounded like… scratching… like maybe the

scratching of countless sharp legs on stone…

Richter ran over to the door and held his Mark to the

glass circle willing the portal open. The doors started

opening inward, but then they ground to a halt. A squealing

of gears created a head splitting racket. The horrible noise

had to compete with the skittering and scratching sounds

that were now horrifyingly loud. Then the holes in the wall
exploded with the bodies of hundreds of the foot-long bugs.

The squeezed through the small spaces like roaches through

a small crack in the floor. They looked exactly the same as
the last one, and they were swarming towards Richter and

his comrades!

Richter threw his shoulders against the doors trying to

get them open another few inches. It barely budged. Sion

and Daniella were firing imbued arrows at the high speed of
one per second, but it was like trying to stop a flood by

throwing rocks at it. Yoshi stood in front of them ready to

strike any that got too close. Alma helped by sending
psychic pulses into the swarm, but the damned things
jumped! She was having to weave in the air to avoid being

brought down and torn apart. Richter threw his shoulder

against the door again. It moved a bit but not enough! The

gears were rusted shut. If only he could oil them, or g-!

Quickly, Richter cast Grease, not on floor but on the

wall that held the door. He wasn’t even sure he could cast

the spell vertically, but thankfully the familiar brown gravy

colored slickness coated the wall and the hinges. Richter

slammed his shoulder into the door again and felt it give a
little. Another shove and it flew open, making him sprawl

on the floor of the tunnel beyond. The loud boom of the

door against the inside of wall, coupled with the impacts of

the sprites imbued arrows in a confined space, robbed

Richter of all of his hearing.

The sprites had rushed in after him, still firing back into

the antechamber. Richter looked up confused, his bell rung

from hitting his head on the ground. Yoshi shouted at him,

but it sounded like a far-off sound heard while under water.

The sword adept spoke again moving his mouth in an

exaggerated fashion so Richter could read his lips. He still

couldn’t get what Yoshi was saying. All of a sudden the
sound came back like someone had unplugged his ears.

“DOOR,” Yoshi shouted for a third time.

Richter stumbled to his feet and put his back to the

door trying to shove it closed. He was wondering why they

hadn’t all been eaten by now, and saw that there were three
factors contributing to their continued survival. One, Sion

was holding a vial that had bright white light was coming
out of. It was forcing the insects back. The ones in back

kept surging forward over their hesitant fellows to in turn be

driven back by the light themselves. Two, Daniella’s was

still firing imbued arrows into the swarm of bugs. Each

strike momentarily cleared a section of the antechamber

floor, but it would immediately be filled again with more of

the giant insects. Three, the attention of the bugs was

divided between trying to kill the party of adventures… and

eating their own wounded. As Richter tried to yank the
door closed, he had one thought on his mind. He really

hoped he had been down on the ground less than thirty

seconds. That was the duration of Grease, and if the spell
ran out… well… then they were all about to become termite

shit.

Both Yoshi and Richter strained against the door to no

avail for several seconds, but once again, when it started

moving, it slammed shut quickly. Several bugs were

crushed between the doors and others were left on the

same side as Richter and the others. They were saved from
the majority of the ravaging horde of insects now locked

outside in the antechamber, at least momentarily. The

sprites immediately started dispatching any of the giant

roaches locked on this side of the door. Before all the bugs
killed, Richter Analyzed one.

Esurient Beetle. Lvl 2. Health 40. Mana 0. Stamina 50.

Disposition: N/A. Esurient Beetles are a plague upon The
Land. Also known as hell bugs, eaters, or ‘the scourge’,
these voracious creatures perform only two actions, eating
and reproducing. Highly territorial and aggressive, every
sentient species no matter the alignment hates these
creatures, and will kill them on sight. Entire regions have
been lost to these swarms of esurient beetles. Fortunately,
their queen has a short lifespan of one year, after which that
particular nest will not resurge for a century. Unfortunately,
that one year is enough to turn forests into wastelands.

God! If those things had been able to bear any of them

to the ground, or Alma… Alma!

*Alma, where are you?*

*Here*, she thought to him soothingly. He looked up,

and saw her clinging to an empty torch bracket set into the
side of the tunnel. He exhaled in relief.

There were only a few eaters left on their side of the

door, Yoshi having dispatched the rest. A thought occurred

to Richter. “Wait,” he called out. The sprites pulled back

from the five insects remaining insects.

“What,” Yoshi said irritated. The bugs were clustered in

a corner gnashing their serrated teeth in anger, but not

willing to rush the dangerous sprites.

*Stun them*, Richter thought.

Alma swooped to the corner where the bugs were and

let loose a psi blast. The bugs fell over in a stupor. It
appeared her attack worked well on the simple creatures.
Thank Abrams and Whedon for small favors.

“Disable them, but don’t kill them if you can help it,” he

said to the sprites. It was a relatively simple matter for

them to cut the eaters’ legs off while they were disabled.

By the time the bugs could respond, their mobility was

gone. Richter consumed a Potion of Clarity, and then looked

up at Alma. Curious what would happen he offered her a

Potion of Clarity as well. She took the end of the vial in her

mouth, and then put her head back letting the potion slide
down her throat. Richter gave a vicious smile and then said,

“Drain them.”

The dragonling let loose an excited cry and pounced on

the first eater. Richter cast Soul Trap on each in turn. She

took less than a minute before moving on to the next. As

she finished each, a ribbon of multicolored light flew into his

Bag of Holding. While he watched her kill the beetles,

Richter re-enabled his prompts showing experience from

kills. He had disabled it soon after coming to The Land

because it was too distracting. With each kill, though, his

experience went up by 75-90 depending on the beetle’s

level not including the 25% boost that the Potion of Clarity
gave. He also received a second prompt because of his

familiar’s Brain Drain ability. Depending on the level of

eaters that Alma consumed he would get between 30 or 80

experience as well. The awesome news was that

experience from Brain Drain was increased by his Potion as

well! True, these monsters were low level, and didn’t give
much experience, but it boded well for the future! He

disabled the experience prompts again before he forgot.

Those things were seriously distracting and cluttered his

notification log.

While he was waiting, he also looked at the backlog of

experience prompts from the frantic fight with the eaters.
Just like the battle with the bugbears, it seemed that he got

experience even from the sprites kills. A quick question

revealed that the sprites got experience from his kills as
well. Yoshi explained that in group battles everyone that
contributed to a kill would get some decreased experience.

The more people involved, the less the individual

experience each person got. Up to a party of five, though,
everyone got an equal and unreduced level of experience
from completed quests. It seemed The Land followed old
D&D rules. Most people accepted that the ideal party size

was four, but you always made a party of five. That way if
someone had some bad lo mein, and subsequently was
spraying dark miso soup out of their bottom, you were still
ready to rock with the four who made it to your mom’s
garage.

Richter had been slightly concerned that the sprites

would have a problem with what Alma was doing, but they

just looked curious. Yoshi asked about what was happening,

and when Richter explained he just nodded in agreement,
“Any opportunity to get stronger should be taken.” It was
clear he was still irritated with Richter from the way he

spoke, though.

Once Alma was done, they took stock of their

surroundings. Sion’s bottle of Pure Light had gone out, and

if not for Futen, there would be no light in the subterranean

tunnel. The stone of the hallway was different from the
antechamber. It was grey slate and the blocks were
expertly laid together. Most importantly there were no holes

in the walls. After seeing the eaters speed out of holes that
should have been too small to accommodate their bodies no
less, it was a relief to know that they wouldn’t be swarmed

from all directions. The tunnel led on into the darkness.

Futen’s light only extended about twenty yards, past that
nothing could be seen.

Alma had perched back on his shoulders when she was

finished killing the eaters. Yoshi was cleaning his blades,
and Sion and Daniella were shouldering their bows and
checking their arrows. Other than the quiet sounds the four

of them were making, the tunnel was as still and quiet as

the grave.

“Well how do we get out of there,” Yoshi asked.

It was quiet for a moment until Richter realized the

question was directed at him.

“How should I know,” he asked.

“That internal map that you have been bragging

about,” Yoshi said sharply. “Find us a way out.”

“It only works on places that I’ve already been.”

 “Only works on where you’ve already been? Not where

you are going,” Yoshi asked putting emphasis on the last

word. “You do know that’s the exact OPPOSITE of the
purpose of a map, right?”

“Oh! Is my magic map not good enough for you,”

Richter asked loudly. Not giving Yoshi a chance to respond,
“Well let me just check and see if CAN tell us anything.
Looking, looking, looking. Wait! I was wrong! It does say

something. Yup. It says right here that we’re fucked. Wait,

let me check again. Yup! We’re fucked!”

Before Richter and Yoshi started wailing on each other,

Daniella pulled the sword adept away, whispering urgently

to him. Richter walked up to Sion, who was checking his
quiver.

“What is wrong with that guy,” Richter asked.

“Well,” Sion replied, “he’s just kind of in a bad mood.

Probably due to falling down a pit, then nearly being eaten,

and now being buried alive.”

Richter was quiet for a moment, “Well yeah! But

what’s his problem with me?”

 “Well,” Sion said again, “all of that happened because

you activated whatever was set into that stone.”

Richter was quiet a bit longer this time, “Yeah well,

that’s still no reason for him to be a total twat!”

Sion sighed, “I don’t know what that means, butttt, I’m

guessing if there were reasons to be a… total twat, then

being dropped down a pit, almost being eaten alive, and

then being trapped in an underground tunnel, would all be
pretty good reasons.”

Richter chewed on Sion’s words and realized his

Companion might have had a point. He looked over at
Yoshi. “Hey Yoshi, I feel… partly responsible for all of this. I
want to apologize.”

The adept looked at him with squinted eyes, and then

half raised one hand. He did something peculiar with his

fingers though, with only the second and fourth ones

extended. As soon as he made the gesture, Daniella
grabbed it and pulled it back down.

Richter looked at Sion, “What did that mean?”

 Sion looked back and forth between the two men,

“Uhhhh, it means he accepts your apology.” He quickly

redirected Richter’s attention from the Yoshi’s blatant insult,
“If we are going to be trapped in here long, then we might
be in trouble. I just used a third of my arrows,” Sion said.

Daniella chimed in to help with the distraction. Walking

over, she said, “I used a bit less, but if we run into more hell

bugs, my arrows will deplete quickly.”

Richter looked at the two sprites, quite sure that hand

gesture did not mean ‘I accept your apology,’ but seeing

Yoshi leaning against the tunnel wall clearly pissed, he

decided to let it go. This was at least partly his fault after
all.

“Not a problem,” Richter said. “I asked Hisako to make

me more sprite arrows before we left. She went a bit
overboard.” Richter pulled out one of the bundles Hisako
had left for him near the Great Seal. Each of the three

contained hundreds of arrows. The sprites replenished their

stores and Richter put the rest of the arrows back into his
Bag. Richter also took the time to give them ten Potions of
Clarity each. Yoshi scowled initially, saying he could not
afford them, and despite Richter’s insistence he continued
to refuse. When Richter repeated Yoshi’s own words about
not missing opportunities to get stronger though, he finally

accepted.

“So those things were eaters,” Richter asked.

“I can’t believe there is a nest in the Forest,” Yoshi spat.

“I still remember fighting to clear the last nest forty years
ago. They shouldn’t be back for at least another fifty or
sixty years! We lost good sprites during that fight,” he said

in a regretful tone. “This is no longer about your quest, Lord

Richter. We need to find the nest, and destroy it. Will you
help?”

You have been offered a Quest: Scourge the Scourge I.

Yoshi has just discovered the Forest has an infestation of
hell bugs. He has made clear that finding the nest is more
important that anything. He wants your help. Not
accepting will cause Yoshi to leave the party and decrease
your reputation with him. Yes or No?
 Like there was really a choice, he thought. “Okay, how
do we start,” Richter asked.

Yoshi looked around at the hallway that contained them

and the iron door behind them. He made eye contact with
Richter, “We go forward.”

Remembering what had happened when unlocking his

first power, he told Futen to move ahead of them and scan
for traps. The remnant moved ten yards ahead of them and
waited. When they started walking after him, the grey orb

matched their pace, staying in front. Richter took lead,

followed by Sion and Daniella who had arrows nocked to
their bows, and Yoshi brought up the rear.

While they were walking, Richter accessed his

inventory. All of the quartz soul stones Gloran had given
him had taken up only one slot in his Bag of Holding, each
type of larger soul stone also took up one slot with a

number next to it to show how many there were of that

type. The five soul stones holding the spirits of the hell
bugs, though, now took up one slot each. These stones had
a pulsating radiance at their center. Richter pulled one out
of his inventory and looked at it. The amber jewel did
indeed have an undulating spherical light in its heart, that
showed a rainbow of colors, changing from second to

second. The tingling feeling was still there, but there was
also now a slight sensation of warmth. He put it away.

The silence in the tunnel was deafening. The air had

adopted a progressively worsening ‘stale’ smell as they

went further in. Richter could only guess that opening the
iron door had let in the first fresh air this dungeon had seen
in ages.

The four party members walked for at least half a day.

The tunnel bent and zigzagged. Occasionally it even led
back up for short stints. The actual features of the hallway

they walked through, remained uniform, simple grey blocks

of closely fitted stone. It was clear that they were slowly
being led deeper into the earth.

To stave off boredom, Richter withdrew one of the soul

stones containing an eater’s soul. He also took out the
Wand of Dark Bolts. First, he simply held the glowing jewel

next to the wand, but nothing happened. He left them

pressed together for a full minute, but unfortunately, it still
didn’t yield a positive result. Next he examined each item,
but it just gave the basic stats of each separately. The wand

had recharged another five shots in the past day or so.

Richter was getting frustrated, but then he remembered
Gloran told him to ‘will it.’ He placed the two items together
again and imagined the power in the soul stone flowing into

the wand. A prompt came up:

Do you wish to recharge the Wand of Dark Bolts with the

Basic Soul stone? Yes or No?

Richter chose ‘Yes.’

The same ribbon of rainbow light that appeared when a

spirit was captured, now flowed out of the soul stone and
into the wand. The gem lost its inner light and then
fractured. Richter was left holding a few pieces of broken

amber in his hand. He put them away, not wanting to just

leave them on the floor of the tunnel. Another prompt
appeared:

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Enchanting.

The path of the enchanter is to make the wondrous out of
the mundane. You can now add spells to items to greatly
increase their strength.

Awesome, Richter thought. The soul stone had added

another eleven charges. He was about to use another soul
stone when he realized that the tunnel had ended. Directly

across from the passage they were in, on the other side of
the open area, was an archway made of the same grey
stone that formed the hallway. Set into the archway was a
large door made of overlapping bands of metal. Four other

doors were randomly set into the walls. One appeared to be

made completely of long bones, like femurs. Another was
made of red iron with no handle or apparent means of
opening it. A third was black wood with glowing silver sigils

carved into the frame. The fourth was simply a hatch. It

looked like a dome, and it bowed outward in the direction of
the room. It had a cross-shaped indentation set directly in
the center of the dome, but no apparent handle. What

concerned Richter, was that it was set two feet off the
ground, but was only three feet in diameter. Good god,
don’t let the passage way on the other side be a small
tunnel, Richter thought. He wasn’t afraid of small spaces
per se, he just heavily preferred NOT to be in one.

All of these doors were definitely weird, but everyone in

the party was happy to have a change from the tunnel.

Richter was about a step into the room when he had a

strange feeling. It could only be described as a ‘wrongness.’
He sharply snapped his arm up, hand flat, to stop the sprites
behind him. He immediately heard the creaks of Sion and

Daniella drawing their bows taut, and the shing of Yoshi

drawing his blades. He didn’t know what had alarmed him
exactly, but he knew on an instinctual animal level that
something in the ‘bad’ category of things would happen if
he walked into the room.

Despite being sure of his feeling, he just didn’t see

anything. He scanned the room, but nothing jumped out at
him. No giant spiders, no robots with laser blasters, and no

womp rats. He looked at his familiar.

*Alma, do you feel anyone in the room?*

*No*, she thought back.

 Well at least there is that, Richter thought. She had

been able to detect those bugbears even though they were

hidden by magic. He guessed psychic vibrations were hard
to hide, or at least common concealment spells were not
aimed at hiding them. That still left the question of what
was going on, though. The feeling had not debated.

He expanded his other senses, but still felt nothing. He

stared at the walls, the ceiling, the floor… Was that a red

glow? He knelt down and examined the floor of the room

closely. Unlike the slate block floor of the hallway, the floor
of the chamber in front of them was an irregular pattern of
shapes: circles, diamonds, rectangles, and triangles. They

interlocked with one another in a seemingly haphazard

manner. From his lower vantage, he didn’t see the red glow,
but his feeling of unease increased. Letting his eyes relax,
he gazed at the floor. When he saw the red again, he was

able to focus upon it this time. The closest circle had a

superimposed red glow. A prompt appeared:

You have found: Level 3 trap.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Pierce the Veil.
The Land is a place of hidden secrets. Traps to snare the
unwary, hidden treasures, booty: both pirate and otherwise.
From this moment on, you will be able to find that which
others have concealed.

Casting his gaze wider, he looked at the other nearby

shapes and with close attention, all of the circles near him

began to glow red.

“Relax,” he said to the sprites. “There aren’t any

enemies here, but the floor is full of traps.”

Yoshi looked at him, “Who trained you in trap

detection?”

“No one,” Richter replied. He tapped one of the rings

he was wearing. “It’s called the Ring of Hidden Dangers. It

increases my likelihood of detecting traps. The real

question is,” he said looking at Futen, “why didn’t you warn

us about the traps?”

“The trigger was not magical in nature, my Lord. I have

no skill in detecting this type of trap.”
 Why doesn’t everything always just work out for me,

Richter wailed silently. So far only the circles were glowing,

but that still made the floor a minefield. It would take

careful footwork to avoid the traps, and one misstep

would… well, he had no idea what it would do, but he was

pretty sure that it would both suck and blow.

“So what do you think the traps do,” Sion asked.

“Let’s find out,” Richter said. He tossed a small pebble

from the tunnel floor towards the other side of the room. It
bounced once then lay still. Yoshi reached out a hand to

stop him, but Richter’s impulsive action caught him by

surprise.

Nothing happened. Richter looked at Yoshi’s irritated

expression. “Maybe the traps are duds,” he said.

A loud whoosh heralded a foot-high gout of black flame

extending vertically up from the floor in the exact spot that

the pebble had first hit the floor. At the same time, a flash

of steel showed at the final resting place of the stone.

Three different razor wire hoops shot up from the floor

crisscrossing each other at ankle height. Both traps started

and ended in the space of a second before disappearing
completely. The only evidence that anything had happened

was a lingering smell of burnt ozone.

“Fucckkk meee,” Richter said slowly, backpedaling

away from the dangerous room. What was truly terrifying

was that neither of those traps seemed designed to kill.

They would just remove a portion of a leg. Then you would

fall back on even more traps, and… yeah, definitely in the

‘bad’ category of things. “I thought you said the traps

weren’t magical Futen! Since when is black flame not

magical?”

“I said the trigger wasn’t magical, my Lord.”

“Greattt,” Richter said.

“Gyoti,” was all Richter heard before a hand slapped

the back of his head. Hard. “What did I tell you about just

pushing buttons!”

Richter was wired from everything that had been

happening, and the disrespect from the sword adept pushed

him over the edge. He took a swing at the sword adept who
dodged under the blow. The situation would have grown

more out of control if not for Daniella.

“Enough! Mother Forest! The Hearth Mother was

right,” the female sprite shouted. “There isn’t a brain

among you! Lord Richter, Yoshi was right. You had NO idea
what those traps would have done. It could have triggered

something that would hurt us even though were still in the

tunnel. And you,” she said pointing at finger in Yoshi’s face,

“are not making a bad situation any better. Gyoti or not,

Lord Richter is the Master of these lands, and the Hearth

Mother sent you to assist him. Now can you stop bickering

like old mothers and act like men? I can show you how if

you need me to!”

Richter and Yoshi glared at each other, but by the end

of Daniella’s verbal barrage, Richter was looking down in

shame. Even Yoshi looked a bit sheepish. Richter looked

back up at Daniella’s fierce expression, and then at Sion.

His Companion was standing behind her, clearly trying not

to laugh. Little bastard, Richter thought. He looked back at

Yoshi. He couldn’t find it inside himself to apologize just for

striking back, but Daniella was right. It had been a bone
head move. He nodded at the half-human. Yoshi gave a

noncommittal grunt in return. Richter decided it was as

much bro love as he was going to get. He turned his

attention back to floor.

“All of the circles that are close by are rigged. I’m

assuming they all are, so what do we do here?”

Yoshi pulled out two small spikes of metal. One had a

small hook at the end. The other undulated like a sine wave
at the end. The opposing ends of both spikes were

sharpened like needles. “We disarm them. Point out the

closest trap. Your skill to detect it might be more advanced

than mine.”

Richter showed him. The sword adept knelt down to

examine it. After a few seconds, he said, “I see it.” His face

was only inches away, but he never directly passed any part
of his body directly over it. Yoshi looked at it, and then he

looked at it, and then he looked at it. After twenty minutes,

the other sprites sat down in the tunnel. After forty

minutes, Richter joined them and broke out some hard
rations from his Bag and handed them to Sion and Daniella.

Hours passed.

Sion was in the middle of his ‘a dwarf, a goblin, and an

elf’ walk into a bar joke when Yoshi called out to get their

attention and then waved them over. Richter was hoping it

meant they could start moving again, but he really had

wanted to know why the dwarf had looked so triumphant

and why the goblin’s butt was sore.

“You figured it out,” he asked Yoshi. The sprite told him

to kneel down and then pointed to a small square to the

side of the circle he had been studying.

“The release mechanism is here,” Yoshi said pointing at

the square. “That’s why it took me so long. I was

examining the circle meticulously, but couldn’t find any way

to disarm it. Then it occurred to me that if one symbol

triggered the trap, maybe another disarmed it. Watch.”

Yoshi reversed his two tools, pointing the needlelike ends of

both picks downward. He placed them at opposite corners

of the square. They slipped into barely perceptible holes.

He pushed both down, and with a soft click, one side of the
circle popped up. Yoshi carefully pried it up further, and a

mechanism could be seen underneath. A bar was

underneath the circle, and it was connected to a small

spring. That was in turn connected to a bar of metal which

disappeared down into the floor past the point that Richter
could see. With a grunt of satisfaction, Yoshi used the hook

end of one of his tools and detached the spring from the
lever that was apparently the trigger for the trap. He then

put the circle back into the floor and stood. He cracked his

neck and then arched his back, stiff from squatting for such
a long period of time.

“Is it disarmed,” Sion asked.

Yoshi waved Sion closer, and then put a hand around

the younger sprite’s shoulders once they were standing next

to one another. The adept looked at Sion and said, “What

do you think?” At the same time that he asked the

question, he stomped down on the circle.

Sion shouted in alarm and leapt back. Yoshi just stood

there with a manic grin on his face.
 “So, are like, ALL sprites assholes,” Richter asked his
heart racing. Yoshi just chuckled while Sion cursed under

his breath.

Richter looked at the sword adept, “Okay. So I’m glad

that you’re having a good time, and that you disarmed that
one trap, but it took you an hour.” He looked out at the sea

of small shapes that comprised the floor of the large room in

front of them.

“That’s why I’m going to need your help. Did you

follow what I did?”

Richter checked his prompts and saw:

Congratulations! You have learned the subskill: Trap

Disarm. You have learned how to disable the mechanism of
traps. Through careful application of your new subskill, you
can make the world a safer place. This is a subskill of Traps.
As you have learned this subskill, you have also learned the
skill Traps.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Traps. You can

set traps that will harm unwary enemies, but use caution
lest you harm the innocent as well.
 “I guess I did,” Richter said. “Let’s get to work.” Yoshi

handed him a pair of lock picks.

You have received: Lock picks. Durability 5/5. Item class:

Common. Quality: Average. Weight 0.01 kg.

Before getting started, Richter pulled out and activated

his Wand of Magic Illumination. The blue beam of light

didn’t show anything on the floor though, thankfully. Even

with having been shown how to disarm the traps, it still took
Richter at least fifteen minutes to disarm the next one.

Unfortunately, the shape that hid the disarming holes

varied. The release mechanism that Richter found was

under a triangle. The only hint seemed to be that it needed

to be near the circle. One of his picks also got caught when

trying to withdraw it because Richter was moving too fast.

The durability decreased by one. When he asked Yoshi if he

had any more picks, the sprite told him no and called him a
gyoti. Richter thought about snapping back but decided

distracting Yoshi while he was disarming deadly traps was a

bad idea. At least while Richter was still working next to

him, that is.
 Richter realized he would have to slow down even
farther. If he messed up too many times, half of their total

number of lock picks would be gone. He looked out at the

hundreds, no thousands of small circles set into the floor

and sighed. He got back to work. Hours passed as they

slowly made their way across the floor. The good news was
that Richter got a small amount of experience for each trap

that was disarmed. His skills with Pierce the Veil, Traps, and

Trap Disarm improved as well.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in Pierce the

Veil. +1 to perception.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 3 in Pierce the

Veil. +1 to perception.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in Pierce the

Veil. +1 to perception.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in Pierce the

Veil. +1 to perception.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in Pierce the

Veil. +1 to perception.
Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in Traps. All
traps 2% more effective.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 3 in Traps. All

traps 2% more effective.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in Traps. All

traps 2% more effective

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in Trap

Disarm. +2% more likely to disarm trap.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 3 in Trap

Disarm. +2% more likely to disarm trap.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in Trap

Disarm. +2% more likely to disarm trap.

Richter could only reason that Pierce the Veil leveled

faster than the other two because he was using that skill
directly, whereas all of the points going towards Traps were

actually coming indirectly from leveling its subskill, Trap

Disarm. It meant his Trap Disarm skill might have risen

higher, but its growth was limited by the fact that subskills

could never be a higher level than their main skill. He

thought about examining the logs to see exactly how much
his Traps skill leveled in proportion to his Trap Disarm skill
but then decided that would be about as interesting as

watching paint dry. He got back to work

As they had moved deeper into the room the level of

the traps had increased as well. This was initially a problem

because the mechanism was more complex, but Yoshi was

again able to show him what to do. After that, it was just

back to rinse and repeat. The good news was that the

higher level traps gave a commensurate higher level

experience and seemed to level his skills faster.

The hours of focus required to get to the middle of the

room had taken their toll. Richter was mentally fatigued.

His actions were getting sloppier as well, and he had

fumbled disarming another trap. Thankfully he didn’t

trigger the trap, but it did remove another point of durability

from his other lock pick. He told Yoshi that he thought they

should rest. He had expected some ‘Goonies never say die

nonsense’ from the sword adept, but instead the swordsman

agreed. At seeing Richter’s confused expression, he said,

“There is no honor in pushing through a bad position.”

 As they were walking back to the hallway, Richter

muttered, “Yeah, that’s why I always put their legs in the

air.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 17

Richter was about to lay down when a stray thought that

had made his heart pound in fear. He called out to Futen, and
asked what would happen if neither of them was in the village

to pay the upkeep for Confusing Mist. Richter was already

recriminating himself for putting his village at risk again. It

didn’t matter that he hadn’t foreseen being gone so long. He

should have! He was ready to risk running across the trapped

floor when Futen soothed his panic. The remnant told him that

the upkeep was automatically paid as long as there was

enough mana. Since neither of them were accessing the

village’s mana pool, the spell would continue with no issues.

Also, the remnant reminded his Lord that they were still within
the boundaries of his domain even though they weren’t in the

village proper which meant Richter could still access the

village’s mana.
 Richter had breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t been

thinking clearly. His mental fatigue had combined with

physical exhaustion, letting panic take over. Once he let go of

that worry, though, he laid down on his bedroll and passed out

almost immediately. He didn’t sleep long, though, thanks to a

boot nudging his ribs. Yoshi was waking him to stand watch.

Richter made the argument that they didn’t need to keep

watch as Futen could hover in one part of the tunnel and the
other part was protected by the trap floor. Yoshi wasn’t

hearing any of it, though, and they all spent one shift awake.

When everyone had slept, Richter and Yoshi got back to

work. Walking back to the center of chamber, they had a

decision to make. The room wasn’t perfectly round, and the

angle of one wall meant that the bone door closest to them.
Richter wanted to keep going straight to reach the metal door.
Yoshi, on the other hand, argued that if their picks broke before

they got to a door, then they would have to try to run the
gauntlet of the floor. Better to reach any door than to get

stuck, the adept reasoned.

Richter didn’t have any better counterargument than,

‘Good god! Not the bone door. It’s creepy!’ or ‘Why is it a shit
idea to go towards the bone door, you ask? Because it is so
OBVIOUSLY a shit idea!’ Needless to say, they ended up

disarming traps towards the bone door.

It took another day and a half to disarm the increasingly

difficult traps, but Richter took his time and didn’t lose any
more durability on his lock picks. While they were working,

Richter asked something that had been on his mind for a while,
“How did you become a Warrior? How did you get your
Profession?”

Of course, the adept didn’t answer at first. That would

have been too easy, Richter thought. He did end up
answering, though. “If you have reached level twenty and

have a journeyman skill level in a combat skill, you are given

the opportunity to prove yourself. If you so choose to take that

opportunity, you will be taken… elsewhere. There you must

defeat the challenges set before you. If you succeed, then you

will be assigned a Profession.”

“What if you don’t defeat the challenges,” Richter asked.

“Well then you come back,” Yoshi replied irritably.

“There aren’t any consequences?”

 Yoshi gave a long-suffering sigh and looked at the ceiling
as if begging for strength. When he spoke, he enunciated
each word like Richter had a mental deficit. “If you do not
pass the challenges, then you lose a personal level and one

skill level in every skill you have.”

Trying not to let Yoshi’s attitude get to him, he just

reflected on the information he had just learned. Soon, Richter

would reach personal level 20. Except for Herb Lore, though,

he was far from a journeyman in any of his skills. He would

have to start skill grinding sometime soon. He knew he was

pushing it, but decided to ask another question, “All

Professions require you to be a journeyman and reach level

20?” He was remembering that Gloran had the Profession of

Crafter despite being only level 14.

“Yes,” Yoshi snapped. He went back to disarming his

traps but then picked his head back up. “Except for

noncombat Professions. Those you can reach at Level 10, but

you still need to be at least a journeyman in a related skill.

And in answer to your next questions, Yes, you are a gyoti, and
no, I won’t kiss you for a copper.” Yoshi gave a bright garish

smile, which swiftly fled his face leaving behind only a cold
glare. Richter took the hint this time and got back to work
himself.

By the time they reached the bone door, he had reached

level ten in his trap skills and level eleven in Pierce the Veil.

He got the normal bonus experience from reaching level ten

(plus the 25% bonus), but unfortunately only received half the

experience for leveling his subskill. Total, it was 6,250. He

deserved every point, he thought, massaging his aching back.

While Yoshi went back to lead Sion and Daniella through

the disarmed traps, Richter looked at his status page.

Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 14, 60%
Health: 390 Mana: 300 Stamina: 200
Strength: 29
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 34
Constitution: 25
Endurance: 20
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 21
Charisma: 24
Luck: 15
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
Fast Learner
Psi Bond
Skills:
 Herb Lore Lvl 38; 43% to next level
Alchemy Lvl 1; 0% to next level
Analyze Lvl 5; 31% to next level
Pierce the Veil Lvl 11; 71% to next level
Stealth Lvl 4; 76% to next level
Traps Lvl 10; 5% to next level
Trap Disarm Lvl 10; 7% to next level
Archery Lvl 9; 18% to next level
Imbue Arrow Lvl 4; 62% to next level
Focus Lvl 3; 11% to next level
Double Shot Lvl 3; 31% to next level,
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 40% to next level
Swordsmanship Lvl 2; 15% to next level
Small Blades Lvl 1; 11% to next level
Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 10% to next level
Pressure Points Lvl 1; 15% to next level
Light Armor Lvl 7; 38% to next level
Grace in Combat Lvl 4; 88% to next level
Air Magic Lvl 3; 82% to next level
Life Magic Lvl 3; 71% to next level
Earth Magic Lvl 3; 32% to next level
Water Magic Lvl 1; 19% to next level
Dark Magic Lvl 3; 64% to next level
Light Magic Lvl 1; 34% to next level
Map Making Lvl MAX
Trade Lvl 14; 86% to next level
War Leader Lvl 2, 43% to next level
Enchantment Lvl 1; 7% to next level
Marks:
Master of Mist Village
Blood Oath
Resistances:
Air 50%
Earth 20%
Mental 15%
Spiritual 15%
Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
 Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my
attention.”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All

He still had his six characteristic points in reserve. After

seeing the devilish trap floor, he decided holding off was the
right choice. Who knew what the next challenge would be?

He had also received three noteworthy prompts during

the past few days.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in:

Pierce the Veil. In addition to hidden traps, you can now find
hidden compartments.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in:

Traps. You can set traps with proximity triggers in addition to
simple pressure triggers.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in:

Trap Disarm. You can now retrieve some of the traps you
disarm for your own future use.

Hidden compartments? Had he been missing hidden

treasure?! Richter looked around but didn’t see anything new.

 The three sprites walked up. Sion was protesting, “Of all

the doorways here, are we sure that we want to go into the

bone doorway?” Richter was just about to chime in, ‘That’s

what I said!’, when Yoshi made an abrupt swipe of his hand.

“This was the most efficient option,” Yoshi said. “We have

limited resources and without further information, each choice

was the same as the others.” Looking at Richter, he asked,

“Do you sense anything?”

Richter shook his head. Even though the bone door was

weird, there was no red glow coming off of it. Similarly, the

wand didn’t show anything. “Futen, any magical wards or

traps that you can detect?”

“No, my Lord.”

The door had a small hole in it where a door knob would

be. Looking inside the hole, he saw a metal circle with the

impression of a square set in its center. The circle was set

about a foot past the door. It could be easily reached if you

decided to stick your hand in the hole.

“Okay,” Richter said, “So one of us is supposed to stick

our hand in that hole to reach that circle, but then it’s going to

be all like, ‘Oh no! Something grabbed my hand. And where

did that monster come from? Oh, curse this completely

unexpected twist of fate! Oh, the humanity!”

Richter was really getting into the role and was doing his

best Sterling Archer by the end of it. The sprites just looked at

him with unamused expressions. Tough crowd, he thought. He

tried another tact. “The point is; this is an obvious trap. And I

don’t think any of us wants to lose a hand to prove it.”

“Well, what do you suggest,” Yoshi asked annoyed.

“We go to the metal door, which incidentally, unlike this

bone door, doesn’t have the obvious promise of sure death

attached to it,” Richter said.

“We do not have time to go to another door!”

“Then be my guest,” Richter said. He swept his arm

towards the hole in the bone door.

Yoshi stared at it for a minute and then said, “I need some

time to think this through. Until I figure out a solution,

though, we should keep working on the other traps. We might

as well go in that direction,” he gestured loosely towards the

metal iron door. He turned around and walked towards the

middle of the room again.

 Richter’s eyes opened wide, “Really dude? Really?”

Yoshi just kept walking.

Shaking his head, Richter led Sion and Daniella back

through the traps so they could wait safely in the tunnel. He

was walking back to join Yoshi when Alma shrieked unhappily.

He handed her some dried meat out of his Bag, which she

sniffed at in disdain, but ultimately took. She had made her

displeasure at the lack of fresh meat clear the first time he had
offered it. All he got in return was a stream of air into his face.

The two men got back to work. Something interesting

happened as they were making it to the metal door. After he

disarmed a trap that at first seemed no different from the

others, it had started glow a reassuring green. None of the

other traps had ever done that before.

He kept staring at it hoping a prompt would appear, but

he had no such luck. A little voice whispered in the corner of

his mind, but he shushed it. It was talking crazy. He kept

staring at the green glow, and the voice whispered again,

louder this time.

‘Try to grab it,’ an adventurous little part of him said.

 ‘Why don’t you try to grab it,’ the cautious part of him

thought back. Then all of him thought, please god don’t let

anyone find out that I’m talking to myself! Alma stared at him

suspiciously.

‘The green light probably means everything is fine,” the

adventurous part of Richter said. ‘Just put your hand in the

hole. Something great might happen!’

‘Well something great might happen at a glory hole, but

I’m not sticking my hand, or any other part of me in one of

those either! Or have you forgotten what happened in

Tijuana?’

Silence reigned in Richter’s head. The cautious part of

him cheered in victory.

That was when the chicken noises started.

‘Bwakkk, bwakkk, bok, bok, bgwaakkkk!’

After two minutes of that he gave in.

‘Fine! I’ll do it,’ Richter thought. The adventurous part of

him reintegrated into his psyche with a smug grin.

Richter stuck his fingers under the circle and into the

green glow. His jaw was clenched shut expecting to lose his
hand at any moment. Finally, a prompt came up.

Do you wish to retrieve Level Acid Trap? Yes or No?

Nowww I get a prompt, he silently asked, staring up at the

ceiling in exasperation. He selected ‘Yes’ and the circle of the

trap came completely free. A metal contraption with a glass

sphere rose to the level of the floor. The sphere was clear and

was mostly filled with a syrupy red liquid.

You have found: Adhesive Fire Acid Trap. Durability 5/5. Item
class: Uncommon. Quality: Average. Weight .2 kg. Once
triggered, will release a spray of acid in a circle five feet in
diameter. This acid will adhere to anything it touches making
it extremely difficult to remove. Does 7-10 damage (85% Acid,
15% Fire magic) per second for 20 seconds.

Despite having had to guess about the green light, Richter

was please at this new weapon. This acid sounded like some

serious stuff. He was also feeling like he didn’t want any part

of a trap like this going off near him! He CAUTIOUSLY got back

to work.

A day later, they had finally made their way to the metal

door. His trap skills increased another two levels.

Unfortunately, it was always the way that the higher skills

rose, the harder it was to level them.

Up close, the bands of metal that created the door had a

previously unseen feature. The entire surface was covered

with impossibly thin and short spikes. Richter hadn’t seen

them earlier because they were completely clear. Not one was

longer than an inch, but they were so tightly packed and so

numerous that touching the door ensured being pricked.

Richter tried to cut one free with his glass dagger, but the

spike seemed to be impervious to damage. What did happen,

however, was a drop of clear viscous liquid welled from the

end of the spike. Sion collected it in an empty vial he took

from his pack. He wafted some of the odor towards his face,

then took out a second vial of orange power. He placed a

small amount of water in the first vial and added some of the

powder. When he swirled the mixture around it turned into a

milky purple solution. With a disbelieving look on his face, he

added a small brown leaf and it began to produce green

bubbles.

“Shrieke venom,” Sion said in surprise.

“What effects does it cause,” Richter asked.

 “Death,” Sion said definitively. “It is one of the deadliest
naturally occurring venoms in The Land. We cannot touch this

door. Even one drop would kill us. You,” he said pointing at
Richter, “might be able to survive being stuck once by a spike

because of your larger size, but not twice. The venom has
Earth and Death based magic as well as just being a natural
poison, so your resistance should help, but again, I wouldn’t

risk it.”

“What is going on,” Richter cried out. “Who would come

up with a massive metal door covered in near invisible spikes

that leak deadly poison? The architect/author for this dungeon

must have been insane… or just insanely clever and

attractive!”

No one spoke for a second, “I am not sure why you would

draw that last conclusion,” his Companion said, “but I am sure

that we cannot touch any of these spikes.”

“There has to be a way out of here,” Daniella said. “We

are just not looking in the right place. Maybe one of the other
doors will be helpful.”

Richter knew that they would ultimately have to check out

the other doors, but felt sure that each one would present a
problem as well. As a matter of course, he pulled his wand
and scanned for magic. The door itself glowed white uniformly.

No real surprise there. In frustration, Richter dropped his

hand. He was going to scream in frustration again, but felt

someone nudge him.

“Look down,” Sion said.

Richter looked, and in the beam of blue light emanating

from the wand, were words in a flourishing script. It contained

umlaut’s, tilde’s, and other unknown accents.

Daniella drew in her breath sharply.

“What,” Sion asked turning around sharply to scan the

room. They were all a bit on edge from just sitting in here.

“This is ancient high elvish.”

“Bah,” Yoshi said. “That hasn’t been spoken for almost

one hundred thousand years. How could you recognize it?”

“Hisako has books written in high elvish in her library. If

you enjoyed doing more than just stroking your sword, you

might have learned something as well,” she answered

waspishly. Sion took a step back from the potential
confrontation. He was always smart like that.
 Richter had been tracing the line writing with his wand,
and saw that it completely encircled the door. The words

touched the ceiling, the walls, and the floor. “I can read it,” he
said. “Listen,”

“Red of iron, essence of flesh, both must be

tempered, to unlock the way forward.
Grist of bone is the stage of life, rage
against the fading of life.
To prepare the way forward, remove the
distractions of the past. Heed this warning
or suffer the error of youth.
Death comes on swift wings, causing a
terrible storm.
The passage of birth is the loss of the
womb.
The safety of illusion fractures under the
blows of pain’s truth.
Any being would be crushed, to carry the
world on his shoulders.
Know thy limitations or never transcend
them.
The last path is the first that is taken each
 day.
Listen well to both devils and angels, for
both are you.
Life can be found in the truthful lies of one
and the lying truths of the other.
Cross not the wrong threshold, or suffer the
reaper.
Only these truths can pierce the veil of lies
which bar your way.”
Yoshi stared at him, “Is that it?”

“Yes,” Richter replied.

“Are you sure,” Sion asked.

“Maybe you’re reading it wrong,” Yoshi said. He turned to

Daniella, “What do you think it says?”

“I can’t read it,” Daniella said.

“You said you had learned from the Hearth Mother!”

“I said I could recognize it! The same way I can recognize

a gyoti when I’m looking at one!” She glared at the sword

adept. Yoshi inhaled deeply, probably preparing for a scathing

reply.
 “Enough,” Richter said forcefully. “Trust me Yoshi, I can

read it. It’s my Gift of Tongues ability. Now all of you stop
wasting energy. We have to get out of here. We have enough

rations for a good while, but our water will not last forever.
Also, have you forgotten that the eaters are a clear threat to
the entire Forest of Nadria? Now start being helpful!”

Yoshi stared angrily at Daniella a while longer, then shook

his head and looked down. When he looked back up, the
irritation was gone from his face. “You are of course right, Lord

Richter. I apologize. I also apologize to you, sister sprite. I am

frustrated by the need to remove this menace before it harms
our people.” He bowed at the waist.

Daniella bowed back, “I apologize as well sword adept.”

Richter looked back and forth between the sprites, “Yeah

yeah, kumbaya. We still need to get out of here.”

Sion asked him to repeat the inscription. When Richter

was done reciting, he said, “Well flesh and iron can be red, and
we have a red door…”

No one else had a better idea, and for a good Georgia boy

who had been raised on red clay hills, the reasoning was sound
enough. Yoshi and he got back to work. While they did, Sion
had brought out another empty vial and was meticulously

striking each spike to catch the drops of venom it produced.

Though it took hours, he got all of the spikes within easy reach

of his short frame.

The traps were all level five or six in this section of the
room, but luckily, the increases in Richter’s trap skills made
the process go a bit faster. They both had to rest before they

were done. On the plus side, Richter was awarded two more
traps. On paralyze, and another that triggered a needle

coated with fear poison. It took the greater part of a day, but
they made their way to the red door.

Richter had been hoping that once they got right up to it,

a means of opening it would be revealed, but a careful

inspection showed nothing. Until he used the want that is, the

blue light revealed more spidery script appeared.

“Brighter than Light, blacker than Dark,

stronger than Earth, faster than Air, deeper
than Water, hotter than Fire, more
cherished than Life, more inevitable than
Death.”
 Something about it the inscription tickled his memory. It

was like hearing a familiar song but in another language. He

repeated the inscription to himself silently and thought about

how the riddle made no sense. Nothing was brighter than

light! Nothing was hotter than fire. Nothing was more

inevitable than… Richter’s eyebrows rose, and he said,

“Nothing.”

As soon as he finished speaking that one word, the door

began breaking apart. A piece fell off but did not strike the

ground. It bent down the middle, and the two halves began
opening and closing. Before he knew it, a red butterfly was

flapping its wings. A cascade of red fell away from the door
and the four comrades were surrounded by a maelstrom of red

flapping wings. It was like being surrounded by every scarlet

leaf of autumn or being gently cocooned in the softest red silk.
As quickly as it began, the wonderful storm of butterflies

ended when they all fell to the ground at once. The red door
was gone, leaving the way clear.

“I think these are red monarchs,” Sion said in awe. “I

recognize them from a picture in mother’s library.”
 “Have they been absent from The Land for centuries too,”
Richter asked.

“No, but they are from a different plane. They are only
supposed to exist in abyssal realms. Help me collect them.”

The four reached down and collected all of the fallen

butterflies, handing them to Richter for storage. Then they

assumed the same formation as before, Futen leading with

Richter several yards behind and Yoshi bringing up the rear.
The tunnel beyond the red door looked like it had been hewn

from solid red rock. The walls were irregular and walking
required some balance. A couple hundred yards into the

tunnel, Richter started to smell water. Soon he could hear a

distant roar. The tunnel opened into a large rectangular

cavern. The roar was made by what Richter assumed was a

waterfall at the far end. Unfortunately, the intensity of Futen’s
light was not enough to illuminate the entire room. The party

stood on a ledge that looked out over an underground lake.

They stood only a few feet above the waterline. In the

distance Richter could just make out a small rocky island. An

ornate chest was sitting in the middle of it. What caught his
eye were the rocks walls. Large clear crystals were
periodically embedded into the stone.

“Okay, so what’s the catch,” Richter asked. No one had

anything helpful to say. Futen intensified his light at Richter’s

request, but they could still barely see past the island. Richter
cast Far Light towards the end of the room. The ball of light

didn’t make it far. The luminous white sphere traveled less

than twenty feet when one of the crystals on the wall flashed.

A bolt of red lightning streaked from the crystal towards the

ball of light and impacted it with a loud zzzt and resulting
boom!

“Hehehe,” Richter said nervously. He looked around at his

comrades, and saw that all of them were staring at the crystal

with their mouths slightly open. Daniella had taken an

involuntary step backwards. Richter looked around, ill at ease,
but no other bolts of red death seemed to be forth coming.

Shaking his head and exhaling solidly, he started to work the

problem. If there was one thing he remembered from his

semester as an engineering major, it was that where most

people saw problems, engineers looked for solutions. Richter

had always thought it was good advice in any walk of life.

 He took out his wand again, but didn’t find any script on
the ground or walls. When he shined it over the water though,

a pale sheet of white could be seen completely crossing the

room perpendicular to the direction Richter was facing. It
extended from the water to the ceiling. The sheet was in line

with the first crystal on the wall, and perpendicular to the

length of the room. When Richter turned off the wand off

again, all he saw was empty space.

“Sion, fire an arrow.” The sprite nocked and fired towards

the island. The arrow flew straight, and as soon as it passed

the white sheet, another red light flared in the jewel.

Immediately, a bolt of red lightning shot from the crystal and
struck the arrow dead on. All that was left was ash that fell

down to sprinkle on top of the water.

Richter shook his head. There had to be a way across the

water. “Sion, try to hit one of the crystals.”

The sprite took careful aim and shot at the closest crystal.
The lightning flashed and the arrow was destroyed just before
impact.

Richter looked at the remnant, “Futen, could you

withstand those lightning strikes?”

 “It might not destroy me, my Lord, but there is a good
chance that it would disable me. You would have to retrieve

me, and I would not revive until I was brought back to the
Great Seal.”

“Even if you were invisible?”

“I cannot say, my Lord. I will try if you order it.”

The risk was way too big, Richter thought. Futen was vital

to the running of the village. He couldn’t risk the remnant on

the off chance that it might work out. Richter racked his brain,

and then said, “Sion, can you shoot an arrow so it goes under
the water right before it would cross the first crystal?”

Sion just gave a self-assured smile, then drew and fired.

The arrow struck the water and continued on for a few more

feet. Even though it crossed the plane of the crystal, there

was no discharge. Not initially anyway. When the arrow

bobbed back to the surface, it crossed the plane of another

crystal, and red lightning shot down destroying it. Okay,

Richter thought, I guess this means that they would be safe as

long as they were under the water.

He decided to bring more light to bear on the situation.

He shot multiple balls of light with his Far Light spell. Richter
was careful not to cross the magical white plane of the
crystals. Soon, there was a shining archway made from little

balls of light. Now the entire room could be seen clearly. The
rocky island in the middle of the cavern was several meters

long. There didn’t seem to be any crystals in line with the isle.
As long as he swam just a bit past the tip of the rock, he

should be able to climb up safely. This was, of course, all

contingent on his belief that the crystals only fired when
something passed directly in front of them. If they started to

cover an arc of space, he was totally dead.

“So all we need to do is swim under the water until we

reach the island. It’s just… about a hundred, a hundred fifty

yards… yeah…,” Richter said. He checked Sion’s status.

Name: Sion
Age: 44
Level: 11, 82% to next level
Health: 230 Mana: 210 Stamina: 140
Strength: 18
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 52
Constitution: 18
Endurance: 14
Intelligence: 21
Wisdom: 13
Charisma: 10
Luck: 12
Abilities:
 Wood Craft
Concealment
Skills:
Herb lore Lvl 11, 51% to next level, 96% affinity
Alchemy Lvl 6, 17% to next level, 9%4 affinity
Archery Lvl 12; 39% to next level, 97% affinity
Imbue Arrow Lvl 7, 42% to next level, 88% affinity
Double Shot Lvl 3; 32% to next level, 98% affinity
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 45% to next level, 98% affinity
Stun Shot Lvl 2; 83% to next level, 99% affinity
Tracking Lvl 5; 62% to next level, 98% affinity
Swordsmanship Lvl 9, 21% to next level, 91% affinity
Air Magic Lvl 7; 15% to next level, 95% affinity
Marks:
None
Resistances:
Life 10%
Earth 10%
Light 10%
Race: Wood Sprite
Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”
Alignment: +2
Language: Sprite, Common Tongue

Sion had moved up three levels! It was probably because

of the 20,000 experience bonus from planting the Quickening.

If Richter’s memory was right, though, it looked like Sion had

invested a couple points into Constitution and Intelligence

and… one point into Charisma? Maybe that’s why he wasn’t

such a pain in the neck anymore, he thought. Sion had

obviously been practicing his Air magic. What had happened
with his affinities though? They were way higher than before!

“Sion,” Richter said in shock, “When did your affinities get

so much higher?”

The sprite smiled, “Don’t you remember the Quickening?

You know, giant silver tree, white leaves, normally only seen

on higher planes of existence.” Seeing Richter’s glare, he

chuckled. “Well ever since then, my affinities have been

higher!”

Richter nodded, he remembered reading a prompt that

everyone present at the planting would have higher affinities.

He had just forgotten after all of the other momentous things

that had happened. Either way, he was happy for his

Companion! The main reason that Richter had checked Sion’s

status page, was to see the sprite’s Agility and Endurance.

Those seemed to be the main traits that swimming underwater

for a prolonged period would entail. Sion’s stats were lower

than Richter’s however, though. Richter checked with Daniella

and Yoshi for their stats. Daniella numbers were well lower

than his, and while Yoshi’s endurance was higher, the adept’s

Agility was lower proportionally.

 “Well, that leaves me,” he said. He explained what he

had figured out about swimming underwater, and they had all

made the same natural conclusion. Yoshi argued that he

would make the swim, but even if their stats had been equal,

Richter would have gone instead. He was immortal, after all.

He took off almost all of his armor and clothes, not

wanting the drag. Outside of the practical concerns of

swimming encumbered, his light armor imposed a 3% penalty

on his movement speed per piece. The only thing he kept on

were his greaves. They provided a 10% boost to movement

speed, so by his reasoning he should still get 7% bump. That

might be the difference between life and death.

Upon Yoshi’s suggestion, he attached the sheath of his

glass dagger to his thigh with a two thin lengths of cloth. He

tied his wand to the other leg. He then tried to leave his Bag

of Holding, but just couldn’t for some reason. He had never

actually been too far from it since he bought it from Hafiz, so

this had never been an issue before. He tried to hand it to

Daniella, but again he couldn’t bring himself to do it. A prompt

showed up.
It seems you are trying to leave behind a Soul Bound item: Bag
of Holding. Do you wish to relinquish ownership? Yes or No?

“NO,” Richter said. He hadn’t even meant to speak aloud;

it was just a visceral reaction. The Bag was one of his most
precious possessions. He selected ‘No’ on the prompt.

Another appeared.

You have a Companion nearby. If you choose to leave your

item with your Companion, they will be able to access your
inventory. Would you like to leave your Bag of Holding with
your Companion? Yes or No?

That sounds better, he thought. He selected ‘Yes’ and

handed the Bag to Sion.

*Stay here*, he thought to Alma. He projected an image

of the crystal, *Danger!*

The dragonling couldn’t speak in two-word sentences, but

by the tone of her ‘Yes’, she was basically saying, *No duh.*

He walked to the water with only his legs covered and

said, “Don’t act like you’re not impressed,” and then dove in.
The water was freezing! He was glad Daniella had seen him

before he had jumped in. He swam above the water until just
shy of the first crystal, then took three breaths. The first was

shallow, the second and third normal. With that last breath, he

began his swim. His arms moved in a modified breast stroke

and his legs beat a strong, steady dolphin kick. He didn’t rush.

That was one of the most important things to know about

swimming. Panic increased heart rate, which increased other

autonomic processes, which increased oxygen consumption. If

he ran out of air before he reached the island, then that would

equal deep fried Richter. The other mistake people made

when free swimming was to exhale underwater. It wasn’t just

carbon dioxide that leaked out, it was oxygen as well. Knowing

these tips was why he had come in first, three years running in

the swim competition at Camp Crystal Lake. Well, that, and all

the mysterious machete related deaths.

He just kept up the stroke watching the rock island get

slowly closer. He tried not to think about what would happen if

he broke the surface. Even if he ducked right back down that

lightning would hit the water and… you guessed it, deep fried

Richter. When he was thirty yards away from his goal, his

stamina bar began to decrease. It was slow at first, but then it

began to drop faster and faster. He could see the rock in front
of him, but he was starting to get lightheaded and his limbs

were getting sluggish. He wasn’t going to make it!

He flailed forward under the water in a panic. He was

kicking forward in frantic bursts, struggling to reach the safety

of the small spit of rock. Kick, stroke, kick, stroke, the green

bar of his stamina was running on empty!

His hand hit a rock. He was getting ready to kick again

when his mind registered what had happened. The island! He

grabbed it and threw himself forward. His lungs drew in an

ever so sweet breath of air. It was better than the coldest

brew on the hottest day! He heard something from behind

him, but couldn’t make it out over the now louder sound of the

waterfall. Besides, that was when the lightning hit him.

Blackness. More indistinct sounds, and then he became

aware of a red flashing light. Cops? He had to flush his stash!

Why hadn’t he moved to Colorado? Wait, what?

As his head cleared, the sounds became clearer and

resolved into Sion shouting, “I have to get to him,” and Yoshi

shouting back, “You can’t help him!”

Richter opened his eyes, the pain racking his body was
horrendous. It felt like his nerves were on fire. He would have
screamed if he had any control over his body, but in addition

to his pain, his stamina was almost depleted. The green bar

slowly refilled, but his red health bar continued flash. The
reason was clear enough, since only the thinnest sliver of red

could still be seen. When his stamina bar had recovered to a

certain point, a wretched scream poured from his throat. He

could feel his vocal cords tearing from the stress of it, and then
he tasted copper.

Richter heard Sion shout, “He is still alive! I’m going

after him!”

“You won’t make it,” Daniella screamed back.

Richter couldn’t let Sion chance the swim. Daniella was

right, he would never make it. He rallied his mental faculties,

and cast Slow Heal. He tried to anyway. The pain made him
clumsy and he fumbled the simple hand movement. He used

his Ring of Healing, which provided a minor abatement in the

pain. He accessed the Ring a second time, the last time he

would be able to use it for 24 hours, and again the pain

subsided minimally. With a now greater ability to focus, he

cast Slow Heal a second time success!

 Over the next sixty seconds, he regained another thirty

health points. With the two uses of his Ring of healing, the
flashing sliver of red stabilized. The debilitating pain abated to

a level that could be called merely horrendous. He sat up and

looked towards the ledge. He saw a naked Sion struggling

against Daniella and Yoshi. He held up his hand, towards them

and said, “Ssstop.” He repeated himself a bit stronger, “Stop!”

The sprites took notice of him, and stopped struggling.

He flapped his hand twice, indicating Sion should stay put, and

then lowered himself back down to the ground. He cast Slow

Heal again. He didn’t waste any more thought about his

argumentative comrades and just followed a simple pattern.
Cast, breathe, wait for the pain to slowly abate as the cool

down for Slow Heal elapsed, then cast again. Once his health

had recovered past 50%, the worst of the pain was gone. He
finally could think straight, and ponder deep thoughts like, how

was he still alive?! And why didn’t Vicodin exist here!?!

He pulled up his combat log:

Richter hit by Red Lightning for 723 damage. Damage

Type(s): Air Magic (90%)/Earth Magic (10%). Air Magic damage
650.7 reduced by Air Resistance (50%) to 325.35. Earth
Magic damage 72.3 reduced by Earth Resistance (20%) to
57.84. Total Damage: 383.19.

Knights of Columbus! 723 damage?!? If it wasn’t for his

resistances, he would be done! If he had been wearing armor

on his back, which is where the lightning bolt had struck,

maybe the damage would have been decreased. Then again,

depending on how conductive his armor was, maybe not. After

such a powerful strike, it was no surprise that his body felt like

it had been dipped in broken glass and lemon juice. He

continued his pattern of healing. After several more rounds of

this, he was back to full health. He intellectually understood

that once his body was completely healed, then the physical

pain must be gone. It seemed his subconscious mind,

however, still remembered the trauma he had just gone

through. He would swear he could still feel his nerve fibers

being overloaded by the bolt of electricity, and every part of

him felt tender. Despite the pain, he centered himself and

then stood up.

As soon as he got to his feet, there was a cheer from the

ledge. He looked over and saw Sion and Daniella waving their
hands in the air, shouting in joy. Even Yoshi stood there with a

smile on his face.

Sion cupped a hand to his mouth and shouted, “Did you

see the size of that lightning that hit you? It was huge! You

took it like a man!”

Richter laughed weakly. Sion’s exuberance let Richter

shake off his phantom pain. His Companion’s communication

skills had definitely undergone an evolution. “Put some

clothes on,” he shouted back, “nobody wants to see that!”

He took stock. There didn’t seem to be anything else on

the island except for the chest. No red patches appeared so

he felt reasonably sure there weren’t any traps. Loosening the

ties on the wand, he cast its blue light all across the rock and
the chest, but nothing flared white. He took a deep breath,

hoping he wasn’t about to spring a high-level trap that his

Pierce the Veil skill was too low to detect, and opened the
chest. Nothing jumped out to kill him. He exhaled in relief.

Looking in the large chest though, he was somewhat

disappointed that there were only two items inside.

You have found: Bone handle. Weight 0.9 kg. Durability 50/50.
Item class: Common. Quality: Average.
You have found: Red Key

Richter was a bit disappointed by the meager haul. He

had just been barbecued trying to get here after all! The bone
handle was shaped like capital “L.” The longer portion had an

iron cap at the end in the form of a square. Near the bend, the

longer portion had a circular groove worn into it perpendicular

to the bone. It was pretty clear what this was meant for. The
key was about the size of Ricther’s hand and was made of a

blood red metal. The bow of the key was a hollow square.

He lifted his hands to close the lid, but then the faintest of

blue glows caught his attention. Opening the lid back up, he

stared at the underside and the blue glow strengthened. The

bottom of the lid was lined in black cloth. Hoping that his skill

Pierce the Veil skill color coordinated traps as red and secret

compartments as blue, he ran his hands around the lid and

found a loose corner. He pulled at the cloth, tearing it back

stitch by stitch. Getting impatient, he used his crystal dagger

to cut the edges. Once the fabric was cut free, all that he

found was a piece of yellowed hide. He turned it over though,

and saw the markings of a map.
You have found: Map. Would you like to add this map to your
Traveler’s Map? Yes or No?

Richter selected ‘Yes’ and then accessed the map icon at

the corner of his vision. The initial view was of the forest. The

Mist Village was marked prominently and the dungeon they

were in was marked as well. He focused on the dungeon icon,

and the forest view disappeared. In its place was a multilevel

view of the inside of the dungeon. Richter could see the

antechamber, the long hall, the trap room, and the room they
were all currently in now. The map showed even more though.

As yet undiscovered tunnels, rooms and lower floors were now

visible.

Every time he used the Traveler’s Map he was blown

away. The areas he had traveled through were portrayed in

accurate colors; the long hallway was grey, made more so by

what Richter thought of as the ‘fog of war’ effect. The map

would only show in real time what he was currently looking at.
The room he was now in was red contrasting with the blue

water of the lake. Unexplored areas were only black and

white. He zoomed in on the room he was in now. He saw the

ledge his other party members were standing on, the lake with
the rock island in the middle and the waterfall at the end of
the room. The figures of Yoshi, Sion and Daniella were frozen

on the map, but when he turned his head to look at them, the

map adjusted their movements real time. This was awesome,

he thought! Even more fascinating, was that behind the

waterfall was a hidden room portrayed in black and white. At

the back of that room, was a second large chest.

Ohhhh, FML, he thought. Sion was already waving for him

to come back. Richter looked the other way towards the

waterfall. Just after the end of the island, the crystals resumed

on the walls. They stopped at the waterfall, but the distance

was at least 20 or 30% farther than the distance back to the

ledge. Also, the room was black and white, who knew how old

that information was? The hide map was old and the ink was
faded, there might not even be anything back there… then

again, that chest was big! And the fact that it was hidden

behind the waterfall probably meant that whatever was still

inside was important. This dungeon had already almost taken

his life several times. His party would need all the help they

could if they were going to get to get out of here alive. Well,

he thought to himself, am I an AmeriCAN or an AmeriCAN’T?

Richter made up his mind.
 He shouted to the sprites what he intended. Sion

responded with several questions ranging from the quantity of

fecal matter between his ears to whether Richter’s parentage

involved one or more farm animals. Richter just gave him a

thumbs up and got back to work.

He secured his wand and blade again. He put the map,

bone handle and key back in the chest. If he survived, he

would grab them on the way back. Hoping that whatever was

behind the falls was worth it, he dumped all six unused
characteristic points into Agility. He needed to be faster.

He wished he could make a running dive into the water,

but the crystals started right after the rocky island he was

standing on. He slid into the water and went through his

breathing ritual again. After his third breath, he dropped fully

into the water, braced his feet against the side of the rock and

propelled himself forward at an angle.

He kept up the same stroke as before. Many people

would outsmart themselves trying to take shortcuts. They

would try something new on the fly, hoping for a better result.

Disciplined people knew outcomes were always up in the air to

a certain extent. They relied on tried and true practices to see
them through. Or put another way, you don’t run a new play
at the end of the big game. Stroke, kick, stroke, kick. That

was all he thought about.

His increase in Agility did make a noticeable difference.

He moved a bit easier through the water, and each kick took

him slightly farther. It compensated for the extra length he

was swimming. It just didn’t compensate enough. He was at

least forty yards away from the frothing water of the falls when
his stamina bar began dropping. He kept swimming, though.

Kick, stroke, kick stroke. The effects of his decreasing stamina

made him clumsy again. His rhythm was disrupted and his
forward movement stalled. With his stamina was almost

completely gone, it felt like he was moving through quicksand,

and he was still at least ten yards away! He couldn’t go back

to the surface, though. For all he knew the injuries he had

received from the red lightning might have been on the lower

end of its damage range. He had to keep going!

Then his stamina fully depleted. The waterfall was right

in front of him! With the lack of stamina though, he could

barely move and his efforts seemed to do nothing at all. His

health bar began dropping. It wasn’t steady decline of his
stamina bar, though. It was better described as a red

plummet towards death. At the rate it was decreasing, his

entire 430 health points would be gone in less than ten

seconds. And of course, the predictable pain came as well.

The vice like grip on his lungs made him feel like he was being

crushed in the fist of a vengeful god! The pressure in his lungs

built and built. Rational thought left him, and despite his
depleted stamina, and animal instinct deep inside of him

awoke. He thrashed and kicked not even knowing if he was

going in the right direction. He only knew he needed to live! A

final kick moved him forward a meager foot, and then he was

pushed down and forward by the force of the waterfall. He

grabbed a rock on the cliff face in front of him and pulled

himself upward, past the surface of the water and into clear
air!

Richter passed out.

When he came to, he was laying on in a shallow pool

behind waterfall. He screamed for the second time in an hour.

His health bar was not as low as it was from the lightning

strike, but still, the pain was horrible. He cast Slow Heal and

resigned himself to the agony of the next ten minutes.

 When he finally got up he was standing in near complete

darkness. The waterfall blocked almost all light from the outer
chamber. He cast Night Vision and everything took on shades

of green or black. The chamber he in was about five by fifteen

yards. Looming above the level of the pool he was standing in

was a ten-foot tall wall. It was only two yards in front of him

and it ran the length of the room. In the middle of the wall

was a set of large stairs leading up to the chest. The top of the

wall formed a ledge the same elevation as the chest.

Richter saw all of this in an instant, but was distracted by

a skeleton that lay at the bottom of the stairs. It wore moldy

clothing and various types of armor.

Three thoughts went through Richter’s mind:

1) Oh goodie, the treasure is still here.

2) Oh shit, whatever killed that guy is probably going to

kill me!
3) Is this thing going to come alive and kill me?

Poking it with his dagger pretty much ruled out the third

point, but that didn’t completely set his mind at ease. If there
is one thing that everyone who has played a dungeon crawler

knew, it was that if you start seeing random skeletons,

something deadly was in the neighborhood. He examined the

room more closely. The skeleton was laying right in front of

him. The stairway leading up to the chest had five steps total.

As he looked at the steps, a red glow developed in front of the

first step. Soon two more spots glowed red on the top of the

second and the fourth step. There was no red glow on top of

the first step, so it looked safe, but if when Richter examined

the position of the skeleton it had one foot on top of the first

step. Richter was missing something.

He raised his wand and shone it in front of him. Just

above the first step, a white glow appeared. It was strange

seeing a white light when everything else was green from his

Night Vision spell, but as long the wand warned him of

danger, Richter wasn’t going to complain about the color

scheme. A thin white line extended across the step like a

laser. Leaning in, but staying well clear of the traps, Richter

could see a small divot in the stone. Inset into that divot was a
smaller version of the lightning crystals that lined the wall of

the outer chamber. If it wasn’t glowing in the light of Richter’s

wand, he never would have seen it.

 Tricky, tricky, Richter thought. Anyone seeing the first

trap would jump over it and try to either disable the second
trap or jump over it as well to the third step. Richter kept

scanning the steps with the wand. If the booby-trappers were

extremely crafty and devilish, they would put another lightning

crystal rightttt… there it was! Embedded in the wall to the left

of the third step was another lightning crystal. It sent a white

line across that length of the step too. Richter was sure the

fifth step was trapped as well.

Okay, he thought. I found the traps they wanted me to

find, and the traps they didn’t want me to find. Now where are

the traps that kill me, because now I’m a cocky bastard? Not
moving, he shone his light around and saw pale white lines

crisscrossing the room. Some extended vertically, other

horizontally and still more at random angles. Whoever had

devised this cockamamie dungeon needed a good kick in the

teeth! Richter was just glad that he had cast Night Vision and

not Far Light. Who knew what he would have triggered if the

ball of light had crossed one of the white beams. Maybe these
crystals released an AoE spell and not just a straight bolt of

lightning. The only good thing was that there didn’t seem to

be any white lines on the ledge the chest was sitting on.
 Richter slowly made his way to the right side of the
chamber. He chose that direction because the density of white

lines was less on that side. Once he got to the corner, he did a

kick step that would have made Jackie Chan proud. Facing the
corner, he jumped towards the wall on his left, kicked off with

his left foot towards the other wall, landed his right foot on

that wall, kicked off again and then used the last of his upward
momentum to grab the lip of the ledge, pulling himself up.

He hunched down shining his wand from his new vantage,

but thankfully still didn’t see any other illumination on the

rocky shelf he was laying on. The ceiling was only four feet

above his head so he crab walked forward with the wand held

in front of him. When he got closer to the chest, he saw a

white glow above the chest, set into the wall. It was a crystal
that looked different from the others he had seen, and there

was no white line or sheet extending from it though.

Examining it triggered a prompt.

Activation crystal.

Steeling himself, Richter placed his hand on the crystal.

Would you like to deactivate defenses? Yes or No?

 “Yes,” Richter shouted as he mentally indicated his

decision on the prompt. The activation crystal flared once, but

nothing else happened. When Richter swung his wand over

the room though, all of the white lines had disappeared. He

took a deep breath and released it. Until that moment, he

hadn’t realized how tense he had been for the last hour until
that moment. The red glows on the steps were still there, but

they were easily avoided.

Now that the danger from the crystals was past, he cast
Far Light several times. Then he got back to business. Richter
stared at the chest for a solid five minutes and checked it with

his wand at least three times. When no white lines or red glow
appeared, though, he gingerly grabbed the front of the lid and

pried it back. He smiled when it was fully open. It was time

for his reward!

You have found: Bag of coins.

You have found: Magic bracelet.

You have found: Magic Book.

You have found: Magic Potion.

You have found: Iron dagger. Damage 4-6. Durability 8/10.
Item class: Common. Quality: Poor. Weight 1.0 kg.

You have found: Studded leather gloves. Defense +4.

Durability 14/14. Item class: Common. Quality: Average.
Weight 1.2 kg.

You have found: Black Pearl

You have found: Topaz

Not at all bad, Richter thought with a smile. The simple

gear was crap, but the contents of the chest should prove a

good cash infusion for the village. Also, who knew how good
the magic items would be? He emptied the chest and stared

inside to make sure he couldn’t see any hidden compartments.

He even ran his hands along the inside of it, but didn’t detect

anything. He closed the chest once he had emptied it. Then

he eased himself down off of the ledge, avoiding the steps all

together. Richter had considered trying to pry the activation

crystal out of the wall, but decided to leave well enough alone.
He couldn’t take the chance that it would turn all of the

lightning crystals back on.

The last thing he had to do before swimming back was to

examine the skeleton. Most of the clothing had rotted away,

but several items remained.

You have found: Ruby earring.

You have found: Magic High Steel Dagger. Damage 9-11 (Max
damage 11-13). Durability 19/25. Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.5 kg.

You have found: Magic Steel Dagger. Damage 7-9 (Max

damage 8-11). Durability 16/20. Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.6 kg.

You have found: Runic Studded Leather Chest Plate. Defense

+9. Type: Light Armor. Durability 30/30. Item class: Rare.
Quality: Superb. Weight: 4.2 kg

You have found: Signet Ring. Durability 100/100. Item class:

Rare. Quality: Masterwork. Weight: 0.3 kg

You have found: Pouch.

You have found: Bag of Coins.

You have found: Magic Ring. Durability 15/15. Item class:

Uncommon. Quality: Average. Weight: 0.1 kg

You have found: Magic Ring. Durability 18/18. Item class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg
You have found: Magic Ring. Durability 25/27. Item class:
Common. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg

You have found: Magic Belt. Durability 35/35. Item class:

Uncommon. Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.8 kg.

You have found: Diary. Durability 4/10. Item class: Common.

Quality: Poor. Weight: 0.1 kg.

You have found: Small picture. Durability 6/7. Item class:

Common. Quality: Above average. Weight: 0.1 kg.

It was a lot more than Richter was expecting. Who had

this guy been? He obviously wasn’t just some average

adventurer. The signet ring had a stylized K on top. It was

made of multiple precious metals and was heavier than it

looked. The magic items he put to the side, Futen would

identify them soon enough.

The diary was small like one of those pocket bibles they

sold at every gas station in the Midwest. It was bound with

faded red leather and a white K was on the front cover

matching the signet ring except for a small “S” that was in the

corner of the large letter. No time to dive into that now, he

thought.
 The picture was only a finger length long. The frame was

black metal and composed of three parts, a larger middle

piece which the picture was set in and two smaller pieces that
hinged like double doors, blocking the picture from view when

closed. The picture was of a smiling young woman. It was

clearly a treasured keepsake of the fallen adventurer. He

placed it in his Bag. The bag of coins was full to bursting and
not a small amount was gold. There were also three gold bars

like the ones that Hafiz had given him. Each bar was worth

one hundred gold coins!

As happy as Richter was to find the money, though, the

other pouch was equally wonderful.

You have found: Lock picks. Durability 25/25. Item class:

Common. Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.01 kg. x 30

You have found: Dart trap. Damage 3-5. Durability 10/10.

Item class: Common. Quality: Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. x 2

The leather armor had a white circle attached to the front.

The disc was about four inches across and had a glyph carved

into it. The glyph shone white in the wand’s light, and the

quality of the armor was quite good, but otherwise it was

unremarkable.
 Richter gave the chamber a final once over, and then

walked towards the waterfall. The cave extended farther to

the side than the waterfall reached on the left. He was able to

look out over the lake. He hailed the sprites who shouted and

cheered once again. Shining his wand across the water, he

didn’t see any sheets of white anymore. Just to be sure he

cast Ice Dagger. The one-foot long ice projectile flew forward,

past the first crystal and then second. No red lightning shot

out to atomize it. Richter smiled and dove into the water.

He enjoyed the easy swim this time, and just made nice

leisurely strokes. There was no way he could bring all of the

loot with him during the swim, and anyway, it would have

risked damaging the diary. Instead, he just piled the loot from
the chest with what he found on the skeleton. He left it all on

a dry spot well back from the waterfall. He would have to

swim back with his Bag of Holding and load up. When he got

back to the ledge, and Yoshi helped pull him out of the water.

“Was it worth it,” the sword adept asked.

“I think so,” Richter said. He explained what had

happened from disarming the lightning crystals to finding the

loot. He left out his second brush with death. No reason to

get people upset, he thought. They all made camp on the

ledge for the night. It made sense with the access to fresh

water.

Richter pulled the sleep rolls from his Bag and then

jumped back into the water. The swim back and forth didn’t

take too long, and he stopped at the island to grab the bone

handle, map and key.

When he was in the final stretch back, he noticed that on

the far wall, one of the lightning crystals was set low near the

water line. He knew it was a bone head idea, but he couldn’t

help himself. He swam over and examined it. The crystal

looked like a clear pyramid. It was set into a black circular

bracket, which was in turn set into the wall. Being so close to
the destructive device made him uneasy, but the potential

reward was well worth it. Before he could second guess

himself, he grabbed a rocky protrusion on the wall to anchor

himself, and with his other hand drew his glass dagger.

“What are you doing,” Sion shouted.

“It’ll be fine,” Richter shouted back. Then he focused on

the task at hand.

 First, he tried wedging the blade into the space between

the pyramid and the bracket. The tip of the knife couldn’t find

purchase. It seemed that the bracket was set snuggly over the

crystal like a hilt over a blade, and the pyramid continued on

past what was visible from the outside. Next, he tried to fit the

blade between the bracket and the wall. The entire rim was

set flush with the wall, though, and he didn’t make any
headway. That left only one choice. Hoping that the durability

of the glass dagger was equal to the task, he started stabbing

it into the junction between the wall and the bracket. After

several strikes, the first chips of rock fell free. Taking that as a

good sign, he kept at it. After ten minutes he had made a

small hole in the wall that revealed an empty space. He

wedged the knife into the hole widening it until a portion of the
blade could fit behind the bracket. Then, making sure he was

braced well on the wall, he applied as much pressure as his 29

points of Strength allowed. His muscles strained and veins

started to bulge in his neck. With a loud crunch, the pyramid

came free of the wall.

The circular bracket fell away. It turned out to be nothing

more than a rim of metal. The crystal was actually a double

pyramid, the half that had been hidden in the wall, a mirror
image of the portion that had been sticking out. Richter

looked at the item in dismay. The crunch he had heard had

apparently been made not just by the wall giving way, but also

by his glass dagger piercing the pyramid. An irregular hole

marred the surface of the crystal, destroying it symmetry.

Gritting his teeth in irritation, Richter swam the rest of the way

back to the ledge with the device held out of the water.

When he was back on the ledge he examined it closely.

You have found: Lightning Prism (broken). Durability 47/80.

Item class: Epic. Quality: Exquisite. Weight: 3.7 kg. The Prism
is a marvel of magic and technology. It will focus raw magic
into a bolt of extreme damage and power. This prism has been
damaged, and cannot be used.

He looked into the small hole and saw thin clear filaments

creating a delicate web inside of the double pyramid. Sighing

at the loss of such an artifact, he put it into his Bag anyway.

Maybe something could come of it later. The sprites were

gnawing on jerky, watching him moon over his broken toy.

Alma was eating too, but it was clear from the glares she was
shooting his way that she still wasn’t happy about the dried

meat.
 “Congratulations,” Yoshi said. “You found junk.”

Richter just glared at him before quickly drying off. Then

he donned his underclothes and armor. He would have

preferred to sleep without it, but this dungeon was no joke. He

wouldn’t be caught wearing just his skibbies if the eaters came

back. He laid down on his sleep roll to just relax a moment,

but was soon fast asleep.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 18

Richter woke an undetermined amount of time later.

He shivered slightly in the cool air. The temperature was

lower near the water than it was in the central chamber.

With nothing to burn though, they had to make do without a

fire. He took stock of himself. A flashing prompt showed

that his Endurance had increased by +1 from his exertions.

When he sat up, he heard a squawk and he got a stream of

air in his face. Alma flew up from where she had been

sleeping on his armored chest and glared at him from

midair. Waving away his prima donna familiar, he looked

around and saw Daniella looking at him.

“How long was I out?”

“Five or six hours,” she said. “Yoshi and Sion already

took a shift standing guard. I’m just starting mine.”

 “Why don’t you lay down for a bit longer,” Richter said.

“I won’t be able sleep anymore, and besides, I feel

completely rested.”

“Are you sure,” she asked. At Richter’s nod, she smiled

and laid back down on her sleep roll.

He called Futen over and removed the items he needed

identified. He started with the loot from the chest. The

remnant flared white, and then Richter knew the items’

properties.

You have found: Shadow High Steel Dagger. Damage 9-11

(Max damage 11-13). Durability 19/25. Item Class:
Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.5 kg.
Ignores 10% of target’s defense.

You have found: Steel Dagger of Life. Damage 7-9 (Max

damage 8-11). Durability 16/20. Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.6 kg. Bestows +1 life
damage upon successful strike (+5 to Death creatures).
Charges 20/20.

You have found: Bracelet of Health. Durability 10/10. Item

class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg.
Traits: Increase maximum Health by +40.

You have found: Book of Minor Life Aura. Surrounds the

caster’s body with the aura Life magic. This is aura will
cause damage to Death creatures if there is direct contact,
and will cause lesser Death creatures to shy away.

Richter wasted no time in reading the spell book. Just

as with previous books, the pages began turning faster and

faster, until the book was done. It crumpled to dust, and

Richter had a new spell.

You have learned the spell: 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. Cost 50 mana. Duration: 15
minutes. Range: self. Cast time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 20
minutes.

Last but not least, the potion:

You have found: Potion of Luck. Taking this potion will

increase Luck by +30 for one hour.
 The new spell alone was worth the effort of getting

behind the waterfall! When you added the potion, there

was no doubt in Richter’s mind that he had made the right

choice. He pulled out the items from the skeleton. Futen

flashed white again.

You have found: Minor Ring of Stealth. Durability 15/15.

Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1
kg. +8 to concealment while stealthed.

You have found: Fish Ring. Durability 18/18. Item class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Allows
wearer to breathe underwater for three minutes.

You have found: Minor Stamina Ring. Durability 25/27. Item

class: Common. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg.
+30 to stamina

You have found: Sustenance Belt. Durability 35/35. Item

class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb. Weight: 0.8 kg. The
belt makes your body more efficient in managing its basic
needs. While wearing this belt, you require 50% less sleep
and 50% less food and water.
 Hmmm, whoever that skeleton had been, these items

seemed like a bit of a cheat. Fish Ring? Way not to almost

die twice making it to the waterfall, guy! Richter shook off

his grudging feelings that the adventurer hadn’t had to go

through what he himself just had. After all, the guy was,

well, dead.

He instead focused upon his good haul. Overall, the

items would be more than useful. What was really strange

was the amount of money the man was carrying. The signet

ring indicated he was some type of nobility, but still, he was

walking around with more three hundred gold coins. That

equated to more than thirty thousand bucks!

Last, Richter examined the leather armor with the rune

attached.

You have found: Runic Studded Leather Chest Plate.

Defense +8. Type: Light Armor. Durability 30/30. Item
class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight: 4.2 kg. Contains rune
of Chuthriom.

A rune of Chuthriom? Well, Richter thought, that’s

certainly helpful information! Except, not at all since he
didn’t know what a ‘Rune’ or a ‘Chuthriom’ was. Shrugging,

Richter shoved it back into his Bag. Having nothing else to

do, Richter opened the diary. The strange squiggles

resolved into legible words after a moment or two. The

book turned out to be a play by play of the man’s life. It

mostly confirmed what Richter had already suspected. He

was a noble. More than that, he was part of the ruling

family of Kailand. If Richter remembered correctly, that was

a country on the western side of the River Peninsula.

There was frustratingly no mention of the adventurer’s

name, but that wasn’t too surprising. How often would

someone write their own name in a diary? Someone named

‘Kerita’ was mentioned prominently, though. Richter

skipped to the end, having no real desire to delve into the

man’s personal life. Only the last few pages were about the

dungeon. He had been searching for some artifact that

mattered to his family. It didn’t say what it was, he only

referred to it as “The Link.”

Richter put the diary away. He was sure that Randy

would make better sense of it than he could. He decided to

do something he had been putting off recently. He pulled

out the book of magic history that Leandra had sold him and

started to read. He had left off when the book was talking

about ‘The Basic Elements.’ The same topic Zarr had

touched on before.

The Basic Elements are the most widespread use of Power in

The Land. This is because of the readily available sources of
this type of magic that cross The Land as ley lines. The
Basic Elements are Dark, Light, Earth, Air, Water, Fire,
Death, and Life. Each Element has its own strengths and
weaknesses. It is often said that Light and Life are the
province of good, and Death and Dark are the domain of
evil. All Powers are neutral, however. The ill or good that
each power may cause lies in practioner…

Richter kept reading for the next few hours until the

sprites woke up. As per usual, the sprites seemed to have

no interest in the loot. He did give Yoshi half of the higher

quality lock picks, but they wanted nothing else. Richter

really appreciated being with The Land’s version of a
socialist hippie. It definitely made his pockets fatter, but he

did find it creepy to be with people who didn’t want money.

How could you ever trust someone who didn’t want to cheat
you?

Richter donned the Bracelet of Health and put the rest

of the items back into his inventory. He showed the sprites
the contents of the first chest, and all agreed it was obvious

the handle was meant to open the bone door. No one had a
better idea of how to use the key than Richter, but agreed it

would most likely come in handy down the road. They all
broke camp and started walking back towards the central

chamber.

Yoshi and Richter led their other two party members

along the path of disabled traps, and soon they were

standing in front of the bone door again. Richter inserted

the long part of the handle into the door’s recessed cavity,

lining up the metal square at the end with the recessed

square imprint he had seen earlier. Right after the handle

touched the metal indentation, four triangular blades of

bone slammed into the handle. They converged on the

groove in the bone. The tips of each had a smaller circular

indentation still allowing the handle to turn. Any one that

had stuck a hand inside the door, though would have lost
that part of their appendage. Richter turned to Yoshi with a
smug expression on his face, the sword adept just stared

back stone-faced.

“Everybody ready,” Richter asked, gripping the handle.

He was about to turn it to open the door when Yoshi stopped

him.

“Wait, remember the inscription. ‘remove the

distractions of the past or suffer the error of youth. Death

comes on swift wings, causing a terrible storm,’ Yoshi
recited from memory. Richter stared at him impressed. The
adept just stared back and said, “I’m nice like that.”

“So what does it mean,” Daniella asked.

“I’m not completely sure, but think about the phrase

‘distractions of the past.’ Look what is behind us. A floor

still full of traps. If we need to retreat when we open that

door, we will be in an extremely bad position.”

Richter’s stomach fell, “You’re not saying-”

“We need to disarm the rest of the traps,” Yoshi said.

 Richter looked at the seemingly countless circles left to

disarm on the floor and groaned. It took three more days to

disable all of the traps. Except for Alma driving them all to

distraction the days passed without incident. Thankfully,

Richter figured out that if ordered it, Futen would let himself

be chased by the psi dragonling, which kept her occupied.

It was actually kind of fun watching her zip through the air
after the glowing orb.

Richter’s Pierce the Veil, Trap and Trap Disarm skill

reached level 20 and went beyond. He took a Potion of

Clarity each day, so he got the bonus 25%. The 12,500

experience points brought over the top, and he reached

level 15! Also, even though the experience from each

disarmed trap was modest, it added up over time. A final

cherry on top was that he gained five more traps.

You have found: Razor Wire Trap. Does 11-14 damage.

Durability 8/8. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Average.
Weight 0.1 kg. Once triggered, three razor sharp wires
crisscross at ankle level. Possibly will cause Hobble status.
You have found: Dart trap. Damage 5-7. Durability 10/10.
Item class: Common. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1
kg. Once triggered, will fire a dart. x 2

You have found: Sticky Trap. Durability 7/7. Item class:

Rare. Quality: Above Average. Weight 0.1 kg. Once
triggered, will trigger explosion of sticky threads that have a
chance to immobilize anyone within ten feet of the trap.

You have found: Shrink Trap. Durability 15/15. Item class:

Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight 0.3 kg. Will cast Shrink on
the creature that triggered it. Creature’s size is halved.
Spell lasts twenty minutes.

When they were finally done, something unexpected

happened. The center of the room had been the only part

of the room devoid of random shapes. It was instead a

golden eight-pointed star about two feet across.

When Richter deactivated the final trap, the star rose

into the air. It turned out the star was only the top of an

entire column of gold colored metal. When it stopped rising,

it filled the room with light the color of honey. When Richter

examined it, two prompts came up.

Pillar of Life. Lvl 3. Stationary object that emits the Light of
Life.

You have been exposed to the Light of Life. All Healing 30%
more effective. Special abilities of Death creatures negated.
Extra damage to creatures of Death.

That effects from the column were remarkably like the

Life Aura spell. It seemed Yoshi was right about needing to

clear the traps before opening the skeleton door. Coupled

with the fact that he had found the Life dagger in the chest
behind the waterfall, Richter had no doubt that the Life

Magic was going to important for whatever they were about

to face.

Richter called Alma down from her fun with Futen. She
landed on his shoulders, tail wrapping around his arm.

Everyone had taken a Potion of Clarity, and he had given

another to Alma. Sion cast Haste on himself and Daniella.

Richter did the same for Yoshi and himself. He then cast
Barkskin and Minor Life Aura. The last two spells made
Richter’s skin feel thicker and surrounded his entire figure in
a golden glow, respectively. He wished he could have
taught the aura spell to Yoshi and Daniella, both of whom
said they could use Life magic. As he lacked Mastery in Life

magic, though, it wasn’t possible. He considered replacing

his sword for his bow but decided having two melee fighters

was a better idea. Sion and Daniella would provide the

ranged backup.

Richter had Futen hover in front of him again. Even

though the remnant wasn’t needed for light anymore,

Richter still intended for him to lead the way. Yoshi stood
next to Richter, with Sion and Daniella behind, bows nocked.
With his sword in his right hand, Richter turned the handle

with his left.

A gale of wind exploded from the door as soon as the

handle was turned. The door slammed against the nearby

wall, the bones falling apart from the impact. The force of
the gust took the entire party off of its feet. They flew back
several yards before landing in a heap. Richter threw his

sword to the side before he landed, afraid of inadvertently

hurting himself or his comrades. Luckily Alma launched into
the air and wasn’t crushed beneath them.
 The wind continued to blow for a solid minute. Even
though they landed a good way away from the doorway, the

force of the air coming at them was still strong enough to

keep them from standing upright or opening their eyes. The
all huddled on their knees with their arms held in front of
their faces until the miniature hurricane subsided.

Once the wind stopped, they got back to their feet. All
that was left of the skeleton door was a pile of bones strewn
across the floor. A wailing could be hear coming from the

tunnel, and it was getting louder. They all gathered their

weapons and prepared to meet whatever was coming. By
silent agreement, they positioned themselves as far from
the skeleton door as possible. The wailing grew more shrill

as, whatever they were, came into the room!

The light from the golden column only extended about

fifteen yards, and it left the end of the room shrouded in

shadow. There was enough light to see their dark forms if

only barely. They looked like nothing so much as floating
black cloaks with hoods raised. No legs or feet protruded
from the bottom of the cloaks, but they did have hands.

Two black arms extended from each cloak. They didn’t hold
any weapons. Their hands were oversized and were tipped
with black talons. The insides of their cloaks were pure

blackness, and nothing could be seen of their bodies. The

wailing grew in pitch now that they were in the room.

Both Daniella and Sion fired imbued arrows

immediately. The creatures they shot at disappeared right
before impact, the arrows flying past and impacting against
the wall. The monsters reappeared a moment later and
kept flowing forward at the speed of a brisk walk. The

others didn’t pause and still moved forward undaunted.

Richter used Analzye.

Fade. Level 14. Health 310. Mana 150. Stamina 180.

Disposition: Hatred. Fades are the tortured souls of the
once living. They have a hatred for all life and rend it with
their hardened talons at every opportunity. It is said that
those killed by a Fade are destined to become Fades
themselves.

The fades continued forward, and several more arrows

were shot with no better result. Richter had no idea how

they were going to kill close to twenty of the spectral
creatures, but he would go down swinging if it came to it.

He and Yoshi readied themselves to attack an enemy that

could disappear at will when the first fades crossed within
fifteen yards of the golden column. The light made them
appear more substantial than before, then two things
happened. One, the fades raised their hands against the

light and slowed, hissing in pain. Two, Sion and Daniella’s

imbued arrows struck the chest of a fade, and it didn’t
disappear! The thing wailed even louder, and the blackness
on the inside of its cloak and cowl lessened somewhat

showing the faint outline of a skeleton.

Richter turned to Yoshi, “They are vulnerable while they

are near the light. We can’t let them get to the other side!”

The two melee fighters waited within the light for the
fades to come within reach. The light slowed the monsters

enough for Sion and Daniella to be able to whittle down

their number. Sion struck the already injured fade again,
and it collapsed into ash. It took twenty seconds for the
fades to cross the range of the light. In that time, five more

fades were destroyed. Richter was surprised that creatures

with such high health were dispatched so easily. He
checked the combat log from one of Sion’s strikes though,

and saw that the light from the column gave a 300%
damage bonus against Death creatures! There was no more
time for further investigation. The battle was joined!

Yoshi had both swords out. He slashed down and to the

left with both blades. The fade he struck wailed piteously as
the blue blades slashed across it. He ducked under the
swipe of its claws and then spun to the right, bringing one

blade straight up in a vertical line. The creature crumpled

to ash.

Richter was at his side and attacked with the Life

dagger. While the sprite’s arrows were more than effective,

and Yoshi’s ice swords made short work of his enemy, the
dagger when coupled with Richter’s Minor Life Aura was
cataclysmic!

He cast Soul Trap right before he began his attack. He

lunged toward the first fade with the dagger leading in his

right hand, and his glass dagger held in a high cross guard.
He caught the fade’s overhand swipe on the dagger. The
blade bit deep into the monster’s wrist. It bent the same
hand forward and scraped the back of his arm with its

talons. Richter’s bracer and gauntlet stopped the damage

almost completely. He only suffered a small gouge at the
break between the two pieces of armor. Immediately after
blocking with the glass dagger, he drove his Life dagger into

the center of the fade. It punched straight through and out

of the back of monster. The part of Richter’s arm that was
inside the fade felt intensely cold, like he was plunging his
arm into a lake that had frosted over. With a strong twist of

his left wrist, the glass dagger separated the fade’s hand
from its body. The falling hand was ash before it struck the
ground. At the same time, he yanked the Life dagger up
and to the side. The frozen feeling vanished as the fade

dissipated. Richter was left covered in the specter’s

remains. The rainbow torrent of light from its captured soul
swirled around him for a spilt-second before disappearing
into his Bag.

Sion and Daniella had spilt to stand in opposite corners

so they could keep firing with minimal risk to the melee
fighters. While Richter and Yoshi had destroyed their first

enemies, they had continued shooting imbued arrows. Sion

was supporting Yoshi’s side and was focusing on one enemy
at a time, destroying each with three to five shots. Daniella
was instead spreading her shots out among the enemies.
Each arrow staggered the fade it impacted and kept Richter

from being swarmed. It was definitely the right strategy.

While Richter’s Life dagger was deadly to the fades, he was
still not as dangerous as the sword adept wielding his ice
swords.

Yoshi spun between two fades. He ducked his head to

avoid the swipe of one their claws and extended his blades
straight out swiping through the monsters. Both shrieked

and fell away from the stinging blows before coming

towards him again with a vengeance. He wove one blade in
a flourished figure eight, keeping the monster on his left at
bay. The fade on his right however, scored a hit on Yoshi’s

back. He rolled with the blow and flung himself forward

towards a third fade. He plunged both blades into the front
of the fade’s cloak. At least two feet each blade sank into
the creature, but nothing protruded from its back. No

matter where the blades went though, they clearly caused a

great amount of pain and damage. The creatures wail
became a shriek. He yanked both blades opposite to one
another, first diagonally and then horizontally. The fade
collapsed into particles of soot.

The sword adept bent one arm over his head, placing a
blade behind his back vertically. The sword arrived just in
time to block the attack of one of his first opponents. Once

he had stopped the blow, Yoshi drew his arm up and forward
scoring deeply against the inside of the fade’s palm. It
withdrew its hand, and he turned quickly lowering his body
to stab low in the monster’s cloak. As he stood he brought

his hands together, fist to fist. His blades spun in a

pinwheel striking the fade twice and sending it off to
whichever hell it had come from.

The first fade Yoshi had attacked rushed towards him

and struck. It hit him in the chest, wrapping its arms around
his chest and lifting the half-human up in the air. Yoshi was
crushed against the frigid netherspace in the center of the
cloak. He screamed in pain, straining his neck to keep his

face free of the fade’s cold center. One of his arms was
trapped against his side by the fade’s embrace, but his
other blade was free. Yoshi reversed his grip on sword, and
drove it through the monster’s neck and down into its body.
The fade shrieked, and released its grip. He released his
sword, leaving it stuck in the fades ephemeral body. With

his remaining weapon, he slashed. Once, twice, thrice!

Both of its arms fell to dust and then the adept drove his
sword into the monster’s chest. As it completely turned to
ash, Yoshi caught his falling blade before it could strike the
ground.

Meanwhile, Richter was busy fighting for his life on the

other side of the column. He swiped a fade his Life dagger

and missed. His followup swipe missed as well. The fade

struck at his leg gouging three furrows into the back of his
thigh. Luckily they were shallow, and he wasn’t hamstrung.
As he fell to the ground, blood flowed freely down his calf

and into his boot though. When he hit the ground, the fade
was looming over him. He threw his glass dagger at the
fade and it struck his cloaked foes shoulder. The thing
hissed and reared back. He scrambled to his feet.

Another fade surged forward, arms extended. Richter

grabbed one by the wrist and hacked at its arm with the Life
dagger. He got to sever his second monster hand in the
fight. The monster reared back, but Richter didn’t let it get
away. He drove his golden weapon into its face, killing it.
Unfortunately, the distraction of dispatching the second

fade, let his first opponent strike his leg again. It tore deep
into the same thigh, and the limb collapsed under him. It
followed him to the floor and took another swing with its
talons outstretched. Richter swung his knife across his

body, causing himself even more searing agony as he

wrenched his leg. The blade sank easily into the fade’s
dinner plate sized hand. It predictably wailed in pain and
tried to retreat from the pain of the Life dagger. Richter saw

the glass dagger still sticking from its shoulder, though. He

reached out and grabbed the hilt with his free hand. As it
stood, he maintained his grip and it pulled him upright. The
strength of the monster was the only reason he could stand

on his ruined leg. He yanked the Life dagger out of its hand
and drove it into fade three times in quick succession. As
he listened to its death shriek, he shouted, “How you like
me now?!”

It disintegrated in front of him, and he collapsed back

to the ground. He caught himself with his arms before he
collapsed completely, but another fade reached for him
barely a foot away. Its claws were so close that he knew

there would be no chance to avoid its attack. He braced for

the pain of black talons ripping out his throat, but then two
imbued arrows struck it. The backlash of the impact
knocked him flat and robbed him of some health, but he was
still rewarded with the sight of the monster being knocked

into the air. A dark blue streak crossed Richter’s vision, and
it transformed into one of Yoshi’s swords. The sword adept’s
blade struck the fade in the chest, and with a last wail it
collapsed into dust.

Richter invoked the healing power of his ring, trying to

look everywhere at once. All the fades had been

vanquished and everything was silent. Richter cast Slow

Heal and drank a healing potion, laying his head back onto
the ground. It was eerily quiet after the specters’ wails, but
only for a moment. He started to laugh and threw his fist

into the air.

The motion reminded him of one of his first fights in

The Land. He had killed a wolf that had been inches from

ripping his throat out. After he had stabbed it to death, he

been left lying on his back. Richter had thrown a fist into the
air in celebration, just like he was doing now. Immediately

afterwards however, he had been torn apart by two more

wolves that he hadn’t seen. Sion might have been able to
save him, but the sprite had just stood by let him be killed.
Even though the sprite was physically nearby, Richter had

died horribly and alone. That wasn’t the way of things

anymore, though.

Looking at the three sprites who had just saved his life,
he knew he wasn’t alone, and as long as Sion lived, he
would never be alone again. He locked eyes with his
Companion and nodded. The sprite nodded back, a sure
smile on his face. Richter looked back at the ceiling and

laughed again, “My name is Richter you buttheads! You

mess with me; you mess with my boys!”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 18

Richter healed himself over the next five minutes. By

the time he had gotten back onto his feet, Daniella had

healed Yoshi from his cold burns and Sion from a swipe he
had taken across the abdomen. The blow must have been

hard because it had scored the sprite’s is armor and

punctured it in one place. Sion didn’t seem any the worse

for wear though and was walking around to the piles of dust

the fades had left. He sifted through the ash and scooped a

pinch of a sparkling purple powder into an empty vial.

Richter looked at the pile of ash at his feet. Slowly

sifting through the dust, he found a small amount of the

purple dust as well. Examining it, a prompt appeared. His

rank as an apprentice in Herb Lore came into play, teaching

him three potential uses.
You have found: Spectral Dust. You have the feeling this
could be used in an invisibility potion, a spectral poison, or
the component of making a Blur item.

He examined the other prompts that came up during

the fight.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Dual Wield. You

can use a weapon in both hands. Accuracy decreased in
both hands, worse in nondominant hand. At least one
weapon must qualify as a light weapon until skill is leveled
appropriately. Ignoring this constraint will greatly increase
drop in accuracy.

Richter looked closer at his combat log from when he

was fighting with both daggers. Accuracy was decreased

25% in his right hand and 50% in his left! No wonder he

had been missing so much!

Congratulations! You have reached level 2 in Small Blades.

+2% attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached level 4 in Life Magic.

New spells are now available.
 The bump in attack speed was nothing to sneeze at.

All things being equal, daggers and short swords would

likely never completely match longer weapons in raw

damage potential, but if you were able to make twice as

many attacks in the same amount of time, then who cared?

Richter let Sion collect all of the spectral dust since. He

made sure to tell the sprite about the three qualities he had

identified. The fades hadn’t dropped any other loot. Alma

dropped down to his shoulders. He had told her to remain

above the fray with Futen. The temperamental psi

dragonling had of course ignored him, and he had seen her

sweeping down to use her psi blast. Unfortunately, it had

no effect on the fades, perhaps because they were pure

spirits. She had narrowly avoided being caught on razor

sharp claws. After that she had decided the smart move

might be to hover above the fray.

The party gathered and looked at the open skeleton

doorway. Richter convinced the others to remain behind

while he scouted ahead. The plan was for Futen to turn

invisible, and lead the way. When Futen had first been

summoned, he couldn’t be more than one hundred yards

from Richter if they weren’t in the village. That range

seemed to have expanded to more than twice that. Either

way, Richter didn’t want the remnant more than one

hundred yards ahead. If there were any more lightning

crystals or other magical traps, Futen could come to a bad

end.

Richter moved to the doorway, cast Night Vision, and

then walked into the dark hallway. He tried to activate his

stealth skill, but was unsuccessful. More accurately, he

could Stealth but the “eye gauge” remained wide open.

When he was in stealth mode, if he was successfully hidden

then an icon with a closed eye appeared at the corner of his

vision. The less effective he was in concealing himself, the

wider the eye grew until it was fully open. The eye was still

green meaning he wasn’t being directly visualized by an

enemy, but he was a bit concerned that his ability was on

the fritz. Suddenly he realized there was more light in the

tunnel than there should be. Slapping his hand to his

forehead, he dismissed Minor Life Aura. After that, he was

easily able to cloak himself in shadow. Between Futen as his

early warning system, and the shadows hiding him from

view, he felt well protected.

The hallway was made of long bones. Richter had to

be careful of his footing, the knobs at the end of each bone

made walking somewhat treacherous. He walked slowly

though and avoided any noisy falls. He continued walking

straight for a bit less than half an hour, and then the

hallway opened up into a large stone room.

Horizontal alcoves were carved into the walls. Any

given section of wall had three stacked, floor to ceiling.

Most were filled with corpses or skeletons. What captured

Richter’s attention though, was the mass of fades in the

room. There were multiple dooways leading off at odd

points from the chamber. The fades were slowly moving in

and out of the room and into the adjacent corridors. At

most there were fourteen or fifteen in the room at one time,

but sometimes there were only five.

Richter mentally summoned Futen back, and then

made his way back to the rest of the party. He related what

he had found, and a quick discussion ensued. They didn’t

have a sure way to attack the creatures since they could

phase in and out. The best option would be to draw them

back into the central chamber, and into the light of the

column. Richter had the best movement speed, and so it

was decided that he would draw the fades. The other three

situated themselves in the light of the column at the far end

from the skeleton door.

Richter was about to start walking back down the bone

hallway when Yoshi stopped him. “I saw you recharge the

wand. Do you have any spare soul stones to do the same

for my swords?” Richter nodded and Yoshi handed him one

of his swords. At first it showed up as ‘Magic sword,’ but

Futen flared and Richter got to see the weapon’s real stats.

Quicksilver Rapier of Frost. Damage 32-41. Durability

86/100. Item class: Rare. Quality: Exquisite. Weight 1.9 kg.
+5 Frost Damage per strike (+12 vs. Fire creatures).
Charges 48/70.

Richter’s eyes widened at the weapons stats. He

looked at Yoshi, who gave him a smug look, then closed

both eyes nodding slightly. Richter just chuckled a bit. No

matter how much he and the adept fought, they apparently

had one thing in common. They both liked a good blade.

Richter willed one of his basic soul stones to power

Yoshi’s sword. The ribbon of light flowed into the weapon,

replenishing fifteen charges. Richter figured that was

enough for now, and handed the sword back. He did the

same for Yoshi’s other blade, replenishing twelve charges.

He could have maxed the charges out on both, but only had
two basic soul stones left. He decided to use one more

basic stone on his Life dagger, bringing it back up to full

charge. He checked to see what the Fade had awarded him,

and was pleased to see that he had captured a common

level soul.

Once he was done with his enchanting duties, Richter

went back down the hallway with an invisible Futen leading

the way. He made his way back to the room unmolested.

When the four of them were discussing the best way to

proceed, they had decided to draw the smallest amount of

fades as possible. He watched for several minutes until only

six fades were present. Not wasting any time, he shot the
closest with his bow. Surprisingly, it didn’t phase out of
view. It must be an active ability, Richter realized, meaning

the fade had to will it to happen. The arrow struck and

immediately they all began their horrible wailing.

The fades moved towards him, but again not overly

fast. Richter retreated up the tunnel. He would run twenty

or thirty yards, and then stop, waiting for them to close part

of the distance. He didn’t want to lose them. He kept firing

back periodically. His first shot missed as the fade phased

out of sight. He learned that if he targeted the same fade

again in succession, though, his arrow would connect.

Thankfully, it seemed that their ability had a cool down

period.

Once Richter made it back to the central chamber, he

dismissed Night Vision and rejoined the sprites. He quickly

recast his buffs, and then turn to meet the fades. The

monsters didn’t even make it to the central column. Once

they were within the radius of the light, they slowed just like

the previous slain fellows had. Under the fire of three bows,
soon all that remained were piles of dust.
 Richter repeated the process five more times. On his
seventh trip down the tunnel, he watched the chamber that

he had been drawing the fades from for ten minutes, but he
didn’t see any more activity. Futen also didn’t see any as he

invisibly searched the side rooms, so Richter felt relatively

safe that all of the fades had been dispatched.

He collected the sprites, and soon they were all

standing back in the sepulcher.

“So who is up for a bit of grave robbing,” Richter asked,

gleefully rubbing his hands together. They split into two

groups, Yoshi and Daniella in one, him and Sion in the other.

That way each group had someone with the Pierce the Veil
skill. Richter and Sion explored the right side of the room.

His wand was out and the blue light swept every surface.
Nothing flared white, though. They began to inspect each

skeleton and found a collection of copper and silver coins.

Every so often they found a semi-precious gem.

The doorway to the next room led to another crypt

chamber with three more doorways leading off. They looted

the chamber and the ones to the right and left. When they
approached the doorway of the last room though, it wasn’t a

simple stone arch like the rest. It was at least twice as wide
as the others and was constructed from a type of matte

black stone. Sion and Richter could easily see into the
room, illuminated by Futen’s light, and the Far Light balls

Richter cast periodically. The bodies were much better

preserved than they had been in the previous rooms. There
was no sign of obvious decay, the corpses just looked

desiccated. Each was wearing hide or leather armor and

had a weapon either at its side or crossed over its chest.

The alcoves were also upright as opposed to horizontal.

Four armored corpses stool sentinel on either side of a

central closed crypt. Richter used Analyze.

Draugh Elite Guard. Level 18. Health 740. Magic 0.

Stamina 390. Draugh are warriors who willingly consign a
portion of their souls to be bound to their bodies after death.
All personality and individuality are gone, but what remains
is a fierce determination to protect the place of their rest.
For this reason, draugh are normally placed to protect the
burial chambers of their former masters. Beware the fierce
strength of the undead.
 Sion was about to step into the room when Richter

grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

“Something not good is going to happen if we step in

there,” Richter said.

“How do you know?”

“You mean other than the fact that there are eight

undead warriors guarding a crypt which clearly has a boss

inside?”

Sion looked at him sheepishly, “Well if you say it like

that, then of course it sounds like a dumb idea.”

“Let’s just go find the others.”

Richter and Sion walked back towards where they had

split with Yoshi and Daniella only to find the sprites were
already walking back towards them as well. Yoshi had made

a makeshift torch with what looked like a bit of old cloth

wrapped around the head of a leg bone.

“We found something,” Yoshi said. Daniella handed

over what she and Yoshi had collected from the bodies. It
looked to be the same type of loot that Richter and Sion had
found. He put it in his Bag.

“Us too,” Richter replied. He told the sword adept

about what they had found. Yoshi nodded.

“There is a room this way,” Yoshi said pointing back the

way he had come. “It has a chest in the center, but the

room is absolutely bristling with traps.”

“Show me,” Richter said.

Yoshi led the way through three rooms still holding the
leg bone aloft. Richter asked him if he planned to wash his

hands before he ate. Yoshi just looked back at him with a

deadpan expression and kept walking. Richter couldn’t

resist annoying the half-sprite by shooting a ball of light

ahead of them, just to prove how useless the torch was.
Yoshi ignored him.

After passing through a few rooms, they arrived at a

doorway lined with white stone. It was larger than the other

doorways in what looked to be exactly the same proportions

as the black doorway leading to the boss room. Richter
gazed inside. At first, nothing special jumped out at him,
but then random flag stones began to glow red. The chest
itself glowed red as well. No magic glowed in the room,

other than the chest itself.

Richter looked at Yoshi and said, “Let’s get to work.”

It took a little over two hours to disarm the traps in the

room. Richter was definitely able to deal with traps faster

than he had a few days ago. There were a few traps to the

side of the room that they could have avoided, but Yoshi
figured better safe than sorry. The gold column had only

appeared when they had disabled all the traps in the central
chamber after all, and there was no denying that the Light

of Life had been pivotal in defeating the fades. The adept

also raised the point that the initial wind that blew them

down once they had opened the skeleton door would have
made them land on traps if there hadn’t all been disarmed.
If they hadn’t taken the time to remove potential dangers
before proceeding, it would almost certainly have meant all

of their deaths.

Once they had finished with the floor, that only left the

chest. Richter hoped it would be an easy task, but doubted

it. It had taken Killik and Leandra an entire night to safely
open the chest from the Night Blades’ hideout. He looked at

Yoshi who had a stern look on his face as examined the

chest. The sword adept looked up and said, “I will need
some time.”

Richter nodded and stepped back. Yoshi had started

moving towards the chest when Futen spoke.

“I would advise against touching the chest”

“Why,” Richter asked.

“There are protective wards set on the chest, my Lord.”

“Show me.”

The light at the heart of the remnant glowed brighter,

and a series of overlapping circles appeared on the chest. It
looked like some interwove, and other were merely laid on

top or bottom of the others. Yoshi not only arrested his

forward movement but jumped back sharply at seeing the
now visible magical traps.

“What the hell,” the Warrior swore.

 “Okaayyy,” Richter said. “Can you disarm the wards,
Futen?”

“I am unsure, my Lord. I have the ability to disarm any

one ward, but I believe they must be unraveled in a certain

sequence. Otherwise to affect one would trigger a cascade

that would make the rest discharge. The specific result
would be unpredictable, but it would most certainly violent.”

“What would happen if we just triggered them on

purpose,” Daniella asked. “We could set them all off and
then open the chest once they were discharged.”

“Among the wards present are Ravaging Frost,

Explosive Heat, and Chain Lightning. Those wards alone
would be enough to destroy the chest and its contents. If all
of the wards went off at once, the destructive energy might

be enough to destroy the integrity of this cave system, and

bury all of you alive. That is, if your bodies were not already
reduced to their most base constituent parts,” Futen
answered in his deadpan tone.

Richter shook his head, “Total protonic reversal. That’s

bad. Okay. Important safety tip. Thanks Egon.”
 The sprites were used to ignoring Richter when he

started speaking nonsense at this point, so Daniella just

kept trying to find a solution. “There has to be a way to
open this,” she said. “We just have to look.”

And so they looked. And they looked. And they

LOOKED. Every skeleton was removed from every cubby.
Richter stared at the chest for an hour. He had hoped that
his Pierce the Veil skill would reveal a hidden compartment

somewhere, but nothing happened. It was about as boring

as watching paint dry… only without the paint. Then he
stared into every cubby and alcove, but again, nothing. The
only interesting thing that Richter discovered, was that the

bones weren’t human like he had originally thought. They

were similar in shape, but were longer and far heavier.
Seeing as how he wasn’t an archeologist though, it wasn’t
much help. He even leant his wand to Sion who shone it
against every surface and floor a second time. Still nothing.

The search went on for the rest of that first day and
through another. Both nights they bunked in the central

chamber under the glow of the golden column. Yoshi had

resolved that when they woke again, they would need
attack the room with the draugh guards. It was the only

place they hadn’t looked.

Richter couldn’t quite get to sleep that second night,

his mind searching for an answer, and his shoulders tense

with irritation from night finding one. So he just laid on his
back, staring up at the ceiling of the central chamber. It
was a mosaic that showed the life cycle of a tree. The
ceiling was divided into nine equal squares, in a 3x3 grid.

One square showed the tree with full green leaves and birds
flying around it. The second was of a darkened sky, the tree
draped in shadow. The next was the tree bending under a
strong wind. The one after showed a rain storm and the

tree had been struck by lightning. In the fifth, the tree was
on fire. The following picture, the tree had burned down
and only ash remained. The next showed the sun rising
over the horizon, and in the last a new green offshoot had

sprung up. Richter stared up ceiling, and something tickled

his memory.

He opened the Lore book, and read again about the

Basic Elements. Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Light, Dark, Life and
Death. Eight Basic Elements. Eight tiles surrounding the
central symbol of a sun. He stared back up at the ceiling…

it couldn’t be that easy! Could it? What was the order,

though? He looked at each tile for a number system or
some indication of order, but nothing leaped out at him.
The only other thing up there was the center tile of the eight

pointed star… that matched the column on the ground.

Richter jumped up, and ran over to the column. He

didn’t see anything on top, but when he shined the wand

down on it the whole thing lit white, and white numbers
appeared etched into the surface. Each number was by one
point of the star, and each point indicated a square of the

mosaic. This had to be it! The last piece of the puzzle was
to ask Futen how many wards were on the chest. The
remnant answered that there were eight wards, and each
was cast in a different type of magic. Ya Ta!

He turned to the sprites who were staring at him at this

point.

“I’ve got it,” he said excited. “The wards need to be

disarmed in the order of the mosaics on the ceiling. We can
do this!”
 They all raced back to room with a chest.

Richter started giving orders, “Futen, disable the wards

in this order, Life, Fire, Water, Death, Dark, Air, Light, Earth.”

The white light at Futen’s center started pulsing, and

the lines of symbols surrounding the golden rune began

spinning like a tumblers on a safe. All three layers of

symbols stopped moving, and then the golden lines
comprising the ward thinned until it disappeared completely.
Richter waited a moment, but when nothing happened, he
gave a cheer.

“Thank god that worked!”

“What?!” That question came from all of the sprites at

once. They hadn’t known that he was only mostly sure his
reasoning was right.

“Relaaxxx,” Richter said. “Everything worked out.”

Yoshi opened his mouth with an angry expression on his

face, but Richter interjected, “Shhhh. Don’t distract Futen.
If he loses focus, we could all blow-up.”
 Futen spoke in his emotionless voice, “I will not be
distrac-”

“Shhhh,” Richter interjected again, “just get back to

work.”

In less than ten minutes, all of the wards had been

disabled. Richter gave a flourishing bow. The sprites had

apparently not forgot that he had just gambled their lives on
a hunch, though. Yoshi just brushed past him and started
examining the chest, muttering under his breath. Sion and

Daniella walked away saying they were going to gather the

bedrolls they had left in the central chamber. Richter sat
down with a satisfied sigh, reflecting on something he had
heard long ago. The saying was true, there was only one

thing more satisfying than solving a puzzle, and with the

puzzle you didn’t have to buy dinner first.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 19

Richter woke to a hand shaking him. He looked up into

Yoshi’s face, and the sword adept was actually smiling. The

scar on his face made the expression more than a little

creepy. Not exactly the visage Richter would have chosen

to wake up to.

“What’s up,” he asked.

“I need your help,” Yoshi said, extending a hand to help

Richter up.

Richter stood and walked across the room to the chest.

Only one area of the chest was still glowed red when he
looked at it. A one foot by three-inch rectangle.

“The release points are at each corner of this last trap.

Do you see them?” After a moment, Richter nodded. “All of

the points need to be pressed simultaneously. I could do it

myself, but it’s easier with help.”

Richter placed his picks, and Yoshi did the same. At

Yoshi’s direction, he sunk both lock picks into the tiny holes

of the mechanism. There was an audible click and the red

rectangle of the trap faded away. Richter shared an excited

grin with the half-human swordsman and gestured

magnanimously to the chest. Yoshi surely deserved the

reward of opening it after having spent all night disarming

the traps.

Sion and Daniella had awoken at hearing their

conversation and now stood behind the kneeling members

of their party. Yoshi put his hand on the chest lid, and they

all held their breath with the anticipation of children on

Christmas morning. They were not disappointed.

You have found: Enhanced Health Potion x 4. Will restore

120 health points over 6 seconds.

You have found: Basic Life Oil. Apply to weapons for

increased damage against Death creatures.

You have found: Bag of Coins.

You have found: Book of Flame. Shoot a weak gout of flame
from your hand.

You have found: Bone Key.

You have found: Hatch Wheel.

You have found: Iron chain. Damage 7-9. Durability 20/20.

Item class: Common. Quality: Average. Weight 2.4 kg.

You have found: Wooden Shield. Defense +6. Durability

40/40. Item class: Common. Quality: Average. Weight: 3.4
kg. Type: Light armor.

You have found: Recipe: Potion of Stagnation. Halts health

regeneration.

You have found: Recipe: Basic Health Potion. Restores 80

health points over 6 seconds.

You have found: Gold figurine

Richter was happy that Futen had followed his direction

to start identifying unknown objects without prompting. It

was kinda irritating always having to ask. The haul from the

chest was amazing! Of course, after two solid days of work!

The amount of effort that had been required to navigate the

traps was maddening. Richter could very well see why this

dungeon had been locked to him until he reached a level 10.

Even at his current level, he couldn’t have soloed it. The

enemies, puzzles and traps would have stopped him before

he even got to this point.

He handed the recipes to Sion, who immediately

started pouring over the stagnation recipe. Richter didn’t

really have a use for them yet. His Alchemy skill was still at

level one. The sprite already knew the recipe for weak

health potions, but the basic potion would be a step up.

Richter handed the health potions out equally. The weapon

and shield didn’t seem like anything special, but he had

never seen a chain weapon before. It had a baseball sized

weight at the end. Actually, it looked like the weapon Gogo

used to fight Black Mamba, but a lot less graceful, Richter

thought. It should have a good reach, he reflected.

The Book of Flame he put reverently to the side. He

had been dying for a flame spell, but first there was a

mystery to figure out. The hatch wheel could be expected

to open the round door in the central chamber, that was

obvious. They had also just found the key for this branch of
the dungeon. Now unless there were two keys to find in this

section of the dungeon, (which was usually not the way

these things worked, at least when The Land had just been

a game) it seemed like there was absolutely no reason go

into the room with the draugh. He thought about it for a

few seconds then shrugged and just loaded the rest of the

loot into his Bag. He reached up to close the lid, but when

he touched it again, the bottom of the chest blazed with

light.

Oh crap, he thought. He shut his eyes against both the

glare and the expected pain from whatever trap he had just

triggered. Nothing happened, though. Richter opened his

eyes and saw words inscribed in flickering purple flame on

the floor of the chest. As he read, a prompt appeared.

You have been offered a Quest: When Good Men Do

Nothing. All souls deserve rest. In the far chamber, noble
warriors are trapped by the desires of an evil creature. Will
you free them from their servitude? Yes or No? Reward:
Unknown.
 ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for

good men to do nothing.’ That was the quote Richter

remembered from English class. The quest was a

paraphrase of the old quote, bascially acknowledging that

he had everything he needed to keep moving forward in the

dungeon. He didn’t need to fight those draugh in the other

room. He could forget about those ‘noble warriors.’

Richter stared at the bottom of the chest, and then

looked at his Companions. They had seen the same words

that he had, but they just looked at him, waiting to follow

wherever he led. There wasn’t a clear decision. They had

already been in this dungeon so long. It was extremely

tempting to just keep it moving. Who would he be if he did

that, though? Was he just living this new life for himself, or
would he actually stand for something? Richter selected

‘Yes.’

The words at the bottom of the chest winked out. He

took both keys and the hatch wheel out of his Bag and
extended them to Yoshi. “I know you don’t want to wait to

keep moving forward. I accepted the quest, not you. What

I’m trying to say is this is on me. You don’t need to help.

You can keep working on getting out of here. I’ll catch up

if… when I can.” Richter lifted both hands farther towards

Yoshi in an attempt to hand the items over.

Sion immediately stepped forward and started arguing,

but Yoshi held up his hand sharply quieting the sprite. He

looked Richter in the eye. They held each other’s gaze for a

full minute. Then Yoshi raised his hands, but he didn’t take

the key or the wheel. He pushed Richter’s arms back down

to his sides. “It is true that the eaters need to be dealt with.

It is also true that sometimes hard choices need to be made,

and certain sacrifices must be allowed. That should be the

exception, however, not the rule. I am proud to fight

alongside a man who would help those who cannot help
themselves.”

Your relationship with Sword adept Yoshi had improved from

Neutral to Friendly.

They did not go to black archway immediately. Yoshi

had not slept for a long while, and everyone understood

they would need to be at their best for the upcoming fight.

The men lay back down while Daniella stood guard over
them. Richter closed his eyes, his last sight was of her
smiling down at Sion.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 20

After Yoshi awoke, they discussed their plan of attack.

Richter also took the time to learn the Fire spell. Once they

had agreed on the roles they would play, they wasted no

more time walking to the large black doorway. Richter

restocked his ally’s quivers from Bag of Holding. They all

applied the Basic Life Oil to their weapons, including the

arrow heads. Then they cast whatever buffs they could.

Even Alma cast Haste and zipped through the air above

their heads. Last, they all drank a Potion of Clarity. It was

time.

Sion, Daniella, and Richter situated themselves ten

yards back from the doorway, the maximum distance the

configuration of the rooms allowed for them to still have

clear shots. They drew their arrow and began to Imbue.

Sion and Daniella’s arrows took on a blue aura that grew

brighter and more intense as they poured in more mana.

The glow around Richter’s arrow began as a warm golden

glow. It didn’t stay that way for long, however. For some

reason that Sion couldn’t explain, as he invested more

mana into the arrow, black streaks began to play over the
gold aura. The streaks moved faster, and a barely

perceptible hum filled the air. They were still within the

boundaries of the village, so he used the village’s mana pool

to power the arrow, leaving his personal mana stores

relatively intact. The streaks of black were moving so fast

that they gave the appearance of having stabilized into a

solid whirls over the golden surface. Framed on either side

by the bright blue glows of the sprites arrows, Richter

poured mana into the arrow until it felt like it was vibrating

off the string. He released. The sprites’ arrows fired right

after his.

Daniella’s arrow struck the warrior on the left closest to

the doorway. Richter shot the next one, and Sion’s arrow

impacted the one after that. As soon as the arrows crossed

the threshold, the draugh warriors came awake. The guards

moved quickly, but not fast enough for the three warriors
that had been targeted. All of the arrows struck their

targets in the head, causing critical shots. All three

collapsed to the ground. Richter stole half a second to

check his combat log.

Richter shot Draugh Elite Guard for {[(Base damage from

Recurve bow of the Wood Sprite (16) + damage from Sprite
Arrows of Nature (1)) * Archery bonus (1.18) * Dexterity
modifier (1.24) * basic life oil damage multiplier against
Death creature (3)] + damage from imbued mana (228 *
(0.12)} * critical strike multiplier from Recurve bow of the
Wood Sprite (2.2) = 224.36 damage.

Not a bad opening salvo, he thought with a little smile.

His target wasn’t dead yet, but it was well on its way. Then

there was no more time for gloating. The four warriors on

the right, and the remaining unscathed warrior on the left

had stepped down from their alcoves and had already

crossed half the distance to the black doorway at a run.

This brought the draugh on the right closer together, which

was exactly what Richter had been hoping would happen.

 His arm shot forward as cast Grease, and they all

collapsed into one another, unable to maintain their footing

on the now slick surface. He had aimed his spell so that the
tail edge of the 10x10 foot oily surface would appear in front

of the guards, causing them to collapse into the center of

the spells AoE. Richter wasn’t done, though. He extended

his other hand and cast Flame. For as long as there had

been day there had been night, for as long as there had

been internet there had been porn, and as long as there had

been grease spells, there had been fire spells to burn

sumbitches up!

A jet of flame shot from Richter’s hand and the slippery

circle became a round inferno. It would continue to burn for

until the thirty-second duration of Richter’s Grease spell

elapsed. The draugh had been silent up unto that point, but
if there was one thing all undead agreed upon, it was that

they hated fire. Inhuman screams filled the air when the

dried flesh of the draugh became like so much tinder.

Despite the damage they were suffering, they weren’t out of

the fight. They weren’t called elite guards for nothing.

 All four got back to their feet and continued running

forward weapons raised. One fell again, but the rest

successfully kept their balance. Sion shot another with Stun

shot, causing it to collapse back into the circle of flames.

The other three kept coming though. Meanwhile, Daniella

had been staggering her fire among the four on the left, but

the one closest to the center had almost made its way out

of the room. She wasn’t able to put much mana into each

shot because her rate of fire. As soon as it crossed the

threshold, though, Yoshi was there to meet it.

This was no polite dance or formal duel. The draugh

elite guard and the half-sprite warrior met blade to blade.

Only one would survive the encounter. The draugh warrior

had a hand and a half sword which it jabbed forward

towards Yoshi’s chest. Yoshi caught the blade on one of his

swords to parry. That looked like it had been the plan

anyway, but he hadn’t taken the draugh’s immense strength

into account. The blade continued forward, and it was only

a quick move that allowed Yoshi to avoid being skewered.

When it became clear that he couldn’t parry the blade,

in the split second he had left, the adept slapped his second
blade against the draugh’s sword as well. He contorted his

body and braced against both swords to push himself to the

side. Though he avoided being maimed by the draugh’s

opening salvo, the undead’s sword still sliced into the

outside of Yoshi’s right bicep. The adept hissed in pain as

blood started to flow down his arm. He ducked quickly to

avoid the draugh’s followup stroke and took a step back to

reset a proper stance. Then his two quicksilver swords

flowed towards the draugh again.

Sion used Stun Shot a second time, trying to catch

another draugh leaving the circle of fire. Unfortunately, the

guard caught the arrow on its buckler. The attack wasn’t

without cost. It consumed 35 stamina every time he used it.

In a fight, depleting your stamina was as good as a death

sentence. Sion switched back to firing imbued shots.

The three draugh that had escaped the Grease AoE,

were no longer on fire except in thumb nail sized spots here

and there. The three enraged undead ran towards Richter.

They were too close! He cast Troubled Sleep, but the

draugh guard shook off the effects of the spell. He

immediately cast Charm on another. Gahhh, no effect! In

desperation, Richter used a spell that he had never cast

before, Cloying Darkness. A cone of thick billowing

blackness shot from his hand. The good news was that all

three were caught in the spell. Their movement and attack

speed were reduced by 20% and they were momentarily

blinded by the cone. The bad news was the spell only had a

range of ten feet, which meant they were right on top of

him!

As Sion and Daniella kept up a withering fire on the four

draugh still in the room attempting to finish them off

quickly, Yoshi’s battle with the lone draugh continued. The

sword adept had not made the same mistake of trying to

match strength with his undead foe. He realized that the
draugh could easily best him in that kind of contest.

Thankfully, Yoshi’s prowess as a Warrior did not rely on

brute force. At the start of the second exchange, he

proceeded to systematically take the elite guard apart. He

moved into form The Lady’s Fan Opens, which brought him

to the monster’s right. Now on the outside of the draugh’s

attack radius, he committed to the aggressive form Reaping

Wheat, followed by the Crane’s Neck, which brought him up

to full extension. The draugh threw an elbow towards his
face, but Yoshi had already moved into Setting Sun, which

flowed naturally into Scorpion’s Kiss. Each form morphed

gracefully into the next, and each movement either scored a

hit against the draugh or perfectly positioned him for

another strike. The draugh may have beaten the half-

human in raw power, but Yoshi more than made up for it in

skill, speed, and grace.

The draugh roared in anger as it took another swing at

Yoshi. Yoshi having seen the shift in the undead’s hips was
in motion before the sword had even moved. By the time

the blade was in flight, Yoshi had executed the form The
Orc’s Hammer. The draugh’s sword arm fell to the ground.

Yoshi finished the battle with The Drunken Barber. One

blade struck the draugh’s neck biting deeply and sliding

free. His second sword finished the decapitation, and his

foe’s body collapsed.

The second phase of Yoshi’s fight took 18.4 seconds.

Richter’s situation was not nearly as rosy. The three

draughs’ disorientation was short lived. Even though the
slowing effects of Cloying Darkness lasted ten minutes, the
actual physical manifestation of the darkness began to

dissipate after only one second and was completely gone

after three. Richter had used the time to pull out his Life

dagger and move far to the right. When the monsters

brought their weapons down to strike, they found his former

space empty. Their decreased speed coupled with the fact

that Richter was hastened gave him an edge. He attacked

the draugh closest to him. He struck low and his Life dagger
cut deeply into the back of the draugh’s heel. Even though

the draugh was undead, it couldn’t ignore anatomy. With it

Achilles tendon severed, it was not able to support itself,

and toppled to the ground. The other two turned to face

him. One swung a buckler at his face while the other

swung its axe horizontally. Richter hopped back and cast

Ice Dagger. The spike of ice struck the left draugh in the
shoulder. The damage caused was negligible, but the point

of casting the spell wasn’t to cause harm. The purpose was

to keep its attention on him, and not on Yoshi moving

quickly up behind it. Alma helped by striking both draugh

with a psi blast, staggering them.
 Two swords erupted from the draugh’s chest. One was

completely in line with its heart, but blood had long since
stopped pumping through its body, and so the hit didn’t

register as critical. The draugh turned quickly to reach

Yoshi, but he jumped with his swords still inside of its chest.

His body moved with the twist of his enemy’s waist. As he

moved, Yoshi kicked the other draugh that was in the
process of swinging its axe at Richter again. It

overbalanced and fell on top of the draugh that Richter had

initially crippled.

That stumble gave Richter the opening he needed. He

fell on top of the draugh’s back and slammed his Life

dagger into the side of its head. It struggled to get up even

with a blade in its head, but in its awkward position, he was

strong enough to stab it twice more in the head and once at

the base of the skull. The dagger went into its brain stem.

The draugh fell limp. Richter was about to given the draugh
on the bottom of the pile the same treatment. With a loud

crash though, the stone coffin opened.

Richter looked up and took in the scene. Sion had fired

an imbued arrow at whatever had emerged from the crypt.
Daniella was firing at one of the first three draugh they had

attacked. One of the others was sprawled at an awkward

angle, impact burns all over its body. The third was alive,

but missing a leg as it clawed its way toward the sprites.

The draugh Sion had hit with Stun Shot lay unmoving. The

grease fire had gone out, but not before it had burnt the
guard to a crisp. Yoshi was standing over the kneeling body

of his opponent. His blade was covered with congealed

blood and was immediately to the right of a stump that had

been the draugh’s neck. As Richter watched, the head was

toppling to the floor.

The most important thing to see of course, was the

monster emerging from the sarcophagus. A stream of black

necrotic energy shot from her hand impacting Sion’s arrow

in midair. It decayed the arrow to ash immediately, and

even most of the infused energy seemed to be consumed as

it let off a impotent bang, rather than the normal loud boom
of an imbued arrow’s impact.

The creature was thin to the point of being emaciated.

Its elongated face had an overly large mouth with four large
fangs framing a set of sharp teeth. Its arms hung past its
knees, and the marfanoid fingers were tipped with sharp red
nails. The body was the gross caricature of a woman. The

horror of her other features was offset by full high breasts

and shining long black hair. No clothing covered her smooth
grey skin. Completely naked, she leered as and squeezed

one breast while taking in the scene of violence in front of it.

Richter Analyzed it.

Crypt Mistress. Lvl 29. Health 1100. Mana 800. Stamina

360. Crypt mistresses are the bastard cousins of succubi.
As opposed to seducing the living though, they seduce the
dead. Crypt mistresses will invade the halls of the dead and
undead and then bend them to their will. Even other
demons are disgusted by their perverted pleasures.

“It’s a magic user,” he shouted.

The crypt mistress extended one hand, and with a

deepening of her horrid leer, eight streams of inky black

fluid shot out from her hand. They curved and contorted
through the air. Two rushed directly at Richter. He tried to

dodge, but the ribbons reached him before he could move.

He wasn’t the target, though. None of the party was struck
by the crypt mistress’s spell because it wasn’t an attack.

The ribbons struck the chest of every draugh warrior,

even the fallen. As one they roared. Not in pain, but in

strength. The bellow came from five throats though, not

eight. The two that Yoshi had decapitated didn’t revive.

Neither did the draugh that Richter had stabbed in the

brain. When the mistress saw that some of her guards were

irrevocably destroyed, she hissed in displeasure. Both

hands began weaving in a second spell casting. Alarmed,
Richter started to get up to attack her, but there was

movement underneath him. The draugh on the bottom was

lifting both him and the dead draugh in all of their armor!
WTF?! How had it gotten so much stronger? Analyze gave

the answer. It was level 20 now! Either those oily ribbons

had buffed the draugh, or it was an area effect of the crypt
mistress. Whatever the reason, these bastards had bulked
up.

Richter was going to shout out the new danger, but a

quick look around showed that his party had already figured
it out. Sion shot another arrow at the crypt mistress
disturbing its casting when it was forced to defend itself. He
had to drop his bow and draw his sword though, as he

fought a defensive battle against two draugh. Yoshi fought

the other two, and scored hits, but his blade didn’t cut as
deeply as it had only a moment ago. Alma was helping by
flying around administering psi blasts, but they seemed to
have less effect than before.

While Sion and Yoshi engaged in hand to hand combat,

Daniella was firing as quickly as she could at the boss.

Initially, each arrow was met by a viscous stream of black

liquid. Even though her shots weren’t connecting, her
arrows at least served to keep the crypt mistress occupied.
That changed when the leering demon cast a spell, and a

black circle flared into existence around it. Daniella’s next

shot splashed harmlessly the circle of protection. Only a
distortion in the air, that soon vanished, showed that her
arrow had any effect at all. The crypt mistress started her
spell again.

None of this was Richter’s immediate concern, however

because the draugh underneath him had gotten one arm

free. It reached up and grabbed his left forearm in a

punishing grip. He cried out in pain as he felt his bones
grind together. If it wasn’t for his bracer they would

probably had been snapped in half. That was when his light
shield when out. He raised his light dagger to stab the
draugh, but then something occurred to him. His Minor Life
Aura had a 15 minute time duration. That meant that his
Charm spell which had a 10-minute cooldown could be cast
again! The problem was the lower level draugh had resisted
his spell, so why would it work now? Its broad resistance
had probably increased. The only way it would work was if

it was distracted, or weakened, or…

*Alma! Brain Drain!*

As fractious as the psi dragonling could be, Richter

would never question her loyalty. As quick as an arrow, her
hastened body shot towards the draugh that held him. She
latched onto the undead’s desiccated head. The draugh

released its grip on Richter and immediately reached

towards the dragonling’s small body to crush it to jelly.
Richter saw it move and he became laser focused on one
fact. This thing would not hurt Alma!
 Focusing his will on that personal truth he shouted the

incantation for Charm invoking the spell. The draugh’s hand

froze only an inch from Alma, as the spell struggled to
override its will. It worked! The draugh relaxed its hand.

*Alma stop*, he thought desperately. If she continued

attacking the draugh, it might break the enchantment, and
their new found ally would go back to its old pastime of
tearing them apart barehanded.

*Go help Sion*

She unwound from the draugh’s head and flew back to

strafing the guards fighting his Companion. Richter looked
down into the face of his charmed enemy, “And you, you
little shit. Go kill your old friends.”

He rolled off, and the elite guard easily pushed the

dead weight of the draugh off of it. It stood, and ran
towards the back of one of the guards fighting Yoshi,

weapon raised. The sword adept had cut the head off of
one of his opponents by the time Richter’s charmed monster
joined the fray. Yoshi hadn’t escaped unscathed, though.
One arm hung limply at his side. Blood still flowed from the
wound in his other shoulder, and also from a cut on his scalp

decreasing his left sided peripheral vision.

Despite his injuries, Richter trusted the Warrior to

survive. Yoshi was tough as nails. Richter turned to face

the crypt mistress. He knew that he had to stop her before
her spell was completed!

Richter’s thought happened about half a second before

she finished casting.

The demoness ended her incantation with both hands

clasped at her breast as if cupping something. Then she

flicked both wrists towards the ceiling of the room Richter
was standing in. A speckled white globe, whose surface
looked like a mushroom top, moved almost lazily away from

the horrid creature. After it passed the black portal, it

swelled to three times its original size and then exploded,
filling the air with millions of tiny white spores. Richter tried
to hold his breath, but the spores found their way into his

nose anyway. Immediately his throat started swelling and

his body was racked with violent coughs. His lungs
convulsed trying to expel the foul things, but each cough
caused a small involuntary inhale, bringing more of the filth

into his lungs. On his third cough, a gobbet of bright red

blood made its way into his mouth. He tasted pennies.
What was happening? He accessed his combat log.

Crypt Mistress has cast unknown spell.

Richter hit by unknown spell now identified as Cankerous

Hell Spores for 230 damage. Damage Type(s): Death
(70%)/Earth Magic (30%). Death Magic damage 161. Earth
Magic damage 69 reduced by Earth Resistance (20%) to
55.2. Total damage: 216.2

Constitution decreased by 1 every minute for the next 10

minutes. Endurance decreased by 1 every minute for the
next 10 minutes. Loss of Health cumulative with initial
attack.

He blinked the prompt away. 216 health lost in one AoE

spell! To make it worse, he was about to lose another one

hundred health over the next ten minutes. They had to end
this fight now! He quickly drank the enhanced health
potion, and his breathing eased. When he looked back at
the hag, she had already started casting another spell. She
gave him a wink as she made eye contact.

A cry of panic drew his attention as Sion was clubbed

over the head with a mace. His helmet dented from the
draugh’s mighty blow, and he fell to the ground
unconscious. Richter realized the cry hadn’t come from
Sion, it had come from Daniella. As the draugh raised its

mace to deliver a coup de grace to his Companion, she

drew and released an imbued arrow into its face. She
succeeded in driving the draugh away from Sion, but she
paid for her heroic act with her own body. The distraction

was all the opportunity the draugh she had been dodging
needed. With a powerful thrust, it stabbed its sword into
her belly. The tip ripped through her and came out of her
back. She coughed out blood as tears fell from her eyes,

and a wretched groan came from her throat.

A twist of the draugh’s sword caused a second gout of

blood to explode from her mouth. The rent in her stomach

causing the sanguine fluid to shoot up her esophagus and

out on the floor. The wound in her abdomen, coupled with
the damage of the spores, rendered her unconscious. The
draugh let her slide off of his sword. She hit the floor and a
quickly expanding pool of blood formed on the floor under
her.

Yoshi leapt towards draugh standing over her. He had

finished with his other opponent, half of its face and skull
sheared away. Ricther’s charmed draugh joined the battle.

Meanwhile, Richter ran at the guard that was once again

raising its mace to bash Sion’s skull in. He knew the crypt
mistress was still the real threat, but he couldn’t just let his
Companion be killed!

*Brain Drain!*

Alma flew in and wrapped her small body around the

draugh’s head, while Richter was still two steps away. It
stumbled in a daze towards where Yoshi and the charmed
draugh had just disarmed their target. Once again, Richter
had to watch a freakishly strong creature reach its damn

hand towards his familiar. He wouldn’t have made it in

time, but then Yoshi’s blue blade struck the draugh’s free
hand, scoring deeply and leaving frost in the wound. It gave
Richter the time he needed. One step, and he recast Minor
Life Aura. With his second step, he was in position behind
the draugh. Richter wrapped one hand around its face, and
with the other drove his Life dagger up through the base of

the skull into the brainstem. With a faint crunch, the blade
entered the cerebellum as well. A twist of Richter’s wrist
was all that it took for it to collapse to the ground.

Yoshi and the charmed draugh had finished the last of

the guards. An icy sword cut had started the process of
severing its head, and the charmed guard’s massive
strength ripped the head the rest of the way off the body.

Once the draugh was decapitated, Richter could hear the

sound of congealed blood and flesh falling to the ground.
Yoshi drank his enhanced health potion, and his left arm
quickly regained some mobility. Before the six seconds

required for the full effect of the potion passed though, he

pointed at the demon and shouted, “We have to overwhelm
her protection! We need to wear down the shield’s HPs
befo-”

A black and purple beam of light exploded against

Yoshi’s chest. His body immediately arched back to full
extension. The adept’s head was thrown back in silent
scream and his arms were down and out to his sides, fingers
curled against the pain. Muscles bulged, and veins stood
stark against his skin. Then it got worse. Purple boils rose

and popped over his skin, over and over in quick succession.
The adept’s skin looked like bubbles breaking in a glass of
milk someone blew air into. A scream finally rose from his
body, and he collapsed bonelessly to the ground.

Richter took stock of the situation. All of his sprite

allies were down and dying, if not already passed from this

world. He stood against a demon who had yet to suffer a

simple scratch. His only remaining allies were a small
dragonling familiar and a charmed creature that in less than
an hour’s time would try to kill him. Richter fixed a defiant
grimace on his face. None of that mattered. He was still

going to choke this bitch out!

First he had to help his comrades thought. He ordered

the draugh to protect him, and then took a step towards his

fallen party members to heal them.

“What are you doing, my pet,” a sultry voice asked

him.
 Richter look at the crypt mistress in shock.

“Yesss, my beautiful boy. I can speak, I can think,” she

placed two fingers inside of her sex, “I can feeel. Hehehe,”
she giggled.

He recoiled in revulsion.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said. “I have no interest in you

right now, flesh bag. Not while your disgusting little heart
still beats. After thoughhhh,” she dragged the last syllable
out, giggling once again.

While had been speaking he kept walking. He cast

Slow Heal on Yoshi, but didn’t take his eyes from the
demoness. From the periphery of his vision, he saw that

Sion was awake, and was crawling over to Daniella’s still

form.

The crypt mistress’s eyes narrowed, “But I see you’re

being naughty.” Somehow she arranged her freak show of a

mouth in to a pout. The expression didn’t last long because
then she smiled evilly and said, “I’ll have to punish you.” A
chant began to ensue from her mouth.

“Kill it,” Richter cried.

 The charmed draugh guard picked up a mace, and ran
into the room with the demon, slamming heavy blows

against the circle of protection. The chanting didn’t cease.

Dreading that he wouldn’t have enough time, he ran

after it and threw the Life dagger at the horrible creature.

The blade didn’t reach its grey skin, but it did penetrate the
shield and stuck there, seeming to hover in midair.
Apparently feeling the Life energy in the weapon, the

demoness broke of her chant, and shied to the side to avoid

being struck. The draugh continued beating at the barrier
with its mace, and now faint spider webs of damage could
be seen emanating from where the life dagger had caused a
break in the circle of protection. Every heavy blow made

the cracks slightly larger. When the crypt mistress saw that
the blade had weakened, but not completely penetrated her
defense, she turned her attention to the draugh. A wave of
its hand, and several whispered words, were all that was

required to shoot black lightning at the guard. The electrical

strike hit the draugh in the chest, it dropped to the ground
twitching. The threat now past, the demoness started
furiously chanting again. There was no leer on her face

now, as she stared at Richter with deadly intensity.

The few seconds the draugh’s life had bought served

one major purpose, it disrupted demon’s casting. Knowing

this was his only chance, Richter had picked up his bow and
nocked an arrow. Before she had looked up at Life dagger
hovering in midair, a golden glow had already surrounded
his arrow. By the time the crypt mistress figured out that

the magic in the Life blade couldn’t reach her, black streaks
had appeared. The scant seconds she invested in attacking
the charmed draugh, saw the black streaks speeding quickly
over the arrow’s gold aura. When she began her spell

again, the aura was equal parts shining old gold and ebony
black.

Richter had opened up the mana stores of the village.

The magic of the village answered the call of its Master as

100, then 250, then more than 400 mana wove into this one
strike. He felt like he was holding a severed power line. The
arrow seemed to buck and spit in his hands. The arm

holding the bow was having trouble bracing enough to keep

the string drawn, but he forced through the pain. He knew
that if he lost control, all of the power he had invested into

the arrow would be unleashed on him instead. The gold

aura now only seemed to peak through in spots. At that
pivotal moment, Richter looked into the eyes of the crypt
mistress. Eyes that were brimming with hate as she

frantically cast her spell. He released. The arrow crossed

the twenty yards in less than a second.

It struck right beneath the web of cracks that stemmed

from the Life dagger. The resulting explosion flung the

draugh guard’s body through the air, and into the wall,

leaving a sizeable dent in the masonry. The weakened circle

of protection crumpled under the inexorable force of

Richter’s attack, and the demon was thrown to the floor.

Expecting the backwash of force when the shield collapsed,

Richter had hunched down and braced himself as soon as

the arrow was released. While the force of the explosion

was strong enough to rock him back, he was on his feet a

second later and running towards grey creature.

*Brain Drain!*
 Alma swept in and wrapped herself around the

mistress’s head. The demoness screamed at the psychic

attack, not paying attention to anything except removing

the source of her pain. This was probably why Richter was

able to pour the entire vial of Basic Life Oil down her throat.

A screech of pure agony came from the crone, and

golden light began peeking through her grey skin in spots.

She fell back scrabbling. Red tipped claws drew great rents

in her flesh as she tried to remove the offending agent, but

it was no use. More gold light leaked through the new

wounds. As horrible as the agony the demoness was

experiencing though, she found no sympathy from Richter.

While she was distracted, he cast Soul Trap. Then with

a look of utter contempt on his face, Richter reached down

and grabbed the hair on the back of her head with one

hand. He yanked back, causing the horrid mouth to fall

open farther and exposing the vulnerable soft palate at the

roof of her mouth. He spoke softly, “You’re done.”

With that, he rammed his fist into her open mouth,

driving the blade of his glass dagger through the roof of her
mouth, past the crunching bones of the skull and into her
brain. A rainbow of colors exploded from the body, and for

the first time in what seemed an eternity, all was quiet.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 21

Richter left the dagger in the crypt mistresses mouth,

and ran back to help his comrades. He heard a faint sound

and saw the charmed draugh weakly pick up its head.

Analyze showed it barely had any life left. With a dismissive

sneer, he cast Soul Trap and had Alma drain it. Alma
disengaged from the dead monster, and flapped along

behind him. Sion was cradling Daniella’s head in his lap and

pouring a health potion down her throat. He cast Slow Heal

on her and then ran over to Yoshi.

The bubbling effect had stopped, but the sword adept’s

skin was still covered in weeping sores. Yoshi was

unconscious, but Richter was thankful to see that his chest

still rose and fell. A ribbon of light heralded the last

draugh’s demise. He cast Slow Heal, then dragged Yoshi’s

body over by Daniella and Sion. Richter slipped in

something, almost falling. When he looked down he was

appalled to realize it was the cooling blood from the young

sprite that Sion cradled.

Sion was still slowly pouring healing potion into her

mouth, but Richter couldn’t tell if it was having any effect. If

her chest wasn’t rising weakly, he would have thought she

was dead. He settled next to his Companion, and cast Slow

Heal on Daniella. He alternated casting the spell on Yoshi

and Daniella once per minute, until finally first Yoshi’s

breathing eased and hers did as well. Against Sion’s

protests, Richter then cast Slow Heal on him, and made him

use the healing ring. Feeling exhausted, he told Futen to

stand guard. Then he let the stress and demands of the

battle pull him into unconsciousness.

No time at all seemed to have passed when he opened

his eyes again. Sion was sitting in the same place with

Daniella’s head in his lap, but now he was smiling. The

female sprite’s skin was still far too pale, but her eyes were

open and she was speaking softly to Sion. Yoshi was still

sleeping, and thanks to Richter’s healing spells most of the

sores on his skin were gone. There was still a duskiness to

his skin though. It was a bit hard to tell because Futen’s

light gave everything a washed out appearance, but he

thought he saw the same duskiness in Sion’s and Daniella’s

skin too. Resolving to ask them about it later, he put the

thought from his mind. Richter didn’t want to disturb the

quiet moment the two sprites were sharing, so he quietly

cast Slow Heal again on the adept, and then examined his

prompts.

Quest Update: When Good Men Do Nothing. The draugh

you defeated were all honorable men who had fought for
their people millennia ago. You have freed them from the
demented control of the crypt mistress. To claim your
reward, place the remains of their former queen in the
central sarcophagus. The location of her remains has been
marked on your map.

You have been award 6,300 (base 252,017 x 0.02 x 1.25)

experience from Brain Drain against Level 20 Draugh Elite
Guard.

You have been award 12, 848 (base 513,900 x 0.02 x 1.25)
experience from Brain Drain against Level 26 Crypt Mistress.
TRING!

You have reached level 16! 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!

Your familiar has reached level 4!

You familiar has reached level 5!

You familiar has reached level 6!

You familiar has reached level 7!

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in Analyze.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 10 in Archery.

+2% bonus to aim. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate

in: Archery. 50% chance to retrieve special arrows after
they have been shot.

You have received 2,500 (base 2,000) bonus experience for

reaching level 10 in the skill: Archery.
Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 5 in Imbue
Arrow. +5% damage. +5% speed of mana flow.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in Small

Blades. +2% attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 3 in Small

Blades. +2% attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in Small

Blades. +2% attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in Life

Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in Air Magic.

New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Light

Armor. +2% to defense of all light armor.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 5 in Grace

in Combat. Dodge increased by 14%.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 6 in Grace

in Combat. Dodge increased by 15%.
You are Diseased! You have contracted Cankerous Rot! Your
Constitution and Endurance will remain reduced at their
current level until you are disease free. Contact with the
uninfected may spread the disease. Constitution -10.
Endurance -10.

You have suffered a broken bone. The ulna of your left arm
has suffered a hairline fracture. Decreased strength in that
arm until healed. Strength -35% in left arm.

The last prompt made it clear why his arm was still in

pain, and also why holding the bow had been so difficult. It

was the diseased prompt that was alarming, though. He

didn’t even take the time to allocate his new points. He

quickly scrabbled back from his others. Sion and Daniella

looked up in alarm.

“Stay back,” he said. “I have a disease!”

The two sprites relaxed, “We all do,” Daniella said

weakly. “Cankerous Rot. That’s why our skin looks darker.

It’s from that accursed hag’s spell.”

Richter was relieved that he wasn’t a danger to friends,

but understandably concerned that they were all suffering

from this infection. “So you all have minus ten to

Constitution and Endurance?”

“Yes,” Sion said. “Daniella already tried the cure

disease spell she knows, but it wasn’t strong enough. We

will have to wait to get back to Hisako or Sumiko. They will

be able to help us.”

Richter nodded. He told the two that he needed to

finish the quest, and to just stay where they were. They

agreed, and soon were speaking softly to one another again.

He got up and accessed his map. The bones he needed

were only two chambers away. While he was walking, Alma

landed on his shoulders and nipped at his ear. He absently

reached into his Bag, and withdrew a bit of dried meat. She
snapped it from his fingers, and then flew off with her prize.

He quickly arrived in front of the alcove. There was

nothing to distinguish these bones from any of the others,

but there was no doubt that they were the remains marked

on the map. He carefully put each bone into his Bag, and
then walked to the sarcophagus. The remains of the dead

draugh were starting to smell, but it was nothing compared

to the fetid corpse of the crypt mistress. The flesh that had
given her soft round curves had apparently dissolved, and

all that was left was loose skin over an elongated skeleton
and a pool of thick midnight black liquid in a pool around the

remains.

Richter was about to walk by, just trying not to gag,

when a prompt came up.

You have found: Crypt Mistress Ichor. You have the feeling
this could be used as a Death magic poison, as a corrosive
acid, or to make a potion to lure the undead.

Richter’s mouth fixed into an expression of distaste.

Not just for the vomit inducing stench, but also for what he

knew he was about to do. He removed almost all of empty

vials, and carefully collected some of the ichor. Inevitably

some got on his fingers. The tingling feeling made his skin
crawl on an instinctual level. It also started to decrease his

health slowly at one point every seven seconds. A minor

irritation to be sure, but he hesitated to think what would

happen if it was ingested. He was just thankful that the

acidic property his apprentice skill level in Herb Lore had
detected was apparently not active in the ichor’s base form.
After filling the vials, he just couldn’t stand touching the

liquid any more, and the pain from the tactile poison was
becoming more than just a minor irritation.

He wiped the vials and his fingers on the fur armor of

one of the draugh. After placing the vials in his Bag, he

watched the green skull and bones icon on his personal

interface, and thankfully it faded after a few seconds. He

cast Slow Heal to replenish the small amount of health he

had lost, and then turned away from the crypt mistress’s

remains. It was time to finish the quest.

Richter walked over and squatted in front of the

sarcophagus. He slowly and reverently removed each bone

and placed them at the bottom of the coffin. Last, he laid

down the skull of the long departed queen. The bones

began to emit a soft white glow. The light each bone

emitted was siphoned into the air forming an inverted
funnel. It began to coalesce into a ball which grew bigger as

the light continued to be leached from the remains. This

continued for half a minute, until the bones looked normal
again. Then surprisingly, the sphere grew smaller and

smaller until it disappeared.

Richter looked around wondering if that was it. It

wasn’t. A rippling line of white appeared in the air. A

second line appeared parallel to it, and then two more lines
materialized creating the outline of a large diamond.

Initially, Richter could see straight through to the back of

the chamber, but the space in the diamond began to flicker

and distort. He was looking at the sarcophagus, then for a

split second Richter could see… somewhere else. He didn’t

get any true idea of what he had seen, but pink light etched
itself onto his vision. The flash happened again, and this

time a soft purple light shone into the room. The flashes
came faster and faster until the scene stabilized.

Richter was looking at a skyscape with a configuration

of stars that he had never seen before, either on Earth or in

The Land. Large silver black clouds floated along, and huge

crystals stuck up from the tops of the clouds like towers.

Periodically the crystals would blaze with a random color, or

the sky would light up like when lightning flashed over the
horizon.
You have been exposed to the light from the Crystal Spires
of Meiyo. All martial skills increased by 25% while exposed
to the light of this plane regardless of alignment.

He watched this tableau for about five minutes. Clouds

floated by in random directions, until one that looked much

like the others, floated directly towards the portal. When it

was closer, he could see that the crystals on top were not

random collections of spires however, but instead a

carefully constructed fortress. The true size of this cloud

was not immediately apparent, but as it drifted ever nearer,

it became clear that it massively dwarfed the others that
Richter had seen. It took up the entire diamond shaped

window, and the leading edges of the cloud moved past.

Richter looked around expecting to see the cloud filling the

room he was standing in, but the scene impacted his reality
no more than moving scenery on a television. The speed of

movement increased. The view flew past the crystal

fortress, and continued on over rivers of luminescent orange

water and forests of black stone trees. It began to slow

again and a small palace of blue crystal could be seen. A

tall woman, not quite human, not quite an elf, stood regally
with a detached expression on her face. The portal stopped
in front of her. In one hand she held a massive sheathed

blade. Her other hand she extended towards Richter,

stopping just shy of piercing the plane of the diamond
shaped portal. Without thinking of the consequences of his

action, he reached through the doorway and clasped her

warm, strong hand.

Without having seemed to move at all, she was

suddenly standing in the chamber, directly in front of him.

When he analyzed her, he couldn’t see here specific stats,

but learned she was from a race called the Tefonim. She

looked him over, wearing same cool expression. Then she

looked at the destroyed bodies of the draugh, Yoshi’s

sleeping form, and Sion and Daniella’s wide eyed

expressions. There was no change in her demeanor, until

she saw the crypt mistress. The transformation in her

expression was frightening. A snarl took over the face and

she drew her weapon. It was a glowing white broadsword

with black runes inscribed down the blade. She drove the
point strait down into the grey skinned skeleton. With a

shout she unleashed the power of the weapon, and white,

wraithlike flames enveloped the blade and the demoness’s
body. After a few seconds, all that was left was ash. Richter

was glad he had collected the ichor earlier. Somehow he

didn’t think he should share that fact with the Tefonim

queen, however.

Once the body was gone, she turned towards him, her

face still full of righteous anger. Richter braced himself,

thinking he might have made a mistake bringing this

statuesque creature from her home plane. She closed her

eyes though, and collected herself. When she opened them
again, Richter was surprised to see a touch of kindness on

her face. When she spoke, the soft elegance of her voice
was surprising.

“I thank thee, warrior. I know well that freeing mine

warriors from the clutches of that foul temptress could not
have been an easy task. Stand and witness the good that
comes from your labors.” She began to sing.

The language of her song had not been heard since

before the world’s oldest kingdoms were born. Ancient

sleeping creatures of unimaginable power stirred at the

resonance of the primordial words stirring The Land again,
before resuming their eternal slumber. She sang of a

kingdom dedicated to strength and of a people dedicated to

honor. Of betrayal leading to its destruction. A small
amount of the kingdom’s people were saved by fleeing to
another land. She sang of the sacrifice of loyal guards that
stayed behind to ensure the safety of their people. More

than just the loss of warriors, she conveyed that love was
sacrificed as well. Her mate stood with his men on the
wrong side of the portal. Finally, she sang of love reunited.

During her song, white light rose from the bodies of

each of the eight warriors one by one. Each light coalesced
into a sphere, just it had over the queen’s bones. Instead of

disappearing this time, each ball of light expanded to form

the bodies of warriors. These were not wretched undead.
The light was pure Spirit energy. The pellucid bodies
showed the strength and nobility that these men had
possessed in life. The last spirit to form was half a head

taller than the rest. His regal bearing matched the warrior
woman who stood before Richter. At the end of her song, a
single tear escaped her eye. It traced down her cheek, and
threatened to fall off her face. Her lost love caught the tear
with one finger however, and with that act, in the light of

the portal, the warrior became flesh again. The two shared
the deep kiss they had been waiting for, the kiss that not
even death could forestall. The broke apart and looked at
him. The queen spoke again.

“So long have I waited for my love. We are reunited

again because of your courage, most noble warrior. We
must depart this plane, but before traveling, I would grant

thee a boon. We come from an ancient race of warriors and

builders. The abilities that made us an unparalleled force in
The Land cannot be shared, as they are bound to our souls.
The skills that we learned however, were bound to the

bodies which we will soon leave behind. I offer you one skill
from any of us that you choose.”

All nine figures looked at him and extended a hand.

You have completed the Quest: When Good Men Do Nothing.

Your efforts have reunited two long lost loves, and noble
warriors with their people. Reward: 5,625 (base 4,500)
experience. Personal Reward: A new skill! Touch the hand
of any warrior to view the skills they developed in life. You
may receive any one skill and all of the leveling associated
with it.

Still not exactly sure what to make of this, Richter

walked up to the first warrior and touched the proffered

hand. Despite that fact that the Tefonim still appeared to
only be composed of white light, the warrior’s hand
tightened firmly around his own. At that contact, he looked

Richter squarely in the eye. Richter sucked in his breath

sharply. Suddenly he knew!

The warrior had specialized in fighting with the staff.

He could hold back an army if he had the room to move. He

was also a cook though, and had delighted his friends and
comrades many a night with savory fare. He was trained in
medium armor and crossbows as well. His uncle had taught

him to fish, and he knew where to stand to catch the largest

iron finned trout in the river near his home. Richter
released the warrior’s hand. He exhaled forcefully, and took
a step back blinking rapidly. He had not expected such

insight into the man’s past.

 He stepped to the next man, mentally preparing

himself before he accepted the proffered hand. This man

was an excellent horse man, and wielded a saber. He had
an ability that let him bond with his horse almost to the
level of reading its thought. It made him exceptionally

dangerous as a mounted fighter. Richter couldn’t learn this,

but for a few short seconds he lived through the feelings of
unity the man had experienced when in the saddle. Despite
not being able to get the ability, the man’s master level

horsemanship skill was nothing to sneeze at. He was also

highly trained in the spear and the javelin. Both of which
would have suited his mobile style of combat. And so it
went. Each warrior had his own weapon specializations and
odd skill sets as well. Why would the thin fighter with the

high level assassination skill, also be quite advanced in

playing the lute? Or the dual knife wielder, have something
similar to the dwarven ability to sense precious metals?
Several journeyman and adept level skills leapt out at him,

but he still didn’t make the mistake of choosing too quickly.

There were also several skills that seemed somewhat silly.
A master debater? Why would you want that? Richter
always thought being a cunning linguist was a great idea,

but in school, saying you were joining the debate team was
like the rallying cry of the lonely. Arguing all the time just
annoyed people, so you were really just fucking yourself.

Richter saved the queen and her consort for last, and
when he finally got to them, he realized they were worth the
wait. The consort was a master in Heavy Armor and

Swordsmanship, an adept in Shields, and apparently

horrible at weaving with a skill level of 2 and only 48%
affinity. The queen’s skills were the crème de la crème,
however. She was a master of several fighting styles, but

she was also apparently well versed in the building skills of

her people, Castle Building, Tunneling, Portal Construction,
Field Fortification, War Camp Creation… hold the phone!

Richter spoke up, “Portal Construction?”

For the first time, a faint smile touched her face. It

wasn’t a kind smile, but neither was it cruel. “Ahhh, the

choice of ruler. Are you sure, noble warrior? That was not
my most advanced skill.”
 If there was one thing Richter had remembered from
history class, it was that empires flourished on their ability
to be mobile. Rome had built roads to conquer the known
world. Britain had built ships to become an empire. The

Western confederation had won WW III because they

mastered orbital flight. If Richter could build portals, then
nothing would stop him from doing just that.

“I’m sure.”

“Very well,” she said. She put both of her hands on his
head, and his mind was ripped apart. Years of experience,

and massive amounts of knowledge poured into his head.

Complex magical calculations and theories of spatial
displacement became as easily understandable as left from
right. She took her hands away and Richter fell to one

knee, gasping. The disorientation cleared after a second,

and he looked up to see the warriors crossing through the
portal. As each entered they became flesh. More of their
kind ran up and greeted loved ones lost eons ago. The

queen and her consort were the last to go. The tall warrior
bowed deeply to Richter, and with a soft touch to the cheek
of his beloved, crossed through the dimensional door. She
looked fondly after him, and then turned to Richter, “Use
this gift well, but never forget that a doorway opens both
ways.” She turned to leave, and then looked back at Richter
one last time. Pointing one finger, she indicated the central

crypt, with a small smirk and then entered the portal. The
doorway faded from view leaving the crypt once more, silent
as the grave.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 22

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Portal

Construction. Magical portals were reportedly once common
place, but now only a few are reported to exist. You now have
the knowledge and skill to create a magical portal. This will
allow for instantaneous travel between this portal and a second
one. Creating a second portal will allow for travel between
those two points instantly. At the level of Novice, you can
travel only between two points on the same ley line.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in:

Portal Construction. You can create portals to allow travel
between any two points on the same type of ley line.

You have received 2,500 (base 2,000) bonus experience for

reaching Initiate level in: Portal Construction.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Initiate to

Apprentice in: Portal Construction. You can create a portal that
can exit onto multiple types of ley lines. This can only be built
at a Place of Power.

You have received 6,250 (base 5,000) bonus experience for

reaching Apprentice level in: Portal Construction.

TRING!

You have reached level 16! 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.

Richter got back to his feet. He had lost track of his

leveling, just trying to survive the dungeon. Now that he had

two levels worth of points to invest though, it wasn’t something

he could put off. He could just see himself losing track of time
and then, whoops! He’d have twelve more point in luck.

His first impulse wa1xs to invest in one of his combat

skills. He already seemed to have a penchant for daggers. The
increase in speed could be amazing at high levels. Besides,

EVERYBODY knew that Chun li was a better choice than Ryu!

He couldn’t do it though. He was only two skill levels away

from level 40 in Herb Lore, and all the sweet experience that

came with it. So he invested the 50% there bringing his skill

level to 39. Seeing as how he was here to unlock another of his

powers, he decided to invest all twelve of his points into

Intelligence. A quick check of his status page revealed how he

had grown.

Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 16, 11%
Status Alterations: Cankerous Rot
Health: 330 Mana: 420 Stamina: 110
Strength: 29
Agility: 24
Dexterity: 34
Constitution: 15
Endurance: 11
Intelligence: 35
Wisdom: 21
Charisma: 24
Luck: 15
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
Fast Learner
Psi Bond
Skills:
Herb Lore Lvl 39; 17% to next level
 Alchemy Lvl 1; 0% to next level
Analyze Lvl 6; 4% to next level
Pierce the Veil Lvl 23; 45% to next level
Stealth Lvl 4; 91% to next level
Traps Lvl 21; 87% to next level
Trap Disarm Lvl 21; 99% to next level
Archery Lvl 10; 24% to next level
Imbue Arrow Lvl 5; 18% to next level
Focus Lvl 3; 78% to next level
Double Shot Lvl 3; 31% to next level,
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 40% to next level
Swordsmanship Lvl 2; 15% to next level
Small Blades Lvl 4; 43% to next level
Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 10% to next level
Pressure Points Lvl 1; 15% to next level
Light Armor Lvl 8; 18% to next level
Grace in Combat Lvl 5; 38% to next level
Air Magic Lvl 4; 19% to next level
Life Magic Lvl 5; 50% to next level
Earth Magic Lvl 3; 32% to next level
Water Magic Lvl 1; 23% to next level
Dark Magic Lvl 3; 78% to next level
Light Magic Lvl 1; 56% to next level
Fire Magic Lvl 1; 22% to next level
Map Making Lvl MAX
Trade Lvl 14; 86% to next level
War Leader Lvl 2, 43% to next level
Enchantment Lvl 1; 44% to next level
Portal Construction Apprentice
Marks:
Master of Mist Village
Blood Oath
Resistances:
Air 50%
Earth 20%
Mental 15%
Spiritual 15%
 Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my
attention.”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All

There seemed to be a new dimension to his page, ‘Status

Alterations.’ His disease, Cankerous Rot, was listed and he

could see that his Endurance and Constitution had dropped by

ten points each. He had to get cleansed! He had cast his spell
Cure, but it did nothing. He hadn’t expected it to, but he had
to try. Since he couldn’t do anything about his disease right
now though, he pushed it out of his mind.

His new Portal Construction skill didn’t have a percentage

next to it. He knew somehow that it didn’t level like his other

skills. It required a mixture of knowledge, practical experience,

and an innate ability for mana manipulation. From the
information the queen had given him, he knew that the skill

would only be increased by building portals and learning more

about the concepts that now filled his head. Discovering more
Lore was now a high priority as well. Why the hell did it seem

like he had fifty high priorities, he bemoaned silently. He was

not looking forward to how much it would probably cost him to
buy the books that would give him the info he needed.
 He continued scanning through the information when
something clicked. All gates required two types of keys:
activation and destination. The activation key was unique to

each portal, and looked a jewel. It was set into the archway of
a portal and without it neither incoming or outgoing gateways
were possible. The destination key though, looked remarkably

like the rune that was attached to the armor he had found. He
pulled the leather chest plate out of his Bag of Holding. With
his new knowledge it was clear that they rune was a

destination key. So wherever this Chuthriom Gate was, the

rune would grant him access. Provided the activation key was
present in the receiving portal that is. It was a good bet that it

would be somewhere near. The adventurer’s gear had seemed

custom tailored for this dungeon. He would have to keep an
eye out.

Richter got to his feet, and quickly scanned through the

new knowledge in his head. There was way too much to

completely go through now, so he was just about to shut it
from his mind, when the list of building materials of a novice

gate came to mind… Ten pounds of gold? A soul stone with a

special quality soul? HOW many rubies enchanted with
durability spells??? This thing was going to cost a mint… and
he had to build at least two! Those Potions of Clarity better
start selling, or he was going to end up turning tricks on the

corner to pay for this thing! He threw his head back and raised
one fist to shoulder height, and shook it slightly in frustration.

“Are you okay, my friend,” Sion asked.

Richter looked back, and saw that Sion had walked up

behind him. Daniella was propped up comfortably on a pack,

looking at him in concern as well.

He realized how strange he must look staring at a

disappearing portal, shaking his fist in the air. He was basically

screaming “KHAN” into a communicator… this was not a good
look! A rueful smile found its way to his face, “I’m fine. The
queen indicated we should take a closer look at the
sarcophagus. Give me a hand.”

Richter and Sion went over the sarcophagus inch by inch.

At first he didn’t see anything, but then he looked at the
junction where the white stone coffin was bound to the grey
slate wall. Stylized filigree adorned the side of the marble
casket, and a one-inch section of the stonework started to glow

blue. He never would never have seen it if the queen hadn’t

told him to specifically look. Richter ran his fingers over the
area looking for a latch or switch. With some manipulation, it

depressed at an angle. He pushed until he heard a click. As

soon as the mechanism was triggered, dust shot out from
every edge of the coffin that was touching with wall. There
was a corresponding sound of compressed air being released.
Richter and Sion looked at each other, then both grabbed a
side of the coffin and pulled. The thing was massively heavy,

but Richter braced one foot against the wall to increase the
strength of his maneuver. The coffin slowly slid away from the
wall. They kept pulling for several minutes, and they were able
to move the heavy slab two feet away from the wall revealing a
hidden alcove. Try as they might, the coffin didn’t move any
further.

Being the smaller of the two, Sion sidled between the

coffin and the wall. He called for light and Richter sent Futen
inside. The sprite started laughing and told Richter to come in.
Squeezing into the small space, he followed his Companion.

With some manipulation he found himself in a small room.

There was still a good deal of dust in the air, which triggered a
coughing fit in Richter. It soon passed, though. When Richter
raised his head and saw what was in the room, he started
laughing as well. Sion raised his hand in a gesture he had
learned from his friend, and Richter slapped palm to palm
giving his bestie a high five.

“Yes,” Richter shouted. “It’s a festivus miracle!”

Bags of coins sat on the shelves to the left. Some were

cinched tight while others lay haphazardly on their sides,

spilling their contents onto shelves or the floor. The right

shelves had jewelry of various types strewn across them. The
wealth would go a good way to funding his new building
project, Richter thought with a smile. Despite that it wasn’t the
gold or jewelry that really captured his attention. It was what
lay directly in front of the two Companions. An iron shelf was
set into the wall. Above and below it were neatly stacked

ingots of metal. The largest piles were stacked on the floor. He

recognized the first as high steel. It had the same faint blue
reflection as his long sword. The next bars of metal were white
as cream. Moonstone his prompt told him. On the shelf, were
two smaller piles. The first was smoky grey, and had faint
swirls worked into the metal. The next pile looked like silver

and though the bars were not moving, they had a shimmering
appearance as if they might run off the shelf at any moment
and pool at his feet. Cobalt and quicksilver he discovered. At
the top of the wall was a final small alcove, and inside were ten
bars of what looked like dark green glass. Each was crystal
clear with no impurities. When he examined them, he learned
that the metal was something he had never heard of before.
Elementum.

He looked at the treasure of the Tefonim queen, and

understood them better. While gold and jewels were valued by
them as much as they were by any race, what took a place of
honor was the metal. A race of builders and warriors, the
potential of good materials was cherished.

Not wasting any more time, he began shoving all of the

loot into his Bag of Holding. He was never so thankful for the
weight reduction properties of the Bag. Without it, he would

have had to leave most of the treasure behind. He poured all

of the coins into the bag, letting the Bag’s autosort do its job.
Then he scanned all of the jewelry with his wand. None shown
white, but they would sell all the same, he thought happily. He
took it all. Everything except a gold bracelet beset with amber.
That Sion said he would like to keep. Having a good idea who

would be receiving it as a gift, Richter agreed with a faint smile.

Sion just huffed when he saw his friend’s grin, and went back
to shoving the jewelry into the Bag.
 When they were done with the side shelves, they started
loading the ingots. The large piles disappeared into the black
bag which never seemed to get any bigger. To Richter though,
it was clearly getting heavier. When he touched the
moonstone pile, a screen filled his vision.

Quest Update: The Right Tool for the Job. You have found a
higher quality metal. Bring this metal back to the dwarves of
your village. Once you have picked which metal you will use to
create your Magic Forge, your quest will be finished. Make your
Forge, and collect your prize.

My thoughts exactly, Richter thought with a smile. They

loaded the rest of the metal, and left the treasure room. The

Bag was extremely heavy now, but it was still well below his
max carrying capacity of 290 kilos. Daniella had fallen back
asleep, and was snoring ever so softly. Yoshi’s chest continued
to rise and fall regularly, but he still hadn’t woken up. The
smile slipped from Richter’s face when he saw his injured
comrades again. Despite having restored their health points as

much as he could, some things apparently still took a while to

recover from. Whatever toll the crypt mistress’s last spell had
taken, Yoshi would still need more time. As for Daniella and her
wan complexion, healing did not replace the blood she had lost.
The smurfette would need to replenish her fluids.

Richter looked at Sion, whose own mood had sobered as

well, “We need to get out of this dungeon. We can’t just sit,
and wait for them to heal though. Who knows if this disease
will ever heal on its own? It might even get worse. I say we
open the next hatch and face what comes.”

Sion nodded, his face firm, “The two of us have always

been enough in the past. We will be equal to whatever
challenge comes our way.”

Richter nodded and set Sion to gather their things. He

moved around the rooms and collected the weapons and armor
from the fallen draugh. Nothing was left of the crypt mistress
but ash. His dagger was laying in the remains. The queen’s
spell had removed sixty durability, but the impossibly hard

glass dagger still had 73/250 durability left. He resheathed the

weapon at his waist and moved on. The draugh had a
combination of bronze, iron and steel weapons and their armor
was iron, leather or hide. None of it was noteworthy, but
‘waste not want not’ was Richter’s policy. His Life dagger had
not fared so well as its glass counterpart. Only 10% of its
original twenty durability remained. He knew he couldn’t trust
it in a fight again. Not that he would have even if he could.
Both daggers’ attack stats had decreased with their drop in
durability. He placed the Life dagger in his Bag nonetheless, in
case it could be repaired by his smiths. By the time he was
done, Sion had rolled up his bed roll and gathered up Daniella’s

items, now ready to move.

She gave a slight whimper as he picked her up, but

otherwise didn’t complain. Richter picked Yoshi up in a
fireman’s carry and started walking back towards the central

chamber. Sion followed quickly behind, and Futen hovered

above them, illuminating their way. Alma was flying ahead
crooning in delight. When he asked why, she sent him an
image of a stunned rat. The dragonling had apparently found
something to break her fast of dried tack, and her recent feast

had put her in a grand mood. Soon all of them were back in
the light of the golden column.

They left their wounded comrades right next to the

column, but they arranged them so that the column was

between them and the hatch. If any enemies emerged from

the soon to be open round door, maybe Yoshi and Daniella

wouldn’t be noticed at first. Every second they went unseen

was another second that Richter and Sion could deal with the
potential threat.

The two friends buffed up, and then stood in front of the
hatch. Richter also allocated Alma’s new points. Staying with

the same plan, he increased Brain Drain by two levels, using all
five of her unused points.

You have chosen to increase your familiar’s ability: Brain Drain

to level 3. Successful kills will now give 3% of total experience
to both you and your familiar. Drain occurs faster. Stun can
occur on enemies level 11 and below.

You have chosen to increase your familiar’s ability: Brain Drain

to level 4. Successful kills will now give 4% of total experience
to both you and your familiar. Drain occurs faster. Stun can
occur on enemies level 16 and below.

Richter would have to wait four more levels before leveling

Brain Drain again. Luckily there didn’t seem to a time limit to

allocating points for his familiar, like there was for himself. He
checked her status page.

Name: Alma
Level: 7, 7%
Health: 170 Mana: 170 Stamina: 170
(Unused level points: 0)
Abilities:
 Psi Bond – Lvl 1, points to next level: 1
Psi Blast – Lvl 1, points to next level: 1
Brain Drain – Lvl 4, points to next level: 4
Can use:
Air Magic
Resistances:
Mental: 100%
Air: 50%
Race: Psi Dragonling

He was happy to see her basic stats had increased with

her level. Also she remained disease free. Either she had been

immune to the demon’s disease spell, or she had avoided it all

together. She hovered in the air above his head, ready to face

whatever danger was about to come. The hatch wheel easily

fastened to the indentation set into the round door. Sion stood

several steps behind him and to the right. An arrow was

nocked and partially drawn. With a last nod to his Companion,

Richter took a deep breath and twisted the wheel. He yanked

the hatch open, ready for battle!

There was no one to fight. Taking deep breaths to calm his

racing heart, he looked at Sion and laughed shakily. The sprite

was clearly relieved as well. All that the hatch revealed was a

narrow tunnel slightly smaller around than the hatch itself.

Brown vines hugged all surfaces of tunnel that Richter could
see. Having a high suspicion of what to expect, he
immediately shone his wand on any surface it could reach.

Words were soon revealed, emblazoned on the stone around

the lip of the tunnel. The area had been completely hidden by
the edges of the hatch, but it now revealed their next riddle.

As we all enter, so do we all leave. Obey this truth or be

crushed by your weakness.

Richter looked at Sion confused. He was really getting

tired of riddles. His Companion looked back at him with a sure

expression.

“Alone.”

“What,” Richter asked.

“Alone,” Sion repeated. “We all enter this world and leave
it the same way. By ourselves. The riddle means only one of

us can enter at a time.”

Richter grimaced. He didn’t like the idea of splitting up.

This dungeon had almost killed them plenty of times, but the
fact remained that they had to get out of this place. If there

was one thing that had held true so far though, it was that

obeying these riddles would keep them alive. He nodded and

began to take off his arms and armor. The tunnel would be too
small for him to crawl through wearing what he had on. Sion

stopped him.

“I am the one that should go,” the sprite said. Richter

shook his head and prepared to argue, but Sion cut him off.
“You know that in that small space, I’m the better choice. You

were already about to remove you weapons. I don’t like the

idea of us splitting up either, but the idea of going into a new

area of this dungeon without protection is insane. I will handle

this. You focus on protecting our friends.” Sion gave him a

cocky smile, “This is what we do, brother.”

Richter couldn’t keep the smile from his face even though

he tried. He agreed on the condition that Sion tie a rope

around his waist. If he got into trouble, Richter could pull him

out quickly. Sion agreed, and handed him his pack. Richter

gave him two health potions just in case. After slipping the
potions into a belt pouch the sprite got into the tunnel and

started walking forward at a crouch.

The tunnel couldn’t have been longer than fifty yards.

Richter cast Far Light, anchoring the ball of light half way down
the tunnel. Richter watched his Companion move forward,

ready to pull him back in an instant. After Sion had crossed the
half way point though, suddenly Richter couldn’t see him. The
sprite hadn’t disappeared. Instead, the tunnel now ended in a

blank wall, illuminated by a hovering ball of white light. The

rope led directly into the rock.

Alarmed, Richter shouted and tried to pull the rope. It was

like he was trying to rip a piece of a mountain off. There was

absolutely no give no matter how hard he pulled. Dropping the

rope, he started to climb into the tunnel. As soon as his hand

crossed the threshold though, a grinding noise ensued. The

tunnel started constricting like an iris. It wasn’t just the

opening though. Richter could see that the entire length shaft

was getting smaller. He withdrew his hand quickly. He didn’t

have more than a fingertip in for more than two seconds, but
the tunnel had perceptibly shrunk. There was no way he could

reach Sion before the tunnel was completely shut, let alone
have enough time to bring him back to safety. Richter had no

idea how solid stone could flex like a muscle, but he did know
that his Companion was on his own.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 23

Sion didn’t hear anything strange, but he sensed

something was amiss. He looked back and saw only a blank

wall of brown stone. His heart started slamming painfully

inside of his chest. He couldn’t be trapped! Not again! His

fear threatened to incapacitate him, but then he heard the

trilling call of a forest lark.

Sion turned his head back forward. He was confused

but was intending to scramble the last distance out of the

tunnel, but stopped, shocked by what he was seeing. He

was in the forest, on an exceptionally beautiful day. It was

autumn and the beauty of the changing leaves

complemented the smells of the changing seasons. There

was the sweetness of decay from the fallen leaves. The

somehow sharp scent of cooling wind down from the
mountains. He didn’t understand what was going on, but

there was something familiar about the scene.

“Sion! Why didn’t you wait for me? I told you I was

coming too!”

When he heard that boyish sprite voice, and even

greater feeling of dread rose in his breast. He turned, and

saw the face of his best childhood friend, Kurian. The

sprite’s youthful cheeks were somewhat ruddy from both

the run he had just finished and the brisk chill in the air.
Sion now knew what day this was. It was the one day he

spent his entire life trying to forget. The events of this day

were why he had let Richter be torn apart by wolves. This

was the day that he had killed his best friend.

The one thing that all sprites learned from an early age

was to avoid human lands. It was drilled into them again

and again. Sion had needed to prove himself, though. So

he goaded his best friend into coming with him on a horrible

misadventure.

Seeing Kurian again after so long, Sion’s spirit tried to

shout, ‘Turn back! Don’t do this,’ but he had no control over

his younger body’s actions. He was trapped as a spectator,

just along for the ride.

“Don’t take so long next time, Kurry,” young Sion said

laughing. “I heard the hunters talking about how they had

seen humans at the boundary of the forest. Are you ready?”

Despite his earlier protestations, Kurian’s face adopted

a doubtful expression, “Yeah. Of course, I am! But maybe

we should go tomorrow or the next day. Elder Yamin is

making sprangle berry pie today, and-”

Sion cut him off, “If you are too scared, just stay

behind.” He turned to go, but waited expectantly before

starting to walk again. Kurian immediately hurried to catch

up to him, espousing his limitless courage. He fell into line

just as he always did when Sion bated him. Just as Sion

knew he would.

The two boys ran through the forest. The sprite’s racial
ability of Concealment made it easy to avoid any predators.

They were instinctually in tune with forest around them.

They also knew that they would not be missed anytime

soon. It was the nature of sprites to wander the woods

communing with nature, so their absence for a day would

not raise any suspicion. All the elements for their trip were

in place.

That night they drank sweetberry juice that Sion had

stolen from his mother’s larder. They praised themselves

for embarking on such a grand adventure. What brave

explorers they were! When it was time to sleep, both

climbed into the limbs of a massive oak. Well hidden by the

changing leaves, they both let themselves be carried away

into dreams of adventure.

The next morning, Sion awoke first and nudged his

friend. After performing the necessary functions of every

morning, they resumed their great quest to see the humans.

They played tricks on each other while the traveled. Kurian

would peg the back of Sion’s unsuspecting head with a mud

pie. Later during a noon nap, somehow a newt wet from the

river would make its way down Kurian’s shirt. Sion looked

on with a shocked and innocent expression while his friend

shrieked and cursed. They both enjoyed their journey, and

nothing seemed to be able to ruin their mood. That was

when they found the body of a deer.
 Both were confused by what they were seeing at first.

It had been killed by an arrow, that was clear enough, but

the body hadn’t been treated in the way they had been

taught. Instead great hunks of meat had been cut off with

no concern towards saving the pelt. Much of the deer had

been left to rot as well. It was in opposition of everything

they knew. Death was part of life, that truth had never been

hidden from the young sprites. Killing another living

creature was not to be taken lightly, however. Hunting was

both a responsibility and a sacred honor. No part of an

animal was ever wasted. What they saw before them was…

savagery.

Their mood now somber, they continued to follow the

trail that led from the carcass, ever farther from the Hearth

Tree. Another few hours of travel brought them to the camp

of the humans. The smell was what they noticed first. The

humans seemed to have just emptied their bowels and

bladders in random places rather than create a proper site

to dispose of their waist.

They stayed hidden as they walked through the trees.

When they were closer, Sion heard squeals of pain followed

by cruel laughter. The smell of cooking meat drifted

through the woods, and they caught the first glimpses of the

camp through the trees. Another minute of walking, and

they saw the most horrible sight of their young lives.

There were four, no five, humans in the camp. Two

wagons were nearby filled with stacked cages. More than

half were filled with some of the more dangerous creatures

of the forest. Feline brown fangs, red forest dogs, chittering

skree, and even several skeelings. They were all caged

separately and seemed furious about their situation.

The squeal of pain they heard though, was from a cave

badger. The humans had made their camp beside a small

crevasse that was about seven feet deep. Both entrances

were blocked with rocks preventing escape. A badger

huddled near one entrance. Its body was pressed up

against the rocks in an attempt to avoid the other denizen

of fissure.

The humans had driven a spike into the ground near

the other entrance. A heavy length of chain was attached

to it. The other end of the chain was tied around the neck of
a razorling. Five feet long, the razorling stood on four paws.

Each finger was tipped with a curved and wicked talon. The

creature’s body was thin and clearly built for speed. Its

mouth was filled with razor sharp fangs that were snapping

open and shut, only inches away from the badger.

Even sprites avoided packs of these sadistic hunters.

The razorlings gained their name by the tendency to toy

with prey. They never killed quickly if they could avoid it,
but instead would disable. Then, to the sound of their

cackling laughter, would swipe at the body of their victim

making small razor sharp incisions. The sprite hunters had

told Sion it could take near an hour for the razorlings to

finish their kill.

The chain was short enough that the badger was safe,

but only so long as it huddled at the far end of the crevasse.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough entertainment for the

humans. Four of the filthy men were standing around the lip
of crevice laughing and hooting. The fifth was down in the
crevasse, but on the other side of the stone wall from the

badger. The men had left a small hole in the wall, and they
used it to poke a spear at the poor creature. Never too
deeply, but enough to cause it to shy away from the
weapon. That would of course bring it closer to the

razorling, who would struggle to reach the badger with

renewed vigor. The fear of the predator would overwhelm

the pain of the spear, and the badger would huddle against
the stone wall again. All of this happened to the cheers and

horrible laughter of the men, drinking from jugs and

slapping each other on the back. After a minute, one would
shout in common tongue, “More!” The man behind the wall

would jab the spear forward, and the entire travesty would
start again.

Sion and Kurian watched this with horror. They had

never been exposed to wanton cruelty before. They both

lost their innocence that night, watching while the men

tortured the cave badger for mere amusement.

It wasn’t long before even the small squeals of pain and

terror the men were eliciting weren’t enough to quench their

appetites. One of the men, with a large scar on his face,

took a long pull of whatever they were drinking, and said,

“Finish it Rall.”
 The man stabbed the badger again, but instead of
withdrawing this time, he continued to push the animal

forward. The badger squealed in panic, but the pain of the

spear tip kept it from retreating. With a forceful jab, the

badger jumped away from the weapon. And into the reach
of the razorling.

“No,” Kurian shouted.

Sion clapped his hand over his friend’s mouth, afraid to

draw the attention of the evil humans. One of the men

looked up to locate the source of the noise. Luckily, the

other drunkards were too obsessed with their vicious sport

to hear. Soon the one man who had taken heard Kurian
looked back to crevasse to enjoy the dying screams the

forest animal. The two boys huddled in the undergrowth

afraid to move, and learned that the sprite hunters had

been wrong.

The screams of the badger only lasted half an hour.

Night was falling by the time the men walked away

from their amusement. The walked over to where they had

been roasting their meat, and settled down with a fresh jug.
 “Did you see all that blood,” one man with a scraggly

red beard asked. “We will get a great price for that thing in
the pits!”

“Hahaha,” another replied. “I say we throw something

else in later.” The other men cheered and agreed.

The man with the scar stood up. “Now listen you
motherless pigs! A bit of fun is one thing, but I won’t have

you cutting into our profits! Now get some sleep, because
we leave in the morning. We have enough in the cages, and

I’m tired of these stinking woods. Rall, you have first

watch.”

One or two of the men grumbled, but no real dissent

was raised. They settled in for the night, except for Rall. He

sat with his back to the fire, looking disinterested in his

duties as guard.

Once Sion heard the sounds of snoring, he motioned for

Kurian to follow him away from the camp. They stayed
silent until they were several hundred yards away, then Sion

paused and whispered urgently.

“Stop Kurian!”
 “What,” his friend hissed back. “Why? We need to get

away from here!”

“They are going to torture and kill all of those animals.

We have to free them.”

“No,” Kurian said, shaking his head. “When we can get

back we can tell the warriors. They will be able to stop

them.”

“Those humans are leaving at dawn,” Sion argued.

“They might leave the forest before the warriors can catch
them.” He drew himself up, puffing out his chest. “It is our
duty to protect the forest and its creatures.” He had heard

his mother say the same thing many times. Sion knew full
well that she had not meant for two sprite youths to risk

death against a band of cut throats, but he wouldn’t let that

stand in the way of his youthful bravado.

“Sion,” Kurian pleaded, fear evident on his face, “there

are only two of us. Those humans are full grown, and they

have weapons.”

Sion expression became condescending and

judgmental, “Iiiii will do my duty as a sprite. You can leave
if you are afraid.” He turned and started walking back to
the camp. Kurian fell into line just as he always did when

Sion bated him. Just as Sion knew he would.

Watching this memory unfold, Sion’s spirit struggled

with renewed fury to take control of his younger self. He

didn’t want to see what was about to happen. Living

through it once was more than anyone should ever have to

endure! Despite his efforts though, he remained only a

spectator.

The two sprites walked back towards the camp. When

they got closer, they circled around to come at the wagon

from the opposite direction. Sion’s plan was simple. They

would sneak up to the cages, keeping the wagon between

themselves and the men as cover. All of the cages on one

side were locked with the same chain. Sion would break the
lock and Kurian would pull the chain. They might not free all

of the animals, but they would free most. In the chaos

afterwards, the two boys would fade back into the forest,

and then go back to the Hearth Tree to warn their people.

 At first, it looked like Sion’s plan would work. The two
boys made their way to the wagon undetected. The lock did

not seem too large, and Sion was already wearing Strength
enhancing armor, a perk of being the son of the Hearth

Mother. He thought one blow from a rock would break it.

With a last look at Kurian to see that he was ready to pull

the chain, Sion raised the stone in his hand. That was when
Kurian screamed.

The cage that Sion’s friend was standing in front of

apparently contained a nettler. The over large spider was
named after the spikes sticking randomly from its body. It

had reached through the cage and stuck one of its spikes
into Kurian. It quickly its injected venom, and he fell to the
ground, paralyzed. Sion bashed the nettler with his rock,

making it withdraw back into the cage, but the damage was
done. He was reaching down to carry his friend away when
he heard a sound behind him. Looking back, all he saw was
something falling towards his face, and then, blackness.

When Sion came to, he was bound in front of the fire.

Kurian was tied up on the ground next to him. The boy was
awake. Nettler venom, while potent, was also short lived.
His friend was struggling to shout, but was gagged as well.
Kurian’s face was bloodied and one eye was swelling shut.

“Look! The other one is up!”

The face of the scarred man came into Sion’s view.

“Well hello little guy,” the man said with false kindness.
“Now we haven’t been introduced. I am Broyin, and these
are my men,” he said with the mockery of a flourished bow.
He loosened Sion’s gag. “What is your name?”

Sion looked up at the man, defiantly not speaking.

Broyin smiled happily, and slapped Sion soundly across the

face. The sprite saw stars and tasted blood in his mouth.
He blinked his vison clear and focused back on the man’s
face. He steeled his expression, and looked back into
Broyin’s eyes with his lips pressed firmly together.

The man laughed loudly and was joined by his men.

“Well you have some fire in you, I’ll give you that!” He
slapped Sion again, harder this time. The sprite’s head fell

back and bounced off the ground. He might have lost

consciousness for a short period. When he was able to
focus, he realized that he was gagged again. He looked
about and saw that Broyin was standing over Kurian.

“There you are! Thought I might have hit you too hard,
little guy! Now Sion,” the sprite’s eyes widened. “Yes I

know your name. Kurian here was much more cooperative

than you were. He told us your name, about the Hearth
Tree, AND he told us something else. It was your idea to
come and try to steal the results of our hard earned labor.”
Kurian was staring at Sion, tears running down his face. His

eyes silently begged for his friend’s forgiveness. Sion tried

to communicate with his facial expressions that there was
no need to even ask. It was clear that the men had been
abusive.

Now that makes you the leader,” Broyin said. “The

boss! The shot caller! Him that lays down the law!” The
man laughed. “Now as one boss to another, let me take this

opportunity to teach you something. It is important for a

boss to consider all of the angles. You need to expect the
unexpected. You didn’t expect the spiked spider to be in
that crate, which is why Kurian here was paralyzed, which is

why Rall was able to slam his truncheon into your face. Do
you understand?” Broyin looked at Sion’s angry face and

smiled.

“Good! I’m glad you’re listening! Now the next thing

you need to know as a boss, is that it is important to keep

your men happy. My man Tic over here…,” Broyin indicated

one of the other men. “Wave to Sion, Tic. That’s nice. As
my mam used to say, good manners cost nothing, but bad
manners might cost you your balls. Now where was I? Oh

yes! As I was saying, Tic here wanted another show tonight.

Earlier, I said no, because I thought it might be wasteful.
These animals we caught are precious cargo. BUT!” Broyin
walked back over to Sion and stooped down. His voice

lowered and his smile turned evil, “We have more options
now, don’t we?”

Standing quickly, the man clapped his hands together,

walking back over to Sion’s friend. His voice was

magnanimous once again, “Now the next thing I want you to
learn isn’t a boss to boss lesson. It’s more of a man to boy
type of lesson.” He picked Kurian up by the throat, and

removed his gag. The boy struggled to breathe, but still

couldn’t catch his breath in with Broyin’s hand tight on his
neck. “This lesson is called: ‘If you make a mistake,

sometimes others pay the price’,” and with that, he dragged

Kurian across the camp, and dumped him into the crevasse.

There was a moment of stillness, as if The Land itself

was taking notice of the atrocity being committed. Then
there was a low growl. After that, the night filled with
screams. Four of the men ran over with torches to watch
the show, hooting and hollering. Not Broyin though. He just

stared at Sion the whole time, that evil smile on his face.
He watched the sprite struggling to get free, screaming
against his gag, threatening muffled curses with one breath
and tearfully begging for his friend’s life the next. Through

it all Broyin just watched, unmoved and still smiling.

Through it all, Kurian screamed Sion’s name, begging his
friend to save him.

The razorling wasn’t starving anymore, so it didn’t rush.

Kurian didn’t stop screaming for a full hour. At least that is
the way it seemed to Sion. It was hard to tell though. He
reached his emotional limit before it was done, like a rag

completely rung of water. Though Sion didn’t have the word

for it at the time, he later realized he had fallen into a glassy
eyed form of shock. Blessedly, the pleading screams of his

best friend being eaten alive stopped searing his soul after a
time.

After the Kurian was dead, Broyin came up to him and

started talking again. None of it registered to Sion, but
several hard slaps later, he was forcefully brought back from
the stupor he had retreated to.

“Stay with me boy,” the man said. The pleasant tone

was still in his voice. “It’s time for your final lesson. Are
you ready? Good!” He loosened Sion’s gag again. Then he

picked the boy up by the throat, holding a torch in the other

hand, “Now pay attention because this is the last thing you
will ever learn. No one messes w- Gak!” Broyin’s hand
loosened its tight hold on the young sprite’s neck.

Sion looked at him confused, and realized Broyin’s last

words had cut off because of the arrival of the arrow that
was now protruding through his neck.

Broyin’s grip slackened further, and they fell apart.

Blue streaks struck the other four men in quick succession.

Barely any of the men had time to do more than start

begging for mercy before a second, then a third volley hit,
claiming their lives. The only one left alive was Broyin.
Face stuck in a half snarl, half bloody grin, he reached his
hand towards Sion’s face. In the flickering light of the

dropped torch, Sion could see a small tattoo at the juncture

of the man’s index and middle finger. It was a hexagon,
with three circles in the center. He couldn’t look away from
that small tattoo, while the killer’s hand grew steadily larger

in his vision. Sion still felt fear, but more than that he felt a
hate that would fester in his soul for many years to come.
Past Broyin, he saw a sprite warrior walk up with her
weapon raised.

Sion screamed, “Nooo!”

Her blade plunged down, and Broyin’s hand fell limp to

the ground. His eyes stayed open staring at Sion and at

eternity. His mouth kept that same insane bloody rictus. In
the days and years following the incident, the story came up
from time to time. Some mused that Sion had screamed

‘No’ because he was begging for the man’s life despite what
the human had done. Others wondered if he was mad with
grief, and had thought the sprite warrior was coming to kill
him and not Broyin. He never told anyone that he screamed
‘No’ for one simple reason. He had been hoping the
razorling was still hungry.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 24

Sion’s mind was back in the present day. The weight of

what he had just lived through caused his shoulders to

droop, and tears fell down his face. He curled up onto the
floor of the tunnel. Alone he wept for remembered pain and

forgotten guilt.

Behind him, there was still only a blank wall. In front of

him, was a tangle of roots. They writhed across the entire

shaft, stopping any possibility of forward movement. The

random motions steadied into the form of an expressive

face. He would not have been able to see anything if not for
the moss attached to the roots. They gave off a soft green

illumination. It was more than enough for him to see his

immediate surroundings, but the end of the tunnel

disappeared into darkness.
 “Why did Kurian die,” the face asked in a rich, deep

voice. The words echoed quietly, fading into a distant

rumble. As it spoke, some of the words of the surrounding

the banded door appeared in front of him. The glowing blue

letters hung in midair:

The passage of birth is the loss of the womb. The

safety of illusion is shattered by the truth of pain. Any being
would be crushed, to carry the world on his shoulders.
Know thy limitations to transcend them.

Sion didn’t answer at first. This can’t be happening,

this can’t be happening, he thought over and over.

“Why did Kurian die,” the voice repeated.

“What do you want me to say,” Sion asked in a quiet

voice.

“Why did Kurian die?”

“I don’t know! I didn’t mean for it to happen,” he cried

out.

The face just stared at him, and he heard a forest lark.

 “Sion! Why didn’t you wait for me? I told you I was

coming too!”

Not again! Not again, he thought over and over. Sion’s

spirit struggled and fought, but had no more control this

iteration of memory than he had the last. He was forced to

watch his long lost friend through young eyes again. He

relived their halcyon days spent in search of adventure. He

sat through the horrors that can come from men’s dark

desires. He felt hate again take root in his soul at the

agonizing death of innocent Kurian.

He was back in the tunnel. The blue words hung in

front of him.

“Why did Kurian die?”

Sion looked up, his tears making streaks in the dirt that

caked his face. “I killed him,” he screamed in anger. “My

best friend is dead because of me! Is that what you want to

hear?”

The face took on a regretful expression. A forest lark

sang. Sion’s eyes grew wide in panic. He raised his hand in

protest and entreaty, a shout on his lips. Suddenly though,

he was in a forest.

“Sion! Why didn’t you wait for me? I told you I was

coming too.”

“Don’t take so long next time, Kurry,” Sion said

laughing. “I heard the hunters say they had seen the

humans at the boundary of the territory. Are you ready?”

Sion’s spirit began to fray as he had to sit through this

cruel farce yet again. As he sat vigil over his younger self

for a third time, he wondered if he was losing his mind. Was

that the point of this latest test? Was it actually a trap

meant to wear down the mind and spirit of anyone who

dared to try and conquer this dungeon?

Broyin’s hand fell limp into the dirt, a bloody sneer on

his face.

A deep voice asked, “Why did Kurian die?”

Sion could barely summon the strength to reply. He

knew that he had to try though. Opening and closing his

mouth to moisten it, he spoke, “I’ll give you anything you

want. Just tell me what to say,” Sion cried softly. “Please!

Please just stop!” He tried to put strength into his last

words, but it came off as exactly what it was, begging.

The face stared at him, blue words hovering in the air.

Was that a sympathetic expression on its face?

He smelled decaying leaves. Mud hit the back of his

neck. They found a slain deer. Kurian screamed his name,

until the sounds he was making turned into wet burbles,

which then turned into nothing.

“Why did Kurian die?”

Sion’s shoulders slumped, defeated. Did repeating that

painful day cause measurable damage to him, or did he feel

like this just because of the strain of what he was going? In

either case, he had nothing left. Sometime during the last

cycle of events he had soiled his real body. Even that didn’t

merit an emotional reaction, though. He had lived through

Kurian’s death four times, five if you counted the time it had

originally happened in real life. The second time had not

been easier. The third time was just as wretched, but the

fourth removed any hope he had of escape. He felt the

emotions just deeply as he had all of those years ago.
Kurian’s screams tore at his soul just as painfully, every

time.

“I can’t tell you, but one should have to endure this,”

Sion breathed. He didn’t even bother looking at the face.

He knew that nothing would stop this so he quietly asked,

“Please just let me die.”

A bird called.

Sion waited to hear Kurian speak. He thought about an

eternity trapped, reliving the worst day of his life in an

endless loop. Then he decided to not play this sick game

anymore. He couldn’t control what his younger body would

do, but he could control how it affected him. If he had to

spend time with his best childhood friend, then he would

enjoy the experience as much as possible.

“Sion! Why didn’t you wait for me? I told you I was

coming too.”

Sion finally let himself feel joy at seeing his old friend.

“It’s good to see you Kurry,” he said with a smile.

 What?!? That wasn’t what he had said! After reliving

the events four times in a row, he knew every word, every

nuance and inflection. That was definitely NOT what he had

said!

“Okayyy,” Kurian said with a confused expression. “I

just saw you an hour ago.”

Sion lost his focus, confused by what was happening.

“Don’t take so long next time, Kurry,” his younger self

said laughing. “I heard the hunters say they had seen the
humans at the boundary of the territory. Are you ready?”

Kurian looked doubtful, “Yeah. Of course, I am! But

maybe we should go tomorrow or the next day. Elder Yamin

is making sprangle berry pie today, and-”

Sion committed to the moment again, “You might be

right.” He paused a moment, “I think that I have to go, but

you could stay.” He gave a small laugh, “Maybe just save

me a slice of pie.”

Sion didn’t know what was happening, but maybe, just

maybe he could save his friend this time.

 Kurian stared at him for a moment, confused that his
friend was being so gracious, but also delighted that for

once, he might avoid being caught in one of Sion’s hair

brained schemes. After thinking it over, though, he just

gave Sion a roguish smile, “Naw. Her pie isn’t that great
anyway! Let’s go see some humans, haha.”

Sion’s spirit took a back seat again, and events

unfolded the way they always had. As the two boys were
walking, Sion wondered how he had forgotten what a

troublemaker Kurian had been. At least half of the trouble

the two boys had gotten into had been because of

something Kurian himself had come up with. Mentally

shaking his head, he held true to his decision to stay in the

moment. He laughed with his friend, telling funny stories

and lame jokes. Unlike the last four times he had relived

these days, Sion’s spirit fully committed to sharing the joy of

his younger self. He didn’t let the events he knew were

coming tomorrow, ruin his proverbial today.

The two boys came upon the human camp and had to
listen to the badger’s violent death. Sion just felt sympathy

for his younger self and friend. He stood witness with them
as they waited for the men to fall asleep. They ran from the
camp, and his younger self grabbed the other sprite.

“Stop Kurian!”

“What,” his friend hissed back. “Why? We need to get

away from here!”

Every other time, Sion’s spirit had tried to force his

younger self’s body into actions that would have been

unnatural at that age. Sion decided not to make the same

mistake again. He thought he finally understood.

This time, he immersed his spirit in the moment. He

embraced the feeling of fear that was making his younger

self’s heart hammer almost audibly. He admitted to himself

that he was ashamed that he had just sat by while that

badger had been tortured. By surrendering to the pull of

events, he found the strength to change them slightly.

“I feel horrible about what those men are doing,” young

Sion said.

“I do too,” Kurian said panting.

 “I can’t just let it happen. I’m going to sneak back and

try to free the animals.” Sion paused, “Those men need to

be stopped, though. Maybe you should run back to the

Hearth Tree, and alert the warriors.” Sion’s spirit held its
virtual breath. Was he really about to save his friend?

Kurian’s face was torn with indecision. He looked in the

direction of the sprite community and then looked back

towards the humans’ encampment. He was clearly

wrestling with what he should do, but then his face firmed.
He looked Sion directly in the eye.

“No,” Kurian said, shaking his head. “I was feeling the

same way. Honestly, if you hadn’t said something, I was

probably going to speak up in a few minutes. Like the

Hearth Mother always says, it is our duty to protect the

forest and its creatures. I’m going back with you.”

“You don’t have to,” young Sion said. His spirit was
silently pleading for Kurian to just keep walking away. He

literally couldn’t say any more though.

“Of course I do,” Kurian said with his rakish grin. “We
meet every danger together til death. Or have you
forgotten the oath we swore under the Hearth Tree?”

Sion’s spirit reeled with shock. He had forgotten!

There was no oath more serious for their people. Years

before the events Sion’s spirit was being forced to relive,

the two boys had drawn blood from their fingers and mixed

it with the dirt beneath the Hearth Tree. Then they had
sworn eternal friendship and allegiance, with the

earnestness that only children can produce. Their mothers

had tanned their hides when they found out they were

making oaths at such a young age, but it hadn’t deterred

them. THAT was why Kurian always followed Sion on his
adventures, and why Sion did the same when the situation

was reversed.

The two boys started walking towards the camp. The

following events played out as scripted. They were still

captured. Kurian was still tortured before death, and hate
still wormed its way into Sion’s young heart. A hate that

would ultimately lead him to let a good man be eaten alive

while he stood by and did nothing. The outcome had not

changed. For the first time, though, Sion realized that

maybe changing history wasn’t the point of… whatever this
was. Perhaps the point was to change who he was in the
present.

“Why did Kurian die?”

Sion was laying on the floor of the tunnel. He couldn’t

seem to scrounge up the will to move. Or maybe he lacked
the strength. The distinction didn’t seem important right

now. His lips were sore, and when he ran his tongue over
them, they felt like dried meat. When he first tried to

respond, only a squeak came out. The face made of roots

seemed to understand that he was trying, and didn’t repeat

itself. It merely waited. Sion was in a daze and nothing

seemed quite real. He became aware that both his health

and stamina bars were perilously low. There was an icon

that looked like a pile of salt next to each of them.

He mustered the strength to drink one of the healing

potions Richter had given him. He barely had any rise in his

health bar. The portion of the bars that weren’t filled with
color weren’t just empty. They looked greyed out like

nothing could fill them. When he examined the pile of salt

icon, he learned what it meant. He was dehydrated. He
was literally dying of thirst. Sion knew he wouldn’t survive
another cycle of memories, but he accepted that.

Even though he was still impossibly weak, he tried to

sit himself up. That did not work out well. When he

regained consciousness, he realized that he must have

passed out from the strain. After that, he decided that he

could give his answer lying down. He raised his head

slightly and saw that the face was still looking at him. The

health potion had at least served to moisten his mouth.

“Why did Kurian die,” Sion repeated. “He died because

he and I were too dumb to listen to our elders. He died

because we put ourselves in a dangerous situation. And he

died, because we were unlucky enough to stumble across

evil men. My best friend died because of who I was, and

because of who he was, and because sometimes things just
fall apart. It doesn’t matter why he died. What matters is
that I will remember him.” He mustered his remaining

strength for what could be his last words. “So you do

whatever you need to do. It does, not, matter, why my
friend died. It matters how he lived.”
 With those last words, Sion’s head dropped back down
to the floor of the tunnel. He kept his eyes on the face

made of roots, but he was completely exhausted. The face

just smiled, though, and then the roots unraveled, leaving
the way to the next chamber open. A prompt filled his
vision.

You have just completed the secret Quest: The Wisdom to

Tell the Difference. You have delved deep into your worst
pain. This trial by fire did not destroy you however, it
tempered you into a better version of yourself. In every life,
there will be sorrow. Some choose to run from it, others
assume responsibility for that which was always out of their
control, many hide behind excuses, and still more try to
force an outcome that is beyond their ability. You have
taken a finer path. You accepted both the good and ill that
you have committed. You have proven that you have the
ability to face the truth. May your insight serve you well.
Reward: 5,000 experience. Personal reward: Wisdom +10.
Personal reward: A new Ability.

You have received the Ability: Know Thyself. You faced your
internal demons and controlled them. As such, you will be
much more resilient against spells or effects dealing with
the Enchantment School of Magic, ie Charm, Daze,
Compulsion.

He had barely finished reading when he heard, “Sion?

Sion?! SION!!! Yoshi! Daniella! I can see him! Come

quick!” Then he was moving backwards. He would move
and then stop, move and then stop. He realized he was
being pulled by the forgotten rope Richter had tied around
his waist. He also realized for the first time that he was not

about to die. The emotional drain of his ordeal had let him
ignore the demands of his body. Now that he again had
hope, though, that separation from reality dissolved. He
began to feel every ache that his prolonged immobility had

caused. Also, the dry parchment that comprised his throat

felt like daggers sliding against each other when he
swallowed.

In no time at all, Richter had pulled his Companion free

of the tunnel. In no time at all after that, he was peppering
the sprite with questions.
 “Where have you been? What happened? What’s with

this secret quest? Are you alright? WHY AREN’T YOU

TALKING?”

Sion just stared up at his giant of a friend. Richter was

sitting on the ground, half cradling his friend. The sprites

legs sprawled across the floor while his back leaned against
Richter’s chest. The support was welcomed because
otherwise he would be probably just be lying helpless and

flat on the floor. Despite that, after everything he had just

gone through, Richter’s exuberance was a complete
overload of the senses. Not having the strength to curse his
friend’s attentive but irritating behavior, he just let the

twitch in his left eye communicate that for him. He also

decided to succinctly verbalize his most heartfelt desire.
“Waaater,” he croaked.

Richter immediately reached into his Bag, and brought

out a water skin. Placing it to Sion’s lips he let a slow trickle
of water flow out.

Sion hacked and coughed up that first sip. It made the

pain in his throat increase exponentially. A few scant drops
were swallowed though, and some was even greedily

absorbed by the tissue of his pharynx. The small amount of

moisture he retained let him swallow more of the next sip,
though he still coughed some up. It was as if his body
refused to believe in a world that he wasn’t dying of thirst.

By the third sip, he was able to keep from coughing and a

few precious drops slid down his throat. When he drank a
fourth time, he swallowed a whole mouthful and a sensation
that could only be called bliss permeated his every cell. He

closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief.

When he opened his eyes, he saw his three comrades

staring down at him anxiously. For their benefit, he gave a

weak smile. They all visibly relaxed. He closed his eyes

again, and Richter put the water skin back to his lips. For a
while, that’s all he did. Slowly sip water, and enjoy the
sensation of bringing his body back from the brink of death.

When he had his fill, he looked at the rest of his party and
said, “I have been on a journey. Several in fact. And while I
will eventually tell you everything that happened, I can’t
right now. The experience is too fresh, and sharing it might
break my heart.” Daniella reached out and held his hand,

squeezing lightly.

“Besides,” Sion continued, “I seem to be lying in my

own feces. Would you help me,” he asked Richter,

somewhat embarrassed.

“Of course,” his friend said. Moving slowly so as not to

jostle his Companion, Richter stood and cradled Sion,

carrying him to the pool of water. With a wry smile, Richter
said, “I was trying to be polite and not mention the smell.”

“Oh, is that why you looked like that? I thought you

were just constipated,” Sion replied. Richter gave a small
chuckle and started walking toward the underground lake.

Sion looked up at his best friend and thought how lucky

he was that in only one lifetime, he had found two men who
were like brothers to him. Then another thought occurred

and he said, “If you tell anyone you carried me like this, I
will literally cut your balls off.”

Richter just laughing and kept walking.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 25

After Sion was cleaned, he promptly fell asleep. He

drifted in and out of consciousness over the next day or two.

While he was awake, he told his group about how he had

been reliving the past. He didn’t include every minor detail,

but he did share the salient points. He answered their

questions as best he could, but much of what he had

experienced was indescribable. When he was done

speaking he further explained how the events of those long

lost days had contributed to his initial animosity towards

Richter for being a human. He asked for forgiveness.

Richter, of course, said it wasn’t necessary, but thanked

him for the apology and looked away. Sion saw a faint

glisten in his friend’s eye before he turned his face.

Daniella was feeling much improved and had more

color in her face. Yoshi still looked wan, but at least was
able to walk and talk. He wouldn’t discuss exactly what the

demoness’s last spell had done to him, simply saying he

would be fine.

Sion also explained the secret quest. Apparently all of

the party members had been notified that the quest had
been completed and gotten the experience, but not the

personal reward. Richter complained jokingly that next time

Sion finished a secret quest to let him drink a Potion of

Clarity first next time. Right after that though, he shared

with a big smile that the quest had let him reach level 17.

Sion received a shock when he was told that he had

been in the tunnel for almost three days! It was no wonder

he had almost died of thirst. Daniella told him that through

the entire first day, Richter had barely looked away in hopes

that he would reappear and he could be pulled to safety.

Daniella had tried to convince him to leave the hole the next

day by saying she would watch. Yoshi had awoken so he

offered to help too. Richter still wouldn’t agree until Yoshi

pointed out that standing around wasn’t helping his friend.

 That reasoning apparently worked because against

both Daniella and Yoshi’s protests, he had walked up to the

sigil-inscribed door and walked in. Yoshi was mustering the

strength to go in after him when, surprising both sprites, he

walked back out five minutes later with a key in one hand

and a tube in the other.

“What happened,” Sion asked. “How did you beat the

last door so quickly?”

Richter smiled, “It was a riddle. When I walked through

the first door, it shut behind me and vanished. All that was

left behind me was a blank wall.” Sion nodded in sympathy

knowing exactly what that was like.

“In front of me were two more doors. Each door had a

sculpture attached to the front. The one on the left was a

blond haired angel, dressed in white. The door on the left

was a redheaded succubus. Dressed in nothing,” he gave

Sion a wink. Daniella sniffed in the background.

“Well, they both started talking in sync. The jist of it

was that one door led to safety and the other led to certain

death. No matter what question was asked, one statue

would always tell the truth, and the other would always lie.

Trick was, I didn’t know which statue was the liar.”

“Sooo,” Sion asked drawing the word out. “How did

you figure it out,” he asked impatiently.

“Well,” Richter exclaimed, clearly enjoying torturing his

friend a little bit by drawing the story out. “I just asked one

what the other would say if I asked what the right door was.

Then I went through the door opposite to what she said.”

Richter’s tone was offhand as he relayed the solution, as if

such logical leaps were commonplace.

Sion face screwed up as he tried to work his way

through his Companion’s reasoning. It had obviously

worked or he wouldn’t be here, but thinking through the

various permutations was starting to make his head hurt.

“How did you figure that out so quickly,” Sion asked.

Richter laughed loudly, then extended two fingers on

both hands in what he told Sion were called ‘peace signs.’

He slapped his fingers together twice quickly, and said in a

gruff voice, “Hashtag DavidBoweLabyrinthBitch!”

 He reached into his Bag, and pulled out the pipe he had

found, showing it to Sion. It had four grooves cut into it, and

the handles of each the three keys they had collected fit

perfectly into one of the grooves. One end of the pipe had

a lens, and the other end had a stylized eye etched into it.

When he had gone through the door (the succubus one,

Richter added with another wink), there had been a small

room with just the key and the pipe. He had then walked

back the way he had come. The door back to the central

chamber had reappeared by the time he tried to leave.

“So you just sat around waiting for me to come back? I

guess you missed me,” Sion said with a little grin on his

face.

“Well! I did take the finish my first Lore book, and I

gained the skill. I also, cough, took the time to do some

training,” Richter said examining his nails.

“He’s been casting nonstop! Light spells, his Grease

spell, moving around hasted! The worst has been that

damn fire spell,” Yoshi snapped. “He would shoot one of

those icicles, and then melt it. Over and over! It’s not like

the smell in here was that great to begin with!”

“So that’s why it’s so muggy in here,” Sion said with a

laugh.

“What else was I supposed to do with time to kill and

an entire village mana pool to play with,” Richter said

laughing too. Then he sat down next to Sion, and the levity

left his face, “That just leaves your key. After we pulled you

out I tried to crawl into the tunnel to get to the chamber on

the other side. When I put so much as a hand inside

though, the tunnel starts closing shut. I looked at the

writing around the hole again, and it had changed. Now it

says, ‘Only the proven may pass.’” He looked earnestly at

his friend, “I know you have been through lot, but will you

try to get the key again?”

Sion nodded, “I don’t think there is anything left to fear.

Let me try now.” His health and stamina were back to full

strength; the pile of salt icon had disappeared after the first

day.
 Sion walked over to the open hatch and climbed into

the shaft. He couldn’t lie and say that his heart didn’t start

pounding harder when he reached the halfway point, and he

couldn’t help but steal a glance backwards. The tunnel

remained open though, and the roots remained in place. He

made it to the end of the shaft and saw a brown key

hanging from the wall. There was nothing else in the room.

He climbed back into the tunnel and was soon standing with
his party again.

Richter took the key and put it with its brothers in the
pipe. When the last key was in place, all four moved of their

own accord and locked into position perpendicular to the

pipe. Two keys stuck out from each side. They all walked
up to the banded door, Alma draped over Richter’s

shoulders. He held one end of the pipe up to his eye as

indicated and looked down the length, through all four keys

holes. Richter gave a surprised grunt and walked up to the

right side of the door. Choosing a spot somewhere in the

high middle, he raised one hand, the other still holding the
pipe up to his eye. After moving his hand back and forth
slightly as if looking for the exact right spot, he pushed his
bare palm against the door.

Both Daniella and Sion reached forward in protest.

Clearly Richter had forgotten about the deadly shriek
venom. He didn’t fall to the ground screaming, though. In

fact, his hand seemed to disappear into the metal of the

door up to his mid-forearm. Richter strained for a second

and then gave a grunt, turning his wrist slowly the right. He
kept up this slow rotation until his wrist had turned ninety

degrees, then pulled his arm back out. Immediately a large

clanging could be heard. Richter quickly stepped back.

The bands of metal vibrated, and then the entire door

started turning to the left. The grinding sound of metal

continued. The movement of the door acquired an upward

component, and it became clear that what they were seeing

was a giant sphere. After minutes of watching the slow

rotation change direction several times, it finally stopped. A

doorway was set into the part of the sphere they were

finally presented with.

 Four key holes were present in the door. Each one
followed the next making a diagonal. The keyholes were

distinct colors making it easy to see which key went where.

After removing them from the pipe, Richter placed each key

in the correct slot. When all of them had been turned, there
was a loud thunk, like a bolt drawing back and the door

swung open.

Congratulations! You have finished the quest: Unlock your

Power II. As you have already mastered Air Magic, you may
now choose another of the Powers that comprise your
domain. Your options are Life, Dark or Water. Which path
will you choose?

Reward: 11,250 (base 9,000) experience.

Choosing a Power will give you a +50% effectiveness

increase to spells of that branch. You will also have +50%
resistance to spells of that Power. Unique to being a Master
of a Place of Power, however, is your access to each Power’s
specialized ability.

Life Ability: “Bounty of Life” +30% growth for the physical

manifestation of your Place of Power
Dark Ability: “Hidden Treasures” +30% yield from treasure
Water Ability: “Tranquil Soul” -30% mana cost for spells

Richter had already made his choice before he started

the quest. Tranquil Soul was obviously tempting. He

wouldn’t always be able to rely on his village’s mana pool.

In the upcoming fights with the bugbears, it would be a real

boon to be able to cast more spells. Water magic was not

his choice, though. Similarly, Hidden Treasures was a hard

offer to pass up. What mattered though, was preparing his

village, and the people in it, for the future. He chose Life.

You have chosen Mastery of Life!

Congratulations! You have obtained the Ability: Bounty of

Life. +30% growth for the physical manifestation of your
Place of Power.

Congratulations! You are a Master of Life Magic. All Life

spells cast by you are 50% stronger. You have 50%
resistance to Life magic. You can teach the skill Life Magic to
anyone with over a 50% affinity for the skill. You can teach
specific Life spells to anyone with the appropriate skill level
to learn them.
Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Courage!
Improves your Fighting Spirit by +50. This is a spell of Life.
Cost: 25 mana. Duration: 15 min. Range: self. Cast Time: 1
second. Cooldown: 15 min.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Minor Life

Armor! Defense of all armor pieces increased by +1 (+4 vs
Death attacks). Cost: 40 mana. Duration: 30 min. Range:
self. Cast Time: 1 seconds. Cooldown: N/A

You have been awarded 12,500 (base 10,000) experience

for your new Mastery.

Congratulations! You have unlocked the Quest: Unlock your

Power III. Your village will increase your power, but you
must care for it in turn. Currently, there is a local dungeon
that needs to be cleared out. Reward: Unlock one of the
Powers. Yes or No?

TRING!

You have reached level 18! 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.

Richter didn’t know what was more exciting. The boost

his village was about to get, all of the new points he had to

allocate or the fact that they were finally getting out of this
dungeon. Freedom! The idea of it almost made him giddy.

All of the party was ready to see blue skies again! He

quickly chose ‘Yes’ to accept his new quest, and got moving.

He would ask Futen about it later.

They wasted no time and started walking down the

narrow hall. Richter was pulling up the rear and was about
to enter, when Futen spoke.

“Are you sure that you wish to leave the column

behind, my Lord?”

Richter looked at the remnant from the doorway, “You

mean I can take it with me?” That thing would pay for the
portal construction all by itself if he melted it down! “Hold
on guys,” he called out.

He walked over to the column, and lowered his center

of gravity by bending at the knees. His dad had warned him

early and often of the dangers of lifting with your back. He

wrapped his arms around the column, and then heaved!

“My Lord,” Futen began.

“I got this,” Richter wheezed. He stopped his pull, and

reset his body. Taking a deep breath, he tried to pull the
column out of the ground again. Veins stood out in his neck

and his face turned red. The other members of his party
delayed their exit to watch.

Richter tried one more time. If this didn’t work, he

would invest his twelve free characteristic points into

Strength. “Cooommeee onnnnn!” He pulled with
everything he had. He felt like he was squeezing the
column so hard that something was going to shoot out of it.

Turns out, he had it backwards. He straightened quickly,

just hoping no one had heard.
 “Futen! How am I supposed to take this thing? It
weighs a ton! It’s like when you asked me to grab the

altar…,” Richter’s lips pressed together in an embarrassed

moue. “Never mind. I’ve got it.”

He simply placed his hand on the column, and willed its

interface to come up. Now that they had defeated the

dungeon, at least this level, he should be able to give it
commands. At least that was how it had worked with a Dark
Altar from the first quest to unlock his power. Sure enough,

when he focused, he could now access the column’s

prompt. He chose ‘Remove Core’ from the available
options.

A hole appeared at the top of the column. The Core

rose out of it, and hovered six inches above the column.
When he picked it up, the column lost its gold color
becoming nothing more than the same grey stone of the

walls. For the first time in days, the central chamber wasn’t
bathed in golden light. None of that mattered to Richter
though because of what he now held.
You have found: Magic Core. Durability 15,000/15,000. Item
class: Epic. Quality: Masterwork. Weight: 12.7 kg. Magical
Cores can be used to power any number of devices.

Richter held the clockwork sphere above his head, its

red and white internal light painting the walls. He aimed a

huge smile at Sion. Sion smiled back and said, “I heard you,
stinky.”

Richter’s grin slipped into an expression of mild

irritation, “Let’s just get out of here.”

“Whatever you say Captain, Toots,” Sion said happily.

He tried to brush past the sprite, but Sion stopped him,

an aggrieved expression on his face. “What are you

thinking,” he asked Richter. “Don’t walk try to walk past me

while you trailing fire!” Sion took point and the other sprites
followed leaving Richter to pull up the rear. When he
arrived at the other side, he saw a second staircase leading

down that hadn’t been visible from the central room.

Sion and Daniella hadn’t even paused and were already

climbing the stairs to get out. Yoshi had stopped though,

and staring down the dark staircase. His hand was slowly
opening and closing into a fist. The adept didn’t seem

aware of the motion. Richter walked up beside him.

“I know what you’re thinking. I haven’t forgotten about

the eaters either, but we are beat all to hell. We need to

have our disease cured, and,” Richter pulled Yoshi’s

shoulder to make the man look at him, “I know that
whatever spell you got hit with at the end of the fight took a
serious toll on you.”

Yoshi looked back at the stairs again, still unconvinced.

Richter tried another tack, “Someone once told me there
was no honor in pushing through a bad position. The faster

we leave this dungeon. The faster we can mobilize both of

our peoples to deal with this threat.”

Yoshi stared at the stairs a while longer, then nodded,

“You are right, Lord Richter.”

Richter raised an eyebrow. “Lord,” he asked.

“I didn’t know what to make of you when we first met,

but we have fought side by side. I now know you are a man
of honor, strength and courage. I call you Lord Richter

because you deserve it.”

 Richter was taken aback by the sword adept’s praise.

He reached out his hand, and Yoshi extended his own, both
men gripping the other’s wrist. They gave a small squeeze
then Yoshi said, “But don’t think this gets you out of sword
practice.”

Richter struggled to keep a grin off of his face, “Of

course not. Tomorrow morning bright and early. You, me,
and our cankers.”

Yoshi nodded and released his grip. He walked past to

the stairs, but not before Richter saw him crack a faint
smile. Richter followed after. The stairway wound like a

corkscrew going ever upwards. They also moved somewhat

at an angle however, so the ascent took longer than it
otherwise would have. After walking for almost an hour,
Sion called out “I see a door!”

“Yes,” Richter shouted. His enthusiasm made his voice

echo loudly in the confined space of the stairwell, but

everyone was so excited to be outside again that no one

complained. “I’m ready for bright blue skies and sunshine!
Now who’s with me?”
 Daniella and Sion cheered, and even Yoshi had a bit of

pep in his step. They hurried to open the door and rushed
outside… and it was nighttime… and it was raining. Richter
looked up at the sky and said, “Universe, you’re a dick.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 26

Despite the fact that it was raining, they still decided to

make their way back. With Futen hovering above, there was

more than enough light. They all had reasons to hasten

back to the Mist Village. Richter was somewhat concerned

about running into something big and bad at night, but

Alma flew over watch. He felt better knowing that she

should be able to detect the psychic emanations of most

predators or humanoids, and there weren’t any flying

predators that should be a threat to her. That’s what

Richter hoped anyway.

After an hour the sky was a slightly lighter shade of

black which Richter took to mean daybreak was near. It was

tough to tell though, because the rain had started to fall

even harder. All of them were completely drenched by that

time. They slogged along in silence. Even though none of

them were comfortable, they were still in fine spirits

because every step they took was a step closer to healing

and shelter.

The rain did provide an excellent opportunity for

Richter to train his skills. He maintained Stealth almost the

entire time. With his improved Herb Lore, the world was

also alive with slightly glowing leaves, flowers and roots.

Richter realized that this was the first time he had been out

in the forest at night since planting the Quickening. It was

true that useful plants would glow in the day as well, but
they were so much easier to see at night. He plucked a

good many while they traveled. Remembering his difficulty

with retrieving Dark Moss when he first came to The Land,

he was delighted that the herbs seemed to basically leap

into his hands at this point. The gain in his Herb Lore skill

was minimal unfortunately. Leveling the skill now that is

was level 39 was exponentially harder than it had been at

the early levels.

*Men*, Alma thought. She sent him an image of a man

in a green cloak hiding in the limbs of a tree. Another was

hidden in the bushes at the base of the tree.

 *How far*, he thought back.

She sent an image of the forest from a higher

elevation. All he could see was trees however. The ability

to communicate psychically with his familiar was amazing,

but clearly it was not without its limits. The psi dragonling

didn’t seem to be able to grasp the idea of precise distance.

Couldn’t be too easy for a flying creature to relate distance

to someone that walked everywhere, Richter thought.

Luckily Alma wasn’t their only option.

*Come back,* he thought.

He raised his hand for everyone to stop. “Futen, kill the

light and go invisible.” The remnant disappeared. Richter

hunched low and hid behind a tree, the rest of the party

spreading out and doing the same. After a minute, the

flapping of wings heralded the Alma’s return.

She landed on his shoulder. “Which way,” he asked

softly. Her body straightened like a bloodhound, indicating

about thirty degrees to the right of the direction they had

been heading.

“Futen.”
 “Yes, my Lord.” Futen’s disembodied voice was no

more than a foot in front of his face. The remnant spoke at

a low volume. Apparently, he was learning.

“Go in that direction,” Richter said. “Stay invisible and

scout until you find a man in a green cloak or you reach the

end of your range. If you find someone scout around the

immediate area to see if there is anyone else. After that

come back and let me know how far away they are. If you

don’t find anyone just come back. We will move forward

and start again.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Richter walked to each of his comrades and explained

the situation. All readied their weapons. The only sound

was the rain falling around them like a dull roar. Five

minutes passed, and then ten. Richter was starting to think

the man was beyond Futen’s range of travel, when a low

monotone voice spoke right in front him.

“I found a figure in the green cloak, my Lord. It

appears to one man alone. I did not locate anyone else in

the surrounding area. He is in the low branches of a tree

approximately one hundred and twenty yards in the

direction you indicated.”

“Was he looking in this direction,” Richter asked. Futen

answered in the affirmative. Richter nodded, the man must

have seen the light Futen had been shining. Made sense, he
would have had to be blind to miss a moving spotlight in the

middle of a dark forest. When the light went out, one of the

men must have run off for help, while the other kept watch.

Richter waved everyone over and shared the

information, then made a plan of attack. “We need to move

quickly before it gets any lighter. Sion and Daniella, I want

you to fan out in opposite directions. Go about seventy

yards forward. Yoshi and I will move forward until we go the

same distance. Then I’ll send Futen. When he is hovering in

front of the man’s face, he will emit a bright light and loud

sound. Then we move in while he is disoriented. Capture

him if you can. I need to know who he is, and where the

other one went.”

Everyone nodded and moved to follow Richter’s

directions. Two minutes later there was a loud bang, and

the night filled with light. Stark shadows were cast by the

trees, even through the downpour. There was a loud

exclamation of “Gahhh!” then the sound of snapping trees

limbs followed by a thud. All four of the party members

were running as soon as the light flared. They crossed the

remaining distance in only a few seconds and soon had

weapons pointed at the man’s throat. Richter threw back

the man’s hood and stared down at a somewhat familiar

face. He couldn’t quite place him though. He used Analyze.

Name: Jitol. Wood Elf. Level 9. Health 150/190. Mana 230.

Stamina 180. Disposition: Friendly…

A friendly disposition? It all clicked. This was one of

the hunters from the Mist Village! Richter realized he should

have deduced the truth when the other man ran off into the

mist. Either these men had strong magic to counteract the

mist, or the two men were hunters that Richter himself had

given immunity to. He looked down at the man who was

groaning at their feet. Then he looked at Jitol’s leg which

was curving at a point that it was never supposed to bend.

“Duuuude. This is soooo my bad!”

 Jitol just groaned again.

It was clear they couldn’t just leave the man, but at the

same time they would need to set his leg before they

started moving. Sion and Daniella held him down, while

Yoshi positioned himself at the man’s leg. It was possible

that they could infect the man with their disease, but it was

a chance they had to take. Either way, even if he was

infected, he should have enough health to survive until they

got him back to Sumiko or Hisako. Once everything was set,

Richter gave a nod, and Yoshi straightened the bones with a

sure and strong yank. Jitol screamed, and then passed out.

Sion and Daniella started tying the elf’s leg into a splint.
Richter cast Slow Heal. It wouldn’t fix the break, but it
would restore some of the man’s lost health. Daniella had

explained that it required a specific spell to heal bones, and

it was well beyond her abilities. When the sprites cinched

the split tight on Jitol’s leg, he groaned deeply again, but

didn’t regain consciousness.

Man, Richter thought, I owe this guy like at least a fruit

basket when we get back.

 They spent some time making a stretcher. The found
two stout branches, and Richter donated his cloak as the

final piece. The loaded the elf, trying not to jostle him too
much. Then they started walking again. Richter had Futen

shine his brightest light above them. He knew that

reinforcements would be coming from the village soon, and

he didn’t want to be shot by mistake.

Sure enough, less than an hour later Alma sent him an

image of a large number of armed people walking in their

direction. Richter called her back to him. He didn’t want an

elf with an ‘itchy trigger finger’ shooting his familiar. He

called a stop and again told Futen to make his light as bright
as possible. The wait wasn’t too long.

“Identify yourself,” a voice called out of the dark.

“This is Lord Richter, Adept Yoshi, and sprites Sion and

Daniella,” he said in a strong voice. “We have Jitol with us.

He needs medical aid. We are with Futen. You should be

able to see him.”

It was quiet for a few moments, and then a man came

into the light. Richter recognized him as well, and his name
was… Yanosh. As soon as Yanosh saw his face, he breathed
a sigh of relief. “It’s Lord Richter,” he called out. Jitol is

hurt! Everyone come help!”

A motley crowd of about twenty people came into the

radius of Futen’s light. Dwarves in chainmail stood by wood

elf archers. Men carrying clubs and axes stood in front of

high elves in hide and leather armor. These were his

people. There were looks of uncertainty or fear on the faces

of more than a few, but that didn’t matter. They had come
to fight, no, to protect their homes, even though they didn’t

know what they would face. Richter’s heart swelled with

pride.

He heard his name on the lips of many of the men and

women. It began as a scattered whisper, but it soon

became a chant, “Lord Richter, Lord Richter, Lord Richter!”

He raised his hand, and said, “I missed all of you as well!

Now who brought me an ale?!”

There were laughs all around, and everyone came

closer to clasp hands, but Richter waved them back. “We

were successful, but it wasn’t without cost. We have been
infected by a spell. I need everyone to stay back until we

are healed.” He turned to Yanosh, “Who is the fastest

runner?”

“That would be me, my Lord,” he replied.

“I’m assuming there are still people standing guard

despite all of you being here?”

“Most definitely, my Lord,” Yanosh said with pride. “We

won’t let anyone sneak up on us again!

“I need you to run ahead. Don’t go into the village.

When you are close, shout out to one of the guards and tell
him to bring either Sumiko or Hisako. When they come

close, tell them about the infection, but do not touch them.
Tell them quietly. I don’t want to start a panic. Respectfully

ask them to meet us. I won’t risk coming into the village
before we are cured. And I’m sorry to ask this of all of you,

but everyone here will need to be checked before entering

the village.” Some of the men and women started to shuffle
restlessly. “I know that must be concerning, but rest

assured I think any danger is minimal. I will not however,

allow any possibility of sickness into our community. Think
of your friends and families that are behind the walls, and

you will know I’m right.”

Everyone nodded and spoke silently to each other.

Richter had a feeling that would be the case. Fear was a

natural response in anyone, but given the chance to protect

the people they loved, many would find their courage.

Yanosh ran off and everyone else moved away into the

mists. Richter and his friends continued behind with Jitol

who thankfully remained unconscious.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 27

The rain had stopped while the party carried Jitol. Soon
the walls of the village came into view. They weren’t just

earthworks anymore. The sections of wall that stood to either

side of the gate were now marbled quartz. It wasn’t much, but

it made Richter happy to see that the defenses were

improving. They were met well outside of walls by both

Hisako, Sumiko and what looked to be all of the sprite warriors.

Richter caught a look of apprehension on her face. She

scanned the faces of every member of the village rescue party.

When she saw Richter and the sprites pulling up the rear, her

face relaxed into a smile.

She ran forward, evidently surprising her sprite guards,

who scurried to keep up. The ol’ girl still had some pep in her

step! She met them before they had crossed half the
remaining distance, and she ran up to Sion, embracing him
despite his protests. The stretcher tipped, and Jitol woke up

with a cry when he almost fell.

With a chagrined look, the normally zen Hisako let go of

Sion and with a wave of her hand, gold light surrounded the

wounded wood elf’s leg. His cry cut off and was replaced by a

sigh of relief. Richter looked at him, and saw that Jitol had
closed his eyes, and was happily laying back to enjoy a pain

free moment. A moment was all he got.

“You do realize four sick people are carrying a healthy

person now right,” Yoshi asked tersely.

“Wha- Oh. I’m sorr-. My apologies, Lord Richter!” The

wood elf started flailing around trying to stand up. His

movements were so awkward that he threatened to knock over

the four people carrying him. Yoshi solved that problem by

just dropping his corner of the stretcher and walking around to

Hisako. Intentionally helpful or not, it did let Jitol slide off to

the ground. He tested his ‘new’ leg, and was apparently
satisfied because he stood on his own two feet with no

difficulty. The whole time he kept up a running stream of

apologies and thanks.
 Richter clapped him on the shoulder laughing, “Don’t
worry about it! Let’s just call it even.”

“Uh, even for what, my Lord,” the elf asked.

“Nothing,” Richter said with a too wide smile. “Just, say

we’re even.”

“We’re… even,” Jitol asked with an unsure tone in his

voice.

“Great,” Richter said feeling better about the whole leg

breaky, near death thing. ‘What’s that Karma? I’m squeaking
by on a technicality? He SAID we were even! You just don’t

get it.’ Richter brought his mind back to more important

things.

“Hisako,” he said, “it is good to see you. I find myself in

need of your help.”

“I see that,” she responded wryly. “Just how did you get
infected with cankerous rot?”

“Well there was a crypt mistress and-”

“Say no more,” she said holding up here hand. “Just

remember in the future, that if you lay down with dogs, then

you get up with fleas.”

 “What,” Richter asked in a surprised tone. “No, no, it was
nothing like tha-”

She cut him off again, raising her hand up to stop him.

She closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and gently shook her
head side to side, “Tut tut. I’m not one to judge. Let’s just fix

you.”

Richter looked at Sion incredulously. Sion just stared back

as if to say, ‘what do you want me to do?’

Hisako arranged the four adventurers around her. Then

she began chanting. The air began to glow with a diffuse

golden light which infused the space around her for five feet.

A disc of solid gold light then appeared at their feet and began

moving upward. Once it had risen above all of their heads she
stopped casting. Richter rechecked his status page and

smiled.

Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 18, 36%
Health: 430 Mana: 420 Stamina: 210
Strength: 29
Agility: 24
Dexterity: 34
Constitution: 25
Endurance: 21
Intelligence: 35
Wisdom: 21
Charisma: 24
Luck: 15
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
Fast Learner
Bounty of Life
Psi Bond
Skills:
Herb Lore Lvl 39; 22% to next level
Alchemy Lvl 1; 0% to next level
Analyze Lvl 6; 7% to next level
Pierce the Veil Lvl 23; 45% to next level
Stealth Lvl 6; 14% to next level
Traps Lvl 21; 87% to next level
Trap Disarm Lvl 21; 99% to next level
Archery Lvl 10; 24% to next level
Imbue Arrow Lvl 5; 18% to next level
Focus Lvl 3; 78% to next level
Double Shot Lvl 3; 31% to next level,
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 40% to next level
Swordsmanship Lvl 2; 15% to next level
Small Blades Lvl 4; 43% to next level
Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 10% to next level
Pressure Points Lvl 1; 15% to next level
Light Armor Lvl 8; 18% to next level
Grace in Combat Lvl 5; 38% to next level
Air Magic Lvl 6; 37% to next level
Life Magic Lvl 5; 82% to next level
Earth Magic Lvl 4; 92% to next level
Water Magic Lvl 5; 47% to next level
Dark Magic Lvl 5; 22% to next level
Light Magic Lvl 4; 48% to next level
Fire Magic Lvl 5; 9% to next level
Map Making Lvl MAX
Trade Lvl 14; 86% to next level
 War Leader Lvl 2, 43% to next level
Enchantment Lvl 1; 44% to next level
Portal Construction Apprentice
Lore Lvl 1
Marks:
Master of Mist Village
Blood Oath
Resistances:
Air 50%
Earth 20%
Life 50%
Mental 15%
Spiritual 15%
Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my
attention.”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All

He felt stronger as soon as the light finished scanning

him. A quick check of Sion’s page showed he had been cured

as well.

Name: Sion
Age: 44
Level: 12, 32% to next level
Health: 230 Mana: 240 Stamina: 140
Strength: 18
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 54
Constitution: 18
Endurance: 14
Intelligence: 24
Wisdom: 13
 Charisma: 10
Luck: 12
Abilities:
Wood Craft
Concealment
Know Thyself
Skills:
Herb lore Lvl 11, 51% to next level, 96% affinity
Alchemy Lvl 6, 17% to next level, 9%4 affinity
Archery Lvl 12; 59% to next level, 96% affinity
Imbue Arrow Lvl 8, 12% to next level, 87% affinity
Double Shot Lvl 3; 32% to next level, 98% affinity
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 45% to next level, 98% affinity
Stun Shot Lvl 3; 17% to next level, 99% affinity
Tracking Lvl 5; 62% to next level, 98% affinity
Swordsmanship Lvl 9, 82% to next level, 91% affinity
Air Magic Lvl 7; 61% to next level, 95% 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

Sumiko walked up, “I have checked everyone else. They

are disease free. It is safe to return to the village.

 “It is good that you have come back,” Hisako said. “There

is much to discuss. We have found one of the bugbear’s

camps. We need to get ready to move against them. There

have also been more monsters seen in the vicinity of your

village. I take that to mean you were successful in unlocking

another of your powers?”

“I was,” Richter said, “but what does that have to do with

monsters?”

“I told you before, your growing power will not go

unnoticed. Your Place of Power is awakening. You will find the

lands surrounding your village to be more dangerous than

before. Though you can directly access your power, all of the
surrounding lands will be impacted by the reawakening of your

Place of Power. Stronger monsters will be drawn to your

settlement, and even existing creatures may grow more

powerful. That is why we need to remove the danger of the

bugbears as soon as possible. You may be facing enemies on

different fronts soon.”

“But your settlement is a much higher level than mine,”

Richter protested. “Why aren’t there high-level monsters near

the Hearth Tree?” He didn’t need more enemies to fight at the
moment. Leveling opportunities were great and all, but

enough was enough!

She laughed without any real humor, “Oh, there are! We

just constantly patrol to keep the lands around us relatively

safe. If you remember, that is how you met Sion. From what

you have told me, you were brought to The Land very close to

the Hearth Tree. If you had started farther away… well, then

you would have had a very different experience.”

Richter thought again about his fortuitous starting point.

It was becoming clear to him that the advantages he had been

provided; the safe haven of the glade, Xuetrix’s advice, the

Pool of Clarity, none of them had been small things. Put all

together, well, he just might owe a large debt to someone out

there. What would he do when they came to collect?

“The situation is worse than you know, Hearth Mother,”

Yoshi said. “We were attacked by eaters.”

A colorful sequence of profanity spewed from Hisako’s

mouth. Richter stared at her. Not just in shock, you

understand, but also because he was thoroughly impressed.

When the bile stopped flowing, she just stood there for a few
moments. When she spoke again, there was no uncertainty in

her voice.

“If the scourge has indeed returned, then it must take

precedence.” She started walking, and they all fell in step with
her. She looked at Richter, “I had hoped that our two peoples

could deal with the threat of the bugbears, but if eaters are

now involved we will need more allies. I will send an emissary

to reach out to the wood elves of the northern Forest. We have

a long relationship of mutual protection. I need you to try and

broker aid from some of the dwarf tribes of the Serrated

Mountains. Can you do that?”

Richter nodded. It was time he got to know the neighbors

anyway.

“Good,” she said a serious expression on her face. “The

dwarves have never been enemies of my people, but neither

have they been friends. They will not often involve themselves
in the affairs of others unless there is a direct benefit to them.”

“Do you mean I will need to bribe them,” he asked.

She just arched an eyebrow at him, and then turned

forward and kept walking.

 Richter shook his head. Why did it always come down to

money? No that’s not the real problem, he thought. It was

that it always seemed to come down to his money!

Alma flew off as they got closer, no doubt in search of

game. She had hunted constantly since they had been back
above ground. Richter was sure that a squirrel hole or birds

nest would have a vacancy soon.

When they crossed into the boundaries of the village,

Hisako spoke to Yoshi, “You need further healing. Sumiko! Go

with Yoshi and heal him. He has internal injuries.” Forestalling

any argument, Hisako also said, “I won’t hear any argument.

We have many enemies. I need you to be at top form. Now

go.”

Yoshi bowed slightly and walked off with Sumiko.

“Richter, I am going to send some of my warriors to the

site where you found the eaters. Hopefully, the nest hasn’t

grown too large yet. Sion. Daniella. Are you ready to travel?”

“Yes, Hearth Mother,” she said

“Yes, Hearth Mother,” Sion repeated.

 “Then restock and be ready to leave in an hour. I need

you to lead us back,” she said. “Randolphus would like you to

see him as soon as you can,” she said to Richter. “I have

preparations to make, please excuse me.” She walked away

then, with the stride of a determined woman who planned to

do serious things. The other sprites walked on in tow.

Richter sent Futen along to check in with the various

craftsmen. He was sure the lack of Mist Workers had slowed

things down. It sounded like they there was no time to waste.

The progress on the wall that initially had so pleased Richter,

now just seemed like too little too late. He walked through the

village and saw that work on the new longhouse was

progressing well. Like he had requested, the basic structure of

the smithy was done as well. It had four walls and a roof

anyway, and Richter took that as a good sign. Work had been

started on several other buildings as well. Like he requested,

they were being made out of stone. These would not be so

easy to burn, and worse comes to worst, they could hold off

attackers much more effectively than wood. Curiously, there

were two small wooden shacks set in the center of the village,
and there appeared to be guards outside of them. Richter

would have walked over to figure out what was happening, but
it was in the opposite direction of the Great Seal. He was fairly

certain that was where he would find his chamberlain, and

Hisako had implied there was some urgency.

He walked into the Great Seal, and just stood for a

moment with a smile on his face. When he had first claimed

Mastery of the Mist Village, the Great Seal had only been a

chipped and faded mosaic. After claiming his first power, the

clear tiles representing Air had changed to a solid disc of

crystal. Looking into that clear circle was like looking down in

to a swirling maelstrom. Now a second change had occurred.

The spiral of yellow tile had been replaced. In its place

was a work of art. Laid into the floor was a shining

representation of a tree created from pure gold. Each leaf was

detailed showing the smallest veins. The tree was a backlit by

an unseen sun and moved in an unfelt wind. There was no

glaring light when he stared down at the newly awakened

section of the Great Seal, but when he looked up at the ceiling
he could see dapples of light that shifted with the limbs of the

tree.

After a time, he walked past the Great Seal into one of the
side rooms. Sure enough, Randolphus was in his office
hunched over a stack of papers.

“You need to get more sun, Randy.”

“My Lord!” He stood up quickly and bowed, “No one told

me that you were back.”

“Sit down, sit down,” Richter said. “That’s certainly what I

plan to do.” He plopped into one of the chairs in front of the

desk. “There is a lot that I need to tell you. It looks like we are

at war. In addition, Hisako tells me we can start expecting

more monster attacks. And last but not least, there is a plague

of giant insects called the scourge that we need to eliminate

ASAP. Before we get into ALL of that though, Hisako said there
are some things you needed to tell me.”

Randolphus eyes grew wider, and his expression grew

more incredulous, as Richter had continued to speak. The last

seemed to take the wind out of him though, and he dropped

back into his chair. The chamberlain opened his mouth and
closed it several times before speaking. These eaters certainly

are well known and widely feared, Richter thought to himself.

When Randolphus had composed himself, he said, “You are
correct, my Lord. There are several things we need to discuss.
The first however, is what you want to do about the prisoners.
We can’t just continue to keep them under lock and key.”

“Richter just looked at Randy with a befuddled expression,

“Derrrr, what prisoners?”

~ End ~

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Thank you for once again joining me for a walk

through my world! The adventures of Richter

and Sion continue in “The Land: Alliances”

which will be coming soon! As always: Peace,

love and the perfect margarita!

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If you liked the book, please leave a
review! If you didn’t… it’s not as
crucial lol

Feel free to email me at

[email protected]

I apologize for any errors that may have slowed down

the story. Please email me at the above address if

you find any and I will correct them. Thank you!

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Index
Richter’s Spells

Earth

- Barkskin: This spell will increase natural armor by

+2. This is a spell of Earth Magic. Cost: 20 mana.

Duration: 20 min. Range: self. Cast Time: 1

second. Cooldown: N/A.

- Grease: 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. Cost:

15 mana. Duration: 5 min. Range 25 feet. Cast

time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 10 min.

- Summon 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. Cost: 25 mana. Duration:

5 minutes. Range 20 feet. Cast time: 1 second.

Cool down: 20 minutes.

Water

- Ice Dagger: This spell will throw a dagger made of

 ice at your target. This is a spell of Water Magic.

Cost 20 mana. Duration: 1 min. Range: 40 feet.

Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: N/A.

Air

- Haste! This spell will increase the speed of the

target. This is a spell of Air Magic. Cost 25 mana.

Duration: 10 min. Range: 5 feet. Cast Time: 1

second. Cooldown: N/A.

- 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. Cost 50 mana.

Duration: 20 min. Range: 50. Cast Time: 4

seconds. Cooldown: 45 min.

Fire

- Flame! Shoot a weak gout of flame from your

hand. This is a spell of Fire Magic. Cost: 10 mana.

Duration: 3 seconds. Range: 5 feet. Cast Time: 1

second. Cooldown: N/A.

Life

- Charm! 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. Cost 60 mana. Duration: 1 hour. Range: 20

feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

- Slow Heal! Restore 30 missing health over 60

seconds upon casting. This is a spell of Life Magic.

Cost 20 mana. Duration: 6 seconds. Range: Touch.

Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 1 min.

- Cure! Remove minor poison effects! This is a spell

of Life Magic. Cost 50 mana. Duration: 1 second.

Range: Touch. Cast time: 2 seconds. Cool down: 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. Cost: 30 mana. Duration: 2

minutes. Range: 10 feet. Cast time: 1 second.

Cool down: 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. Cost: 50 mana.

Duration: 15 minutes. Range: self. Cast time: 2

seconds. Cooldown: 20 minutes.

- Courage! Improves your Fighting Spirit by +50.

This is a spell of Life. Cost: 25 mana. Duration: 15

min. Range: self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown:

15 min.

- Minor Life Armor! Defense of all armor pieces

increased by +1 (+3 vs. Death attacks). Cost: 30

mana. Duration: 10 min. Range: self. Cast Time: 1

seconds. Cooldown: N/A.

Dark

- Night Vision! You can see even in the deepest

darkness. This is a spell of Dark Magic. Cost 5

mana. Duration: 3 hours. Range: 10 feet. Cast

Time: 1 second. Cooldown: N/A.]

- Cloying Darkness! 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. Cost 30

mana. Duration: 10 minutes. Range: 10 feet. Cast

Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

- Troubled Sleep. 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. Cost: 50 mana.

Duration: one hour. Range 15 feet. Cast time: 3

seconds. Cool down: 15 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. Cost: 2 mana. Duration: 10

minutes. Range: Self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cool

Down: N/A.

- Far Light! Creates a ball of white light that can be

fixed to a distant surface. This is a spell of Light

Magic. 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. Cost: 15 mana. Duration:

1 minute. Range: 10 feet. Cast Time: 1 second.

Cool Down: N/A.

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Richter’s Current Weapons and Armor

Armor

Sprite Helmet of Mana. Defense +5 (Max defense +7).

Weight 1.3 kg. Durability 22/30. Item class: Rare. Quality:

Superb. Type: Light Armor. Mana +50.

Sprite Breastplate of Brawn. Defense +7 (Max defense

+12). Type: Light armor. Durability 21/60. Item class: Rare.

Quality: Superb. Weight: 6.1 kg. Strength +8

Hardened Sprite Bracers. Defense +7 (Max defense +10).

Durability 17/30. Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight:

3.0 kg. Type: Light armor. Dexterity +7.

Studded Sprite Gauntlets. Defense +6 (Max defense +7).

Weight 2.2 kg. Durability 31/40. Item class: Uncommon.

Quality: Superb. Type: Light Armor. Increased climbing

+10.

Greaves of the Wood Sprite. Defense +5 (Max defense +9).

Type: Light armor. Durability 28/45. Item class: Uncommon.

Quality: Superb. Weight: 2.8 kg. Movement speed

increased by 10%
Reinforced Sprite Boots. Defense +5 (Max defense +8).

Durability 18/35. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb.

Weight: 1.8 kg. Type: Light armor. Silence +15

Bonus for entire set of Enhanced Sprite Armor. Defense

given by each piece increased by 25%. Special Bonus: 50%

less noise made while moving through forest. Special

Bonus: +20% Earth Resistance

Weapons

High steel long sword. Damage 13-19 (Max damage 18-24).

Durability 33/50. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb.

Weight 2.8 kg

Glass dagger. Damage 8-11 (Max damage 15-18). Durability

73/250. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Superb. Weight 0.5

kg.

Shadow High Steel Dagger. Damage 10-12. Durability

21/25. Item Class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average.

Weight: 0.5 kg. Ignores 10% of target’s defense.

Steel Dagger of Life. Damage 1-2 (Max Damage 8-11).

Durability 1/20. Item Class: Uncommon. Quality: Above

Average. Weight: 0.6 kg. Bestows +1 life damage upon

successful strike (+5 to Death creatures). Charges 5/20.

Recurve bow of the Wood Sprite. Damage 14-19. Durability

35/35. Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight: 3.8 kg.

Traits: + 8 Dexterity. + 5% accuracy. Provides the skill:

Focus.

Sprite Arrows of Nature. Quantity 20. Durability 4/4. Item

class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Accuracy +1.

Damage +1.

Arrow of Dispelling. Will dispel active enchantments on

target.

Arrow of Flame. Will do additional 10-12 damage on impact.

Chance to cause Burn.

Arrow of Poison. Chance to Poison target, doing additional

2-4 damage for 10 seconds.

Arrow of Freeze. Will do additional 7-9 damage on impact.

Chance to cause Freeze.

Arrow of Piercing. Will ignore up to 66% of opponent’s

armor.
Arrow of Confusion. Target may attack anyone near,

including possibly allies.

Misc

Belt of Strength: Durability 20/20. Item class: Rare. Quality:

Superb. Weight 1.1 kg. Traits: Increase Strength by +4.

Necklace of Scry Defense. Will block all but God level

scrying spells. You will not be able to be seen by divination,

tracking or detection spells. Passive action. Durability

200/200. Item class: Rare. Quality: Superb. Weight 0.4 kg

Bracelet of Health. Durability 10/10. Item class:

Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg.

Traits: Increase maximum Health by +40.

Rings

Ring of Hidden Dangers. +25% to trap detection. Passive

ability. Durability 15/15. Item class: Uncommon. Quality:

Average. Weight 0.1 kg

Ring of Flowing Thought. Durability 25/25. Item class: Rare.

Quality: Superb. Weight 0.1 kg. +20% mana regeneration

Minor ring of healing. Will heal 30 health on wearer. Cool

down 10 minutes. Can be used twice per day. Durability

8/8. Item class: Common. Quality: Average. Weight: 0.1 kg

Ring of Mana: Durability 9/9. Item class: Uncommon.

Quality: Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Traits: Increase maximum

Mana by +20.

Ring of Health: Durability 11/11. Item class: Uncommon.

Quality: Above Average. Weight: 0.1 kg. Traits: Increase

maximum Health by +30 x 4

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Richter’s Skill Rank Bonuses

- Herb Lore:
Novice: Notice low level herbs and be able

to pick them. Can detect one useful traits

from picked herbs

Initiate: Can detect two traits from picked

herbs. Can avoid one negative trait when

ingesting
Apprentice: Can detect three traits from

picked herbs. Can avoid two negative traits

when ingesting
- Pierce the Veil

Novice: Can see hidden traps

Initiate: Can see hidden compartments

- Trade
Novice: Can “smell” a deal

Initiate: 5% better prices, buying and

selling

Apprentice: 10% better prices, buying and

selling. Can find black markets.
- Portal Construction

Novice: Can travel only between two points

on the same ley line.

Initiate: can create portals to allow travel

between any two points on the same type of

ley line.

Apprenctice: 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.

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Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 18, 36%
Health: 430 Mana: 420 Stamina: 210
Strength: 29
Agility: 24
Dexterity: 34
Constitution: 25
Endurance: 21
Intelligence: 35
Wisdom: 21
Charisma: 24
Luck: 15
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
Fast Learner
Bounty of Life
Psi Bond
Skills:
Herb Lore Lvl 39; 22% to next level
Alchemy Lvl 1; 0% to next level
Analyze Lvl 6; 7% to next level
Pierce the Veil Lvl 23; 45% to next level
Stealth Lvl 6; 14% to next level
Traps Lvl 21; 87% to next level
Trap Disarm Lvl 21; 99% to next level
Archery Lvl 10; 24% to next level
Imbue Arrow Lvl 5; 18% to next level
Focus Lvl 3; 78% to next level
Double Shot Lvl 3; 31% to next level,
Drill Shot Lvl 2; 40% to next level
Swordsmanship Lvl 2; 15% to next level
Small Blades Lvl 4; 43% to next level
Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 10% to next level
 Pressure Points Lvl 1; 15% to next level
Light Armor Lvl 8; 18% to next level
Grace in Combat Lvl 5; 38% to next level
Air Magic Lvl 6; 37% to next level
Life Magic Lvl 5; 82% to next level
Earth Magic Lvl 4; 92% to next level
Water Magic Lvl 5; 47% to next level
Dark Magic Lvl 5; 22% to next level
Light Magic Lvl 4; 48% to next level
Fire Magic Lvl 5; 9% to next level
Map Making Lvl MAX
Trade Lvl 14; 86% to next level
War Leader Lvl 2, 43% to next level
Enchantment Lvl 1; 44% to next level
Portal Construction Apprentice
Lore Lvl 1
Marks:
Master of Mist Village
Blood Oath
Resistances:
Air 50%
Earth 20%
Life 50%
Mental 15%
Spiritual 15%
Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my
attention.”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All

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Name: Alma
Level: 7, 31%
Health: 170 Mana: 170 Stamina: 170
(Unused level points: 0)
Abilities:
Psi Bond – Lvl 1, points to next level: 1
Psi Blast – Lvl 1, points to next level: 1
Brain Drain – Lvl 4, points to next level: 4
Can use:
Air Magic
Life Magic
Resistances:
Mental: 100%
Air: 50%
Race: Psi Dragonling

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