Date: 2020-03-12T18:00:00+00:00
Description: His abilities sealed by a powerful curse, Thorn is racing against the clock to regain his voice. Will a quest across the world be the answer, or will everything he has gained be stripped away? Thorn might be the Greymane, but after the disastrous end of the last World Quest he is in no position to rule. Heading off with his friends to seek the cure to his curse, Thorn leaves Moon Wolf Citadel behind to search for the elusive World Tree. After arriving on the other side of Angoril, Thorn and his companions realize that all is not well on the Elven Isle and are forced to flee for their lives. No
Publisher: Independently published

Nova Terra: Guardian

SETH RING

Nova Terra: Guardian

Copyright © 2020 by Seth Ring.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

1st Edition

Contents

Nova Terra: Guardian

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

CHAPTER FIFTY

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Afterword

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER ONE

A giant Wolfkin robot. That is what came to mind when Thorn looked in the mirror. The Rakkam smiths had crafted an entire Wolfkin out of a mixture of Fire Iron and Darksteel, creating a bronze colored behemoth for Thorn to wear. From the tips of the clawed boots to the top of the helmet’s ears, the suit covered every inch of Thorn’s massive body in thick metal.

Flexing the clawed fingers of his gauntlets, Thorn rotated his hands, admiring the thick carvings that covered every inch of the armor plates. The Stone Dwarves were truly masters of their craft, and despite the size and weight of the heavy armor set, Thorn did not feel constricted in the least. Stretching his shoulders, Thorn opened up the armor’s stats.

Wolf Lord’s Heavy Armor

Crafted for Lord Greymane, The Moon Wolf, by the Master Smith Varroh Belshir, this set of masterwork armor was commissioned by the heroes who defeated Courdum the Stone King.

Made from a Fire Iron and Darksteel alloy, the Wolf Lord’s heavy armor is marked with the holy symbol of Hati, the god of the night.

Armor Bonuses:

+Speed

[Quicksilver Claws]

+Strength

[Predator's Leap]

+Constitution

[Moon’s Reflection]

Turning to the dwarven blacksmiths who were watching him put on the armor, Thorn gave them a thumbs up. Unlike the other armor he had seen, this armor was created as a set and could only be worn as a total unit, preventing him from being able to add or remove pieces. On the plus side, that meant that it gained all the bonuses of a full set without needing to be collected piece by piece.

Quicksilver Claws

Using a special Orichalcum alloy, Master Smith Varroh has added a deadly edge to these claws. An additional enchantment increases the wearer’s hand speed.

Fast and deadly, these claws have increased cutting power.

Predator's Leap

A set of specially constructed micro-pistons in the legs of this armor allow the user to leap four times as far as normal. After each leap, the micro-pistons take six minutes to recharge.

Moon’s Reflection

The reflection of the moon on a lake looks near yet cannot be touched. Arcane enchantments gather energy from the moon, allowing the wearer of the [Wolf Lord’s Heavy Armor] to phase out of sync with the world for two seconds. After three phases, the armor must collect more moonlight to recharge.

“Looks good.” Corvo examined the bronze colored armor. Used to seeing Thorn in shining silver armor, the Wolfkin-themed bronze armor lent the Titan a fierce air.

“It better look good, it cost a fortune,” Mina said, poking one of the hard metal studs along the spine of Thorn’s armor.

“A small price to pay for helping us beat the World Quest.”

Looking over his shoulder, Thorn saw the beautiful guild leader of the Eastern Alliance standing next to Velin. BurningCloud had messaged Thorn two days after the fight against Courdum the Stone King inviting him to meet her in Rakkam. Once there, she presented him with enough master level [Dwarven Gear Tokens] to commission a complete set of armor from the master blacksmiths.

The [Wolf Lord’s Heavy Armor] was the result, a fearsome set that included offensive, defensive, and movement abilities as part of its traits. The three abilities of the armor came at a welcome time as Thorn’s other abilities were completely locked down thanks to the [Living Statue] curse he had picked up from swallowing the corrupted [Stone Heart] in the fight with Courdum.

Turning his attention back to his armor, Thorn pulled up his status with a mental command.

Name: [Thorn]

Race: [Titan]

Health: [100%]

Mana: [100%]

Titles: [Battle Mad], [Wolfsbane], [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf], [Friend of the Earth], [Inheritor], [Commissioned Knight (Order of the Flame)], [Kingbreaker], [Hero], [Bearer of the Stone Heart (Corrupted)], [Living Statue]

Class: [Disciple]

Mastery: [None]

Allegiance: [Temple of the Moon]

Abilities: [Wolf Lord’s Howl], [Avatar of the Wolf], [Call the Pack], [Blessing of the Moon], [Presence of the Wolf Lord], [Martial Form: Dawn], [Basic Weapons Mastery], [Apprentice Orator], [Rallying Cry], [Pack Travel], [Earth Sense], [The Devil is in the Details], [Shadow Dash], [Language Proficiency: Abyssal], [Intercepting Strike (lvl 1)], [Armor of the Earth], [Heart of the Earth ], [Call the Stone Legion]

The number of titles and abilities listed was enough to make anyone green with envy, but Thorn could only shake his head, despondent. The [Living Statue] curse not only locked his abilities, but it also removed his ability to communicate with others. No speaking, no sending messages through his in-game messaging system, no initiating video calls. The best Thorn could do was write messages on paper and hand them out.

“Thank you for your gift. It was very generous of you.” Next to BurningCloud, Velin tucked her hair behind her ear and took a slight step forward, positioning herself neatly between BurningCloud and Thorn. “Nova Luna appreciates it.”

“Of course. It is the least we can do.” Giving the Elf a sweet smile, BurningCloud turned her attention back toward Thorn who was still looking at his status. When the Titan did not look up, she gave a small cough to get his attention.

Looking up, Thorn saw the two ladies staring at him. Similar in height and in attractiveness, the auras they exuded could not have been more different. BurningCloud was the definition of a fiery beauty, her red phoenix armor giving off a mature charm. Velin, on the other hand, was almost ethereal. No less beautiful, she exuded a glacial calm. Feeling a bead of sweat run down his back at the two gazes fixed on him, Thorn gave them another thumbs up and grabbed Corvo by the arm, pulling him out of the room.

Behind him, BurningCloud sniffed, annoyance flashing across her eyes. Velin, on the other hand, seemed oddly pleased and immediately engaged the pretty guild leader in small talk, preventing her from following Thorn. Mina and Jorge, watching all this from the side, glanced at each other and then back at the two beautiful ladies. Almost as one they swallowed and then fled the room.

Once he was outside Thorn let go of Corvo’s arm and breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that they were in an open space, Thorn gestured toward his fellow avatar’s chest and then pointed at himself, punching his fist into his palm. The avatar of the All-Seeing Raven shook his head resolutely as he backed up.

“Absolutely not!” Corvo shook his head vehemently. “Find someone else if you want to beat up on them. I have no desire to get my head kicked in just so you can test your new armor. Ah! Jorge, come here. Mina, you too.”

Grasping his opportunity, the avatar dragged Mina and Jorge in between him and Thorn. Patting them on their shoulders, he smiled and pointed at them.

“These two are really good fighters so you can test yourself against them.”

Slowly lifting his hand, Thorn held out three fingers, and then, before Corvo could respond, he rushed forward to attack.

“What? You want to fight all three of us? How insulting!” Pretending to be angry, Mina pointed her wand at Thorn. Her voice quivered in amusement as she summoned her three ice orbs to float around her head. At the same moment she slid sideways, pushing off of Jorge who tumbled away, vanishing as he went. With Mina and Jorge vanishing from in front of him, Corvo was left in the charging Titan’s path.

“Oh, come on,” the Elf grumbled, jumping backward nimbly.

Grinning under his helmet, Thorn shot a glance at Mina who was still sliding to his right. The Ice Witch was moving too quickly for him to intercept her and a quick look to his left showed Jorge was nowhere to be seen. Fixing his eyes back on Corvo, Thorn lifted his fist and let loose a punch, straight toward the Elf’s face. With another sigh, the thin figure in front of Thorn flicked his fingers, catching a rapier as it dropped out of the air.

Just as Thorn’s fist was about to reach him Corvo floated sideways, his ragged coat shimmering. Almost fading from Thorn’s sight, the tip of his sword drew a small circle around the incoming attack. Slightly mesmerized by the strange movement of Corvo’s coat, it wasn’t until it was too late that Thorn realized his punch had been drawn off course, smashing into the ground. At the same moment he felt the point of the rapier scratch along the armor around his throat, deflecting away.

Seeing his attack fail, Corvo cursed under his breath and sprang away, his coat transforming into a pair of wings as he moved. Impressed by his new armor, Thorn turned to the others, only to find the courtyard completely empty. Both Mina and Jorge had run away, totally abandoning the fight. Above him, Corvo had completed his transformation into a bird and was glaring at the Titan from a small perch near the ceiling.

With Mina and Jorge gone and Corvo refusing to come down, all Thorn could do was sigh and shrug. He briefly considered going back to find Velin but the memory of the Elf standing next to BurningCloud made him sweat. Deciding that he wanted no part of whatever was going on there, Thorn was about to escape as well when he heard a gruff voice from near his knee.

“So? Whatcha think?”

Barely coming up to his thigh, Master Smith Varroh was as wide as he was tall. Having seen the Master Smith wield a hammer in each hand as he crushed metal into submission, Thorn knew he would be no fun to face in a fight. Opening his mouth, Thorn could only close it again in frustration. Not being able to speak was turning out to be a serious drag. Instead, he had to make do with giving Master Smith a thumbs up.

“Oh, that’s right. You’re mute. Sorry, forgot about that.” Tapping his pipe reflexively, Varroh narrowed his eyes as he considered something. “Hey, you want to test your armor out? I know a good spot where you can get a good workout.”

Perking up, Thorn nodded. Fighting was quickly becoming one of his favorite parts of the game but none of his friends seemed to want to give it a go. Not that he could blame them. At eight feet, nine inches tall, Thorn had both strength and reach on all of them. Add nearly limitless endurance and then wrap metal around it and you had a walking tank. Not the most fun duel for anyone.

“Alright. Come along. I’ll take you over.” Spinning on his heels, Master Smith Varroh led Thorn out of the smithy’s yard. The Master Smith was chatty in a slow and steady way and introduced Thorn to all of the different blacksmith shops as they walked through the forge district of Rakkam. As it turned out, all of the smiths were connected to him in some way, with most being the apprentices of smiths that had been his apprentices. Thorn could tell that Varroh was quite proud of this and did his best to show interest, though that proved difficult with his wolf head helmet on.

Back at Varroh’s smithy, Velin and BurningCloud walked out into the shop’s yard and looked around. Not seeing anyone, BurningCloud finally said goodbye and left. Watching her go, Velin’s face resumed its normal coldness, the warm smile she had shown BurningCloud nowhere to be seen.

“You need to do something about that kid.” Corvo’s annoyed voice floated down from where he was perched in his bird form.

Watching him jump off his perch, his wide black wings spreading as he glided down, Velin raised an eyebrow.

“Did he try to fight you again?”

“Yeah, Mina and Jorge both ran away, leaving me alone.”

“Where is he now?” Velin gave a slight smile. This same drama had been playing over and over ever since Thorn had lost his voice after the fight against Courdum the Stone King.

“He wandered off with Varroh, the Master Smith. Probably looking for a place to test his armor.”

“Good. Hopefully he can blow off a little steam. I think he is just frustrated and fighting is the only way he knows how to express that.”

“Sure, I get it. But he doesn’t have to express it on me, does he?”

“You’re fine. More importantly,” Velin flipped open her notebook, her finger running down a list she had written. “How are you doing with that transportation?”

“I contacted my friend, but Thorn’s weight is going to be a real problem. Are you sure that getting to Rasyn will help with this curse? I had to call in a lot of favors for this.”

Instead of replying, Velin pulled a vial from her inventory and held it in front of Corvo’s beak. His eyes going wide, his form blurred, and he turned back into his Elven form, taking the vial from her hand.

“The sap of the world tree?” Almost choking on the words as he said them, it was obvious that Corvo could hardly believe it.

“It is only a drop, but yes. If anything can clear Thorn’s [Living Statue] curse, the sap of the world tree can. I’ve tracked the world tree to Rasyn. Once we get there, we can find the tree and the sap, completing a quest for me and clearing Thorn’s curse.”

“Do you think it will be as simple as just getting there and searching for it? No one else has found the world tree. At least, that we know of.”

“I know, but a long shot is better than no shot at all.” Velin sighed and rubbed her forehead. “We only have three weeks until Thorn is supposed to be in the capital for his hearing, so whatever we do it has to be fast.”

“Alright. Well, I put out the call so hopefully we can make something happen. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”

“Thanks, Corvo.” Snapping her notebook shut, Velin took back the vial of sap from the world tree and put it away carefully. “I’ve got to track Thorn down. Who knows where he wandered.”

“That’s true. He could be getting up to all sorts of trouble with the dwarven ladies.” Chuckling, Corvo turned back into a large raven, wheeling above Velin’s head. “Can’t be letting other ladies get their claws into him, can we? He is young and impressionable after all.”

Ignoring the teasing, Velin just rolled her eyes and set off to find the Titan.

CHAPTER TWO

Master Smith Varroh strolled through the maze of forges, Thorn following close behind. Eventually arriving at a large ramp, he brought Thorn onto a platform half way down the side of a giant pit. The ramp continued to the left, angling along the pit wall until it reached the bottom of the pit, nearly three hundred feet down. Heavy duty rails ran down the length of the ramp and a massive pulley system dragged metal cars up to the pit floor.

“See those big guys down there?” The Master Smith pointed down at the bottom of the pit where some creatures waddled around. With his better than average eyesight, Thorn could see that they were scaled and each had six limbs extending from their circular torso. From this height they looked like small water bugs skating around the surface of a pond.

Metal Crawler Infestation

The Stone Dwarves of Rakkam are having problems with a nest of Metal Crawlers who have settled in one of their mines. Master Smith Varroh would like you to clear the strip mine so that the miners can resume their work.

Reward: 25 gold

Clicking accept, Thorn gave Varroh a thumbs up and began to walk down the ramp. As he walked, he examined the bugs on the pit floor. At first, they were quite small, but the closer to the bottom of the ramp he got, the larger the metal crawlers appeared. When he hit the halfway point, the metal crawlers were about half his size. By the time he was three quarters of the way from the pit floor, they had grown to as tall as he was.

Taking a deep breath, Thorn stepped off of the ramp onto the hard packed dirt floor and stared up at the nearest metal crawler. Despite appearing to be the size of bugs from the platform where Master Smith Varroh was watching with interest, the metal crawlers were a good one and a half times Thorn’s height. Stretching out his shoulders, Thorn fixed his attention on the nearest one and took a step forward.

Instantly, the nearest two metal crawlers rotated their bodies, their thick scaled legs punching into the ground like pistons as they turned to face Thorn. A large vertical slit that looked like it combined the function of their eyes, nose, and mouth flared, revealing saw-edged teeth. Letting out a jagged screech, both began to charge toward Thorn furiously. Their legs pounded the ground as they advanced, each step leaving a small crater in the dirt.

With another deep breath, Thorn prepared to meet the two incoming metal crawlers. Activating his new claws, he was once again grateful that they were part of his new armor set instead of being an ability. Over the last few days he had really been missing his abilities, so the fact that he could use his claws despite the [Living Statue] curse was nice. Rather than move forward to meet the two incoming enemies, Thorn dropped into a slight crouch and lifted his hands into a standard defensive stance.

The two metal crawlers jostled against each other as they charged toward Thorn, trying to be the first to get to him. The one on the left was slightly smaller and appeared to be on the losing end of the struggle but just as the two metal crawlers got within twenty feet of Thorn, it swept one of its pole-like legs out sideways, managing to trip the larger metal crawler. Hissing in triumph, it continued its thundering charge toward Thorn. The creature’s maw yawned wide as it got closer.

Watching the metal crawler carefully, Thorn was ready for its attack when it suddenly swerved. Using the same move it had just successfully employed against its companion, it swept one of its legs out like a club. Taking a quick step back, Thorn reached out his hand and caught the leg as it came toward him, stopping it dead in the air. Tightening his grip, the claws on his gauntlet gleamed silver and punctured through the metal crawler’s scales.

Ignoring the creature’s thrashing, Thorn punched his other hand forward, breaking the leg clean off as the metal crawler stumbled backward. Stepping forward, Thorn reversed the leg in his hand and stabbed it through the metal crawler’s open mouth, skewering the creature through.

Jumping over the dying metal crawler, Thorn charged toward the other metal crawler which was getting back to its feet. Its gnashing teeth gave off the loud screech of metal grinding together. The metal crawler reared back on its two back legs as Thorn approached, its front legs waving in the air. When he was six feet away, Thorn leapt up in the air, batting the two metal pole arms away and coming down in the middle of the metal crawler’s back. The force from his descent drove its body back down into the ground. Slashing down with his claws, Thorn abruptly cut off the creature’s chittering cries.

Watching from the platform on the ramp, Master Smith Varroh’s eyebrows rose. He had brought Thorn to the quarry to see how the armor held up against the metal crawlers’ attacks but Thorn was shredding them like they were paper.

“Pretty impressive, huh?”

Hearing a silvery voice, Varroh turned his head as Velin came down the ramp. Nodding curtly, he turned back to look down at the Titan raging below.

“What else would one expect from the Kingbreaker? A hero who can defeat the Stone King shouldn’t have any trouble with a paltry metal crawler nest.”

“True.” Glancing at the dwarf out of the corner of her eye, Velin stood beside him. The Stone Dwarves were naturally distant, but they seemed especially distrustful of Elves. Both Velin and Corvo had barely been able to get more than a few words from them. On the other hand, they had taken to Thorn like moths to a flame despite the fact that he could not speak. It was such a stark difference that Velin wondered if there was something else going on besides the fact that Thorn had dealt the finishing blow to Courdum the Stone King.

“I was admiring the runic work that you did on Lord Greymane’s armor.” Undeterred by Master Smith Varroh’s standoffishness, Velin continued talking to him. “I noticed similar rune sets on the Aether Gate that you were kind enough to install in Flamespire Fortress. Did you create those as well? Pretty astounding work for how quickly you completed it.

“Hmph. Thanks.” Hearing an Elf praise his work without any hint of mockery, Master Smith Varroh warmed up slightly. “But I wouldn’t call it quick. I worked on that set of Aether Gates for close to a year before the Cursed King cast the curse on us. I had almost finished when we all turned to stone.”

“Oh, wow. I did not realize that it took that long. I thought that you had done it in the few days since you woke up.”

“Nah, carving space stabilizing runes takes way longer than that.” Pretending to be humble, the Dwarven Master Smith waved his hand. “Still, if it were any other blacksmith, it would have taken them three years, Master Smith or not.”

Sprinting across the packed dirt, Thorn was enjoying his fight immensely. The metal crawlers were not particularly difficult opponents, though they were sneaky. They really enjoyed trying to ambush him while he was tangled up with one of their kin. Not that he minded. The armor that Master Smith Varroh had created for him was like a second skin and provided significant defense.

As he got used to the armor set, Thorn simply allowed attacks to hit him. At first, it was a strange feeling to let the attacks roll off of him, but as he got used to it he found himself able to fight his way through his enemies even faster than normal. Ignoring a sweeping attack, Thorn let it hit his back as his claws dug into the metal crawler in front of him. Getting a good grip, Thorn raised the huge creature over his head and smashed it down on top of the metal crawler that had just attacked him, reducing both of them to scrap.

*ding*

Startled by the sound, Thorn stood up straight, scanning the quarry floor. Everywhere he looked, crushed and broken metal bodies lay strewn across the dirt. The dirt floor was covered in craters from the intensity of the fight, pieces of the metal crawlers sticking up from where Thorn had pounded them into the ground.

Metal Crawler Infestation: Completed

The Stone Dwarves of Rakkam are having problems with a nest of Metal Crawlers who have settled in one of their mines. Master Smith Varroh would like you to clear the strip mine so that the miners can resume their work.

See Master Smith Varroh for your reward: 25 gold

With a silent sigh, Thorn breathed out. He felt much more relaxed. It was as if the fight had loosened a muscle that he was tensing without realizing it. Rolling his head around on his neck after pulling off his helmet, he began to walk back up to the platform where Velin and Varroh were watching from. A stream of dwarves rushed down the ramp past him with tools clutched in their hands. Once they reached the bottom of the ramp they spread out and began harvesting the bodies of the dead metal crawlers that Thorn had left behind.

“Well done.” Master Smith Varroh greeted Thorn as he arrived at the platform and began running experienced hands over the Titan’s armor to check for damage. “Any problems moving? It looked like there were some pauses between engagements. Was that an issue with the suit or with you?”

Gesturing with his thumb to himself, Thorn patted the helmet and then gave the Master Smith a thumbs up. The armor had performed like a dream, and if it were not for the fact that the [Living Statue] curse had taken away his ability to speak, he would have been gushing with praise. The attacks of the metal crawlers had not left a scratch on the armor set which was still gleaming as brightly as it had been when Thorn charged into battle.

After a few more minutes of checking over Thorn’s armor, the Dwarven foreman who had passed Thorn heading down into the pit hurried back up the ramp and spoke in a low voice to Master Smith Varroh. Getting a nod, he presented Thorn with a small bag containing 25 gold coins and hurried down the ramp again.

“Good, I’m glad the armor is working for you. It is not nearly enough to pay you back for what you have done for my people, but it is a token of our appreciation. If you ever have any issues with it or need to get it repaired, you can come see me,” Master Smith Varroh said gruffly as Thorn put the gold away. Reaching up to slap Thorn on the back good naturedly, the Master Smith paused just before his hand landed on Thorn’s butt. Coughing awkwardly, he threw a nod at the Titan and hurried off, leaving Thorn facing a giggling Elf.

“Alright, let’s go meet up with everyone. It is time to go over our plan.” Velin was unable to hide the smile on her face.

The trip back to Moon Wolf Citadel was quick, thanks to a portal that Thorn had paid the Dwarves to erect between Nova Luna’s new underground fortress, Flamespire, and the valley. It was like a permanent version of the Aether Gate that Ragnarok had used to bring more players into the fortress when the World Quest was active. After traveling through the shimmering blue arcane energy, Thorn and Velin appeared near the front gate of Moon Wolf Citadel. The guards snapped to attention at the sight of Thorn’s massive form and many of the players greeted him and Velin enthusiastically.

Morale among players in Nova Luna was high after the successful completion of the World Quest, and Thorn saw many new faces sporting the guild’s symbol as he and Velin walked toward the fortress in the middle of the citadel. Scratching his head, Thorn looked from the gate to the fortress which seemed to have gotten significantly further away. The distance that would have taken them a few minutes before the World Quest, now took them nearly an hour to cover. Crowds of players walked in and out of the citadel and the line of carts carrying goods in and out of the valley was way longer than Thorn remembered.

Many of those new players were Wolfkin and without exception they stepped aside as he walked forward, staring at him with shining eyes. Slowly a silence fell as players turned their attention toward Thorn until everyone was watching him. Catching Thorn looking at the new players who were watching him with rapt attention, Velin explained.

“Someone from one of the other guilds recorded your fight against Courdum and released a video of it, complete with cool background music. It came out pretty well, though the actual impact is hard to see since they had to hide. Anyway, they called it ‘The Wolf and the Stone King’ and people have been going crazy over it. We have had close to a million applications in the last two days. The number of players playing as Wolfkin has jumped to nearly six million since the video came out three days ago, so the valley has gotten bigger again. Moon Wolf Citadel as well.

“I had to call your aunt since you were out of it, but we now have an entire department that is doing nothing but trying to filter guild applications. Needless to say, after your ‘meteor attack’, that is what people are calling it, you have gained quite a bit of popularity. As you can see, the valley has gotten quite busy as a result. We expect some of it to die down after a bit, but the majority of these players will stay. That is one of the things we need to talk about.”

Taking one last look at the staring crowds, Thorn smiled and gave them a wave with his big hand. With a whoop the crowd erupted into a cheer as Thorn disappeared past the imposing disciples guarding the fortress doors. Shaking his head, Thorn led the way up the large stairs, into the throne room, and through the door of his office behind the platform holding the throne. Captain Del’har met them at the door. The head of Thorn’s guards was wearing the slick black armor Thorn had gotten from Ouroboros and looked quite dangerous.

Almost bowing when he saw Thorn, the captain caught himself and settled for a warrior’s salute, slamming his closed fist above his heart. Stepping to the side, he revealed Corvo, Oberlin, and Elder Havva sitting in chairs that had been drawn into a circle facing Thorn’s desk.

“Hello, Lord Greymane.” Elder Havva started to rise, but Thorn hurried over to stop him. “Welcome back to the valley. You have gained quite the prestige for our people by your actions.”

Greeting the elder with a smile, Thorn unequipped his armor, changing his clothes into a fine white shirt tucked into tan, fall front trousers. An embroidered vest in dark blue peeked out from under a velvet trimmed tailcoat, and polished leather shoes covered his massive feet. His aunt and the tailor she had taken him to had teamed up to try and get him to wear a variety of fobs, but Thorn had opted for a simple gold chain he could wear across his vest and to which his guild symbol was attached. Changed, Thorn sat down in his massive chair and leaned back.

“Hey big guy. That video was quite the sight.” Sitting next to the elderly Wolfkin, Oberlin grinned. “No doubt it was even crazier in person, but man, that sure was impressive. I’m glad I wasn’t there.”

“Seriously, who drops meteors on their enemies? Or eats cursed stone hearts,” Corvo said, before he and Oberlin burst into laughter.

“Attention please.” Velin stood and rapped on the desk for silence. “We have a lot to cover in this meeting so let’s get started.”

CHAPTER THREE

“There are a number of things that we need to cover in this meeting,” Velin said, opening her notebook and flipping through the pages. “First, we need to catch Thorn up on what is happening in the valley. Second, we need to discuss some changes that have taken place in the guild. Third, we’ll be talking about the challenges that we are currently facing, as well as the proposal we’ve received from guild leader BurningCloud of the Eastern Alliance.”

“Is it a marriage proposal?” Asked Oberlin, earning himself a withering stare.

“No way.” Corvo waved his hand dismissively. “Thorn is only 16.”

A brief and awkward silence filled the room as Captain Del’har and Elder Havva both turned to look directly at Velin who blushed slightly. Oblivious to this, Thorn scratched some words out on a piece of paper and held them up.

I am actually 17

“Wait, you had a birthday? When was that?”

When we were in the capital

“What!? Why didn’t you say something?”

Holding his hand up to quell the exclamations, Thorn wrote for a bit and then held up his paper again and gestured at his vest and tailcoat.

I don’t make a big deal about my birthdays in the real world, so I didn’t make a big deal about it here. My aunt bought me some clothes because it is kind of a joke between us.

“Okay, so our lord is 17. Good news everyone, only seven more years in game until he can get married,” Corvo said, tossing a wink at Velin.

Completely ignoring him, Velin rapped on the table again.

“Let’s focus please. Some of us have a lot to do today, so we need to stay on track. As I was saying, our third topic will be the challenges Nova Luna is facing, and the proposal we have received. Fourth, we will be discussing this [Living Statue] curse that Thorn…” Velin paused ever so slightly, causing Oberlin to snicker. “The curse that Thorn acquired. I have a plan, but it will need some help. Are there any other topics that we need to cover?”

“What about the crusades? Weren’t we going to focus on grinding the Battlefield of Flame and Shadow so that Thorn can build up his rank?” Oberlin asked, looking between Thorn and Velin.

“That will be part of the third topic. Anything else? No, okay. Our first topic is getting Thorn up to speed on what has happened in the valley recently. I’ll start.” Flipping a few of the pages of her notebook over, Velin cleared her throat and straightened her posture. “I spoke about this briefly before we arrived, but to give a general recap of the overall situation, the valley has expanded significantly due to the influx of new players and spawned natives. This is, in part, due to the video that was uploaded, but also due to the availability of the Disciple and Night Walker classes.

“A class with four possible mastery paths that are trainable is extremely enticing to players, and the class has been gaining significant popularity over the last month as players are posting about their experiences on the forums. This rise in the popularity of the class has led to an increase in the popularity of the Wolfkin race, which in turn has led to a massive influx of players.

“The valley has grown again, taking up almost the whole mountain range. I believe the mayor of Greymane Village talked to you about settling new towns, right? There are now five villages and two large towns, all bursting at the seams. You noticed that the fortress expanded as well, right? It is nearly the size of a city now and will comfortably hold a million players and natives.”

Thorn’s mouth dropped open as he tried to process Velin’s words. A million players was an astronomical amount, and he was having trouble processing the idea of the Citadel he built fitting them. Noticing his shock, Corvo jumped into the conversation.

“Is this your first time experiencing mass stretching? That is what we call it when Nova Terra adjusts based on the popularity of an area. The influx of players was so significant that an adjustment had to be made, and we happened to be in the right place and time to enjoy it. New estimates for the valley put its length close to 100 miles. But that is still being confirmed as it looks like there are a ton of offshoots.

“The bigger issue is the citadel which has grown astronomically. The front and back walls are now four miles long, and the rest of the citadel has grown with them. Our total area is now twelve square miles, give or take. I’m guessing it would have been bigger, but that whole basement area that you made when you designed the citadel has expanded to three levels, which allows for greater population density.”

“Alright, enough about this for now.” Velin could see Thorn’s eyes glazing over, so she steered the subject in a different direction. Giving Elder Havva and Captain Del’har a smile, she gestured for them to speak. “Let’s give Elder Havva and the captain a chance to report.”

“Thank you, Lady Velin.” The large Wolfkin captain stood up and saluted Thorn again. “My Lord, it is as the others report. There has been a flood of Wolfkin from all over the continent who have heard of your deeds and have returned to the valley. There is barely enough room to house them all, so we made the decision that only the members of Nova Luna and the Temple of the Moon are allowed to stay in the Citadel after the sun sets.

“Out of consideration for the merchants and crafting masters, we are selling a limited number of passes to allow temporary stays. While many have opted to stay in Greymane City instead, significant revenue has been generated by the passes. Lady Velin instructed me to use the revenue for the guard, so that is what I have been doing.”

Thorn glanced at Velin and gave the captain a thumbs up. The increased number of players and natives in the valley had undoubtedly created a need for an increased number of guards so Thorn was happy that Velin was being proactive in that regard.

Let us know if you need a bigger budget.

“Thank you, my Lord. What we have now should be sufficient. Licensing and fines have proven to be a better source of money than I originally thought. The only other thing I have to report is that there have been reports of giant wolves in the eastern end of the valley, close to the ruins of Greymane Keep.”

Giant? Like how big are we talking?

“At least as tall as me, my lord. Most of them are described as giant wolves with black fur. The reports are still being investigated, but it seems that they are quite territorial and have been chasing hunters out of the area.”

Scratching his chin, Thorn’s mind immediately flashed back to the massive wolf that he had faced in the valley after he had cleared Greymane Keep. The wolf had said something about the true ruler of the valley before being driven off. If he had a chance, Thorn decided, he would go and see what was going on by the old castle.

“That is all I have to report, my Lord.” Captain Del’har sat down again, looking toward Elder Havva, who slowly rose from his seat despite Thorn’s motions.

“Good afternoon, Lord Greymane. Haha, don’t worry, I am not so old that I must constantly sit.” Smiling, the old Wolfkin patted the top of his cane. “I am pleased to report that both the valley and the Temple of the Moon are running smoothly. Gelish has proven himself to be a good leader, and we are getting many new disciples who are joining either the Moon Guardians to guard the valley, or the Night Walker Association. We have also produced our first cohort of official Night Walkers, who we have deployed as guards and mercenaries around the continent. The integration of the disciples with the guild has also been working well.”

Thank you for your work, Elder.

“Of course, Lord Greymane. It is my pleasure to serve.”

“Okay, my turn.” Corvo didn’t get up from where he lounged in his chair, earning himself a dirty look from Captain Del’har. “Ms. Silverhand agreed to help us develop the Night Walker’s merchant arm, and with help from Elder Havva we have gotten everything rolling. Turns out Ms. Silverhand really knows what she is doing. It will take a little while for the merchant group to develop fully, but we are well on our way. The other merchants we arrested have either been released or joined up.”

What about those Wolfkin who were complaining about the moon stones?

“Hm? Oh, Elder Havva straightened them out. There is now a pretty neat quest structure that allows you to earn moon stones by doing things for the temple. But the advantages of joining the Night Walkers is so apparent that almost everyone joins. Especially since we started the merchant arm and started giving a discount on goods. I’d guess that within a couple of months there will be close to 100% participation in either the Night Walkers or the Moon Guardians from the players who are spawning as Wolfkin.”

“Anyone else have anything to report?” Velin looked around the room after Corvo finished. When no one responded, she nodded and turned to the next page in her notebook. “The next topic is specific changes in the guild. Thorn, as I mentioned, we have gotten an absurd number of applications for the guild. While a large part of them are not going to be considered, we could easily expand our guild to a few million players if we wanted to.

“Obviously, that would not be manageable, so we will be expanding the professional portion of Nova Luna to five thousand players, and the social portion of the guild to fifteen thousand players. This leaves us with 5.98 million applications. What I would like to propose is that we further strengthen the ties between the Night Walkers Association and Nova Luna. I want to develop the fifteen thousand spots in the social guild as leaders of the Night Walker Association. This way we can divert the guild applications into the Night Walkers Association without losing its loyalty.”

Leaning back, Thorn looked up at the ceiling. Truthfully, much of the organizational stuff that Velin proposed made his head spin and the scale of it was simply beyond what he could wrap his head around. When he started playing Nova Terra he had expected to spend his time hitting things with a sword. Yet more and more he found himself being drawn into the swirling maelstrom of power. There was something about setting the course for other player’s lives that did not sit well with him, but the more involved he got, the less he could avoid it. With a sigh, Thorn leaned forward and wrote on his paper.

That sounds fine.

“Excellent. That will also allow us to tie ourselves into the merchant group we are developing. From now on, our new structure will be divided into four groups. Nova Luna will house our professional teams and the leadership of the merchant group, the Moon Guardians, and the Night Walker Alliance. The merchant group, which we are calling Silver Moon for now, will be led by players from Nova Luna and will focus on developing trade for the valley. The Night Walkers will focus on providing mercenary services and protecting the Silver Moon caravans.

“Similarly, the Moon Guardians will focus on the defense and security of the valley. The Temple of the Moon will continue to recruit disciples who will be able to advance into any of the organizations. Nova Luna will recruit from the three other groups as necessary. Thorn, due to the sudden spike in applications, we have hired a significant number of support staff. Rather, your aunt, Athena, hired the staff. I would like your permission to extend their employment, creating an internal support structure for the four groups.”

Yeah, that is a good idea. Come up with a budget and I’ll take a look at it.

“I will. Now, on to the third topic.” Making a note, Velin flipped to the next page and cleared her throat. “Currently, apart from our management issues, we are facing two problems. First is Thorn’s trial. We still have three weeks until he has to be in the capital city, but with his cursed state, he will not be able to mount his own defense. I do not feel comfortable leaving his defense to others, so we need to do something about this curse.

“The second problem we are facing is the fact that our fearless leader swallowed a cursed heart and can no longer speak. I mention this as a separate problem because we are about to have an astronomical number of new players joining our various organizations, largely because of Thorn, and they will want to have some sort of interaction with him.”

“We could take a picture of him giving a thumbs up.” Corvo winked at Thorn.

“Whatever we do, it needs to be sooner rather than later.” Velin glanced around the room.

How about we send out a personalized letter? Welcoming people to the guild?

“You mean, when they sign up?”

Yeah, and maybe inviting them to a party in two months. Then we can throw a big celebration in the valley. Your plan will not take more than two months, right?

“Hm. That could work. It would give everyone something to work toward, providing cohesion. Let’s try that.”

If we want something to provide cohesion, how about this? I want to open a bounty on Ragnarok. Five gold per verified kill, a bigger reward if their caravans are knocked over. I’ll pay for anything that disrupts their operations.

“Whoa, are you serious?” Oberlin sat up straight after reading Thorn’s words.

I’m tired of getting pushed around so it is time they felt a bit of our weight.

The thin thief grinned and rubbed his hands together.

“You sure you can afford this?”

“An open bounty on Ragnarok actually fits in with the next topic. BurningCloud has asked us to join Eastern Alliance and a few other guilds in declaring formal war against Ragnarok. I was going to suggest that we avoid a formal war, so this would fit the request nicely. If you are okay with it, I’ll negotiate with BurningCloud to get a standard bounty structure established. BurningCloud also asked for a formal alliance, but the details of that are still being worked up. My guess is that she wants to use the alliance as a way to pull us into her guild.”

Probably. Isn’t that how the Eastern Alliance formed?

“Yes. They began as a collection of guilds that wanted to stand up against Ragnarok. “

You can tell her we’re interested in a loose alliance, but nothing too binding.

“That sounds appropriate.” Making another note, Velin nodded and flipped to the next page of her notebook. “Alright. That brings us to the final topic. Helping Thorn get rid of the [Living Statue] curse.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Taking a vial out of her inventory, Velin held it in the air for the people sitting in the office to see. Curious, everyone but Corvo leaned forward to examine it. The golden liquid rolled around like quicksilver in the vial as she moved it back and forth.

“This is the sap of the World Tree.” Pausing for a moment to allow her words to sink in, Velin gave a small smile and placed the vial on Thorn’s desk before she continued. “Known primarily for its healing properties, the sap also has strong purifying abilities. Unfortunately, there is not enough of it here to deal with the [Living Statue] curse. But if we can find the World Tree itself, we should be able to get enough.”

Watching the golden liquid curiously, Thorn brought up its item description.

Item: Vial of World Tree Sap

Taken from a pool of sap that has gathered at the foot of the World Tree, this vial of sap is enough to heal the most grievous wound.

Usage: Spread the sap over the wounded area to heal it.

“Sheesh. Doesn’t that mean that Thorn is going to have to take a bath in the stuff?” Oberlin asked, looking back and forth between the vial and Thorn’s massive body.

“Actually, yes.” Velin nodded, her face serious. “That means that our only hope is finding the World Tree.”

“And how are we going to do that? No one has any idea where the World Tree is located.”

“Not true.” A brief smile flashed across Velin’s face as she shared a quest.

Quest: Returning to the Source

The history of the Elves is shrouded in the deepest mists of time, obscured by the steady march of centuries. As an Elven War Priestess, you have been chosen as a potential bearer of the highest honor an Elf can hold. Find the source of life on Angoril to learn the truth of the Elven race.

Reward: [World Tree’s Holy Emissary]

“This is a quest I’ve had for quite a while, and I’ve been slowly narrowing down possible locations of the World Tree. A couple weeks ago I finally narrowed it down to the island of Rasyn.”

“Isn’t that the Elven island off the eastern coast?”

“Yes. From the myths I have traced, that is where Elves first appeared. I was able to piece an incredible legend together from multiple sources, and if it is true, or even just grounded in truth, we’ll find the World Tree on Rasyn.”

What is the legend?

“Whoa, can we talk about the fact that you have a quad category class quest?” Corvo asked, interrupting Velin who was about to start expounding on the legend for Thorn. “[World Tree’s Holy Emissary] sounds like a pretty serious class. Where on earth did you find that?”

“The vial of sap is an ancient inheritance. I got it shortly after I started playing, but I did not figure out what it was until about a year ago, which is when I started working on unraveling the legends seriously.”

“Wow. Just wow.” The avatar of Huginn buried his head in his hands. “You people are ridiculous. Things like quad category classes are supposed to be super rare and they just fall out of the sky around here like nothing.” Raising his head he looked around scornfully until his gaze fell on Oberlin who was looking away. Corvo’s eyes shot wide and he jumped to his feet, his finger pointing at the thin thief. “What?! Don’t you dare say that you have one too!”

“Hmm? Me? What are you talking about?” Oberlin’s eyes shifted guiltily.

“I… I don’t think I can be friends with you people any more.” With a huff, Corvo sat down on his chair again.

Listen birdman, you don’t have any right to complain.

Thorn wrote out, wagging his finger at the sulking avatar. Writing another note, he passed it to Velin.

What were you going to say before you were interrupted?

“According to what I’ve pieced together, there was a time when Angoril was a single massive continent. The legend describes it as an island for some reason, but that might be an issue with translation. Regardless, there was some sort of massive war that brought the land to almost complete ruin. Only an area called the Garden of the Immortal was left untouched by the ravages of the war. However, the invading forces began to push the people of Angoril back toward the garden. Just as all hope seemed lost, the immortal who lived in the garden came forward and destroyed the invaders with a single strike.

“However, the slap was so strong that Angoril was split in half. Only the power of an Elven Archmage protected the garden by raising a mountain range in the path of the destructive force. The mountain succeeded in diverting the force, but it caused the garden to split off from the rest of the continent, becoming Rasyn. According to the information I traded from Karrandras, the World Tree is located in the ruins of the Garden of the Immortal.”

“Can you really trust the words of a devil?” Oberlin shivered slightly as he remembered the hulking form of the greater devil that Ouroboros had assumed after giving in to Karrandras’ corruption. “It seems like trusting a devil of betrayal is not a good call.”

“We cannot put absolute faith in what he said, but he has to follow some basic rules, and based on what I traded to him he had to be telling some truth. Plus, he probably did not expect that I would have run across the name ‘Garden of the Immortal’ before. It is a name that is quite uncommon, even among scholars. If it wasn’t for the World Quest and finding the labyrinth city, Rakkam, I never would have been able to pinpoint its location.”

How did finding Rakkam help?

“It was Baxby who was able to translate the runes on the Dwarven Earth Map, which helped me translate a few references to the Tree of Life that I had from some ancient Dwarven texts. The Dwarves call the World Tree the Tree of Life.”

So the plan is to go to Rasyn, find the World Tree, and take a bath?

“In its most basic form, yes,” Velin nodded.

“Aren’t we ignoring a major problem though?” Oberlin scratched his nose. “Rasyn is a three week journey from here, at the very least. Thorn has to be in the capital for his hearing in three weeks. How will you get to the Island, find the World Tree, and get back in time for the hearing?”

“That is where I am hoping that Corvo can help. I asked him to connect with one of his contacts who will hopefully be able to help us speed up our trip.” Velin glanced at the lounging Elf. “If that doesn’t work, our only chance is to rush to the capital as fast as possible and use one of the Aether gates to travel to the island.”

The capital has Aether Gates? Why don’t we set up one between here and the capital? Then we can go any time we want. That would be way more convenient than running.

After waiting a moment while Thorn wrote out his question, Corvo chuckled and stood up.

“Aether Gates cost a fortune. So far, only regional capitals have them. The main issue is that the material needed to make them is in short supply. Most of the top guilds have temporary ones that use mana, but to make a stable gate you have to take the material from an existing gate. So if we want an Aether Gate, we will need to become the capital of the Ironhold Duchy, or find an abandoned gate that we can swipe.”

Can we repurpose the one that the Dwarves set up for us between here and Firespire?

“That may be possible, but it is unlikely,” Velin spoke up, flipping to a new page in her notebook and beginning to jot something down. “The runes needed to bind the gate to a specific location are beyond what our crafters can manage. In fact, I would be surprised if there are any players who are able to craft it. Only a Master Smith like Varroh would be able to create the runeset we need, and according to him it would take at least a year to do.”

Hmm. Better work on becoming a duke, huh? Haha.

“Hey, don’t joke about that.” Corvo shook his head after reading Thorn’s paper. “Treason is a big deal, remember?”

[Candle Flame]

Muttering a few syllables, Velin pointed her finger and a small flame floated out and landed on Thorn’s paper, burning it until nothing remained but ash. “Corvo is right. You can think it, but don’t say it. We don’t want to add to the noble’s reasons to get rid of you.”

Point taken. I’ll keep it in mind.

Thorn nodded seriously and then kept writing.

So, how is Corvo going to help us get to Rasyn quickly?

“Birds.” Chuckling at the blank stares he was getting, Corvo gestured for everyone to follow him and led the way out of the office and into the throne room. Bringing the group to the balcony, he pointed out at the valley.

It took a moment for Thorn to see what he was pointing at, but after scanning the floor of the valley, a flash of movement caught his eye and he looked up. Wheeling over the valley was a black dot that was rapidly growing bigger. Soon the dot became a large bird, the largest bird that Thorn had ever seen. With a body almost ten feet long, and wings that were nearly twenty feet from tip to tip, the massive bird approached the citadel like a bolt of lightning, crossing the length of the valley in only a few seconds.

Wickedly sharp talons spread open as the bird flapped its wings, landing neatly on the edge of the balcony. A small hand appeared on the leather harness around its chest and the tiny figure of a halfling slid around the bird’s neck and hopped nimbly down onto the railing. A fearsome beak dipped toward the small lady, coming to a gentle rest on her shoulder.

Caressing the bird’s head, the tiny woman murmured some words under her breath and then patted its beak. Lifting its head, the bird gave an imperious cry, looking arrogantly at the people arrayed on the fortress’ balcony. Feeling the bird’s sharp gaze landing on him, Oberlin had to stifle the urge to retreat, and even Captain Del’har found his hand drifting to the handle of his sword. Making a disdainful chirping sound, the bird continued running its eyes over the group until it got to Thorn.

Curious about the big bird, Thorn met its sharp gaze, only to see it quail backwards, ducking its head behind the small lady’s back. The bird’s arrogant chirps were suddenly much more reserved, and it tried its best to keep its head out of Thorn’s sight. Confused, the short lady tried to turn around, but the big bird kept its head behind her back. Finally, she gave two short chirps and a whistle, and the bird let out a relieved cry. Spreading its wings, it launched itself from the balcony, flying up over the valley where it began to turn lazy circles.

Shooting a sharp look at Thorn, the short woman stood on the balcony’s railing, her head barely coming up past the Titan’s thigh. She wore patchwork leather armor with random metal plates scattered across it, seemingly held together by thick belts with heavy buckles. Sharp features rested under a shock of bright blue hair, and as she turned her head Thorn could see that half of her head was shaved.

A variety of trinkets hung from her outfit, creating the sound of wind chimes whenever she moved, and there seemed to be a breeze always blowing around her, causing her short cape to stir. Bowing toward Thorn with her hand held in front of her face, she raised her head and looked him up and down.

“Peregrine, at your service.”

Smiling and nodding in greeting, Thorn glanced down at Corvo. Catching the glance, Corvo stepped forward smoothly to provide a proper introduction.

“Thorn, this is Peregrine, the Storm Eagle. Avatar of Tyra, god of the Sky. Peregrine, this is Thorn, eater of things and the avatar of Hati, the Moon Wolf. Unfortunately, the last thing he ate seems to have gotten stuck in his throat so we’re calling him ‘the great mute one’ but I’m happy to speak on his behalf.” Corvo gave a wide grin and winked at Peregrine who just snorted.

“Hah, no one who knows you would dare let you speak for them.” Scanning the rest of the group, Peregrine tucked her thumbs in the thick belts crisscrossing her armor as her gaze settled on Velin. “You must be Velin. I was told by bird brain over there that you need some help moving some stuff. If you do, and you have the coin,” Peregrine jerked a thumb toward her chest, “then I’m your gal.”

“We have plenty of coin, but I’m not sure that your bird is going to be big enough.”

“Roko is an Imperial Roc. Not a bird. And what do you mean by not big enough?” Looking over her shoulder at the giant Roc flying above the valley, Peregrine cocked her head to the side, revealing its shaved side. “Roko can carry six hundred pounds easily. What do you have to move that weighs more than that.”

“Ehm. About that.” Corvo coughed into his hand as he looked at Thorn from the corner of his eyes.

Following the other avatar’s gaze, Peregrine’s eyes landed on Thorn’s huge figure, causing him to look away sheepishly. Thorn rubbed the back of his head. It really was not his fault that he was so big.

“You want to transport him? Are you crazy? He looks like he’d crush anything he sits on. Wow. He weighs, what, close to a ton?”

“Eh, maybe a bit more?” Corvo scratched his head and shrugged. “Thankfully, the game seems to compensate for it so he doesn’t just crush everything. We’re hoping that the same thing will happen when he sits on your bird.”

“I told you, Roko is an Imperial Roc. But based on their latest interaction, I don’t know that it’s a good idea to put him on her back.”

“Well, this is a problem, isn’t it?”

“Hey, it is not my problem, it is your problem.” Peregrine waved her hands, grinning at Corvo. “I showed up like I told you I would. It is not my fault that I can’t help you.” Giving a piercing whistle, she had just turned away when a familiar sound made her foot pause in midair.

*ding*

Hati’s Honor

You have found yourself facing Peregrine, Avatar of Tyra, the Storm Eagle. Proud and aloof, the Storm Eagle has little interest in the affairs going on in the world below. Remind the stuck-up bird that she is not nearly as awesome as she thinks she is by beating some sense into her.

This quest is your third [Avatar Challenge]. As you adventure around Nova Terra, it is your responsibility as the Avatar of Hati to represent Hati in challenging other Avatars to contests of strength and feats of valor. And, occasionally, petty acts of vandalism. A challenge will be generated when you come within a certain distance of another Avatar. For a challenge to be recognized as legitimate, it must be openly announced to the Avatars involved.

Reward: Increase Hati’s Favor

Failure: Decrease Hati’s Favor

CHAPTER FIVE

With a groan, Peregrine stopped and turned around. She scanned over Thorn’s massive figure and then she reread the notification floating in front of her eyes.

“How is this fair?” Despite her complaining tone, Peregrine’s eyes were steady and she kept her hand on the short knife sheathed across the small of her back. “Why does it have to be a fight? Can’t we settle this peacefully?”

“Hahahaha.” Corvo burst into laughter at the sight of Peregrine getting ready to face off against Thorn. “You got a challenge, didn’t you? Haha, sorry, sorry. It's not funny, I know. Haha.”

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you? You knew exactly what was going to happen when you invited me here.” Still keeping her eyes fixed on Thorn who had not moved, Peregrine spoke to the avatar of Huginn.

[A fight hardly seems fair, does it?] Unsure if Hati would be able to hear his thoughts, Thorn still tried his best to project them.

[What does fairness have to do with determining dominance?] Sure enough, Hati’s warm tones sounded in his head, though the content of the question threw Thorn off.

[Um…] Actually, what did fairness have to do with the challenges? As Thorn was pondering over this question another voice he had never heard before sounded in his head.

[It only counts if it is fair. I will not accept this contest, you mangy dog.] This new voice was majestic and sharp, leaving Thorn stinging, like he had just been cut. The words in the avatar challenge that had popped up wiggled and morphed under his eyes.

Hati’s Honor

You have found yourself facing Peregrine, Avatar of Tyra, the Storm Eagle. Proud and aloof, the Storm Eagle has little interest in the affairs going on in the world below. Show the majestic lord of the sky that you are worthy of her gaze by convincing one of her beautiful subjects to be your friend. Should you do so, she will allow Hati to pretend that he has the best avatar, even though hers is still better. In order to count, the subject must be able to carry you.

This quest is your third [Avatar Challenge]. As you adventure around Nova Terra, it is your responsibility as the Avatar of Hati to represent Hati in challenging other Avatars to contests of strength and feats of valor. And, occasionally, petty acts of vandalism. A challenge will be generated when you come within a certain distance of another Avatar. For a challenge to be recognized as legitimate, it must be openly announced to the Avatars involved.

Reward: Increase Hati’s Favor

Failure: Decrease Hati’s Favor

[Do not try my patience, Tyra.] Hati’s voice rumbled like thunder around Thorn’s head, the god of night’s displeasure nearly sending him to the ground.

[You are the one who wanted your avatar to beat up mine.] Tyra’s majestic voice had lost some of its grandeur, taking on a slightly petulant edge. It reminded Thorn of Mina when she was pouting.

After a brief moment of silence, Hati sighed, the anger in his voice gone.

[Fine, have it your way. Thorn, I am looking forward to seeing how you handle this.]

Still weaving slightly from the impact of Hati’s annoyance, Thorn took a second to stabilize himself and then read over the updated quest. Across from him, Peregrine’s eyes lit up and she hopped down from the balcony’s railing. A wide grin spread across her face as she took in Thorn’s massive body again. The avatar challenge had just gone from wildly in Thorn’s favor to his complete disadvantage.

Despite being unable to hear Hati and Tyra’s voices, Corvo was instantly able to tell that something had changed. Raising one eyebrow, he looked between Thorn and Peregrine curiously. When the Titan did not say anything Corvo sighed, and gestured toward the throne room.

“We better go sit down, I am guessing that this is going to take some figuring out.”

A few minutes later, seated in the office behind the throne room once again, Corvo looked between Thorn and Peregrine.

“So spill it. You have to announce the challenge anyway, so let’s hear it.”

Shrugging and pointing to his mouth, Thorn gestured for Peregrine to share what was going on with the others. Bouncing to her feet and standing on the chair, the halfling smiled broadly and explained.

“In this challenge, the Lord Baron here has to successfully befriend one of Tyra’s subjects. That includes any sort of flying creature, from gnats to griffins. The only catch is that the creature he becomes buds with must be able to carry him.”

“That is his part of the challenge. What is yours?” Velin lifted her eyes from the note she was writing to look at the grinning halfling.

“Mine, oh, I just have to help him. I must give him full cooperation and get him in front of the wonderful creature he’ll be making friends with. I’m responsible for making sure that his new potential friend arrives in a timely fashion. If I can’t do that, he wins. If he can’t make friends, then I win.”

“What do you mean by creature? Why the singular?”

“Ah, yeah. About that. There is really only one creature under Tyra’s rule that I know of that will be able to carry someone of his… uh, stature.” Peregrine tried to measure Thorn’s width with her hands. “I mentioned that Roko is an Imperial Roc, right? Well, she is also just a chick. If we want to get the baron airborne, we’re going to need to visit her big brother. You saw how big Roko is, right? Well, her brother is at least four times the size.”

Frowning, Thorn pulled over a piece of paper and began to write while everyone else stared at him. After a few minutes he flipped the paper around and handed it to Corvo who was sitting in the closest chair.

“Ehem. The great mute one, haha, I mean Lord Greymane, would like to know the following.” Clearing his throat again, Corvo read off the list of questions. “First, where does Roko’s brother live, and is it close by? Second, how is he supposed to communicate with the Roc? Third, why can’t we look for a griffin or a dragon, or something like that?”

“All fair questions.” Smiling at Thorn, Peregrine held up her small hand and counted the questions on her fingers. “First, Roko’s brother is the Emperor of the Sky. He lives above the clouds so it can’t really be counted as close by. However, that will not be an issue as we can meet him on the tallest mountain peak nearby. Rocs fly faster than you can imagine so it will not take long for Roko to find him and bring him over. Second, you communicate with a Roc very carefully.

“The Emperor of the Sky is the absolute ruler of his domain, so it might take some convincing for him to agree to talk to you. But he is really smart as well, so if he wants to talk to you it shouldn’t be an issue. Third, griffins are smaller than Imperial Rocs. Most of them don’t get beyond ten feet long, so you wouldn’t be able to ride on them. As for dragons, if they actually existed you’d have to be certifiably insane to think about riding one.”

Confused, Thorn looked over at Corvo who nodded in agreement with Peregrine’s words.

“Dragons are totally evil. At least, the records that we have describe them as the epitome of different vices. No players that I know of have encountered dragons in the game so far, but chances are that if they reappear it will not be a friendly encounter.”

“Quite interesting, but let’s refocus please. We are under significant time constraints and have no time to lose.” Velin steered the conversation back toward the main topic. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she fixed her gaze on Peregrine. “How quickly can you ask the Emperor of the Sky to come?”

“Uh, I’d guess that if I sent Roko out now it would take, hmmm. Maybe six hours? Seven? Something like that. At top speed she can cross Angoril within five hours. That is assuming she has no rider, of course.”

“Excellent. Thorn, I would like to propose the following schedule.” Standing, Velin flipped open her notebook and placed it on the desk in front of Thorn for him to look over. “There are two major things that need to be addressed before we leave. First, we need to decide on the team that is going to be going, but that has to wait until we know what sort of travel capacity our ride has. It is also dependent on you succeeding with this challenge.

“Obviously, if you fail then we will need to reconsider our plan. Second, we need to make sure that everything in the valley is properly arranged before we leave. This will include assigning responsibilities, making sure we have a proper chain of communication, and so on. I can handle a lot of this, but I will need a couple hours of your time to sign off on what we’ve established.”

Nodding in agreement, Thorn’s brow furrowed and he pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.

I’m also a bit worried about these large wolves that are being reported on the edge of the valley. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard reports about them.

“Hmm. That has the potential to be a major time sink, but we could probably squeeze in a preliminary investigation.”

How about I go take a quick look. I have to find Akira anyway, and from what I can sense, she is out that direction.

“You know you can summon her, right?” Corvo asked, looking at Thorn strangely.

True, but she might be with her family, so I would feel really awkward forcing her to come over here.

“Hey, she is your pet. So you do what you want. Also, this waiting around for you to write is making the conversation drag. You should learn sign language or something.”

Perking up, Thorn had the impulse to smack himself on the forehead. Sign language would be a perfect solution to his lack of speech. While it would require the people around him to learn some basic signs as well, he was pretty sure that they could quickly establish at least basic communication. Looking at Velin, he pointed to Corvo and gave a thumbs up.

“That is a good idea. I will add that to the list.” Taking back her notebook, Velin wrote for a couple minutes. “Alright. We have four things to do. First, we’ll go over the plan for managing the valley while we are gone. Second, I will look up some basic signing while you, third, go and find Akira. While you are getting Akira, you’ll check out the large wolves. Fourth, once you’ve completed the challenge, we’ll establish who is coming with us to Rasyn. Sound good?”

At the nods from the others in the room, Velin turned and bowed slightly to Peregrine who was still standing on the chair, listening with interest.

“Please call the Emperor of the Sky first thing tomorrow morning. That way, Thorn has the morning to find Akira and deal with the wolves. You are welcome to stay in one of the rooms here at the fortress. Do you need anything for Roko? Food, or a space to rest perhaps?”

“Thanks, but I’m good. Roko gets really nervous around lots of people so it is probably safer if I try to find a place up on the mountain. I’ll be back tomorrow, along with the Emperor.” Jumping neatly from her chair to the windowsill, the halfling gave out a piercing whistle before looking over her shoulder at Thorn. “I’m looking forward to seeing how you handle this, Lord Baron. It should be quite an exciting encounter.”

As she finished her words she leapt out the window, landing neatly on the back of the Imperial Roc that flashed by. Giving the people in the office one last wave, she tightened her grip on the harness Roko was wearing. With a chirp the Imperial Roc accelerated suddenly, disappearing into the clouds surrounding the Twins within a moment.

“What a showoff.” Corvo strode to the window to look out at the mountain peak. Turning around, he found everyone in the room staring at him disdainfully. About to ask what was wrong, he froze when Thorn pointed to him. Making a poofing motion with his hands, the Titan began to flap his hands like little wings and pretend to fly around the room.

“Haha, exactly.” Oberlin, who had been listening quietly this whole time erupted into laughter at the sight of Thorn’s antics.

“Yeah, yeah. Alright, I get it. That is really disturbing, so can you stop?” Corvo held up his hands in defeat as he watched the Titan pretend to fly around the room. “Velin, do you need anything from me before tomorrow? If not, I’ve got some work to do.”

“No, we are done here. Thorn, you have until noon tomorrow to get Akira. Please try to be back around ten rather than twelve, as we don’t want to keep the Emperor of the Sky waiting. It sounds like it will be a challenging encounter, so it is probably better that we don’t start on the wrong foot.”

His face becoming serious, Thorn nodded. If the initial attitude of Roko, the young Imperial Roc, was anything to go by then he would be facing a really tough situation. Her attitude had been one of absolute superiority, and it was obvious that her arrogance came from deep within her bones. Such an attitude was not conducive to making friends. If Thorn wanted to become friends with a fully grown Imperial Roc in a short time he was going to have to come up with some way to get past the creature’s innate arrogance.

Mulling over the problem, Thorn listened to Velin’s last few notes and then set off to find Akira. The sun was just beginning to set, creating beautiful layers of deep blues and pinks that spread across the horizon. Nodding to the saluting guards as he walked out of the fortress, Thorn was surprised to see that the crowds had not lessened in the least. Instead, the mass of players had gotten denser.

For a moment, Thorn was not sure how he was going to get through the crowd, but then a few of the players in front of him saw his massive figure and instinctively fell back. Like a wave, the crowd began to part as Thorn walked forward, many of the players pointing and whispering. Trying not to grimace, he hurried out of the citadel’s back gate, heading into the valley. As soon as he entered the valley, he broke into a run, his space-eating strides carrying him through the forest.

Focusing on the subtle connection that he shared with Akira, Thorn ran across the valley floor. This was the first time he had been back in Fang Valley since he had established Moon Wolf Citadel at the valley’s entrance. Marveling at the way the game had expanded it, Thorn picked up his speed, his footfalls causing the ground to vibrate as he ran.

CHAPTER SIX

The trees blurred as Thorn ran across the valley floor. With the game’s expansion of the valley, the forests had grown as well. Towering trunks dwarfed even Thorn’s massive figure as he wove between them. It had not taken long for the sun to dip behind the mountains, casting long shadows across the forest floor. The shadows soon grew into deep pools, plunging the forest into darkness. Normally, even a pitch black night would pose no challenge for Thorn, but due to the [Living Statue] curse the night vision his abilities granted him was not working.

Still, Thorn rushed forward, his lengthy strides devouring the distance. There was a freedom in running in the darkness that he relished. The sounds, sights, and smells of the world seemed muted. It was as if he ran through a dream, the only thing accompanying him being the steady beat of his feet hitting the dirt.

As he ran, his mind wandered, drifting back over the last few months. His time in Nova Terra had rushed by. From defeating Ouroboros outside the gates of Moon Wolf Citadel to arriving at the capitol city and becoming entangled in the intrigues of the noble world, then came the frustrations of leading Nova Luna and trying to establish Moon Wolf Citadel and Fang Valley as a stable home for his guild and the Wolfkin.

At first he had assumed that if he simply bought the citadel and gained the title of baron it would be enough. Reality had proved otherwise. Every time he encountered a new part of the game, the complexity shot up, forcing him to keep learning and adjusting the way he thought about the game. When he first entered Nova Terra everything had been relatively simple. Get a quest, hunt mobs, get a reward, and repeat.

Encountering Mina and the others had blown all of that wide open. They brought Thorn into a new world, exposing him to some of the mysteries of Nova Terra and setting him on a path that was still stretching out before him. When he had just started, everything came easy for him. Even the fight against Ouroboros had not been an insurmountable challenge. It was not until the World Quest that he had run into an enemy he could not overcome. Sylith had shown him clearly that he still had much to learn before he would truly be able to compete with those standing at the top of Nova Terra.

After running for an hour Thorn could sense that he was much closer to Akira. The mental connection that they shared brightened, strengthening until Thorn could feel the touch of his pet’s mind.

[Master! Master!]

Akira’s excited voice rang out in Thorn’s head, and her red, fluffy body soon appeared in his sight. Bounding from tree to tree, Akira launched herself from a branch toward Thorn. Smiling at the sight of his pet, Thorn lifted his arm, allowing her to land neatly on it. Akira scrambled up his arm to his shoulder and hugged his head as best she could. Her little limbs could barely get around his head so she climbed up on top of him and wrapped her tails around his neck so she could hang over his head and stare into his face. Looking at her upside down face, Thorn scratched behind her ears.

[Master, you finally came to visit me! Did you bring me any snacks? You wouldn’t believe what I found! There are so many trees to explore, but I found the best ones and that is where my family is staying. But I was finding more trees for my cousin because he feels like he’s too old to live with his parents, even though I still live with my parents and it is perfectly fine, even though I am older than him. He says that it is because I am a girl that I have to stay with my mom and dad and that he is a boy so he is brave which is totally stupid so I beat him up.]

Aware that Akira probably would not stop talking, Thorn got a pastry out of his inventory causing Akira’s nose to twitch. Instantly, her attention snapped to Thorn’s hand.

[You did bring me a treat!] Waving her little paws excitedly, Akira took the snack from Thorn and sat up on top of his head. Standing in the forest with Akira on his head, Thorn’s forehead scrunched. Now that he had found her, he was not sure how he was going to communicate with her.

[I wonder if Akira can read?] Thorn thought to himself.

[Of course I can read.] Akira spoke between bites. [All Royal Ailuridae have to go to school for a whole year. It was terrible.]

[Huh, that is convenient. At least I can write her messages.]

[Oooh, I like messages! But I am really bad at writing, so I might just tell you what mine is going to say.]

Stunned, Thorn plucked Akira off his head and looked at her in disbelief.

[You can hear me?]

[Of course I can, Master! How else are we supposed to talk? I can’t speak like you so I have to use my incredible magic powers. Did you know I have amazing magic?]

When he concentrated, Thorn could sense that the mental connection he had with Akira was pulsing slightly with each of her words. Curious, he directed his thoughts toward the connection. The more he focused on it the brighter it grew until his mind seemed to bump up against it causing Akira to burst out laughing.

[Ahahahaha. Stop, stop. Hahaha. That tickles!]

Amused, Thorn fished another pastry from his inventory and, putting Akira on his shoulder, handed it to her.

[So, what were you saying? What did you find?]

[Oh, yeah! I found a bunch of giant wolves! Do you remember that giant wolf that tried to fight you before I scared it off? That guy has a bunch of lame henchmen and they are trying to take some of my trees.] Quickly polishing off the snack Thorn had given her, Akira clambered back up onto Thorn’s head and pointed toward the edge of the forest. [I had just found my cousin a great tree when the wolves came over and started barking about how it was theirs! Can you believe that?!]

[Hmm. Do you know where they are coming from?]

[I didn’t but then I got so mad because that stupid wolf was pretending to be so important, so I chased him back to his lair. I can show you the way!]

Nodding, Thorn put on his helmet.

[Great, lead on.]

Through the darkness Akira led Thorn toward the edge of the forest, a small three tailed creature flitting through the night with a giant metal wolfkin following below. The tall trees slowly began to thin as the ground started to rise, leading up to the mountains that ringed the valley. Seeing that Akira had stopped, Thorn slowed down. Stopping underneath her, he looked out past the last few trees to where a half-ruined temple sat against the side of the hill.

Two large wolf statues flanked the entrance, marking it as an old temple of Hati. Many of the walls had collapsed and a large stone pillar blocked much of the temple’s entrance. Taking it all in, Thorn frowned. He had heard nothing about a ruined temple in the valley. Just about to take a step forward, Thorn heard Akira hiss and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

Grateful that he had already equipped his armor, Thorn turned his head slowly to glance behind him. Crouched in the shadows, less than five feet from his back, was the massive wolf that Thorn had fought in the valley. Its thick, knotted muscles twitched under its glossy black coat and its yellow eyes glowed like lanterns in the darkness.

The night breeze blew softly through the trees, the rustling of the leaves the only sound as Thorn and the giant wolf stared at each other. Mentally kicking himself, Thorn could not believe that he had not thought about the fact that they met no wolves on the way. From all the reports, it was obvious that the wolves were fierce about protecting the lands they had claimed, yet he and Akira had faced no difficulty in getting here.

Judging the distance, Thorn ran through his options in his mind. The last encounter he had with the giant wolf had shown that it was faster than he was, and at this close range he was not confident that he could dodge if it attacked. Still, he had to do something. Just as Thorn was about to take the chance and turn around, a slight rustling alerted him and he froze. Emerging from the darkness on either side of him were other giant wolves.

Though not as big as the black wolf at his back, these wolves were still much larger than the average wolf, dwarfing even the corrupted wolves that Nova Luna had been clearing from the valley. Surrounded, Thorn turned around slowly, facing the massive black wolf. Despite his hands being empty, the wolves stayed well back, seemingly afraid of his reach and the sharp claws on his gauntlets.

Standing in the darkness of the forest surrounded by giant wolves, Thorn felt his lips curving into a smile. In silence they stood facing each other until the clouds above the valley parted and the silver light of the moon shone down through the sparse trees. His bronze armor illuminated, Thorn crouched ever so slightly.

“Hmph.” With a snort, the giant black wolf stood up from its crouch, its head even with Thorn’s. Giving a short bark, the giant wolf swept its eyes over the other wolves that had surrounded Thorn. One by one the other wolves turned and stalked into the forest, quickly vanishing into the deep pools of darkness. Turning its glowing eyes back to Thorn, the giant wolf gestured with its head for him to follow and walked toward the temple. Unsure what had just happened, Thorn’s smile turned to a frown. Akira, unusually quiet, jumped down onto his shoulder and stared quietly at the wolf’s back as it passed them.

“Are you coming?” The giant wolf’s voice was just as heavy as he remembered it. “There is someone you must meet.”

Only hesitating for the briefest moment, Thorn followed the giant wolf. When they got to the temple up on the hill, the wolf jumped over the large stone pillar that blocked the entrance, its body flowing like a liquid shadow as it squeezed through the top opening. Not bothering to see how Thorn was going to get inside, it trotted into the dark tunnel. Barely three steps in, it heard a horrific grinding sound and spun around in surprise only to see Thorn causally removing the pillar.

At least two feet in diameter, the section of the pillar in the doorway must have weighed well over a ton, yet after bracing his feet, Thorn simply picked it up. One of the ends was slightly stuck against the side of the door jam, but with a grunt he ripped it free and dropped it on the ground next to the door. Brushing off his hands, Thorn nodded to the stunned wolf. On his shoulder, Akira mimicked Thorn’s action, brushing off her hands as if she had just helped.

As Thorn entered the ruined temple’s entrance the giant wolf took a step backwards. It had been just over a month since he had last encountered Thorn, but the Titan’s aura was completely different. Sneaking another glance at Thorn, the giant wolf turned and led the way into the darkness. The entrance to the temple was a long tunnel that led into the mountain. Thankfully for Thorn, the tunnel was not completely dark. Carved holes in the mountain let in tiny scraps of moonlight, enough for Thorn to see his way forward.

Under his feet, Thorn could feel smooth flagstones and the small patches of light revealed the detailed construction of the tunnel. Curious, Thorn looked around him as he walked, almost missing the skeletons until the bones crunched under his feet. Startled, he paused. In the dim light, he could barely make out a few skeletons scattered around the hallway, rusted weapons leaning next to them. From the disarray, it was obvious that the skeletons belonged to warriors who had fallen in battle.

[Akira, can you see what killed these people?] Unable to see clearly in the darkness, Thorn had to ask his pet.

[Of course I can, master! I have great eyes.] Scurrying down Thorn’s armor, Akira clung to his thigh as she looked at the set of bones at his feet. [Master, it looks like there are some arrowheads in the body. One is stuck where his back bones connect to his ribs but on the inside.]

[Like they got shot through the chest and the arrow hit their spine. Interesting.] With Akira’s guidance, Thorn found the arrow head and pulled it from where it was lodged. [Huh, a bit too triangular to be a crossbow bolt, but to go all the way through the body, the archer must have had a lot of power. Though, I don’t see any armor.]

[There is some old leather under the skeleton.] Akira poked around the skeleton for a bit before climbing back up to Thorn’s shoulder. [Master, there are more dead people ahead of us.]

[Did you see any teeth marks?]

[You mean like from the giant wolves? No, only some broken bones.]

[That is a relief.] Rising from where he had crouched, Thorn continued to follow the giant wolf who was waiting patiently at the end of the hall. As Thorn arrived, the wolf turned its big eyes on the Titan and spoke in its deep voice.

“You must proceed by yourself from here. I must guard the entrance.” Without waiting for Thorn to respond, the giant wolf melted into the shadows, vanishing from Thorn’s sight.

With a sigh, Thorn looked around at the darkness. If he had learned nothing from his time in the game, it was obvious that whoever had written the characters had a penchant for theatrics. Shaking his head, he examined the doorway at the end of the hall. A solid ironbound door sealed it shut, but flickering light could be seen shining sporadically through the keyhole.

[Akira, can you hear or smell anything that might be dangerous?]

[Mmm, no, it just smells a bit smokey. Like torches. And I smell cakes, and apples, and you. You smell good! You smell like honey and oats.]

[Uh, thanks?] Tilting his head away from Akira who was sniffing around his helmet, trying to smell his hair. [Lets focus, okay? We don’t know what is on the other side of the door, so I need you to be ready to support me.]

[Oh, right. Yeah! I can do that.] Taking one last smell, Akira scrambled up unto Thorn’s head and bared her tiny fangs.

[What are you doing?] Thorn started to look up but stopped when Akira yelped.

[Ah! Don’t do that master! I might fall off.] Adjusting her position, Akira stared at Thorn upside down. [I am being ferocious, master. In case we need to scare anyone!]

CHAPTER SEVEN

[Fair enough.] Standing in the darkness in front of the iron-bound door, Thorn did not have the heart to tell Akira that her bared teeth just increased her cuteness. [Alright, are you ready?]

[Yup!]

Putting a massive hand on the door, Thorn pushed against it slightly to see if it was locked. With a screech the door opened revealing a large cave dominated by a raised platform. Only two feet off of the ground, the platform was nearly thirty feet across. The torchlight coming from the sconces set around the room cast light on a woman sitting in the center of the platform. Silver hair fell like a waterfall, dripping down the woman’s frame and blending in with the snow white robe that wrapped her figure. Dark eyes peeked at Thorn and Akira through the curtain of white and a brief glimpse of the gentle curve of her full lips drew Thorn’s full attention.

It wasn’t until a shiver ran through him that he looked down and realized that he had already taken three steps into the room and was just about to take his fourth step. Under his raised foot an arcane symbol flickered with black light, nearly unnoticeable in the dim room. Carefully pulling his foot back, Thorn had to catch Akira who suddenly jumped from his head, trying to get closer to the woman on the platform.

“Hello.” The woman’s voice echoed softly around the room, covering Thorn in a warm feeling. The sweetness of her voice wormed its way into his ears, but there was something about her voice that set his teeth on edge. At her words, Akira started to struggle to get free from Thorn’s grasp. Tightening his hold on his squirming pet, Thorn focused on his mental connection with her, pushing against it with his mind.

[Ah! Huh? Hey! How did we get so close?]

Glancing at the blinking notifications in the corner of his vision, Thorn gave a mental thank you to whatever algorithm gave him a mental defense racial trait. [Titan’s Strength] was a passive ability that wasn’t granted by one of his abilities, allowing it to work despite his [Living Statue] curse.

“Why are you so quiet, young man?” The woman on the platform looked up, pushing her hair out of her face and revealing a set of delicate features. The nails on her thin pale fingers caught Thorn’s attention, sparkling like jewels under the torchlight. “Maugrim said you were a big one, but he certainly did not do you justice. Oh, where are my manners? I invited you to meet me and yet I still have not introduced myself.”

Rising slightly, the woman in white bowed her head toward Thorn, her every motion exuding grace.

“My name is Mayari. As you can see, I am trapped here in this ruined temple and I desperately need your help.” Holding up her arm, she revealed a thin black chain that extended from a manacle around her wrist, disappearing into the folds of cloth around her feet. “I require a hero to save me from my plight, one who has strength and courage, one who has the will to do what must be done. I have been cruelly imprisoned here for countless years, waiting for someone to rescue me. Will you be the one who finally sets me free?”

*ding*

Quest: Quest: An Ancient Priestess

Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.

Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.

Under his helmet, Thorn frowned. Maybe it was just his experiences in the game so far, but something about this quest seemed strange. Nothing was as straightforward as it seemed, right? Opening his mouth to ask some questions, Thorn froze and then sighed. On the platform, Mayari watched him with hopeful eyes. After a moment of silence a slight confusion appeared on her face. The giant bronze armored warrior in front of her did not move or speak, simply staring at her.

“Um, do you want to hear about why I am trapped like this? Or where you can find the key?” When Thorn did not respond, she stared at him awkwardly for a couple of minutes. “Well, hero, you see, a long time ago, I was the priestess of this temple. I served the Great Wolf, Hati, god of the Night as his high priestess. This was in an age when this valley was filled with Hati’s people, the Wolfkin, unlike the desolate, lonely land it has become.

“The valley was truly beautiful then, unlike the wilderness it is now. Together we lived peacefully, worshiping the Great Moon Wolf. However, one day that all changed. One of our greatest champions fell to the corruption of a powerful devil and tore our peaceful lives apart. His power was, thankfully, not as strong as our god’s so he was forced to use a plot to trap me here. Thankfully, you have arrived and can help me.”

As she finished speaking, Mayari bowed her head slightly, holding her hands together like she was praying. A wave of pity washed over Thorn as he saw her innocent appearance, yet it only caused his frown to deepen. Standing silently like a bronze statue in the flickering torchlight, Thorn’s lack of reaction caused Mayari to blink. The slight confusion in her eyes deepened.

“Hero, to save me you must find the key that will unlock this formation. The villain who sealed me was the leader of the Wolfkin race and he bound the formation to the royal ring, the Ring of the Wolf Lord. To release me you will need to retrieve the ring and bring it here. Simply entering the formation will loosen my restraints, and will allow me to once more resume my duties as Hati’s high priestess.”

Mayari’s words wove around Thorn and he almost lifted his hand to look at the finger where the Ring of the Wolf Lord rested. It was only his iron control of his body that allowed him to suppress the impulse. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the beautiful figure on the platform. Despite his lack of motion, his mind was racing at a hundred miles a minute, trying to piece together everything he had seen and heard.

“Hero…” Seeing that the bronze figure in front of her was still not responding, Mayari opened her mouth to speak when Thorn moved abruptly. Spinning on his heel, Thorn ignored what the priestess was about to say and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Over his shoulder, Akira saw Mayari still sitting on the platform, her mouth wide open in shock.

[Master! Why are we leaving? Aren’t you going to free her? You have that ring, right?]

[This whole thing smells weird.] Thorn did not stop, the sound of his boots echoing loudly as he strode down the hallway toward the valley.

[Really? I thought she smelled nice! Not as nice as you, of course.] Akira patted Thorn on the head as she reassured him. [She smelled very sweet. Like fruit right before it becomes rotten. That is when fruit is the sweetest, you know. Just as it goes bad.]

[Exactly!] As Akira prattled on, one of the things that had been bothering Thorn became clear. Mayari had appeared enchantingly beautiful, but the sweet feelings that Thorn felt as he looked at her concealed a disgusting aftertaste.

Leaving the hallway, Thorn emerged into the valley and stopped. Facing him in a rough half circle were twenty large wolves, crouched and ready to spring. Maugrim was standing at the front of the group. Seeing that Thorn and Akira were emerging alone, the giant wolf’s eyes lit up. At his gruff bark the other giant wolves slowly stood from their crouches.

“Well well, you surprise me. Who would have thought that you would be able to resist the temptation of freeing the witch. I must admit, though, I was sort of counting on you unbinding her.”

*ding*

Quest: An Ancient Priestess - Updated

Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.

Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.

Maugrim, the Alpha of the Children of the Moon, claims that Mayari is the former priestess of Hati, and requests you kill her. To defeat her, she must first be released from her enchanted prison.

Reward: Children of the Moon

Glancing at the quest notification that popped up, Thorn’s brow furrowed. There was not nearly enough information for his comfort so he put the quest notification aside with the one he had received from Mayari. The giant black wolf looked at Thorn in silence, but after not getting a response for a couple of moments, he sighed and gestured with his head.

“Come along. You better meet my master.”

This time Maugrim led the way in a loping run up the mountainside. Thorn had no trouble keeping up with the giant wolf and they were soon deep into the mountain range that surrounded the valley. Taking a moment as they crested a ridge, Thorn looked over his shoulder at the valley laid out below him. The lights from Moon Wolf Citadel lit up one end of the valley and Thorn could faintly make out the few remaining ruins of the old Greymane Keep at the other.

Lights dotted the valley floor, large swaths of dark forests between them. A quiet footfall let Thorn know that Maugrim stood next to him, looking over the valley.

“It has changed quickly. Few things are the same as when I was a pup.” As if sensing the Titan looking over at him, Maugrim shook his head slightly. “Thankfully, not all the changes are bad. Come, we don’t have long before the sun rises, and we have a long way to go.”

Leading the way again, Maugrim brought Thorn and Akira through the mountains. After traveling for almost three hours the giant wolf finally stopped near a cave entrance. Cleverly concealed by a leaning boulder, there was still plenty of room for Thorn to walk in. Unlike the darkened temple entrance, the tunnel Thorn entered was bathed in soft light by a variety of glowing fungi that decorated the walls.

Following Maugrim closely, they soon came to a large cave where they were stopped by two giant wolves who were guarding the cave entrance. Looking past them, Thorn could see that the cave was at least half a mile long and three quarters of a mile wide. Thorn estimated that it took up the entire inside of a mountain.

“Who is this?” One of the giant wolves barked at Maugrim, his unfriendly eyes fixed on Thorn.

“Lord Greymane. I’m bringing him to see the master.”

“Huh? Since when is Lord Greymane a weakling?” Obviously unimpressed by Thorn’s massive figure, the guard wolf sat back on its haunches, angling its head so it could look down at him.

[Hey! My master is not a weakling!] Akira chittered unhappily. Quickly reaching up to hold her before she did anything drastic, Thorn scratched her behind her ears, reducing her angry shouts to mumbled grumbling.

“Move aside.” From the bland tone of his voice it was obvious that Maugrim was completely uninterested in the guard wolf’s thoughts or opinions.

“Hmph. It is my responsibility to make sure that no vermin get into the cave.” The guard wolf stood and looked disdainfully at Maugrim. However, before he could continue, an incredibly dangerous aura began to seep out of Thorn. Swiftly spreading to encompass the wolf guards, they found themselves backing up two steps and instinctively crouching slightly. Thorn’s armored figure seemed to grow as he took a small step forward. Instinctively terrified, the arrogant guard wolf spoke again, his voice taking on a whining tone.

“But of course, the esteemed Lord Greymane is welcome to come in and visit with master.”

As swiftly as it had come, the aura retreated, and Thorn once again turned into a large, statue-like figure. Maugrim, who had taken a step back, opened his mouth as if he was about to say something but ultimately shut it again. Shaking his head, he gestured for Thorn to follow and led Thorn through the cave, leaving the two trembling guard wolves behind.

“This is the home of the Children of the Moon.” Maugrim explained as they walked. Dotted around the cave were hollows where Thorn could see what looked like nests. Giant wolves of various sizes, colors, and ages watched Maugrim and Thorn with interest as they walked by.

“At one time, our race made its home in Fang Valley, but a variety of things forced us to move. The master wants to speak to you about this, among other things. When you meet the master, you are to be respectful. I know that you believe your position to be high, but if you show the master any disrespect you will be buried here and the pups shall have your bones as chew toys.”

Though his tone did not change, Thorn could sense that Maugrim’s threat was deadly serious, and looking at the number of giant wolves in the cave, Thorn had no doubt that the giant wolves could deliver on it. In the center of the giant cave was a sizable mound. Leading Thorn into an entrance on the side of the mound, Maugrim bowed his head to the floor and then stepped aside and crouched, his eyes fixed on Thorn.

As the giant wolf moved aside, Thorn discovered a huge creature in front of him. Maugrim was big, but this wolf was absolutely massive. Curled up on the ground, its head was still above Thorn’s, reminding him of the first time he met Hati. Covered in beautiful silver fur, the wolf in front of Thorn had an undeniable majesty, and it was with some trouble that Thorn kept himself from instinctively bowing.

Lazily the silver wolf opened its eyes, revealing a sky full of stars that threatened to absorb Thorn’s soul. As if waking from a deep sleep, the wolf yawned, revealing fangs that were almost as tall as Thorn. Three massive tails shifted and thumped, sending a tremor through the cave. Adjusting its position, the silver wolf turned its head toward Thorn, sniffing around him with a nose that was half the size of his body.

The sniffs sent the air around Thorn rushing back and forth, forcing him to hold on to Akira tightly lest she be sucked into the wolf’s nose. After smelling Thorn, the silver wolf perked up, lifting its head further and opening its eyes the whole way as it examined Thorn from head to toe.

[Curious, curious. A bloodline greater than the humans yet walks among them. Dressed in the finest Dwarven armor. Bonded with a Royal Ailuridae. Holding court above the Wolfkin people and ruling the ancestral lands of the Children of the Moon. Cursed by the Mad Stone King yet walking freely. Curious indeed.]

Startled by the voice in his head, Thorn suppressed his desire to step back and instead stared up into the silver wolf’s face. However, the wolf’s next words shook any composure that he had.

[I had thought that your people died eons ago?]

CHAPTER EIGHT

[But where are my manners? Please excuse me, it has been a veritable age since I have interacted with anyone but my children.] Raising her body slightly, the silver wolf bowed her head, her nose nearly touching the ground at Thorn’s feet. [Greetings, Lord Greymane, Moon Wolf.]

[Hello.] Thorn’s fist touched his chest over his heart and he bowed slightly in return, his mind still racing as he pondered the giant silver wolf’s words. [How am I to address you?]

[You may call me Mani. I am the mother, and master, of the Children of the Moon.]

[Greetings, Mani.] Reaching up, Thorn removed his helmet and put it away in his inventory.

[And I am Akira! Nice to meet you.] Taking the chance to climb up onto Thorn’s head again, Akira stood up on her hind legs and waved her front paws

[Hello, Akira. Thank you for coming all this way to visit me.] Mani shifted her body and rested her head on her forelegs, her big eyes fixed on Thorn. [I asked Maugrim to bring you to see me. Please, sit and relax. Though we do not have too long, we should have enough time.]

There was something about the big wolf’s eyes that gave Thorn a sense of calm, much like when he faced Hati. Pulling a large chair from his inventory, Thorn placed it on the smooth cave floor and sat down on it, taking Akira off of his head and holding her in his lap. Once he was comfortable, he nodded at the gigantic silver wolf.

[May I ask if you are related to Hati?]

[Of course, but before I answer that question, please bear with me as I tell you a story. It will hopefully settle many of your questions.] Lifting her head again, Mani looked up at the roof of the cave, as if she could see the bright moon despite the mountain in the way.

[Long ago, this land was wild, with nothing but forests and mountains. The Immortals who walked Angoril were alone and spent their time creating wondrous crafts. Then, one day, the sky in the west split open and the gods arrived in a great hurry, fleeing the hungering void behind them. The chief immortal met them and, through her great magic, sealed the rift that their coming had formed. The gods were invited to stay by the kind immortals and began to explore Angoril. Yet they were unable to adapt to the solitary lifestyle of the immortals and the gods soon grew lonely.

[Seeing this, the Immortals created many races in the shape and likeness of the gods, exchanging them for promises. Hati, god of Night, the Great Moon Wolf, promised to guard Angoril from external threats, and was given two races. The first were the Wolfkin, created as a mix between the Great Wolf himself, and the Immortals. The second were my people, the Children of the Moon. Together we lived and served Hati, assisting in his task of defending Angoril from threats. And for many years, all was well.]

Pausing, the giant silver wolf turned her eyes on Thorn and Akira.

[But the peace did not last. There came a new threat to the land, a cunning and greedy race from the void. Through deceit they slipped through the borders of the world, hiding in the hearts and minds of those that they corrupted. Over the course of a thousand years they slowly expanded their influence until one day they were able to open the rift in the western sky again. Through the rift came the dragons. Evil, corrupt, and arrogant, the dragons were the race that the gods had fled all those many years ago.

[For reasons unknown to us, the gods retreated, leaving the races created to serve them to forge their own way. Thankfully, before the dragons could bathe the world in absolute chaos, the immortals stepped forward and in a battle that shook the world, they established rules by which the dragons were forced to abide. Though they dominated Angoril for a time, they were eventually cast down.]

[So those were the era of the gods, and the era of the dragons, right?] Thinking back to the mural he had seen of the human and Demonkin heroes leading their people to overthrow the dragons, Thorn scratched his head.

[That is correct. Then came what the created races generally call the Imperial Era. The dragons were overthrown once their leader was slain. Dragons are, by nature, cowards, and they hid themselves as soon as they realized there was a power in this world that was strong enough to kill them.]

[You mean that they are still alive?]

[And watching everything that is happening.] Mani blinked her big eyes as she looked at Thorn seriously. [While they are cowards, dragons are strong. Stronger than you can imagine. They wait in the shadows, biding their time until they can once again rise up. But enough about the evil wyrms. We stray from what is important. Let us speak of Mayari and the story of the Wolfkin.]

Eyes narrowing slightly, Thorn scratched Akira’s soft belly as he listened. This was the topic he was most interested in.

[To properly understand Mayari’s story, you must first understand how the Children of the Moon differ from the Wolfkin. As you are well aware, Fang Valley is ruled by the Greymane, who oversees the Wolfkin and the Temple of the Moon. While the valley was ruled by the Wolfkin and their leader, the mountains outside of the valley are the hunting ground of the Children of the Moon. The gap between our races was bridged by the High Priestess of Hati who served as my race’s representative.

[When I was a pup and my mother was the Matron of the Children of the Moon, Mayari was the High Priestess, chosen for her beauty and gentle character. Yet the corruption of the invaders is subtle and dangerous. Through her relationship with a Wolfkin named Davyos, Mayari was turned from the truth and twisted into something sinister. Her natural ability to bring peace to anyone who met her was warped into an aura of enchantment, snaring those who came too near.

[Under the guise of diplomacy, she reached out to a dark organization called Devil’s Blood and invited them to Fang Valley where they began to exploit the land and the Wolfkin. The Wolfkin were furious at her betrayal, and with great sacrifice they stormed the temple, fighting against the assassins that guarded her, and sealed her away. The dark organization that she had invited into the valley was driven out, though they have never stopped trying to free her.]

[Oh! Master, those must be the skeletons that we found!] Akira abruptly sat up and waved her claws in excitement. However, just as quickly she lay back down and pulled Thorn’s hand which had stopped rubbing her belly.

[Yes, the remains have been left in the temple as a warning.] Mani nodded her head slightly. [The entrance to the valley was hidden by my mother’s magic, preventing those that seek to free Mayari from finding her location. However, the magic has recently worn away and the danger of someone stumbling upon the old temple has emerged. To prevent this, I have instructed Maugrim to lead the other children to prevent everyone from approaching the temple. This has undoubtedly drawn the attention of the remnants of Devil’s Blood, who have never stopped searching the mountains and the valley for the temple.]

[So, let me get this straight.] Thorn’s brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the situation. [Rather than kill the high priestess, the Wolfkin just trapped her for the last who knows how many years in a magical prison? A magical prison whose key happens to be the Ring of the Wolf Lord that symbolizes the position of the Greymane? And there is an organization of evil assassins who is trying to free her?]

[It was not that they did not want to kill Mayari.] Releasing a long sigh, the silver wolf shook her head. [The laws of the Wolfkin are strict and sometimes inflexible. Until the Greymane, along with the consent of the Matron and Temple Elder, declares Mayari as fallen, no Wolfkin may touch her. That is why the symbol of the Greymane was used as the key to open the magical prison. Sadly, before my mother was able to discuss this issue with the Greymane, he disappeared. We always suspected it had something to do with Davyos, but nothing was ever confirmed. Eventually we retreated from the valley as the Wolfkin began to work with humans, watching from the mountains until the day when the Greymane returned.]

[Well, here I am.] Thorn spread his arms. [What is it that you are actually asking of me?]

[Simple. Release Mayari and slay her, ending the devilish taint in the valley. After that, we will be able to appoint a new high priestess, and the Children of the Moon will be able to return to the land we once called home.]

*ding*

Quest: An Ancient Priestess - Updated

Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.

Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.

Maugrim, the Alpha of the Children of the Moon, has led you to speak to his leader who claims that Mayari is the former priestess of Hati, and requests you kill her so that a new high priestess can be appointed. To defeat Mayari, she must first be released from her enchanted prison.

Reward: Children of the Moon, High Priestess of Hati

After reading over the quest, Thorn’s frown deepened. This whole situation felt strangely vague and he was not sure what to make of it. Too many pieces did not seem to fit, but he did not know if that was simply because he lacked a proper understanding of what had actually happened all those years ago. While every quest gave the option for completing it in a variety of ways, this was the first that Thorn had seen give such explicitly clear directions for multiple paths.

Still, it was obvious that the game was allowing him a greater degree of freedom with this quest than he had previously experienced. Deciding not to make any firm decisions until he got the chance to talk to Velin, Corvo and Elder Havva about the whole situation, Thorn accepted the quest and was about to leave when he remembered something.

[Excuse me, may I ask a question?] Turning back to face Mani, Thorn scratched his head.

[Of course.]

[When you first saw me, you said that you were surprised to see me because you thought all of my people died eons ago. Can you tell me more about that?]

[Are you unaware of your heritage?] Taken aback, Mani sat up, her head towering over Thorn. Tilting her head to the side, she regarded the Titan for a moment as amusement bloomed in her eyes. [What I know is little, simply myths and legends wreathed in the mists of time. I’ll tell you what. Once you have completed this quest, I’ll tell you everything I know.]

*ding*

Quest: An Ancient Priestess - Updated

Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.

Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.

Maugrim, the Alpha of the Children of the Moon, has led you to speak to his leader who claims that Mayari is the former priestess of Hati, and requests you kill her so that a new high priestess can be appointed. To defeat Mayari, she must first be released from her enchanted prison.

As a special reward, Mani, the matron of the Children of the Moon has agreed to tell you what she knows about the Titan race.

Reward: Children of the Moon, High Priestess of Hati, Information about Titans

With a sigh, Thorn agreed and said goodbye to Mani, allowing Maugrim to lead him out of the cave that the Children of the Moon called home. The giant black wolf led him a different way back toward the valley, and after three hours, Thorn and Akira found themselves looking down over Fang Valley from the mountain above the ruins of the old Greymane Keep. Stopping at the peak of the hill, Maugrim looked unblinkingly at Thorn for a full minute before he spoke.

“For the time being, we will continue to prevent anyone from approaching Mayari, but unless you want the valley to turn into a warzone between the Devil Blood Assassins and the Children of the Moon I recommend that you resolve it quickly. We have caught their scent in the valley so they will no doubt come for you.”

With that last word of warning Maugrim turned and, without looking back, disappeared into the darkness. The barest hints of light peeked above the mountains to the east, promising the morning sun. Sitting down on the side of the hill, Thorn brought out food from his inventory and shared it with Akira, taking a moment to process everything that had happened that night. After finishing the meal, he rose, stretched, put his helmet back on, and started down the hill.

Unable to contact Velin due to the communication restrictions from his [Living Statue] curse, Thorn focused on getting back to Moon Wolf Citadel as quickly as possible. He had succeeded in finding Akira, but this new quest added a new wrinkle to their plans. On top of needing to resolve the [Living Statue] curse, he had to deal with an evil organization and a race of gigantic wolves turning his land into a battlefield.

The morning broke over the mountain range, thick golden light creeping like syrup across the valley floor. Thorn had been running for almost an hour when he suddenly slowed. The area he was in was still shrouded in deep darkness as the massive trees blocked the morning sun. Akira had been enjoying her ride on his shoulder, chatting away as normal when she abruptly stopped talking, her nose twitching.

[Did you sense something?]

[Master, how can you not smell all that blood?] Akira’s eyes darted back and forth at the shadows surrounding them.

[My nose is a bit blocked up at the moment.]

[Ugh, but it’s so thick I can practically taste it!] Spitting, a bit, Akira held her claws over her mouth.

[Can you tell how many people there are?] Taking a neutral stance, Thorn took a deep breath, calming himself and sharpening his concentration as he got ready to accept an attack from any direction.

[The smell is too strong. I’m sorry, master.]

[Don’t worry about it.] Picking up on the downcast tone of Akira’s voice, Thorn reassured her. [It was great that you were able to smell them. I never would have noticed them on my own.]

Perking back up, Akira wiggled her body happily. With a leap, she left Thorn’s shoulder and landed on a nearby tree branch.

[Master! Someone is coming!]

As Akira’s words rang out in Thorn’s head, he saw a shadow detaching itself from the gloom of the surrounding forest. The shadow stepped into the half light that filtered through the dense trees, revealing a deep red mask and black armor. The blood red mask was entirely smooth, reminding Thorn of a motorcycle helmet, and had a set of three black triangles where the left eye should be.

No glint of light could be seen from the blackened armor that adorned the figure, though the two long dagger handles protruding from sheathes on their lower back gave a clear indication that they were not friendly. Gliding forward with smooth steps, the figure stopped when they were twenty feet from Thorn.

“Greetings, Lord Greymane. I have been looking for you.” The figure bowed his head slightly, hands never straying far from the hilts of their daggers. “I have an offer for you that you will not be able to refuse.”

[Akira, what are the chances that these people are the Blood Devil assassins that Mani and Maugrim were talking about?]

[Um, I would guess that the chances are pretty high.]

[And what are the chances that me not being able to talk will cause us to get into a fight?]

[Ah. I would guess even higher.]

[Well, better get to it then.]

CHAPTER NINE

Dropping into a slight crouch, the pistons in Thorn’s leg armor hissed quietly as they compressed. Abruptly throwing himself forward, he activated his armor’s second set ability, [Predator's Leap]. The micro pistons exploded open, launching him into the air toward the masked figure.

Though startled by the abrupt attack, the masked figure still reacted quickly. Dodging backwards and drawing the two long daggers at his waist, the figure let out a low whistle. Instantly, Thorn sensed figures bursting from the shadows all around him. Dressed in black from head to toe with heavy black masks, they all held a heavy dagger in each hand, hacking toward Thorn’s large figure.

In the middle of his jump, Thorn ignored the incoming attackers and drew back his hand, aiming a strike at the red-masked leader. His armor’s ability allowed him to jump four times his normal distance, and no matter how quickly the red-masked leader retreated, he could not escape Thorn’s reach. Lashing out, his shining silver claws ripping through the air, Thorn attacked. The red masked leader twisted to the side, dropping his head toward the floor as it bent unbelievably low.

The razor sharp claws passing above the red masked leader’s head abruptly changed direction as Thorn brought his fingers together like a bird’s beak, jabbing down toward the smooth red mask. Sensing the razor sharp claws darting toward his face, the leader brought up his daggers, crossing the blades in front of his face to intercept the claws.

*TING*

Thorn’s claws slammed into the crossed blades like a strike from a warpick, driving the leader toward the ground as the sound echoed among the trees. Without stopping, Thorn stomped with his armor-covered foot, smashing it down as the red-masked leader vanished from the ground in a puff of shadow. Under the force of his foot the forest floor shuddered, cracks running through the dirt. Reappearing on a nearby branch, the leader cursed under his breath. Looking down, it saw that where Thorn’s claws landed on the blades there were deep cracks running all the way through to the hilt. Cursing again,he tossed away the handles of the ruined daggers.

On the forest floor the charging assassins had reached Thorn, chopping at him from every angle. Turning as they arrived, Thorn lifted his arms, catching most of the attacks on his forearms. The heavy knives cut down, a few slipping through his raised arms to strike his shoulders and back. With a shriek of metal, the attacks glanced off of Thorn’s armor, sparks lighting up the darkness.

The attacking assassins jumped back, bringing their weapons up defensively to guard against a counter strike. About to step forward, a flash of motion caused Thorn to spin around, raising his arms again as another wave of assassins struck. Just like the first group, as soon as their weapons bounced off of Thorn’s armor, the assassins withdrew, but before Thorn could chase them, the third wave arrived.

His eyes narrowed, Thorn defended against the successive waves of attacks. His [Wolf Lord’s Heavy Armor] blocked the knife strikes, but with each hit he could feel a sliver of his health flake off. The assassins continued to attack like ocean waves beating against a rock, attacking and retreating in a pounding rhythm. Each wave was made up of six of the black clad assassins who operated with smooth precision without allowing Thorn to grasp the tempo of their attacks. Just as he felt out the rhythm of the waves, the next would come a beat faster or a step behind, forcing him to continually adjust his defenses.

Lurking behind him, the red masked leader crouched on a branch, eyes fixed on his back as it waited for an opportunity to strike. That opportunity soon arrived. Thorn, seeing that one of the black robed assassins was retreating slightly behind their companions, abruptly dove forward grabbing at their leg. Seeing his stretched out body, the red masked leader drew another dagger that looked like a needle and disappeared in a puff of shadow, reappearing above Thorn’s back.

Impossibly thin, the long dagger flashed down, stabbing through a narrow gap in Thorn’s back armor and neatly sliding through the chainmail underneath the plates. Despite feeling the sting of the attack, Thorn’s facial expression did not change in the slightest. Instead, he used the opportunity to take another step forward, his large hand closed around the black clothed assassin’s leg. Pulling the unfortunate assassin toward him, Thorn sliced it apart with the silver claws on his other hand.

Seeing that Thorn was ignoring him, the red masked leader gritted his teeth and struck again, determined to take Thorn down. This time, a red glow rippled around the needle-like dagger as it attacked, stabbing into Thorn again. Yet the Titan still disregarded it, even when blood began to flow down from the second puncture wound. Pretending he had not noticed his rapidly dropping health, Thorn lunged toward another black-clad assassin.

As he stepped forward his leg wobbled slightly as his knee lost strength and his body sagged to the side, revealing a weakness in his armor. Letting out a gleeful chuckle, the red masked assassin took advantage of Thorn’s weakness, flitting forward and aiming another strike with their narrow dagger at Thorn’s armpit. The thin point approached the gap in the plates, but it never managed to make it as Thorn’s sideways movement accelerated.

Dropping to his knee, Thorn spun, his massive elbow scraping the red mask of the attacking leader who had thrown his head back desperately as soon as it realized it had fallen for Thorn’s trap. Despite missing with his elbow strike, Thorn was undeterred and flicked his hand out, slamming into the assassin’s chest with the back of his hand.

Under the cold gazes of the black clothed assassins, the red masked assassin cartwheeled backwards, arms and legs flailing wildly. For a moment, it appeared as if their leader had succeeded in a graceless escape. But then he slammed into a tree trunk so hard the tree snapped off, the thundering sound sending birds fleeing into the air all over the forest. Instantly, all eyes turned back to Thorn who was slowly rising to his feet, blood still pooling at his feet.

[Akira.]

[You got it, master! Royal Grace!]

A warm golden glow swirled around Thorn’s figure and the dripping blood evaporated. [Royal Grace]’s regeneration effect began to rapidly fill his health even as it removed the bleeding effect the red masked leader’s dagger had inflicted on him. Standing tall in the growing daylight, Thorn faced down the remaining black-clothed assassins. For a few seconds they stood in silence until an arrow with grey fletching burst out from among the trees. Sliding under one of the assassin’s arms, it punctured through their ribs, nailing them to the tree they stood next to.

Without waiting for the assassins to react, Thorn jumped forward, aiming for the nearest enemy. Their leader undoubtedly dead and more enemies joining the fight, the black-clothed assassins were in no mood to continue their mission and immediately began to scatter. Thorn managed to grab one more, but the others quickly vanished into the forest, leaving three behind to the arrows that flew out from the trees.

As the last assassin disappeared, Thorn looked back over his shoulder. Out from the woods ran a human dressed in high quality leather armor, a recurve bow held in his hands. Seeing Thorn, he quickly thumped his chest with a closed fist and then, drawing a horn from his waist, blew it long. The sound of the horn echoed over the valley, and throughout the valley short responses sounded. Listening carefully, the man nodded and then turned to Thorn again.

“Greetings, my lord. I am Benshis, sergeant of the Freemen. I have alerted the others that there are attackers in the valley.” Obviously excited that he was meeting Thorn, Benshis stared at him with wide eyes. “By your leave I will pursue.”

Nodding, Thorn gave him a thumbs up. Seeing Benshis was still looking at him with stars in his eyes, Thorn waved his hand, shooing the sargent along.

“Ah, right. Thank you, my lord. We’ll catch them, never you fear.” Throwing those last words over his shoulder, Benshis disappeared into the forest after the assassins. Within moments Thorn heard the horns sounding again, drawing a net around the fleeing enemies. Feeling Akira land on his shoulder, Thorn removed his helmet and let out a deep breath.

[Thanks, Akira. That would have been really difficult without you.] Despite being completely healed, Thorn could still feel the spot where the red masked leader had stabbed him. The bleeding effect had nearly emptied his health, and without his abilities he undoubtedly would have died if Akira had not been around.

[Of course, master! That is why you should always bring me to fight!] Clambering up onto the top of Thorn’s head, Akira twisted herself over and stared into Thorn’s face. [I am the best fighter you know. I am really strong and I can beat up all of my cousins. I can’t beat my dad, but that is because he is invincible. Or my mom. But I am really strong, you know?]

[Yes, I know.] Grinning, Thorn plucked Akira from his head and fished out a treat for her. Jogging over to the broken tree, he rummaged around the body of the red-masked leader he had killed. Picking up a few gold, he was about to leave when Akira jumped down from his arms and grabbed something from under a fallen branch. Scampering back up into his arms, she put the black and red token that she had found in his hand.

The token was flat and showed the head of a greater devil with a drop of blood coming from its mouth. Tossing it into his inventory, Thorn began to run toward Moon Wolf Citadel. Finding it easier to travel during the day, he made great time, arriving at the citadel’s back gate within an hour. Checking the time, he saw he still had four hours until noon. Playing for a few days without sleeping wasn’t an issue, so he made his way to the main dining room and sent Akira with a note to ask the Wolfkin cooks to bring him breakfast.

Soon a steady stream of Wolfkin began ferrying platters of food between the kitchen and the dining room. Six different kinds of egg dishes, each made from at least a dozen eggs, were joined by steak, bacon, strings of pork, and apple sausage. Stacks of pancakes, fresh baked bread, steaming hot biscuits with twelve different jams, and two massive pies dominated one side of the table. The other held the meats along with two large tubs of yogurt, three different types of muffins, a baker’s dozen of donuts, and crispy hash browns. A giant bowl of various fruits dominated the center of the table.

One of the Wolfkin stood by a small side table that held milk, orange juice, a dark morning ale, and water, filling Thorn’s cups every time he drained them. Watching in awe as Thorn made plate after plate of food disappear, she nearly missed his cup after he tossed off his fifth glass of orange juice. Just as the orange juice was about to splash all over Thorn, a slim hand caught the pitcher. Looking gratefully at Corvo who had just entered the room, she stepped back. Stifling a yawn, Corvo took one of the seats at the table and looked at Thorn in disgust.

“Ugh, how can you eat like that in the morning?” With a grimace he pushed a plate of sausage away.

Thorn just grinned and flexed one of his massive arms, slapping his bicep. The image was somewhat ruined by the large yogurt spoon sticking out of his mouth, but the Titan did not mind and dug right back in. Rolling his eyes, Corvo greeted Velin and Mina who had just arrived. Her eyes lighting up at the sight of Akira who was nibbling on a piece of fruit, Mina ran over to the Royal Ailuridae.

Velin greeted Corvo evenly and sat down on Thorn’s other side. Taking a plate of quiche, she served herself a piece and then put the rest of it on Thorn’s plate. After eating a few bites she put down her fork and began to go over the itinerary for the day.

“Thorn, are you ready to work on this quest? Peregrine should have already called the Emperor of the Sky, so you’ll need to be on top of your game.”

Giving Velin a nod, Thorn finished the last few crumbs of the quiche and pulled the sausages that Corvo had rejected closer.

“Good, once we’ve cleared the avatar challenge, we’ll need to decide who is actually going to go on the World Tree quest. Corvo, do you have any thoughts on this?”

“Yes, actually. You, Thorn, and Akira are pretty much a given. I think inviting Baxby along is a really good idea since you’ll be in a new area and you’re looking for the World Tree. He’ll be a major help in deciphering clues. Other than that, I think that the team would benefit from another combat focused player. Someone who can balance Thorn’s melee. At first I was going to suggest Delmore or Leaves, but they are going to be needed for grinding crusades. It is imperative that we collect as many commendations as we can before Thorn’s hearing. The higher his rank, the more support he’ll get from the Order of Flame.”

“What about bringing Jorge, or Oberlin?” Immersed in thought, Velin played with the food on her plate absently.

“Jorge is a close ranged striker. Too much overlap with Thorn. And besides, he and Oberlin already left. Jorge was talking about bleeding Thorn’s pockets dry by collecting the bounty on Ragnarok, and Oberlin was cackling about stealing everything they own.” Rolling his eyes, Corvo chuckled. “You realize that we’ve unleashed a scourge, right?”

“It serves them right!” Mina, who was at the other end of the table, butted in.

“She is correct. Ragnarok is the one who has not let up. We are just joining them in their game.”

“Sure, but sicking Oberlin on them? By the end of this it will be shocking if they have anything left. You know he has almost mastered his class right? He has a triple category class that he earned himself. Pure mastery.”

“Are those secrets you should be revealing?” Velin’s face was cool as she stared at the talkative avatar.

“Oh, relax.” Corvo’s head tilted slightly as he stared back. “We’re allies remember? All on the same team, which means we don’t need to hide things from each other. Or is there something I don’t know?”

Frowning, Thorn tapped on the table. The sound echoed through the room, instantly drawing all attention. Giving Corvo and Velin a displeased look, he pointed at himself, Velin, Akira, and then at Mina. He finished the last steak in three bites and stood up, flashing a thumbs up and brushed crumbs from his clothes. Gesturing for the others to follow him, Thorn led the way to the office behind the throne room and sat in his large chair. Pulling out a piece of paper, he began to write.

Baxby, Velin, Mina, Akira, and I will go on the World Tree quest. Corvo, I’ll be relying on you to make sure everything in the Valley runs smoothly while we are away. Please don’t hesitate to contact Velin as needed, and feel free to lean on Athena and the Society of Roses as you feel it is appropriate. The valley is our lifeblood, so we cannot afford for anything to happen to it.

“You got it, boss.” Giving Thorn a lazy salute, Corvo put the paper that Thorn handed him back on the desk.

CHAPTER TEN

Also, we have a bit of a situation.

Thorn shared his new quest with the others and wrote out a short description of his encounter with the assassins in the forest.

“What does this remind me of?” Mina mused after reading the note. “Blood Devils? That name sounds really familiar.”

“Exalted Devil Blood Berserker. That was Ouroboros’ class. The Blood Devils must be related to the greater devil, Karrandras.” Velin shook her head. “We don’t seem to be able to get away from him.”

“Well, we sorta kicked down his door.” Scratching his chin, Corvo gestured toward Thorn with his head. “Our esteemed Lord Greymane took over the race that he has been working so hard to corrupt and broke his champion in half. It makes sense that we would still be running into his influence. What I am most interested in is this ‘high priestess’ lady. From what you’ve described, the relationship between her and the giant wolves is really complicated. She was able to send Maugrim to bring you to her, and talks with him enough to know that you were around. Yet Maugrim and his master, Mani, are asking you to kill her? Curious.”

True. We need to talk to Elder Havva about this.

“I agree, but we don’t have time right now. Your date with the Emperor of the Sky is in half an hour.” Velin said, checking her clock. “This might need to wait until we get back.”

“Yeah, Velin is right. It is pretty important that we focus right now. Once the avatar quest is cleared we can worry about how we are going to deal with the high priestess.”

[Master, someone is coming. They smell like a bird. Really stinky.]

[Akira, be kind.] Thorn chided his battle pet as he turned to look at the door. Just as his glance landed on it, a small figure sauntered into the room. Swaggering across the room, Peregrine slapped her little hand on the top of Thorn’s desk and vaulted right up. Standing up, she was slightly taller than Thorn who was lounging in his chair, a fact she seemed to relish greatly.

“You ready for this, Lord Baron?” It was obvious by Peregrine’s tone that she doubted it.

Thorn’s body rose from his chair as he got to his feet, towering over Peregrine despite the fact that she was standing on his desk. Looking down at her, his face broke into a grin.

[Akira.]

[Yes, Master!] With a flying leap, Akira jumped from Mina’s lap, bouncing off of the desk and landing on Thorn’s shoulder.

Lifting a hand, Thorn gestured for Peregrine to lead the way.

“Follow along. I asked the Emperor to meet us at the peak of Fang Spire. He gets, uh, antsy when he gets close to sea level, so I tried to pick the tallest mountain around.”

“Fang Spire?” Mina asked Corvo with a whisper.

“It’s the southern twin of the Twin Peaks.” Corvo pointed in the direction of the mountain to the south of Moon Wolf Citadel. “Fang Spire and Grim Spire are the official names of the mountains. Fang Spire is fourteen and a half thousand feet, while its twin, Grim Spire is only twelve thousand seven hundred-ish.”

“Huh, you learn something new every day.”

“Especially if you hang around mister ‘I know everything’.” Peregrine, who was leading the way out of the fortress, rolled her eyes. Glancing over her shoulder at Thorn, she let out a sigh. “Don’t say I never did anything for you, Lord Baron. The extra height might not seem like much, but it will mean that the Emperor is in that much of a better mood. Truthfully, I don’t actually know how you are going to overcome this quest. It is about as fair to you as a straight fight would be to me.”

Raising his hands, Thorn shrugged. He did not know how he was going to complete it either. The quest gave no hints so he was just going to play it by ear. Originally, he had been quite worried about how he was going to talk to the giant bird, but meeting Mani, the massive silver wolf, had planted a seed of hope in him.

His connection with Akira allowed him to communicate with her mentally, an ability that Mani had as well. Thorn was hoping that mental communication was a mark of all such legendary creatures. If it wasn’t then the quest would likely devolve into a complete farce.

Leading the way out of the fortress, Peregrine and the rest of the group began to climb Fang Spire. Despite her small size she moved quickly, reminding Thorn of a gust of wind that blew this way and that. One moment she would be standing still and the next she would move swiftly to a rock up ahead. As they climbed, Thorn could almost imagine that he was simply going on a hike with his friends. The day had warmed up nicely, and a gentle breeze kept the sun’s rays from being too hot.

Up in the endlessly blue sky that covered the valley, a small speck could be seen turning lazy circles over the group. As they climbed, Peregrine would occasionally let out a piercing whistle, listening for a response from Roko who flew above them. Each time she heard the Imperial Roc’s cry she would adjust their path up the mountain. Due to Roko’s guidance, the group smoothly climbed up the mountain, skipping past any obstacles in their path.

Making good progress, the group continued to climb, soon finding themselves treading on a thin layer of snow that crunched under their feet. The air began to get colder as they traveled, but it was not unbearable with the sun shining on them. As they approached the peak of the mountain, Thorn took a moment to glance behind him and was instantly stunned. The unobstructed view of the valley and the mountain range behind it was enough to take his breath away.

The top of the mountain was a wide and relatively flat area with only a few rocks on one side. Standing together, the group looked around, seeing no sign of a large bird, but Peregrine assured them that the Emperor of the Sky would be there soon.

While they waited, Thorn listened as Corvo and Velin discussed the situation in the valley and what should be done about the high priestess, Mayari. Both had noticed that the reward for the quest was listed as the Children of the Moon and, just like Thorn, they were interested in the possibility of the giant wolves joining the valley as allies of the Wolfkin. Just as they were talking about countermeasures to keep players away from the temple before Thorn returned, a huge shadow drifted over them.

Above them the monstrous figure of an adult Imperial Roc blocked the sun. With a wingspan that easily reached sixty feet across, the Emperor of the Sky completely dwarfed all of them. Reddish brown feathers covered its massive body like an impenetrable suit of armor, and each gleaming talon was as big as a sword. Approaching quickly, the Emperor of the Sky flapped its wings as it landed, sending the snow that blanketed the top of the mountain whirling.

Unable to stand against the gale, Corvo and Velin stumbled backwards. Much lighter than the others, Mina was directly sent tumbling while Peregrine began to drift as if she was part of the rushing wind. Only Thorn was able to withstand the wind completely, standing unmoving like a boulder planted on the ground. Reaching out, he stabilized Velin and Corvo, even as Akira scrambled onto his back and clutched onto his armor.

Muttering under her breath, Mina disappeared from where she had been rolling, appearing again next to Thorn. Grabbing on to Thorn’s leg with one hand, she kept the other on her witch’s hat to keep it from flying off of her head. The Emperor of the Sky flapped his wings a few more times as he settled down, and soon the gales subsided. Cocking his head sideways, he puffed up his chest and looked at Thorn from one of his deep, golden eyes. Stumbling slightly as the wind died down, Peregrine patted her chest. Muttering under her breath, she straightened her clothes and then, giving out a series of whistles and chirps, ran over to where Thorn and the others stood facing the giant bird.

The Emperor of the Sky continued to stare at Thorn, his eyes unreadable, even as Peregrine continued to talk. Uncomfortable under the Imperial Roc’s intense stare, Velin and Mina both edged behind Thorn who seemed completely unaffected. Surprisingly, Corvo was also quite relaxed under the huge bird’s gaze. Akira, who had been hanging on to Thorn’s back, peeked her head over his shoulder only to freeze when she saw the Emperor of the Sky’s eyes.

Feeling Akira shivering slightly, Thorn pulled her to his front and held her in his arms, stroking her fur to calm her down. Without breaking eye contact with the big bird, Thorn retrieved a handful of small snacks from his inventory, handing one to Akira and popping another in his mouth. Her eyes lighting up, Akira completely forgot about the Emperor of the Sky and shoved the small pastry into her mouth, holding out her paws for another.

“What a glutton.” Corvo remarked disdainfully from where he stood next to Thorn. Still, when Thorn grinned and tossed him one of the small pastries, he caught it and put it in his mouth, nearly burning himself in the process. The smell of the piping hot pastries spread through the air, lending a surreal sense to the scene. Peregrine, sniffing the air in confusion, turned around to see Thorn handing out the pastries to his party and frowned.

“Hey, take this seriously!” Annoyed, she began to berate Thorn when a deafening screech nearly knocked her over. Her mouth opening in shock, Peregrine spun around to stare at the Emperor of the Sky who had shuffled closer to Thorn. The massive bird looked down at Thorn with a narrowed gaze.

Raising his eyebrows, Thorn stared back at the Emperor of the Sky and took out another handful of the pastries. Handing one to Akira, who immediately shoved it into her other cheek, Thorn ate a few more himself. He glanced at Peregrine, who was still too shocked to speak and was standing to the side stammering incoherently.

[Hey, are those tasty? They smell tasty. What are they? How are they hot? It's pretty freezing up here but those look hot and tasty. Where did you get them? Was that a magic trick? I love magic tricks. I love tasty things even more. Can I have one? I’d like one. Though they look really small. Way too small. Do you have any that are bigger? Maybe the size of that little furry mouse thing. That would be a really good size. Are they sweet? I really like sweet things, so I hope they are sweet.]

Nothing of what he had heard from Peregrine about the Emperor of the Sky, or what he had seen with his own eyes, prepared Thorn for the high pitched, rapid voice that echoed in his head. After staring blankly at the Emperor of the Sky, Thorn blinked a few times and tossed a handful of the small pastries toward the Roc who opened his giant beak and gobbled them up.

[Wow! Those are really delicious! I have really missed the taste of sugar, you know? It’s hard to get sugar in the air. I have not had sugar forever, apart from that one time when an entire ship with bags of sugar just happened to go missing and somehow blew all the way to my nest. Do you have any more?]

Even if he had not been cursed with [Living Statue], Thorn was pretty sure that he would not have had anything to say. Completely lost for words, he got a large handful of the pastries out and tossed them to the Emperor of the Sky.

[Muahaha, I knew you had more! Mmmhm, mmhm. Delicious. Man, it sure is nice to be able to talk to someone too. You would not believe how lonely it is just flying around in the air all the time. Hey, you don’t say much, do you? Oh, silly me, I haven’t introduced myself yet. Haha, can you believe that, I’d forget my own head next if it wasn’t nailed on. I’m Ventosas, but you can call me Vento. All my friends do. Though I haven’t seen any of them in a long time so they might be gone. Hmmm. Now that I think about it, I might not have any friends any more.]

[Hello, Vento. My name is Thorn. I’d be happy to be your friend.]

[Oh? Well that is certainly kind of you. I’m always happy to make new friends, especially when they know chefs that make tasty treats. Haha, so what's going on here anyway? My cousin said that I should come over because there was a really scary guy who looked like he was going to eat her. Haha, really though who would eat an Imperial Roc?] Going silent suddenly, Vento tilted his head and looked at Thorn with his other eye. [Wait.]

[I definitely wouldn’t eat one.] Thorn held up the hand that wasn’t holding Akira.

[No? Not even a little, defenseless one? Like one that doesn’t have impenetrable feathers, lightning speed, and talons that can carve through marble like its butter?]

[Uh, no? Can’t all Imperial Rocs do that sort of thing?]

[Nah, only fully grown rocs like me. Roko is just sorta quick. And her feathers are solid, but not impenetrable. I guess her talons are pretty sharp though. Anyway, I’m glad to hear that you are not going to eat her. Speaking of eating, do you have any more of those tasty snacks?]

[Yeah, sure.] Thorn got a couple more handfuls of pastries from his inventory, tossing them to Vento who wiggled his body and chirped with delight. Taking advantage of the silence as the Imperial Roc was eating, Thorn asked a question that had been bugging him for a while.

[Vento, you mentioned that it is pretty lonely flying around all the time. Why don’t you talk to Roko? Or Peregrine?]

[Ha, Roko is a hatchling. She can barely talk. I know she looks big to you. Well, maybe not to you, but, like, to normal sized things? But she is not even fifty years old. All she talks about is how cool the halfling is, and all the food that she is eating, and how many places she has seen.]

[And Peregrine?]

[Uh. Her mind would explode. Just...boom.]

CHAPTER ELEVEN

[Pardon? I’m not following.] Frowning, Thorn scratched his head as he looked at Peregrine who was looking quite confused as to what was going on. Seeing the Titan glance over, Peregrine perked up and ran over.

“Hey, what is happening? I never knew that the Emperor of the Sky liked treats.”

[Her mind. It would blow up if I tried to talk to her. It would be like someone screaming in your ear loud enough to make you deaf, but in her head. The best case would be her getting a really nasty migraine, and the worst would be internal hemorrhages. Her mind is not strong enough to fit my voice.]

[But we are talking just fine.] Thorn held up his finger up to ask Peregrine to pause her questions as he continued talking to Vento.

[Sure, but you’re not a halfling. Or a human. Or anything else that I’ve ever seen. In fact, I seriously don’t know how you are here, because I heard from my mom that you all died out a long time ago.]

[What do you mean we died out?]

[Eh, I dunno. Mom just said that you all died. Or left. Or something. Way before my time, so I can’t help you more than that. Hey, do you have any more of those things? What are they called? And where do I get more of them? I’d take a whole cart full if you have them? Can your magic trick summon a whole cart full?]

[No, sorry. But I still have around a hundred.]

[Ooooh! Ooh! I’ll trade you, uh.] The Emperor of the Sky turned his head, looking around the top of the mountain. Spotting one of the large rocks nearby he gave a cry of excitement and waddled over, picking it up with his beak. Coming back to Thorn he dropped it in front of the Titan with a loud boom.

[Take a look at this big, uh, rock. It's, um, really heavy. And this...] Looking around again, Vento did not see anything else that he could trade with Thorn. Luckily, Thorn saw his predicament and stepped forward to save him.

[Thanks, the rock is great. It’ll make a good seat. But how would you like to earn a whole pile of pastries?]

Freezing, Vento’s head swiveled around, fixing a large eye on Thorn. Standing nearby, Mina gripped her wand tightly. Unable to hear the mental exchange between Thorn and Vento, Thorn’s teammates were quite nervous every time the massive Imperial Roc moved. As for Peregrine, the halfling was still standing to the side, staring in shock at the Emperor of the Sky.

[A whole pile? How big is the pile?]

[If you help me out, I’ll give you a pile as big as me. Pastries piled up to my head.]

[Deal.]

[Don’t you need to hear…]

[Deal!] Vento interrupted Thorn abruptly. [No taking the deal back. If you take it back I’ll drop rocks on your castle. And you have to give them to me first. And they need to be hot.]

*ding*

Hati’s Honor: Completed

You have found yourself facing Peregrine, Avatar of Tyra, the Storm Eagle. Proud and aloof, the Storm Eagle has little interest in the affairs going on in the world below. Show the majestic lord of the sky that you are worthy of her gaze by convincing one of her stupid and greedy subjects to be your friend. Should you do so, she will allow Hati to pretend that he has the best avatar, even though hers is still better. In order to count, the subject must be able to carry you.

This quest is your third [Avatar Challenge]. As you adventure around Nova Terra, it is your responsibility as the Avatar of Hati to represent Hati in challenging other Avatars to contests of strength and feats of valor. And, occasionally, petty acts of vandalism. A challenge will be generated when you come within a certain distance of another Avatar. For a challenge to be recognized as legitimate, it must be openly announced to the Avatars involved.

Reward: Increase Hati’s Favor

Reading over the completed quest, Thorn was still not sure what had happened. Across from him, Peregrine’s mouth got even wider as her avatar challenge quest updated. Unable to speak, she lifted a trembling finger at Thorn who just shrugged.

[No problem. If you come with me I can make sure you get them tonight.]

[Okay, no problem.] Fluffing his feathers with happiness, Vento began to waddle toward the side of the mountain. Looking down toward the valley floor, he suddenly stopped and backed up awkwardly. [On second thought, I am going to wait up here. The ground is way too close down there.]

[Yeah, I guess it is. I can bring them up here, but it might take me a little longer?]

[That is fine, as long as they are hot.]

[I’ll be back with the pastries tomorrow morning, okay? But don’t worry, they’ll be hot.]

Nodding his head with excitement, Vento gave a trill and, tucking his wings in, settled himself down on the flat part of the peak to wait.

“Mind filling us in on what is going on?” Velin asked, her eyes darting back and forth between Thorn and the Emperor of the Sky.

Sharing his completed quest, Thorn gave Velin a thumbs up.

“Seriously, what just happened?” Peregrine had a confused expression on her face as she stared at the remnants of the pastry in Akira’s paws. As far as she knew, Thorn and the Emperor of the Sky had not communicated at all. Instead, Thorn had just fed the Imperial Roc some snacks and then they became friends. At the very least she had been expecting to see Thorn pantomime something but it looked more like the Emperor of the Sky had traded a large boulder for pastries.

Gesturing for the others to follow him, Thorn told Vento mentally that he would be back in the morning and began to hike back down the mountain. They made good time going downhill and soon arrived back at the citadel. Along the way Thorn filled them in on the basics of what had happened by passing them short notes. Gathering together in the throne room, Velin gave them one last overview of the plan before they split up for the night.

“We’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. Thorn, you’re taking care of the pastries right?” Velin snapped her notebook shut. “Good. Mina, you, Thorn, Akira, and I will be going on this quest, so make sure you are not late. Corvo, do you need anything? You’ll be in charge here by yourself.”

“What? Don’t you trust me?” Corvo winked at the Elven War Priestess and slung an arm around Peregrine’s shoulders. “Believe me, I got it covered. Plus, shorty here is gonna help out since you don’t need her.”

“Hey, get off. What do you mean I’m going to help? I’m not sticking around this crazy place.” Brushing Corvo’s hand away, the halfling scowled at him and began to walk away.

“One hundred gold a day to patrol the valley and the surrounding three hundred miles. And we’ll pay for your companion’s food.”

Her foot was just about to cross the threshold when Peregrine heard Corvo’s offer. Freezing, she considered it for a moment and then, almost without appearing to move, appeared next to the avatar of Huginn.

“All of her food? As much as she can eat?”

Corvo looked over at Thorn who gave a thumbs up.

“Yup, as much as she can eat.”

“Deal!” Peregrine reached out her small hand, slapping Corvo’s outstretched palm as if she was afraid that he was going to pull his hand back. Grinning happily, she flitted out the door, letting out a piercing whistle as she went.

Bemused, Corvo stood there with his hand still outstretched for another moment. Scratching his head, he looked between Thorn and Velin.

“Don’t worry about us. I know she seems pretty flighty, but I can vouch for her. With Peregrine keeping an eye out and me holding down the fort we’ll be in good shape until you get back. You worry about your quest, we’ll handle the valley.”

“Very well. If you have any issues, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

Making his way down to the fortress’s kitchen, Thorn found the head Wolfkin cook preparing the menu for the following day. Each day a large amount of fresh food was brought into Moon Wolf Citadel, much of it ending up in the fortress kitchen. In order to ensure the quality of the food the head cook liked to personally choose the menu for the next day. At a small table in the corner four cooks sat around a small table playing a card game as the apprentices bustled around the large kitchen under the direction of the other cooks, cleaning and prepping for the frenzied activity that would arrive in the morning.

The kitchen itself was a large semi-circular room with a large set of ovens and stoves set against the flat wall. Storage rooms and shelves of goods dominated one side of the room and racks of dishes lined the walls. A quick scan of the room revealed that there were more than sixty five apprentices currently scurrying around the kitchen at the direction of the twenty-five cooks.

A tremendous amount of food was required to feed Moon Wolf Citadel, and the majority of it came from this kitchen, going straight to the cafeteria where the guards and servants ate. The head cook, in addition to being responsible for setting the menu, was also responsible for making meals for Thorn and the other officers of Nova Luna.

One of the apprentices was the first to notice Thorn, dropping the dishes he was carrying in his shock. The loud bang of the plates rattling on the floor drew everyone’s attention and the head cook quickly ran over to salute Thorn as one of the other cooks quickly swept up the dropped dishes. Following the example of the head cook, everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing to join him in paying their respects to Thorn. Stepping forward, Thorn dismissed everyone else back to their jobs with a friendly wave.

“I’m sorry, my lord, I had no idea that you would be coming down to the kitchen. You needn't have come down, my lord. You could have simply sent for me.” The head cook was an elderly female Wolfkin with grey tipped ears with a motherly look. Shooting a glance at the tall wolfkin standing behind Thorn, she frowned slightly. “Or you could have sent Del’har.”

“Hello, Mother.” The captain greeted the head cook. “His lordship wanted to do some cooking so he asked me to bring him to you specifically. He has need of a large order of your famous breakfast pastries.”

“Oh? You mean my puff pastries? They are rather good if I do say so myself. You know, I’ve won awards for them. I’m pleased your lordship found them to your taste. How many batches do you need, my lord? I’m happy to be of assistance.”

“Um, I think we need 3,250 pastry puffs?” Captain Del’har double checked the paper that Thorn had given him. “Yeah, 3,250. We need to stack them up as tall as Baron Greymane.”

“3,250 puffs? That’ll be some display. Who are you feeding? An army? Lets see.” Scrunching her nose, the head cook walked back to the table where she had been sitting and pulled over her notebook. Sitting down on her stool, she began to run some calculations. “32 pastries per sheet, so we’ll need, um, 102 sheets. Ishva, check to see how much flour we have. My lord, this is going to take a while to put together. Thankfully each sheet will only need ten minutes to bake, and we can bake forty sheets at a time. The bigger issue is that it will take some time for the dough to rise. I’d say that we’ll need a total of six hours to prep the dough and make the pastries. Hmm.”

Putting down her pencil, the head cook called over a few of the other cooks and began to confer with them in a low voice. After doing a brief inventory, she turned back to Thorn and bobbed her head.

“It should not be a problem, my lord. We can have them for you first thing in the morning. Where would you like me to send them when they are finished?”

I’ll just take them. Can you show me how you make them? I’d like to help.

“You want to help us? Of course, you can help. After all, these kitchens are technically yours and we all work for you. Though I worry that such menial tasks do not suit your position well. I would be afraid that if anyone were to see that the Baron was working in the kitchen we would become a laughingstock.” Despite the words that were coming out of her mouth, it was eminently obvious that the head cook was not comfortable having Thorn around.

“Mother, shhh.” Captain Del’har stepped forward to gently pull the head cook away. Lowering his voice he whispered into her ear, causing her eyes to brighten considerably. Pulling herself from the captain’s grip, the head cook curtsied to Thorn.

“It would be my pleasure to show your lordship how to make puff pastries. If you would come this way, I’ll get you started.”

Though he had no idea what the captain had whispered to make his mother change her thoughts so quickly, Thorn was happy with the result and was soon immersed in mixing dough. The cooks divided the job into smaller parts, allowing them to speed up production of the pastries, working around Thorn’s large frame as they rushed about their business.

Helping where he could, Thorn assisted with things like lifting the bags of flour and sugar, and prepping the stacks of baking sheets. Good at following orders, he soon fit right in, and within no-time the head cook was barking orders at him like she did with the rest of the cooks. After the dough was mixed it was rolled out into thin sheets and folded over before going on a rolling rack and then to the refrigerator.

The refrigerator was actually a massive room with shelves that were packed with perishable foods. Arcane runes pulsed with blue light, radiating waves of cold air and reminding Thorn of the ice spells that Mina cast. To allow the dough to rise, the cooks left the sheets on the rolling racks and pushed them into the aisles. Leaving them to sit, the head cook showed Thorn how to mix the cinnamon and sugar mixture that her puff pastries were famous for.

Mixing up cinnamon, brown sugar, diced apples, and crushed walnuts in a massive bowl, she had Thorn set the bowl in the fridge and then made a light frosting from confectioner’s sugar with a little bit of lemon. Once all the food prep was done, Thorn sat with the cooks as they chatted about what was going on in the fortress. At one point, the head cook brought over a new sort of desert she was working on and gave it to Thorn who devoured it. Seeing how quickly he ate it, the head cook decided that Thorn must be hungry and soon all the cooks were making their signature dishes for him to try.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Coming through, hot, hot, hot.”

“Put them on the rack! Hey, where is the frosting?”

“It’s coming, it’s coming.”

“Well pick up the pace, we still have nearly forty trays in the oven!”

“Sorry, sorry,” a young Wolfkin apprentice hurried over with a large bowl filled with lemon drizzle. “We had to go get more confectioner’s sugar.”

“Put it on table three. Hey! Hey, be careful!” The cook who was overseeing the apprentices removing the delicate pastries from the trays rushed past Thorn who was sitting with the head cook, drawing spirals of frosting on a batch of pastries.

“The key is in the precise cooking time.” Watching Thorn as he carefully squeezed the lemon flavored frosting onto the top of a puff pastry, she nodded. “That’s great. I like to add different designs as that makes the display look nicer. We could also do some with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar if you’d like. They are a bit harder to eat, but the powdered sugar version is a really big hit.”

Giving a thumbs up, Thorn finished the tray he was working on and then lifted it carefully, putting it away in his inventory. Thankfully he did not have to worry about the trays spilling while they were in his inventory, otherwise he would have created a sticky mess.

Despite the frantic pace, the kitchen ran like a well oiled machine. The apprentices rushed this way and that, carrying out tasks for the cooks who each operated in a specific area of the kitchen. Watching the controlled chaos working itself out, Thorn was quite impressed. Like clockwork, tray after tray of decorated puff pastries were delivered to Thorn’s side and disappeared into his inventory.

It was close to two in the morning when the bustle died down and, yawning, many of the apprentices headed to bed. The head cook smiled happily in the mostly empty kitchen as she watched Thorn put a flower design on the last pastry. Putting the piping bag down, Thorn glanced around and then popped the decorated puff pastry in his mouth.

Giving the head cook a smile, Thorn stood up and put his hands together as if he was praying, thanking her for all her help. His inventory was filled with puff pastries, and, if he hurried, he could still get a few hours of sleep before they had to leave in the morning. Patting Captain Del’har, who had been hovering nervously over his mother the whole night, on the shoulder, Thorn went to his room and stretched out on his massive bed.

Dawn came quickly, and along with it, the alarm that Thorn had set. Rising, he went to the bathroom and washed his face. There was not really any need as the game took care of the player’s physical needs, and he was instantly alert after waking up, but there was something settling in the routine. After swinging by the dining room and grabbing a few plates of food, Thorn met with Mina and Velin at the citadel’s back gate.

Handing a slice of apple to Akira who was riding on his shoulder, Thorn and the girls waited together. Thorn took the chance to eat his breakfast, occasionally feeding bits to Akira, as Mina chatted about some of the things she hoped to see on their quest. They had waited almost ten minutes and Velin’s frown was beginning to deepen when an old man hurried out of the forest.

“Hey, Baxby, where have you been? We’ve been waiting here forever.” Mina tilted her head as she noticed the large pack on Baxby’s back.

“Heh, sorry about that.” The old treasure hunter rubbed his hands together as he nodded to Velin and Thorn. “These old bones don’t move quite like they used to.”

“Do you need more time for preparations?” Velin’s eyebrows rose slightly as she looked at Baxby.

“Haha, no, no. I’m all set.” Slightly embarrassed, Baxby shook his head. “We can get on the road any time.”

“Excellent. Let’s set off.”

The hike up the mountain in the early morning light was peaceful, and accompanied by Mina and Baxby’s banter, the time passed quickly. Once they were close to the top of the mountain, Akira jumped down from her perch on Thorn’s shoulder and ran on ahead. The Emperor of the Sky was still sitting where he had been the night before on the mountain’s peak. Opening one of his eyes a crack when he heard the sound of Akira coming over, his head shot upright when he recognized her.

Flapping his wings, Vento rose from where he sat, his massive wingspan covering the entire top of the mountain. Soft reddish-gold light glinted from his feathers and the sun shining behind him gave him an aura of majesty. Cresting the mountain as Vento stretched, Baxby was momentarily stunned at the sight of the Imperial Roc. His mood quickly turned to excitement, causing him to lean over to whisper to Mina.

“Is that our ride?”

Unfortunately for Baxby, the Imperial Roc’s hearing was almost as sharp as his sight, causing his head to snap around at the old treasure hunter’s words. Feeling the fierce gaze settle on him, Baxby paled and took a step back. Yet even as he moved, the massive bird’s head tracked him and the overwhelming feeling of facing a predator surfaced in his chest. Knowing that he had offended the mighty creature, Baxby quickly glanced at Thorn and then dropped his head.

[Morning!] Forcefully injecting excitement into his thoughts, Thorn quickly got a few of the puff pastries out of his inventory, hoping to distract Vento and smooth over the situation. Thankfully, the smell of freshly baked pastries was strong, causing Vento’s aggressive stance to melt away.

[Hey, Thorn, you made it! Wow, those smell so good. Ooh, it looks like there are different types. I detect cinnamon! How did you know I like cinnamon! And is that lemon? Oh boy, these are going to be so good.]

Excited by the incoming feast, Vento fluffed his feathers, instantly becoming nearly twice as large. Assisted by his teammates, Thorn began to stack out the puff pastries. Laying down a few trays, he directed Baxby and Velin to begin laying the foundation layer while he got racks of trays out of his inventory. Seeing full racks appearing on the top of the mountain, Vento was taken aback, but his attention was soon reclaimed by the sweet smelling pastries.

Mina helped carry trays of puff pastries over to Baxby and Velin, occasionally stopping to feed Akira little bits of pastry. Through careful work a steep pyramid stack of pastries began to climb. After forty minutes the stack was as tall as Mina and Vento was so excited that he couldn’t stay still. Hopping from one leg to the other, he sent tremors through the mountain, earning himself a glare from Velin after his antics nearly caused the delicate structure to collapse.

[Ahahaha, sorry, sorry.] Bobbing his head in apology, Vento launched himself from the top of the mountain, shooting down its side. Snapping his wings open, his rapid descent turned into a glide and he rapidly gained distance from the side of the mountain. A flap of his wings sent him rocketing back up into the air where he began to turn excited circles around the peak where Thorn and the others had taken a brief moment from their work to watch the massive Imperial Roc’s flight.

Eventually, the mound of pastries got too high for both Baxby and Velin so Thorn took over, carefully placing each pastry on top of the narrowing pile. Reaching up with the final pastry to cap the pyramid, Thorn stepped back and smiled. The shear weight of the pastries on the top were beginning to crush the lower layers so he quickly looked for Vento.

[Alright, here you go. One giant stack of puff pastries for you.] As soon as the words left his mind, the corner of Thorn’s eye caught a slight shift in the pastries and he looked over just in time to see the whole stack beginning to collapse! Time seemed to crawl as his eyes widened and he began to reach for the pyramid. Even knowing that there was no way he would be able to prevent its fall, Thorn’s instinct was to try and catch the structure.

Up in the air above the mountain Vento’s eyes were fixed on the pastries when he heard Thorn’s words. Giving an excited cry, his wings beat once and his massive figure disappeared from mid air, appearing on the other side of the mountain as if he had teleported. On the top of the mountain, Thorn and the others felt an odd sensation, as if the air around them had abruptly vanished. As quickly as it had come, the feeling of being in a void vanished and everything snapped back to normal speed.

Under Thorn’s astonished gaze, the pyramid of puff pastries had completely vanished into thin air. Akira, who had been watching all of this, jumped up onto Thorn’s shoulder and walked down his still outstretched arm. Perched on the end of his hand, she peered around in curiosity, wondering where the giant stack of pastries had gone.

[Mmhmm, mhm, these are so good! Mmhm!] Landing on the mountain peak with a flurry of snow, the Emperor of the Sky licked remnants of frosting from his beak.

[Did you…] Looking at Vento’s massive body and then back down at the spot where the tower of puff pastries had been, Thorn couldn’t help but blink. He knew that Imperial Rocs were fast, but the speed that the Emperor of the Sky exhibited went way beyond just being fast. Even with his perception magnified Thorn had been unable to catch even the shadow of the Imperial Roc.

[Ahaha, it’s so great to have sugar again. Delicious.] Unperturbed by the incredulous looks he was receiving, Vento wiggled his body in happiness.

“Ahem.” Coughing into her fist, Velin gave Thorn a glance and gestured toward Vento with her head.

[Ah, yeah. Glad you enjoyed them. So, how do you feel about giving us a ride to the capital city?]

[Sure, I can do that. That’s not far. What are you doing in the capital city? I can’t drop you off in the actual city because it’d freak out the emperor. Plus the shields are not super friendly to flying creatures. But I can get you close. Is, like, fifty miles close enough?]

[Fifty miles should be great. We can travel the rest of the way.] Nodding, Thorn gestured for the others to gather up. [We need to take an Aether Gate from the capital city to Rasyn.]

[Rasyn? The Elf island? I’ve been there a couple times. I did a fly over a few months ago, actually. Some shady stuff happening over there. A lot of towns on fire. I didn’t stick around long enough to see what was happening, but be careful. Haha, I’d hate it if my new friends got barbequed. How else would I get more sweets? Haha, that is a joke. Here, climb on up.]

Continuing his chatter, Vento stretched out his wing, pressing the end against the ground to create a ramp up onto his back. Mina, Velin, and Baxby all carefully walked up to the Imperial Roc’s broad back. Thorn, on the other hand, looked at the stretched out wing skeptically.

[Come on, you have to get on if you want to make it to the capital. Can’t give you a ride if you stay on the mountain.]

[Um. Okay.] Stepping cautiously forward, Thorn put one foot on Vento’s wing and carefully shifted his weight forward.

[Ow, ow. Holy mother of the sky! How much do you weigh? Ow! Sheesh, you need to lay off those pastries, haha.]

Stepping back, Thorn looked at the Imperial Roc with a furrowed brow. Despite Vento’s size, Thorn had been concerned that he was simply too heavy for the bird to carry. In order to stay in the air, even large birds were extremely light, and adding Thorn’s weight made flight an impossibility.

[Wow, no wonder you called me. There is absolutely no way that Roko could have carried you. Hey, why the long face? Here, step back. Keep going. Actually, maybe go down the hill a bit. Haha, I’m going to show you a magic trick.] Shooing Thorn and Akira down the side of the mountain with a wave of his wing, Vento carefully stood up. Mina, Velin, and Baxby were still standing on his back but they found that their footing was completely stable despite his motion.

Lifting his head, the Imperial Roc opened his beak, a deep arcane sound rolling from his throat like the rumble of thunder, and stretched. Wings spreading further and further, his feathers broadened visibly under the team’s feet. Sharp talons left deep gouges in the earth as his body grew, pushing aside snow and dirt until his massive clawed feet could barely fit on Fang Spire’s peak. After a brief moment, Vento examined his new size and gave a nod, cocking his head to look at Thorn who was completely covered by one of his massive wings.

[Alright, there we go. Haha, shouldn’t be an issue now. Hmm. Here, walk up this way.] Dipping his head down, Vento gestured for Thorn and Akira to climb up his beak. Akira scampered up without a problem, and though it took Thorn a bit more effort, he was soon on Vento’s back with the other members of the team.

[That is an impressive trick.] Thorn looked around. [Is this your real size?]

[What? No, no, I’m still using shrinking magic.]

[Shrinking magic? Your normal size is bigger than this?] Thorn looked blankly at the over one hundred foot wingspan under his feet, trying to imagine what an even larger bird would look like.

[Haha, man, you have no idea. Maybe someday I’ll show you, but if I release it here I will get in so much trouble. Haha, I promised I wouldn’t cause trouble so I have to stay tiny while I’m hanging out around the land. Alright, you might want to sit down for this. Here we go. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.]

With a gentle push, Vento floated into the sky, his wings catching the wind as he floated above the valley. Within seconds they had floated to the other end of the valley and the dense mountains stretched out before them. For a brief moment they hung in the air, giving Thorn and the rest of the team a clear view of Moon Wolf Citadel and Fang Valley. Then, with a flap of his wings, Vento shot forward and the valley disappeared from view.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The air was clear and cold, though the wind was not nearly as strong as Thorn anticipated considering how fast they were going. Rather, the air seemed to bend around the team as they sat on the Emperor of the Sky’s back. The ride was as smooth as any vehicle that Thorn had ever ridden on and unbelievably fast. The clouds that dotted the sky flew by giving the impression that the entire world was rotating underneath them.

“It is totally crazy to be up this high. Oooh, look, you can see the three oceans from up here!” Standing up on her toes, Mina pointed to the thin band of glittering silver ringing the horizon.

Standing next to her, Velin admired the view for a few moments. Then, flipping her notebook open, Velin sat down next to Thorn.

“Before we get the sap from the World Tree and cure your curse, we need a better, more immediate way of communicating. Writing is too slow. Per Corvo’s suggestion, we’re going to try out sign language.”

Flipping her book around so Thorn could see the pages, she slowly leafed through them.

“I compiled a small series of signs that I think will be important to know. We can increase the number of signs as you remember these ones.”

[Hey, Thorn, we are about two hours away from the capital. Where do you want me to drop you off? Remember, I have to stay around fifty miles away to avoid triggering the defenses.]

Hearing Vento’s voice echo in his head, Thorn’s eyes went wide. They had just left the valley a bit less than twenty minutes earlier. He had been expecting the trip to go quickly, but this level of speed was nearly unimaginable. Velin, seeing his exaggerated reaction, lifted her eyebrows and opened her mouth, only to have Thorn hold a finger for her to wait.

[You mean it is only going to take two hours to get across half of Angoril?]

[Eh, only Northern Angoril. It is about three and a half to get to the channel.]

[Wow, you were not kidding about being fast.]

[I am an Imperial Roc, after all. Speed is my first, middle, and last name.]

[No kidding. Hey, out of curiosity, how fast could you get to Rasyn?]

[Elf island? Hmm. Probably five hours or so. We can catch a jetstream over the northern coast and ride it all the way over.]

Quickly scribbling a note, Thorn called the others over to discuss.

Vento says that he can get us to Rasyn in about five hours. Is there any reason we can’t just go straight to the island?

“I dunno. I’m not sure why we were going to the capital anyway,” Baxby shrugged. “Getting there in five hours sounds good to me.”

“Originally, we were going to go to the capital to take the Aether Gate which will allow us to arrive at Shaylathemar, the main city on the island. There is a library there that I want to look through for clues.” Tapping her finger on the cover of her notebook, Velin thought for a second before shaking her head. “I cannot think of any reason we could not arrive on the island a different way.”

“Weren’t we going to visit with Athena?”

“Yes,” Velin nodded at Mina’s question. “I can send her a message to let her know about the change of plans. If we need to talk to her, we can meet in Fantasia. One of the benefits of being in a game I guess.”

Good, I’ll see if he minds.

[Hey, Vento, what are the chances you just want to drop us off on Rasyn? We were originally only going to go to the capital to take an Aether Gate there anyway. If it is not going to take much longer, could you just take us?]

[Oh, sure. Yeah, that won’t be a problem at all. Like I said, it only takes like five hours or so because of the lift from the ocean winds. So, there is this massive tower on the tallest peak of Gerund that is constantly blowing hot air up into the atmosphere. As it cools, it sinks down and blows away from the island. Creates a great updraft as it gets out over the ocean and heats up again. Also has the effect of making it really hard to get to the island by boat. Easy to leave the island, hard to get back. I think that is why everyone from the island has such big muscles. It’s all the rowing they do trying to get home.]

He says that is fine.

“Good, that will save us quite a bit of trouble.” Velin smiled in relief. “I was not quite sure how it was going to go once we were in the city because you are currently under investigation and your opponents might use it as an excuse to detain you until the date of the hearing. I have been thinking about ways to sneak you in, but, as you can understand, that is not an easy task.”

“No, it would be a gargantuan task, indeed.” Baxby said, his face straight.

“Yeah, hehe. A monumental task, one might say.” Mina, quick to join in, hid her smile behind her hand as she tried not to giggle.

Rolling her eyes, Velin opened her book back up, not deigning to reply to the banter. Thorn, on the other hand grinned and gave them a thumbs up before giving Velin his attention. Underneath them, Vento turned to the east, shooting toward the coast.

“This is the list of basic signs I would like to concentrate on. Sign language is an incredibly rich language in its own right, and learning a few signs will not do it justice, but it should help speed up our communication in the field. Let’s start with the most basic list. Yes, no, danger, quiet, enemies, forward, speed up, slow down, stop, disperse, engage, take cover. These are the basic tactical signals that a squad is going to use. We’ll be adding some sign language to the list.

“I also found a helpful list of one hundred signs that will give us a reasonable breadth of conversation. So that is what we will be using for the time being, until we have time to learn more. The advantage of learning this in Nova Terra cannot be overstated, as the game will assist with memorizing the hand motion and meaning, making it easier to remember. Alright, are you ready? Mina, Baxby, come here. You need to learn this too.”

Over the next four hours Thorn split his time between studying the list of signs that Velin had organized and chatting with Vento. The one hundred different words allowed him to roughly convey his meaning with his team, and he was excited to learn more. Baxby had taken to signing well and quickly mastered the list of words, much to Mina’s frustration. The Ice Witch was not picking it up as quickly as the rest of the group, causing her to pout.

Sending Akira over to comfort Mina, Thorn looked down at the land passing by underneath them. The Emperor of the Sky had carried them along the north coast of Northern Angoril, pointing out Gerund in the distance. Once they caught the updraft coming off of the ocean, they turned to the southeast and shot out over the ocean, riding the winds toward Rasyn.

[The peak where I can drop you off is on the northern end of the mountain chain on the west side of Rasyn. I don’t know what the locals call it, but it is the tallest mountain on the island. Ooh, there is a fish down there. Hold on, I’m going to grab a snack.]

Dropping like a rock, Vento suddenly descended toward the surface of the ocean. At first, the change in height was not that noticeable, but as they approached the water, it began to stretch out on every side. Paling slightly, Mina grabbed onto Thorn’s arm.

Still dropping toward the surface of the ocean, Vento suddenly flapped his wings, propelling himself forward at an unbelievable speed. With a whoosh he shot down into the water, causing the world around Thorn and the others to turn emerald blue for a brief moment. Stunned by the development, Thorn fully expected to get washed away by the water, only to realize that the water rushed around them, separated from them by a layer of air.

Grabbing an unfortunate fish the size of a small whale that had been enjoying the warm waters by the surface, Vento shot up and out of the water, another flap of his wings taking him back up into the air. Not a drop of water had touched him or the passengers on his back due to his skillful molding of the air around him.

[Hahaha, didn’t expect that, did you?] Chuckling to himself, Vento asked Thorn.

[I confess, I didn’t. That was pretty impressive though. How did you keep us from getting wet?]

[Wind Shaping. It is one of my many, awesome, natural abilities. That is how I fly. As you can imagine, I’m way too big to fly like a normal bird, good thing I have magic, huh? It allows me to create a void in front of and around me. That is why the wind doesn’t bother you when you’re on my back. I created a pocket of air for you that is separated from the outside space. It slows me down quite a bit, but if I didn’t you would just blow right off.]

[Ha, well thanks. I can’t imagine blowing off would be any fun.]

[Yeah, probably not. Hey, when we get to the mountain can you cook this thing for me? I’m not so good with fire, but I’d much rather eat it cooked than raw.]

[Of course, that shouldn’t be a problem. We might need your help gathering the wood, but we should be able to fashion something.]

[Oooh, thanks! I can’t wait! This is going to be so good. You know, it has probably been close to seventy years since I last had roasted fish. I mean, don’t get me wrong, raw fish isn’t bad, but there is something about the crispy bits of a fish just off the flame that can’t be beat. Hey, there is the mountain. We should be there in about twenty-five minutes.]

As they got closer, Thorn looked with interest at the rapidly approaching island. Off the eastern coast of the main continents of Angoril, Rasyn was known as the home of Elves. Shaped like a crescent, the island boasted a natural harbor with a few islands, an impressive mountain range that ran along the western shore, and a massive forest that covered the northern part of the island. The center of the island was a rich plain where farming flourished.

The mountains on the western side of the island were steep and numerous, with a strange piled up look as if they had been smashed together at some point. The tallest of the mountains was at the northmost end of the mountain range, its peak wreathed in wispy clouds. With a few flaps of his wings, Vento landed on the peak. He had transferred the giant fish to his beak to avoid crushing it when he landed and he dropped it off to the side as he let Thorn and the others down from his back.

After looking around the top of the mountain, Thorn recommended a few options. [So, we have a couple ways to do this. If you want the whole thing roasted at once, we could make a huge bonfire. Or, if you don’t mind shrinking, we could use a smaller fire to cook pieces one at a time.]

[Oooh, a big bonfire would be great. And then I could eat the whole thing at once!]

[It might attract some attention.] Just imagining how large a fire would be needed to cook the whale of a fish left Thorn sweating.

[Ha, have I ever been afraid of attention? I’m the Emperor of the Sky, Thorn. There are like two things in Angoril that scare me and neither of them is here. Besides, I should be able to handle the fire fine. I just need you to light it for me.] The gleam of excitement in Vento’s eyes made it hard for Thorn to say no so he agreed and walked over to Velin, Baxby, and Mina.

After thinking for a moment, Thorn tried some of the signs that he had learned.

*Wait. Start Fire. Animal.*

“You want to set Akira on fire?” Baxby squinted at Thorn’s pet who was perched on his shoulder, causing her to sit bolt upright in surprise.

Shaking his head no, Thorn tried again, this time clearly pointing to Vento and the fish.

*No. Start fire. He eat.*

“Oh, Vento wants to eat the fish so we’re going to cook it.” Baxby nodded sagely, pretending he had understood the whole time.

“How long is it going to take to cook that whole fish?” Velin asked, her brow furrowed.

*No. Start fire, leave.*

“Why is he setting the fish on fire?” Mina had been concentrating so hard on Thorn’s signs that she had missed the whole conversation.

“No, we are starting a fire for Vento. To cook the fish? And then leaving. Or something?” Baxby tried to explain the situation to Mina but since he was not quite sure what was going on he did not sound very confident.

Nodding and giving a thumbs up, Thorn turned back to Vento.

[Does that work for you? We can get the fire started and then we’ll head down the mountain.]

[Yeah that is great. I can start fires but it is a real pain. If you start it then I can keep it going by adding wood and air. Hold on, let me get some wood so you can start the fire. I’ll be right back.]

With a whoosh, Vento vanished from the mountaintop, appearing above the forest half way up the mountainside. Within minutes he was back, two tree trunks grasped in his talons and a bunch of branches held in his beak. Looking at the massive trees that Vento had dropped on the top of the mountain, Baxby was about to ask how they were going to cut them down when Thorn walked over and lifted one up into the air. Flexing the claws on his armored gauntlets, Thorn grabbed a chunk of wood and dug his fingers in, splintering it into pieces.

“Oh, right. I forgot that we have the human demolition crew over here. Hey, bring me some of the small pieces and I can get the fire started.” Baxby said, getting flint and steel out of his pack. Together, Akira, Mina, and Velin gathered up small branches and some of the small shards that had fallen when Thorn began ripping the tree trunks apart with his bare hands.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

With Thorn breaking the trees and branches into manageable chunks, and the girls gathering them into piles according to size, Baxby quickly got a blaze going. At Vento’s request, Thorn got out one of the large swords he had in his inventory and cut the fish into six pieces which they stuck on sticks so Vento could hold them over the raging fire. It quickly became so hot that they had to retreat from the peak. Only the Emperor of the Sky did not seem bothered by the waves of heat rolling off of the bonfire.

[Thanks again for the ride.] Giving a wave to the giant bird who was holding a stick with a piece of fish and hopping around the huge fire to roast it, Thorn led the others down the mountain. About half way down, the rocky mountainside gave way to thick forests of pine trees. Because of his size, the forests were a bit difficult for Thorn to get through so he sent Akira on ahead. While he could have just pushed through, he did not want to damage the forest, so he had to be careful how quickly he forged through.

Bouncing from branch to branch, Akira led the group through the forests until the terrain began to level out. The trees began to get taller, making it easier for Thorn to see and allowing the group to move a bit faster. Once they had made it off the mountain, Velin called for the group to stop and checked her map.

The plan had originally been to go to Shaylathemar, but because of the change in their travel arrangements, they now found themselves much closer to the cities of Maandell and Thilvena. Maandell was a trading town at the foot of the mountain range that served as a hub for all of the hunters and prospectors who sought their fortunes in the mountains. It was situated on a river that flowed out of the mountains and all the way to the capital of Rasyn, Shaylathemar.

Thilvena was located in the middle of the ancient forests that blanketed the northern side of the island. Built in the treetops, it was a mystical city, known as the ancient home of the Elven race. Originally intending to go to the library in Shaylathemar first before visiting Thilvena, Velin was torn since they were so much closer now. After considering for a while, she decided to stick with her original plan.

“We’ll head south along the mountain range until we get to Maandell. From there we’ll catch a boat to Shaylathemar. We should be able to make it to Maandell tomorrow around noon. A fast boat will get us to the coast by the evening. This puts us about a day ahead of the schedule that I originally anticipated, which is great. Do your best to avoid getting sucked into anything because I suspect that we will need every possible moment for this quest.”

*Agree.*

“Yeah, what he said.” Mina was getting a kick out of Thorn’s signs.

“Good, let’s get going. Baxby, you are the best in the wilderness, can you lead the way? I have a map here for you.” Velin passed the old treasure hunter a leather scroll. “If you find a good place to stop, we can camp for the night. Here, I have one for each of us.”

“No problem.” Baxby nodded, unrolling the scroll and activating it. Once he had finished updating his map, he ran an eye over it before marking out a route. Thorn and Mina both updated their maps as well from scrolls that Velin gave them. Looking over his expanded map, Thorn could not help but be thankful for Velin’s meticulous plans as it had never crossed his mind to get a map of the island.

“I think I have a good route.” Rubbing the grizzle on his chin, Baxby dismissed his map and pointed to the south. “There seems to be a small trail that we can catch a few miles south of here. It winds a bit, heading southeast, but normally trails like that are faster than forging a straight path. It is worth checking out at least.”

*Agree.*

Heading south, Baxby led the way, moving surprisingly quickly for someone his age. Thorn had noticed the treasure hunter’s uncanny sense for danger, and it proved useful a few times as he steered them around small groups of aggressive looking birds that reminded Thorn of ostriches but with spikes. After winding their way past the birds, they picked up a trail that was little more than an impression in the grass, turning southeast to skirt by the mountains in front of them. Once on the trail, they sped up, everyone but Thorn activating their travel ability.

Unbothered by their increased speed, Thorn thundered along beside them, Akira hanging on to his helmet and chattering with glee as the wind blew through her tails. By the time they had traveled for five hours, it was starting to get dark and Baxby suggested that they stop in a little clearing off the path. The remains of a campfire marked the clearing as a popular stopping point for travelers.

While Baxby started the fire, Thorn helped the girls set up the tents and got out the material for dinner. Before they left Moon Wolf Citadel he had taken full advantage of his nearly endless inventory and had included enough food to feed a small army. Once the tents were up and everyone was sitting around the snapping flames, Thorn tossed a napkin over his forearm and began to take orders, much to Mina’s delight. Even Velin joined in the fun after rolling her eyes.

Mina and Velin both choose steak tip pot pie, while Baxby had a salad, soup, and bread with cheese. Thorn settled for all of it, feeding Akira bites from his plate.

“So, I don’t mean to complain, because you are paying me after all, but what is it you brought me along for, exactly?” Baxby asked between bites. “I’m certainly not the best pathfinder you have access to. Is there something we’re doing that I don’t know about?”

Interested in Velin’s answer, Thorn looked up as well. The questline that Velin was on gave precious few details, like most of the quests in Nova Terra, so he had been wondering the same thing. Despite the time constraints they were under because of his impending hearing, Velin had seemed confident that they would be able to finish it on time.

“Yes, there are a couple key pieces of the quest that I did not want to talk about in the citadel. While I am confident in the members of our guild, I thought it would be better to play this close to the chest. One of the clearest lessons from my time in Ragnarok is that nothing is ever secret unless you keep it to yourself.” Velin looked down as if she could sense Thorn’s frown and wanted to avoid it.

“It’s true,” Mina blurted out, supporting her friend. “When interests come into play, people do all sorts of stupid stuff.”

“Anyway,” tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Velin looked up, smiling at Mina gratefully before looking squarely at Thorn. “Even if we call it a bad habit, it is a habit that has served me well. There are a lot of other people who are searching for the World Tree besides me. There are probably others with the same quest. So, rather than take the chance, I thought I would play it safe.”

*You. Good.*

It took Thorn a little bit to figure out how to communicate what he was trying to say, and even then, it wasn't actually the message he wanted to pass, but he could tell that Velin understood from her wide smile.

“Aww, cute.” Mina grinned and fluttered her eyelashes at Velin, earning herself a push.

“Ehem. Anyway. There are a few things that I did not mention in the citadel that are important. First, the World Tree is most likely underground. How I arrived at this conclusion is complicated, but I am almost certain that the World Tree is in a cavern system, probably in an underground ruin. Second, the entrance to the World Tree will be in a Dwarven ruin.”

“Wait, Dwarven? I thought the World Tree was an Elven thing,” Mina asked, nibbling on the crust of her pot pie.

“It is an Elven thing. But only because the Elves were the caretakers. The actual location of the tree is in a place where the sun and moon cannot reach the tree’s trunk and roots. The stories also say that the World Tree supports the world from underneath which only works if the tree is underground. Ancient Elven myths indicate that the Elven race was a race whose responsibility it was to watch over the tree and to tend its branches.

“In the story that I found, they emerged from the garden where the tree was kept to take care of the World Tree’s offshoots that had burst through the earth. A lot of scholars believe that means that the World Tree was seeding, but I think it might actually be literal. I think that the World Tree grew up, through the earth, and sent its branches up above the earth like trees. I have a suspicion that the World Tree is not actually a tree in the sense that we think of, but is more like a massive root system.

“Some of the carvings that we saw in Rakkam actually confirm this theory. There are indications that the dwarves of the Labyrinth city traded with dwarves from a ‘Wood’ city that was represented by a tree holding the world in its branches. Based on that, I think that we will find the World Tree underground here in Rasyn.”

“Okay, that explains why you want me along, but how did it go from Elves to Dwarves?” Asked Baxby, slurping down the last of his soup.

“Both the Dwarves and the Elves share a common history. Dwarves and Elves and a lot of other races all served another race that ruled Angoril. They are the ones that built the Labyrinth city of Rakkam, the floating capital of Northern Angoril, and many of the other fantastic structures and places around the world. The Garden of the Immortal was also built by this race. I believe that the Dwarves were the servants of this race and helped them with forging while the Elves were the servants that helped them grow plants.”

*What people?*

Thorn looked at Velin expectantly, only to find everyone looking at him in absolute confusion. Scratching his head, Thorn thought for a moment and then tried again. Holding his index finger up, he pivoted it, waving it back and forth before holding both hands out in front of him, parallel to each other and sliding them up and down.

*Where person?*

“You mean, where are the Elves? Oh, where is the race that built all this stuff? No one knows. Gone.” Velin frowned and put her plate down. “Even the Dwarves and Elves don’t know. They just know that one day, the immortals left. I tried asking the Dwarven scholars in Rakkam, but they would not talk to me, or any other players. I am hoping that finishing this quest helps us answer that question.”

“It’s true.” Baxby’s eyes lit up with excitement as the topic changed to the lost civilization. “Finding out what happened and why the immortals left Angoril is the holy grail of treasure hunters! Imagine, there was a whole race of people who simply walked off into who knows where. But what is most fascinating about them is that everything they created is still working. It has been thousands and thousands of years but their magic and machinery is still ticking. The floating city in Northern Angoril? No one knows how it floats. Or how the giant magical cannons that guard it are powered. Same is true for the pit in Southern Angoril. Endlessly deep pit with a floating island, nothing holding it up but it still floats just fine.

“Remember those forges in Rakkam? They’ve been burning this whole time, using an ingenious method of siphoning heat from an underground volcano. Any normal system would have broken down or blown up by now, but they vent their heat whenever it gets to be too much through a machine that helps to power the elemental generators in the other sections of the city. Each system feeds into the other section’s systems, keeping everything balanced and working perpetually, like a giant perpetual motion machine!

“The only thing that we know is that the race was much larger than the other races, and capable of unbelievable feats of strength and magic.” Pausing for a second, Baxby looked at Thorn with a curious expression on his face before shaking his head and continuing, “I’ve been compiling information on them with the other Drifters whenever we find new things. It would be really awesome if we found some new details on this quest.”

“That would be really awesome!” The idea of discovering the secrets of a lost race caught Mina’s fancy. “We would be famous! Maybe they would name them after us!”

“Why would they name them after us? They had their own name. The whole point is to discover the truth of history, to uncover what really happened, not to rewrite it in our image.” Scoffing, Baxby shook his head. “That is the problem with a lot of these youngsters who are trying to sniff out discoveries. They are trying to find secrets as fast as possible, just so they can be the first. What a waste. The only thing you get when you rush a mystery is a lousy conclusion. The last thing you should do is rush. Real discovery takes time and detailed examination. It takes sifting through the information and teasing out the truth. You know, really digging into the mysteries.”

“Sure, old man, you dig into those mysteries. I’ve changed my mind, that sounds terribly boring.” Mina grimaced, pulling out her wand and twirling it in her fingers, the blue gem on the end leaving a circle of frost in the air. “I’ll just blast stuff.”

Sitting on Thorn’s knee, Akira clapped her paws together at Mina’s display, asking for more tricks. Happy to comply, Mina carefully controlled her magic to create intricate ice patterns in the air over their heads like frost fireworks while Velin and Baxby continued the discussion about the ancient race. Listening to them discuss the various pieces of information they each had regarding the lost race, Thorn scratched Akira’s head as she watched Mina’s magical manipulation.

After a few minutes, Akira yawned and stretched, prompting Velin to announce that it was time for bed. Thorn tidied up the camp as the girls went into their tent, leaving Baxby sitting by the fire on first watch. After agreeing on what time they would switch, Thorn crawled into his tent with Akira to sleep.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It was close to midnight when Thorn woke, Baxby’s soft tapping on the outside of his tent rousing him from his dreams. He found it curious that the game allowed sleeping players to dream, especially since he had not dreamed much when he slept in the real world. Gently picking up Akira who was sound asleep on his stomach and placing her down on his pillow, Thorn crawled out of the tent and stretched.

Waving to Baxby, who was entering his own tent to catch some sleep before dawn, Thorn rotated his arms and yawned. The girls were not taking a watch because both had logged out, opting to use the time to get a shower and a bite to eat before they continued playing. The contracts they signed with Nova Luna included state of the art gaming pods that allowed them to stay in the game for extended periods of time, but nothing was better than real food and showers. Due to the seven to one time dilation that Nova Terra employed, they only had about two hours before the sun would be back up, just enough time to get cleaned up and some food.

The fire had died down to dim orange and red coals, but the night was warm so he did not bother adding more wood. Instead, Thorn began to stretch, starting his normal morning routine. Ever since he had been hit with the [Living Statue] curse, Thorn had been putting more time into his morning trainings.

Once he had finished stretching, he dropped to the ground and did a few pushups. He found that with his in-game stamina, he never really got tired, but it had been part of his routine before he came into the game so it felt right. It felt like a lifetime ago, but it had not been that long since he had to do push ups at a snail’s pace to avoid tearing his skin open.

Rising back to his feet he breathed out and held his breath for a moment, focusing on the quiet noises of the forest that surrounded their camp. Releasing his breath, Thorn began to run through his forms, focusing on controlling every part of his body. As he flowed through the movements, he could feel his mind settling and becoming more focused.

Courdum the Stone King’s curse had robbed Thorn of his abilities, reducing him to little more than the clueless newcomer that he was when he initially walked into the game. However, it could not take away what he had learned, or the natural abilities that he carried with him. Even without the abilities he had earned in the game, Thorn was confident that he could hold his own. After all, he had not yet gained any abilities when he crushed Gargish. Or when he survived Karrandras’ attempt to consume him.

Once he had finished his Taijiquan forms, Thorn drew his new tetsubo and began to practice with it, repeating the steps that Master Sun had shown him. A thick metal shaft with sharp metal studs, it looked almost exactly the same as the one he had lost when he fought Sylith in the tunnels of Rakkam. As he spun the weapon, his mind drifted back over that fight. The leader of Ragnarok had been the first opponent whom Thorn was unable to overcome with his unbelievable strength. It had awoken in Thorn the desire to truly master his weapon.

Sylith’s skill, not only as a quad category class holder but simply as a warrior, was undeniable, and no matter how much Thorn despised the Heavenly Silver Dragon Knight he had to admit that he was outclassed. Still, Thorn was not about to give up. He had taken up training with his tetsubo every day in preparation for when he got the chance to fight against Sylith again.

Finishing up his tetsubo training, Thorn ran through the other weapons that all of the disciples of the Temple of the Moon practiced with before sitting down for a bite to eat. Once he had finished eating, he put his helmet on and took a walk around the perimeter of the camp. The forest was quiet, and the rest of the night passed quickly. After preparing everyone’s breakfast, Thorn ate another breakfast himself.

Akira was the first to get up, woken up by the delicious smells from the food that Thorn had taken out of his inventory. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she crawled up on Thorn's shoulder and tugged at his ear until he handed her two pastries. Baxby was next, followed shortly by the girls. After everyone had eaten and the camp was cleaned up, they continued on their way, following Baxby as he led them toward Maandell.

The city was situated in a small bend in the river that shared its name and ran from the mountain range on the western side of the island all the way out to the coast on the eastern side. Emptying out next to the island’s capital city, Shaylathemar, the Maandell river carried barges of ore down from the mines in the mountains to Maandell city where the ore was forged into goods that were then shipped to the capital. The returning barges brought food and fine goods that traders carried up into the mountains.

A thick wall surrounded the core of the city, complete with gates and towers. Surrounding the wall was a squalid collection of shanties and camps. Thrown together with haste and whatever material was ready at hand, the buildings were placed haphazardly, creating a tangled web of streets. Thick mud coated the streets, lending to the haze of filth that seemed to hang in the air.

Even from a mile away Thorn and the others could see the cloud of smoke and pollution that shrouded the shanties. As they got closer, the hubbub of the city grew louder as streams of carts and crowds of people jostled for position in the narrow streets. On the southern side of the city were three large docks and countless smaller jetties where cargo was being loaded and unloaded by a swarm of sailors and dock hands. Fat merchants argued loudly with the clerks from the port authority overseeing the goods while thuggish guards watched with hawk eyed scrutiny.

“Huh, this is not what I imagined for a town on an Elven island.” Mina remarked as she looked around.

“No, and it certainly wasn’t like this the last time I was here.” Baxby scratched his head. “Boy, it sure has changed.”

“You’ve been here before?”

“Yeah, about three years ago. We were unearthing a Dwarven ruin in the mountains. There is a whole complex that runs the length of the mountain range. A chain of old fortresses and abandoned mines. The Drifters were hired to map them out so we spent about nine months here. It wasn’t nearly this dirty though.”

Looking around, Thorn frowned. He was wearing his helmet since they had been traveling in the wilderness and had intended to remove it once they arrived, but something about the atmosphere in the city was bothering him. Everywhere he looked he saw a variety of players and natives hurrying around, all focused on their own business, and it took him a little while to figure out what it was that was throwing him off. He had just pinpointed the problem when Velin, standing next to him, drew her hood up over her head and spoke quietly.

“Where are the Elves?”

No matter where he looked, Thorn had not seen a single Elf. The people hurrying around the town were predominantly Human with a few Dwarves, Beastkin, and Fae mixed in. Scanning through the crowds, Thorn began to notice some other details as well. The majority of the people passing by were either armed or they had obvious guards who helped them push through the crowds.

“Uh oh.”

Hearing Mina’s sharp breath, Thorn turned to follow her pointing finger, his eyes landing on a mixed group of Humans, Beastkin, and Dwarves struggling along. Their clothes were in tatters and thick chains looped through the metal collars around their necks, connecting them all together in a long line. Shuffling and stumbling along, they moved through the crowd, escorted by half a dozen Humans in armor with spears. The group was led by two fat merchants who were talking together, with no regard for the struggling figures following them.

The thick crowds around them paid no attention to them, pushing past as if such chains of people were commonplace. His frown deepening even further, Thorn was about to step forward when he felt a hand tugging at his arm.

“Something is wrong.” Velin was keeping her voice quiet and standing close to Thorn, trying her best to avoid attracting attention. “There are Maandell city guards escorting those slaves. They don’t look like prisoners though, so we need to tread carefully. Slavery is illegal in the empire, but it seems to be a common thing here.”

Following Velin’s pointing finger, Thorn saw another group just like the first getting on one of the barges that had just dropped off a load of ore. The people of this group were chained together just like the first group was, but they all had larger builds. While it was not immediately obvious, there were half a dozen city guards standing around this group as well.

Restraining himself, Thorn took a deep breath. Velin was right. If the group being escorted were prisoners then he would be jumping the gun by getting involved. And even if they were not prisoners, the fact that the guard were openly moving them through the crowd without attracting any undue attention spoke to a deeper problem.

“Let's find a place to gather some information.” Baxby spoke quietly as well, seeming on edge. “I know of a good bar right inside the city walls where we should be able to get a sense of what is going on. Thorn, if you don’t mind leading the way? I think you’ll have better luck getting through than any of us.”

With a nod, Thorn began to move through the crowd, making sure that the others were following closely. His imposing size and gleaming armor made it a simple matter, and the crowds parted naturally as he walked. It took a while to wind through the crowds to the city gate, but once they got there the line melted away, leaving Thorn facing the city guards who manned the gate.

“Next!” Seated at a table by the side of the road, a dirty looking city guard sergeant spat on the ground and called for the next person in line. Alerted by the strange silence following his words that something was different, he glanced up, his eyes narrowing as he took in the strange group that stood in front of him.

Baxby looked like the typical adventurer, though older than most. He was talking quietly to Mina, who had pushed her witches hat back on her brilliant red hair and was looking around with a wide grin on her face. Despite her relaxed demeanor, the gate guard’s experienced eyes saw that her hand was nearly holding the wand that rested on her waist. Behind the Ice Witch stood a robed figure, but the guard’s squinted eyes were immediately drawn to the War Construct behind them.

Nine feet of bronzed metal towered over the group, its wolf-shaped head slowly scanning the surroundings, explaining the group’s relaxed demeanor despite the hard stares they were getting from every side. Perched on top of the construct’s shoulder was a red furred creature with three gently waving tails, but despite its cuteness, it did nothing to take away from the sense of danger the war construct gave off.

“Do you have passes or do you need some?” Sitting up a bit straighter, the guard scratched his cheek as his eyes ran over the group. “Everyone staying overnight in the city needs to register and carry a pass. If you are caught without one, you’ll be sent to jail.”

“We’ll need passes. A week, preferably.” Baxby took the lead, stepping up to the table and dropping a small bag of coins on the table lazily. Tipping to the side, a few silver coins rolled from the mouth of the bag, stopping by the ledger where the guard was recording the people who entered the city. Picking up the coins, the guard straightened the bag and dropped them back into it, confirming the weight as he did so.

“Sure, but battle pets require special licenses, but I can cut you a discount if you buy another regular pass. You’ll need a regular pass for your war construct as well.”

Thorn’s eyebrows twitched when he heard the gate guard. About to pat himself on the chest to show that he was not a war construct, Velin grabbed his hand first. Looking down at her, Thorn could see her hood trembling as if she was shaking her head.

*ding*

Thorn, keep pretending to be a construct please. I’ll explain once we’re in the city.

The [Living Statue] curse prevented Thorn from sending messages, but it did not prohibit him from receiving them. Slightly confused after reading over Baxby’s message, Thorn still agreed and stood as still as he could while the old treasure hunter bought their city passes.

Moving the coins around the coin purse, the guard counted them up and flashed a brief smile at Baxby before tossing it to one of the other guards who put it in a lockbox. Years of practice handling silver and gold at the gate had alerted the guard that there were a couple of gold coins in the bottom of the purse when he first picked it up. Conveniently, the war construct and battle pet this group brought were not commonly seen, allowing him to inflate the cost for entering the city.

“No problem, no problem.” Baxby waved his hand, his strained smile making it obvious that he was only pretending that it did not bother him, causing a few of the watching guard to leer at him.

“Alright,” stamping the city seal on a few pieces of paper, the guard handed them over to Baxby and gestured to Thorn’s armored chest. “These are your passes. Make sure you keep a tight leash on your pets and stick this pass on your war construct’s chest. Because of his size you have to keep a regular pass on him otherwise you might get into trouble. The rules are posted once you enter the city. I suggest you take a good look at them. Oh, and if your construct breaks anything you will be responsible for it.”

Giving them one last look, the guard waved for them to leave and called for the next person in line. As they walked into the city, none of them noticed that the guard’s eyes lingered on them until they disappeared through the city gate. As soon as they were out of sight, the guard at the table waved one of the other guards over and gave him whispered instructions. With one last glance at the gate where Thorn and the others had entered, he turned his attention to the next traveler.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“Did you just bribe him?” Inside the town, Mina asked Baxby, her eyes glowing with interest. She had rarely encountered such things, even when she was with Ouroboros, and found them fascinating.

“Nah,” Baxby waved a hand dismissively. “I paid the cost of getting into the city for four people and a battle pet. He just thought that Thorn here was a war construct. Which should, in theory, be free since they are items, not living creatures. Still, ever since the update at the beginning of the year there has been a lot more of this sort of petty corruption. It is easiest to just play along rather than making a scene.”

“Haha, speaking of making a scene,” Mina’s voice trailed off as she looked around. The group had walked through the gate and immediately become the center of attention. Thorn’s armored figure was simply too eye-catching to miss.

“We better get to the inn. I don’t like all this attention.” Shaking his head, Baxby led them down a street that ran along the city wall. Along the way he explained the message he had sent earlier. “Thorn, I know it feels strange pretending to be a war construct, but this whole place is setting off my danger sense something fierce. I have a feeling that we are going to need all the strength we can muster, and if our potential enemies think you are a dumb robot we’ll gain a massive advantage. Thankfully, the guard forced us to buy a regular pass for you, so even if they figure out you are a person we shouldn’t get into too much trouble.”

“Do you think the city is unsafe? Should we retreat?” Keeping her voice low, Velin asked Baxby

“No, we can’t. We need more information and the only place to get that is in the city. Let's see what we can find out, and then we can decide what to do.”

Though the streets inside the city wall were much cleaner than the squalid shanty town that ringed the city, there was a strange sterile quality to the city that was unsettling. There seemed to be few townsfolk on the streets and even fewer street vendors. Instead, as they made their way toward the inn that Baxby remembered, they passed by a number of small mercenary groups who were hurrying on their way, weapons held close.

“Hey, did you hear about that eruption? One of the mountains in the Frosted Peaks blew up!” As they traveled down the street, Thorn caught a conversation between two of the mercenaries walking past.

“Huh, really? I haven’t heard anything about it.” One of the mercenaries, a large barrel chested warrior shrugged as he looked at his friend.

“Yeah, I heard that you could see it for miles. It was yesterday morning. The whole peak lit up.”

“Eh, Are you sure about that? Wouldn’t we have heard the rumble? Or seen the ash? When volcanoes erupt they normally throw a lot of debris into the air. In fact, they can send ash over forty miles into the air. Once it gets up that high the wind can carry it really far. And wouldn’t we still see it up in the air?”

“Alright, alright, slow down mr. scientist.” The thinner warrior rolled his eyes. “I don’t know if there was really an eruption, I’m just telling you what I heard. There was a ton of light coming from the peak and someone thought it was an eruption. Regardless, we should check it out. Maybe a new instance is opening up.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Maybe it is a connection to that big Dwarven city underground. Rakkam? I’ve been hearing that it is a really fun instance.”

“That is what my cousin was saying. He is a member of Aurum, remember? He said that their guild got to join in the final boss fight with Courdum, you know, the rock emperor. He said that they only beat it after that NPC baron joined the fight.”

“And you believed him?” The barrel chested warrior sneered. “I heard that Eastern Alliance’s guild leader and all of their elites were the ones that beat the boss. On the first run too.”

“Dude, I saw it! There is a video of the final fight. One sec, I think I saved it. Yeah, here it is. Baron Greymane destroys the Stone King. I’m telling you, it's epic. I don’t know how they got an NPC to join them, but I’m pretty sure anyone would die after getting punched by someone the size of a building.”

As the two warriors passed by their group, Thorn could not help but take a glance at them. He knew that the video of the final boss fight with Courdum the Stone King was circulating, but this was his first time encountering players outside of Nova Luna that had seen it.

“NPC, war construct. Haha, next they are going to be saying that Thorn is Eve’s kid.” Mina’s laughing voice rose from his other side, causing Thorn to sigh and shake his head helplessly. When they had reached the gate, Velin had told him not to reveal himself, and he had agreed. The slums outside the city had set his nerves on edge, and he was happy to hide some of the group’s strength by pretending to be a dumb robot.

The inn that Baxby led them to was called the Drinking Giant, the freshly painted sign featured a large, hairy figure pouring a barrel of alcohol into its wide open mouth. A fresh coat of paint had been slapped on the outside of the building, but it did little to hide the years of grime that coated the walls of the ancient structure. The doorway was only seven feet high, and a flustered looking attendant rushed out just as Thorn started to duck his head to squeeze inside.

“Hey, hey, whoa! You can’t bring that thing in here!” Waving her hands, the chubby young lady blocked the doorway and squinted up at Thorn’s towering figure. “We don’t allow war constructs in the building in case they make holes in the floor. Or ceiling.”

“So, what? We’re just supposed to leave him on the street?” Hiding his smile, Baxby asked sarcastically.

“No, we have a barn in the back. Battle pets and war constructs stay out there. The price is included with your stay, but any food is extra. I can lead you around if you want.”

For a moment, Thorn considered taking off his helmet and revealing himself, but the sheer strangeness of the city made him hesitate. The city had an oppressed air, and the groups of chained people made him wary. For there to be such blatant disregard of the empire's anti-slavery laws could only mean that whomever was in charge of the island was in on it. Considering they had not seen a single Elf since arriving on the island, it was safe to say that something was very wrong.

“Haha, sure. Lead the way.” This time, it was Mina who had trouble keeping herself from laughing as she patted Thorn’s armored side. “I’ll get old rusty here settled down while you get the rooms. It’ll certainly save us on space.”

“Thank you, please follow me.” Relieved that they were not going to press the issue, the attendant led Mina into a small alleyway that took them to the back of the inn. Separated from the inn itself by a large yard, a big barn stood against the city wall. The barn was divided into individual stalls that could hold a variety of different animals and smaller alcoves where war constructs could be parked.

Three of the stalls and two of the alcoves were already filled when the attendant brought Mina and Thorn into the barn, and after pointing to one of the empty spots, she hurried back into the inn, leaving the Ice Witch and Titan alone with the animals.

“Ehem. Well, better get my war construct parked.” Coughing into her hand to hide her growing smile, Mina glanced at Thorn from the corner of her eye only to see a massive hand reaching for her, its fingers curled to flick her hat. Laughing, Mina vanished from where she stood, appearing across the barn, well out of Thorn’s reach.

While Mina and Thorn were heading to the barn, Baxby and Velin had entered the inn to book a pair of rooms. A sparse scattering of patrons sat at the tables in the inn’s main room, and after entering, Baxby wove through them as he made his way toward the bar. Velin’s hood and cloak drew some attention, but for the most part the patrons did not bother with them. After getting two rooms and ordering some lunch, Baxby began to chat with the bartender while Velin carried some of the food out through the back door of the inn and into the barn where she found Thorn examining two metal figures with interest.

The first was a quadruped with a tube extending up from the center of its back. Three flail-like arms extended from the tube, each ending in a thick hooked blade. A few gems were fixed at the top of the tube, flashing dully every few minutes. The other was shaped like a humanoid and carried a thick shield and a short blade. Standing seven feet tall, the metal construct was fairly blocky and obviously of Dwarven design and construction. Comparing his own armor, it was obvious why the guards at the gate had assumed that he was a war construct himself.

One of the side effects of his [Living Statue] curse was a tendency to stand absolutely still which only lent to the confusion, and when combined with his thick armor, even Thorn thought he looked like a war construct. One would have to look really closely to tell otherwise, especially since he could not speak. Walking up next to him, Velin handed him one of the plates that was piled high with diced and fried potatoes, a thick slab of beef, and smothered in gravy.

“Have you run across war constructs before?” Velin asked, settling down on one of the stools that stood against the wall. Taking off his helmet so he could eat, Thorn shook his head as Velin picked at her own food with her fork. “Generally, you’ll find them in major cities on the southern continent. People fight them against each other in gladiatorial matches and bet on the outcome. It is a pretty big business.”

“Illegal in most places though.” Mina chimed in, feeding Akira one of the pieces of carrot that topped her plate of food.

“Well, it is only really illegal if they are doing mixed fights. A lot of places allow construct vs construct fights. The problem is that the money is not as good in that sort of fight since the constructs are rarely evenly balanced. The real money is in constructs versus beasts, or even people. Judging by the general environment of the city and the bloodstains on those constructs, I’d guess that the gladiatorial matches here are more the latter than the former.”

Looking over, Thorn noticed the dark red stains that he had missed the first time he looked at the weapons on the metal constructs. A closer examination revealed a fair amount of battle damage as well, though it was obvious from the relatively smooth edges on the blades that they did not often attack other metal constructs.

Hearing a noise outside, Thorn quickly put his helmet back on and stood up, setting the now empty plate on the floor. Mina, who had been teasing one of the horses, slipped her wand into her hand and pointed it at the door to the barn while Velin drew her hood further over her head and equipped her staff from her inventory. The city’s atmosphere had them all on edge.

The door opened a crack and Baxby slipped in, his face tense. Noticing the glowing blue tip of Mina’s wand leveled at his chest, he froze and held up his hands, breathing a sigh of relief when she smiled apologetically and put it away.

“Hold on, don’t be so quick to put that away young lady.” Shaking his head, the old treasure hunter glanced over his shoulder and then looked back at the group. “We’ve got problems. It is a lucky thing that we didn’t drop into Shaylathemar through the Aether Gate. The island has a new lord, and she has been selling off prisoners into slavery to the Demonkin. Notice how we have not seen any Elves around? That’s because any Elf that isn’t in hiding is captured and sold to the slavers.”

“Elves are being sold? How could they?!” Mina hissed in anger. “How could the empire let this happen?!”

“Remember that game update? Well, a lot more than new bosses was introduced into the game. In addition to petty corruption rising, some big and really bad things are happening too. Slavery can be pretty lucrative so I’m honestly not surprised we ran into it here.” Baxby’s frown deepened as he rubbed his forehead.

“It strikes me as odd that the ruler of the Elven isles would be selling off Elves. You mentioned a new ruler, right? Any information on them?” Velin had placed her plate down and gotten her notebook out. The hood of her cloak was still drawn, shrouding her face in darkness.

“I did. Her name is Wellen, a half Human, half Elf. She is the younger sister of the former ruler who died about six months ago under suspicious circumstances. Regardless, my contact said that things are understandably tense right now. There are slavers crawling all over the island trying to find the Elves’ city. Apparently it just got up and walked off when all of this started to go down.”

*Walk?* Confused, Thorn held his hands flat in front of his chest and moved them as if they were feet in the process of walking.

“Yeah. Thilvena is gone. The whole city is in a massive tree, and apparently it just picked up and walked off. Now no one knows where to find it, which is going to put a major wrinkle in our plans.”

“Should we leave the city?” Mina asked, glancing at Velin’s cloaked figure, concern evident in her eyes.

“I want to say yes, but I think we might not be able to at the moment.” Baxby said with a sigh. “There was someone eyeing us when we came in, and I think they followed me out here.”

“Well, if they want a piece of us they can have it.” All riled up, Mina lifted her wand and was about to march through the doors when Thorn’s hand landed on her shoulder.

*Wait.*

“Hold on, Mina. We need a plan.” Standing, Velin put away her notebook and brushed her cloak off. “If we are not careful we could have the whole city guard down on us.”

A few moments later, the barn doors opened up and Baxby and Mina led the way, chatting casually with each other, Velin following with Akira perched on her shoulder. Just as Baxby had guessed, there was a small group waiting for them in the yard when they came out of the barn. An elegant halfling dressed in bright clothing stood before them with his hand tucked into an ornately embroidered vest that worked in vain to hide his small paunch. As they emerged from the barn the halfling held up his hand in greeting, calling for them to stop. Behind him, four thickly built thugs glowered at the group.

“Greetings, friends. I noticed that you have a powerful Dwarven war construct with you. I was wondering if you’d like to sell it.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Sell our construct?” It was Mina who spoke, a contemplative look appearing on her face as she rubbed her chin.

“Yes. I’d be willing to purchase it at a generous price. But where are my manners? Please excuse me.” Lifting his right hand to his chest, he placed two fingers on his heart and bowed in the typical manner of a noble, sweeping his hat out behind him with a flourish. “My name is Gereon Dado, the premier war construct dealer in all of Angoril. I specialize in the strongest, smartest, most advanced constructs on both continents. I realize that it is rather presumptuous of me to approach you like this, but I have to admit, when I heard the report about your construct I was fascinated.”

“Have you seen our, uh, construct?” Baxby raised his eyebrows as he asked the brightly dressed halfling.

“Only the briefest of glances when you entered the barn earlier. I happened to be looking from my window and was intrigued by the sight of a large construct entering the barn. After I finished dressing I came down to reports of a new, highly impressive war construct that just entered the city. One of my subordinates happened to be at the gate when you came in and I was able to put two and two together. Based on their description alone I know I will be quite interested.”

“It is not for sale.” Velin’s cold voice drifted from underneath her hood like a cool breeze, immediately causing the general temperature to drop.

“But you have not heard my offer yet.” Gereon Dado grinned confidently, rubbing his hands together. “I am a generous person and would be willing to pay a king’s ransom should the construct live up to my expectations.”

“No.”

Velin’s voice, cold before, had become glacial. Hearing the robed figure cut off their boss, the thugs behind Gereon Dado scowled, two of them stepping forward and cracking their knuckles. Pretending that he did not notice the threatening gesture that his goons were making, Gereon Dado sighed and placed his hat back on his head.

“Excuse me, miss, but are you the owner of the construct? I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I would rather make my offer to the person who can make decisions about this.”

Mina was about to open her mouth when Velin’s frozen voice echoed out again causing her mouth to snap shut. She knew better than to butt in when her friend was serious.

“I am. He is not for sale.”

“Ah. Then perhaps you are looking for something else?” Gereon Dado stroked his nose as he looked at Velin’s robed figure with a calculating gaze.

“Something else? What do you have in mind?” Baxby stepped up and interjected, hoping to reduce some of the tension that Velin’s flat response had brought.

“As I mentioned, I am the largest purveyor of war constructs on both continents. War constructs are used for a few different activities, but mostly they are used for either guarding specific areas or fighting in the arenas. Since you are obviously not here for guard duty, and you have made it quite clear that you are not interested in selling your war construct, the only real option is to assume that you are here for the arena.”

“Oh? Is it that apparent?” Smiling sheepishly, Baxby scratched the stubble on his jaw. “I’ve heard quite a bit about the arena, but you probably have a lot more insight into it than I do.”

“Oh, quite. I’d be happy to introduce you to the arena here. It is one of my favorites as it allows cross category competition. Person versus person, person versus beast, even person versus construct, so long as the fight is good they are not picky.”

From where he stood in the barn, Thorn could clearly hear the voices from the yard. As Gereon Dado finished his explanation, the Titan heard a familiar sound.

*ding*

Gladiator’s Glory

There is glory in combat and it is in the arenas scattered around Angoril that warriors prove themselves stronger than their foes.

To complete this quest, win a single fight in one of the arenas. This is an ongoing quest.

Reward: Title - [Gladiator]

Arching his eyebrows in surprise, Thorn flicked it to the side and listened as Gereon Dado continued talking outside of the barn.

“The arena is full up on matches today, but if you are interested I’d be happy to play host to you and let you slip into a match or two.”

“Well, we might just check it out first…” Baxby had barely finished his sentence when Velin’s frosty voice drifted from her hood again.

“Tomorrow.”

“Excellent.” His eyes lighting up, Gereon Dado retrieved a card from his fancy vest and took a step forward to give it to her. “Here is my card. If you come by the arena tomorrow you can show this to the gate guard and he will come and get me.”

Appearing in front of Gereon Dado with a [Blink], Mina smiled at him as she plucked the card from him. The Ice Witch was only a few inches taller than him, though the witch’s hat perched on top of her red hair gave Mina another foot and a half. Examining the card, she handed it to Baxby, staying in between the halfling and Velin.

The four thugs had jumped when Mina used her [Blink] spell, nearly drawing their weapons, but Gereon Dado waved them down. Running a careful eye over her gear, he suddenly smiled broadly. Any competent merchant would be able to properly gauge the quality of a player’s gear, thereby understanding the rough level at which they played the game. As Gereon looked her over, it was obvious that she was either a veteran, or someone with a lot of money.

The outfit she wore was easily recognizable as a complete set from the silver clasps and buttons that bore the same snowflake symbol. A full set of matched armor was not that rare in and of itself, but the level of enchantment on the armor was not commonly seen. Then there was the wand that rested casually in her hand. Though Mina was pointing the wand at the ground, the halfling could feel the wave of cold mana radiating from the large gem on its tip.

Finally, there was the casual way that she was standing. Despite the aggressive stance of the large thugs he had brought along, Mina was completely relaxed, as if the four men who were nearly twice her height could not threaten her in the least. Gereon took in all of this information in a few seconds as he ran an experienced eye over her, causing him to stop his men from advancing.

It never paid to try and threaten people he knew nothing about, as invariably they would turn out to be powerful. Cursing the annoying immortality of travelers in his mind, the halfling put a wide smile on his face and pretended that Mina’s actions did not annoy him in the slightest.

“When you bring your construct to the arena tomorrow you’ll be able to enter at least a couple matches. People always drop out or fail to show up, so you can sub in. I look forward to getting to see your fighter in action tomorrow.”

“Thanks, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.” After reading the card, Baxby tucked it into his coat pocket and turned to talk in a low voice to Velin. When Gereon did not immediately leave, Mina waved at him.

“It was nice to meet you, we’ll maybe see you tomorrow?”

Realizing with a start that he was being shooed off, the merchant was slightly stunned, but he still had the presence of mind to dip his head in a short bow.

“Ah, of course. It is my pleasure. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

“Mmhmm.” Turning around, Mina walked back to Velin and Baxby, leaving the now frowning halfling staring at their group. She had barely taken two steps when she spun around again to face him, saying brightly, “Is there something we can help you with, Mr. Merchant?”

“Ah, no, well, yes. I was hoping to go and see my war constructs in the barn but I did not want to simply push my way through.” The frown on Gereon’s face vanished as if it never existed, a broad smile taking its place. “Do you mind if we just slip by? We need to move them to the arena for the matches today.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. We are blocking the doorway. How silly of us.” Chuckling as if she was embarrassed, Mina turned back to Velin and Baxby and said something in a low voice. After hesitating for a second, Velin’s robed figure disappeared back into the barn and Mina gestured for the merchant and his men to come in as she held the door open.

Inside the barn, the sweet smell of hay mixed with the tang of oil and metal, the soft chomping of the horses tapping out a peaceful rhythm. Thorn stood to the side, holding himself as still as possible. The [Living Statue] curse made standing without moving a breeze, and for a moment even Velin thought that he looked like a construct.

There was no doubt in her mind that the halfling was making an excuse to come into the barn to check out Thorn. Thankfully, the Dwarven armor that Thorn wore was incredibly similar to the bronzed body of the humanoid war construct with the sword and shield a few stalls over. Velin was confident that if the small merchant was not allowed to get too close, he would not be able to spot any discrepancies. Signaling to Mina and Baxby that they needed to keep everyone away, Velin stood by Thorn’s side and pretended to be checking his hands.

“Oh, wow! What an impressive war construct!”

Sure enough, Gereon’s high pitched voice rang out as soon as he spotted Thorn’s huge figure. With a gasp of admiration, he started to step forward, only to find himself blocked by Baxby’s apologetic figure.

“Sorry, sir. We’d prefer if you didn’t get too close. Sensitive equipment and all of that sort of thing. I’m sure you know how it is.”

“Hey, what do you mean getting in our boss’ way, old man?” Finally joining the conversation, one of the thugs who had entered the barn behind Gereon sneered at Baxby, cracking his knuckles again.

As his words spilled from his mouth, the temperature in the barn instantly plummeted. The change was so abrupt that the thug thought at first that he had imagined it, until he saw the frost creeping across the floor behind him. Glancing backward, his eyes went wide as they fixed on the slowly rotating ice spikes that had formed in the air behind him.

“Whoa, whoa! Hold on.” The Halfling merchant waved his hands as he tried to defuse the situation. “Sorry, please excuse him, he did not mean it that way. Haha, lets all calm down.”

Still smiling, Mina slowly lowered her wand, allowing the ice spikes floating in the air to melt into nothing. The threatening cold did not recede, however, leaving the thugs shivering nervously. Standing by the door, she showed no signs of addressing the thugs. Instead, it was Baxby who stepped in to defuse the situation.

“Oh, we’re as much at fault. Just a bit on edge, you know? Can’t be too careful with a beauty like this.” Jerking a thumb over his shoulder, he gestured to Thorn. “Greymane here is a fairly sensitive piece of equipment so we like to keep people away.”

“Greymane? Is that what you call your war construct? Interesting. That name sounds familiar.” Gereon rubbed his chin as he thought about it. He knew he had heard that name somewhere recently, but he could not remember where. “Quite an impressive war construct. I’m looking forward to seeing it in action tomorrow.”

“Haha, I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

“Well, it was nice to meet all of you. I apologize, but we have to get going.” With a nod to Baxby, Gereon directed his men to bring the two other war constructs with them and left the barn, tipping his hat to Mina as he went. Once the two war constructs had clumped their way out into the yard, Mina shut the door.

“Well, that was way more stressful than I thought it would be. Remind me again why we are pretending that Thorn is a war construct?” Mina plopped herself down on a bale of hay near the stall where Thorn was standing as she asked Baxby.

“Insurance. I have a feeling that if we want to make it out of this city, we’re going to need some, uh, extra force. Thorn is that extra force.”

“Sure, but if that is the case why did we come into the city in the first place?”

“We needed information, and we still do. Something really weird is going on. Plus, the Elves have gone into hiding. If we want to find them we need to know more, and the only way to learn more is by coming into the city. What we need to do now is figure out where we can get the information without it being completely obvious that we are looking for the Elves.”

*Fight* Holding up his fists, Thorn crossed them over each other, repeating the action twice before sharing the quest notification he had received.

“You want to fight in the arena?”

Nodding, Thorn pointed to Baxby and held up his pointer fingers near his mouth, sliding his hands back and forth away from his body. Placing his hand flat in the air, his fingers at a slight downward angle, he patted the air. Tapping himself on the chest, he repeated the word for fight.

*You talk short. I fight.*

“Huh, I guess that could work. If we can figure out a way to sit with the shorty while you are in your matches, we could pump him for info about the state of the island. I mean, what better person to get information from than a merchant? Especially one that deals in black market deals and questionable sports?”

“True. And we can earn some money while we’re at it.” Mina lit up, jumping to her feet. “Oooh, I wonder if they do tag team events! I want to fight in the arena as well! Thorn, me and you can fight together and win all the prizes. I wonder if they allow betting?”

Just the thought of Mina, one of the best PvPers in the game, and Thorn teaming up on unsuspecting gladiator teams was enough to make Baxby shudder. It would be an absolute massacre. However, Mina’s last sentence made him perk right up. Maybe the arena allowed betting!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tucked away in a back alley, Maandell city’s arena was surprisingly busy for a place that was not supposed to exist. A steady stream of people were making their way into the arena when Baxby led the way down the alley. Thorn’s massive, metallic figure was eye catching, but other than nudging their companions, few of those walking by did anything more than give him a glance.

The arena itself was a large stone building with a heavy, barred gate. Half a dozen guards were checking those that wanted to enter the arena and collecting the entry fee, and Thorn and the others were soon in front of them.

“Are you here as a combatant?” The guard in charge ran a practiced eye over Thorn.

“Yes, here.” Baxby got out the card that he had gotten from Gereon Dado and presented it to the guard.

“Oh, you are guests of Mr. Dado?” As soon as he saw the card, the guard’s attitude changed completely. Straightening up, he called over one of the other guards and whispered to him. Turning back to Baxby, he smiled and bowed slightly, gesturing for them to enter the gate.

Her eyes tracking the guard who had rushed off to let Gereon Dado know that they had arrived, Velin pulled her hood down. Walking through the large metal gates, Thorn and the rest of the team were taken aback. It was obvious that there was nothing hidden about this arena. An air of savagery hung over the open-air, colosseum style fighting pit. Surrounding the sand-covered pit were large stands, already packed to the brim with people watching. With his height, Thorn could see over the wall that surrounded the sand floor. A melee was taking place in the pit, and the building shook with the roars of the combatants as flesh and steel collided.

They only had to endure the curious looks from the people streaming in for a few minutes before a short figure hurried into view. Dressed just as elegantly as he had been the day before, the Halfling was obviously excited to see them. He could hardly tear his eyes from Thorn’s armored body.

“Ehem. Hi.” Stepping between Gereon and Thorn, Baxby blocked the Halfling’s sight with his body. “Thanks for your invitation, Mr. Dado. You mentioned that we might be able to get some fights in today, right?”

“Yes, yes, of course! You made it just in time! The next fight was missing a fighter so you can sub in if you’d like. Please, follow me. I’ll take you down to the combat floor. We can get you registered for the fights. There are a few that you could join.”

As Gereon led them through the crowd, his guards cleared the way. Entering a curved tunnel, they soon arrived at a big room. Heavy doors led out into the arena, and Thorn could hear the screech of metal weapons smashing together on the other side. A worker was checking people in at a small table close to the entrance to the pit.

“Name of fighter?”

“Greymane.” Velin stepped up to the table to answer the worker’s questions.

“Weapon?”

“Claws and club.”

“Club? It can use a club?” Gereon’s eyes widened as he shot a glance at Thorn, noticing the handle of Thorn’s tetsubo sticking over his shoulder.

“He.” Baxby corrected with a smile, patting the stunned Halfling on his shoulder. “He can use a club. Pretty nasty with it, actually.”

Pausing as he processed what Baxby had just said, Gereon eventually just shrugged. War construct owners all had their own peculiarities, and if Baxby wanted to give his construct a gender it did not matter to the merchant. All that mattered was that this Greymane could fight.

After Thorn was registered, he stood near the wall to wait as Baxby and Mina headed upstairs with Gereon to the box where he sat. No matter how advanced a war construct was, it could not get by without a handler to give it instructions, so Velin stayed behind acting as Thorn’s handler. The room was filled with a variety of fighters either resting or waiting for their turn.

Differently shaped war constructs stood around the room, their magically driven engines letting off a dim hum. Though they were all shaped completely differently, they all were covered in armor and bristling with weapons. Many of the constructs seemed to have weapons bolted to every available space, making Thorn look nearly harmless by comparison. Thorn’s [Wolf Lord’s Heavy Armor] looked quite tame when held up against the war constructs in the room, but there was something disquieting about how the giant Wolfkin armor stood quietly against the wall.

After a few minutes the arena workers jumped into action, opening the doors and dragging the scraps of a ruined construct into the room from the pit. Mangled limbs were piled unceremoniously in a heap as the remnants of the war construct that had lost the fight were retrieved. The victorious war construct stomped into the room, following its handler closely. Thick, club-like spheres rested on the end of thick arms and a large, piston mounted spear protruded from the winning war construct’s shoulder. Looking over it carefully, Thorn could not help but gulp. It was easy to see how the defeated war construct ended up in pieces.

“Excuse me, are you Greymane’s handler? They’re just smoothing out the sand and resetting the obstacles. Once they have finished, the fight will start. Your start position is gate six. You can get there by taking the hallway to the left.” The arena attendant that approached Velin gestured to a tunnel. “Your opponent will enter from gate twelve which is directly across the pit. Once you get to the gate you will have three minutes to give your war construct directions. This match is a simple smash. Last combatant standing takes the prize.”

“Opponent?” Velin asked.

“Who knows. It could be beasts, another construct, or even a group of warriors. This is the challengers room. The arena sends out a random combatant or group depending on the draw unless you are fighting a direct challenge like the last fight. No less than one, no more than three. That is the only info you get.”

Nodding to the attendant that she understood, Velin placed her hand on Thorn’s metal covered forearm and mumbled under her breath as if she was casting a spell. Straightening up, Thorn marched out of the room, trying his best to keep his movements somewhat stiff.

The tunnel curved around the sides of the pit, broken by doors that led into the arena floor. Each of the doors had a cage around it and a number displayed above it. Velin stopped Thorn with a touch by the sixth door and he entered the cage. The metal door was closed behind him by an attendant, isolating him so that when the door to the pit opened he would not be able to leave.

As he waited, Thorn’s lips drew back into a smile under his wolf’s head helmet. Suppressing the desire to roll his shoulders out as he waited, Thorn could feel the excitement rising in his chest. Despite having no idea what sort of battle awaited him, his anticipation for the upcoming fight continued to grow.

In one of the ornately decorated viewing boxes at the top of the arena, Mina peered down at the sandy floor of the arena. Attendants dragged large rakes across the pit floor, evening out the sand as much as possible. Once the floor was relatively smooth, teams carried out a series of spiked barricades and planted them around the arena. The barricades were placed at angles that would prevent the fighters from rushing straight toward each other in an attempt to make the fight more tactically challenging if it included war constructs.

Sitting next to Gereon was an unbelievably round human decked out in bright silk clothing. Gem-laden rings covered his pudgy hands, and gold and silver chains practically dripped from his thick neck. When Baxby and Mina had first been introduced he had beamed, revealing a thick band of golden teeth as his eyes nearly disappeared into the folds of his face. Squeezing out a smile, Mina rushed to look down at the arena so that she would not have to look at him any more.

Who knows if it was the fact that he had seen much more in his long life, but Baxby did not seem to have any issue and even shook the human meatball’s hand cordially. Knowing that he was going to be spending time with Gereon, both he and Mina had dressed up, giving off a fairly well-to-do air.

“Is this your first time in Maandell? Quite the city, isn’t it? Haha.”

The meatball, who Gereon had introduced as Marius Hup, had an odd habit of chuckling as he spoke, the motion sending waves through his flesh. Mina had just gotten control of herself and turned around, only to be met with the sight of Marius Hup’s entire body shaking like a pudding. Stuffing her fist into her mouth, she spun back around.

“Uh, yeah, it is. We just got in last night so we have not really had much time to look around.” Even Baxby was having a tough time keeping from bursting into laughter at the sight of Marius Hup’s trembling body.

“Oh, well you came to the right place! You won’t regret it. Haha, Gereon here was telling me about your war construct. He wouldn’t shut up about it last night, haha. I’m excited to see if it lives up to the hype.”

As he finished speaking, a loud gong rang out and the crowd erupted with a roar. The doors at the twelve o’clock position opened up and a large six-legged creature stomped its way out of the doors, hissing at the attendants prodding from behind.

“Oh, wow! Haha, your construct is going to have to fight against a Metal Crawler! Haha, this is going to be a great battle!” The fat merchant tried to sit up to get a better look but could not quite make it.

When the Metal Crawler emerged from the doors, Gereon had his eyes fixed on Baxby’s face, only to see the old man yawn. Taken aback by the lack of excitement, the Halfling shot a glance at Mina only to see her supporting her chin in her hand as she leaned on the wall and listened to the announcer.

“And facing off against this metal monstrosity is a new challenger!”

Down below, the crowd had gotten even louder, excited to see a new construct going up against such a rare beast. The announcer let the crowd cheer a bit more before he held up his hands, his voice projecting around the arena.

“A brand new fighter to the Maandell arena, we have the fanged slayer, the werewolf of steel, uh, Greymane!”

Knowing that his introduction had fallen rather flat, the announcer signaled for the sixth door to be opened and the attendants threw it open, rushing out of the arena. A loud clang above the sixth door drew the Metal Crawler’s attention as Thorn stepped out, every inch of his nine feet gleaming under the morning sun. Planting his feet on the sand of the pit, Thorn raised his head and looked around at the roaring crowd in the stands, the excitement in his chest building to a fever pitch. Lifting his gauntleted hand to the handle of his tetsubo, Thorn’s gaze finally swept across his opponent, causing him to freeze.

“Your construct is named Greymane, right? That is the place the Wolfkin come from, right? They are all the rage right now. What a fitting name! Haha, amazing craftsmanship!”

“Our fighter.” Baxby shook his head with a wry smile.

“Haha, are you one of those who likes to pretend that war constructs are alive? Hey, whatever jiggles your jelly, haha!”

Covering her mouth with her hand, Mina tried to stifle her laughter but a small giggle slipped out.

“You don’t seem particularly worried about this fight. do you think that Greymane has a pretty good chance? The Metal Crawler is known for being a tough battle for most war constructs.” Gereon asked Baxby.

“Uh, I think he’ll be okay. Just watch.” Pointing with his chin, Baxby directed the Halfling’s attention down toward Thorn’s frozen figure in the pit below.

Hissing and stomping, the Metal Crawler began to slowly make its way toward Thorn who was frozen in place, his hand hovering open next to the handle of his tetsubo. The crowd, seeing how he was frozen in place began to whisper.

“Hey, did Greymane run out of power? Maybe its handler did not swap out its battery?”

“How lame. Ah well, at least we’ll get to see the Metal Crawler rip this Greymane apart.”

It was not uncommon for war constructs to break down, though they normally did so after the fight began so the whispers began to become murmurs and jeers. Sand jumped into the air as each of the Metal Crawler’s thick feet smashed down on the arena floor. Letting out a grinding shriek that the crowd echoed, it began to make its way forward, lifting a thick leg over one of the spiked barriers.

Thorn’s excitement had built up to a fever pitch only to completely drain out of him when his eyes landed on the Metal Crawler. After a moment, he sighed and his body sagged. Those in the crowd who were paying attention saw his shoulder slump down. Sighing again, Thorn dropped his hand, leaving his tetsubo on his back and took two big steps forward.

Reaching down, Thorn grabbed the barricade that the attendants had brought out and took hold of it. Crouching slightly, he heaved it up into the air, drawing a gasp from the crowd. Many of the people watching had turned their attention away but the sudden gasp from their neighbors drew their attention back. Even Gereon and Marius Hub had turned their heads to chat. Looking down at the arena, they saw Thorn take two steps forward, a massive arm holding the metal barricade up in the air.

Drawing it back, over his shoulder, Thorn planted his foot and hurled the barricade directly at the Metal Crawler! With a hiss, the creature tried to jump out of the way, but the mass of metal was moving too fast. The force of the throw slammed into the creature’s body, sending it flying into the air. A tremendous crash rang out as the barricade rammed into the Metal Crawler’s body, the large spikes cutting into it and slicing its legs.

The poor Metal Crawler flew through the air until it hit the wall of the arena, shaking the stone wall. Before it could bounce off, the barricade slammed into it again, the spikes stabbing through its metallic skin and pinning it to the wall. As the dust and sand that had been blown up by the crawler’s dragging feet began to settle, the Metal Crawler’s corpse slowly became visible, leaving the audience in stunned silence.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

*ding*

Gladiator’s Glory - Ongoing

There is glory in combat and it is in the arenas scattered around Angoril that warriors prove themselves stronger than their foes.

You have won your first fight in the Maandell arena, granting you the title [Gladiator]. Win 10 matches in any arena to unlock the title [Powerful Gladiator] title. Win 10 matches in 10 different arenas to unlock the title [Elite Gladiator] title. Win 100 matches in any arena to unlock the title [Heroic Gladiator] title.

Reward: Title - [Gladiator] (completed)

Reward: Title - [Powerful Gladiator] (locked)

Reward: Title - [Elite Gladiator] (locked)

Reward: Title - [Heroic Gladiator] (locked)

Title: Gladiator

There is glory in combat and it is in the arenas scattered around Angoril that warriors prove themselves stronger than their foes. You have won your first fight in the Maandell arena, proving yourself stronger than your enemy, gaining a sliver of the aura that pervades the arena.

Your aura grows more intense, increasing the chances of others taking you seriously.

Taking a moment to read over the notifications that popped up, Thorn smirked under his helmet. Hopefully the next fight would be more interesting. Dismissing the windows, Thorn turned and began to walk back toward the sixth door. Stopping in front of the door that hadn’t yet been opened, he stood still as the silent crowd suddenly erupted into cheers.

It wasn’t until now that the people watching had been able to process what had just happened. Metal Crawlers were certainly not the most dangerous of creatures, but their metallic skin and aggressive nature made them particularly difficult for war constructs. Yet Greymane had dispatched the creature without any effort at all.

“Huh, that is certainly an interesting tactic.” Up above the arena in the private box, Gereon rubbed his nose as he stared at Thorn’s bronze figure.

Next to him, Marius Hub’s mouth was hanging wide open. At the other extreme, Mina was still radiating boredom as she leaned against the railing. Down below, the door in front of Thorn opened and he walked back into the tunnel.

“Well done.” Velin’s elegant hand rested on Thorn’s arm for a moment and then retreated back under her cloak. “Let's get you back to the waiting room. I’m sure the next fight will be a bit more interesting for you.”

Ignoring the strange looks from the nearby attendants who were wondering why she was talking to her war construct, Velin led Thorn back into the waiting room. She had watched the brief fight from a small, barred window and could only imagine how depressed Thorn must be. The longer he stayed in the game, the more he seemed to enjoy combat, but with his size it was difficult for him to find anyone who wanted to fight against him. She just hoped that the arena would learn their lesson and increase the difficulty of the next fight.

Passing by the attendants who were rushing out to clean up the arena pit, Velin and Thorn walked back to the spot they had been before. At least, that was the plan. Instead, Velin stopped abruptly, causing Thorn to nearly walk over her. Rocking back on his heels as he stopped, he looked at the three people who had blocked them.

Standing in Velin’s way was a large, well-armored man with a thick black beard. Thick leather belts crossed his gleaming breastplate, holding up the twin crescent-shaped axes on his back. Behind him stood a red-haired woman with revealing armor and a cruel look in her eyes. Looking at Velin’s cloaked figure with a smirk, she caressed the fiery whip coiled in her hand.

On the other side stood a squat Dwarf with a rough robe, the cloth wrappings on his hands identifying him as some sort of monk class. Despite the Dwarf’s plain appearance, there was a look in his eyes that unnerved Velin, causing her to draw her cloak around her body.

“That was quite the fight there.” The black-bearded man’s voice boomed throughout the room as he raised his hand to stop Velin, drawing the eyes of everyone else in the room.

After the echo of his voice faded, the whole room was plunged into silence. Trying to express her lack of interest in talking to anyone, Velin shook her head and began to walk around them only to have the Dwarf and red-haired woman step forward aggressively, boxing her in.

“Whoa there. We just want to chat about your war construct here.” Giving a strange laugh, the black-bearded man patted his chest and introduced himself. “My name is Heuron and these are my companions, Lady Ruby and Raul.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Lady Ruby’s voice was smooth and sweet, but the cruel light in her eyes never vanished, reminding Thorn of a poisonous viper. Raul, blocking Velin’s path on the other side, simply grunted, his eyes never leaving Velin’s face, as if he could see through her thick hood.

“We’ve introduced ourselves, don’t you think you should tell us who you are?” Bright white teeth flashed through his black beard as Heuron smiled down at Velin. “It's only polite you know.”

“Not interested.” Velin tried to make her voice as gruff as possible, though her silvery tones were hard to mask. Judging by the way Raul’s eyes lit up, she had not succeeded. The Dwarf smirked and nodded at Heuron whose smile turned rather nasty.

“Huh, that isn’t polite, now is it? We’re just here to have a pleasant conversation and you are being quite rude. Well, we don’t like rude people on our turf, so unless you change your tune fast, it isn’t going to go well for you.”

The clear antagonism in Heuron’s voice made Thorn’s brow furrow under his helmet as he scanned the three people blocking them. At first, he had assumed that Heuron and his companions were just stopping them to talk, but the change in Raul’s expression had not escaped his attention. Adding to that the fact that all three of them had barely given him a glance, it was obvious that the object of their attention was Velin.

The thoughts had barely made it through Thorn’s mind when Lady Ruby confirmed them by abruptly reaching out for Velin’s hood, intending to pull it off. Letting out a giggle, her manicured hand shot out like a striking snake, each of her long red fingernails glinting like the gem she was named after. Taken by surprise, Velin still reacted quickly, summoning her staff in the path of Lady Ruby’s reaching hand.

Undeterred, Lady Ruby’s hand twisted to the side, shooting past the body of the staff, only to bounce off of a small round golden shield that manifested by Velin’s head. Hissing in pain, Lady Ruby took a small step forward and curled her fingers, slashing the shield with a flick of her wrist. Her fingernails lit up brightly, leaving thick gouges in the golden surface of the shield. A bubbling crimson residue was left behind on the shield, eating away at it at a visible rate.

Her hiss of pain turning into a giggle of triumph, Lady Ruby’s hand shot forward again, the remnants of the golden shield shattering as her nails jabbed through the deep gouges she had left. The sneak attack had been so abrupt that it had caught everyone by surprise leaving no time for anyone to intervene. A few of the attendants had started to approach, but glares from Heuron stopped them in their tracks.

Velin had been unprepared, but still managed to get her emergency shield up in time to ward off the first attack. Unfortunately, Lady Ruby’s nails had corroded right through it in no time, leaving her defenseless. Unlike Mina, Velin lacked the blink ability, instead relying on her [Holy Armor] and [Shield] spells for defense. Those defensive spells took time, which Lady Ruby was not giving her. Wracking her mind for an option, Velin saw the glowing red nails growing larger in her vision.

Knowing without a doubt that she would not be able to block the dangerous attack, Velin abandoned her defenses and threw herself backward in a desperate attempt to avoid the approaching nails. Even as she began to fall back, she could feel the Dwarf on the other side beginning to move, causing her to sigh in her head.

Without warning, her vision suddenly jerked and Velin found herself lifted up into the air by a force that was impossible to resist. The sudden movement was so quick it left her breathless and reeling. Thankfully, the force that caused her to rise into the air kept ahold of her, allowing her time to recover.

Lady Ruby had been absolutely sure of her attack landing when her target had abruptly disappeared from her sight, leaving her jabbing into empty air. Well, not entirely empty. Her Dwarf companion, Raul, had noticed that Velin was jumping back and took the opportunity to attack, lunging forward with a punch. Like Lady Ruby, he was surprised to have his target vanish and then horrified to be facing his ally’s attack.

Twisting his body, Raul dodged the deadly nails that were shooting toward his head with a forward roll. Lady Ruby was not nearly as worried as her companion and continued with the attack, turning the thrust into a slash as she changed her target to Thorn’s bronze covered chest. Half way through her attack, she abandoned all aggression and dashed backwards as Thorn’s massive fist shot toward her head.

Unfortunately for Lady Ruby, Raul’s forward roll had put him right behind her, and in her haste to distance herself from Thorn, she stumbled over the Dwarf, falling painfully to the ground. Retracting his fist and taking a big step backwards, Thorn put Velin down, making sure that she was steady on her feet before he let go. His eyes were fixed on the black-bearded Heuron who had not moved even an inch during the whole fight. The double axe wielding warrior gave Thorn a dangerous feeling.

“Haha, that was quite the little scrap, wasn’t it?” Heuron’s cold gaze never left Velin and Thorn. Taking a small step forward, his hands rested on his hips, only inches away from the handles of his double axes.

Muttering to herself, Velin planted her staff on the ground and magical energy began to gather, causing Heuron’s eyes to narrow. All of the bystanders began to back up quickly, getting as far away from the fight as they could. For a moment, tension hung in the air as Velin’s spell charged and Heuron and Thorn stared each other down.

“Hey, what are you doing?! Absolutely no fighting down here! If you fight you’ll spend the rest of your days rotting in jail!” Furious shouts came from one of the hallways leading into the waiting room as a portly arena attendant ran in, puffing hard.

Behind him, dressed in thick armor, came six of the arena guards with spears and shields. Arranging themselves in a half circle in front of the attendant, they leveled their spears at the five players. The other players and natives in the room held themselves still. The fight had erupted out of nowhere, and now the guards were involved making it even less of a good idea to get involved.

Glancing at the attendant, Heuron reached up and stroked his beard. His boss had told him to come make trouble for this handler and their war construct, but judging from the way Lady Ruby’s ambush failed he was not confident that they would be able to handle both the guards and the war construct. Especially since the war construct seemed a lot more autonomous than most. There was more than one way to achieve what he wanted though.

“Oh, we are not fighting, just greeting each other.” Heuron lied through his teeth while taking a small step back. “Mr. Velraham asked us to make sure that these folks were ready for the big leagues, so we were just testing their, uh, qualifications.”

Hearing the name that the black-bearded warrior mentioned, the attendant's fury faded considerably. Pushing his way past the guards, he accepted a small token that the Dwarf, Raul, pulled out of his robe. Examining it carefully, he nodded and handed it back.

“Very well. But no more testing. The pit is the only place where fighting is allowed, even if you are working for Mr. Velraham. So break it up.”

The golden glow that had been gathering around the end of Velin’s staff faded away as she canceled the spell, and Lady Ruby, who had been tensed up to dodge, relaxed. Even Heuron breathed a secret sigh of relief. Who knows what sort of spell the robed figure had been about to unleash and whether they could have dodged it.

“Fine, we’ll back off for now.” Flashing an unfriendly grin at Velin and Thorn, Heuron led his partners out of the room, leaving Velin and Thorn facing the attendant and six guards.

“If you have another fight today, wait here quietly and don’t cause any trouble. Otherwise, make my life simple and leave.”

“We have another fight.”

“Fine. Just don’t cause any more trouble.” Waving them away, the attendant looked around the room and then, leaving three of the guards, hurried out.

Walking over to the wall where there was an open space, Velin ignored the murmurs of the crowd around them. Thorn trudged after her, his mind whirling. The fight that just happened was suspicious on multiple counts and he could smell the stench of a much bigger plot.

“Thanks.” Velin’s husky voice drifted from under her hood as she patted Thorn’s arm. It was only his quick action of lifting her up that had allowed her to survive the fight with Lady Ruby and Raul. Her War Priestess class made her a powerful combatant, but it required that she have the proper time to cast her spells before the fight started. Unlike Mina, who could switch from a non-aggressive stance to full power in an instant, her combat ability took some time to get warmed up.

Standing quietly next to Thorn, Velin wracked her brain for a reason that the red-haired player would have attacked her. The cost of attacking another player inside a city was normally punished very harshly by the system itself, though, now that she thought about it, many of the normal rules seemed to be changing in favor of making Nova Terra more realistic.

Based on the way the attendant backed down when he saw the token from Mr. Velraham that the bearded warrior mentioned, it was obvious that corruption had settled deeply in Maandell city, and that did not bode well for them. Finally making up her mind, Velin was about to tell Thorn that they were going to leave when the attendant who had led them to the arena floor hurried over, looking quite stressed.

“Excuse me, your next fight has arrived. Please follow me.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

“But we just fought.” Velin’s displeasure was evident in her voice, causing the attendant to take a step back and hold up his hands in helplessness.

“Look, I don’t make the schedule. I was told there was a change in the match order and to come get Greymane. If you are forfeiting I can tell the organizers, but that would mean that you can’t fight anymore this week. No one is forcing you to fight. It’s up to you.”

About to refuse, Velin was startled when she felt Thorn begin to move toward the tunnel leading out to the arena floor. Thankful that her hood blocked her expression, Velin gave a small sigh and gestured for the attendant to lead the way. Under the pitying gazes of the other fighters, they marched back into the tunnel they had just emerged from.

Out in the ring, all of the metal barricades had been taken away, leaving the pit floor empty. The Metal Crawler’s carcass had been pried from the wall and dragged away and a rough plaster patch had been applied to the giant crack in the arena’s wall. The announcer made his way to the center of the pit floor and raised the magic voice projection device that looked like a small cup with no bottom to his lips.

Ready to start the next match, he saw someone running toward him and paused. After listening to the attendant who whispered in his ear surprise colored his face and he stared at the attendant who shrugged and nodded. Around the arena, the audience began to murmur, wondering what was going on. Baxby, sitting next to Gereon Dado and Marius Hup, suddenly got a bad feeling. That feeling only grew when he heard the announcer’s voice echoing around the arena.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience with us as we clear away the shame of that last match! I’m excited to announce that there has been a change in the programming today! After that electric performance by the Steel Wolf, Greymane, the management is excited to find out just how strong this newcomer is! Prepare yourself for a true challenge of flesh vs steel, wits vs programming! Prepare yourself for a direct challenge by the Maandell city Tyrants!”

The announcer’s voice had not faded when the entire arena erupted with cheers. Listening to the ecstatic crowds, Baxby’s growing uneasiness had turned into full blown anxiety, a sure sign of impending danger.  Frowning, Baxby turned to Gereon only to see a similar frown pasted on the halfling’s face. Noticing the old man looking at him, Gereon grimaced.

“I think I may have inadvertently pulled you into my fight.”

“Explain what is going on.” Mina turned her head half way to address Gereon while keeping an eye on the arena floor.

“Well, the arenas are owned by a collection of merchants, a group I happen to be part of. Each of us owns the majority of one arena and a portion of the others. The main shareholder of this arena is an idiot named Bampton…”

*BOOM*

Before Gereon could finish his words, the door to the box slammed open so hard that the wood splintered, and a large Orc tried to step into the room. From behind him a squeaky voice shouted out in anger.

“I heard that Gereon! Who are you calling an idiot!? The only idiot here is you and that walking meatball. You have… hey, why are you standing in my way? Move out of the doorway. How am I supposed to squeeze in with you standing in the way?”

The Orc’s body, seven feet of pure muscle, filled the doorway completely, preventing the owner of the squeaky voice from entering. Two eyes appeared in one of the small gaps between the Orc and the doorframe as Bampton peered into the box.

“Uh...Boss?”

“What? What is the matter? Did the meatball take up too much room in the box? I knew we should have given them a bigger box. Don’t tell me he has gotten even fatter? Get out of my way!” Tugging the Orc backward, a scrawny human with a nasty expression pushed his way to the front and then froze on the doorstep, his eyes wide.

Three razor sharp ice spikes rotated gently in the air at his eye level, the air around them freezing. Mina had reacted instantly when the door began to open, summoning her floating orbs and turning them into ice spikes ready to skewer the first person to come through the door. Luckily for the Orc, his reflexes were excellent and he was able to stop himself on the threshold.

Shooting an impressed look at Mina, Marius Hup heaved himself up in his chair with a huge amount of effort and turned to look at the door.  Taking in the scene, he found the sight of Bampton's terrified face quite funny and began to chuckle, sending waves through his fat body.

“What are you trying to do, Bampton?” His eyes narrowed, Gereon stared at the intruders. The thin human was still frozen at the doorway so Gereon gestured for Mina to stand down.

Tsking, Mina flicked her wand and the ice spikes began to shrink, each revolution discharging a thick cold mist. Thinning out as they spun, the spikes soon disappeared into the air. Bampton gulped and straightened up, but only after they had disappeared completely. Puffing out his skinny chest, he looked around as casually as he could, pretending he had always known that the ice spikes would not hurt him. Stepping into the box, he waved for his Orc bodyguard to follow him in, immediately causing the box to feel extra crowded.

“Hmph! What are you talking about, Gereon? This is my arena, I can do whatever I want!” Sniffing disdainfully, he glared at the people in the booth. Looking around, his eyes happened to meet Mina’s and he shrunk back, quickly turning his head so no one would see the fear that bloomed in his eyes.

“I’m not talking about the door, fool. I’m talking about the fight. Greymane just finished and you’re having it fight again? That hardly seems fair. I seem to recall some rules that breaks.”

“Oh please, war constructs don’t get tired, so what is the big deal. Besides, it was a direct request from Mr. V. I was actually coming here to alert you about your companion, but if you don’t want to hear it, I don’t care.” Sneering, Bampton waved as if he was no longer in the mood to tell Gereon his information.

“Companion?”

“Yeah, the handler? But if you are going to act… ulp.” Halfway through his sentence, Bampton gagged as the freezing tip of a wand jabbed into the side of his neck. From the corner of his eyes he could see Mina’s furious face.

“Speak.”

“Ah, okay, okay, the handler who came with you is in trouble! Heuron and his gang are planning something when the construct goes into the arena!”

The temperature in the box dropped drastically even before Bampton got all of his words out and Mina vanished into thin air, leaving a few shimmering snowflakes behind. Shivering, the skinny human rubbed his neck, sending a glare toward his utterly useless Orc bodyguard. The helpless Orc could only shrug. That short witch moved way too fast for him.

“Oh no.” Gereon sighed as he rubbed his forehead as he looked at Baxby. “I was afraid of something like this. I’m truly sorry. It was not my intent to get you involved in my feuds.”

Surprisingly, apart from a small frown, Baxby did not seem overly concerned. Realizing that the old treasure hunter probably did not know any of the people involved, Gereon sighed again and tried to explain.

“Mr. V is Mr. Velraham. He is the owner of the local slave markets. Heuron, who Bampton here mentioned, is an Elite Gladiator who works for him, handling his dirty work. With Mr. V’s backing, Heuron is able to do pretty much whatever he wants because of the power behind him. Me and Mr. V don’t get along very well, and he is always trying to cause trouble for me.”

“And they are targeting your friends.” Bampton cut in, trying to convey the seriousness to Baxby, whose facial expression still had not changed.

“Eh, somehow, I feel like they’ll be alright.” Baxby smiled weakly and waved his hand. “Besides, it is likely that this Mr. V has had his eye on us since we arrived.”

“Really? You think they’ll be alright? Are you serious?! That Heuron is an Elite Gladiator! And his companions are nothing to sneeze at. Plus, they are probably planning to wreck your war construct by overwhelming it in the arena.”

“Haha, if they can overwhelm him it’ll be a first.” Chuckling, Baxby scratched his chin and shrugged. “What I’m more interested in is why they are targeting us in the first place. What is worth all of this trouble?”

Before Gereon could answer, the announcer walked back into the center of the arena floor, holding up his voice amplification device.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! The moment you have been waiting for is here. The Maandell city Tyrants vs the Steel Wolf, Greymane! ARE! YOU! READY?!”

Roaring their assent, the crowds stamped and clapped, causing the arena itself to tremble. Thankfully, the arena was made from stone, so apart from the vibration, the building stood firmly.

“The rules are simple! The four members of the Tyrants are each behind one of the doors, from sixteen to twenty-two. Four doors hold back death, two are empty! As the challenged, Greymane’s team will get to choose a door, and every thirty seconds after that the next door will open, allowing another member of the Tyrants to join the fight!” Giving a flourish with his hand, the announcer pointed at the middle door on his right.

With a rattle, the sixth door opened up and Thorn’s bronze wolf’s head helmet appeared, followed by his massive body. Hearing the roar of the crowd, Thorn’s blood began to boil with excitement. He had heard the announcer’s description of the way the fight would work, but despite the danger of facing multiple opponents, he was not overly worried.

Seeing Thorn, the crowd got even louder, chants of “Greymane!” rising. Striding to the center of the arena, Thorn stopped in place and stood silently waiting for the announcer who was gesturing for him to stop advancing.

“Haha, it seems our new challenger is as excited as we are for this battle! Before we get started, it’s only right to introduce our fighters! Before you stands the titan of steel, the deadly Wolfkin war construct, a masterpiece from the deepest Dwarven forges, unearthed from the mysterious labyrinth city of Rakkam and brought all the way here for your pleasure! You’ve already seen his capabilities, but will he be strong enough?! Before you stands the Steel Wolf, Greymane!”

Up in the box, Baxby started, staring in confusion at the announcer down below, wondering how on earth he had found out so much about Thorn. Marius Hup, seeing his surprised face, laughed and slapped his armrest, causing his chair to creak alarmingly and the fat on his arm to jump in waves. Everyone nearby shifted away from his trembling chair just in case it fell apart.

“Haha, don’t bother with the foolishness that comes out of the announcer’s mouth, haha. He is quite talented at making up drivel to get the crowds excited. He’ll lie through his teeth if it means getting an extra cheer. Haha.”

“Drivel, huh?” Smirking, Baxby could only shake his head.

“Facing the steel wolf, we have the Maandell city Tyrants! You know them, you love them!” Timing his next introduction perfectly, the announcer began to speak as soon as the cheering began to fade, his words igniting a storm of cheers. “Heuron, the Crescent Destroyer! Leader of the Tyrants! Lady Ruby, the Burning Beauty! XianDragon, the Staff of God! Raul, the Silent Master! They’ve won their last five matches without so much as breaking a sweat, will they finally meet their match in Greymane?!”

Turning his head to look at Bampton, Gereon was about to say something when Bampton beat him to it. Rubbing his fingers together, the skinny human got a sly look on his face as he looked at Gereon.

“So, who do you think will win, huh?”

“Th… Greymane.” It was Baxby who answered, his words sounding immediately after Bampton’s question.

“Hah, no way. The Tyrants will rip that tin can apart.”

“Did you see the way that Greymane took care of the Metal Crawler?” Gereon asked, his hand tapping on his armrest as he looked quizzically at Bampton. “He destroyed it in an instant.”

“Please,” Bampton rolled his eyes. “Any of the Tyrants could do that too. Beating a Metal Crawler isn’t hard when you know the tricks.”

“I take it you are willing to put your money where you mouth is, right?”

“Of course I am.” Bampton’s eyes lit up at Gereon’s question. “I’ll cover anything you put down.”

“Fine. I’ll put 200 gold on Greymane then. The odds are what? Five to one?”

“No way, I’ll give you three to one and that is max.” Bampton shook his head. “But I’ll take your bet. Anyone else want in? Hup? Fancy a bet?”

“Haha, no, no, I don’t wager, you know that.” Marius waved his hand dismissively.

“Three thousand gold.” Never moving his eyes from the arena floor, Baxby casually called out as Bampton’s gaze settled on him.

“Hah, no probl...th..three..three thousand?” Half way through his sentence, the number that Baxby had thrown out finally settled on Bampton, causing him to stammer out a confirmation. Three thousand gold was a lot, and if he lost the bet, he would be paying up nine thousand. That was a whole month’s income!

“What, is that too much?”

“No, I can cover it.” Bampton waved off Baxby’s questioning look. “I was just surprised that you were willing to put so much up on a gladiator match. You really are confident in your fighter, aren’t you?”

“Confident in Greymane? I’d say so.”

Down below, the announcer had walked to the edge of the arena floor. Lifting the voice amplification device, he gestured to Thorn.

“And now, the moment you have all been waiting for so patiently, it is time for the first door to be chosen!”

Thorn, who had been standing without moving, lifted his arm, grabbing the handle of his tetsubo and lifting it from his back. Taking a large step forward, dirt puffed around his feet as they landed on the sand floor. His arm swept around and he leveled his weapon at the first of the six doors that he faced.

“Door number sixteen will be the first to open, with the next door opening after thirty seconds. Ladies and gentlemen, let the fight begin!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Standing in the pit, with the roar of the crowd resounding above his head, there was no way for Thorn to hear the sixteenth door open, but for whatever reason, he felt as if the rattle of the chains and metal door opening up resonated in his chest. Opened a crack, the doors revealed a strongly built young man wielding a thick staff. Unable to wait, the young man kicked the doors wide open and stepped into the arena, waving his staff over his head as if he had already won the fight.

“XianDragon, XianDragon!”

The cheering crowd began to chant the young man’s name, and for a moment he stood still, basking in the crowd’s excitement. Waving his staff again, he slowly made his way toward Thorn who stood still in the center of the arena floor. As he approached, Thorn was better able to see the details of the thick staff that the young man was holding.

Made completely of metal, the pole was three inches in diameter and looked more like a weapon Thorn would wield than a normal person’s staff. Dense carvings of mystical creatures ran the length of the staff, culminating in a twisting carving of a dragon that seemed to twist under Thorn’s gaze, its scales shimmering in the afternoon light. The center of the staff had a carved spiral hand grip that was repeated in smaller sections at the ends of the weapon.

XianDragon himself was dressed like an Eastern martial artist, with a single tiger head pauldron held in place by a thick leather belt that crossed his chest. His chest was covered with a leather breastplate that was designed to give him some protection while not hampering his movement in any way. Loose pants and leather boots completed the picture, giving him a valiant air.

Based on the ease with which XianDragon handled the thick weapon it was obvious that he had some sort of class ability related to the staff. Thorn could not think of another way that XianDragon would be able to maneuver his weapon so easily. Striding to the center of the arena, XianDragon gave one last wave to the crowd and then settled his eyes on Thorn’s still figure.

Rolling his shoulders and stretching out his arms, he held his staff and twisted his waist as if he was prepping to start the fight, causing Thorn to smirk under his wolf’s head helmet. XianDragon came out with so much momentum and grandeur, but he was actually stalling for time. His companions would begin to emerge after at least thirty seconds and as imposing as XianDragon looked, he was not terribly interested in engaging Thorn alone.

His smirk turned into a grin and Thorn decided that he was not going to wait for the enemy to gather. Taking a step forward, he was surprised to see that XianDragon mirrored him, taking a step backward at the same time so that the distance between them stayed exactly the same. Thorn’s grin widened. It appeared that he was going to need to do some chasing.

Crouching slightly, Thron’s feet dug into the sand, the claws on the ends of his boots giving him extra purchase in the shifting arena floor. XianDragon, who was watching Thorn very carefully, subtly brought his staff between him and his massive, metal covered opponent. His job right now was to stall the huge war construct while the rest of his team made their way into the arena, and he had been confident that he would be able to do it. Now that he was standing in the arena, facing down the metal Wolfkin, XianDragon was no longer as confident.

Shifting his weight forward, Thorn began to run, his pounding feet sending sand flying into the air as he dashed toward XianDragon. Each time his foot impacted the ground the arena would shake slightly, blending with the crowd’s stomps. The sight of Thorn beginning to charge whipped up the crowd into an even louder frenzy.

To his credit, XianDragon did not continue to retreat backward and instead began to rotate around Thorn, hoping that the machine before him would not be able to handle turns very well. To his disappointment, XianDragon saw that Thorn adjusted his direction the same way a normal fighter would, leaving him with no confidence that he would be able to get out of the way of Thorn’s charge.

Thorn closed the distance rapidly, his tetsubo lifted above his head menacingly. Arriving in front of XianDragon, he slashed down with his tetsubo, delivering a simple but dreadfully effective strike. The carved staff snaked out to block the blow as XianDragon faced Thorn down directly. As soon as the weapons touched, XianDragon knew he was in trouble. The force contained in Thorn’s attack was not something that he could handle with a normal block.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, XianDragon activated one of his class abilities. His initial goal had been to spar with the war construct for a while, damaging it and stalling until his companions arrived. Together they would pull this war construct apart, piece by piece. However, under the smashing attack Thorn had unleashed, all those plans went out the window. It would be hard enough to survive until his companions arrived, let alone stall the metal monster he was facing.

[Coiling Reflection]

The glittering dragon coiled around the end of XianDragon’s staff stirred under the afternoon sun, coming alive. Its head shot up a few feet into the air and turned back to bite onto the end of the staff. Growing quickly, the glittering dragon’s body unfurled from the staff where it had been wrapped and extended up to block Thorn’s tetsubo attack.

*BOOM*

The shimmering scales of the dragon rippled as they magnified the force of the attack. Coiled into a shield, the dragon tightened, reflecting the majority of the attack right back at Thorn who was pushed back three full steps before he could stop himself. The dragon shield swooped back down to the staff, curling itself around it and becoming a carving once again.

The excess force of the attack sent thick clouds of dirt billowing from under XianDragon’s feet as, despite activating his defensive ability, the residual force of the attack drove him back a full step. Holding tightly to his still trembling staff, XianDragon gulped. Even using his strongest defensive skill, the attack from the metal giant in front of him had driven him backward. Glancing toward the seventeenth door, he could not help but grimace. He still had at least ten seconds before it opened.

Thorn stabilized himself after absorbing the strengthened rebound of his attack and stepped forward again, his arm lifting up. It was unlikely that XianDragon could use his reflective shield move again for a little while, so Thorn was curious to see if he could defeat the martial artist before the rest of his team appeared.

The sight of Thorn lifting his tetsubo for another strike caused the whole crowd to gasp. The force of the last strike had shaken XianDragon, even after he used his most powerful blocking skill, so it was no surprise when he stabbed his staff into the ground and used the force to launch himself to the side, out of range of Thorn’s weapon. There was no need to block when he could just run away.

Or at least, that is what he thought. Faster than he thought possible, Thorn shifted his weight forward and reached up with his left hand, grasping the handle of his tetsubo as he let go with his right hand. The downward strike curved, its momentum maintained as Thorn smoothly turned it into a sideways slash. Hanging in mid air, XianDragon blanched and brought his staff up in front of him, one of the spikes on the end of the tetsubo catching his weapon and sending him tumbling.

The thick staff groaned alarmingly as it was hit and the rebound ripped it from his hands. Tumbling to a stop, XianDragon scrambled for his weapon and then fled as fast as he could, trying to get as much distance between him and Thorn as possible. Thorn was not about to let him get away and quickly chased after him. Trapped in an enclosed arena with a metal monster, it did not take XianDragon long to realize that he was about to be in a world of trouble.

Thorn quickly caught up to XianDragon and slashed with his tetsubo, forcing XianDragon to throw himself backward to avoid the heavy metal weapon. The martial artist was so worried about not being hit that he retreated too quickly and slammed into the ground. Stepping forward, Thorn brought his weapon around and hammered it into XianDragon’s prone figure.

[Buddha’s Eternal Form]

Just before the end of the tetsubo reached him, a holy light shimmered around XianDragon’s body, forming the shape of a benevolent buddha that covered him completely. The buddha reached out a palm to meet the tetsubo, forcing the metal weapon to stop before it reached XianDragon. Barely squeezing out from under the tetsubo, XianDragon rolled away as Thorn’s fist landed where he had just been. The buddha formed from holy light shimmered and faded away as XianDragon scrambled to his feet and ran for his life. Rushing across the arena, he joined up with Raul who had rushed out of door seventeen and cast a bubble on him.

Standing next to each other, they peered at the thick cloud of dust that shrouded the other end of the arena which XianDragon had just escaped. The billowing dirt and sand began to settle, slowly revealing a massive silhouette. Glowing eyes appeared first as Thorn walked slowly out of the dust.

XianDragon’s heart beat rapidly as he tried to calm himself down. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Raul only to see a deadly serious look on his companion’s face. Raul’s face was normally an impassive mask, but watching XianDragon getting tossed around like a ragdoll had set his teeth on edge.

Up in the box, Bampton was gnashing his teeth in fury. XianDragon was one of the better gladiators who fought in the Maandell arena so to see him being toyed with did not bode well for Bampton’s wallet. He had bet nearly ten thousand gold on the Tyrants, and while losing it would not ruin him, it was certainly going to sting.

Marius Hup, on the other hand, was having a great time. He was laughing excitedly and clapping his hands every time XianDragon was sent flying.

“Wow, haha! You were not kidding! That war construct of yours is a powerhouse!”

“Yeah, he’s pretty good at this whole fighting thing.” Baxby gave a small smile as he pulled out a long tube and fiddled with it.

“Don’t celebrate just yet. The Tyrant’s real power is only shown when they combine together.”

“Like Power Rangers?” Baxby chuckled and looked around, only to see everyone looking at him with blank expressions. “Power Rangers? Nothing? Really? Didn't any of you study history in school? No? Before your time? Okay, now I feel really old.”

[Buddha’s Strength]

In the arena, Raul thrust his palm toward XianDragon. As it touched the martial artist, his skin glowed and his body seemed to get thicker.

“Go! I’ll support you!” Clapping his hands together, Raul began to chant as he urged his partner forward.

Across the arena the dust had finally settled down and Thorn began to charge. He could have caught up to XianDragon earlier with his armor’s [Predator's Leap] ability, but it had a long cooldown so he wanted to preserve it for the time being. He also had [Moon’s Reflection], which would give him up to six seconds of invulnerability, but once those six seconds were up, he would be left vulnerable until he had a chance to recharge his armor in the moonlight.

Breaking into a run, Thorn charged toward his two opponents as Raul’s chant began. Seeing him coming, XianDragon glanced nervously at Raul and then, squaring his shoulders, ran out to meet Thorn.

[Monkey King’s Dance]

Shouting with all his might, XianDragon’s body began to change. His limbs thinned slightly and grew a bit longer as short fur sprouted from his uncovered arms and his cheeks. Two fangs poked from his lips and a lashing tail curled around his staff. Dashing forward, he planted his staff and launched himself into the air, spinning around in a somersault, his staff swinging down toward Thorn’s head.

Lifting his tetsubo, Thorn swept the staff aside and tried to counterattack, only to have XianDragon nimbly dodge past his attack and land a kick on Thorn’s helmet. The force of the blow was strong, but Thorn didn’t even flinch. XianDragon abandoned the attack and flipped backward as Thorn’s claws ripped through the air where he had just been. Taking his distance, XianDragon tumbled to the side to dodge Thorn’s thrust and countered with a thrust of his own, the end of his thick staff glancing off of the armor over Thorn’s ribs.

Back and forth they fought, trading blows. As fast as he was, Thorn had a lot of trouble hitting XianDragon as the staff-wielding martial artist used his monkey-like agility to slip away from Thorn’s strikes. On the other hand, XianDragon found that no matter how many times he hit Thorn, it did not seem to matter. Thorn was like a mountain, solid and unmoving.

As they fought, Thorn kept a close eye on Raul. The monk was still chanting his prayers, layering buffs on XianDragon. Faster, stronger, and more agile, XianDragon was able to contend with Thorn without losing ground, a testament to how powerful the buffs were. While he still did not dare take Thorn on in a direct contest of strength, he was more than able to dodge around Thorn’s attacks.

Resolving to get rid of Raul first, Thorn started moving that direction when a sudden sound alerted him that something was wrong. Under the crowd’s astonished gazes the remaining doors suddenly opened and Heuron and Lady Ruby both walked out to join their companions in facing Thorn.

“What sort of cheating is this, Bampton?” Gereon turned to glare at Bampton.

“Hold on, this has nothing to do with me.” The thin man’s face was pale as he looked down at the arena. Turning to his Orc guard, he slapped him on the shoulder, urging him to hurry. “Get down there and find out who is breaking the rules! No one is allowed to break my rules!”

“Sir, Mr. V…”

“I don’t care who it is! Get down there and find out!” Turning back to Gereon as his guard ran out to the box, Bampton shrugged apologetically. “I really don’t know what is going on but we’ll find out and get everything sorted.”

“You better pray you do. Otherwise the council is going to hear about this.”

In the arena, XianDragon turned a back handspring, rapidly distancing himself from Thorn and joining back up with his companions. Lady Ruby glanced at his frazzled and dirty appearance and sneered. About to speak, she paused as Heuron held up his hand. His eyes fixed on Thorn, Heuron unsheathed his twin axes and clashed them together, sending sparks flying.

“Alright, let’s cut this big guy down to size.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“I’ll face the war construct head on, Ruby, you go left, Dragon, go right! Raul, you support us from the back. Look sharp, folks, this one is tough.” Looking at the members of his squad, Heuron gestured with his twin crescent axes. Turning back to look at Thorn’s figure, Heuron’s head tilted in confusion. The spot where Thorn had been standing was completely empty. “Hey, where did the war construct go?”

“Uh, boss…”

A dark shadow fell over Heuron, rapidly growing larger. Tilting his head back, he saw Thorn’s massive metal covered body falling toward him. With a shout of surprise, Heuron threw himself to the side, tucking his body and rolling away. The rest of his team scattered as well, running as fast as they could to try and get out from under him. As soon as Thorn had seen the doors open he knew that he would be in trouble if he could not disrupt the Tyrant’s rhythm so he activated [Predator's Leap] and launched himself toward them.

*BOOM*

Smashing into the arena floor, Thorn’s weight carved a deep crater into the sand. XianDragon and Heuron had both tumbled away without issue, and Lady Ruby had also escaped by jumping into the air and riding the shockwave from Thorn’s impact. Raul was not as lucky. He too dashed away when he saw Thorn flying through the air, but no matter how quickly he tried to escape, he was not faster than Thorn’s tetsubo.

Just before he landed he hurled his metal weapon toward the monk with all his strength. Spinning like a top, the metal tetsubo scythed through the air, the whooshing sound that accompanied it masked by the sound of Thorn’s landing. Even though Raul was running as fast as he could, he felt a movement behind him and glanced over his shoulder only to see the tetsubo growing ever larger.

Heuron’s roll carried him away from the impact zone, and he was soon lost in the cloud of sand that was raised around Thorn. Peering through the flying dirt, Heuron tried to locate his teammates but was unable to spot them. Instead his eyes landed on the massive metal form rising from the crater. Tightening his grip on his axes, he had just lifted them up when he heard the sound of a brief scream, abruptly cut off.

“Raul!” Lady Ruby’s sharp voice cried out from the left. She had gotten out of the cloud just in time to see the monk vanish in a shimmer of lights as Thorn’s tetsubo smashed straight through him.

On the other side, XianDragon heard the cut off scream and then Lady Ruby’s shout and dashed forward toward where he had heard Raul’s voice. He had hardly taken two steps when Thorn abruptly appeared next to him, silver claws leaving glowing trails in the air as they came slashing toward his chest. Twisting to the side, XianDragon pushed the body of his staff out toward the clawed hand that was reaching for him. Feeling the thick staff slam into his fingers, Thorn spun his hand, grabbing the body of the staff and pulling it toward him as he struck out with his other fist.

Unable to shift his staff, XianDragon instantly realized that his monkey form, though incredibly agile, would not allow him to escape from the next blow that was undoubtedly coming if he wanted to keep his staff. Stubbornly refusing to give up on his weapon, he planted his feet and roared.

[Raging Rhino’s Glory]

The hair across his body disappeared into his skin leaving a rough, greyish tone behind. His limbs, long and lanky a moment before, thickened as his body gained bulk. Bulging muscles rippled along his arms as he pulled on his staff. Lifting his thick arm, XianDragon struck out with his free hand, aiming at Thorn’s incoming fist.

Just about to hit XianDragon, Thorn sensed danger rushing toward him. The hair on the back of his neck jumped and he knew that the incoming attack was going to be deadly. Decisively, he abandoned his attack and activated [Moon’s Reflection]. Less than half a second later, Heuron appeared from the dust cloud, his twin axes landing on Thorn’s forearms as the bearded warrior yelled out.

“[Twisting Crescent Strike]!”

Heuron’s signature attack was a devastating blow that harnessed his full strength to bring both of his crescent axes down on the same spot, drastically increasing their cutting power. Leaning into the strike with his full weight, the bearded warrior focused carefully. Thorn’s armor was thick and he was not completely confident that he would be able to get through it, even with his strongest attack.

As his axes met Thorn’s forearms, Heuron felt them slice through the armor as if it was not even there, plunging deeply into his enemy’s arm. For a second, Heuron was elated to see his axes dealing so much damage, but almost immediately his elation turned to confusion. The momentum behind the strike sent him stumbling forward as his axes found no purchase. Expecting to hit flesh and bone, the bearded warrior instead found himself passing straight through Thorn’s form.

It was as if he had dipped his axes into a calm pond, sending ripples across the surface but ultimately leaving no mark. A terrible danger filled his mind and in that instant, Heuron’s warrior training saved his life. Instead of trying to stop himself, he threw himself forward into a roll, barely avoiding Thorn’s knee which drove up toward Heuron’s side.

As his knee strike missed, Thorn twisted his body, bringing his foot around in a round kick aimed at XianDragon who had stumbled backward. As soon as Thorn had activated [Moon’s Reflection] his hold on the thick staff had vanished. The lack of force caused XianDragon to reel backwards and it took him a moment to stabilize. He had barely gotten his bearings when Thorn’s foot appeared next to him like the grim reaper’s scythe.

[Burning Whip]

A shrill scream rang out from behind Thorn and he could tell that Lady Ruby had launched an attack in an effort to distract him. Ignoring her, Thorn focused on his attack, trusting that his armor would keep him safe. His kick was fast, though not fast enough to catch XianDragon in his [Monkey King’s Dance] stance. Unfortunately for Thorn’s opponent, the once agile warrior had swapped into the stronger, more durable [Raging Rhino’s Glory] form to try and contest with Thorn straight on.

*BOOM*

Lifting his arm to block, XianDragon felt Thorn’s metal boot smash into his body, sending a tremor through him that lifted him from the ground. Unable to bear the weight of Thorn’s attack, XianDragon flew through the air, the world blurring around him until it went dark abruptly.

“No!”

A guttural roar ripped from Heuron’s throat as he got to his feet, his face contorted in fury as he saw his teammate smash into the arena wall. XianDragon vanished with a shimmer like Raul before him, his slightly deformed staff and a few other scattered trinkets the only evidence of his passing apart from the massive crack his impact had left in the arena wall.

Pleased with the result of his attack, Thorn was about to go after Heuron when a searing pain lanced across his back. Lady Ruby’s [Burning Whip] crackled as it slammed into his armor, leaving a thick scorch mark. Grimacing, Thorn intended to ignore it when he saw the tip of the whip flying toward his face.

Just like its name, [Burning Whip] was an ability that coated Lady Ruby’s whip in a crimson flame that ignored a significant portion of the target’s armor, making it most effective against heavily armored foes. Jerking his head back, Thorn lifted his arm to block the end of the whip. Lady Ruby flicked her wrist with a sneer, the whip shooting forward to wrap around Thorn’s arm. Unable to move him with her strength, Lady Ruby was content to let the passive damage from the flaming whip seep through Thorn’s armor.

[Whirlwind Step]

While Thorn’s attention was being drawn away, Heuron rushed forward again, his crescent axes twirling. Swirls of air surrounded his feet, allowing him to accelerate tremendously as he charged Thorn. With his arm entangled, Thorn was not confident in being able to block both of the whirling axes, so instead he snapped a kick, forcing Heuron to dodge to the side. Still, the charging warrior managed to slice at Thorn as he slipped past, his axe leaving a shallow scar on Thorn’s armor.

The [Burning Whip] that was wrapped around Thorn’s arm grew hotter and Thorn could feel his health continuing to drop. Gritting his teeth, he reached for the whip, intending to pull it from Lady Ruby’s hands, but before he could grasp it Lady Ruby twitched her hand and it unraveled from his arm, slipping through his fingers like a flaming snake. Before he could go after it, Thorn heard the sound of wind off to his side and realized that Heuron was charging again. Spinning to face the attack, Thorn blocked the two axes and slapped out a palm strike in response, only to feel a burning pain in his leg as Lady Ruby’s [Burning Whip] returned to sear his leg.

Trying to keep an eye on Heuron while he defended against the [Burning Whip] attacks from Lady Ruby, Thorn felt like he had fallen into a morass. No matter which way he faced he was attacked from the other side by a flaming whip or wind covered axes. Soon his armor was covered in thin gouges from the spinning axes and scorch marks from the whip. Still, he defended as best he could, patiently waiting for his opportunity.

Heuron, dodging past Thorn once again, took a deep breath. Two of his team had been smashed into oblivion by Thorn’s attacks, and he had no doubt that he would suffer the same fate should he fail to dodge one of Thorn’s hits. Realizing that things were not going according to plan, he abandoned all pretenses and gave a long whistle.

As soon as he did, the doors around the arena rattled open and guards rushed out onto the arena floor. Some of the guards, armed with crossbows, took a knee, leveling them at Thorn, while the rest, holding spears and shields, rushed to surround him. It did not take long for Thorn to be surrounded by a ring of shining steel. The hot sun beat down on the arena, glinting off of the silver spear tips as a rumble of confusion and discontent rose from the audience. It was one thing to have opened the doors early - that simply made the fight a bit harder. This was something else entirely.

Up in the box, Baxby shot a hard glance at Bampton, who was white faced and trembling, his mouth hanging wide open. The arena was his, yet his guards were obviously taking orders from the Tyrants, a situation he found intolerable. Gasping out something unintelligible, he ran for the door.

“Baxby, I’m sorry.” Gereon frowned apologetically. “I never imagined that things would turn out like this.”

“Heh. It is not over yet.” As soon as Baxby spoke, a tremendous explosion rang out from the 6th gate.

Chunks of stone flew through the air, peppering the nearby arena guards, howls and curses echoing out as they ran from the shards of stone. Shouts and screams drew the attention of everyone in the arena as part of the seats above door six began to cave in. A brilliant golden light burst through the ruined wall, forcing guards and spectators alike back. Flames could be seen burning in the tunnel that ran around the edge of the arena as Mina slid through the massive hole in the wall, her three frozen orbs spinning around her head.

Striding out of the hole behind the Ice Witch came a beautiful figure covered in golden armor, a halo of light shining from behind her head. Velin’s black hooded cloak was nowhere to be seen and the armor did nothing to mask her, leaving her gorgeous face exposed. In one hand she held her staff, its end glowing so brightly that it was hard to look at. In her other hand, she held a massive sword formed of golden light. Like an avenging angel she slammed the end of her staff onto the ground, a searing beam of light shooting from it.

The beam cut a wide swath through the arena guards, not stopping until it had burned another hole into the arena walls. As it flickered off, Velin’s mouth opened and a soul stirring song burst from her lips as she activated her [Battle Hymn] ability. Instantly, Thorn could feel a soothing feeling rushing across the burns that criss-crossed his body. Feeling his health returning, he gave a silent shout and sprang toward Heuron.

Unwilling to let him go, Lady Ruby flicked her wrist again, sending her whip shooting toward Thorn’s broad back. Before the burning lash could get near Thorn’s back, warning bells rang in Lady Ruby’s head and she jumped backward, avoiding the ice spikes that buried themselves where she had been standing.

“Hey, carrot top, two against one is hardly fair. How about you tango with me?” Her wand leveled, Mina blinked in between Thorn and Lady Ruby.

“Carrot top? Your hair is redder than mine.” Lady Ruby spat, drawing her whip back to her side. She had a nagging feeling that she knew who this short witch with bright red hair was, though she was sure that they had never met before. Still, that feeling of familiarity was telling her to be cautious.

Akira, who had been riding on Mina’s shoulder, jumped down as the two women squared off, running toward a spot nearer to Thorn. Up in the box, Gereon, Marius, and Baxby watched as Velin continued cutting down the arena guards with burning laser blasts from her staff.

“Is that your handler?” Marius Hub had pulled himself up as he stared down at the beautiful golden figure.

“Velin? Yeah, that is her. I think she is mad.” Chuckling, Baxby pulled a small coil of rope from his inventory and gave an arcane command as he tossed it into the air.

The rope uncoiled and stretched all the way down to the arena, both of its ends fixed in place with arcane energy. Reaching up, Baxby slipped a piece of leather over the rope and gave the two merchants a nod.

“Well, it has been fun, but I think this is my cue. I’m sure we’ll chat again.” Leaving the merchants there, Baxby stepped onto the edge of the box and jumped off.

With significantly more ease than they expected from someone his age, Baxby slid down the rope, riding it all the way to the bottom where he dropped to the sand. Another arcane command caused the rope to coil up and drop into his hand. Stepping to the side immediately before a whirling helmet flew past by his head, Baxby lifted the cylinder that he had been playing with earlier and swung it around the arena.

*pop* *pop* *pop*

Three round balls shot from the cylinder, spewing thick black smoke as they flew through the air. Almost immediately the arena was covered in black smoke as the balls burst open.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Maandell was a bustling city, even on the quietest of days, but today the air seemed to have a particular tension. Both citizens and guards alike appeared to be walking on eggshells as they each hurried about their business. It was as if they were rushing to beat a storm that hung over them. Merchants spoke quietly to each other, looking around extra carefully before cutting their deals.

Under the new rule of Lady Wellen, the half-Elven ruler of the island, many of the hidden black market enterprises like the arena and the slave trade had begun to emerge from the shadows. Still, there was a sense of restraint that cast a cloud over the actions of the corrupt merchants. The arena was a prime example of this. Officially illegal, the city not only permitted it, but the city guards even helped to patrol it and enforce the rules, keeping the arena running in a well-ordered fashion.

Currently, however, the arena was anything but well-ordered. Right in the center of the city, it was a scene of utter chaos. Screaming and yelling, the crowds rushed for the exits, trying to shove their way out into the city to avoid the massive brawl happening in the pit. Velin’s spells had devastated the sixth door into the arena floor, and the damage was quickly spreading to the stands. Pushing at each other in their haste to get to safety, what started as self-preservation for a few people quickly spread into mass panic throughout the crowd.

Once the first few people started to run, the situation devolved into complete chaos, turning into a stampede toward the exit. Rushing out of the stands, the citizens packed into the tunnels leading to the arena’s entrance. As they spilled into the courtyard, they were appalled to see that the guards were in the process of closing the large iron gates at the arena entrance.

“Get the gates closed! We can’t let them escape!” The guard who had been in charge of signing the fighters in barked orders to his men who began to push the thick metal gates closed.

Orders had come down to make sure that Thorn and his friends did not escape from the arena, so they were blocking off of the exits. Unfortunately for the guards, the crowd, already scared, heard the orders and erupted in full-blown panic.

“They’re trying to trap us!”

Shouts rose from the crowd, further confusing the situation as they surged toward the closing gate. One of the guards saw the crowd and made possibly the worst decision of his entire life. Grasping his sword he began to pull it from its sheath. The glint of the silvery steel reflected across the crowd and a burly man who carried a thick blade on his back simply lost it.

“They’re gonna kill us!”

Unsheathing his blade he darted forward, bringing it down over his head in a two-handed chop. The poor guard froze in utter shock as he saw the blade coming toward him, unable to move as the weapon grew bigger and bigger.

*CLANG*

The sound of steel on steel rang over the heads of the crowd, silencing the shouts for a brief second. The captain of the guard, seeing the attack, had managed to get his sword out and block the blow, but before he could explain what was going on the moment passed and the crowd exploded with even greater fervor.

“Rush the gate! Don’t let them lock it!”

“Take down the guards! They can’t kill all of us!”

“Don’t let them drop the bolt!”

Weapons were brandished and the rioting crowd rushed forward, swallowing the guards like a raging wave. The gates were quickly broken open and the crowd spilled out into the streets like a pot of boiling water tipped over. The shouts grew louder and louder as the people from the arena spread out through the city, attracting the attention of guards and merchants alike.

Guards rushed from all over Maandell toward the arena to try and contain the situation, but when they encountered the rioting crowd the conflict simply escalated. A scuffle broke out between a few of the spectators who were running, blades in hand, and a handful of guards near one of the markets. One of the spectators, a thin, scarred man with a sour face, brandished his flail and smashed it into one of the guards, sending him reeling.

The guard fell backward, bleeding profusely from where the sharp spikes on the end of the flail had punctured his skin. The other guards were enraged by this attack and rushed forward, their spears stabbing out. In the resulting confusion one of the merchant’s stalls was smashed to pieces and the unfortunate merchant’s strong box fell to the ground, scattering glittering gold coins across the cobblestone street. Seeing an opportunity, a few people who had not been involved grabbed as much gold as they could and dashed away.

Shouting, the merchant pursued them, and word about what they had done spread quickly as people saw an opportunity to get their hands on a bit of extra gold. What had started as a desire to flee the arena soon boiled over into a full blown riot as people took advantage of the chaos to begin looting while the guards were distracted.

*Dong* *Dong* *Dong*

Ringing out across the city, a bell sounded, mobilizing all of the guards to the arena and the markets that were affected by looting. The largest market of Maandell, the slave market, held countless slaves in large pens as they waited to be sold. Long lines of slaves stood chained together on raised blocks as the merchants called out bids. A thickset Dwarf who was waiting to climb the block noticed the sudden lack of guards and nudged one of the other slaves he was shackled with.

“Oi, what’s goin’ on?”

“Sounds like a riot.” Tilting his head to the side, the human listened carefully. “Not sure, but all the guards are heading out.”

“Sounds like that is our signal. Pass the word, now’s the time.” Spitting on the ground, the Dwarf grinned, his teeth gleaming menacingly through his thick, matted beard.

“Are you sure? There are still plenty of guards here,” the dirty human looked around furtively.

“Of course I am. If we don’t go now, when will we get another chance? Pass the word!”

“Alright.” Squaring his shoulders, the dirty human stood up as a wild light bloomed in his eyes.

Within a few minutes the entire line of slaves had heard the whispered message and spread it to the slaves trapped in the large cages. The fiery air spreading throughout the slave market went unnoticed as both the guards and the merchants were distracted by the raging sounds of the riot growing ever closer.

Closing his eyes, the thick Dwarf began to mutter under his breath, his hands gripping the thick chains that bound him to the rest of the line. After a few seconds the chain suddenly flashed with a heavy yellow light and then simply fell apart as if each link had been individually opened. Taking a deep breath to stabilize himself, the Dwarf bellowed a warcry and launched himself at the closest guard.

“For Valor!”

Instantly, the slaves stood and the cry echoed back!

“For Freedom!”

Dirty hands reached out for the nearest guard or merchant, drowning them in bodies as their weapons were wrestled away. Slaves smashed the locks on the cages and broke open the chains that held them, rushing to find weapons of any kind. Caught by surprise, the guards tried to fight back but were almost instantly overwhelmed by the slaves who seemed to have no care for themselves. They threw themselves into their enemy’s weapons to buy enough time for their companions to swarm around the guards and pull them down.

Back in the arena, the thick black cloud from the smoke bombs that Baxby launched had spread to cover the entire arena. Once it had expanded fully, it simply stayed in place, preventing anyone from seeing more than a few feet in front of them. As it spread, Mina took advantage of Lady Ruby’s distracted state and raised her wand.

[Sub Zero]

Instantly, the air around Lady Ruby froze solid, the freezing temperature shocking her into a stunned state, allowing Mina to freely cast her spells.

[Blizzard]

[Avalanche]

The torrent of ice spells locking down her stunned opponent, Mina cast another spell and her icy orbs began to give off pulses of frost as they spun into position around Lady Ruby. Ice spikes began to shoot forth, pelting Lady Ruby from every direction.

[Burning Freedom]

Knowing that there was no other way to escape from the deluge of icy attacks, Lady Ruby activated her anti-stun ability, freeing herself from the slowing condition that the ice spells carried. Temporarily free, she spun her whip around her head, the heat from the fire that still coated the whip melting the ice spikes as they approached. The icy attacks forced her into a defensive stance, and it was all she could do to block the shards of ice raining down on her.

With a smirk, Mina spun her wand in a circle and began chanting under her breath. A long thin icicle appeared from the air, growing more and more solid as Mina’s wand revolved around it. As soon as her spell had been completed she pointed her wand at Lady Ruby, aiming for the center of her opponent's chest.

[Ice spear]

Though not on Mina’s level when it came to dueling, Lady Ruby was an experienced PvP’er and her danger sense kicked into full gear as soon as Mina's wand pointed her way.

[Explosive step]

With a flash of orange flame Lady Ruby’s body seemed to turn to ash as she vanished from where she stood, disappearing into the black smoke that had grown to surround them as Mina’s [Ice Spear] shot through her fading form, sending the ash flying.

“Tch.” Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Mina peered at the thick smoke around her. The black smoke had a magical suppressing effect that blocked both noise and sight, leaving those inside its cloud feeling lost. Separating them from their surroundings, it felt as if they were in another world.

On the other side of the arena, it didn't take long for Thorn and Heuron to lose sight of each other after the bearded warrior dodged away from one of Thorn’s attacks. Separated by only a few feet, the two fighters couldn’t sense each other anymore and instinctively slowed down, watching the fog around them carefully for surprise attacks.

Hearing a slight noise, Thorn spun around, one fist raised, only to see Baxby’s wrinkled face peering at him from nearby. He wore a pair of green tinted goggles and seemed to have no trouble seeing through the magically charged smoke. Mina was behind the old treasure hunter, holding on to his shirt to make sure that she did not get lost. As Thorn lifted his hand to greet them, Akira jumped down from his shoulder and scampered off into the smoke.

[Master! I’m going to get your weapon!]

Sensing the way that she was going, Thorn signed for Baxby to follow and walked after her. A few seconds later he arrived at the depression where his weapon had cut into the sandy floor of the arena, finding Akira tugging with all her might on the handle of his tetsubo. Grinning, he grabbed the heavy end and lifted, laughing silently at Akira’s squeaks of complaint.

[Master, I could have brought it to you! I am strong, you know. I am the strongest Ailuridae in the valley, you know.]

[I’m sure you are. You’ll have to show me some time.] Thorn scratched his pet behind her ears and picked her up, depositing her on his shoulder.

Leading the way through the fog, Baxby brought them to circle around Heuron who was standing in a defensive stance, looking around in case anyone were to appear nearby. For a moment, Thorn was tempted to give him a surprise attack, but ultimately he decided to follow Baxby who was gesturing for him to hurry. Seeing Thorn sign for him to continue leading, Baxby gave Thorn a thumbs up and took the whole group to meet Velin.

“We need to get out of here. No doubt the guards are on their way.” Velin’s gold-colored armor had faded away and she was back to her normal, cold expression. “I don’t know why they are targeting us, but it probably has something to do with me so the sooner we are out of here the better.”

*You?* Thorn signed, curious.

Giving a slight smile, Velin tucked her hair behind her ear and pointed toward the angled tip.

“I’d guess that they have some way of telling that I am an Elf.”

“This is so wrong,” Mina complained, stomping her curved boot. “How come they can get away with things like this? Why hasn’t the game stopped them?”

“I’m not sure, but I do know that staying here will not serve us well.” Baxby interrupted the conversation. “We can talk about this later. Right now we need to get out of the city before we get swamped by the guards. Hopefully we can use the confusion to slip out of the gate before they shut it. Otherwise we may need to create a bigger distraction while they are looking for us.”

“No problem. Haha, big distraction is Thorn’s middle name.” Mina grinned as she slapped his side.

*Let's go.* Thorn signed.

Looking around for the best exit, Baxby eventually led them back toward the ruined remains of door number six where they had come from. Mina and Velin’s entrance to the arena had leveled the doorway and the surrounding wall, and collapsed some of the seats in the arena stands above.

Picking each of his teammates up, Thorn hoisted them onto the partially collapsed arena seats and then pulled himself up. Rushing out of the arena through the tunnels that led to the seating, they saw very few people and were able to continue until they came to the entrance. Coming out of the tunnel after the stragglers, they found the arena’s main gate in utter disarray.

Many of the guards had been badly wounded by the panicked crowd and lay groaning on the ground. The giant metal gates had also been damaged and were barely hanging on their hinges. Completely contrary to their expectations, the streets around the arena were strangely silent, though yelling and the clash of weapons could be heard from all around the city.

“Huh, maybe we will not need that distraction after all. Let’s go.” Muttering to himself, Baxby waved for the others to follow and they began to head out of the city, trying to keep to the back alleys as much as possible.

A few times they came across the guards struggling against small groups of people, but they were able to skirt by them. Once they neared the main gate, they were forced to head toward the main road where they saw large crowds of people rushing about.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“What is going on?” Muttering under his breath, Baxby walked back to the group from where he had been peeking around the corner. “Something is happening. It looks like full on riots. Which would explain all the noise.”

“And the smoke. Ugh.” Mina waved her hand in front of her face.

Shouts and screams echoed across the city, mixing with the crash of steel and the pungent scent of the rising smoke. After arriving at the city gate, Thorn and the others wanted to slip out of Maandell unnoticed, but they quickly found their hopes dashed. Large crowds pressed together at the city’s entrance. The gates themselves had been shut and city guards had formed a ragged line to defend them.

“There is no way that this is the result of the fight in the arena.” Velin frowned as she looked down the alley. “Something must have happened to cause the city to explode like this. Regardless, it is not good for us since the gate is closed. We need to find another way to get out of the city.”

Considering for a moment, Thorn took a big step forward. Arriving at the entrance to the alley he reached out a long arm and plucked a heroic young man carrying a torch from the rushing crowd. Thorn turned around and disappeared around the corner, leaving the man’s companions stunned. Depositing him in front of Velin, Thorn held up his index finger and made a hook as he pointed toward the quivering man.

*Ask him*

SmilingBandit’s day had started totally normally, boring even, but when his friend had called him up a moment ago and told him that Maandell was having some sort of surprise event, he had logged on. He had been on Rasyn since he started playing Nova Terra. But the last few months had been really strange, and he was not sure that he liked the direction it was going. When his friend mentioned that there were people fighting against the Maandell city guard, he thought it would be a great opportunity to join in on the fun.

After logging in and grabbing a torch from the wall of the room where he spawned, SmilingBandit joined up with his friends and they rushed toward the city gate where the action was going to be. The recent changes to the game had drastically reduced the automatic penalty for disorderly conduct in the cities, and according to his friend’s reports the Maandell city guards had been downgraded to normal NPCs.

The gate had just come into sight when a massive shadow appeared in the alley that he was running past and SmilingBandit found himself flying through the air as an irresistible force seized him by the back of his armor. The world spun for a moment, and then he was dropped at the feet of a beautiful golden eyed Elf. Standing at her side was an old man who seemed as surprised to see him as he was to see them. On the other side was a short red-haired witch pointing the glowing end of her wand at his face. SmilingBandit gulped and glanced behind him, looking for a way out.

Instead of the empty alley, he found himself looking at two thick bronze pillars. On a closer look, the bronze pillars turned out to be the legs of a huge armored figure with a wolf head helmet. The huge figure gestured to him and then stood quietly behind him, the helmet’s glowing eyes casting a soft light on him.

*ding*

Hey, where’d you go?

Quickly replying to his friend’s message and telling them not to worry, SmilingBandit was ecstatic. Normally, getting grabbed off the street by a giant metal Wolfkin and dragged into an alley was the stuff of nightmares. Even though Nova Terra was a game it was getting more and more realistic all the time, and rumors had been circulating that the NPCs were not acting normal anymore. At first he had been tempted to log out immediately, but the beautiful Elf standing in front of him made him change his mind.

“Excuse me…”

“SmilingBandit, my name is SmilingBandit.” Rising to his feet, the young man brushed himself off and bowed as gallantly as he could. All Elves were naturally beautiful, but the Elf in front of him nearly took his breath away.

“It is nice to meet you, SmilingBandit.” Velin gave the enthusiastic player a small smile. “Can you tell me what is going on out there?”

“You haven’t heard? Slave revolt. The slaves have rioted and are ripping the city apart. There are also a whole bunch of mercs that are looting. Pretty exciting time! Oh, and the guards outside the city are trying to keep the gates from opening so the slaves can’t escape.”

“Tch.” Mina clicked her tongue in annoyance. “How are we supposed to leave if they are blocking the gate from the outside? This is turning into a mess.”

“Are you trying to leave?” SmilingBandit looked between Mina and Velin.

The Elven War Priestess’ brow was furrowed, though it did nothing to lessen her beauty. Baxby stepped forward and addressed SmilingBandit.

“Yes, we need to escape from the city as soon as possible. We are being chased by the slavers. If only there was someone who could help us.”

“Hey, do you need help? I can help you. I can even get my friends!” These were the words that SmilingBandit had been waiting for.

“Well, I’m not sure it would be fair to get you involved in her majesty's troubles.”

“No, no, I insist.” Cutting off Baxby’s words, SmilingBandit waved his hands in the air. “I’ll just call a couple of my friends and we’ll get you out of here.”

Taking a step to the side, he glanced back at the giant in metal armor who was standing perfectly still. More convinced than ever he called up his friends and told them to double back to meet him.

What are you going on about? Did you find a quest?

I think its a hidden quest! I found an Elf who I think is a queen or something. Maybe a princess, I don’t know. Just get over here. She is running away from slavers, so we have to figure out a way to get her out of the city.

Are you serious?! I’ll be right there! Do you want me to call ObsidianBlade and the guild?

And have them steal our quest? No way! Don’t tell anyone for now. Who knows how big this quest is! It could change the whole island!

After completing the rapid-fire exchange, SmilingBandit smiled at Velin in what he hoped was a reassuring way.

“My friends are on their way and then we’ll come up with a plan to get you out of here. But where are my manners? Let me introduce myself properly your highness. My name is SmilingBandit, but you can call me Smile. I’m a Sun Blade with a specialization in longswords. It is my pleasure to meet you, your highness.”

Giving the bowing player a strange look, Velin looked at her party, unsure what she should do about this misunderstanding. Thorn just shrugged and Mina was covering her mouth, trying not to laugh. Baxby, the only helpful one, nudged her and whispered for her to play along. Taking another step forward, he patted the bowing young man on the shoulder and smiled like a kindly old man.

“The sun god must have been smiling on us today. We thank you for your timely assistance young man. You will be well rewarded once her majesty successfully arrives at her home. For now, we must focus on escaping this wretched city.”

“I am at your command!” His eyes burning with enthusiasm, SmilingBandit put his hand on the hilt of the longsword sheathed at his hip as if he could not wait to draw it.

A few minutes later the sound of feet echoed down the alley and two other players came into view, freezing when they saw Thorn’s massive metal silhouette. Spotting SmilingBandit, they hurried over, passing Thorn gingerly.

“Hey, what’s up? Oh, excuse me.” The taller of the two players, a burly, barbarian looking player holding a thick cudgel, noticed Velin and bowed his head. His companion, a ranger of some sort with a shortbow, nodded his head.

“Alright, we’ve got to get her majesty and her friends out of the city. They are running away from slavers, so we’ll need to be careful.” Grabbing his friends, SmilingBandit pulled them close and began to explain the situation. “There are guards all over, but the city is in chaos, so now is the time. Any ideas?”

“We could smash the gate!” The barbarian mashed his cudgel into his fist.

“Are you an idiot? There are tons of other players, NPCs, and guards all fighting at the gate. How are we supposed to get through? Plus, if we use the front gate, how are we supposed to hide them?” Rolling his eyes, the ranger pointed at Velin and the rest of the group. “A short witch, a metal giant, an old guy, and an Elf queen. You couldn’t miss a group like that if you were blind. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a hidden chain quest and that to fully complete it we’ll have to get the queen safely back to her hidden Elven village!”

“True, and once we’re there we’ll be the only players who know where it is! Just wait till I post a picture of the hidden Elven village to the forums! Everyone will be so jealous! Hah, that’ll teach ObsidianBlade to mess with me.” Excited by the visions of glory floating through his head, the barbarian laughed excitedly.

“Shhh. Keep it down. We need a plan.”

Listening to the young men sinking deeper and deeper into fantasy as they whispered together, Mina stifled a laugh. This whole trip had been nothing but one false assumption after another. Still, if it helped them get out of the city, she was not about to correct them. After a few more minutes of whispering, SmilingBandit lifted his head and faced Velin.

“Your highness, thank you for your trust. Let me introduce my companions to you. Boon here is a Raging Barbarian of mighty strength, and OneArrowKiller is a Nature Warden. He specializes in tracking and counter-tracking and will be very helpful. We’ve come up with a plan that we think will work to get you out of the city. Our idea is fairly simple.

“There is a merchant who often often hires travelers like us to move goods out of the city through a secret pathway. If we can get there, we might be able to use that path to get you outside. Then we can either head toward the mountains or we can use the river to pass by the city. There is a town at the crossway that will take us right up to the Great Forest.”

“Thank you.” Maintaining her graceful image, Velin put her hands in front of her chest and bowed.

“Of course, no problem.” Boon answered before SmilingBandit could, scratching the back of his head as his face reddened. The Raging Barbarian turned to his friends, mumbling to himself, “Man, this game is way too realistic.”

“Idiot.” OneArrowKiller rolled his eyes and stepped forward. “We better get moving. Do you have any way to hide yourselves? I don’t mean to be impertinent, but your group is rather, uh, conspicuous. It would be nice if you had cloaks or something like that. At least something to hide your faces.”

“Of course, what a great suggestion, young man.” Baxby turned to Thorn who had produced spare cloaks from his inventory and passed them out. The fight in the arena had destroyed Velin and Mina’s cloaks, but Thorn was carrying plenty of spare gear for them.

Once everyone was covered, OneArrowKiller led the way while Boon walked at the rear. SmilingBandit did his best to walk next to Velin, but Mina and Baxby stuck to her sides like glue, making it impossible. His efforts frustrated, he could only walk in front of them, making awkward small talk over his shoulder. Thorn towered behind Velin with Boon following.

They wound through the alleyways as OneArrowKiller led them toward the southwestern part of the city. Most of the guards had rushed to the markets in the central area or attempted to fight for control of the main gate in the eastern wall of the city, so they came across very few people as they walked.

“You mentioned that we would have to take the river to get past the city, right?” As they walked, Baxby took pity on SmilingBandit who was trying in vain to make conversation in an effort to integrate himself with Velin.

Relieved that someone had finally responded to his attempts at conversation, SmilingBandit flashed a set of perfect teeth and nodded.

“Yeah, there is an old sewer exit where the refuse carts used to pass. The gates there haven’t been used in quite a few years since the city swapped to magical waste disposal, but the path is still there. Very few people still know about it so we shouldn’t have too much trouble getting out. Once we’re outside we might need to hitch a ride on a boat, but there should be plenty on the river.”

“We’re just about there.” OneArrowKiller called from the front of the group.

“Any guards?”

“No, not that I can see at least. But with all this chaos, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Hup is taking the opportunity to send goods through. We’ll need to keep an eye out because once we’re inside we won’t be able to tell what is in front of us.”

“Marius Hup?” Baxby’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he asked.

“Yeah, he’s a pretty well known merchant. Do you know him?”

“Haha, Mr. Marius is quite difficult to forget.”

“Heh, true, true.”

OneArrowKiller had led the group up to a small, well-built house in a quiet street near the western wall. The house was one of many like it with a small backyard that butted up to the large city wall. Well kept, both the yard and house reminded Thorn of something a well-to-do worker or small business owner would live in. Leading the way to a side entrance of the house, OneArrowKiller ducked behind some shrubs and opened a large trap door, revealing a flight of stairs that dropped down into the earth.

“This is it. The passageway leads us to the old tunnel, which will lead us straight out of the city. If you want to wait here I can scout the way to make sure it’s clear.”

“Arrow, I don’t think we have time for that.” Boon hurried over to the Forest Warden, pointing down the street where flickering torchlight and the clashing stomp of metal boots announced the presence of city guards coming their way.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“Are they chasing someone?” Baxby peered down the dark street.

“It looks like some slaves. We need to leave now if we don’t want to be seen.” OneArrowKiller’s eyesight was particularly good in the dim light and he could make out a small group of slaves running down the road, their bare feet silent on the cobblestones. There were four slaves in the group, wearing little but rags as they fled from the guards. One of the slaves had found a sword from somewhere and another held a broken spear.

Silently they sped forward, their tall, thin forms blending in and out of the shadows as they passed by the flickering lights from the houses. Despite how nice this section of town was, Maandell was a rough merchant hub so the normal magical lights were missing. At the front of the group, one of the two slaves without a weapon suddenly collapsed, tumbling to the ground despite the efforts of the other three.

Just then the guards rushed around the corner, their torches casting dancing shadows across the street. Seeing that one of the slaves had fallen, forcing the others to stop, the guards shouted triumphantly and charged forward, their swords waving.

“Capture them! Remember not to hurt the girl if you can help it!” A potbellied guard shouted as he urged the others forward. Quickly they caught up, half surrounding the slaves, weaponry aimed at them. The two armed slaves stood in front of their companions, holding up their broken weapons.

Thorn’s eyes narrowed under his helmet. The slaves he had seen in Maandell made him quite uncomfortable, and the idea of leaving these fleeing slaves to the guard’s blades did not sit well with him. Still, OneArrowKiller was right, getting into a scrap right now was not the right choice if they were trying to sneak away. As he was hesitating, he heard Velin’s whisper by his side.

“Thorn, we need to save them.”

Without pausing to ask why, Thorn drew his tetsubo and crouched slightly, the pistons in his legs compressing and releasing as he activated [Predator's Leap]. With a whooshing sound he disappeared from beside Boon, leaving the Raging Barbarian stunned.

*BOOM*

Thorn’s landing shook the street, sending the slaves and guards alike staggering. Only the slave with the broken spear was able to keep his feet as he spun to face this new threat that had appeared out of nowhere. Ignoring the slave’s vigilant golden gaze, Thorn took a big step past him and swung his tetsubo, sending three guards flying, the spikes on the end of the metal weapon ripping through their armor.

Seeing that the rest of the guards had started to back off, Thorn turned and pointed toward the hidden entrance, waving for the slaves to go that way. The screech of metal on stone alerted him that the guards were advancing so he spun back around, blocking two swords that were stabbing toward his waist. Behind him, the slave with the broken spear hurriedly helped the others up and led them toward the area where Thorn had pointed.

As Thorn delayed the guards, they arrived in a small grassy yard. Looking around they couldn’t see anything except the large city wall rising up into the night sky.

“Sir, do you think…” his face pale, the slave with the sword couldn’t help but whisper.

“Nonsense. That looked like the war construct who was reported to have started the revolt.” Turning carefully, the slave with the spear looked over the yard warily.

“Hey, come this way.”

Without warning Mina blinked into the center of the group, startling the slave with the sword so badly that he dropped his weapon. Hearing Mina’s chuckle, he flushed and picked his sword up, following the others into the hidden entrance to the tunnel.

Out on the street Thorn was fighting the guards when he heard a set of boots pounding on the street behind him. Taking a quick step back, he glanced over his shoulder just in time to see SmilingBandit and Boon throw themselves into the fight. Thorn had just decided to clean the guards up quickly, but when he saw them come he restrained himself in case he accidently hit them.

SmilingBandit looked quite dashing as he rushed into battle, his grey and blue armor contrasting with his dark skin. The tight dark curls on his head swayed as he moved, his long sword reflecting in the light as he danced through the guards. Flashing his trademark smile, he really did resemble a smiling bandit.

Far from the elegant style of SmilingBandit, Boon’s fighting style was exactly what his class made it seem like. His thick arms glowed with a red luster as his muscles expanded. Roaring, he smashed his way through the guards, sending them tumbling to the ground. The two fighting styles, while seeming utterly opposed, worked together in perfect harmony.

Boon’s powerful blows sent the guards reeling and SmilingBandit, slipping in behind his raging friend, smoothly stabbed his sword into the gaps in the guard’s defenses. Within a few minutes all of the guards had been taken down, though Thorn was surprised to see that they were not actually dead but just incapacitated.

“Alright, let’s get out of here.” SmilingBandit’s eyes scanned the street. Not seeing anyone else who could still fight, he led Thorn and Boon back to the hidden tunnel where Velin, Mina, Baxby, and OneArrowKiller stood with the slaves.

Back with the group, Thorn took a closer look at the four slaves that they had just rescued. All four were terribly dirty and wearing rags wrapped around their bodies and heads, hiding their features. Two of the slaves still held broken weapons in their hands, and from what Thorn could observe, they were fairly confident in their ability despite the damage to the weapons. The slave with the broken spear was relaxed, though Thorn was sure that he was ready to attack or defend at a moment’s notice if needed. The other two slaves appeared to be female, though Thorn could not tell much more than that due to how tightly wrapped they were.

“We’ve got to move, your majesty.” Putting his hand on his chest and flashing a smile, SmilingBandit bowed, missing the startled reaction from the slaves.

Velin, still wearing her hood, had been paying careful attention to the slaves and saw the murderous look that flashed across the spear-wielding slave’s face. A moment later a delicate hand rested on the slave’s arm, instantly calming his agitation. The slave who had fallen to the ground earlier shook her head at him, causing him to relax his grip on the handle of his broken spear.

“Thank you for your help, please lead the way.” Velin’s calm voice hid any indication of the smile that she hid under her hood.

“It would be my pleasure.” Oblivious to the strange looks that the slaves were sending at Velin after hearing her reply, SmilingBandit gestured for OneArrowKiller to lead the way and then brought the rest of the group into the tunnel.

The passageway was dark and cramped, and for a moment Thorn was not sure that he was going to fit. Thankfully, it soon opened into a wide tunnel that he could pass through by crouching and proceeding on his hands and knees. According to SmilingBandit’s stories, these tunnels used to be one of the ways that the city disposed of its waste. Once the use of magic was popularized they were abandoned and homes were built over them.

An enterprising merchant had recognized the value of a way out of the city that did not involve the main gate and the city guards and built the hidden connecting passage, using it as a way to move goods in and out of the city. After winding around for a few minutes, they arrived at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel opened into a large fifty foot by fifty foot room with a few carts stacked to the side. Standing up, Thorn rolled his shoulders and stretched out his back.

Walking over to the tunnel’s opening, Thorn looked out over the river that ran out of the mountains and past Maandell. Boats and barges could be seen passing by slowly. The tunnel exit was hidden on a small ten foot cliff and barred by a thick metal grate with a hole big enough to throw trash through. With no gate, the edges of the grate’s metal bars were set deeply in the stone walls, floor, and ceiling, sealing the opening.

“Um, I don’t think your war construct is going to fit through there.” Boon looked between Thorn’s armored figure and the gate. Glancing down at himself, he shrugged. “I mean, I don’t think I will fit out that hole.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this. Everyone back up.” Mina waved her hands, shooing everyone back.

Turning to face the metal bars, she took a moment, calming herself. Behind her, everyone held their breath as they waited for her spell to start, curious as to how she would deal with the thick metal obstruction. Lifting her wand, she took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

“Thorn.”

*BOOOM*

Anticipating her words, Thorn took a step forward, passing by Mina and kicking his foot out. His thick metal boot landed on the bars, blasting the metal grate out of the wall and sending it flying towards the river. Completely stunned, the slaves and players who were standing behind Thorn stared as the metal grate flew through the air, passing over a barge and plopping into the river.

Watching it disappear, Baxby grinned and shook his head. Looking at the stunned faces that surrounded him, he chuckled and then ambled over to the unbarred tunnel exit.

“Wow,” Boon put his hand on his chest as he stared at Thorn. “Remind me not to get in his way.”

“So what now?” Baxby stood on the crumbling edge of the tunnel, looking out over the river.

“We need to grab one of the boats and hope that we can sneak by the city. My hope is that we can sneak onto a boat with a cabin big enough for all of us. Otherwise we might have some trouble. Once we float past the city, we’ll be able to land and make our way toward Thilvena. It would probably be fastest to take the river all the way down to the crossway, but that might be too close to Shaylathemar.”

“Let's grab a boat for now. We can talk about the rest once we’re clear of the city.” Baxby ran his eyes over the boats down below as he spoke. He pointed at a mid-sized boat with a large paddle wheel in the center of the deck that was anchored slightly up the river. “How about that one? Decent-sized cabin and cargo space. We can hide in the cabin while we head down the river.”

“That looks good. Now its just a matter of getting on board. Any ideas, boys?” SmilingBandit looked at his two friends.

Boon just shrugged, but OneArrowKiller withdrew a special looking arrow with a hooked head and a cord wrapped around it from his inventory and held it up in the air.

“Rope arrow should do the trick. I can shoot it onto the boat and we can climb over. Though we may need to use a couple at the same time due to how fast it is moving.”

“Let's do it.” SmilingBandit turned to Velin and the slaves that were standing behind her. “In a second we are going to have to make our way to that paddle boat. Please let me know if you need any help. If you cannot cross on your own, we’ll need you to hang on to someone who can cross. We need to move quickly though.”

As he was speaking, OneArrowKiller took out another rope arrow and unclipped something from the arrow’s tail. Removing a large post from his inventory, he handed it to Boon who stabbed it into the ground. At the top of the post was a ring that he hooked the unclipped ends of the arrow onto. Lifting his bow, he selected one of the arrows and drew it back. Letting out his breath, he fired the first arrow, and without waiting to see where it landed, notched the second arrow and let it fly.

*thunk* *thunk*

Both arrows shot through the air, spinning as the rope they carried unwound behind them. Stabbing into the wooden side of the paddle boat with a soft sound, the hooked tips dug deeply into the side of the boat.

“Awesome, lets go.” Tugging on the ropes to make sure they were tight, SmilingBandit looked at the slaves and then at Velin. “Do any of you need help?”

“No, thank you.” Shaking her head, Velin stepped up to one of the ropes as Baxby nimbly climbed onto the other. Jumping, Velin grabbed the rope and lifted her legs, wrapping her feet around it. Together, she and Baxby began to shimmy over to the boat.

Mina, who had been standing on the edge of the tunnel exit, waved her wand, causing a series of ice steps to appear as she blinked out over the river. Stepping lightly on the plates of ice she walked through the air for a moment and then disappeared, reappearing on the deck of the ship with another blink. In the tunnel, OneArrowKiller’s face blanched and he whipped his head around to stare at SmilingBandit.

“Yeah, I know.” SmilingBandit rubbed his nose ruefully. He had realized earlier who Mina was which made him wonder about the others.

“You know how I feel about Ragnarok,” OneArrowKiller hissed at his friend, his face pale.

“She’s not with Ragnarok anymore. Didn’t you hear? She joined that new guild that cleared the last World Quest. You know, the one with that giant…” Freezing, both players slowly turned their heads to look at Thorn who was standing quietly at the side with Akira perched on his shoulder. After looking at each other, their faces fell.

“Hidden quest, huh?”

Ignoring his friend’s sarcastic whisper, SmilingBandit closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

“We might as well finish this out. We’ve helped them this far so what’s the point of stopping now?”

“Sure, but you owe me.”

“Oh, come off it. When do I not owe you?” Stabilizing his feelings, SmilingBandit gestured for the slaves to go ahead.

Seeing that Baxby and Velin were almost at the ship, the two armed slaves nodded and helped their companions onto the ropes. All of them were fairly nimble and they quickly crossed, leaving Thorn and the other players in the tunnel exit.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“So, uh… How are we supposed to move the construct across?” Boon jerked a thumb at Thorn as he asked OneArrowKiller.

“I’m sure he’ll be just fine. Let’s cross.” Still disgruntled, the Forest Warden climbed up onto the ropes and started sliding across to the boat.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Smiling ruefully, SmilingBandit patted Boon on the shoulder and started crossing, leaving the grumbling barbarian behind.

With one last glance between Thorn and the ship, Boon shrugged and grasped the rope with his hands, swinging out over the river and making his way across hand over hand.

[Time for you to cross, Akira.]

[Okay, Master! I’ll see you on the ship.]

Akira jumped from Thorn’s shoulder, landing neatly on the top of the pole where the two ropes were attached. Stepping delicately onto the rope that Boon had not selected, she scampered across it, passing by the Raging Barbarian who was swinging over like a monkey. Thorn watched Akira and Boon cross and once they had landed on the ship, Thorn lifted the post and unclipped the ropes. Putting the post into his inventory, he walked to the exit and crouched.

The small cliff they were on was only a dozen feet from the water line at the very most, so he put his hand on the edge and dropped down, catching himself before he hit the water. Kicking off with his feet, he took a deep breath and let go, instantly disappearing into the water. Dropping like a stone, Thorn felt his feet sink into the thick mud at the bottom of the river. He had intended to swim across to the ship, but the weight of his armor made that impossible. Waving his hand, his armor disappeared into his inventory and he began to trudge through the river.

On the deck of the boat SmilingBandit approched Velin, his wide smile looking slightly strained. Behind him, OneArrowKiller was standing with his arms crossed, an annoyed frown on his face.

“Um, excuse me, but are you natives or travelers? I don’t mean to be rude, but I honestly can’t tell anymore.”

“Do you mind waiting for a few moments? Let’s deal with the more pressing issue first.” Her face calm, Velin pointed toward the cabin.

“Uh, sure. Yeah, we should find the captain of the ship.” Nodding, SmilingBandit had only taken a few steps when the door to the cabin creaked open a hair.

“Hey, who are you people? What are you doing on my boat?” A confused voice floated out of the ship’s cabin as the captain of the ship peered through the door at the crowd of people who had appeared on his boat.

“Excuse us for our intrusion, my good sir. We’re travelers who need to move quickly and your boat happened to be the closest vessel. I wonder if you would be open to taking us down the river toward Shaylathemar? We’d be happy to reimburse you for your trip.”

“What? Down the river? No, this isn’t a passenger ship. I’m waiting for a cargo so I can head back up into the mountains. I don’t have time to take you anywhere. Now get off my ship.”

*clink*

A bag of gold landed on the deck of the ship, drawing all eyes. Her expression unchanging, Velin looked at the captain and spoke calmly.

“Ten gold to take us down the river.”

“Ten gold?” The captain’s eyes gleamed for a moment, but he managed to turn his gaze from the bag of coins on the deck. Sighing to himself he shook his head. “Not even for ten gold. I’ve got goods to deliver, I need to ask you..”

“Per person.”

“Uh… I need to ask you when you want to leave.” Straightening up, the captain did a quick count of all the people who had appeared on his ship. Snapping a sharp salute, he faced Velin and stood at attention. “We can leave whenever you want to, ma’am.

“We are waiting on one more person. After that, we can leave.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get the ship ready.” With one last look at the bag of gold, the captain hurried off to get his sailors up.

Raising her hand to forestall the questions that were on the edge of SmilingBandit’s lips, Velin indicated that he should wait for a moment.

Under the hull of the ship, Thorn had stopped. The visibility in the river was terrible, but he was sure that he had found the ship after his head nearly put a hole in the bottom of it. Groping around, he felt the curve rising above him and took a step back. He had been holding his breath this whole time, but for whatever reason he did not feel that he was running out of air. Shrugging, he pushed that to the back of his mind and crouched, launching himself toward the surface.

The barge was quite stable thanks to its wide design, but it still canted to one side sharply when Thorn’s hand reached up and grabbed the side. His extra weight dragged the side of the boat down as he clambered up under the astonished gaze of the people on the deck. Swinging himself over the side, he stepped toward the middle of the boat and stood to his full height, his body dripping.

No longer in his armor, he gave the players and slaves a wide smile and a wave before turning to dry himself off. Thankfully, the system made that a quick process and he was soon dressed in dry clothing. When he felt the ship tilt, the captain had rushed back to the deck with his sailors and now they stood in the door of the cabin staring at Thorn in utter shock. Used to the looks, Thorn sat down and began getting food out of his inventory. It had been nearly five hours since he last ate and he was starving.

“Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen, I think that a round of introductions are in order.” Stepping forward, Baxby coughed to get everyone’s attention. “But before that, we should move into the cabin while our captain gets the ship underway. Lady Velin, can we cast off?”

“Yes.” Accepting a pastry that Akira brought to her, Velin agreed, and the sailors hurried off to get the ship ready to leave. While they were rushing to raise the anchor, the captain showed the passengers into the cabin and then left to take the helm, placing a glowing gem into a slot near the ship’s wheel. Placing his hand on the gem, he started up the paddle wheel in the center of the ship while the sailors pulled up the anchor.

The ship’s cabin was not a luxurious affair, but the furniture was strong and stable. Stacked hammocks stood against one wall, next to a galley kitchen. The center of the room was taken up by a long table with benches running down the side and chairs on the ends where the sailors normally ate their meals. On the other side of the room were two doors, one for the bathroom, the other for the captain’s thin room.

“Take a seat and have a bite to eat.” Baxby gestured to the table as Thorn began setting food out.

Velin and Mina sat down on one side of the table as Baxby moved the chair at the head of the table. Thorn sat down and continued taking plates of food from his inventory, soon creating a feast on the table. Boon, SmilingBandit, and OneArrowKiller sat across from Velin and Mina and began helping themselves to the food that Thorn put out. The four slaves were hesitant, but after whispering together they eventually sat down, the two women sitting next to Velin and the two men sitting next to SmilingBandit.

Finished with putting the food out, Thorn rubbed his hands together and began eating. Watching the food disappear as quickly as it had appeared, the slaves were completely dumbfounded and threw their restraint away, quickly getting food for themselves. As everyone was eating, Baxby began the introductions.

“Let me get the introductions started. I’m Baxby, a treasure hunter. This is my employer, Lord Greymane. Next to me are Lady Velin, and Lady Mina, and the fur ball is Akira. We came to the island to get in touch with the Elves, not expecting to find the situation as it is.”

Looking across the table at SmilingBandit, Baxby indicated for him to introduce himself and his friends. Slightly depressed that he had mistaken Thorn and the others for NPCs, SmilingBandit smiled weakly and raised his hand with a wave.

“My name is SmilingBandit. I’m a Sun Blade loosely affiliated with Obsidian Blade. This is Boon and he is OneArrowKiller.”

As he finished his brief introduction, all eyes turned toward the slaves who had been eating as fast as they could. Seeing that everyone was looking at them, the smallest of the slaves took a deep breath and stood up, causing the other three slaves to jump up. Gesturing firmly for them to sit back down, the slave began unwrapping the cloth that covered her head. A thick waterfall of golden hair spilled down as she undid the wrap, revealing a gorgeous Elf with looks that rivaled Velin’s.

“Hello. My apologies for taking so long to introduce myself. My name is Rychell Naevyre and I want to sincerely thank you for saving us.”

“Your highness,” the other three slaves were clearly uncomfortable with Rychell revealing herself, but the beautiful Elf silenced them with a glare. With sighs of frustration they removed their wraps, revealing their long, pointed ears.

“We are seeking to return to Thilvena but had been captured and imprisoned in Maandell. Your heroic actions helped set us free.” Ignoring the disgruntled faces of her companions, Rychell clasped her hands together in front of her and bowed her head slightly.

Rising to her feet, Velin took her hood down, exposing a face no less beautiful than the Princess'. Lifting her hands to her chest, she made a complicated symbol with her fingers and spoke in her cool voice.

“Blessings of the All-Sheltering Branches, Princess Rychell. It is our pleasure to serve the line of the First Shepard, Naevyre.”

“You.. you know me?” Princess Rychell’s eyes lit up.

Staring at the two beautiful ladies, OneArrowKiller looked quite confused. Looking at Velin, his mouth dropped open and he pointed a finger at her.

“You.. you are from Ragnarok as well. You’re that War Priestess who…”

“Not anymore.” Velin calmly cut the Forest Warden off. “My days with Ragnarok are, mercifully, behind me. I’m contracted with Nova Luna now.”

“Hah! So I was right. That makes you Thorn!” Grinning and pointing at the Titan, SmilingBlade jumped to his feet, startling the princess’ Elven guards.

Still putting food into his mouth, Thorn just lifted a hand and waved.

“Excuse me. You.. you are a priestess of the World Tree?” Princess Rychell blurted out, her eyes shining with excitement as she examined Velin. “Please, please come with me. We need you!”

“Need me? What would you need me for?”

“The World Tree is dying.”

“Princess!” One of the other Elves shot to his feet, his hand instinctively shooting to his waist where his sword would normally rest. Finding nothing there, his hand closed into a fist. “Your majesty, it is dangerous to talk about this around outsiders.”

“Aien, calm down. Lady Velin is not an outsider, she is a priestess. We need her help.” Giving Velin an apologetic smile, Princess Rychell clasped her hands together. “My apologies for my guard’s uncouth behavior. I hope you can excuse him.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure he is just worried about protecting you.” Velin smiled and gestured for the princess to sit back down. Taking her seat again, Velin pulled her notebook out of her inventory and flipped it open. “Princess, why don’t you explain what is going on.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry. I’m a bit flustered so please excuse me.” Princess Rychell took a deep breath and sat up straight, her face taking on a somber look. “As you can see, Rasyn is going through some turmoil right now. While most people think that the unrest started because of the death of the former ruler, the truth is that it started much earlier.

“The World Tree is slowly dying, and though we know why it is dying, we are powerless to do anything about it. It is this that has led to the situation that Rasyn currently faces. An evil creature has taken up residence around the roots of the World Tree and is destroying it as we speak. The creature uses the power of the World Tree to produce offspring that grow in power as they consume the roots of the World Tree alongside their parent.

“Most of the Elves have been recalled from around Rasyn and are fighting to contain the creature’s brood. Sadly, every attempt to slay the creature has failed, leaving us at an impasse. The situation has been further complicated by the fact that we do not currently have a Holy Emissary. The last Holy Emissary passed away a year ago after a fight with the evil creature. However, before she died, she told me to come to Maandell, predicting that Maandell is where I would find Rasyn’s salvation.

“That is why I hope that you can come with me, Lady Velin. You have saved us from a dreadful life of slavery, please continue this good work and save us from eternal destruction. For if the World Tree dies, so too will all of Angoril.” Clasping her hands together, Princess Rychell looked at Velin with imploring eyes. “Please return to Thilvena with us to save the World Tree.”

“Of course, Princess. I would be happy to return with you.” Velin’s eyes flickered as she read over a notification that had popped up. “Might I recommend that we ask these strong warriors to guard us as we return? The evil merchants who have persecuted our people will be chasing after us.”

“Princess, I don’t think that is good…”

“That is a wonderful idea.” Silencing one of her guards with a raised hand, Princess Rychell clasped her hands together and turned to SmilingBandit and his friends. “Brave warriors, I am so thankful for your help in escaping the city of Maandell. Would you complete this good work that you have started and protect me until we arrive in Thilvena, the capital of the Elven people?”

*ding*

Quest: The Lost Princess - [Hidden Quest]

You have saved the Elven Princess, Rychell Naevyre, from a life worse than death. Having escaped from the slave markets and the city of Maandell, Princess Rychell seeks to return to her home city of Thilvena.

Escort the Princess home.

Reward: [Hidden]

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Maandell river rippled lazily under the afternoon sun. If it were not for the sounds of steel clashing and the sight of plumes of smoke and flame rising from inside the city wall, the scene would have been idyllic. As it was, Thorn could feel the tension in the cabin as he looked through one of the small portholes at the docked ships. The barge they were on was on its way down the river, the big paddle wheel in the middle of the ship churning away.

The captain kept their barge moving at about half speed as they passed by the city’s docks. He was hoping that the guard’s focus would be on the city and that they would be able to slip by without any trouble. At the table in the middle of the cabin, Baxby, Velin, SmilingBandit and the princess’ guards were gathered around a map, discussing the best path to take to reach Thilvena.

“The longer we can stay on the river, the better. If we try to go overland from here we’ll run into the Barrow Hills. Taking the river down to the Crossway will put us on the northern highway and will make our travel much faster. Taking the highways, we should be able to get to Thilvena within two days.” Aien, the princess’ head guard, traced the river with his finger.

“Sure, but it will also make us much easier to catch. We’ll be in a lot of trouble if we run into reinforcements from the capital. Sticking to the highways is a risky gamble.” SmilingBandit shook his head, disagreeing with Aien’s plan.

“He’s right. Word of the slave revolt has probably already spread to Shaylathemar. If we follow the river we’re going to run into the army really quickly. We almost don’t have a choice.” Velin pointed to a spot on the map where the Maandell river ran north and south. “By the time we get past this section we’ll be just about half way to Shaylathemar and the army will be on top of us. Our only chance is to go north fast enough that we miss the reinforcements that come from the capital.”

“But that means we have to cross the Barrow Hills.” Aien shook his head. “That will put her majesty in unnecessary danger. Sorry, that is not going to work. What if we went straight east and then crossed the river after the army has passed?”

“That still puts us on or near the highway. There are outposts all along the highway, and with the slave revolt they are going to be on high alert. We’ll get picked up as soon as we get anywhere near them, and there is no chance that we’ll be able to outrun them if they spot us,” argued SmilingBandit. “It would be much better to stick to the wilderness if we can.”

Frowning, Velin bit her finger as she looked at the map. The shape of the river that they were on made getting to Thilvena without crossing paths with the army quite difficult. The only clear path was to try and head north, directly for the forest city. Interrupting the SmilingBandit who was still arguing for avoiding the highway and river, she looked at Aien.

“Tell me about the Barrow Hills. What makes them so dangerous?”

“Spirits.” The Elven guard’s face was serious. “The spirits of the dead congregate in the hills.”

“Spirits?”

“Yeah, the Barrow Hills are where the ancient Elves buried their kin.” OneArrowKiller joined the conversation. “Some of the hills are fake, just tombs covered by dirt. It’s impossible to tell which is which. That means that if you cross the hills you might be walking over some ancient Elf’s tomb. And the spirits of the dead don’t like it when the living invade their territory.”

“How densely packed are the tombs? Are we going to get mobbed if we try to go through?” Velin asked, writing some notes in her notebook.

“No, it isn’t anything that bad. The spirits are nearly immune to physical damage so it is considered a rough spot for questing, but as long as we prep we should be fine. There are a few known paths that take you around the tombs, so as long as we’re careful about aggro we should be fine.”

“But the dangers in the Barrow Hills go beyond the guarding spirits.” Annoyed that OneArrowKiller was downplaying the danger, Aien jumped back in. “Though the spirits that stalk the tombs are dangerous, the paths that take you into the hollows between the hills are even more dreadful. The real danger lies in the bewildering fog that shrouds the hills and the dread hunters that prowl it.”

“First spirits, and now dread hunters?” Velin raised an eyebrow as she continued to write. “Please tell me about everything at once. What are dread hunters? What are their weaknesses? Do they have a creature type?”

“Um,” Aien was taken aback by the systematic way that Velin was handling his attempts to scare her. “Dread hunters are beasts made of fog that suck the blood from their prey. Invisible in the fog, they strike with their sharp claws when their prey is unsuspecting. They come in great numbers once blood has been spilled, devouring those foolish enough to enter the bewildering fog.”

“Another type of spirit, no defense to speak of besides physical immunity. Has a light affinity toward water. They have a natural stealth buff in fog and they chain aggro really quickly. Don’t like fire and get really aggressive when they see it.” Tapping the table with his finger as he thought, OneArrowKiller listed the details that he remembered for Velin.

“No torches, got it. How do they feel about light, or wisps?”

“They don’t mind them overly, but they are aggressive little things, so we’ll need to be very careful about aggro ranges.”

Aien could hardly understand a word coming out of the two travelers mouths, but when he looked at Baxby in exasperation, all he got was a half-hearted smile and a helpless shrug. Annoyed, he slammed his fist on the table and glared at Velin.

“I’m telling you, the Barrow Hills are not safe!”

“Good. All the more reason that we should head in that direction.” Velin’s eyes lit up as she looked over her notes. Seeing Aien’s confused face, she smiled and pointed to the players in the room. “I’m a War Priestess, Mina is an Ice Witch. Thorn’s claws count as magic weapons. SmilingBandit, Boon, and OneArrowKiller are travelers, so I’m sure they have magic weapons. We are well equipped to travel through the Barrow Hills. More importantly, the army is not equipped to deal with the spirits, so we have a good chance of throwing them off our trail.”

“I think you underestimate the level of danger.”

Before Velin could respond, the ship jerked and sped up. Tremors began to run through the ship as the large water wheel in the center of the ship increased its speed, pushing the ship forward. Curious about the change in speed, Thorn stood up and was about to head outside when the door to the cabin popped open and the captain stuck his head into the room.

“Um. I think we have a problem.” The ship captain’s face blanched white as a loud boom rang out behind him. Not beating around the bush, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “There is a boat chasing us and they are shooting fireballs.”

It took a moment for everyone to react to his words, but another explosion shook them out of their shock. Jumping to their feet, they grabbed their weapons and rushed past the captain to the deck. The formerly calm river was now filled with waves as the churning water wheel cut into the water. Less than half a mile back was the city of Maandell, plumes of smoke rising from its walls.

Though they could not see the main gate from where they were, Thorn could see the licking flames that shot into the sky from where the gate would be. Sighing to himself, he turned his gaze to the river and the ship that was chasing them. Just as the captain had said, less than three hundred feet behind them was a sharp looking boat cutting through the water as it gained on them. Standing in the front was a large bearded man with two large crescent axes strapped to his back. A woman stood next to him with a long, fire covered whip that she waved over her head.

Each time she snapped the whip a fireball would coalesce from the end of the whip and shoot toward the paddle boat. Mercifully, whether due to the rocking boats or some other factor, the fireballs were not very accurate and had not yet scored a direct hit.

“Is that the team you were fighting?” Mina asked Thorn without turning her head. She squinted as she tried to identify the figures on the chasing boat. Seeing another fireball arcing over, she lifted her wand.

[Ice Spikes]

The sharp slivers of ice shot forward, intercepting the fireball and causing it to detonate over the river. Undeterred, the whip wielding figure on the chasing boat began to summon another fireball.

*Yes* Thorn signed. Turning to Velin, he pointed to the north. *We go*

“I agree. The Barrow Hills seem to be our best option. Thorn, can you and Mina slow them down? My major spells are still on cool down.” Getting a nod from Thorn, Velin turned to Aien and SmilingBandit and gave them a small smile. “Gentlemen, we are going to be getting off of the ship at the first bend. Traveling over land might be slightly slower, but I think it is clear that it is our only option. I would like to propose that we all travel together, but each of your groups need to make your own decision.”

“Hey, we’re in.” SmilingBandit grinned as he lifted his hands. “This is a hidden quest. You couldn’t ditch us if you wanted to.”

With both of the groups escorting them choosing to take the overland route, Aien could only sigh. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to calm his worried heart. When he opened his eyes the hesitation was gone and he gave Velin and SmilingBandit a firm nod.

“Since you are confident in being able to move through the Barrow Hills safely, I’ll entrust our safety and the safety of the princess to you. We’ll follow your lead.”

While they finalized the details of their overland route, Thorn and Mina were embroiled in a difficult conversation. The Titan was trying to gesture something, but Mina simply was not getting it. Thorn held his hands vertically in front of him, his palms facing the Ice Witch, and slid them from side to side.

“You want me to stop?” Mina scratched her head in confusion.

Seeing another fireball flying over she waved her wand, activating [Ice Spikes] again. Shaking his head, Thorn gestured to the river between the two boats and made the hand gesture again.

“You want me to cut the river? Block the river? Oh! Ice wall! You want me to block their boat with ice walls. Got it. But that won’t work. The ice walls will just sink into the river or get pushed aside.”

Giving Mina a thumbs up to show her that she was on the right track. Thorn pantomimed picking something up and throwing it. Seeing that she was starting to understand, he acted out the whole sequence again. Making the sign for wall, he pointed to the deck under their feet, and then pretended he was picking something up and throwing it.

“You want me to summon an ice wall on our deck and then you are going to throw it at them?” From her tone, Thorn could tell that Mina was quite skeptical. Grinning, he flexed one arm and slapped his bicep, causing Mina to roll her eyes. “Alright, if you want to try it. But you’ll need to do something about the fireballs while I get the ice wall up.”

“I can help with that,” OneArrowKiller said as he stepped up to the edge of the boat. Holding out his hand, his bow appeared and he smoothly notched an arrow. Lifting his arm, he tracked the incoming fireball for a moment and released the string, sending the arrow directly into the fireball’s path.

*BOOM*

The arrow impacted the center of the fireball causing it to explode into a shower of small flames that littered the surface of the river. Stringing another arrow, OneArrowKiller watched carefully for the next fireball.

“Good shot.” Waving her wand, Mina cast an [Ice Wall] on the barge’s deck. Unlike a normal [Ice Wall], this one was not long and thin, instead appearing more like a thick pillar of ice.

“How is that? I’ve been practicing my spells and have better control over them now.”

Running a hand up the thick cylinder of ice, Thorn nodded in satisfaction. With a thought he summoned his armor, the bronze metal covering his body from his neck down. Looking toward the chasing boat, he flexed his metal claws and dug them into the sides of the [Ice Wall]. With a grunt he heaved, his muscles bulging as he lifted the thick pillar into the air over his head.

Lady Ruby clicked her tongue when she saw OneArrowKiller’s arrow destroy her fireball. The fireballs were an ancillary effect of her [Burning Whip] ability so she was not surprised that the Forest Warden could shoot them down. Instead, her attention was drawn by the huge figure on the ship they were chasing. Narrowing her eyes, she watched as the strange pillar of ice appeared.

“Who is that giant? Is that the war construct? Why do they have it dressed in regular clothes?”

“That is not a war construct.” Heuron shook his head at Lady Ruby’s question. “In fact, I’m starting to wonder if there ever was a war construct.”

“No war construct? What are you talking about? We just fought it. You don’t remember it killing Raul and XianDragon?”

“I mean that what we fought might not have been a war construct. Do you remember that video that was going around a week ago? About the world quest?”

“You think that is Thorn?” Lady Ruby’s mouth dropped open as she pointed with her whip at the large figure on the barge.

Before Heuron could reply, they saw Thorn’s figure turn bronze as his armor appeared, confirming the bearded warrior’s guess. Slamming his fist onto the wood railing in anger, Heuron clenched his teeth.

“Wow, he is way bigger in real life.” Lady Ruby shook her head. “Hey, what is he doing with that pillar of ice?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Thorn’s claws sank into the sides of the [Ice Pillar], and with a grunt he heaved it up into the air, holding it above his head. Taking a few steps back, he measured the distance to the pursuing boat with his eyes. Throwing something at an object that was accelerating towards you was more difficult than it appeared at first glance, so he took his time. Gauging the weight of the pillar in his hands, he put one hand on the end and took two big strides forward as he launched it into the air.

Watching from the chasing boat, Heuron’s eyes grew wide and a dreadful feeling settled in his chest. While not the best player in the game, he believed that he could hold his own against anyone, which is why he was so angry when he realized that the war construct that had decimated his team was actually another player. But now, watching the [Ice Pillar] rocketing toward him, that anger was cut apart by a stabbing sense of fear.

They were not chasing a team with a strong war construct. They were chasing a team led by a player who had ripped two of his friends apart without much effort. The same player who was now throwing a wall of ice at them. The conflicting emotions boiling in his chest caused him to freeze in place. It wasn’t until the burning end of Lady Ruby’s whip curled around his waist and jerked him off the side of the boat that he realized he had been nearly crushed.

Splashing into the water, he could feel the impact of the [Ice Pillar] as it smashed through the front of the ship. Punching a hole in the deck where he had been standing a moment before, the chunk of ice drove down through the bottom of the ship assisted by the ship’s own speed, tremors from the impact buffeting Heuron as he floated in the water. Pushing himself up, his head broke the surface just as the ship began to take on water and swiftly sink.

Gasping, Lady Ruby surfaced beside him, and together they watched as the ship carrying Thorn disappeared down the river, the half-submerged boat they had just been standing on sinking beside them.

“Contact Dezil and have him send another boat. We’re going to catch them if it kills us.” Fueled by his embarrassment, the conflicted feelings that had settled in Heuron’s chest melted under his raging anger.

Down the river Thorn patted his hands together and watched the chasing ship sink with satisfaction. Hitting them on the first try was outside of his expectations, and he was not sure that he could make that throw again. Still, it had worked nicely which left him feeling quite pleased. Turning to Aien and Velin who were watching from the door to the cabin, Thorn smiled and pointed to the northern bank.

*We go.*

“To the Barrow Hills?” Getting a confirming nod, Velin patted Aien on the shoulder. “You’ve seen how quickly enemies found us. There are undoubtedly reinforcements coming from Sheylathemar to head us off. Lord Greymane is right. If we don’t want to get sandwiched between our enemies, traveling through the Barrow Hills is our only good option. Plus, it will throw them off.”

“I’m sorry, I simply can’t allow that.” The Elven guard shook his head with a stubborn look.

“We will follow your lead, Lady Velin.” Princess Rychell’s pleasant voice echoed from inside the cabin, stifling the words Aien was about to say. Walking out of the cabin, she held up her hand to forestall any argument from her guard. “Sir SmilingBandit, am I correct in thinking that you concur with Lady Velin?”

“Uh, yes, Princess. I think that the Barrow Hills are our best bet.” Refusing to back down in the face of Aien’s glare, SmilingBandit flashed his broad smile. “Please understand that, as travelers, we have a different standard for judging danger. I am confident that we’ll be able to take you through safely no matter how many spirits we run across.”

“If both of you are confident, that is good enough for me. Aien, I know you are worried about me, but I am requesting that you follow Lady Velin and Sir SmilingBandit’s lead in this. The sooner we get back to Thilvena the better off we will be. If we need to brave some danger to do it, then that is what we will do.”

“Princess!”

“Aien! I’ve made up my mind. Taking this route will cut days off of our trip, days that we cannot afford to waste. Getting back home is vitally important. And besides,” the Princess sent a fascinated glanced at Thorn from the corner of her eyes. “If we are not safe with this party, I’m afraid we will never be safe.”

“Well said, Princess.” SmilingBandit agreed. “I’ll go ask the captain to land once we’re at a good spot. Velin, do you have some weapons we can lend to our friends here? I’m sure they would feel much safer once they are equipped. I’ve got an extra set of armor I can chip in. ”

Seeing that the Princess’ guards were still armed with their broken weapons, Velin nodded and called Thorn over, explaining the situation to him. Under the Elves’ astonished gaze Thorn began to pull piles of weapons out of his inventory for them to look through. While the four Elves outfitted themselves from Thorn’s mobile armory, SmilingBandit gave them his spare leather armor and left to talk to the captain about docking the boat.

Aien picked through the weapons that Thorn had dumped out onto the deck, choosing a long, straight sword, a thin dagger, and a spear. As the others selected weapons, the princess chose a pretty looking dagger and tucked the sheath into her belt, ignoring the protests from her maid.

“Hey, a girl’s gotta be able to protect herself.” Mina popped up next to Princess Rychell and gave her a thumbs up. Retrieving an icy blue potion from her inventory, she waved it in the air in front of the princess’ face. “But you should really take one of these. It is a frost bomb. All you have to do is drop it and it’ll freeze everything and everyone in twenty-five feet. If you add a drop of your blood it will not freeze you. Here let me help you.”

Taking out a small needle, she pricked the princess’ finger before anyone could react, drawing a single bright red drop of blood. Shaking it into the potion, she swirled it around and then put the cap back on the potion. Ignoring the outraged looks from the princess’ guards, Mina tucked the potion into the princess’ hands and sauntered off.

Spinning the wheel, the captain steered the boat to the edge of the bank and Thorn jumped to the shore. Laying his massive hands on the side of the ship, he pulled it to the edge of the river, holding it there while the sailors secured it and put down the gangplank. Climbing back up onto the boat, Thorn gathered up the extra weapons that the Elves had not chosen and put them back in his inventory. Calling Akira over, he left the boat. Once everyone stood on the shore, he did a quick count. Their group had grown substantially since they arrived at Maandell, more than doubling from five to twelve. Noticing that Velin had a slight frown on her face, he tapped her on the shoulder.

*Problem?*

“Hmm? Oh, not really a problem exactly. I’m just worried about our speed. Most of us have movement abilities, which will let us travel without resting on our way to the forest. My concern is that our charges do not have any travel abilities.” Velin spoke quietly as she explained the problem to Thorn. “I’m pretty sure that the people chasing us will be players, which means they’ll be able to move as fast as us, or maybe even faster. If the Elves can’t keep up we’ll lose our head start. This will be especially bad once we get into the Barrow Hills.”

Tapping his chest, Thorn wiggled his fingers as if they were running and then crossed his arms. His travel ability had been locked by his [Living Statue] curse, along with the rest of his abilities, so he did not have a travel ability either.

“Sure, but have you ever gotten tired from running? Have you ever gotten tired from anything? Exactly. My concern is that the Princess will not be able to keep up if we try to make this trip in one go. The players chasing us will not need to rest.”

Realizing the extent of the problem, Thorn thought for a moment. Getting an idea, he held up a finger to tell Velin to wait and ran back onto the ship. It took him a little while to find what he was looking for, and the others were getting antsy by the time he re-emerged. Carrying a large crate that he had emptied out, he set it down on the river bank and gestured for the Elves to get inside.

It took a little bit of convincing, but eventually the Princess climbed into the box with his help, accompanied by her maid. Her two guards chose not to get in so Thorn shrugged and lifted the crate up, setting it on his shoulder. Giving OneArrowKiller a thumbs up, he followed the Forest Warden as they set out for the Barrow Hills. Running along with the crate on his shoulder, Thorn tried to make the ride as smooth as possible for the two Elven ladies riding inside.

After a few hours of running the two guards were starting to lag behind, so Thorn picked them up and tossed them into the box, ignoring their embarrassed protests. Settling the box firmly, he picked up his speed, his long strides making the scenery fly by. The rest of the players used their abilities to keep pace with him, and the whole group began to move even faster.

The distance that would have normally taken them most of a day to cover flashed by, and within a few hours they saw the mist shrouded hills on the horizon. Princess Rychell was peering over the edge of the box and could not help exclaiming when she saw the hills appear.

“There they are. Let’s keep moving folks. The sooner we get in, the sooner we can get through.” SmilingBandit spoke as he ran. Looking at Velin, he patted his sword. “Any chance of a blessing for our weapons before we go in?”

“Yes. I can do that. Let’s pause for a five minute rest when we get to the edge of the hills.”

“Sounds good. Hey, Arrow, you and Baxby will be leading the way so figure that out. Boon, you and I will be guarding the sides. Thorn, are you okay holding the back with Mina? Alright, good.”

The group slowed down as they got to the edge of the rolling mist, taking a moment to reorganize themselves. Velin took out her staff and murmured a prayer, touching the glowing end of her staff to Boon’s weapon. The golden glow from her staff seeped into his club, making it shimmer with holy light. One by one Velin blessed everyone’s weapons as they prepared to head into the Barrow Hills.

“This blessing should last around two hours, so we’ll need to stop and reapply it as we go.”

“About how long do you think we’ll be in the hills?” Princess Rychell had been fearless back on the boat, but now that she was facing the misty hills she was starting to get nervous.

“To completely cross them? If we’re lucky, eight hours or so,” SmilingBandit said as he swapped out some of his armor. “It depends how many patrols we hit and if we can avoid aggroing any dread hunters. If we’re unlucky, we'll have to push through the night. We should avoid spending the night in the hills if we can.”

“That shouldn’t be an issue.” OneArrowKiller took his bow back from Velin and tested the string. “Even if we do a full clear on the path we should be done in ten hours max. We have the right party for it. Alright, everyone ready?”

Completing their final check, OneArrowKiller led the way forward into the mist.

Back at the bank of the Maandell river where the barge had landed, a party of players stood waiting for a leather armored ranger to finish examining the area. Armed to the teeth, they chatted quietly as they watched the ranger carefully looking over the ground. Once he had combed over the area a few times the ranger frowned and looked toward the north.

“What’s up, Dezil? Were you able to lock on?” Heuron asked.

“Yeah, I think so.” The ranger nodded slowly.

Picking up on his hesitancy, Heuron frowned.

“You seem unsure. What is the issue?”

“Well, I am seeing the tracks of the players, and the male slaves, but I don’t see tracks for the two female slaves. They came off the boat here, but it looks like they might have gotten back on, because they disappear. You can see here where they were standing next to a giant crate that was then lifted onto the boat. Probably by a crane. The only thing I can think of is that the female slaves got onto the crate and were lifted back onto the boat. Could they have split up?”

“Hmm. Possible, but not likely. The male slaves probably wouldn’t let the female slaves out of their sight. I think it is more likely that they are heading through the Barrow Hills.” Heuron looked north. The Barrow Hills could not be seen from where they stood on the bank of the river but he knew they were there.

“That is smart. And probably enough to throw off any NPCs that are chasing them. Too bad for them our party is totally made up of players. One of them is pretty big and left a clear trail of prints so they’ll be easy to follow. Haha, I bet we’ll catch up soon. And once we do they’ll have no choice but to fight with us.”

“Yeah, that's what I’m worried about.” Lady Ruby muttered under her breath from where she stood listening to Heuron and the ranger talk.

“Hm?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Giving Heuron an embarrassed smile, she waved her hand. As worried as she was, she knew from the look in Heuron’s eyes that there was no way she would be able to convince him to drop it.

“Well, we won’t catch them by standing around here. Let’s go!”

With a wave of one of his axes, swirling wind appeared around Heuron’s feet and he led the charge toward the north, following Thorn’s deep footprints.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The mist that covered the Barrow Hills was not overly thick, but there was a mystical quality to it that made Thorn’s head spin. Thin wisps of mist swirled across the path like fingers enticing travelers to chase them from the path. OneArrowKiller led the way between the hills, following a winding path that seemed to appear under their feet as they walked. From his position in the rear, Thorn could see the Forest Warden constantly correcting his direction as the swirling mist caused him to stray from the path. After a few minutes OneArrowKiller lifted his hand and the group stopped.

“Our first fight is ahead. Visibility is too low to pull, but from what I can see there are six or so spirits.”

“Then we’ll wade in.” SmilingBandit gestured for Boon to come forward and then stopped and looked at Velin, embarrassed. “Sorry, force of habit. I didn’t mean to take over.”

“If you want to take the lead you are welcome to.” Velin said with a small smile as she glanced at Mina and Thorn who were standing at the back of the group. “Normally Thorn would be taking point, but I’m not opposed to you handling it.”

“In that case, how can I refuse?”

“Haha, now’s your time to shine!” Laughing, Boon slapped his friend on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over. Getting the chance to play with players of Velin, Mina, and Thorn’s calibre was a dream come true for casual players like him so he was excited to see Velin let his friend take the leader position. Lowering his voice, he added in a loud whisper, “Just don’t embarrass yourself."

“Knock it off.” Rolling his eyes at his friend’s antics, SmilingBandit gave a small bow and looked over the group quickly. “Thorn, are you okay tanking? Boon will take the right, I’ll take the left, and Arrow will clear stragglers. Velin and Mina, can you handle our backline?”

Nodding, Thorn made his way to the front of the group, his eyes sweeping the hill in front of them. As he walked by Velin, Akira ran down his arm and jumped onto her shoulder. The Spirits that OneArrowKiller had spotted were not visible in the swirling mist so Thorn flexed his claws and waited for SmilingBandit’s order. Boon stood a few steps behind him on his right, and SmilingBandit took the mirrored position on his left.

Behind him, OneArrowKiller frowned and moved around, trying to find a good angle that would allow him to shoot around Thorn’s bulk, finally settling on a spot behind Boon. Once everyone was in position, SmilingBandit gave the command and they began to make their way up the hill. Taking it slow, Thorn scanned the mist as he went, at the same time listening for the archer’s direction from behind him.

“There are two straight ahead, one off to the right at about two o’clock.”

Adjusting the direction he was facing slightly, Thorn advanced toward the one o’clock position and three spirits soon became visible. Vaguely humanoid, the spirits were a dark grey color, making them hard to spot in the mist. A slight, sickly green tint shone from their eyes and the hole in their heads that Thorn could only assume counted as their mouth from the way it opened wide as each spirit spotted him.

With a hissing scream they rushed forward, their forms hunched and their amorphous arms outstretched. A quick step forward created some space behind Thorn so that he could make sure the spirits focused on him. Lifting his claws, he swiped an arm in a wide arc across his body, catching one of the spirits squarely in the chest while he thrust his other hand at the other two spirits. As his claws slashed across the ethereal spirit’s chest, it let out a sound like a balloon leaking air and collapsed into a small pile of ashes.

The other two spirits drifted back to avoid Thorn’s palm attack before lurching forward with attacks of their own. Their arms reached forward, as if they wanted to press themselves into Thorn’s body.

“Watch out, they’re trying to possess you!” SmilingBandit warned Thorn as he sent his sword at the spirit on the left, the blessed blade leaving a golden trail in the air as it stabbed forward.

At the same moment an arrow flew between Thorn and SmilingBandit, slicing through the head of the last spirit. Following directly behind it were two more arrows, shot with OneArrowKiller’s [Triple Shot] ability. The arrows from the powerful attack landed on the spirit’s head, neck, and chest, melting the spirit away under the golden glow radiating from the arrowheads. Seeing that his spirit was the only one that was left, SmilingBandit frowned slightly and increased the speed of his attacks.

[Multi-Cut]

His long sword flickered, appearing to slice into the spirit in three different places at the same time. With a wailing hiss the spirit was reduced to ashes under the power of the attack. The blessing that Velin had placed on their weapons was highly effective against the spirits, the golden glow consuming the spirit’s forms whenever it touched them.

“Nice! That’s what I’m talking about.” With a pleased expression on his face, SmilingBandit looked at the three spirits that had died. Though these were by far the weakest of the spirits that inhabited the Barrow Hills, the ease with which they had fallen gave him a lot of confidence. The rest of the fights would be more difficult but at least they had proven they could handle the spirits.

“Three more spirits drifting in this direction.”

Shaken out of his thoughts by OneArrowKiller’s words, SmilingBandit looked over at Thorn.

“Thorn, are you good? How comfortable are you tanking now that you’ve fought them? Well, I guess it wasn’t really much of a fight. But you understand what I mean. That attack at the end is called Spirit Possession and will force you into a confounded state. Its effects vary, but you might just stand still, or you could even attack us. How do you feel with this? Are you still good?”

Thorn, sifting through the ashes of the spirit that had died to his claws, gave SmilingBandit a thumbs up and stood, dusting his hands off. The spirits had an unsettling aura around them, but their attack at the end had not phased Thorn thanks to his [Titan’s Strength] racial ability. When both spirits attacked, Thorn saw the red notifications at the edge of his vision and knew that his race had made him all but immune to the spirits.

As he continued to move forward under OneArrowKiller’s direction, Thorn could not help but wonder about everything that had led him to this point. Not being able to speak had given him a lot of time to think about his situation and to reflect on his time in Nova Terra. Due to the time dilation that Nova Terra employed, very little time had passed in the real world where his body was being reconstructed. At the same time, he was another year older and would soon turn 18.

The complicated interaction between the accelerated time inside Nova Terra and the comparatively slow time that people experienced in the real world had been the subject of much debate when the virtual reality technology had first appeared. As people experienced the time dilation over longer periods, it became apparent that time spent in Nova Terra did, in fact, add to a person’s mental age.

Catching sight of the next group of spirits emerging from the mist, Thorn rushed into their midst, Boon following him two steps behind. The Raging Barbarian had been quite annoyed to see that Thorn had one-shotted his target during the last fight and wanted to make sure that he was able to get some attacks in this time.

Amused, Thorn got the spirits’ attention and then focused on defending himself while Boon smashed about with his blessed club. The spirits’ attacks bypassed much of Thorn’s armor but were unable to pass through his greyish skin, giving him the feeling that frozen feather dusters were being dragged across his body wherever a spirit’s attacks landed. Each time a spirit’s flailing arms hit him, Thorn saw notifications for both [Titan’s Strength] and [Titan’s Endurance] pop up.

Letting Boon deal with the spirits, Thorn dodged an attack and sank back into thought. It had taken him a while to understand just how strong his racial abilities were, but now that he had gotten his head around it, he was slightly concerned.

Mina often teased him about how charmed his in-game life seemed to be, and at first Thorn had been able to shrug it off with a laugh. But the longer he lived in Nova Terra and the more he interacted with other players, the more apparent it was that his experience of the game was drastically different from other people’s. Whether it was the advantages of a unique race or the quests that seemed to have fallen out of the sky onto his head, he found himself a bit overwhelmed.

Glancing back at Velin, Mina, and Baxby who were guarding Princess Rychell, Thorn could not help but shake his head. His three companions were arguably among the best players in the game, and it was not limited to them. Nova Luna was filled with incredible players and was gathering even more at an unbelievable rate. Any guild in the game would be lucky to have even a single Avatar, yet his guild had three. Then there was this quest with the Ironhold Duchy.

Busy thinking about everything that was going on, Thorn thrust out his hand absently, reducing a spirit that had peeled off from the group to try and attack Boon’s back to ash. His eyes flickering, he saw that the rest of the team had everything in order and thumbed through his active quests.

He currently had quite a few active quests, and was also assisting on Velin’s quest to find the world tree.

Quest: Returning to the Source - Assist

Quest Holder: The history of the Elves is shrouded in the deepest mists of time, obscured by the steady march of centuries. As an Elven War Priestess, you have been chosen as a potential bearer of the highest honor an Elf can hold. Find the source of life on Angoril to learn the truth of the Elven race.

Assistant: Help the Elven War Priestess who holds this quest find the source of life on Angoril.

Reward: [Unknown]

Unlike Velin who held the actual quest, Thorn’s version of it would provide an unknown reward upon completion. Since the quest was an ancient inheritance, Thorn would spare no effort to make sure that Velin completed it with flying colors. Despite their rough start, Velin had shown through her actions that she took her friendship with Thorn very seriously, and Thorn was determined to honor that, even if it meant delaying finding a cure for the [Living Statue] curse.

Gladiator’s Glory - Ongoing

There is glory in combat and it is in the arenas scattered around Angoril that warriors prove themselves stronger than their foes.

You have won your first fight in the Maandell arena, granting you the title [Gladiator]. Win 10 matches in any arena to unlock the title [Powerful Gladiator] title. Win 10 matches in 10 different arenas to unlock the title [Elite Gladiator] title. Win 100 matches in any arena to unlock the title [Heroic Gladiator] title.

Reward: Title - [Gladiator] (completed)

Reward: Title - [Powerful Gladiator] (locked)

Reward: Title - [Elite Gladiator] (locked)

Reward: Title - [Heroic Gladiator] (locked)

The gladiator quest that he had activated in the arena was an ongoing quest that seemed to be quite common, so he dismissed it and looked at the quest for the Ironhold Duchy.

Heir to the Ironhold

Advanced in age yet heirless, the Ironhold Duke is looking for someone to carry on his impressive legacy. After spending the prime years of his life fighting alongside the emperor, the Ironhold Duke was tasked with controlling the forges of the empire. Now ready to retire and live out his days in comfort, the duke wants an heir that can protect the empire from external and internal threats.

Requirements:

Meet the Ironhold Duke: 0/1

Impress the Ironhold Duke: 0/3

Become an Earl: 0/1

Prove your strength in battle: 0/1

Reward:

Title: Ironhold Duke

Area: Ironhold Duchy

When Thorn had first stepped into Nova Terra he had imagined that his life was going to be spent hunting creatures and exploring the forests and hills. Yet here he was, less than a year into the game, the owner of a massive fortress, the ruler of an entire race, the Avatar of an ancient god, and a leader of a rapidly growing guild. If someone had told him before he started his adventure in Nova Terra that he would be fighting for the position of Duke of Northern Angoril, he would have laughed in their face.

Yet here he was. The unbelievable path that led him to this point felt a bit too convenient for his liking, leaving Thorn with an uncomfortable feeling in his chest. Though his situation in the real world had sheltered him from many experiences, he was not so naive as to think that he was really just lucky. The nagging feeling that something bigger was going on behind the scenes had been growing ever since he had fought off Ouroboros at the entrance to Moon Wolf Citadel. His life had been rocketing down a path with one quest leading into the next, leaving him feeling like it was all out of his control.

Feeling something cold pushing against his chest, Thorn looked down at the spirit that was smashing its fists into his chest plate ineffectually. Reaching down casually he grabbed it and squeezed. Behind him, the Elves looked at each other in complete shock as Mina giggled and Velin gave a self-satisfied smile.

“I told you we’d be fine.”

Oblivious to the conversation behind him, Thorn looked over his last three quests.

Missing Titans

Before the Era of the Gods, Titans walked Angoril. Unmatched in both battle and arts, the Titans were masters of whatever they put their hands to, yet almost overnight they vanished, leaving nothing but giant ruins and dim records of their existence. According to the ancient myths of the Wolfkin, the Titans ruled over all creatures and were the gods’ contemporaries.

Discover what happened to the Titans and why they disappeared.

This quest cannot be turned down.

To some degree, this was the quest that Thorn was the most interested in, as it peaked his interest for lost and ancient knowledge. Still, he had no idea how to go about it, so he just put it aside, assuming that he would stumble into some way to progress in the quest.

Quest: An Ancient Priestess - Updated

Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.

Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.

Maugrim, the Alpha of the Children of the Moon, claims that Mayari is the former priestess of Hati, and requests you kill her. To defeat her, she must first be released from her enchanted prison.

Reward: Children of the Moon

Quest: The Lost Princess - [Hidden Quest]

You have saved the Elven Princess, Rychell Naevyre, from a life worse than death. Having escaped from the slave markets and the city of Maandell, Princess Rychell seeks to return to her home city of Thilvena.

Escort the Princess home.

Reward: [Hidden]

Both of these quests simply added to Thorn’s feeling that someone or something was guiding him toward a specific goal. He could tell from the way that the gods and their avatars interacted that there was much more to Nova Terra than a simple game world where people could pass the time. But what specifically was going on was still behind the curtain.

After all, what were the chances that he would randomly run into the Elven princess while escaping a city that had fallen into chaos? And for him to conveniently find a way to cure his curse that led him to this island just in time to save her? The coincidences were simply too many for him to just explain away. As he shot a glance at Princess Rychell, Thorn was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of Baxby’s voice.

“Bad news, we’ve got people on our tail.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

Dispatching the last spirit with a well placed stab, SmilingBandit gestured for Thorn to keep an eye to the front and returned to where Baxby was standing with Mina, Velin, and the Elves, OneArrowKiller trailing behind him.

“There are people on our trail already?” SmilingBandit frowned and glanced at OneArrowKiller.

The Forest Warden concentrated for a moment before shrugging helplessly.

“My abilities don’t work that far. It has taken us nearly two hours to get to where we are. It is not inconceivable that the team chasing us would have arrived at the edge of the Barrow Hills. But I can’t confirm anything, the fog reduces the range of my spells.”

“Believe me, they’ve arrived. And outrunning them will be a serious problem.” Baxby looked back the way they had come. “I set down some alarm spells at the spot where we entered the mist and they have all been triggered.”

“That’s okay, we’re two hours ahead, so long as we keep advancing we should be able to beat them out of the hills.” SmilingBandit rubbed his nose. “With Thorn here we are making really good progress.”

“Sure, but we still have to fight and they don’t.”

“Not only that, but the deeper we get, the denser the mobs. We’ve been taking longer and longer to clear the groups.” Mina chimed in, reinforcing Baxby’s point.

“So what do we do?”

“We’ll have to try and throw them off our scent.”

Walking over, Thorn waved his hand to get Velin’s attention.

*We go back. We go right.*

After a few minutes of pantomiming what he was trying to communicate, realization dawned on Velin’s pretty face and she explained to everyone else.

“If we go back the way we came and veer off, we’ll start clearing a new path. Hopefully, the team chasing us will miss the turn off and proceed to this point. If we can do that, we’ll be able to confuse them.”

“Oh, because they’ll use the lack of any enemies to track us! That makes perfect sense.” OneArrowKiller slapped his leg.

“Uh, I don’t get it.” Boon said with his hand raised.

“The team behind us will track us by following the path of no enemies. If enemies appear on their right or left, they’ll know they are straying off of our path and can correct their direction. But if we back track, then they’ll hopefully follow our original path and will end up here. That would force them to check both sides of the whole path until they find where we turned off.”

“Oooh. I see.” Boon stroked his chin as he nodded. Turning away, he grimaced and shook his head at Thorn who could tell he still did not get it.

“I think that is our best plan. Alright, let's move as quickly as we can. We’re tempting fate by heading straight toward our enemy.” SmilingBandit gestured for Thorn to take point again and the team ran back the way they had come.

Thorn led the way as they quickly retraced their steps. After ten minutes of running, OneArrowKiller pointed to the side and told Thorn to take a small, mist-covered path that wound its way between two tall hills.

“This will take us to another path that heads straight north.”

Following OneArrowKiller's direction, Thorn turned down the path and continued to lead them forward. This time, instead of waiting for Boon and SmilingBandit to engage, Thorn flexed his claws and began charging every enemy that OneArrowKiller pointed out. Jumping forward, he sent his claws through two spirits that were clumped together. Spinning on his heel, he snapped a kick at another spirit, the claws on his feet cutting through a third.

Realizing that fighting with his hands and feet was going to be too slow, he pulled his tetsubo out of his inventory and smashed it down with one hand, crushing the last spirit in that clump of four. Despite the weight of his blow the spirit barely survived due to its resistance to physical damage, but before it could attack him a glowing blue [Ice Spike] lanced through its head, turning it into ash.

Witnessing how ineffective Thorn’s weapon was, Velin chanted under her breath and a golden pillar of light fell from the sky, revealing a few incoming enemies and illuminating Thorn’s tetsubo. The light wrapped around the metal club, coating the spikes on the end with a glittering sheen. Spinning it in his hand, Thorn nodded his thanks to Velin and, with a silent roar, he took a large step forward. Swinging his weapon, he smashed it into the three charging spirits, easily crushing them into piles of ash.

The tetsubo increased the area of his attacks and the golden blessing that Velin cast increased his already prodigious damage against spirits. SmilingBandit, seeing how quickly Thorn had killed the spirits, took a deep breath. Letting out a low sigh, he looked at Boon and then at OneArrowKiller. Squaring his shoulders, he called Mina and Velin to come forward.

“Honestly, magic is going to be more efficient at clearing the spirits. Since speed is of utmost importance, why don’t we swap? Boon and I will move back to guard, Mina and Velin, would you mind helping Thorn clear a path? Arrow can help you with spotting.”

“No problem, I got this.” Mina stepped forward, her hand raised to stop Velin from advancing. “Velin, you rest for now in case we get ambushed. These spirits won’t stand a chance.”

After the brief reorganization, Mina and OneArrowKiller stood behind Thorn while Velin, Boon, and SmilingBandit guarded Baxby and the Elves. Getting the signal that everyone was ready, Thorn began to run forward, blazing a path through the Barrow Hills. With Mina’s nigh infinite [Ice Spikes] to support him and OneArrowKiller to detect where the enemies were, Thorn obliterated everything in his path, making much faster progress than before.

“There is a clump of seven twenty feet up and ten feet to the right, and twenty-five feet farther up on the left there are four. About fifteen feet past them is a group of ten.”

“I’ll clear three in the first group and CC any pulls from the third.” Mina called out, lifting her wand to cast [Ice Spikes].

OneArrowKiller lifted his bow as Thorn advanced, sending a stream of arrows at one of the spirits on the side. With Mina tying down the spirits on one side of the group and OneArrowKiller targeting the spirits on the other, Thorn charged into the center of the group of seven spirits, his tetsubo reaping two of them almost instantly. Blocking the others from leaving his range, he thrust his weapon forward like a spear at the nearest spirit while a deluge of [Ice Spikes] nailed the last one to the ground.

Not bothering to search through the piles of ash for any drops, Thorn continued to rush forward, smashing into the next three spirits like a freight train. The impact of his charge wiped one spirit out and the second and third soon fell to his tetsubo and claws. Watching from next to Princess Rychell, Aien glanced at Baxby who stood on his other side.

“You said he is a traveler? So even if he dies he is going to come back?”

“Hmm? Oh, you mean Lord Greymane? Yeah.” Baxby grinned at the Princess’ guard, and quipped. “All you get for killing him is an angrier version. And believe me, you wouldn’t like him when he is angry.”

“For real. Remind me to stay on his good side.” Boon shook his head as he watched Thorn charging into the center of the group of fifteen spirits without regard for their attacks. “Make that all of their good sides.”

Mina’s voice rose as she cast [Avalanche] and [Blizzard] one after the other, all centered on Thorn who did not slow down in the least despite standing at the center of the raging snowstorm. The spirits around him were not so lucky, and the freezing magic caused their limbs to go numb, as if they were caught in a thick molasses. Before they could dodge, the magically charged shards of ice that were swirling around them stabbed through their incorporeal forms.

The ice blades themselves did little to the spirits, but the same could not be said for the magic that wreathed the ice’s edges. As the shards passed through the spirits, they left gaping holes, cutting the spirits of the ancient elves apart. Gulping, Boon turned toward SmilingBandit and repeated himself.

“Lets stay on all of their good sides.”

Continuing to forge ahead, Thorn focused all of his attention on carving through the spirits as quickly as OneArrowKiller could point them out. The team rushed forward behind him, Mina and OneArrowKiller supporting his attacks with streams of arrows and spells. With Thorn at the front they made great time, despite the increased density of the spirits.

As they approached the middle of the Barrow Hills the spirits not only grew more numerous, but they also started getting bigger and stronger. With the blessing that Velin bestowed on his weapon, Thorn was still able to cut them down with a single swing, but he could feel it getting harder and harder. A new type of spirit had appeared as well, one that would have been quite annoying had Thorn been by himself.

Thorn had just finished cleaning up a group of four spirits when he heard OneArrowKiller’s shout and a sense of danger flooded his mind. Spinning on his heels, he raised his left arm, shielding his neck and head as he crouched. Through the gap in his arm he caught sight of a pale green fireball rushing toward him.

Letting himself fall back, Thorn was nearly able to dodge the fireball completely, but ultimately his size was too big and it caught the edge of his bracer, exploding into a burning mist. Bracing himself for the burning pain, Thorn was astounded when he felt an icy sensation from the green fire. A deep chill settled into Thorn’s forearm where the fire struck and quickly began to spread. The sickly green began to crawl up his arm, only disappearing after Akira gave a small squeak.

[Royal Grace]

[Thanks, Akira.]

[Of course, master!]

Lifting his eyes, Thorn spotted the attacker, a spirit that he had never seen before. Unlike the spirits they had faced so far which were roughly humanoid in appearance, this spirit looked like it was made up of an armless floating robe. Protruding from the top of the gently waving garment was a thick candle stem, flickering with green flame. As Thorn watched, the green flame above the spirit’s wick began to swell as it got ready for another attack.

[Triple Shot]

[Ice Spikes]

Both Mina and OneArrowKiller did not wait for the spirit to launch its attack, pummeling it with arrows and shards of ice. The first few attacks failed to hit, ricocheting off of a shield of mist that materialized around the spirit’s body. Each strike caused the shield to fade until it disappeared completely, allowing the following attacks to rip into the spirit’s body.

As it deteriorated into ash, Thorn took a deep breath, wincing as he stretched his hand. The ghostly fire had burned his arm badly, despite leaving no mark on his bracer. Even after Akira had cleared the fire from his arm with [Royal Grace] he could feel the sting that it left behind.

“What on earth was that?” Mina looked over at OneArrowKiller.

“That was an Unholy Wraith. It is one of the more advanced enemies. Seeing it means that we are getting closer to the core areas. We’ll have to be more careful from here on out.”

“Yeah, no kidding. Any other enemies that we need to watch for?”

“Uh. There is also a Spirit Reaper. It is a big, brute thing. Has massive hammers for hands. It is made of bones though, so it doesn’t have the physical immunity that the rest of the spirits possess. Once we hit the center area we will have to deal with Reapers, Wraiths, the ancient spirits that we have been fighting, and Dread Hunters. Probably all at once.”

“Hmm. The Spirit Reapers should not be such a big deal. Anything without physical immunity we can have Thorn deal with. Me and you should be able to focus down the Unholy Wraiths.” Tapping her chin, Mina paused for a moment. “Velin, we might need you up here.”

“What is going on?” Walking up, Velin looked between Thorn, Mina, and OneArrowKiller.

Hearing Mina explain the situation, Velin agreed to move to the front rank and fight alongside them after SmilingBandit and Boon assured her that they could handle guarding the back line. After reapplying the blessing to everyone’s weapons, Velin gave Thorn the signal and he began to push forward again.

Within a few minutes they ran into another large group of spirits, this time supported by two of the strangely-shaped Unholy Wraiths. This time, before getting close enough to aggro them, Thorn pulled out his arbalest and leveled it at the Unholy Wraith on the right. Seeing him focus his attention, Mina and OneArrowKiller readied their attacks, targeting the Unholy Wraith on the left. Holding up his hand, Thorn counted down and as he reached one he pulled the trigger of his siege crossbow.

The shriek of the massive bolt ripped apart the mist’s unnatural stillness, drawing the attention of the spirits. At the same moment Mina and OneArrowKiller released their attacks, peppering their target with as much damage as they could muster. Seeing that they had started their attack, Thorn put his arbalest away and charge forward, smashing into the center of the grouped spirits.

Once Thorn was surrounded by spirits, Velin planted the end of her staff into the dirt, chanting under her breath. As the spirits rushed up to Thorn, a ball of light rose from the gem on Velin’s staff, rolling through the air to hover above Thorn’s head. Shimmering flame fell in a curtain around Thorn’s massive figure, shrouding him from the spirit’s attacks. As the spirits' limbs came in contact with the flaming wall that surrounded him, their bodies burst into flame.

For a moment the misty air was filled with muffled screeching as the spirits were consumed by the fire. A few seconds later, the area around Thorn was emptied of ancient spirits as they burned themselves to death on Velin’s [Holy Flame Shield]. The two Unholy Wraiths were also dead, one destroyed by Mina and OneArrowKiller and the other cut down by the bolt from Thorn’s arbalest. Despite the success of their attack, Thorn was not happy as he looked around.

The spirits were starting to get harder and harder to clear quickly which would mean slowing down and would increase the chances of getting caught by the team that was chasing them. Sighing, Thorn glanced at the way they had come despite the fact that he could not see anything besides mist.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Half an hour later, Baxby alerted the group that his alarms had been triggered. Thorn was in the middle of punching through an Unholy Wraith, so he quickly finished up his fight and the group gathered to talk about what to do next.

“Bad news, but they must be tracking us with magic.” The old treasure hunter rubbed his grizzled chin. “That is the only way they could have found our actual path so fast.”

“Are you sure that they didn't just trip them when they passed by?”

“No, they’re on our track.” Baxby shook his head as he gave SmilingBandit a look from the corner of his eyes. “I set them well back on the path so they would have to be walking down it to trigger them. This is not my first rodeo.”

“Can we throw them off again?”

“No, we don’t have any time.” Velin’s frown deepened, causing her brow to furrow. “With the speed they are traveling they’ll catch up with us in fifteen minutes. Maybe less.”

“Then I guess we fight.”

“We can’t.” Velin shot a look at Princess Rychell who was biting her lip with worry. “The Princess and her guards are escaped slaves, unless we have a way to crack their slave brands we run the risk of them being recaptured.”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Mina asked, looking back and forth between Velin and the princess.

Blushing slightly, Princess Rychell pulled down the collar of her shirt, revealing a line of arcane text tattooed just below her collar bone. Written in a sinister spidery font, it glowed with a sickly magic. All three of the other Elves carried the same tattoo, and as they thought about them their faces fell.

“Okay, so you have a scary looking tattoo. So? I feel like I’m missing something here.”

“The slave tattoo has a compelling effect. They are applied in pairs. One on the slave, the other on the slave master. If the bearer of the corresponding master tattoo appears they’ll be able to order the Princess and her companions around as they wish. We can’t afford to let them meet with the owner of the master tattoo.”

“Shoot. We should have brought Oberlin along.” Mina said with frustration.

“I’ve already messaged him and Peregrine and asked them to come to the island. But we need to get the Princess to Thilvena as quickly as possible. That is the only way she’ll be safe until the slave brand is undone.”

“Then how are we going to stop them?” SmilingBandit asked.

*WHUMP*

The sound of Thorn’s tetsubo hitting the ground drew everyone’s eyes and he loomed over the group. Lifting his thumb to his chest he ground his fist into his palm.

*I fight. You go.*

“Thorn is right. We’ll need to split up. One group will keep going with the Princess, getting her back to Thilvena as fast as possible. The other group will need to stop the pursuing group.” Velin sighed and faced Thorn. “Splitting up is not ideal but I don’t think we have another option. Thorn, who do you want?”

Looking over the team, Thorn thought about the upcoming fight. He had already faced both Heuron and Lady Ruby, but he had no idea who else they would be facing. The chasing group could not be too large given the speed at which they were traveling, and they were likely almost entirely players.

Velin was needed for the rest of the group to finish crossing the Barrow Hills, plus, she was probably best suited for diplomacy in the Elven city of Thilvena. Baxby and OneArrowKiller were also important for the group escorting the princess. That left SmilingBandit, Boon, Mina, and the Princess’ guards. Unsure about how well the Elven guards could fight, Thorn did not want to pit them against players before he was sure that they would be able to survive the encounter. After all, for natives, losing their lives was a permanent thing.

At the same time, asking Boon, SmilingBandit, or Mina to stay back for what would almost certainly be a fatal fight was not fair to them. SmilingBandit could tell that Thorn was having a tough time figuring out who to ask. Sharing a glance with Boon, he stepped forward and smacked his fist to his chest.

“Leave it to me and Boon. We’ll stop them with you. The worst that will happen is that we’ll be unable to log into the game for a day.”

“But what about the quest?”

“Hah, it doesn’t look like it’ll fail if we die. So long as the Princess makes it back we’ll have reached our goal.”

“I can stay and help too.” Mina raised her hand, only to have Velin grab her arm and lower it.

“We need you to clear the spirits.” Velin said. “Thorn, Akira, SmilingBandit, and Boon are probably more than we can spare as it is, we can’t afford to lower the combat strength of the main group that much.”

Thorn pointed to himself, Akira, and Boon.

*Stay. We fight.*

“Are you sure you do not want SmilingBandit to stay as well? At the very least you’ll be able to attack from multiple sides. I know that it is not an ideal configuration but we don’t have time to do much better.”

“Plus, Boon and I are used to attacking together. We’re much more effective as a team.” SmilingBandit patted Boon on the shoulder as he agreed with Velin’s assessment. “Arrow, do you think you can help out with some traps? Honestly, anything would be good at this point.”

“Sure, I can put down some traps.” OneArrowKiller nodded, pulling a number of small devices from his inventory. “I’ve got a variety of elemental traps that I can deploy.”

“We can put down some traps as well.” Slightly embarrassed by their inability to help, the two Elven guards quickly spoke up.

Finding a small hollow at the base of one of the hills, OneArrowKiller and the Elven guards began to set up their traps in a horseshoe shape around the hollow. As they arranged the traps, Velin helped Thorn, SmilingBandit, and Boon set up their plan. Placing the last of his traps down, OneArrowKiller brushed his hands off and walked over to where Velin was organizing the others.

“Alright, we’re good to go. We added some frost traps across the front to hopefully slow them down if you need to retreat. There are explosive and poison smoke traps on the sides to prevent them from flanking. Aien had a few arrow traps so he set them up in the center to try and get them to scatter into the other traps.”

“We’ve only got five or so minutes until they get here, so we need to leave.” Baxby joined them, tapping his wrist as if it had a watch. “But remember not to rely on the traps too much. They probably have some sort of magical tracking so it would be safe to assume that they will be able to spot the traps before they hit them. If you can figure out a way to distract them that would be for the best.”

Nodding that he understood, Thorn gave Baxby a thumbs up.

*You go. I good.*

“Good luck.” OneArrowKiller patted his friends on the shoulder and led the group with the princess into the mist, leaving Thorn, Akira, SmilingBandit, and Boon to wait for the chasing players.

Boon and SmilingBandit drew their weapons and concealed themselves behind some logs while Thorn hid on the other side of the hollow. Unable to find anything large enough to conceal his body, he got out a grey cloak and crouched down, covering his body, hoping that with the mist that covered the Barrow Hills he would look like a rock from a distance. Akira hid under the cloak with him, her bushy tails rubbing against Thorn’s face.

[Hey, that tickles.] Thorn pushed the three waving tails down. Running his hand down Akira’s soft fur, he scratched her back.

[Master, how many people do you think will be attacking us?]

[Dunno. I’d guess that there will be enough of them that they will be a serious problem. But hopefully we can wipe enough of them out to give everyone else the time they need to get the Princess home.]

[Master is the strongest. I bet we’ll be able to kill all of them!] Akira wiggled her body with excitement as she licked Thorn’s face, making him laugh at the incongruity between Akira’s words and actions. Scratching under her chin, Thorn held her tight.

[Alright, hush now.]

Holding themselves still, the minutes slipped quietly by. Peering out of a space in the cloak, Thorn looked down into the hollow. Soon the figures of the chasing players appeared from the mist, rushing along the path that Thorn and his team had taken. At the front of the group was a tattoo-covered man wrapped in a variety of fur and leather who was advancing with his face stooped low to the ground.

The fur-wearing man swung his head back and forth as he ran, sniffing out the scents of the slaves. Just before he got to the hollow he pulled up short causing the group behind him to bunch up. Standing at the edge of the hollow, his eyes flickered back and forth as he examined the ground.

“What’s the matter? Why did we stop?” A purple-robed mage with a haughty expression complained from the back of the group.

“Hush, let Dirge do his work. He hasn’t led us wrong yet.” The warrior next to the purple-robed mage glared at him.

From where he crouched on the side of the hill, Thorn could see a leather-armored ranger walk up next to the fur wearing player. Moving as slowly as he could, Thorn adjusted his stance and withdrew his arbalest from his inventory, holding it flat against the ground. SmilingBandit and Boon were still in hiding behind some logs on the hill across the hollow, directly opposite him.

“What’s the matter?” Dezil walked up next to Dirge, carefully scanning the hollow in front of them. He could pick up traces of their quarry in the hollow. It appeared that they had stopped here for a few moments before continuing up the hill. He would have led his group to continue the chase if it were him, but he trusted his friend’s tracking ability.

“There is danger ahead. Traps probably.” Dirge spoke in a raspy tone, his words clipped.

“Can you mark them out?” Heuron asked as he joined the two scouts at the front of the group.

“I can, but it will take a while. The person who laid them out probably has a higher class than me as I can’t spot them. The only way to mark them out is by feel.”

“Hmph. That is going to take too long. Who knows, they may have changed directions again. We barely caught their trail the first time, we could miss them this time.” Pushing his way to the front, the purple-robed mage sneered at Dirge. “Let’s just blast straight through. We have enough defensive abilities.”

“And then what will we do when we run into them? I can guarantee that we will not be able to take them without our bubbles.” Lady Ruby said scornfully from where she stood behind Heuron.

“No one was asking you.”

“Enough. We are not helped by this bickering. I don’t want to hear any more of it, alright? If it will take too long than we’ll go around. Dirge, can you identify where the edge of the traps fall? We can skirt around the traps on the hill and then pick the track up again.” Heuron’s even tone caused everyone to fall silent.

“Yeah, give me a second.”

Dirge carefully began to make his way to the right, pausing every now and again to sniff at the ground. His eyes swept the area systematically, looking for any clues that would indicate that traps had been set. After a few minutes the purple-robed mage started to get antsy, but before he could say anything he was stilled by Heuron’s glare. Giving a sniff, he kept his mouth shut, looking away.

“I think this should be safe. Make sure you stay behind me.” Dirge waved to his companions from the edge of the hill. “If we stay on the hill up here we should be able to bypass the traps.”

Watching the players make their way up the hill that Thorn was on, Boon blanched, gripping his mace tightly.

“What do we do? We won’t be able to attack if they go around the traps.”

“We’ll have to charge them.” SmilingBandit’s normal grin was nowhere to be seen as he watched the players moving away from his position. “And we’ll have to do it before they spot Thorn.

“But they have ranged attacks. There is no way we’ll be able to close in on them before they shoot us full of holes!”

“Then hopefully we’ll die being enough of a distraction that Thorn can get some of them.” Taking a deep breath, SmilingBandit’s gritted teeth relaxed into a smile. “You ready?”

“Haha, yeah, let’s do it.”

Nodding to each other, Boon and SmilingBandit jumped up and charged down the hill toward the hollow. The sudden motion caught Heuron’s team off guard, drawing all their attention. Seeing that the attackers were only two melee fighters, the purple-robed mage sneered and flicked his fingers, drawing a symbol in the air. Muttering to himself, he thrust his finger forward and spoke in a commanding tone.

“[Air Blade]!”

Air rushed into the center of the symbol that he had drawn, compressing until it was visible, a shimmering blade hanging in front of the mage. As he gave the command it shot out toward Boon who dove to the side, barely avoiding it. The Raging Barbarian rolled on some loose rocks but sprang back up to his feet and continued to charge.

“Hahaha, nice dodge. But how about you try this?” Laughing scornfully, the purple robed mage raised his hands to cast another [Air Blade].

*TWANG*

Heuron’s team heard the sound of a snapping string, and before they could react the purple robed mage exploded into shimmering lights, his now tattered robe the only thing left. They were so shocked that they forgot to continue attacking Boon and SmilingBandit who had made it all the way down the hill. The attack had come too suddenly, and even Dirge, probably the most sensitive to danger in the group, had not been able to anticipate the shot.

Behind them, Thorn rose from under his draped cloak, throwing it off and reloading his arbalest. The straining whine of the string and the click of the bolt dropping into the slot alerted the group that there was an enemy behind them, causing them to spin around. Lady Ruby, standing next to Heuron, had a terrible premonition and threw herself flat on the ground.

*TWANG*

The player next to her was not able to react as quickly as she and caught the full force of Thron’s siege bolt to the chest, disappearing as quickly as the purple-robed mage had.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

“Ambush!” Heuron’s voice was soon swallowed by the surrounding mist, but it was enough to shock his team out of their frozen state. Compared to the two players charging from across the hill, Thorn’s massive form and the huge crossbow he carried was a much more significant threat.

Smoothly loading another bolt into his arbalest, Thorn’s eyes swept the hillside. Lady Ruby was getting to her feet and Heuron had drawn both of his curved axes, holding them in front of him. Now short two players, the group that Heuron had brought to chase Thorn and his party was left with eight people. Apart from Heuron and Lady Ruby, there were Dirge and Dezil who scouted ahead, three heavily armored players with greatswords and shields, and a player with a white robe and tall hat that Thorn assumed was a healer of some kind.

It was apparent from how quickly they reacted to Heuron’s voice that they had played together quite a bit as they fell into a loose formation. Lady Ruby and one of the heavy armor players grouped up with the healer while Dirge and Dezil grouped up with Heuron. Dirge was armed with a set of short javelins covered with barbaric looking symbols and he stayed low to the ground, trying to minimize his presence as much as possible. His partner, Dezil, did the opposite, standing tall with a flashy longbow beside Heuron.

The last two heavily armored players lifted their shields and charged up the hill toward Thorn. By the time they made it in front of him, he had finished loading his arbalest and he leveled it at the warrior on the left, causing her to blanch and stumble slightly in her steps. Even though she was fully armored and was carrying a shield, the prospect of taking a siege bolt to the face was not an exciting one. Sensing a chance to attack while Thorn’s attention was on his companion, the other charging player drew his sword back behind his body, his shield held up to hide it until the last moment.

Grinning to himself, the warrior was about to hack into Thorn’s leg when his forward momentum suddenly stopped and a tremendous jolt ran through him. The world began to spin lazily and the whoosh of air by his ear grew quite loud. Confused, he peeked around his shield, only to see the figures of his companions below him, getting further and further away. The transition was so abrupt that it took him a moment to realize that he was completely airborne, flying over the heads of his companions and into the hollow.

The other charging warrior watched as her teammate was kicked away, drawing a neat arc over the heads of their group and falling down into the hollow. All the while, the tip of the large siege bolt that was pointing at her never wavered. A glance at the massive figure on the hill confirmed her fears. She could see that Thorn’s head was turned toward the team’s healer and she knew that if she did not attract his attention Thorn would wipe out her teammates one by one. Gritting her teeth, she let out a low roar and pushed forward, hoping that her abilities were enough to keep the bolt from killing her instantly.

[Burning Like A Flame]

The kite shield she held flashed with a flickering red light and she burst forward like a leaping flame, speeding up as she charged at Thorn.

[Master, kick her! Make her fly too!]

A small smile crept onto Thorn’s face at Akira’s words, but he could not find anything wrong with them so he drew back his foot again and snapped out another kick at the base of the incoming shield, fully intending to send the charging warrior on the same journey as her companion. To his surprise his opponent reacted too quickly, canceling her skill mid-charge and planting her shield in the side of the hill.

[One With The Mountain]

The tip of the shield landed on the dirt of the hillside and, shrouded by a yellow glow, instantly fused to it, absorbing the force of Thorn’s kick and dispersing it through the hill. Feeling the hill shake beneath her feet as the impact landed on her shield, the warrior gulped. The yellow glow that covered her shield cracked, breaking into a million little pieces.

Thorn had been pushed back by the rebound of his kick, staggering slightly. Despite his instability, the arbalest that he had leveled at her chest never wavered and seeing her starting to stand up as the yellow glow crumbled away, Thorn pulled the trigger.

“[Dancing Through The Clouds]!”

Practically screaming the name of her ability, the warrior’s feet shimmered with a white light and she drifted sideways a few feet as the bolt ripped through the air where she had just stood. Without the time to warn her companions behind her, she did not take her eyes off of Thorn who had recovered his balance and swapped his arbalest for his tetsubo.

The bolt continued down the mountain, flying straight at Lady Ruby’s group of three. Cursing furiously in her mind, she threw her whip out, wrapping it around the waist of the healer and jerking him sideways, causing the spell he was about to cast to misfire. At the same time she threw herself to the ground again. The heavily armored warrior with them was not so lucky. He had been getting ready to charge SmilingBandit and Boon who were still on their way up the hill when he saw his teammates falling to the ground.

Spinning around, he scanned for the threat, only to find himself face to face with a crossbow bolt the size of his arm. Ever vigilant, his shield was already in position, so he dropped his head behind it and raised his shield. The bolt caught the upper lip of his shield, ripping a massive gash in it and sending him tumbling backward down the hill. Seeing him fall, Boon was about to rush over and finish the job when he saw SmilingBandit shake his head.

“The traps will clean him up.” SmilingBandit looked over the battlefield, his mind working furiously. He saw Heuron heading up the hill toward Thorn, leaving the two scouts by themselves. “Heuron will be tied up trying to support the other tank against Thorn, so I’ll take the rangers. You get Lady Ruby and Spaz.”

“You got it! [Soaring Rage]!” Roaring out his response, Boon lifted his club above his head and gave a great leap that carried him up the hill to where Lady Ruby and her team’s healer, SpaztasticHealz were trying to get back up.

[Flowing Charge]

Activating his own charging ability, SmilingBandit’s form shimmered and flowed up the side of the hill like a stream of water, depositing him right next to Dirge. Stabbing out with his thin sword, he managed to catch the tracker off guard, cutting a gouge in his exposed thigh. Stepping back smoothly to avoid the short spear that jabbed at his chest in return, SmilingBandit grinned and abruptly switched targets, his sword slashing toward Dezil’s arm, forcing the ranger to drop the arrow that he was stringing and block with his longbow.

“SmilingBandit! What are you doing here?” Recognizing the broad smile on his opponent’s face, Dezil’s face fell.

“Fighting, of course.”

Chuckling, SmilingBandit ducked to the side to avoid a sweeping blow from Dirge who was pushing forward from the side. His smooth footsteps carried him around Dezil, using his opponent’s body to obstruct Dirge’s two short spears. Sending out a flurry of flashing stabs, he grinned widely.

“The real question is, what are you doing here?”

While SmilingBandit was tying up the scouts with delicate footwork and a storm of precision strikes, Lady Ruby and SpaztasticHealz were facing an entirely different sort of fight. Boon had nearly landed on top of SpaztasticHealz, forcing him to throw himself to the side to avoid getting completely crushed. The poor cleric’s robe, normally impeccably white, was covered in dirt after rolling on the ground twice.

Once he landed, Boon began smashing at Lady Ruby and the cleric with abandon, his club whirling back and forth. Furious, Lady Ruby scrambled to her feet during one of the moments when Boon was beating on the bubble her companion had summoned to keep himself from being pulverized by Boon’s club and snapped out her whip.

[Flaming Whip]

Twirling the whip above her head, she was just about to activate her most powerful ability, [Tornado of Flames] when a loud roar sounded from the Raging Barbarian’s mouth, shaking the hillside and causing her to stumble.

[Earthshaking Roar]

Boon immediately followed up his roar by activating his [Rage] ability, drastically increasing his speed and attacking power. Stomping his foot down, he forced the cleric to roll toward Lady Ruby and then launched a barrage of attacks at both of them. Spinning her flaming whip in front of her, Lady Ruby did her best to defend, despite the fact that her whip was totally unsuitable for dealing with Boon’s powerful attacks.

*hissssss*

Down in the hollow the two warriors who had been knocked down the hill had begun to make their way back up toward the fights when one of them stepped on a hidden trap, releasing poisonous mist into the air. The faintly green air was almost invisible as it mixed with the mist, and both of the warriors were soon affected. Their eyes began to blur and they began to cough as they breathed in the cloud of poison. Stumbling forward, one of them tripped over a rock.

With his quick reflexes, he caught himself before he fell, dropping his flail as he reached out to stabilize himself. His sword clattered over the ground, its pommel hitting a small, unobtrusive stick at the side. With a *TWING* the stick pulled a cord as it moved and a gout of flame rushed out of the ground.

“Oh S…!”

The warrior’s words were drowned in a tremendous explosion as the roaring flame ignited the cloud of poisonous gas, turning the air in the hollow into an inferno. Had things ended there the two warriors might have made it out alive, but the intense heat from the burning poison cloud triggered another poison gas trap which began to spurt a jet of poison. The gas ignited instantly, the flame flowing down into the ground where the gas was stored, causing an intense explosion that ripped apart the earth.

The shockwave shook the hollow, setting off all of the other traps. As the hollow was rocked with chain explosions and covered in flying shrapnel, the people on the hill glanced at each other, all glad that they had chosen to take a detour. As if they had discussed it, both of the groups of three that were fighting on the side of the hill edged their way further from the hollow, continuing their fight farther up the hill.

When Heuron heard the explosions ringing out from the hollow at the foot of the hill he did not even bother to glance back. Instead, grinding his teeth as he struggled to contain his fury, he stomped on the ground, accelerating with [Whirlwind Step] as he shot up the hill toward Thorn. Not daring to underestimate Thorn, Heuron drew back his crescent axes and unleashed his most powerful attack right away.

[Twisting Crescent Strike]

Sensing the incoming attack from her leader, the warrior facing Thorn could not help but let out a sigh of relief. Thorn had been lashing out with his gigantic metal weapon, forcing her to spend every ounce of her energy dodging. As the wind from the tetsubo’s spikes brushing past her body buffeted her, she had begun to wonder if it would have been better to just take the bolt from the arbalest.

Thorn had been keeping an eye on the rest of the battle as he attacked the warrior in front of him. He had picked up on Heuron’s approach as soon as the bearded warrior began to move toward him, but just as he was going to step back and get out his arbalest, the warrior in front of him pushed forward with her kite shield, forcing him to focus on her.

Smiling grimly, Thorn took another look at the woman who was keeping him occupied. Tanking was a specialized skill that very few players truly understood, but this woman seemed to have the rhythm of it mastered. Every time Thorn began to push forward she would turtle up, avoiding or deflecting his attacks. Yet, when he tried to disengage, she pushed into him, keeping him entangled.

Even when he took a few quick steps back she would stick to him like plaster, maintaining the optimal space for blocking or dodging his attacks. From the corner of his eye he could see Heuron’s axes flashing toward his neck so he threw out a palm strike at the tank’s shield while lifting his tetsubo to block the crisscrossing axe blades.

[One With The Mountain]

Once again the hill that they were on trembled as the force of Thorn’s attack flowed through the tank’s shield and spread into the ground. Using the counterforce, Thorn took two quick steps back as Heuron’s axes screeched against his tetsubo, sparks flying. Grimacing under the power of the attack, Thorn wanted to continue to retreat, only to find his foot hanging over empty air. The relentless assault had driven him to the top of the hill and if he retreated any further he would be in danger of granting his enemy the high ground.

[Akira, heal me.]

[Yes, master!]

Akira had been waiting by the side for Thorn’s command and immediately launched her healing spell. As the warmth from Akria’s regeneration magic filled Thorn’s body, he abandoned any attempt to defend himself and struck out at both of his opponents, forcing them to take a step back. Gathering his energy, Thorn flipped his tetsubo around and lifted his hand up in the air, bringing it down with as much force as he could muster. The large spiky head of his tetsubo stabbed down into the ground, sinking into the top of the hill.

*CRACK*

Spinning his hand around, Thorn gripped the protruding handle of his weapon and twisted as he pulled up, intending to fling a chunk of earth toward Heuron. The spikes of his tetsubo seemed to catch on something, but with a silent growl Thorn sent more power into his arm, causing his tetsubo to rip through whatever was obstructing it. The ground shook as Thorn heaved, taking a stomping step forward to lend power to his attack.

*BOOOOM*

With an ear-rending sound the top of the hill simply disappeared along with the figures that were fighting atop it.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

As the earth gave way under his feet, Thorn felt a small weight land on his shoulder. Akira’s tails drifted past his vision as she latched onto his pauldron, disappearing into the darkness with him. Pieces of stone and earth fell around him as Thorn and his two opponents broke through what appeared to be the roof of a large cavernous room. Without time to process what he was seeing, Thorn activated his armor’s [Predator's Leap] ability, attempting to reach the curved wall that was getting further and further away.

The pistons in his armor compressed with a hiss, but when they fired Thorn simply continued to fall. With nothing to push against besides empty air they were unable to send him anywhere. They did, however, draw Heuron’s attention. The enraged warrior reached out one of his crescent axes toward Thorn, trying to attack him while they were in mid air. Blocking the strike with a backhanded slap, Thorn sent Heuron spinning in the air. Risking a quick glance down, Thorn could see the ground rapidly approaching.

A pale blue energy flowed from Thorn’s shoulder to cover his body and Thorn could feel himself lighten slightly.

[Master, you are too heavy! My spell will not work on you.]

[That’s okay, use it on yourself.]

[But then you’ll die!]

[Akira, that’s an order! I’ll be fine.]

Thorn felt Akira hesitate for just a second before she released her grip on his armor and the light blue glow surrounded her. Instantly she began to float, falling as gently as a feather. Happy that she was safe, Thorn saw that Heuron had just stabilized himself. Reaching out, he grabbed Heuron by his leg and pulled down as hard as he could, rolling himself on top of the startled warrior.

Just about to activate one of his wind powers to slow his fall, Heuron felt an incredible force grab his foot and drag him straight down. Terrified, he opened his mouth to activate his ability when a massive fist drove itself into his chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Unable to breathe for a second, all thoughts fled his mind as he gasped and wheezed. Before he could recover, he impacted the ground, vanishing into a shower of sparkling lights.

Right above him, Thorn spread his body out as much as he could and activated [Moon’s Reflection] praying that his idea would work. The ground rushed up toward him, a few of Heuron’s scattered belongings still rolling around. Unable to stop himself, Thorn instinctively pushed his hands toward the ground to try and stop himself. As his fingers touched the cracked flagstones they passed straight through, rapidly sinking into the earth. He had been able to recharge his armor’s ability during the rush from the river to the Barrow Hills, and it had just saved his life.

A wave of relief washed over Thorn as he plunged into the ground like a stone dropped in water. He had not tested his armor’s abilities extensively, but by the way the phasing ability, [Moon’s Reflection], was written he assumed that it would work. Glad that he had not discovered he was wrong the hard way, Thorn braced himself for impact and canceled his ability after the two seconds has passed.

He had fallen over 100 feet and despite Akira’s best effort he had reached tremendous speed and his phased form sank nearly twenty five feet into the earth by the time he canceled [Moon’s Reflection]. Instantly he could feel the dirt around him compress as he continued to sink for a few feet, the shock of hitting the dirt around him shaking his body severely.

Letting out a silent gasp once the dirt had compressed as much as possible and he had stopped, he rested for a moment. The shock had not been as bad as he anticipated, but it still left him dizzy. Once his head was clear he began to experiment with moving his limbs. Though the dirt was packed tightly around his body, Thorn found that he was able to push through it as if he was swimming in thick mud.

Crawling upright until he was crouched on his heels, Thorn began to dig out the dirt above him and pack it to the side. Once there was enough space for him to stand up, he took a second to focus on his connection with Akira. He could feel his pet running around the area where he had disappeared.

[Akira, can you hear me?]

[Master? Where did you go? How did you not turn into a pancake? Or sparkles? Do you turn into sparkles?]

[I don’t know, I always lose consciousness before that. Maybe next time you can look for me?]

[What? How would I do that? If you die then I get banished as well. Silly, master.]

[Ah, I guess that makes sense. Hey, I’m about to come back up. Can you let me know if the floor where Heuron died is clear?]

[Um, master, I don’t know who that is.]

[He was the guy with the axes who hit the ground before me.]

[Oh! Yeah! Wait, let me collect his gold.] Lapsing into silence, Akira left Thorn in the darkness, the dull glow of his armor’s eyes the only light in his dark hole. After a few moments, her voice returned. [Okay, okay. Go ahead, master.]

Patting his hands free from dirt, Thorn crouched and then froze. With a sigh he stood back up.

[Sorry, it will be a few minutes, my ability is still on cool down. I need to wait for it to recharge.]

While he waited, Thorn meditated quietly. What he found curious was that when he closed his mind he could sense his connection with Akira clearer than ever. Focusing his attention on it, he felt the connection growing larger in his mind, as if he was zooming into it. All of a sudden a scene appeared in Thorn’s mind. It took him a moment to understand what he was looking at as there was not much light, but after a bit he realized that he was looking at a large room with a few pillars scattered across the floor.

Abruptly the view changed, swinging around and ducking under a pillar as a scraping sound echoed throughout the space. The scraping sound was followed by a deep groan. From the point of view under the fallen pillar Thorn saw a gauntlet rise up and grab on to a statue, a familiar metal helmet following as the woman who had fallen down with them staggered to her feet.

The helmet was badly deformed, and after panting for a moment to catch her breath, the warrior pulled it off and tossed it to the ground. Her deformed chest and backplate soon followed, revealing tight chainmail. Once she had dealt with her bent armor, her hand stopped at her waist where her sword should be. Feeling nothing, she sighed, her shoulders drooping. Stretching out her hands, she began to grope her way forward, searching along the ground for something.

[Akira, make sure she does not see you.]

[Oh! Master, you can see her? How can you see her? Are you invisible?] As Akira spoke, the scene that Thorn was watching swung around, searching the room.

[No, I’m still underground. I seem to be sharing your vision.]

[Oh wow. Hey, that means I can show you all sorts of cool things! Like one time I found a little red and white mushroom house at the top of a tree in my forest. It was too tall for you to climb because you are so fat...I mean you’re heavy, really heavy. So if you could see what I could then I could show it to you! Or that cool rock in the little cave! Or...]

Listening to Akira prattle on, Thorn kept an eye on the heavily armored lady as she slowly searched the darkened room. As he waited for [Moon's Reflection] to cool down he was exceedingly glad that he had been able to recharge his armor’s ability as they ran through the Barrow Downs. Although he had only used one charge in the arena, without the moonlight he would be using his last charge now, and given the usefulness of the skill he would rather have one in reserve.

After a few minutes his abilities were all ready to go so he stood up, patting the dirt above him. Crouching slightly, he took a deep breath. Activating [Predator’s Leap] and [Moon’s Reflection] in quick succession, Thorn shot up through the ground, flying up and out of the stone ground like a ghost. Reaching the height of his leap, he canceled [Moon’s Reflection] and landed stably on the flagstones.

Brushing the dirt from his armor, Thorn took a deep breath. Being trapped underground was no fun, but it was certainly better than smashing to death on the stone floor. Looking around, Thorn could not see much of anything in the darkness, so he got a moonstone out of his inventory. It was much easier to see once the silvery stone cast its gentle light around the room.

A gasp broke the silence, reminding Thorn that he and Akira were not alone. Near the wall, half hiding behind one of the still standing pillars, the female warrior clutched her shield in front of her. She had lost her grip on her sword when she landed and it had clattered into the shadows, leaving her with her shield and a small dagger. She had been searching for her sword when Thorn lifted the moonstone, lighting the whole area and causing her to freeze.

Sensing the tension that shrouded her as she stared back at him, Thorn gently lifted one of his hands, showing his empty palm to try and convey that he was not interested in fighting. The female warrior twitched when she saw his motion and then vanished completely.

[Master, I think you scared her away! But why didn’t she explode into lights? I like when they explode into lights better. Just disappearing is much less exciting.] Akira scampered out from under the pillar where she had been hiding and began sniffing around the spot where the female warrior had been standing a moment before.

[Eh…] Giving his strangely bloodthirsty pet a sideways glance, Thorn shrugged and began to take a better look around the room that they were in.

The space where he stood was wide and circular, approximately one hundred and sixty feet across, with a curving roof that rose to a height of 100 feet. Looking up, Thorn could hardly see the hole where the roof had caved in, dropping them down here. Pillars were scattered around the room in varying stages of collapse, lending an air of decay to the space.

The spot where Thorn and Heuron had landed was clear, with a circular pattern on the stone floor indicating that it was probably used for some sort of gathering. Continuing to look around the room, Thorn spotted a few raised triangular shapes closer to the western wall. Walking over to one of them, he saw that it was covered in intricate carvings.

Closer inspection showed many nature motifs and Thorn could only assume that the carved triangular stone was the casket of an ancient Elf who had been buried here. Strangely, it was much larger than he had expected. The casket was not alone in the room as Thorn counted a total of five of the large stone boxes. They were evenly spaced in an arc around the western end of the room.

[Master, look what I found! There is a great big door here.]

Akira’s voice echoed in his head so Thorn straightened up and walked over to where his pet was jumping up and down. Stepping over one of the fallen pillars, Thorn held the moonstone above his head, allowing the light to spread as far as possible. The walls of the room were covered in the same intricate carvings that he had seen on the large casket. Most of them showed small figures caring for trees and flowers, though there were occasional images of the figures fighting large creatures.

Thorn found Akira standing in front of a set of thin double doors that were close to twelve feet tall. Each door was only two feet wide and Thorn wondered for a moment if he was looking at a window. Dismissing the thought, he reached for the curved handle, finding that it fit comfortably in his hand. He paused as a thought streaked through his mind, but it was gone too quickly for him to grasp. Frowning slightly, he took his hand back.

[Master? Are we going?]

[Hold on, I want to take a better look at those caskets.] Letting go of the door, Thorn turned around and walked back to the center of the room, Akira scampering up his leg and onto his shoulder.

Spending a bit more time examining the stone caskets, Thorn noticed a few things that made him curious. First, the stone that the stone caskets were made from was different than the stone that covered the rest of the room. It had a particular grain to it that reminded Thorn of petrified wood. Additionally, the carvings showed no signs of chiseling, making him wonder how the ancient Elves had managed to create such a detailed scene without tools. Second, the caskets were completely solid, with no visible top. It was as if they had been carved from a single block, making him wonder if they were coffins at all.

The central casket was about three feet longer and two feet wider than the others. It was also raised off of the ground, bringing it up to around Thorn’s waist. Curious about its placement, Thorn examined the carvings carefully. Just like the other stone caskets, the carvings started at the head with a pair of hands and were mirrored on each side, rejoining at the bottom of the casket. The hands were shown shaping small figures with pointy ears, bringing life to them with a touch.

The majority of the carvings from that point on followed the life of an Elf as they grew up. There were scenes of their childhood in the forests, walking among tall trees. Scenes of their young adult adventures and finding love. Scenes of war and of fighting giant monsters. Even a scene of an army facing off against a dragon breathing black flame. The carvings got more detailed and involved as they approached the foot of the coffin, showing more interactions with other races as the Elf tended the trees.

At the foot of the coffin, the Elf was shown passing away, laying serenely in the large hands that had created them in the first reliefs. Crouched next to the end of the coffin, Thorn’s brow furrowed. The whole life of the Elf who he assumed was entombed here was laid out before him. Surprisingly, it was very similar to the carvings he had seen in the Dwarven labyrinth city, Rakkam. Though the style was a bit different the content was almost exactly the same. Where these carvings were smooth the Dwarven carvings were a bit more angular, but both held the same natural feeling.

As he mulled over the connection, he noticed a discoloration at the base of the coffin. Getting down on his knees he blew away the dust that had accumulated throughout the years, revealing a thin strip running down the stone platform that the coffin was sitting on. Made of the same material as the coffin itself, it was only revealed when Thorn cleaned off the dust. It ran to the floor and continued back toward the center of the room.

Curious, Thorn followed it, sweeping the dust and dirt aside. The line led Thorn to the large circular pattern in the center of the room where Thorn could see a thicker circular line. As he brushed the dirt aside he saw four more branches shooting out toward each of the other stone coffins, connecting all of them together. A thicker line ran from the circle toward the thin door that Akira had discovered, disappearing underneath it. Concentrating on following the line, thorn placed his palm on the double doors, intending to push them open, but before he could he heard a voice drift into his ears.

“Um, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“I mean, you could, but it’ll probably end badly. That is only an assumption, however, as I’ve never opened that particular door. The last few have all been the same though, so chances are higher than 94% that if you push the door open we’ll all be cooked alive. Correction, I’ll be cooked alive. I do not have sufficient data to determine if you will be cooked alive.”

*pop*

Hearing a glugging sound followed by a contented sigh, Thorn looked around but failed to see anyone at all.

“Whew, that one always makes my tongue tingle a little bit. It is the combination of frost root and gelf weed that produces the carbonation, a strange reaction to be sure as both are known for their milky consistency. Okay, you may open the door now if you would like.”

Still unable to locate where the voice was, Thorn slowly removed his hand from the door and turned, scanning the space. On his shoulder, Akira was sniffing, her eyes darting back and forth as she tried to sense the speaker.

“Oh, wait, you probably can’t see me. Haha, whoops. Hold on.”

*pop*

*glugglug*

“Okay, how about now? No? Hmmm...lets try some…” The voice trailed into incomprehensible mumbles broken by the sound of crunching and chewing.

As Thorn and Akira watched, a thin figure faded into view, as if his body was being pieced together molecule by molecule. The haze faded quickly, revealing a young man in a raggedy greyish-brown robe. It was difficult to tell in the dim light of the moonstone if the robe was originally that color or if it was simply dirty. At first Thorn thought that it might be too big for the young man as it looked rather lumpy, but on closer inspection he discovered that the robe was completely covered in pockets, most hand stitched.

Any area of the young man’s body that was not covered in a patchwork pocket was filled by a bandolier of glass vials filled with different colored potions. At his hips were countless small bags and boxes tied to his body with a nest of leather straps. On his back he carried a strange wooden box that stuck out above his head. A long stick protruded from the top of the wooden box. It leaned over his head precariously, a lantern bobbing on the end of the string tied to the end. What really surprised Thorn, however, was the soot that covered his face and dropped from his wild bushy hair whenever his head moved.

Reaching up to scratch the scraggly beard that barely covered his chin, the young man’s gloves left smears of dirt and oil across his chin, making it dirtier than it had been before. A pair of goggles rested on his head, keeping back his mop of brownish red hair. Clapping his hands together, the young man grinned at Thorn.

“I’m somewhat surprised that worked, to tell you the truth. The application of issuma bark is always a bit volatile so I was half expecting to explode. Have to get the ratios right when you mix it with Pennywort.” Pausing, he frowned and stuck out his tongue, picking off a sliver of wood that he carefully put away. “Anyway, I’m ready if you are. If you want to open the door now you can. I appreciate you waiting for me. Just watch out for the dragonflame trap. Not actual dragonflame of course. But that is what they call it since it can melt steel.”

Noticing that Thorn had not spoken, the young man took a step back, dropping his hand to one of the many potions in the belts that crisscrossed his thin body. His long fingers twitched slightly as he ran his hand over the profusion of potions.

“No? You don’t want to go forward? Do you mind if I do? I’m trying to gather some of that dragonflame. It is great as a heat stabilizer, you know.”

Still watching the young man carefully, Thorn stepped to the side, clearing the path toward the door. As strange as the young man looked, Thorn felt a faint sense of danger as soon as he appeared. That sense of danger multiplied when the young man’s hand hovered over his belt. If the hair on the back of his neck was not standing straight up he would have assumed that the young man was completely helpless.

Under his helmet Thorn frowned. Not being able to speak was so inconvenient. Letting out a silent sigh, he gestured to the door to tell the young man to go ahead. Smiling his thanks, the young man sauntered forward and gestured for Thorn to back up a bit further. Once Thorn was far enough back, the young man turned back to the door and gave the thin set of double doors a swift kick.

The two doors seemed to be fastened in some way because, far from blasting the doors open as he had anticipated, the doors did not move at all. Instead, the young man staggered backward, favoring his aching leg.

“Tch. I could have sworn I still had three minutes on that strength potion,” the young man mumbled to himself. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he slapped his forehead. “Of course! Issuma bark would counteract the redjade blood.”

Turning to Thorn who was still watching him carefully, the young man shrugged.

“Sometimes it is hard to keep all the interactions in mind. Anyway, I have to go back to my lab to brew another [Bear’s Strength] potion. You want to come along? I can point out the path to the exit if you’d like. This path only leads deeper into the tombs.”

Thinking to himself for a moment, Thorn nodded and followed the young man across to the other side of the room to a broken door that Thorn had not noticed. The bottom half of the door was broken open, allowing enough space for the thin young man to pass through if he took the box off of his back. The opening was covered by a fallen pillar which is why Thorn had not seen it during his search.

“Hmm, didn’t think about this, but are you going to fit?”

Looking at the small hole, Thorn looked down at his body and shook his head. This time it was his turn to gesture for the young man to step back. Rolling his shoulders, Thorn stepped forward and snapped out a kick, his metal boots landing on the two doors.

*CRACK*

The sound of splintering stone rang out in the enclosed space as Thorn’s foot punched through the stone doors, leaving them wobbling on their hinges.

“That works I guess.” The young man stared at Thorn for a moment and then, after lighting the lantern that dangled in front of him, led the way through the ruined doors.

Beyond the doors was a long, winding tunnel full of turn-offs and branches, leaving Thorn hopelessly lost. The young man padded ahead with full assurance, so Thorn simply followed behind. The light from the lantern cast bobbing shadows as they walked, the motion reminding Thorn of churning waves in a stormy sea. They walked in silence for nearly an hour, the only sound the slap of their feet on the flagstones. Taking a sudden turn, the young man paused and selected a tube from one of his pouches.

*pop*

Removing the cork, he sprinkled some powder on the floor of the passage, revealing a set of thin lines. After counting them carefully, he stepped over them, gesturing for Thorn to do the same.

“Necrotic Poison trap. Quite nasty. You don’t want to get caught in it, believe me.”

Beyond the trap was a large door that the young man pushed open, inviting Thorn into a well-lit room. Forty feet wide, it was almost twice as long and had a tall twenty foot ceiling. The light in the room came from strategically placed glass vials that gave off strong light, similar to that of a lightbulb. The center of the room was taken up by a series of long tables while both sides of the room held sets of shelves covered in boxes, bags, and pots of various shapes. A furnace was placed against the back wall next to a bed and a small writing desk.

“Welcome to my lab. Make yourself at home. I’ve got to check and make sure that I have enough redjade blood for the [Bear’s Strength] potion.” Stopping in place, he turned and looked at Thorn. “Though, if I…” trailing off into a mumble, he stared at Thorn, a slightly crazy look growing in his eyes.

Nonplussed, Thorn walked around the table, putting a bit of space between him and the young man. The dangerous vibe that the young man had given him was gone so Thorn took off his helmet and ran his fingers through his hair. Seeing the look on the young man’s face turn strange, Thorn froze, his hand still raised.

“You’re human? I thought you were a living machine. Wait, you are way too big to be a human. Way too big. Oh, wow, you’re a giant, aren't you? Wait, no, you can’t be a giant, you don’t have any of the elemental features. Huh, curious, what sort of race could you be?”

His previous thoughts forgotten, the young man walked straight toward Thorn, clambering up onto the table when it got in his way. As he stepped up on one of the chairs and put his knee on the top of the table, the large wooden box on his back destabilized him, pulling him over toward the floor.

Thorn’s hand shot forward and grabbed the box, stabilizing the messy young man. Holding the box, he lifted the young man off of the table and put him down on the ground. Slightly embarrassed, the young man took his pack off and set it to the side carefully. As he put it down Thorn could hear the faint clink of glass bumping together.

“Haha, thanks. Whew, closely averted catastrophe, huh? We would have been in a nightmare situation if these babies busted.” Patting the top of the wooden box, the young man turned to examine Thorn’s face more closely. “Huh, whatever race you are, you look like you are carrying around one nasty curse. Looks like petrification. Looks like an over application of [Stone Skin], though you’d have to drink a bus load of potions to achieve that level of petrification.

“Did you run into a greater earth elemental? Strange that you are still walking around. Have you been feeling your limbs slowing down? Petrification of this level should stop you in your tracks. Though, given your size it might be that it is just taking more time to take full effect. Or you are balancing it out in some way. Haha, I saw a stone golem who could move because its creator had cast [Stone Shaping] on its core so it could move its own body. I wanted to study it, but unfortunately, the [Hyper Glue] potion I threw at it was actually a [Greater Acid] potion and by the time I found the proper base to neutralize it, the core was already melted.”

The young man paused and looked at Thorn, as if waiting to hear his explanation for how he was still walking around despite being petrified. For a moment they just stared at each other as Thorn processed the story he had just heard. Coming back to the present, he tapped his mouth and made a talking motion with his hand. Holding up his crossed wrists, he shook his head.

“You don’t have a mouth? Oh, you can’t talk! Ah, must be the petrification. Wow, that is really terrible. Whoever designed this game is a jerk. How long have you been petrified? You know, if you get petrified for more than six hours you count as dead and will respawn. I know, because one time I was going to drink a [Lesser Invisibility] potion but it turned out that it was actually a [Mass Petrification] potion. I was pooping rocks for a week, even after I died and respawned. I think I have some [Greater Curse Removal] potions around here. Let me see. Where did I put them?”

The young man began to search through the shelves, casually moving the boxes of potions and bags of material around. As he was digging through the mess, Thorn took the opportunity to look at the equipment that was set out on the tables. He had considered learning alchemy at one point, but the fact that his hands were many times too large to handle the small equipment, to say nothing of the fact that he was naturally resistant to the effects of potions, had turned him off.

Still, he was at least familiar with what alchemy equipment looked like, but he could only identify about a fourth of the different devices piled on the long tables. Stacks of reagents were scattered carelessly around along with a variety of journals that seemed to have detailed notes regarding the effects of mixing materials using different processes. As unorganized as the young alchemist was, his neat handwriting that covered the pages of the open books in tight, organized strokes pointed to how meticulous he was with his experiments.

“Ah! Here we go. Oh, actually, hold on. I think I can improve this. Hmmm. Ah, here we are.” Holding up two potions triumphantly, the young man rushed over to the tables and tossed the two potions into different devices with practiced ease. Muttering to himself, he grabbed a thin root and a shaving knife from the table and flicked a few slivers into the green potion which immediately started to boil.

“12! 11! 10!” As he counted down in a loud voice, he added different materials from the table, appearing to be grabbing them at random and putting them into one of the potions or the other. Once his count reached one, he poured both potions into a clean tube, watching the mixing liquids carefully.

“Quick! You have to drink it while it is hot!” Picking up the potion with a pair of tongs, he rushed over to Thorn and gestured for the Titan to open his mouth. “It won’t work as well once it cools down!”

For a second Thorn considered refusing the potion, but seeing the expectant expression on the young man’s face, he gave a mental shrug. Even if the potion did not work he really would not lose anything. Opening his mouth, he grabbed the hot vial and poured the contents into his mouth.

The potion itself had no particular flavor, but a burst of heat spread from Thorn’s chest as it slid down his throat. The burning feeling crept up his throat, causing him to cough. As he coughed he could feel his throat, which had been rock solid this whole time, beginning to soften. Soon his coughing began to echo throughout the room as his throat was restored.

*Cough Cough*

“Ehem.” Thorn’s eyes widened as he listened to the sound escape his lips.

[Master! You can speak!]

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

“I can speak…” Thorn felt his throat in wonder. “I can speak! Haha, thank you!”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure. Sure. No problem. Now tell me, do you feel any weird sensations? Seeing okay? How many fingers am I holding up? Three? Eh, close enough. Huh, it looks like you are doing well. Perfectly normal except for the spots on your face, but I doubt they are permanent.”

“Wait, spots?” Confused, Thorn looked over at Akira who gasped, putting her claws over her mouth in surprise.

[Master! You look hideo...fine. You look totally fine. I’m sure they will fade.]

“It’s the speckled tree fungus. But that is the only way I know to merge stage four potions without witchwart, which turns you green and makes your tongue like a frog’s. Believe me, this is way better. Like, way better. I could hardly eat for a week because my tongue kept unrolling.”

Afraid to look at himself, Thorn closed his eyes and shuddered slightly. Still, regardless of how his face looked, he could speak, so it was worth it. Once he had composed himself, he opened up his character sheet.

*Status*

Name: [Thorn]

Race: [Titan]

Health: [100%]

Mana: [100%]

Titles: [Battle Mad], [Wolfsbane], [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf], [Friend of the Earth], [Inheritor], [Commissioned Knight (Order of the Flame)], [Kingbreaker], [Hero], [Bearer of the Stone Heart (Corrupted)], [Living Statue], [Gladiator]

Class: [Disciple]

Mastery: [None]

Allegiance: [Temple of the Moon]

Abilities: [Wolf Lord’s Howl], [Avatar of the Wolf], [Call the Pack], [Blessing of the Moon], [Presence of the Wolf Lord], [Martial Form: Dawn], [Basic Weapons Mastery], [Apprentice Orator], [Rallying Cry], [Pack Travel], [Earth Sense], [The Devil is in the Details], [Shadow Dash], [Language Proficiency: Abyssal], [Intercepting Strike (lvl 1)], [Armor of the Earth], [Heart of the Earth ], [Call the Stone Legion]

Frowning slightly, he examined his status. Apart from picking up the [Gladiator] title in the Maandell arena, Thorn’s status was unchanged. He was hoping that the potion had removed his [Living Statue] curse, but it did little more than allow him to speak. Still, that was more than enough for Thorn. He had quite enough of being mute and was very pleased to have his voice back.

Title: Living Statue

The corrupted mist of the stone heart drains the energy of the world and has numbed your body and spirit.

You have suffered from prolonged exposure to the mist and have been petrified, gaining the stone curse permanently.

Your abilities are locked.

Your voice has been partially silenced.

Opening up his communication panel, he saw that his calling and messaging buttons were still greyed out, but now that he could talk he could at least communicate with the people around him. Partially silenced was better than completely silenced.

“Thank you again. My name is Thorn. I’ve been suffering under that curse for a while now, and I’m quite glad to have some of the symptoms alleviated.”

“It’s not completely gone? Really? Wow, tenacious bugger, huh? I mean that potion I gave you was strong enough to melt through a person’s insides so I guess your petrification was further along than I thought. Hmmm, I might be able to brew another one if I can find some more speckled tree fungus.”

“No, no, this is fine.” Thorn shook his head. “By the way, how should I address you?”

“My name? Oh, I guess I have not introduced myself.” The young man’s hands paused and he lifted his goggles from his yes. Wiping off his hand on his filthy robe, he held it out to Thorn. “My name is Alph, the Mad Master Alchemist.”

“Nice to meet you Alph. As I said, thank you for your help with this curse. It has been quite difficult for me to deal with.”

“It does look like a nasty one. Huh, let me think about this…”

Worried that Alph was going to become consumed in his thoughts again, Thorn coughed and stepped forward, patting the young man on the shoulder. Tapping him just hard enough to knock him out of his musings, Thorn tried to quickly redirect Alph’s attention.

“My friends and I were looking for the World Tree as we think that its sap would be effective in treating my curse. Have you ever run across World Tree sap before?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, that would work. I mean, its slightly overkill, but it would work just fine. The World Tree’s sap will clear any status effect. Including your curse. But if that is your plan than you’ve got a rough path ahead of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the World Tree is missing. And dead. Sort of. If you want the sap, the only option is to look for the root system and hope that the pool has accumulated enough sap. But no one except for me knows where the root system is.” Alph said over his shoulder as he walked to the little kitchenette and lit the stove.

“You know where the root system is?”

“Mmhhhm.” Picking up a kettle, Alph filled it with water and placed it on the flame.

“Would you be able to lead me to it?” Thorn asked, his eyes lighting up. Finding a guide would allow him to get rid of his [Living Statue] curse much quicker.

“Sorry, not really interested.” Pulling a stool over as he waited for the water to boil, Alph sat down. Seeing Thorn’s somewhat shocked expression, he chuckled. “Look, I don’t mean to be heartless, but why on earth would I give up the most valuable alchemical material in the game? Leading you to the root of the World Tree would mean that I don’t have exclusive access to its sap. Seems like a rather stupid idea if you ask me.”

“That’s a fair point, I guess.” Frowning slightly, Thorn considered Alph’s words carefully.

It was true that it did not make a lot of sense for Alph to jump up and take him to the roots of the World Tree. Furthermore, judging by how well stocked Alph’s workshop was, Thorn was not sure that he had many ways to convince the alchemist to help him. As he was considering what to do, the kettle began to steam, letting off an airy whistle.

“Tea?” Alph asked, getting a pair of cups from his inventory.

“Oh, yes please.”

[Master! Now would be a great time for snacks!] Akira, who had been sitting quietly on Thorn’s shoulder, ran down his arm and jumped onto the table. Pushing some of the material that was scattered across its surface to the side, she cleared a space and patted the table excitedly. [Puff pastries! And those twisty things with sugar! Oh, frosting ones too!]

Chuckling, Thorn got a tray from his inventory and covered it with a pile of different kinds of pastries.

[Make sure you offer them to our friend first. Then you can eat some.]

[Yes, master!]

Grabbing the tray, Akira carefully lifted it up and put it on her head, balancing it with the tips of her three tails. Walking across the table, she stood in front of Alph who was watching her with considerable interest.

“Ooh, those look good. Thank you, little furry creature.” The alchemist selected a few of the pastries, placing them down next to his cup.

Akira turned around and placed the tray down in the center of the table. Plopping herself down next to it, her cheeks were soon bulging with pastries as she stuffed them into her mouth.

[Hey, slow down. We have plenty.] Amused, Thorn scratched Akira behind her ears. Accepting the cup that Alph handed him, he got his chair out of his inventory, taking a seat. Blowing on the steaming tea, Thorn looked around the lab curiously before settling his gaze on Alph who had pulled over a stool.

“Your base is pretty well developed. Have you been down here a long time?”

“Eh, it’s been a while. Maybe 5 years now? I had a much bigger base built up, but I had to retreat to this space. This used to be one of my store houses and field labs so it was pretty easy to convert to a full-time living space.”

“You’ve been down here for 5 years?”

“Oh, I’ve been down here a lot longer than that. It has been, what? 37 years? I think? Hah, as you can imagine, it is sort of difficult to track time down here. But based on my out of game time, I’ve been playing for nearly six years in real time.”

“Are you serious? You’ve been down here for almost 40 years?”

“Yeah, I guess it has been a while.” A smile crossed Alph’s face. “Well, I got trapped down here almost as soon as I entered the game. It is a complicated story, but I was running away from some people just after entering the game. They claimed that the reason they were chasing me had to do with the strange side effects of a potion I sold them, but I think they were more interested in my alchemy set. Anyway, I was running away and stumbled into a cave system. After falling down a cliff and getting swept away by a river I ended up here in this tomb system. Since then I’ve been practicing my alchemy and exploring the tomb.”

“Wow, I knew this game was big, but I did not realize that it was big enough for you to explore a tomb for 40 years.”

“I mean, I have not been exploring the whole time. I’ve probably spent about half of the time on experiments. It took me a lot of work to really understand alchemy. Even with all of the notes that I found down here. Oh, and dying. I’ve done a lot of dying which cuts down my play time pretty significantly. You’d be surprised at how many things down here can kill you. Spiders, snakes, the root system, lava, spirits, bad potions. Probably half of my deaths were due to bad ingredient combinations.”

“It sounds like you have had a lot of really interesting experiences.” Finishing his tea, Thorn placed the cup on the table, staring at Alph as if he was a rare treasure. “There are so many questions I want to ask.”

“Hah, life certainly has been pretty eventful since I entered Nova Terra. How about you? You’re a half-giant, right? I bet you’ve had some really interesting experiences.”

“Titan, actually.”

*CRASH*

Alph had been reaching for one of the pastries but when he heard Thorn’s words he completely missed and knocked a tall flask that was next to the pastries over, causing it to tumble from the table and smash all over the floor. Completely unconcerned with the wasted potion, Alph pointed a trembling finger at Thorn.

“Y...y...y...yo...you are a Titan!?”

By the time he managed to stammer out his question he was practically screaming, causing Thorn to let out a chuckle.

“Yeah, it was the only race that could handle my, uh, body type.”

“Wow, so you are that tall in real life? Is that a record?”

“No, there have been a number of people who were taller. Though, if I keep growing I have a shot at making the record. But I actually started playing about a year ago. A year in game. Maybe less actually. Anyway, it has been eventful.”

“Well, it would be. You’re a Titan, after all.” The look in Alph’s eyes was intense, causing Thorn to sit back in his chair and Akira to watch him carefully.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’re the center, all things orbit you.” Seeing Thorn’s puzzled look, Alph chuckled ruefully and scratched his chin. “How much do you actually know about your race?”

“Only what the description told me.” Thorn held up his hands helplessly, calling up his race’s description. “I also have a quest to find out more, but it really doesn’t tell me much.”

Titan - Unique

Now lost in the mist of time, this ancient race once ruled the world, rivaled only by the great Dragons.  Long-lived and immensely strong, the Titans were masters of almost anything they put their hand to and created a far-reaching empire that is still ruled by the Elemental Giants. Little else is known about the Titans, and further information must be unlocked through discoveries in game.

Missing Titans

Before the Era of the Gods, Titans walked Angoril. Unmatched in both battle and arts, the Titans were masters of whatever they put their hands to, yet almost overnight they vanished, leaving nothing but giant ruins and dim records of their existence. According to the ancient myths of the Wolfkin, the Titans ruled over all creatures and were the gods’ contemporaries.

Discover what happened to the Titans and why they disappeared.

This quest cannot be turned down.

“I’ve run across quite a few places in Nova Terra that seem like they were built for Titans based on their size, but I’ve not made any progress in discovering what happened to them.”

“Oh wow, this is fascinating!” Alph’s eyes lit up as he read the race’s description. “It says that the Elemental Giants still rule the Titan’s empire. I have not heard of any Giants who have an empire, so maybe they live in a subspace or a separate world. Curious. Huh, but I wonder why the Titans just disappeared? Especially if they were the Gods’ contemporaries and equally as strong as dragons. Curious, curious.”

Getting up from his stool, Alph began to pace back and forth, mumbling to himself as he tapped his chin. Thorn looked over at Akira who was sitting on the table munching on a cinnamon twist. Catching Thorn’s glance, Akira gave a cute shrug as if to say she had no idea what was wrong with the Mad Master Alchemist.

“I got it! You need to come with me.” Smacking his fist into his palm, Alph rushed over to a chest and threw it open, revealing a whole pile of vials with different colored liquid. Grabbing handfuls of small vials, he began shoving them into the empty loops in his bandoleers. Once the loops on his belts were filled, he packed vials into the pouches by his sides.

Rushing to the back of the room, he picked up a dusty looking lantern and a thick staff, brushing the cobwebs from it. Spinning around, he walked back up to Thorn who had put his chair away and was putting his helmet back on. Thorn could feel the hair on the back of his neck rising when his eyes met Alph’s. The dangerous feeling that Alph had given him initially was back in full force.

The mad alchemist had a crazy look in his eye and a wide grin on his face, but despite his smile Thorn was not feeling comforted at all. Lifting his hand, he waited for Akira to jump up onto it before he followed Alph to the door. As they walked out, Alph looked back at Thorn and spoke.

“Look sharp, Thorn. The place we’re going is really dangerous. You’re looking for the roots of the World Tree, right? Haha, I’ll take you. Don’t blame me for not warning you now though, it is going to be a rough trip.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

The sound of Thorn’s feet echoed down the passageway as he followed Alph closely. When Thorn first walked through the crypt he expected it to be completely silent, but now, as he walked behind the Mad Master Alchemist, he noticed a number of different sounds. The light scratch of the insects that skittered underfoot fleeing from the bobbing lantern Alph carried reminded Thorn that even though they were underground the tomb supported a whole ecosystem in its winding passages.

“There are a couple things that we need to pay attention to.” Alph talked as he walked, glancing back at Thorn’s huge form every now and again. “We’ll be facing a few different types of enemies, and since you want to make it to the World Tree, it is going to be especially tough. Honestly, I’m not sure we’ll be able to do it by ourselves.”

“Should I call some of my friends?”

“Nah, it’ll take too long. Plus, we’d have to go to the exit, which is more than a day away and we can’t afford that. I’ve already cleared the spawning pods once today, but if we go we won’t make it back in time to clear them tomorrow.”

“Sorry, I’m not following. Why do we have to be worried about the spawning pods?”

“It’s a long story.” Sighing, Alph gestured to the path ahead. “Just wait till we get there and I’ll show you. That will be easier than trying to explain everything.”

Thorn nodded, reaching out absentmindedly to catch a pastry that fell from where Akira sat on his shoulder. When she realized that they were leaving, she had insisted on taking the rest of the pastries with her instead of letting Thorn put them back into his inventory.

[Are you sure you don’t want me to carry those for you?]

[Master, how am I supposed to eat them if they are in your inventory? It takes a lot of energy to maintain my beautiful and shiny coat, you know? It takes hard work and dedication to be as pretty as I am so I need lots of fuel.]

[Sure, but I’m afraid you’re going to lose them.] Thorn caught another falling pastry.

“Need something to hold those?” Alph asked. He had been watching Akira and Thorn juggle the pastries back and forth for a few minutes before he took off a pouch from his side, emptying the potion vials out of it. “It is not fancy, but it will hold your stuff.”

Akira dumped all of the pastries into Thorn’s hands and jumped over to Alph as Thorn fumbled to hold them. Landing on the pole that held the lantern, she snatched the pouch and bounced back to Thorn’s shoulder, chattering with excitement. Climbing onto Thorn’s arms, she began picking the pastries out of his large hands and packing them carefully into the pouch.

While Akira was putting her treats away, Alph got out a strip of leather from his inventory and cut it down to Akira’s size. By the time Akira had finished, the alchemist had made a small belt to hold the pouch.

“Thanks.” Taking it from Alph, Thorn carefully threaded the pouch onto the belt and helped Akira put it on. Noticing her frown, Thorn asked her what was wrong.

[Master, this is a nice gift, but it is really ugly. I don’t know if I can wear it.]

[What are you talking about? It makes you look quite dashing. Sure, it’s a bit crude, but it makes you look like a proper adventurer.]

[Oh? Really! Haha, it does.] Sitting up proudly, Akira ran her claws over the worn leather.

“Looks great!” Alph gave Akira a thumbs up as they continued on their way. As they wound through the tunnels, Thorn had a bit of trouble figuring out what direction they were headed. Most of the tunnels that they were passing through looked the same to Thorn, but his sharp vision picked up some footprints in the dust ahead of them.

“Hey, are we going back the way we came?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. The door you were trying to open is the fastest way to get to the core of the tomb. That is where we’ll find the roots of the World Tree. I figured that we could just open up the way while we’re going. I brought some more [Greater Fire Resistance] potions so the dragonflame trap should not be a problem. Though, if there are any enemies beyond the door I’ll need you to put that stick of yours to good use.”

“No problem. Just leave them to me.” Thorn slapped his chest confidently. “You said that we are going to be facing a few different types of enemies, right? Which ones will these be?”

“Uh, these ones should be regular golems. They are stone statues that are possessed by the Ancient Elven spirits. If we’re lucky we’ll run into a caster. They drop ghostly elemental cores which are great for making [Greater Elemental Infusion] potions. If we do see a caster we’ll need to focus on getting rid of it before it can use its [Elemental Summoning Gate] spell or we’ll be up to our ears in elementals.”

“Sure thing. Just point them out to me and I’ll take care of them.” Thorn grinned under his helmet as he flexed his claws. He had quite a bit of experience with target priority by now and was more than confident in his ability to take down enemies quickly.

Not paying attention, Thorn nearly ran into Alph who had stopped abruptly in the center of the tunnel. Seeing that Alph was concentrating, Thorn listened carefully but could not hear anything. His advanced senses had vanished when he got the [Living Statue] curse making it much more difficult for him to pick up on danger.

[Master, it is that shield woman who you scared away earlier.]

It took a moment for Thorn to remember who Akira was talking about. A lot had happened in the last few hours, but he soon remembered the woman who had fallen into the tomb with him and Heuron. Despite surviving the fall, it was obvious that Thorn had startled her badly as she had logged out as soon as she saw him.

“There is a guest in that room. Probably the woman from earlier.” Waving Thorn forward, Alph continued walking down the hall.

“How can you tell it is her?” Thorn asked as he followed.

“Smell. I killed the mobs in that room before you crashed through the ceiling. Didn’t you see the fallen golems? Anyway, the mix of potions I used to beat them is specific, so currently you, me, and that women are the only people in the world who carry the smell of those potions. We’re here, so that must mean that she logged back in.”

“You can smell her from here?”

“Heh, my nose is particularly sensitive to potion materials and I never forget a combination.”

The large room where Thorn had fallen into the tomb had not changed at all since Thorn had left it with Alph earlier in the day. As he stepped through the door, he heard a gasp and saw the woman who had fallen into the tomb with him stepping back. Lifting his hands quickly to show that he had no ill intentions, he paused in the doorway, causing Alph’s lantern to bump into his back.

“Hey, what are you doing? You can’t just stop like that!” Annoyed, Alph staggered slightly as he regained his balance. The large box he carried on his back was convenient for carrying things, but it often threw off his balance. “Go, go. I seriously don’t think she’ll bite so what are you worried about?”

“Hello, we don’t mean you any harm.” Amused by Alph’s words, Thorn walked into the room. He kept his hands in the air and moved slowly to try and remain as unthreatening as possible.

Despite his best efforts, the woman still backed away. She had found her sword after logging back into the game and held it tightly in her hand as she covered herself with her shield.

“I’m serious, we’re not interested in fighting. My name is Thorn, by the way, and he is Alph.”

Seeing that Thorn was making no aggressive moves, the woman relaxed slightly, straightening up and lowering her sword. She still kept her shield up, but Thorn could tell that was more habit than anything else. When Akira saw her relax she jumped down from Thorn’s shoulder and ran over to the warrior, offering her one of the pastries that she was carrying in the bag that Alph had given her.

Taken aback, the warrior looked at Thorn and Alph before looking back down at Akira who was tugging happily on her pants with one paw while offering her what looked like a twisted cinnamon stick with the other. Weak to cute things, the warrior couldn’t help but put her sword and shield away and hesitantly accept the offered pastry. Immensely pleased, Akira wiggled her body and rubbed herself against the warrior’s legs, her three tails waving in the air.

“Oh, aren’t you cute.” As soon as the words slipped out, the warrior clapped a hand over her mouth and looked at Thorn and Alph who were still standing across the room.

[Master! Master! I told you I am the most beautiful and charming Ailuridae!]

“Her name is Akira,” Thorn offered, pointing at his pet.

“Akira? What a pretty name.” Crouching down, the warrior began scratching Akira behind her ears. “My name is Heidi. Your pet is really beautiful.”

“Thanks, she is a cutie. It is nice to meet you Heidi. Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to startle you.”

“Oh,” Heidi’s cheeks flushed slightly and she lowered her head. “It’s okay. I was just surprised because you appeared out of thin air.”

Taking a few steps forward, Thorn casually took off his helmet, revealing his smiling face. The room was still quite dark so Alph walked around while Thorn was talking to Heidi, placing his glowing bottles around the room. Soon the room was as bright as his shop, allowing Thorn to see Heidi’s face clearly.

While not the most beautiful woman Thorn had seen in game, Heidi’s face had a subtle charm to it that grew the more he looked. As Thorn’s gaze ran over her face, Heidi was examining him as well. Realizing that they were staring at each other, Heidi flushed slightly and looked away. A shimmer brought Thorn’s attention to the corner of her eyes where he saw a set of fine scales that reflected rainbow colors when the light from Alph’s bottles hit them. Curious, Thorn looked at Heidi closer, noticing the semi-transparent scales formed a path to her ears and down the back of her neck. Realizing that she was getting uncomfortable with his scrutiny, Thorn stepped back, lifting his hand in apology.

“Sorry, I was just admiring your, uh, scales. Are you a merfolk?”

“Only half. Half mer, half elf.” Heidi replied as she continued to pet Akira who had melted into a puddle on the floor when her belly was rubbed.

“That’s really cool. I’m a Titan. Haha, that’s why I’m so big.”

Unable to listen to the idiotic conversation anymore, Alph poked Thorn in the side.

“Hey, if you two are done flirting we need to get going. We don’t have time to waste on a tea break so save your socializing for after we deal with the spawning pods.”

“Right.” Thorn coughed to hide his embarrassment. “Heidi, we’re going to be opening up this door and fighting some enemies. Are you interested in helping us? We could use a skilled tank.”

“Wasn’t she just trying to kill you?” Asked Alph in a faux whisper, staring at Thorn with a strange look in his eyes. “I thought she was on that Heuro or whoever’s team.”

“Ah!” Hearing Alph’s words, Heidi spoke quickly while wringing her hands. “I am not part of Heuron’s team. Heuron hired me to tank for them because his regular tank was not available. I’m a mercenary, so I, uh, fight for whoever pays me.”

“Oh, perfect! Are you interested in a contract? What’s your going rate?” Enduring the strange looks he was getting from both of the others, Thorn pulled a stack of paper from his inventory and thumbed through them until he found a copy of a standard mercenary contract. Putting the rest of the contracts back, he summoned a pen and filled in the details before handing it over to Heidi.

“Should be pretty normal. I’d like to hire you until we leave the tomb.” Thorn said as Heidi read over the contract carefully and Alph rolled his eyes.

“Excuse me, it says that you are hiring me for ‘protection’. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I’m not sure that I will be able to protect you from anything that you cannot handle yourself.” Heidi looked up from the contract, running her gaze up and down Thorn’s massive body that was wrapped in Dwarven armor. “I don’t like the idea of taking a job I can’t even do.”

“Ah, you are not protecting me. You are protecting Princess Akira.” Thorn pointed at the Royal Ailurade who was still sprawled at Heidi’s feet, her tails curled happily around the warrior’s legs. “The contract is only until we get out of here and there is a clause at the end that says you can cancel it if we try to make you do something that would harm you. Basically, you’ll be acting as the tank of our group as we go to the center of the tomb. Once we’ve checked some things out there we’ll head to the nearest exit. Oh, and I left the payment blank. What is your going rate?”

“25 gold a day.” Heidi snuck a glance at Thorn when she spoke. “50 if we face a hazard or something that could kill me.”

“50 gold? Sure.” Under Heidi and Alph’s astounded gaze Thorn pulled out a bag of gold coins and handed it over. “Here’s a week in advance at the hazard rate since I don’t know what we’re going to be facing.”

Jumping up from where she was laying, Akira ran over to Thorn and tugged on his leg when she saw him passing the gold over to Heidi.

[Master! I want some gold! Can I have some for my pouch?”

[Sure, here.] Getting a few more coins out of his inventory, Thorn handed them to Akira who put them in her pouch happily before running back to Heidi and showing her proudly.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Thanks to the glowing bottles that Alph had put around the room the intricately carved reliefs on the walls and pillars were much easier for Thorn to see. Giving Heidi a moment of quiet to think, Thorn looked around the room again.

Taking advantage of Akira’s distraction, Alph tugged on Thorn’s shirt.

“What on earth are you hiring her for? And for 350 gold? Are you nuts?”

“She is a really skilled tank and if what you are saying is right, we’ll need all the help we can get.”

Still not satisfied with Thorn’s answer, Alph looked over at Heidi who was crouched down petting Akira.

“How skilled can she be? 50 gold is a total rip off.”

“Haha, don’t look down on her. She managed to go multiple rounds with me, strike for strike. I hit her twice with full force blows and she survived, which makes her an amazing tank.”

“Full force blows?” Alph gulped as he remembered Thorn’s casual kick demolishing a stone door.

“Mmhmm. I have not seen her offense yet, but judging by the other skills she used, I’d guess that it’ll be pretty strong.” Patting Alph on the shoulder gently, Thorn turned his attention back to Heidi who was reading over the contract carefully again. “What do you think? Are you interested in the job?”

A minute or so passed quietly as Heidi thought about the contract. Finally, with a sigh, she looked up at Thorn and nodded firmly.

“I’ll do it.”

“Glad to have you join, Heidi.” Taking the contract back after she signed it, Thorn smiled and put it away. “I was really impressed by your abilities when we exchanged blows up above. Have you been playing for a long time?”

“It’s been maybe fifteen years or so? Oh, two years in real time.”

“Well, your shield work is really stellar considering.”

“Thanks.” Heidi’s voice was quiet.

“So, what class are you?” Alph jumped into the conversation, waving a variety of different colored potions in the air. “I have all sorts of buffing potions, but they’ll have different levels of effectiveness for different fighting styles.”

“Um…” Slightly unsure, Heidi glanced between Thorn and Alph, her brow slightly furrowed.

Realizing that she might be uncomfortable sharing that much information since they had just met, Thorn waved his hand.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to say.”

“No, no, its fine. I’m an Elemental Warrior. I specialize in the sword and shield and I typically fill the role of a tank. My skills allow me to swap elemental attunement for maximum advantage, though water and earth are my two strongest affinites. I’m half Mer-folk, half Elf so my best environments are water and forest. I have no self-healing, but I do have limited crowd control.

“I prefer direct confrontation and have a few aggro stabilizing abilities. I’m used to being the main tank as I have more than one full damage negation ability, for a total of fourteen seconds every three minutes. If the rate of damage is too high, I also have sixty seconds of evasion every five minutes that can be split up. My damage output is not very high, so I’m not suitable for DPS, and with no heal I don’t offtank very well either.”

After Heidi’s concise rundown of her advantages and fighting style Thorn had no more doubts about her professionalism. It was obvious that she was a highly specialized player and had taken part in a lot of different groups from how straight to the point her summary was.

“Elemental boosting, but less fireweed extract...hmmm...twelve percent offset...immunity could work…”

Alph was tapping his chin and mumbling to himself. Putting down the large box on his back, he unfolded the side, making a little table. Squatting next to the box his hands flew up and down, opening up small drawers and pulling various resources from them. The ingredients that he got out were tossed together into a stone bowl and muddled together with a pestle, reducing them to a pulp.

Retrieving a crimson colored potion from his inventory, he took a small swig, letting out a small burp. Alph’s forehead began to bead with sweat, as if he had just eaten a spicy meal. Holding the stone mortar’s handle, he blew gently, sending a steady stream of flame at the ingredients. From the way the flame poured from Alph’s mouth in a controlled manner Thorn could tell that the alchemist had done this a lot.

With his free hand, Alph rummaged through the ingredient box, adding pinches of different powders to the burning mass. Once he had cooked the mixture enough, he cut off the flame and scraped the mixture into a square box with a small spout at the bottom. Putting the top back on the box, he squeezed it down, carefully catching the liquid that poured from the spout in a glass vial with a pinch of powder in the bottom.

The liquid in the vial was a muddled grey color until Alph capped it and gave it a shake, revealing pearlescent swirls of rainbow color. Nodding his satisfaction, he carefully cleaned out his various tools. From his inventory he got out a big jug of water and began to blow flame from his mouth at the bottom of the jug. The water had just started to boil when the stream of flames from his mouth began to sputter.

Spitting a few times to get rid of any last remnants of flame, he began to meticulously clean each tool with the boiling water, scrubbing them thoroughly. Even though it took him longer to clean everything than it did to actually brew the potion, he did not skimp on any step. Once he had finally finished, he put the mobile alchemy lab on his back and shook the grey potion again.

“Sorry about the wait, but the potions I already had would have some negative side effects. This is an [Elemental Sensitivity Amplification] potion, tailored to water and earth. Positive side effect is a reduction in your fire element sensitivity, which will reduce the damage you take when you use fire element abilities.”

“That’s a tailored potion…” Heidi took a step back, putting her hands behind her back. “I...I can’t afford that.”

“Wait, why would you want to reduce sensitivity to an element?” Thorn asked, scratching his head. “Wouldn’t it be better for an Elemental Warrior to be able to sense the elements more easily?”

“It’s only a seventeen percent reduction so it is not enough to disable the abilities that use fire. But Heidi here is half Mer-folk which means she probably takes damage from using her fire abilities since Mer-folk have an inbuilt weakness to fire. With no self-heal she’ll become a drain on the team healer. This potion helps reduce that. Not only will it boost her water and earth abilities, but it will increase the overall strength of her fire abilities by reducing the self-harm when she uses them.”

“Oooh, that makes sense.” Thorn’s eyes lit up as he heard Alph’s explanation.

“Stop looking at me like that, you’re creeping me out.” Alph shifted uncomfortably under Thorn’s intense stare. “It’s just a matter of using side effects to our advantage. Any alchemist worth their salt should be able to do the same thing. Hey, why are you not taking this?”

Shaking her head at his question, Heidi took a small step back, her hands still behind her back.

“I can’t afford a potion like that.”

“What are you talking about? This is so we don’t die terrible deaths when we get to the spawning pods.”

“No, that is a 600 gold potion. I couldn’t afford to drink that, even if we are all going to die.”

“Wow, that’s expensive.” Thorn took another look at the swirling grey liquid. It had not taken Alph long to make yet could be sold for a small fortune, giving Thorn a clearer understanding of why production classes were so popular.

“Four fifty for the potion itself, about one fifty for the customization.” Alph nodded. “But this one is free. Take it as a bonus for joining our team since I’m glad I don’t have to tank anymore.”

Though Heidi was reluctant, she finally accepted the potion after Thorn bought it from Alph and gave it to Akira to deliver, using the excuse that he was her employer and she had to follow his arrangements for fights.

“You try to give something to someone…” Alph grumbled as he put the gold away. “Enough delaying, let’s get moving.”

“Sure. Heidi, you’ll be taking point as our tank. I’ll be DPS and will help offtank if needed. Alph, how are your ranged attacks?”

His eyes gleaming, Alph spread his hands, half a dozen vials glinting from between his fingers. Though he could not identify the various colored liquids that bubbled gently in them, they gave Thorn a subtle sense of danger.

“Alright, good. Akira will be our support.”

“Oh, I thought she was just a vanity pet.”

[You’re a vanity pet! I’m the best Ailuridae! And you smell!]

Watching as Akira hissed at him, Alph chuckled and held his hands up. The small furry creature had exhibited signs of intelligence before, but he had not expected her to be able to understand his words. Though he had no idea what she was saying, he had no doubt it was colorful from the odd look on Thorn’s face. Crouching, Heidi stroked Akira’s fur, helping calm her down. Thorn smiled and stepped forward, redirecting the conversation.

“You said our path is through those doors but they are trapped? What is the range of the attack? Can I break the doors from a distance?”

“That might work. Radius of the attack is twelve feet with an average temperature of about 2,600 degrees. Enough to melt the metal right off your body. It’s a flash attack so as long as we are not in the radius we should should be fine. But there will be enemies on the other side of the door so we’ll need to proceed with caution.”

“Sounds good. Heidi, I’m going to open the doors. Once the dragonflame trap clears, you’re up. Alph and I will support you from back here. Let me know when you are ready.”

Heidi took a deep breath and straightened her armor. She summoned her sword and shield and faced the door. A quick tilt of her head and she swallowed the pearlescent grey potion that Alph had given her. Blue, yellow, white, and red light swirled around her as the liquid slipped down her throat. Waving her hand, the vial disappeared into her inventory and her helmet appeared in its place. Heidi looked over her shoulder as she put her helmet on, giving Thorn a nod.

Thorn double checked that they were all out of range of the trap and did a quick check to make sure all his gear was in place. A glance revealed that Alph was twirling a potion like a prestidigitator, ready to go. Reaching down, Thorn picked up a large chunk of one of the fallen pillars, tossing it up and down to settle it comfortably in his hand.

[Akira, make sure you keep Heidi up.]

[Yes, master, I’ve got it.]

Feeling that familiar excitement building in his chest, Thorn drew his hand back and launched the chunk of stone at the thin double doors in front of the group. Alph and Heidi saw a greyish blur shoot forward, smashing through the door so fast that it ripped a neat hole in the doors.

*BANG*

*WHOOSH*

The impact of the pillar against the doors was loud, but the sound that came after it set everyone on edge. Crimson flames with a deep purple tint rolled from the top of the door, devouring air and stone alike as it poured toward the ground. The jets of flame stopped only a few feet from the ground but the intense heat cracked the stone into pieces. Waves of heat buffeted against Heidi, causing her to instantly break out in a sweat.

[Inferno Shield]

Lifting her shield, she activated one of her abilities, causing it to flash with red light. The red glow on her shield absorbed the intense waves of heat, pulling the flame toward her and sending it radiating out to the side with such intensity that the floor on her right and left burst into flame as the heat ate through the stone. Her shield superheated, drawing more of the dragonflame in every second. The moments ticked by until the flame jets began to sputter and die down. Sweat poured from Heidi’s body, but the potion did its work well, preventing her from burning up under her own ability. Supremely focused, she waited for the jets to stop, peering through the smoke wafting up from the scorched stone.

Past the melted rubble that had been the two thin doors she could see golems striding toward the entrance. Their footfalls echoed through the tomb, making it impossible for her to miss their location. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Thorn’s arbalest coming up, so she subtly adjusted her stance toward the two that were closest.

[Burning Like A Flame]

The glow on Heidi’s shield flickered and her form burst forward, like a flame jumping to a new location. As soon as she moved Thorn pulled the trigger of his arbalest, sending a bolt flying toward one of the golems who was toward the back of the group, and Alph launched a glass vial toward another.

Heidi passed through the ruined door frame, her shield sucking up all of the remaining heat as she flashed forward. The red glow brightened and her charge sped up, smashing into the golem who was walking at the front of the advancing enemies.

*BOOOM*

The impact of the burning shield against the golem’s stone body shook the tomb, sending dust drifting from the ceiling. Unbelievably hot, the shield superheated the golem’s body as soon as they touched, causing the stone to expand explosively, peppering the room in golem fragments.

Taking two steps back from the force of the impact, Heidi stabilized herself as the arbalest bolt ripped by her head, knocking one of the golems on its back. Following right after it, a vial of greenish white liquid flew through the air, landing on another golem’s leg. Shattering open against the golem’s stone body, the liquid immediately turned into a thick, viscous foam-like substance, growing until it covered both of the golem’s feet, fixing them to the ground. Trying to step, the golem tumbled forward, getting more of its body stuck to the floor.

[Ride The Waves]

Seeing a golem raising its heavy fist, Heidi activated one of her water stances, her body taking on a loose, fluid quality. As the fist descended, she slipped forward half a step, lifting her shield to intercept the blow. At the same moment she stabbed her sword to the side, trying to slip it between the cracks in another golem’s body. The incoming fist hit her shield, but instead of pushing it down a last second adjustment caused it to slide harmlessly to the side, crushing the flagstones as it landed on the ground.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

“Duck!”

Thorn’s deep voice boomed from the doorway that Heidi had rushed through and she immediately squatted down while sliding to the side to defuse some of the golem fist’s impact. Thorn’s tetsubo rushed over her head and smashed into the golem’s chest sending cracks radiating through it. Launched from its feet by the force of the blow, the golem’s feet clipped its fallen companion who had been trapped by Alph’s potion. Spinning in the air, it smashed into the wall of the tomb, exploding into pieces.

[Dancing Through The Clouds]

Rising from her crouch, Heidi got smoothly to her feet, continuing to move sideways and drawing the remaining three golems’ attention away from Thorn who stomped forward to crush the golem who was struggling on the ground. After breaking its chest with two well placed strikes, Thorn turned his attention to where Heidi was slipping in and out of the golems’ striking range, forcing them to chase after her.

With Heidi keeping their attention while Thorn smashed them one by one, it did not take long for the two of them to clean up the remaining golems. After the last golem collapsed to the ground in a shower of gravel, Thorn took off his helmet and gave Heidi an appraising look.

“Well done. I knew you were skilled, but I did not realize you were this good. Are you sure you are charging enough?”

“Thanks. Standard rate for tanks is ten gold a day. At twenty five I’m already way over market value.”

“No! Not good!”

Startled, Thorn and Heidi looked over at Alph who was crouched over the scattered remains of one of the golems. The wild-haired alchemist suddenly turned his head to glare at Thorn with bloodshot eyes, startling him so much the Titan retreated a step.

“You completely destroyed the command crystals! This is terrible. That is six potions that were wasted! Don’t you know how to fight?”

Thorn shared a glance with Heidi who just shrugged and looked away as if she wasn’t involved.

“Come here, come here.” Alph impatiently waved Thorn over to one of the piles of stone on the ground. “If you want to stop their mobility, crush their legs. If you are worried about attacks, take care of their arms. If you want to stop them for good, the heads got to go. But you just crushed their chests. Don’t you know that is the only valuable part of these dumb rock heads? Argh, noobs.”

After venting his frustration, Alph seemed slightly drained. Patting Thorn on the shoulder listlessly, he waved off Thorn’s apology and wandered toward the opposite side of the room where there was another doorway.

Taking a moment, Thorn looked around the room they had entered, noticing six more coffins just like the ones that he had found in the previous room. This time, there were three on each side, each with a slightly different set of carvings. Just like the first caskets, these had the same strip running down them to meet the line that came from the other room.

“Thorn, we’re on a clock.” Alph hurried him along, so Thorn put his helmet back on and picked up Akira, following Alph and Heidi out of the room and into another winding hallway. Over the course of the next few hours they fought a few more batches of golems, and Thorn was careful to leave their cores intact for Alph to harvest.

After the fourth fight, Alph stopped and took a deep breath, putting away his glowing potions and blowing out his lantern. Instantly the group was plunged into darkness. It was so dark that Thorn could not see more than a foot in front of his face. Alph tugged on Thorn and Heidi’s arms, leading them to a broken hole in the wall of the tunnel. Peeking his head out, Thorn saw a deep pool of darkness stretching out as far as his eyes could see. As his eyes grew more accustomed to the darkness he realized that he was looking at a large naturally-formed cavern dotted with a few dim pools of light.

Not quite sure what he was seeing, Thorn could barely make out Alph who held up his finger for Thorn to wait and then tapped his wrist. Quietly, they waited in the dark. As Thorn’s eyes grew accustomed to the low levels of light, he could see a nearly endless number of rocks spread out on the floor of the cavern.

*crack*

A few tense minutes had passed when Thorn’s ears picked up a faint cracking sound. Turning his head to try and see what happened, he heard Alph’s whisper from where the alchemist had crouched.

“Watch your eyes, I’m lighting it up.”

Standing up, Alph took three running steps and launched a handful of potions as hard as he could. The potions spread out, bright light spilling from them as trails of liquid were left splattered across the floor. Alph stuffed two large potions into Thorn’s hands and pointed at the ceiling.

“Throw them up there please!”

Pulling his arm back, Thorn hurled the two potions at the ceiling of the cavern like Alph directed. Spinning through the air, the potions exploded on impact, covering the roof of the cavern in brightly shining foam that grew quickly.

“Mix of my light potion and the sticky foam. I call it [Sticky Light],” Alph said to Akira, who was looking on with interest.

Feeling as if she was impressed with his creation, Alph reached up and held out another of the [Sticky Light] potions. Akira grabbed it happily and stuffed it into her pouch, taking out a pastry to make it fit. About to eat the pastry, she looked down at her pouch and then ran down Thorn’s arm to offer it to Alph who took it happily.

Ignoring the exchange happening on his shoulder, Thorn’s eyes scanned the now bright cavern, drawing in a sharp breath. What he had thought were rocks covering the cavern were actually piles of leathery eggs that covered every possible inch of the floor. The majority of the eggs were small and stacked in little piles around eggs that were about twice the size of the small eggs.

Lying around the cavern were large eggs that were three or four times the size of the medium sized eggs. The large eggs had a rougher looking skin, giving the impression of leather armor plates.

“Incoming!” Heidi’s voice snapped Thorn out of his distracted state.

Looking up, he saw a few strange looking creatures scuttling toward him on five spindly legs like spiders. Their five legs spread from their center body which had a claw reaching down from the bottom and a claw that rose from the top. Each of their legs ended in a three-pronged claw that fit neatly around the small eggs, allowing them to traverse the cavern swiftly.

“What on earth…” Heidi paled at the sight of the strange-looking creatures rushing toward them. Despite her obvious fear, she still stepped forward, her shield held in front of her.

“Those are thin-legged scuttlers. I don’t actually remember their names, so that is what I call them.” As he spoke, Alph’s hands were blurring as he mixed a potion from the ingredients in his backpack. “But they’re not the real problem.”

*crack* *crack* *crack-crack-crack*

“Those are the real problem,” Alph commented without looking up. “Block them while I finish this potion up. It’ll take me a moment because I have to make it extra strong.”

As the small eggs cracked open, ugly larva-like creatures squirmed out of them. Each wiggling creature looked like it had emerged directly out of a horror movie, with a long tapered tube body and two small arms with claws on the end. The larger end of the tube flared slightly, revealing row after row of hooked teeth while the smaller end curved up into the air, twisting around as if it was tasting the air.

“I really hope that potion can deal with all of these things…” Thorn’s face twisted in disgust.

“If you keep the thin leg thingies from coming over here.”

“You got it.”

Thorn’s arbalest appeared in his hand and he immediately fired a bolt at the closest five-legged creature, hitting it where the legs joined the main body, blasting it into pieces. Quickly reloading, he fired again, the bolt ripping through the air and stabbing through the body of another five-legged creature and carrying it through the air. The bolt slammed into one of the large eggs and bounced off, leaving a small mark on the leather plates.

Heidi stood in front of Thorn, holding her shield up as Thorn fired his arbalest above her head. The snap of the string echoed off of her helmet over and over as Thorn fired and reloaded his siege crossbow.

“Uh oh. Um, I think there are more of them.” Heidi pointed to the back of the cavern where there was a dark spot on the wall.

As Thorn watched, more of the five-legged creatures poured out of the dark spot. First ten, then thirty, then sixty, they rushed out, climbing over each other and along the wall in their rush to attack.

[Earthen Spear Wall]

Heidi stepped forward, bringing her shield down heavily on the ground. A wave of energy flowed from her shield into the earth, sending a wall of stone spikes radiating out in a fan shape. The razor sharp spikes cut into the soft bodies of the larva creatures that had been pulling themselves over to where Heidi and her companions stood.

Stepping back, she sent a worried glance back at Alph, who was rapidly stirring a foul-smelling concoction. Firing over her head, Thorn picked off the last of the five legged creatures that was close by and watched as the swarm from the hole in the back of the cavern continued to grow.

“Alph, you better pick it up otherwise we’re going to get buried here. I don’t have nearly enough bolts.”

“Oh, my. Well, let’s hope this works.” Alph looked at the oncoming horde and chuckled uneasily. Pulling Thorn and Heidi out of the cavern, he lifted the pot of foul-smelling liquid and pointed to the [Sticky Light] spread across the ceiling. “Can you hit that with this? If not, we can prime it with another potion.”

“How accurate do I have to be?”

“Not overly.”

“Sure, I can give it a shot.”

“Well make it count, because otherwise we’re all dead.”

Taking the pot from Alph, Thorn made sure that the lid was on tightly and stepped back into the cavern. Drawing his arm back, he took one big step forward and let it fly. Feeling good about his throw, he rushed back out of the cavern.

Holding a potion in each hand, Alph poured out two lines of liquid across the entrance to the cavern and then threw the potions inside. Grabbing Thorn, he pulled him back to where Heidi was standing as the whole area filled with dense foam. Within a few seconds the block of foam hardened to the consistency of hard packed dirt. Patting it, Alph grinned at Thorn.

“Welcome to the roots of the World Tree. That cavern, and the three past it, are the entrance to the roots. Unfortunately, the World Tree has been corrupted and is producing those creatures that you just saw. They spawn every few days out of the giant eggs and go foraging. Once they eat enough, they’ll turn into more giant eggs. The small eggs spawn on a twenty four hour cycle so I’ve been wiping them out each day for years. I’m sure you can imagine how quickly they can grow if you don’t keep killing them off.

“At first I was hunting for a cure to the World Tree, but according to the quest you get when you go into the closest cavern, only an Elven High Priestess can purify it. At the end of the day, the only thing I have been able to do is slow the growth of the corrupted spawn. The mixture we threw in there will cause a chemical reaction, producing a poison smoke that should be strong enough to kill all of the bugs who have hatched. The problem is the big eggs. I don’t know anything that can get through their armor.”

“You’re telling me we have to wade through three caverns of those things to get to the World Tree to collect sap?”

“No, we need to find a High Priestess, wade through the caverns, kill the guardian, and then purify the World Tree, all while fighting off the waves of corrupted spawn.”

Tapping his chin, Thorn thought about it for a moment. He had opted not to bring his full team to the island to make sure the valley remained stable, but he was starting to regret it. Velin had called Oberlin to help deal with the slave mark on Princess Rychell, but it was unlikely that he was going to bring anyone else. Still, so long as the Emperor of the Sky did not mind ferrying a few more people, he could probably assemble a full team pretty quickly. The first step, however, was to connect with Velin, Mina, and Baxby.

“Can you clear the caverns with that potion mixture you made?”

“Sure, but that will stop us from going into the cavern as well. Unless you fancy your face melting off. Actually, you might be fine since you have stone skin. But everyone else will get their face melted off.” Alph grinned and patted the hardened foam wall again. “This will automatically degrade in about twenty hours, at which point the cavern should be clear again and we can go in. But that means we’ll have to face at least three more waves before we make it to the roots themselves. We don’t have a High Priestess, but if we take some of the corrupted sap, I can purify it.”

“It’ll take three days to traverse the cavern?”

“Only if we move really fast. Truthfully, I’m not really very confident that we’ll be able to make it with only three of us. We’ll need to sneak in past the guardians since we won’t be able to take them all on.”

“I think we’ll be able to fight through them, I can call my guild and form a full team.”

“Hold up there.” The temperature in the tunnel seemed to fall as Alph took a step back, his eyes narrowed. “I’m fine with taking you, and Heidi since she is a mercenary, but I’m not taking any guilds.”

Frowning slightly, Thorn looked over at Alph. As soon as he had mentioned calling his guild the alchemist’s mood had plummeted. Taking his helmet off, Thorn locked eyes with Alph as he began to speak quietly.

“I don’t have any issue leaving my guild out of this if you can give me a good reason, but I do need a good reason.” Even though he did not move, Thorn’s body seemed to grow in Alph and Heidi’s eyes, filling the tunnel and causing both of them to take a small step back. “I am happy to respect your desires but I’m sure you understand how important this is to me.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

The atmosphere of the tunnel was frozen as Thorn and Alph locked eyes. Akira, uncomfortable being stuck in the middle of the showdown, jumped down and ran over to Heidi, jumping up onto her shoulder. For a full minute, the two men held their place as they faced off. Alph gave off a dangerous air as he stood with his back to the hardened foam, his long fingers gently resting on the bandoliers that crossed his chest.

Across from him, Thorn stood with his back straight, radiating a royal air. The weight of Thorn’s aura reminded Heidi of a statue of an ancient king. The impression Alph got was entirely different. Up until this point he had seen Thorn as a laid back player, a pleasant talking partner, but now he suddenly felt as if he was facing a massive predator, a giant wolf.

The pressure in the tunnel continued to grow, slowly building until Alph nearly snapped. His fingers touched the vials on his belt. Still he hesitated. There was something about Thorn’s figure that made him pause. A second later the intense aura around Thorn vanished and his shoulders drooped, stunning the alchemist.

“Sorry, I might be getting too worked up. I’m really on edge and there is no reason for me to be.” Thorn took a small step back, his stance softening. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he gave a great sigh and shook his head. “Look, I’m incredibly grateful for your help so far, and I don’t want to force you into a situation you are uncomfortable with. This quest is really important to me, not only for solving my [Living Statue] curse but, more importantly, for my friend’s class advancement.”

Seeing Thorn take a step back, Alph straightened up. Without even realizing it, he had begun to crouch down under the weight of Thorn’s aura, and when Thorn reined it in he felt like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“Would you be more comfortable if I only invite a few of my friends instead of making it a guild thing?”

“I don’t deal with guilds.” Alph’s face remained cold.

“No problem.” Thorn nodded. “My friend who needs to find the World Tree might be able to help us with the High Priestess issue, which would allow us to purify the World Tree. That would not only end the threat of the corrupted bugs but it would give you access to as much of the World Tree’s sap as you need for your alchemy. What if we invite her and a few more of my friends who will be able to help us get through the caverns in one piece? You have my word that my guild will be left out of it.”

Alph looked at Thorn coldly, searching his face for any sign of duplicity. Yet no matter how he looked, all he could see was Thorn’s earnest expression staring back at him. Thorn could see that Alph wanted to reject him but was having conflicted feelings. A few minutes passed in silence as the alchemist wrestled with his thoughts. Finally, just as Thorn was about to open his mouth and begin speaking, Alph sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“Fine. But only because I can’t get to the roots by myself. And I want unlimited access to the sap. Plus, you owe me.” Turning his head away, Alph’s attitude was still chilly.

“Thank you, Alph. You won't regret this.”

Turning to Heidi, Thorn gestured for her to come over.

“Heidi, can you help me send some messages? I can’t use my messages right now.”

“Um, sure.” Glad that the tension had lessened, Heidi hurried over as Thorn got out a lantern from his inventory and lit it. Snorting disdainfully at Thorn’s flickering lantern, Alph got out a few of his [Light Potions], bathing the area in light.

“Thanks, that is much easier. I want to send three messages. Here are the names. Corvo from Nova Luna, Athena from the Society of Roses, and Charles Burbock. Charles lives in Fantasia, the rest are in Nova Terra. I also want to make a call to someone named Velin who is part of Nova Luna.”

Taking the piece of paper from Thorn, Heidi’s eyes went wide as she stared at the names. She shot a small glance at Thorn from the corner of her eyes and then busied herself sending the messages. While she was occupied with that, Thorn spoke to Alph.

“Alright, here are my thoughts, but let me know if I’m off anywhere. I’d like to invite my friends Velin and Mina, and then hire some other players on a mercenary contract. I know the leader of the Society of Roses, so we can hire one of their teams to help us clear the caverns. They are a completely professional mercenary group, so we shouldn’t have any trouble with them. Velin might be able to help us with the High Priestess issue, but we’ll have to talk to her about that.”

Pausing, Thorn looked at Alph to see if anything he said had rubbed the alchemist the wrong way. With how spiky Alph had gotten when he mentioned inviting his guild, Thorn was treading carefully.

“I might not know much about the outside world, but even I know that the Society of Roses is pricey. How are we going to pay for them?”

“No problem there, I’ve got it covered.” Thorn said, waving his hand. Seeing that he was getting skeptical looks from Alph and Heidi, he grinned. “Seriously, I’ll take care of it.”

“Thorn, I found all of the people you want to contact. What do you want me to say?” Heidi asked.

“Excellent. Hold on a second, I’ll write you notes that you can send them, and then we’ll call Velin. She shouldn’t be too far away. We’ll have to rely on you to identify an exit for us, Alph.”

Not minding the grunt that he got in response, Thorn scribbled out a few notes, one for Corvo updating him on the situation, one to his lawyer in Fantasia, and one to his aunt. He handed them to Heidi as he finished, waiting for her to send them. Once she had sent the last message, she dialed Velin’s number. The first few went directly to Velin’s messages so Thorn had Heidi send a message with her number to both Velin and Mina.

Less than three minutes later Velin’s picture flashed and Heidi accepted the message, setting her call to public and adjusting the camera to show her environment so Velin could see Thorn’s looming figure.

“Hello, my name is Heidi.” Introducing herself, Heidi pointed to Thorn who was behind her. “Thorn hired me, and would like to talk to you.”

“Hello. I’m Velin, one of Thorn’s guild mates, thank you.” Velin’s face was slightly paler than normal, and the exhaustion in her voice was evident. “Thorn, what is going on?”

“Hey Velin.”

“You can talk!? Did you clear your curse?”

“Not completely. But I met an amazing alchemist who helped me out.” Thorn reached out and grabbed Alph, dragging him into the camera’s view. Keeping an arm around the uncomfortable alchemist’s shoulders, Thorn grinned. “Seriously, Alph here is unbelievably talented. I was lucky enough to meet him after I fell down into this tomb. Oh, and Heidi as well. She is tanking for us.”

“Nice to meet you, Alph. Thank you for treating Thorn,” Velin said, her smile causing her whole face to light up. The alchemist was stunned for a moment and then mumbled something unintelligible in response, fixing his eyes on the ground.

“SmilingBandit called and explained what happened during the ambush, but things have been a bit, um, intense, since then.”

“Hey, is that Thorn? Are you talking to Thorn? Can he talk now? Has he already found the World Tree without us? That lucky…” Thorn had just opened his mouth when he heard Mina’s rapid fire questions in the background.

“Quiet. I’m asking him.” Velin glared at someone off camera. “Sorry, about that. Please continue.”

“Yes, yes, yes, and yes.” Thorn counted off the answers to Mina’s questions on his fingers. “Actually, that is why I am calling you. Alph not only helped me regain my voice, but he knows the way to the World Tree. Unfortunately, the path is completely overrun by some really gross bugs. I want to put together a team that is not affiliated with Nova Luna to clear the way.”

“Who are you looking for?”

“I figured we could invite the Society of Roses to send a team over. Plus, it would be nice to have you and Mina, and maybe SmilingBandit and his group. We also need an Elven High Priestess. I was hoping that you would be able to help with that.”

“Hm. There are a few complications, but I’m sure we can figure something out. Right after we got to Thilvena the army arrived and began to besiege the city and the escort quest turned into a chain quest, which has resulted in SmilingBandit, Boon, and OneArrowKiller leaving with Oberlin. They are heading back to Maandell.

“Princess Rychell is trying to coordinate with the armies in Ilha Caelora and Ilha Taesi to counter attack Shaylathemar and sent SmilingBandit and his group back to Maandell to raise the slaves into an army to assist with the attack. Oberlin went to help them since he knows how to undo the slave brands. Mina and I were about to head to Khen Davahl to try and raise support for the attack from the Dwarves, but if we could meet up with you, that would be even better. The Dwarves seem to like you. I like the idea of asking the Society to send a team over, so I can contact Athena.”

“Don’t worry about it. Heidi is helping me get in touch with her. But if you can meet up with them before you come down into the tomb it might be safer. The tomb has some tough fights, and we need to stay here to keep clearing the bugs until the team arrives so you’ll need to make your own way over.”

“Alright, send us directions and we’ll see you in a couple of days. I’ll take care of the High Priestess issue.”

“Great. Looking forward to it. Bye.”

Heidi closed the call and looked at Thorn, but before she could speak a new call notification popped up with Athena’s face.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Heidi? I’m Athena, leader of the Society of Roses. Is Thorn available?”

“H...Hi!” Heidi’s nervousness caused her words to get stuck in her throat. “Um, yes. Here he is.”

“Xavier! How are you doing? Get your voice back yet?” Athena beamed at Thorn as his body came into view when Heidi adjusted the camera.

“Hello. Yeah, I met a really skilled alchemist who helped me out. So, do you have a team you can send?”

“Yeah, I’m tied up with some things, but Bluefire and her crew are free so I can send them over. Are you sure you don’t need more than five? I could bring the whole gang if needed.”

“That might be a bit overkill. Five should be perfectly fine. That would give us a neat group of ten. Oh, and if you can, let's go with a focus on defensive classes. We should be good on offense.”

“Sure. Hold on one second.”

Athena turned her head to speak to someone outside of the video frame. Thorn could see her mouth moving, but the game automatically muted her words so he could not hear what she was talking about. Once she finished, she turned back to the camera and smiled.

“They’re on their way. I’m sending Bluefire and her Bella Flame team. She will introduce you when they get there. I’ve also instructed her to connect with Velin and Mina on the way over. I’m sorry I can’t come, but things are getting sort of tense around the capital so I can’t afford to be away.”

“Oh no, I hope everything is okay?”

“It is fine, just some tensions with the south. There are rumblings about the Orcs and it is making people nervous. Speaking of tension, don’t you have a hearing in a week?”

“Two. Well, more like a week and a half. I’m hoping to finish up some stuff here in Rasyn before I head to the capital. I’ll be staying with you for a bit if that is okay.”

“Of course! I have plenty of room so bring anyone you want. I’m looking forward to seeing you then!” Athena’s face brightened when she heard that Thorn would be coming to visit her.

“Thanks for sending a team over. I’ll talk to you later, alright? I hope to be getting my messaging ability back soon, so I’ll call you.”

“Great. Love you.” Athena turned her eyes to Heidi, who was standing next to Thorn nervously, and smiled. “Thanks for helping with the call, Heidi. It was nice to meet you.”

“O..oh, of course. I’m happy to help.”

“I love you too, bye.” Thorn waved to Athena as Heidi ended the call.

“S..sorry, were you still talking? Do I need to call her back?”

“No, no, you’re fine.” Thorn said. Turning around, he noticed the strange glances that Alph was shooting at him and chuckled. “Athena, the leader of the Society of Roses, is my aunt.”

“No wonder you were confident in hiring them.” The disgruntled look on the alchemist’s face had faded after listening to the two calls that Thorn made.

“Athena is your aunt!” Heidi’s face shone with excitement as she stared at Thorn. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to fight alongside the Society!”

“Is it that exciting? They’re pretty normal ladies.”

“Normal!? Are you crazy? They are amazing! Getting to play with the Society is a dream come true for any girl in the game!”

Used to Heidi’s subdued manner, Thorn was slightly taken aback by how genuinely excited Heidi was.

“I wonder if they give out autographs? Hey, you’re related to Athena, can you ask her for an autograph?”

“Uh, sure. Remind me once we’re done with this quest and I’ll ask for you. Speaking of quests,” Thorn turned to Alph. “You said we’ll get a quest for cleansing the World Tree when we get into the cavern closest to the World Tree? Can you show it to me?”

“You lose it if you leave the area, so I don’t have it any more. But it was something about purifying the corruption of the World Tree Heart.”

“No problem. We’ll look when we get there. For now, lets just keep these bugs clear while we wait for the rest of the team.”

CHAPTER FORTY

“Three on the left!”

“I see them.” Following Alph’s pointing finger, Thorn put away his arbalest and dashed forward, drawing his tetsubo as he moved. Three quick strikes crushed the long-legged bugs into paste and he retreated behind Heidi as quickly as he had charged out.

For the last two days Thorn, Heidi, and Alph had been periodically clearing the entrance to the cavern, making sure that the concentration of bugs did not grow out of control as they waited for Velin, Mina, and the ladies from the Society of Roses to arrive. Despite their efforts, the number of the larger eggs with thick leather armor had nearly doubled. The thought of how quickly they had multiplied sent a shiver down Thorn’s spine.

After multiple days of cooperation, they had settled into a smooth rhythm. Heidi held the front, tying up any bugs that got close to the cavern’s entrance, while Thorn picked off the long-legged bugs from a distance, occasionally charging out to deal with a group that got too close. Alph was splitting his time between throwing offensive potions at groups of enemies, replenishing the [Sticky Light] potions as they dried out and faded, and trying to develop a poison that only targeted the bugs.

“Haha, yes!”

“Did you find something that works?” Thorn looked over to where Alph was dripping different colored liquids on one of the tube bugs that had been completely immobilized by thick foam.

“Heh, no, but I did manage to give them the ability to breathe fire. Haha, look how cool that is!”

“Um, I feel like we are taking steps backwards here. The point is to kill them, not make them stronger.”

“You don’t want a self-replicating army of fire-breathing bugs?”

“Can you control them? Because I certainly don’t want to face an army of self-replicating fire-breathing bugs.”

“Fair point.” Alph scratched his chin as he looked down at the tube bug that was still belching flame. “Hmmm. Let me try an [Obsidian Skin] potion.”

“You’re giving them armor too? Are you sure you’re not secretly on their side?” Over the last few days of hanging out with Thorn and Alph, Heidi had relaxed a lot.

“No, no, the earth essence in the twisted obsidian root should counteract the...you know what, nevermind. You would not understand it even if I explained.”

Giving Heidi a disdainful look, Alph dripped a few drops of a shining black potion on the tube bug’s exposed skin. The [Obsidian Skin] potion created small puffs of smoke as it hit the tube bug. Under Thron’s skeptical gaze the smoke spread across the tube bug’s skin, thickening into armored plates. The heat generated by the tube bug’s skin began to seep through the armor plates, causing them to glow bright red. With a sizzle, the heated armor plates began burning the thick foam that had trapped the bug.

“Yeah, I don’t think that worked.”

Thorn gave Alph an amused look as he brought down the head of his tetsubo on the tube bug. With a crack, the burning armor plates cracked slightly, protecting the creature. Feeling threatened, the creature turned its head and spit a thin stream of flame at Thorn who blocked it with his palm.

“The good news is that your potions are really effective. But maybe, let’s use them on ourselves, and not on our enemies.”

Lifting his foot, Thorn stomped down, completely crushing the bug into pulp.

“That should have worked. Unless there is something particular about their blood that I don’t know about. Hmm.” Crouching down, Alph mumbled to himself as he examined the creature’s corpse.

Seeing that the alchemist was entirely absorbed by his study, Thorn turned back to assist Heidi in clearing some of the bugs that had gotten close. A few minutes later, as Heidi was finishing off the last of the tube bugs that had gotten near, she got a notification. Sidestepping a snapping bite, she brought the pointed edge of her shield down, severing the tube bug’s head. The shield attack was followed by a neat stab that pinned the main body of the still writhing creature to the ground.

Stepping out of range of its flailing claws, Heidi turned to Thorn, taking her helmet off and pushing her hair out of her face.

“I just got a message that they are almost here.”

“Excellent. Great timing.”

Looking around the cavern, Thorn could see that many of the eggs were getting ready to hatch. Over the last two days he had learned the signs that indicated a major wave of enemies were about to appear. Alph was still completely absorbed in his study of the tube bug’s blood, so Thorn waved Heidi back to her position.

“Watch the eggs, it would be super embarrassing if we were overwhelmed right as they got here.”

“Got it.” Putting her helmet back on, Heidi pulled her sword from the tube bug’s corpse and stood in front of Thorn.

Thorn only had to wait a few more minutes before a shout echoed through the tunnel and a small figure rushed into the cavern. Turning around, he was surprised to see the source of the shout jumping into the air and quickly put his tetsubo away, lifting his arms to catch the small individual. Mina grinned and did her best to wrap her arms around him, though they barely spanned his chest. Pulling his head back slightly as he got a face full of red hair, Thorn smiled.

“Hello, Mina.”

“Thorn! I missed you! And you can talk! This is so great! It was so sad when you were quiet all the time, so it’s great to have you back.” Hopping down from his arms as Velin, Bluefire, and the other ladies from the Society of Roses appeared in the cavern’s entrance, Mina patted him on the stomach since she could not reach his shoulder. “But what on Nova Terra are you? You fell down into a tomb and discovered the World Tree? If you are not related to Eve I’ll eat my hat. What stupid luck.”

“Ms. Bluefire. Ladies.”

Ignoring Mina’s complaints, Thorn greeted the ladies from the Society of Roses, and then looked at the slim Elven War Priestess that stood quietly next to them. Taking a step forward, his arms naturally encircled her in a hug. Frozen by the hug, Velin’s face remained neutral though the tips of her ears grew red. After a second of hesitation, her arms wrapped around Thorn’s waist as she returned the affectionate greeting.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. We’re on a bit of a clock here.” After releasing the still blushing War Priestess, Thorn began to introduce everyone to each other. “This is Heidi, who has been tanking for us, and the guy muttering over there is Alph, a master alchemist and our guide. Heidi, Alph, this is Velin, and Mina, my teammates. Ms. Bluefire, would you mind introducing us to your team?”

“Of course.” Stepping forward, Bluefire introduced her team one by one. “This is Genevieve. She is an earth and fire mage.”

“You can call me Vivi.” Genevieve was a brown haired woman wearing a thick red and gold robe.

“Next to Vivi is BrokenBlade, our primary tank. Hollowgen is our ranged support and healer, and finally, we have PrincessPriscillaPeriwinkle, or Priss for short. DPS and off-tank.”

Smiling and nodding a greeting to each of the ladies as Bluefire introduced them, Thorn’s eyes stopped on Priss. At six and a half feet tall, she was the largest woman Thorn had seen since entering the game. Thick muscles covered her shoulders and arms that were decorated with tattoos. Thick braids fell from her head, their leather straps matching the barbaric leather armor that covered her body. On her back rested a large battle axe.

“What, you never seen a half-Orc before?” Just like the rest of her, Priss’ voice was rough, her lips parting to show small tusks at the corners of her mouth.

“I haven’t.” Uncowed by her aggressive words, Thorn smiled. “It is nice to meet all of you. Thank you for coming all this way to help us out. With you here, our chances of success will be much greater.”

“Hah, as if your aunt would give us a chance to protest.” Bluefire ran her eye up and down Thorn’s armor. “It looks like you’ve been doing pretty well for yourself.”

“Eh, I’m getting by.” Completely unashamed of his false modesty, Thorn ignored both Mina and Velin who were rolling their eyes and glanced at Alph who was cursing in frustration at his latest failed mixture.

“Thorn, I need more blood for testing. A live specimen would be even better.”

Alph stood up before Thorn could speak, gesturing to the disgusting concoction in his bowl. Hearing only silence, he turned his head and jerked in surprise.

“Who are you? When did more people get here? Thorn, who are they?”

“They’re the mercenaries we hired to help us.”

“Ah, oh. Great, great. Now about those tube…” Alph’s voice trailed off as he caught sight of Priss’ large figure. “What is a half-Orc doing here?”

“What, you have a problem with Orcs?” Not appreciating the tone of the alchemist’s voice, Priss’ face warped into a sneer and she began to step forward, her hand moving to the axe handle on her back.

“Huh? Why would I have a problem with Orcs? It's just curious to see them on Rasyn considering the current situation.”

Thorn was not sure if Alph was simply oblivious to Priss’ aggression or if he just did not care, but the alchemist showed no signs of having noticed her aggressive stance.

“What do you mean?” Velin asked, her eyes darting between the two players as her notebook appeared in her hands.

“The slavers are backed by the Orcs from the southern continent.” Heidi’s quiet voice dampened the rising tension. Adjusting her grip on the shield she held, she turned her head and gave Priss a small glance. “No one knows why the Orcs are buying slaves in such large quantities, but they are all being dragged off to the southern continent by Orc raiding ships.”

“Orcs, not Demonkin?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Well, I’m sure that has nothing to do with our friend here.” Thorn’s voice was warm and his smile friendly as he looked at Priss. “But let’s put that aside for now. We’ve got other things to do at the moment. Like fighting our way through that.”

*crack* *crackcrackcrack*

As soon as Thorn finished speaking, a rapid fire sound echoed through the cavern as the small and medium sized eggs began to crack open. Following his pointing finger, everyone saw countless creatures emerging from the cracked eggs, forming a writhing sea of disgusting enemies.

“Positions, please. BrokenBlade, Heidi, please take point. Vivi, you and Hollowgen will support from the back with Velin and Mina. You are all responsible for protecting Alph. Bluefire and Priss will take the flanks.”

“Hey, who put you in charge?” Priss’ rough voice sounded in stark contrast to Thorn’s warm, deep tones.

“Priss!” Bluefire glared at her team member.

“What? Since when have we ever taken direction from anyone? Especially a wet behind the ears punk who only hired us because he is related to the boss?”

Sighing in frustration, Bluefire gave Thorn an apologetic look. Based on the way the rest of her squad was watching to see what happened, she was sure that they all had the same opinion as Priss.

“Hey, Tusky, what is your problem?” A chill surrounded the group as Mina spoke. Her witch’s hat had been pushed back on her head and she was staring up at Priss, a hard look in her eyes.

“What did you call me?”

“Tusky. What, your ears too small to hear? You were hired to follow directions, if that is too much for you to handle you better leave now.”

“Listen, midget,” this time it was BrokenBlade who spoke, a spiked flail appearing in her hand. However, before she could say any more, a deep voice echoed through the cavern like thunder, shaking the ground and setting the loose stones dancing.

“Enough.”

Thorn had not shouted, but his voice pierced through everyone’s ears, causing them to freeze in place. Scanning the whole team, his eyes narrowed for a moment and then he put his helmet on.

“You have been given your directions. If you cannot follow them, please leave. And Mina, don’t make trouble.”

“Wha…”

Velin covered Mina’s mouth before she could protest, shaking her head. The Ice Witch grumbled to herself but took her place next to Velin

“Do you want left or right?” Bluefire asked Priss, warning her with a glare that she better behave.

“Hmph. I’ll take the right.”

“Fine. Everyone better be on their A-game or Athena will be hearing about it when we get back.”

“Thorn, the first wave is coming.” Never once during the argument had Heidi’s eyes left the swarms of creatures that were spawning.

“No problem, we should have enough firepower to wipe them all out.”

“Remember to keep at least one alive,” Alph reminded Thorn from where he stood in the back of the group.

“Got it.”

Walking up next to Heidi, BrokenBlade equipped her sword from her inventory. Almost seven feet long, it was nearly two feet wide and had a series of circular cut outs along the center of the blade. In each of the cut outs was a handle that was angled in a different direction.

“I’ll need some space.” BrokenBlade was a thickset woman with platinum blonde hair and green eyes. Her entire body was covered in thick plate armor, though the armor around her arms and shoulders was not as thick as the armor that covered her lower body.

“How much?” Heidi took a few steps back, giving BrokenBlade enough room to wield her weapon.

“That is perfect. Do you want to off-tank? Or we can take sides. Either works for me.”

“Heidi, you can off-tank.” Thorn stood behind the two tanks, settling a bolt into his arbalest.

Without complaint Heidi took another step back. Priss opened her mouth to make a comment, but was silenced by a glare from Bluefire who stood on the other side of the group. Disgruntled, she could only close her lips tightly and ready her weapon.

“Alph, light please.”

“Sure thing. Here you go.”

Catching the two [Sticky Light] potions that Alph tossed him, Thorn uncapped them and threw them up toward the cavern’s ceiling where the last batch was starting to fade. The liquid spilled from the bottles as they rotated, beginning to foam as soon as it hit the light. Most of the foam splattered across the ceiling, but some fell to the cavern floor, trapping creatures as it rapidly grew.

The cavern lit up as bright as day with the growing foam, enraging the creatures who had just hatched. With deafening hisses they began to rush toward the players, pushing and shoving to be the first to attack. Their eyes fixed on the charging sea of creatures in front of them, the players all settled in for the fight.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

The long legged bugs were the first to draw near, easily outpacing the wave of tube bugs that covered the cavern floor. Thorn lifted his arbalest and glanced at Mina, Vivi, and Velin who stood on either side of him.

“There are too many for us to wait for the tanks to engage, so pick a section and start blasting.”

“You got it, boss.” Mina’s eyes lit up and she leveled her wand at the oncoming horde.

“Sure.” Vivi replied casually, brushing her long brown hair behind her head with a flip.

Lifting both hands into the air, she began drawing a set of glowing runes. Each pass of her fingers left a glowing streak hanging in the air in front of her. Arcane words tumbled from her lips in bright colors, causing the runes to brighten and pulse. Once the runes were finished, she pointed forward and slashed her finger toward the incoming horde. Instantly a red rift appeared on the right side of the cavern, hanging over the heads of the creatures. Magma began to fall like a curtain, creating a burning wall of death for any bugs that tried to cross it.

Not to be outdone, Mina quickly cast a series of [Ice Wall] spells at an angle from the wall of the cavern. [Blizzard] followed, placed at the end of the stretch of walls. The creatures, forced to bunch as they moved forward, ran into the whirling ball of ice in increasing numbers, slowing down as they approached the center.

With a wave, the three icy spheres that rotated above Mina’s head arranged themselves in a straight line in front of her and began spinning in place. Ice cold mist rolled off of them as they rotated, forming [Ice Spikes] that shot forward, peppering the crawling bugs with razor sharp shards of ice.

“Mina, can you slow a bug down for me? One of the tube ones would be good.” Thorn pointed over Mina’s head at one of the tube bugs right outside the range of her Blizzard.

“Yup, no problem.”

Flicking her wand, Mina vanished from where she stood, arriving above the tube bugs in an instant. Before the creatures could even register her presence, she cast [Sub Zero], dropping the temperature around her drastically. The shock of cold froze the creatures in place, frost forming across their bodies. Grabbing onto one of the tails of a frozen tube bug, she heaved it into the air and vanished again, popping up next to Thorn and dropping the tube bug at his feet.

“One tube bug, express delivery.” Grinning cheekily, she winked at Thorn and then turned to monitor her spinning orbs.

Amused, Thorn picked up the tube bug and tossed it to Alph who was standing at the back of the group, his eyes shining. Opening up a vial, he dripped a few drops of potion on the ground and kicked the tube bug into the growing foam. A few more drops on top of it made sure that the tube bug was firmly bound as it started to wake up.

Pulling out a small dagger, he cut the thick skin of the immoble creature, gathering some of the blood that spurted out. Next to him, Velin watched with interest while making notes in her book. Occasionally she would look at the fight, but seeing that everyone seemed to have things well in hand, she focused on documenting what Alph was doing.

As the two spell casters took care of the creatures on the flanks, Thorn and Hollowgen began to fire their ranged weapons. Thorn’s arbalest shook the air as bolt after bolt flew across the cavern, slamming into the long legged bugs. Next to him, Hollowgen’s fingers flickered as a steady stream of arrows flew from her bow. Though not nearly as destructive as Thorn’s bolts, Hollowgen’s arrows seemed to have eyes of their own, always finding weak spots on the bugs they targeted, proving no less effective as she downed bug after bug, leaving them littered across the cavern floor like pin cushions.

Despite the effectiveness of the team’s ranged attacks, the horde of bugs seemed endless, and the wave of enemies soon drew within thirty feet. BrokenBlade glanced over at Heidi one last time. Seeing Heidi’s nod, BrokenBlade took a breath and activated her primary tanking ability, [Warrior’s Challenge]. A ringing sound echoed from her strange sword, pressing forward in a wave that encompassed the front ranks of the charging bugs. Thorn could tell the difference instantly as the bugs’ attention suddenly shifted toward BrokenBlade.

“Come on!”

Letting out a shout, BrokenBlade strode forward, stopping five steps in front of the group. Swinging her blade to the side, she grabbed one of the angled handles and redirected it to spin around her head. Her blade began to rotate around her body in a steady rhythm, cutting through the air with a ferocious whistle.

The whistle produced by her blade seemed to infuriate the bugs, driving them into a frenzy as they threw themselves at her, only to be battered aside by the spinning blade. Thorn quickly noticed that BrokenBlade used her sword as a shield more often than as a sword, smacking the incoming creatures aside instead of cutting into them.

For a moment Thorn was worried that BrokenBlade was going to be buried by the sheer weight of the creatures’ bodies, but before she was overwhelmed a glowing blue fist smashed into a bug’s side, launching its broken body back over the heads of the horde. Bluefire stood a few steps behind BrokenBlade on her left side, her magical weapons smashing into the bugs that tried to bypass the tank.

On BrokenBlade’s other side, Priss’ whirling axe cut the approaching bugs into pieces with ease. The half-Orc’s muscles glowed with a faint red energy that pulsed every time she cut into another enemy. As the glow deepened, her axe began to get faster and faster, cutting through the bugs more easily.

Behind BrokenBlade, staying clear of the spinning sword, Heidi held her shield loosely as she waited for her time to take the pressure off of BrokenBlade. That time came quickly due to the sheer number of enemies.

BrokenBlade had been continually swinging her sword for over five minutes when it began to slow slightly. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, BrokenBlade lifted her hand, holding two fingers over her head.

“Got it.”

Hearing the words from behind her, BrokenBlade spun to the side, pulling the attention of the crowd that was still fixed on her away from the center of the player’s formation. Heidi had lifted her shield and was waiting for the moment when the bugs’ attention was pulled to the side. Activating [Burning Like A Flame], she charged forward, taking BrokenBlade’s position at the front of the group.

[Earthen Spear Wall]

The energy of her charge flowed into the ground as Heidi’s shield slammed down into the rock, stopping her charge in exactly the same spot where BrokenBlade had stood a second earlier. The energy rippled through the ground in a fan shape, spreading into the crowd of bugs and knocking them back. Razor sharp stone spears ripped their way out of the ground, skewering the nearby bugs and creating a clear space in front of the team.

[Ride The Waves]

As the bugs surged back into the space created by Heidi’s [Earthen Spear Wall], she began to weave back and forth, slipping past their attacks with infuriating ease, driving them into a frenzy. Watching the bugs redouble their efforts to attack her, BrokenBlade backed off to rest.

Hollowgen was about to stop shooting and cast a spell on BrokenBlade to help her recover faster, but before she could a bright glow flashed from the top of Velin’s staff and a golden light settled on BrokenBlade, restoring her stamina.

“You focus on damage, I’ve got the healing covered.”

“Sounds good to me,” Hollowgen said as her hands continued to flicker, sending arrows into the massed crowd of enemies.

BrokenBlade could feel her strength returning as Velin’s spell brought her back to full energy. As she waited for her cool downs to finish, she kept a close eye on Heidi, who was still weaving back and forth. Just before Heidi’s [Ride The Waves] ability ended, she swapped into her [One With The Mountain] stance, planting both feet firmly on the cavern floor.

*DONG*

Using the pommel of her sword, she struck the back of her shield, sending a peal through the cavern. For the briefest of moments Thorn could have sworn all the bugs froze and then looked at Heidi. That moment was gone in an instant and Thorn saw all of the bugs swarming toward Heidi as if their lives depended on it.

Sharp claws and teeth pounded her shield, but despite the storm of attacks she stood as solid as a mountain, completely unmoving as the force of the attacks was spread out across the floor. As more and more bugs crowded in front of Heidi, climbing over each other in their eagerness to attack, Thorn called to Vivi.

“Can you drop an AoE fire spell right in front of Heidi?”

“Sure.” Vivi immediately switched from maintaining her magma wall to casting a new spell. “Priss, cover for me, please.”

“On it.”

Priss gave a low roar and spun quickly, blasting all the nearby enemies back. With a smoothness that pointed to countless hours of practice, she stepped forward and to the right while Vivi stepped back two steps, falling neatly behind the half-Orc. Finishing her spell, she pointed at the packed throng of enemies in front of Heidi and spoke the command words.

[Greater Flame Swirl]

From thin air heat began to gather, spinning around in a giant swirl. The super-heated air burst into flame, sending gouts of fire swirling through the ranks of the bugs who had packed around Heidi. The flames had incinerated all the enemies directly in front of her, giving her a respite from the horde. Once the enemies were cleared, the spell started to fade, but Heidi quickly swapped her stance for the third time.

[Inferno Shield]

Heidi gritted her teeth as her shield began to glow, directly absorbing the flames that swirled around in front of her. Sweat beaded her forehead, and she could feel her skin beginning to burn. The potion that Alph had given her had protected her the last time she used [Inferno Shield], but it had worn off days ago.

Soon the whole spell had been sucked up and her shield was glowing white hot. With the spell gone, the bugs surged forward again, filling the space that had been cleared. A quick glance backwards showed Heidi that BrokenBlade had already recovered and was ready to take her place again.

[Burning Like A Flame]

Bursting forward, Heidi took three steps into the incoming crowd and released the effect of her [Inferno Shield]. A wave of heat poured into the bugs, turning them to ash instantly. Panting, she fell back past BurningBlade who had just stepped forward.

“Akira.” Thorn called out, sending another bolt into the crowd.

[Got it, master!]

[Royal Grace]

A warm light washed over Heidi, relieving her burning skin and healing the damage she had taken. Waving at Akira to show that she was okay, Heidi faced the front again, keeping watch on BrokenBlade who was once again waving her sword around her body.

Over the next forty minutes the team repeated the same sequence six more times, with BrokenBlade tanking for four minutes and Heidi tanking two. Over and over they crushed the bugs that rushed toward them while Mina, Bluefire, Priss, and Vivi destroyed bugs on both sides. Yet, despite the number of bugs they killed, there seemed to be no end to them. Looking over the battlefield, Thorn frowned.

“Hey, Alph, what is going on? Why aren’t the numbers being reduced? Alph?”

Thorn nudged the alchemist a few times until he looked up from examining the blood of the tube bug that Thorn caught.

“What?”

“Can you shed some light on what is happening here? Why are we not making progress here?”

“Um, because you are not as cool as my potions? Haha, no, but really, have you tried moving forward? They really do have endless numbers so standing here and fighting isn’t actually going to help. I’d guess that their gestation period is short enough that they’ll respawn before we can kill them all.”

“Are you serious? That would have been nice to know before we stood here fighting for half a day!”

Priss’ annoyed voice carried over from where she was fighting. Dodging a feeble swing from the tube bug she had just cut in half, she kicked out, her boot smashing in the teeth of another tube bug that was jumping toward her.

“Priss!” Bluefire’s voice was heavy, her annoyance obvious.

“Well, now we know. And it isn’t a bad thing that we’ve gotten the chance to learn how to work together.” Thorn spoke slowly, doing his best to keep his temper, even in the face of the half-Orc’s bad attitude. “We’ll need to change up our formation to move forward. Bluefire, Priss, you’ll be with me in the front. Tanks will take the flanks to protect the casters. Hollowgen, you’ll be responsible for calling threats. Any questions?”

“Yeah, what is our formation in the front?” Bluefire paused to ask between crushing tube bugs.

“We’ll be going with a rough diamond shape. I’ll take point with you on my left and Priss on my right. Heidi will cover the right flank and BrokenBlade will cover the left flank.”

“Wouldn’t it be best to have the highest DPS taking point?” Priss asked as she cut a tube bug in half.

Under his wolf head helmet, Thorn rolled his eyes. Putting his arbalest away, he drew his tetsubo and rested it on his shoulder as he strode to the front of the group.

“Yup, and that is why I’m taking point.”

“You think you…”

Priss’ words had barely escaped from her lips when Thorn stepped past BrokenBlade and stomped on the ground. His foot sunk into the stone and the resulting shockwave blasted the nearby tube bugs up into the air. With a casual swing four of the unfortunate creatures exploded in a shower of blood. The fifth was caught in Thorn’s other hand and tossed at one of the large armored eggs. Smashing into the leather plates, the tube bug was smashed to a pulp against its hard brethren. Turning his head, the glowing eyes of Thorn’s helmet raked up and down Priss’ body, sending a chill down her spine.

“Yes, yes I do.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Thorn’s annoyance at Priss’ rotten attitude was put to good use as he began to forge the path forward through the cavern. The multitude of tube bugs and swarms of long-legged bugs were swept aside by broad strokes of his tetsubo, leaving a thick trail of goo behind him. Every stamp of his foot crushed a bug to paste and every swing of his weapon cut a swath through the packed crowd of enemies.

“Priss! Keep up or swap out!” Bluefire shouted at her companion as she followed Thorn into the fray.

Jerked from her disgruntled shock by Bluefire’s ringing voice, Priss pulled her eyes from the massive figure leading the way and began spinning her axe, neatly bisecting a long-legged bug that was trying to stab her with its claws. Seeing that a gap was opening up between her and Thorn, she moved forward quickly, disregarding the attacks from the bugs that had swarmed into the space. A sharp sting on her thigh made the barbarian grimace, but she did not falter as she caught up to Thorn.

“Thorn, that is too fast.” Velin called out, calmly casting a healing spell on Priss. As the golden light closed the small wound on Priss’ thigh she continued “Wait until we get used to your rhythm.”

“Sure thing.”

Suppressing the urge to rush into the middle of the cavern, Thorn took a deep breath between his steps and continued to push his way forward, clearing a wide path at the front of the group. To his left and right Bluefire and Priss were widening the path to keep the pressure off of the healers and damage dealers, while BrokenBlade and Heidi dealt with the few enemies that did make it close.

Mina, Vivi, and Hollowgen walked in the center of the formation, raining deadly area of effect attacks from a distance, wiping out swaths of the bugs as Velin kept her eye on healing the group. Akira rode on Velin’s shoulder, casting her support spell on Thorn every few minutes to keep him in top form. Next to Velin, Alph was still fiddling with the vials of blood that he had collected.

Every few minutes he would run forward and give Thorn a [Sticky Light] potion before retreating back to where Velin stood. Pausing, Thorn held the latest [Sticky Light] potion in his hand, looking up at the ceiling of the cavern for a good spot. Seeing a relatively flat area, he threw the potion, watching it spread out, increasing the illumination of the area. The bugs were surging forward again in a wave, so he resumed his slow walk forward, killing bugs with every step.

“Alph, you fought your way through this area before, right?” Velin’s question caused everyone in the group to listen carefully.

“Yeah, quite a few times in years past. Though, I’ve mostly been just culling their numbers for the last few years. Not much point in getting close to the tree so it's easier to wipe them out en masse.”

“Are there any enemies that are more difficult than these?” Bluefire asked, cutting through two leaping tube bugs with the glowing magic blades that extended from her tonfa while delivering a neat snap kick to another, crushing it into a pulp.

“Oh yeah. Just wait till we get to the closer caverns. These guys are just the small fry. We still have the spike bugs, the juggernauts, the spitters, and probably the elemental bugs when we get close.”

“Alph, it would be helpful to have all of this information now, rather than later when we’re actually fighting them.” Velin’s calm voice cut off the angry words that Priss was about to speak. “Can you give me a rundown of the different types?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. Hold on. Let me try this.”

Alph carefully weighed a greenish potion in his hand as he looked around for a good place to throw it. Seeing a clump of enemies near the entrance to the cavern, he wound up and lobbed the glass vial at them.

From the front of the group Thorn watched the potion soar over his head nervously. The concoctions that Alph created were undoubtedly impressive, but their unpredictability made Thorn sweat. The potion landed in the middle of the enemies, sending a puff of green smoke into the air as the vial broke open and splashed the bugs with the green liquid.

Startled by the sound, the surrounding bugs rushed to where the potion had landed, milling around as they tried to find the enemy. Unable to discover anything, they soon turned around and resumed their slithering toward the group.

“Huh, that should have done something. Maybe too much Xilipi? Hmmm.”

“Alph! Before you get lost in that, can you tell us about the enemies that we’ll be facing?”

“Oh, right, yeah.” Lifting his head from the potions he was about to mix, Alph furrowed his brow. “There are a bunch of other, bigger bugs that we’ll fight soon. The closer we get to the World Tree the worse it will be. There are bugs with really sharp spikes that roll up and try to run you over. If you get caught by a bunch of them they will crush you into a pulp.”

“Do they have a weakness?” Hollowgen asked, pausing between arrows to scan the cavern’s exit.

“Yeah, if you can hit them on the side they fall over. Oh, and slowing them down makes them just about useless. They only do damage when they are moving quickly. Then there are the spitters.” Alph’s eyes lit up as he began to talk about the different creatures. “The spitters do what you would assume, they spit acid. Each bug has about five shots before it has to rest to regenerate acid. It takes between seven and ten minutes to regenerate depending on the size of the bug.

“The juggernaut bugs are massive and plated in the same armor that is on the big eggs. They have big claws and a mouth full of teeth. Needless to say, they are rough. Last, but probably most dangerous, there are the elemental bugs. They are the smartest bugs and can cast magic. Some fly, some burrow, some rush towards you and light you on fire. Oh, and some shoot icicles at you. Just depends on what sort of element they carry.”

“What about the large eggs? What is inside them?” Velin tapped her staff on the ground, shrouding Bluefire in a warm glow.

“Uh, nothing as far as I know. They seem to be the hatching spots for the other bugs. They’ll all have an opening on the back side where the eggs come out. As far as I know they are indestructible but can’t attack. When we get into the next cavern we’ll start seeing the bigger, more dangerous bugs.”

“In that case, why don’t we push through a bit faster? Since the tube bugs are endless there is no point in staying here any longer.” Velin called up to Thorn. “Let’s move to the next room.”

“Sounds good. Can everyone keep up?” Thorn looked over his shoulder at Priss.

“Just worry about yourself. We’ll be fine.”

“Haha, sounds good. Alright, folks, hang on.”

Rolling his shoulders, Thorn began to spin his tetsubo around him. Taking a step forward, his weapon continued its high speed rotation, ripping through the side of a tube bug that got too close. Crouching slightly, Thorn burst forward, his large strides carrying him into the middle of the tightly packed enemies. His tetsubo blurred as it picked up speed, crushing through the tube bugs like a bulldozer.

Behind him, the rest of the team rushed to keep up. Bluefire and Priss both cut down the bugs on either side nearly as fast as Thorn, focusing on chopping them apart as fast as they could without worrying about landing finishing blows. Heidi and BrokenBlade, running behind the two DPS, finished the injured bugs off while Vivi and Mina cast their best area of effect spells.

The limited intelligence of the bugs caused them to rush toward the party without any semblance of order, like fruit throwing themselves into a blender. Pushing forward swiftly, Thorn and the rest of the players were soon in the middle of the large cavern. Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, Thorn checked to see that everyone was managing to keep up.

“Looks like we’re all good, so I’m going to be speeding up. Any issue with that?”

Hearing no complaints, Thorn increased his speed again. Soon he was moving so quickly that his spinning tetsubo could barely keep up and most of the enemies in front of him were being crushed by his weight as he waded through them. The team behind him had no trouble keeping up as they rushed to the entrance to the next cavern. Arriving at the tunnel that still had tube bugs boiling out of it, Thorn called for Vivi.

Waving her hands in a complicated pattern, Vivi quickly drew a glowing circular rune in the air and pushed her hand out toward the cavern entrance, sending it tumbling forward. Spinning in the air, heat began to gather around it. Small clumps of dirt were pulled from the ground, turning molten as they settled onto the glowing runes and soon it had turned into a raging ball of lava.

Passing into the entrance, the heat radiating from the spell burned the tube bugs to a crisp as it floated down the tunnel. Once it arrived at the halfway point, Vivi snapped her fingers and the molten symbol exploded into a storm of lava, turning everything in the tunnel into ash. The walls of the tunnel were scorched with molten earth and began to glow as they absorbed the intense heat.

“Mina, would you mind helping me out?” Grinning at the destruction she caused, Vivi looked over at Mina who nodded and cast a [Blizzard] down the tunnel. The ice storm passed over the glowing rock, cooling it down until it was safe to walk on.

“Thank you, ladies. Alph, can you cover our back?” Thorn asked as he led the way into the cooled tunnel.

“Yup, no problem.”

Once everyone was in the tunnel Alph splashed a line of his rapidly expanding foam on the ground, creating an instant wall behind them. As the wall of foam cut them off from the light generated by the [Sticky Light] potions, Thorn realized that there was a subtle glow coming from the walls. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw thousands of tiny veins running through the rock, producing the weak light.

“What are these?”

“Hmm? Oh, the roots? They’re energy paths that lead toward the World Tree. The closer we get the bigger and brighter they will be. Which is great because I won’t have to waste more potions.”

“Do they pose any danger to us?” Velin asked, flipping open her notebook.

“Nah,” Alph waved his hand. “At least, not that I know of.”

“Hm. I don’t like this.” Velin sighed as she flipped her notebook closed and put it away. “I guess we should continue as normal. But everyone should be on the lookout for strange things. With the World Tree being corrupted, it’ll pay to be cautious.”

“Hah,” Priss snorted disdainfully, “sounds like someone is getting cold feet to me.”

“Hey, what is your problem?” Her eyes narrowed, Mina stared up at Priss. “You’ve got a serious chip on your shoulder, don’t you?”

“What? You have a problem with my attitude? Well suck it up, shorty. Unless of course you want us to leave you here.”

“Leave? Feel free. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t make a difference if you were here or not, tusker.”

“For a pipsqueak you’ve got quite the mouth. Better watch it before I close it permanently.” Sneering, the half-Orc stepped forward and glared down at Mina.

“Enough.” Before Bluefire could say anything, Thorn’s voice echoed in the tunnel.

Thorn crouched near the entrance to the next cavern since the tunnel was not quite tall enough for him to stand up. The glowing red eyes of his helmet cast a bloody illumination on the arguing ladies.

“Now is not the time for this. If you have a bone to pick with us, wait until we have completed this quest and we will be happy to discuss it with you to your heart’s content. You have been hired to assist us with this quest, and I expect you to do your job properly. Otherwise Athena will hear about it.”

Hearing the calm threat in Thorn’s words, Priss knew that she could push it no further. It was one thing to antagonize one of the Society’s customers, but entirely another to poke at someone with a direct line to Athena. The leader of the Society of Roses was normally fiercely protective of the members of the Society, to the point of covering for their faults. If she was that protective of her guildmates, Priss could only imagine how protective her leader would be of her only living family member. There was no way that Priss would bet against Thorn in this case.

“Hmph.” Turning around, Priss ignored Mina, dropping the argument.

“Mina, let it slide for now.” Thorn could tell from Mina’s stance that she was ready to launch a spell at any moment. “This isn’t the time for a team fight.”

“Fine.”

“Alph, anything we need to know before we go forward?”

“Um, no? I don’t think so? I mean, I’ve never fought my way through like this. I always used potions, which was way easier. Messier, but easier. But really messy. I confess, as much as I like potions, this way is better.”

“Wait, you mean you have done this by yourself?” Hollowgen cocked her head to the side as she stared at the alchemist.

“Oh yeah. At least once a week for a few years. It isn’t that hard with the correct set of potions. First you use a [Greater Softening] potion to make all of the bugs’ shells soft, and then you use a [Greater Elemental Tornado] potion to deal with all of the bugs. Of course, you have to use a [Super Adhesion] potion to make sure you don’t get blended along with the bugs. Oh, and a [Deep Breath] potion so you don't drown or breathe in liquid bug.”

“Umph.” Covering her mouth as she gagged, Hollowgen waved for him to stop.

“Like I said, this is way better. Anyway, the next room has spitters and spike bugs. Then there is one more room after that with the juggernauts and the elemental bugs. Then we will be back into the central room of the tomb where the World Tree is. It’ll be Ms. High Priestess’ turn at that point.”

“Thanks. Let’s reorganize. I want both tanks at the front, and both melee DPS on the right. I’ll take the left side. Hollowgen, you and Vivi are in charge of the spitters. Mina, it’ll be up to you to help slow down the spike bugs. Velin, you and Akira will be responsible for healing and buffing. Alph, keep working on that potion.”

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

The second cavern was narrower than the first but just as crowded, with tube bugs packed tightly together everywhere Thorn looked. Dim light radiated from the walls and ceiling, revealing a few large eggs dotting the cavern floor. Each egg sat up on a small hill, with hollows between them were the tube bugs emerged in an endless stream.

“Huh.” Tapping his tetsubo on his shoulder, Thorn looked around at the sea of bugs. “Alright, new plan. Alph, do you have a way to clear them without killing us?”

“Um, not yet? That is what I’m working on though. Once I’ve finished this new potion it should be able to specifically target the corruption in the bug’s blood. Everything else I have just causes mass extinction.” The alchemist’s wide grin looked eerie in the dim light, causing Mina, Vivi, and Hollowgen to edge away from him as he pointed at Thorn. “Well, except for you probably. I haven’t tested how it’d work with your stone skin and plus, your armor is Dwarven, so it probably is sealed. But the rest of us would be puddles within two minutes.”

“Well, that’s no good. How about some sort of crowd control? We need to get past those hollows, but it looks like that is where the tube bugs are spawning. What about the [Sticky Light] potions? Can you make that foam hard? So we can walk on it?”

“Sure, I can work on that. I’ll need about fifteen minutes to adjust the potions.”

Swinging his wooden crate off of his back, Alph opened up his mobile alchemy station and began to mix various things together.

“Look alive everyone, we’ve got bugs incoming. We’re holding here to defend Alph while he works on the potions. I’ll take the center, with Heidi on the right and BrokenBlade on the left. Priss and Bluefire, you’re on the outside. DPS, do your thing. Watch out for ranged attacks.”

BrokenBlade and Heidi moved up to the front of the group, taking their places next to Thorn as the swarms of bugs began to move toward them. The two girls planted themselves and began to draw aggro from the swarms while Thorn cleared the space between them. The team had stationed itself at the entrance to the tunnel that passed between the two caverns to prevent the bugs from being able to wrap around them.

As the waves of bugs rushed into them, the two melee DPS players on the ends of the formation began cutting down the bugs that tried to pass by the tanks. Behind them, Mina, Vivi, and Hollowgen rained death down on the bugs from afar. Over and over waves of bugs rushed forward only to be decimated by the ranged spells or ground to paste against the tanks’ shields.

A few minutes went by before they spotted the first new enemy. It was Hollowgen who noticed it first, calling out in a low voice.

“There is a new bug at two o’clock, along the wall. Looks like a spitter.”

The new bug looked similar to the tube bugs, but with a big pouch that jiggled as it pulled itself along the ground and an extra pair of legs. An extra layer of the leather armor covered its stomach, protecting the acid sack.

“Take it down.” As curious as Thorn was about the creature, he was not overly interested in having to deal with flying acid.

“On it.”

Hollowgen spun in place, drawing three arrows from the air and settling them on her bow string. Drawing her string back, she held the three arrows for a breath as she aimed. With a twang the three arrows left the bow, flying in three different directions before curving back toward the same point on the spitter.

[Triple Piercing Arrow]

The three arrows all arrived at the same moment, stabbing into the spitter’s skin, rupturing the acid sack and sending scalding liquid splattering across the surrounding bugs. With a desperate screech the spitter exploded into pieces, further spreading the burning acid.

“Great shot!” Vivi cheered for her teammate.

“Thanks.”

Unphased by the compliment, Hollowgen had already reloaded her bow, her eyes never pausing as she continued scanning for other spitters. Finding another one hiding at the edge of one of the nearby hollows, she raised her bow again. This time a single arrow rested on her bow string as she drew it back to her cheek. Holding the arrow for three breaths, the arrow’s tip glowed brightly.

[Power Shot]

Releasing the string, the arrow blurred through the air, leaving a line of light connecting Hollowgen and the spitter that slowly faded in the dimness. The bright tip of the arrow punched through the spitter’s plates of armor, breaking the acid sack that it protected. Another small explosion rocked the cavern as the spitter writhed, sending acid splashing across the nearby tube bugs.

“Mina!”

“I see them.” The short Ice Witch had created an [Ice Wall] shaped like a pillar to stand on since she could not see over Thorn and the tanks, so when Thorn called her name she was already beginning to cast at a group of three bugs that were hurtling toward the group.

The three bugs were curled up into circles, looking like thick tires with three rows of spikes. Four sets of shovel like appendages dug into the ground as they rotated, propelling them forward with incredible momentum. The three bugs moved in a straight line toward the tanks, crushing tube bugs under their spiked carapaces without care.

Remembering Alph’s words, Mina conjured a deep blanket of snow with her [Avalanche] spell, dropping it on the two spike bugs in the front. The thick wet snow slammed into the first two bugs, covering them and slowing their mad rush to a crawl. Following right behind them, the third spike bug hit the patch of snow and dug its shovels in, trying to push past it.

[Sub-Zero]

The temperature around the spike bugs plummeted in an instant, trapping all three bugs in ice as the wet snow froze completely, sapping their energy and life. As they struggled to free themselves, a spinning ice sphere flew abreast of them, releasing a barrage of [Ice Spikes] that shot into their unprotected sides with unerring accuracy.

Two of the spike bugs soon fell, the combination of the [Ice Spikes] and the chilly temperatures proving to be too much. The last bug managed to break free from the thick ice, but before it could move more than a few feet the [Ice Spikes] ended its life. Still, more spike bugs and spitter bugs emerged from the gloom of the hollows.

As more and more bugs emerged, Thorn stepped back to join Hollowgen. BrokenBlade and Heidi shifted their positions to close the gap that he left in their formation as he put away his tetsubo and got out his arbalest again. Together, he and Hollowgen began to clear the spitters, sending out magically charged arrows and siege bolts as fast as they could.

Vivi joined Mina in raining death down on to the charging spike bugs, her lava walls burning them to a crisp as they crashed through and her lava balls lighting them on fire as they careened wildly through the tube bugs. Between the devastation caused by the exploding spitters and the carnage from mindless charging of the spike bugs, the tube bugs were soon decimated, relieving much of the pressure on the tanks.

The frantic pace of the battle continued to build as more and more bugs emerged from the hollows. It had only been ten minutes since they had entered the cavern, but Thorn was starting to get worried. The rate at which he was burning through bolts was dangerous and he knew that he could only last a few more minutes firing at this rate.

The rest of the group was starting to show the strain of the fight as well. They had been fighting nearly non-stop for a few hours now and while they could still use their abilities, the mental and physical fatigue was beginning to build up. Even the healing spells that Velin had been using to keep them full of energy were no longer working quite as well.

“Alph, how is it going?”

“Nearly there. Just under five minutes.”

“Any way you could speed it up?”

“Speed it up? Are you serious? I’m already going way too fast as it is! You want to wipe us all out? If I get any of these measurements wrong we’ll be suffocated, poisoned, and melted before you can say holy terra! Without four minutes and twenty three more seconds of boiling the reaction will not be delayed enough to keep the potion from exploding as soon as it is mixed. And without the poison mixed in the bugs will just eat their way through it before we can cross to the other side of the cavern! Alchemy is a sacred and absolute art! Shortcuts are the mark of a charlatan! A scam artist!”

Hunching his shoulders slightly as the torrent of sound and spit flew from Alph’s mouth, Thorn shot another spitter, sending the bugs around it to a burning death.

“Would a higher temperature help?” Velin’s words were calm as she recast one of her buffs on Mina.

“What?! You...actually, yes. It probably would. Provided it was applied evenly around the potion that would probably work. At least eighty percent chance.”

“Vivi, can you spare a [Lava Ball]?”

“Of course.” Vivi paused her hand motions and turned around to face Alph, conjuring a [Lave Ball] around the bottom of his potion.

The thick magma curled around the glass, causing it to glow with heat. The potion inside the beaker began to boil instantly, collapsing into itself until a deep emerald gel substance was left. Alph grabbed the potion with a thick glove as Vivi dismissed the [Lava Ball], and he poured out the emerald gel onto his box. Taking out a knife, he cut it into even pieces and flicked them into six waiting vials. Quickly capping the vials he shook them up and slotted them into his bandoleer. Shoving everything back into his box, he swung it onto his back and darted forward, shouting over his shoulder as he passed Thorn.

“Let’s go! The first one blows in sixty seconds!”

“Follow closely!” Thorn yelled, his voice shocking the girls into action. The two tanks led the way, activating their charge abilities to clear a path through the crowds of enemies. As soon as they began to falter, Thorn charged from behind them, jumping over their heads, his landing crushing countless bugs.

Forging forward, he drew his tetsubo and an equally large greatsword from his inventory and began clearing a wide path. The girls followed behind him, Alph carried forward in the center of the group. As they rushed forward, the crowds of enemies grew thicker, forcing them to slow down. The closer they got to the first hollow, the more enemies piled around them.

The spitters and spike bugs that they had been clearing began to turn toward them from both sides of the cavern. Thick globs of acid began to land around them as the spitters unleashed their payloads. One of the globs landed by Thorn’s foot, burning its way into the cavern floor and making him glad that the spitters lacked precision aim.

Five groups of newly emerged spike bugs turned sharply, their spiked armor cutting deep swaths in the tube bugs swarming around them as they lined up to charge at the players. Digging their shovels into the ground, they launched themselves forward with dizzying speed.

“First one is going to blow, get down!”

Drawing one of the vials from his bandoleer, Alph threw it forward into the hollow. As it tumbled through the air, a cracking sound rang out as the glass was unable to hold the pressure back.

*ting*

The vial shattered completely, a viscous green glowing foam boiling out into the air. The foam fell toward the ground, quickly expanding to a patch over fifteen feet wide and six feet thick with no sign of stopping. Under the players’ incredulous stares, the bugs that were caught in the foam melted like candles thrown into a bonfire.

“Ah! We’re too close!” Screaming his head off, Alph fled back the direction they had just come, running surprisingly fast.

Panicked yells broke out as the girls imagined getting caught in the thick, poisonous foam. They turned and ran as fast as they could, using all of their movement abilities with abandon. Making sure that the others were safe, Priss risked a glance over her shoulder, only to see the foam a few feet away.

The tall half-Orc had been standing in front of Vivi to shield her from the charging spike bugs and was not able to move fast enough to escape the foam. Gritting her teeth as she saw the rapidly growing glowing foam coming toward her, she closed her eyes and braced herself, only to find herself caught by a large hand that wrapped around her waist. A faint hiss sounded and abruptly she was flying, held by a massive metal Wolfkin.

Landing with a crash, Thorn put Priss on her feet and looked around. Mina and Vivi were doing their best to block the charging spike bugs with [Ice Wall] and [Magma Wall] spells while BrokenBlade and Heidi were shielding the rest of the team from the acid that flew over. Bluefire was the only one who stood apart from the rest of the group, clearing any bugs that got close with sweeps of her magical blades.

“How long till the next one goes?” Thorn asked Alph, who quickly counted on his fingers.

“Forty seconds, give or take?” Everyone near Alph quickly moved away from him.

Nodding, Thorn called for the team to gather up and began running back toward the thick pile of foam that covered the area where the hollow had been.

“How on earth are we going to cross the foam of death!?” Hollowgen stared at Thorn’s back like he was crazy. “What on earth is he doing?!”

“It’ll harden within five seconds. And we need to get to the next hollow before the next bomb goes off!”

Arriving next to the six foot tall pile of foam, Thorn knelt down on one knee and held his hands out, one at calf height and the other near his sternum. Sensing what he was doing, Mina darted forward and stepped on his hand, and then on his knee, walking up him like a set of stairs. Rushing all the way to the top, she summoned a set of ice walls behind the group, managing to deflect a spike bug that was chasing them.

“Hurry up!”

After a moment of hesitation, the others followed Mina’s example and ran up to the top of the foam. Once everyone was on top, Thorn pulled himself up and they began to run forward, crossing the thick block of hardened foam as quickly as possible.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

“Alph, you better throw the next one soon, otherwise we’ll get trapped up here!”

As they arrived at the end of the hardened green foam, Mina looked at the alchemist nervously.

“Hey, can you put down two ice walls on either side? I want to send the foam that way,” Alph asked, pointing toward the entrance to the next cavern.

“Whatever you do, do it quickly!” BrokenBlade stepped up next to Alph and swung her large sword around her head, warding off a glob of acid.

“Do you mean like this?” Mina pointed her wand at the ground, dropping two [Ice Wall] spells about ten feet apart on the cavern floor.

“Perfect, that should help.”

Reaching for the next potion, Alph pulled it from its spot in his bandoleer and opened it up. As soon as the potion touched the air it began to activate, sending a column of foam into the air as he tossed it to the ground. Blocked on three sides by the hardened green foam and the two [Ice Walls], the potion expanded, spilling out from between the two [Ice Walls] and shooting toward the cavern’s exit.

It only took six seconds to completely expand, creating a path roughly ten feet wide and sixty feet long. Once it had finished growing, Alph waited for five seconds and then stepped onto the top of it confidently, walking forward as, with nervous looks, the others followed.

“I’ve got good news and bad news, Thorn.” As they walked, Alph continued to throw out his potions every minute, covering the hollows and extending their path, allowing them to bypass the crowds of bugs.

“Good news first.” Thorn sidestepped a glob of acid, carefully watching for more ranged attacks.

“Well, the good news is that the tube bugs and thin-legged bugs are spawned in this room, so we probably will not have to face them any more.”

“Ugh, thank goodness.” Mina shuddered, sending a swarm of [Ice Spikes] to knock down a spike bug that was trying to climb the side of hardened green foam.

“Don’t cheer just yet. Bad news is that the potions I have will explode before we get to the next room and I don’t have anything that can deal with the juggernauts or elemental bugs. They are the whole reason that I retreated in the first place.”

“Alright, we’ll figure it out.”

Once they were about twenty feet from the cavern’s exit they rushed down from the top of the foam path and bolted for the exit. A churning crowd of bugs followed them, but Alph covered the tunnel in a liberal amount of his instant wall, blocking the way.

“You realize that you are blocking our way out, right?” Priss asked Alph, tapping on the hardened foam.

“Don’t worry, it’ll only last about twenty four hours. After that it’ll dissolve.”

“Oh, great. So if we don’t finish within a day we’ll have an endless amount of bugs attacking us from both sides.” Priss rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall of the tunnel, exhausted. “Whose idea was this to try and clear this quest with only ten people? This is a multi-guild scale quest at the very least.”

“We’re managing so far, aren’t we?” Mina did not miss the opportunity to pick at the big half-Orc.

“Oh, please. We’re exhausted, or at least close to it, and the only reason we’ve made it this far is the walking weapon of mass destruction over there.” Just thinking about the glowing green foam melting the bugs made her shudder. “If we keep going like this we’re dead, without a doubt.”

“Priss is right, you know.” Bluefire jumped in before Mina could respond, turning to look at Velin and Thorn. “If the next room is anything like the two we’ve just been through, we’re going to be in trouble. Healing spells only reach so far and we can’t log out because we’re still tagged as in combat. Alph saved us with his potions, but unless he can pull off that trick again, we’re in a lot of trouble.”

Seeing everyone’s eyes turning to him, Alph held up his hands defensively.

“Sorry folks, I don’t have enough material for a repeat performance. And even if I did, the juggernauts wouldn’t care. I don’t have an adhesive that is strong enough to deal with them.”

Silence fell over the group as the weight of the situation settled on them. Crouched down in the middle of the tunnel, Thorn sighed and scratched Akira under the chin. He could feel the fatigue that the others were talking about starting to fray the edges of his spirit.

[Master, here.]

Looking down, he saw that Akira was offering him one of the pastries that she had stored in her belt pouch.

[This will make you feel better, master! I took some bites out of it because I was hungry, but I left the sweetest part for you!]

[Thanks, Akira.] Taking the half-eaten sweet, Thorn removed his helmet and tossed the treat into his mouth. Grinning widely as he tasted the delectable morsel, he waved his hand and plate after plate of steaming hot food began to appear in the dim tunnel.

Steaks, soups, bread straight from the oven, flaky meat pies, roasted corn, bowls of fruit, and pitchers of frothy drinks spread out around him, filling the tunnel with a wonderful smell. Seeing that the others were swallowing their saliva, Thorn gestured for them to dig in and began eating himself as he spoke.

“Well, we only have one path right now, and that is forward. Might as well have a good meal before we face whatever is coming up.”

The hot food did wonders for the spirits of the group, and soon they were chatting and joking together as they shared the meal. Even Priss seemed to put down her attitude in the face of three different kinds of pudding. Akira kept herself busy getting different bits of food and distributing them to the party, all the while carefully storing bits of food in her pouch.

It did not take long for them to eat their fill, and everyone’s mood was much better when they were done. Thorn cleared the plates, finishing anything that had been left before putting the plates away in his inventory. Putting his helmet back on, he turned to lead the way into the third and final cavern.

“Everyone be on your toes, we might have to adjust quickly.”

The third cavern was better lit than the previous two, with thick mana veins running across the walls and ceiling. The gentle glow revealed a room as large as the second cavern, its flat floor dotted by clumps of rocks. The birthing pods of the previous caverns were gone, replaced by a single massive egg in the center of the room. Large groups of spike bugs patrolled through the stone piles, weaving in and out of each other whenever a group met. The jiggling sacks of the spitters could be seen glowing as they marched here and there.

“Ah, praise terra, there is only one juggernaut.” Alph wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead as he peered around Thorn.

Opening his mouth to ask Alph where the juggernauts were, Thorn’s words died in his throat as Bluefire pointed her finger. Under the group’s astonished gaze the giant egg began to shift. Rocking in place, the egg suddenly rose, six thick legs unfolding and slamming into the cavern floor.

“Tha...That’s huge.”

“Is that the juggernaut?” Even Thorn could only swallow as he looked at the monster towering more than twice his height.

“I mean, if that isn’t then we’re in a whole lot of trouble.” Priss’ face was pale behind her grey-tinted skin.  “Like I said, we probably should have invited some other people.”

“Well, it is too late for that.” Thorn’s gaze hardened as he stared at the big bug. The corruption of the smaller bugs had been minute, a tiny scratching at the walls of his mind. But for whatever reason, the nauseating feeling of corruption was radiating off of the large bug, making his fingers clench.

Used to being the biggest thing around, the sight of the giant bug set something alight in Thorn’s chest. It was a single pinpoint of the excitement that he had grown familiar with, but it shocked him more than the full-blown feeling ever had. With a small gasp of surprise, he put a hand to his chest, the corners of his lips curling slightly as the burning urge to throw himself into combat kindled. He had not felt this feeling since his fight against Courdum the Stone King when his heart was petrified. Sucking in a deep lungful of air, he flexed his claws.

“Are you okay?” Ever vigilant, Velin noticed his heavy breath.

“Never better.” The tone of Thorn’s voice had changed and the underlying intensity caused the people around him to step back.

“How on earth are we going to deal with all these bugs? Maybe we should call for the rest of the Roses,” Bluefire asked, shaking her head at the impossible task before him.

“We’ll just kill them.” Thorn’s voice conveyed the excitement that was gradually building in him.

“We’re going to kill that?” Priss asked skeptically, pointing to the juggernaut stretching its legs.

“No, I’m going to kill that. When the juggernaut comes over, I’ll deal with it. Velin, I’ll probably need you and Akira both, and while I’m dealing with the big guy everyone else will need to clear the chaff. Bluefire, you’re in charge of the team.”

Ignoring Priss’ open-mouthed stare, Velin nodded her head seriously. She and Mina both began to double check their gear, getting ready for the coming fight. After a moment Heidi shrugged slightly and joined them, making sure her armor was in order. The ladies from the Society of Roses stared at each other in shock until Bluefire coughed and jerked her head. Stepping to the side, she spoke in a low voice, fixing each of her team members with a firm stare.

“Thorn is in charge here so we follow his lead. If he says we fight, we fight. Just make sure you don’t let down the name of the Roses, alright?”

“Sure, but when we get back Athena is gonna get an earful.” Sneering, Priss spat on the ground as she turned away.

Once the whole group was ready, Thorn led the way forward, his long strides forcing the others to jog to keep up. The first bugs to notice their group was a patrolling pack of spike bugs who veered toward them as they rounded a tall pile of rocks.

Before they got close Vivi had erected a [Lava Wall], causing them to burst into flames. A few of the spike bugs in the back managed to make it through the wall as the majority of the lava hit the bugs at the front of the group. As their companions let out deafening screeches, burning to ash, they continued their mad dash toward the players, trailing smoke.

“Well, that will bring everyone to the party. Form up folks, we’re in for a rough one!” Bluefire’s voice was firm, a testament to her many years of experience commanding teams for the Society of Roses.

The death cries of the spike bugs quickly drew the attention of some of the surrounding bugs who rushed over to join the fight. A quick barrage of [Ice Spikes] cut down the few spike bugs left in the initial group, and the whole team got ready to receive the next wave. Standing at the back of the group, Thorn looked down at Velin.

“Any buffs you can help me with?” Thorn was itching to attack the juggernaut, but after everything he had been through in the Labyrinth, he had more than learned his lesson.

“Yes. Increased strength, speed, armor, and health.” Waving her staff, Velin cast a golden glow on Thorn. “Once you’re in the fight I can activate more abilities and support you with ranged attacks.”

[I can help you too, master!]

[Thanks, Akira. I’ll be counting on you.]

As more and more of the bugs rushed toward them, Thorn left the group, rushing into a space between two piles of rock. Both his tetsubo and the greatblade were flashing around him, turning anything that got close into minced piles of goo. Spike bugs began to roll toward him while the nearby spitters shuffled around to aim at him.

Their movements did not escape Hollowgen’s eyes and arrow after arrow shot out causing the spitters to erupt in showers of acid. The chain of explosions caught the giant bug’s attention, and it turned toward the group, its shuffling legs sending clouds of dust into the air. With earthshaking steps it began to stride toward them, the other bugs scattering out of its way.

“Oh man.” BrokenBlade gulped as she watched the massive monster coming toward them. Glancing at Heidi, she asked, “any chance you have a way to block that?”

Mute, Heidi shook her head.

“Well, let's hope that Thorn can distract it while we clean up the rest of the bugs. If he can survive then we’ll all be able to team up and wear it down. At least it’s slower than these spike bugs,” Bluefire said, sidestepping a charging spike bug and bisecting it with her magical blade.

As if it had heard Bluefire’s words, the giant bug began to speed up, its six legs pounding into the dirt. Completely ignoring one of the piles of stones that was in its way, it blasted through them, sending shards of stone flying. As it charged forward, the end of the creature’s body split open in three sections, revealing a massive mouth filled to the brim with razor sharp teeth.

The creature thundered towards the group, shaking the cavern. A weird, warbling sound echoed from its mouth, sending the bugs that had been assaulting the team into a complete frenzy. Spike bugs threw themselves forward with increased vigor and new waves of acid shot through the air.

Bluefire gave quick commands, handling the renewed attacks with the calm skill of a veteran commander, assigning each member of the team to the place where their skills would have the most impact. Still, none of them could do anything about the giant bug that was stomping toward them.

*BOOOOM*

The juggernaut’s warble cut off abruptly as the creature was slammed sideways, crushing through rock piles as it staggered to keep its feet. Bouncing off of the thick leather armor that covered the juggernaut’s side, Thorn landed on the ground and dashed through the dust kicked up by its thick legs. His attack had stopped the creature’s charge, but the fight was just getting started. Silver-tipped claws left trails in the air and the eyes of his helmet glowed red as a bloodthirsty howl resounded in everyone’s ears.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

“Did he?”

“Yes! Now focus on your job! We’re all dead if we don’t get these bugs cleared!” Shutting Priss up with a glare, Bluefire blocked a glob of acid that was flying toward Heidi. “Mina, can you assist Hollowgen with the spitters? Alph, take over crowd control.”

“You got it!”

“Sure.”

As the team continued to battle against the swarms of bugs, Thorn rushed forward, ducking under the side of the juggernaut. His tetsubo was next to useless against the heavily armored monster, so he put it back in his inventory and focused on using his [Quicksilver Claws]. Thrusting out his hand, he ripped at the side of the juggernaut, his silver-tipped claws cutting into thick leathery armor.

Despite the force of the strike, his claws barely made a scratch on the armor, sliding off after leaving small furrows across the juggernaut's skin. Thorn’s heart sank at the sight of the shallow cuts. This was not the first time that his brute strength had failed him in the game, but this time Thorn knew, without a doubt, that if he did not find a solution quickly, they were all dead.

Hearing a furious hiss above him, Thorn dodged to the other side of the juggernaut as the giant creature tried to twist its three-pronged maw toward him. Sticking close to one of the back legs, he waited for it to lift and then grabbed it with both hands. With a heave, he threw the juggernaut off balance, causing it to stagger again.

“Velin! I need some fire power!”

Despite the clamor of the bug’s assault, Thorn’s voice carried easily through the cavern. Velin took a deep breath and began to utter arcane words as energy gathered in the gem on the end of her staff. White light began to compress, quickly becoming blinding.

Getting its feet back under it, the juggernaut turned, throwing Thorn off with a swing of its leg. Flying through the air, Thorn crashed into a pile of stones, sending them flying. Coughing, he rose to his feet and dashed back toward the creature before it could turn its attention away. Roaring a challenge, he dodged past its open mouth and spun, landing a jump kick on its neck that nearly lifted it up in the air.

Landing under the monster’s head, Thorn jumped to the side to avoid its snapping mouth, his claws leaving another mark on its hide. Dashing underneath its belly, he caught sight of marks that he had made with his first attack, only to realize that they were slowly vanishing as the juggernaut’s leathery armor repaired itself.

“You have got to be kidding,” Thorn muttered under his breath.

Watching the scratches closing, Thorn wracked his brain for a solution. The armor of the creature was nearly impervious to his attacks and from the looks of it, any damage that he caused would simply be healed up by the monster’s regeneration. As he was thinking about it, a searing beam of white light shot past him and cut into the juggernaut’s side.

The beam of light burned into the beast’s armor as it shifted uncomfortably. Seeing a chance for victory, Thorn reached out and grabbed two of the thick legs near him. With a titanic effort, he pulled them toward him, trying to lock the juggernaut in place.

“Target the legs!”

Immediately understanding what Thorn was trying to do, Velin shifted her beam, focusing it on one of the legs that Thorn was holding. As the burning light cut into its back leg, the juggernaut began to thrash wildly, trying to break free from Thorn’s grip.

“Keep holding it!”

Velin’s normally calm face was tightened in concentration as she poured all of her focus into cutting through the juggernaut’s legs. Clenching his jaw, Thorn dug in as best he could, pulling with all his might. A massive force slammed into his back as the juggernaut twisted its front leg at an impossible angle, but Thorn refused to let go. Again the creature’s tree sized front leg slammed into him, the jarring blow causing one of his hands to slip slightly.

[Master!]

The warm sensation of Akira’s healing spell fell on his body, restoring his strength and allowing him to hang on. Ignoring the leg smashing into him, Thorn gripped the two legs all the tighter as Velin’s spell burned its way through the joints above his head. After a few more moments the juggernaut’s legs broke off from its body, causing it to stagger sideways, screeching in pain.

“Yes!”

Cheers broke out from the team fighting against the smaller bugs. The relentless assault of the spike bugs and the spitters was beginning to taper off, and Bluefire was confident that they would be able to assist Thorn soon.

“Keep it up, we’re almost there!”

Hardly had the words left her lips when a low hum echoed through the cavern, causing Alph to tense up. Noticing his reaction, Bluefire glanced at him.

“Watch out!” Pushing her to the side, Alph did his best to dodge as a barrage of small droplets showered down around them.

“What…?”

“It’s an elemental bug! The liquid is a petrification curse. Ugh.”

Gritting his teeth, Alph pulled a potion from his belt, pulling the top off and pouring it over his arm which had gotten hit with a drop of the elemental bug’s liquid. The petrifying skin began to recede slowly.

“You can fight the curse by focusing your willpower on it, but we need to kill it quickly, otherwise it’ll turn us all to stone.”

The low hum grew louder until it sounded like a cloud of flies. Looking up, they saw a large bug with buzzing wings drifting above their heads. Mina flicked her wand, sending her three ice orbs up into the air where they began to shoot at the buzzing monster. The [Ice Spikes] shot through the air, cutting through the bug as if they had hit nothing but air.

“Watch out, air elemental bugs are lightning fast.” Alph was doing his best to distribute his anti-petrification potions, but the fine rain of cursed drops was still splattering around them.

The figure of the elemental bug faded in the air as it appeared elsewhere. The creature’s horizontal movement was so quick that Mina could not follow it with her eyes. At the same time, as it dodged out of the way of the [Ice Spikes] it released a spurt of greyish liquid at Mina, forcing her to blink away.

Rising up into the air, its beating wings sped up, causing the air around it to swirl, dispersing the petrification liquid it was dripping in a fine mist. Cursing, the party below did their best to scatter, but the bug followed after them.

As the rest of the team was rushing to get away from the elemental bug, Thorn was sticking tightly to the juggernaut. Now missing two of its legs, the monster was in pain and off balance and Thorn was determined to keep it that way.  Again and again he smashed into its remaining front leg, trying to completely hamper its mobility.

Furious, the bug twisted around, doing its best to get rid of him. Both Thorn and the monster were so focused on their fight that they paid no attention to their surroundings, smashing through the piles of rocks and trampling over the few remaining smaller bugs that still skittered around.

[Master, watch out!]

Jerking his head up, Thorn turned just in time to see that the elemental bug had flashed above him, emptying a salvo of petrifying liquid at his chest before flashing back to deal with the others. Still tied up with the juggernaut, Thorn had no way to dodge the attack. Before he could activate any of his armor’s abilities, a small red streak blurred through the air, intercepting the liquid.

[Akira!]

Reaching out to catch Akira’s stiffened body, Thorn saw that her fur was quickly turning to stone. Quickly getting out the vial of sap from the World Tree from his inventory, he uncorked it and poured it into his battle pet’s mouth, praying it would work. Behind him, the juggernaut realized that the pest who had been bothering it was focused on something else. Hissing triumphantly, it opened its mouth to swallow Thorn whole.

Just before it snapped its mouth shut an intense sense of danger poured through its body, causing it to freeze for a moment. Beyond Thorn and Akira, Velin stood, her staff raised. The gem on the end glowed brighter than ever, waves of destructive energy radiating from its tip. With an arcane command, Velin released the spell, sending a thick bolt of bright white light shooting toward the juggernaut’s open mouth.

Throwing itself to the side as its survival instincts kicked in, the juggernaut abandoned its attack on Thorn as it tried to get its thick back armor in between itself and the incoming attack. The arcane energy landed on the juggernaut’s back, burning through its armor and leaving a gaping wound. Shuddering, the monster let out a screech and began to scramble back to its feet.

Seeing his chance, Thorn launched himself at the giant bug, climbing up its back until he reached the still burning wound.

“Velin! Go help the others!”

Roaring, Thorn’s claws sank into the juggernaut’s wounded back. His arms bulged with muscle as he strained to widen the wound. After all the fighting that they had done, this was the only spot they had managed to get through the juggernaut’s armor, and he was not about to let it go. Gritting his teeth, he pulled like his life depended on it as the juggernaut thrashed around.

Little by little, he pulled at the hole in the juggernaut’s armor, doing his best to widen it. Under his feet the giant bug trembled violently, trying its best to throw him off. Missing two legs and scarred all over, the juggernaut was wounded worse than it had ever been before. Furious at the situation, it staggered around the cavern, ramming itself into the rock piles as it tried to shake Thorn off.

Giving the rampaging monster one last look, Velin closed her eyes and refocused her exhausted mind on the glowing gem on her staff. The bright light had dimmed significantly, but there was still enough energy for a couple last blasts. Swinging it up, she aimed at the flying bug that was harassing the other team and spoke an arcane word, sending a searing beam of white at its wings.

A horrific screech echoed throughout the cavern as the wind elemental bug’s wings were punctured by the beam. It had been so focused on covering its prey with petrifying liquid that it had not noticed Velin’s attack until too late. Struggling to fly away, it had barely made it a few feet before a glowing arrow lanced through its abdomen.

[Power Shot]

Gasping for air, Hollowgen lowered her bow, her exhausted fingers trembling. Falling to the ground, she stared at her partially petrified feet, too tired to continue fighting the spread of the curse. Still, the deadly arrow delayed the elemental bug long enough for Velin’s second beam to land on its wing, cutting through its exoskeleton and the muscle underneath.

Another screech rang out as the monster bug plunged to the ground, unable to keep itself airborne. Struggling up onto its short, stubby legs, it raised its head, only to be met with a shining axe and two flashing blue blades. Its mastery over the air that made it so nimble while flying proved useless in the face of Priss and Bluefire’s raw fury, and within a few minutes it was dead, spread in pieces on the ground.

Across the room, Thorn was still struggling with the juggernaut who had finally had enough. Tucking its legs under its body the monster rolled over, intending to crush Thorn under its weight. The ground approached rapidly, but Thorn stubbornly held on, bracing himself for the impact.

*BOOOM*

With an earth shaking sound, the juggernaut’s back hit the ground, crushing stones into powder and digging a massive pit in the cavern floor. After rocking back and forth, the behemoth righted itself, staggering slightly as it balanced on its four remaining legs. Despair settled on the few remaining members of the party as they saw the juggernaut’s empty back, Thorn nowhere to be seen.

[Master!]

What started as a high-pitched squeal suddenly grew in volume as fury overtook Thorn’s pet. Ever since she had swallowed the sap of the World Tree, it had coursed through her veins, fighting off the petrification and cleansing her inside and out. New knowledge sparkled to life in her head, and now, as rage took hold of her, she moved instinctively.

The red fur of three waving tails began to flicker and her body burst into raging flame, growing in size as she rushed toward the wounded juggernaut. With each leaping bound she grew, getting bigger and hotter by the moment. As she grew the flames that covered her body burned all the hotter and she sped up drastically, until she was a flaming fireball the size of a small bus.

*BOOOOOOOM*

Slamming into the dazed juggernaut, Akira sent it flying into the cavern’s wall, burying it into the stone. Before it could register what was going on, she dashed forward again, flaming claws ripping through its leather armor, leaving long smoking gashes. With a desperate lurch, the juggernaut wrenched itself free from the cavern wall and opened its mouth wide, trying to engulf Akira.

[Akira, target the wound on its back.]

Hearing Thorn’s voice in her head made the flames covering her body burn all the brighter, giving Akira a burst of speed. Dodging past the juggernaut’s gaping maw, she slipped to its side and sank her claws into the wound that Thorn and Velin had opened on its back. Razor sharp claws sank into the soft flesh inside the bug’s carapace, causing it to roar in pain.

[Deal as much damage as you can, I’m coming.]

Erupting into a storm of swinging claws, Akira ripped into the juggernaut, drastically widening the creature’s wound. Using her superior speed to stay outside of the range of its mouth, she slashed at it over and over again. Through her connection, she could feel Thorn rising from the pit the juggernaut had dug in the cavern floor where a timely [Moon’s Reflection] had saved him from being completely crushed.

Sprinting toward the two raging creatures, Thorn activated [Predator’s Leap], flying through the air and landing with bone crunching impact on the juggernaut’s back, his weight knocking it back down to the ground. Together, Thorn and Akira ripped the juggernaut to shreds until, with one final shudder, it collapsed to the ground and lay still.

As Thorn dropped to the ground, exhausted, he found himself lifted up by three flaming tails. The fire that covered her body gave off heat, but as it wrapped around him he found it to be warm rather than hot. The flames licked at his body and Thorn could feel them burning up his fatigue as Akira rubbed her massive cheek against his head.

[See, master? I told you I was the best Ailuridae!]

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

“Wow, Akira, I love the new look.” Mina stared at the giant Ailuridae in awe.

The whole team was sitting near the exit to the third cavern, recovering from the fight. Alph’s potions were taking effect, cleansing the petrification caused by the elemental bug. Akira was sitting next to Thorn, shoving pastries into her mouth. When standing on all fours she was nearly as tall as Thorn’s 8’ 9”, and sitting back on her hind legs she towered above everyone.

The flames that had covered her whole body during the fight had retreated to a wisp that floated at the center of the diamond pattern on her forehead, lending her a regal look. One of her tails was curled under Thorn, providing him with a comfortable seat, and the other two twitched behind her, showing how pleased she was.

Chirping her thanks, Akira continued to eat the food that Thorn had taken out of his inventory. Her appetite had grown along with her size, allowing her to put down almost as much food as her master. While everyone was eating, Thorn began to look through his notifications. Now that he was not in the middle of a fight, he had time to look through the muted alerts.

True Ailuridae

Your battle pet has advanced! Due to the potent life force that courses through her veins, your battle pet, Akira, has advanced from a Royal Ailuridae to a True Ailuridae.

The purest of bloodlines, the True Ailuridae are the first of their kind, an ancient race that governed the forests of Zemtal’Feg, the Titan of Life. While most of their abilities are oriented toward tending to the forest, they possess powerful combat abilities, allowing them to act as guardians when necessary.

Checking the time stamp on the notification, Thorn realized that it matched about the time that he fed Akira the sap of the World Tree. That must have been the thing that caused his pet to advance. He had only intended to use the sap to fight the petrification effect, but unexpectedly, it had actually purified her bloodline, allowing her to advance into a True Ailuridae.

“Velin, have you heard the name Zemtal’Feg?” Thorn asked the Elven War Priestess who shook her head. “Well, have a look at this.”

“Zemtal’Feg?” Alph looked up from where he was stuffing his face. “That is the name of the Immortal Gardener. We’re about to head into one of his rooms.”

“It says here that Zemtal’Feg’s title is the Titan of Life,” Velin said, reading over the notification carefully.

“You mean that the owner of the Garden of the Immortal is a Titan?” Mina’s eyes were wide as she stared between Thorn, Velin, and Alph.

“Hah!” Jumping up, Alph thrust a fist in the air in victory. “I knew it! That is why I wanted to bring you here, Thorn. I always suspected that the owner of the World Tree was a Titan, but I had no way to confirm the Immortal Gardener’s race!”

“Interesting.” Velin’s eyes glowed as she tapped her notebook.

“Well, we’ll find out soon. Finish up and we’ll go see this World Tree.”

Standing up, Thorn brushed the crumbs from his lap and took a look around the cavern. Alph was already running to collect material from the juggernaut, and the ladies were all double checking their gear. Even though they did not expect any danger, their level of caution was a testament to the Society of Roses’ professionalism.

Finishing the last bite of the pie she had been holding, Akira jumped into the air, shrinking down as she landed on Thorn’s shoulder. Scratching her under the chin, he opened up her status window to take a look at what had changed.

Name: [Akira]

Race: [True Ailuridae]

Health: [100%]

Mana: [100%]

Titles: [Crown Princess], [Thorn’s Companion]

Conditions: [None]

Abilities: [Royal Grace], [Majesty], [Battle Form/Pet Form]

Title: Crown Princess

Once one of many, Akira has surpassed all of her siblings and is now next in line to be the ruler of her race.

Battle Form/Pet Form

As a True Ailuridae, your battle pet can take two different forms. Her natural form is smaller, and makes her, arguably, the cutest creature in the game. In her battle form she grows to match her abilities, gaining increased speed, strength, and endurance, as well as increased magical ability.

[Hey, you’re the crown princess now. Congrats!]

[Ahahahaha!] Akira laughed proudly, her tails whipping back and forth at the praise from her master. [Of course I am. I was almost the crown princess before, but this just makes it official. Now my stupid cousin will have to salute any time he sees me! Ahahaha. Master, do you think that when I become the queen, I’ll get even bigger? Maybe I’ll get as big as your castle!]

Leaving his pet to her delusions, Thorn waited for the rest of the team to gather together before leading the way out of the third cavern. The tunnel leading to the World Tree ended at a hole that had been cut in a broken stone wall. Looking out of the hole, Thorn felt his breath catch in his chest.

The room they faced was nothing like what he had imagined. Only slightly larger than the tomb he had first fallen into, it looked more like a bedroom than anything else. A large stone platform dominated half of the room. The platform was roughly five feet off of the ground and twenty feet wide. At the end of the platform in the center of the room was a thick, twisted root system that rose into the ceiling.

Pushing past Thorn, Alph walked into the room, gesturing for the others to follow him.

“This is the core of the tomb, the room of the Immortal Gardener, Zemtal’Feg. From what you were just saying, he was also the Titan of Life, whatever that means.”

“Huh, it looks...different than I imagined.” Thorn scratched the back of his head as he looked around. “Is that the World Tree? I thought it would be…”

“More impressive? Heh, I understand the feeling. It took me a long time to recover when I first saw it. Then again, the corruption was not nearly as severe then. It’s deteriorated over time. Anyway, this is the core of the root system. The heart of the World Tree, if you will. The actual root system is massive. It goes way underground, and attaches to all the trees on the surface of the island.”

Walking over to the thick root, Alph nodded to a reddish gem that floated in a hollow of the tree, casting a sickly glow on the party. Thick, pus-like liquid dripped from it, leaving sticky streaks down the roots and dripping into a pool that stretched to the wall on the opposite side of the bed.

“You’re not going to eat this one too, are you?” Mina asked when she saw Thorn looking at the World Tree’s heart.

“Ugh, no. I’ve had enough of that.” Thorn gagged at the thought. Shaking his head to get rid of the thought, he turned to Velin. “Do you have a way to do something about this?”

“I do.” Velin’s face was even more serious than normal as she pulled an amulet from her inventory. As soon as it appeared, it began to pulse with a clear green light, illuminating the whole room.

Carefully putting it on, Velin stepped into the pool of disgusting green liquid and knelt down, paying no mind to the slimy sap splashing across her robe. The rest of the group held their breaths as she put her hands together in front of her. The amulet’s light grew brighter in response to the words that she whispered until it was no longer pulsing.

*TING*

With a clear ringing sound the amulet shuddered and sent out a wave of green energy. As the wave washed over them, everyone could feel the accumulated fatigue from the fight vanishing. The root system seemed to feel it as well, vibrating in response to the amulet. Again it shook, producing a resonance in the root of the World Tree.

In the hollow of the root, the sickly red color on the floating gem faded slightly. With each shake it grew clearer and clearer until, with a final flash, it turned blue. The drop of sap that condensed from it grew purer as well until it was shining brightly, glistening like a sapphire. As it dripped down into the pool of disgusting liquid, it set off a chain reaction, purifying and transforming the filth into a clear, clean pool of sap.

The transformation continued, spreading up into the ceiling and down into the floor as the root vibrated along with the amulet around Velin’s neck. The glow of the World Tree sap seemed to cover her, causing her skin to sparkle. Slowly rising to her feet, she scooped up the sap in cupped hands and offered them to Thorn.

There was a solemnity to her figure that made Thorn pause, but seeing the encouraging look in her eyes, he leaned down and drank the sap from her hands. A wide smile broke across Velin’s face, putting her beauty on full display. The very picture of grace, she stooped and gathered another draft of the sap of the World Tree, lifting it for Thorn to drink.

After the third drink, Thorn could feel the stiffness that bound him loosening completely. Standing to his full height, a roar broke from his mouth, shaking the room and traveling through the earth.

*ding*

Title: Living Statue - Cleared

The corrupted mist of the stone heart drains the energy of the world and has numbed your body and spirit.

Though you have suffered from prolonged exposure to the mist and have been petrified, gaining the stone curse permanently, the miraculous sap of the World Tree has removed the Living Statue curse from your body.

+Endurance
+Constitution

*ding*

Title: Bearer of the Stone Heart (Cleansed)

You have somehow ingested the source of the Dwarves’ connection with the earth, the Heart of Stone. The stone heart holds unimaginable power, granting the one who wields it a unique connection to the earth. Though the Heart of Stone was once corrupted by the evil influence of the greater devil, Balashimir, sealing some of its power, it has been cleansed by the power of the World Tree.

+Strength

+Constitution

+Endurance

-Dexterity

Abilities:

Earth Sense

Armor of the Earth

Heart of the Earth

Call the Stone Legion

Thrilled at finally having cleared his curse, Thorn could not suppress his happiness. Grabbing Velin in a big hug, he lifted her in the air and twirled her around.

“Thank you!” Grinning like a fool, he set her down.

“Thank you. Thanks to you I was able to complete my quest as well.” Turning her head so that Thorn wouldn’t see the slight blush that touched her cheeks, Velin tucked her hair behind her ear and gently stepped out of his arms.

“Oh, that’s right!”

Quest: Returning to the Source - Completed

Quest Holder: The history of the Elves is shrouded in the deepest mists of time, obscured by the steady march of centuries. As an Elven War Priestess, you have been chosen as a potential bearer of the highest honor an Elf can hold. Find the source of life on Angoril to learn the truth of the Elven race.

Assistant: Help the Elven War Priestess who holds this quest find the source of life on Angoril.

Reward: Variable

*ding*

Another window popped up as soon as Thorn opened the quest window.

You have completed the quest [Returning to the Source] as an assistant. Due to particular circumstances around the completion of the quest, you are granted the right to keep the quest reward for yourself or to grant it to the original quest holder.

Keep

Give

His brow furrowing, Thorn had to read it twice before he realized what it was saying. Without hesitating for a single moment longer he clicked the [Give] option. He had earned an incredible amount from this whole quest sequence and was more than happy to share the quest reward with Velin.

“Thorn,” Velin looked at a window that popped up in front of her with surprise. “Are you sure about this? The rewards for this quest are substantial.”

“Of course. Plus, how can I be the luckiest player ever if none of my luck rubs off on my team?”

“Thank you.”

Though she was smiling, the look in Velin’s eyes was more serious than he had ever seen. Before he could stop her, Velin bowed deeply to him.

“Velin, there is no need for that. You are one of my friends, of course I want the best for you.”

The atmosphere was too solemn for Thorn’s liking, so after giving Velin another smile he began to examine his status and his newly unlocked abilities. Next to him, Mina trembled as she looked at Velin, lifting her hand as if to reach out for Velin before letting it fall back to her side.

“Velin, you…” Mina’s voice was quiet and trailed off at Velin’s nod. Seeing the firm expression on her face, Mina clenched her fist and turned her head away.

*Status*

Name: [Thorn]

Race: [Titan]

Health: [100%]

Mana: [100%]

Titles: [Battle Mad], [Wolfsbane], [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf], [Friend of the Earth], [Inheritor], [Commissioned Knight (Order of the Flame)], [Kingbreaker], [Hero], [Bearer of the Stone Heart], [Gladiator]

Class: [Disciple]

Mastery: [None]

Allegiance: [Temple of the Moon]

Abilities: [Wolf Lord’s Howl], [Avatar of the Wolf], [Call the Pack], [Blessing of the Moon], [Presence of the Wolf Lord], [Martial Form: Dawn], [Basic Weapons Mastery], [Apprentice Orator], [Rallying Cry], [Pack Travel], [Earth Sense], [The Devil is in the Details], [Shadow Dash], [Language Proficiency: Abyssal], [Intercepting Strike (lvl 1)], [Armor of the Earth], [Heart of the Earth ], [Call the Stone Legion]

Earth Sense

The ground itself speaks to you through tremors, granting you the ability to sense anything that moves on the earth. You are no longer reliant on your five senses to see the space around you.

An increased understanding of the earth also grants you a deep insight into the composition of the earth around you and any materials in it.

To unlock full control of Earth Sense, you must adapt to the Stone Heart completely.

Curious, Thorn closed his eyes and focused his attention on his Earth Sense ability. As if a whole new sense was blossoming, information began to rush into his head. Even with his eyes closed he could sense the locations of everyone around him as the minute vibrations they caused ran through the air and ground to his body.

Concentrating on Mina, who was walking next to him, Thorn realized that he could actually see her, though her form looked like a roughly Mina shaped void with blurry edges. As he swept his focus around him, he quickly understood how [Earth Sense] worked. Anything that was tied to the earth, like dirt, stone, or metals, were clearer in his sense, while things that were not related to the earth were dark voids.

At the same time, [Earth Sense] was picking up the vibrations of everything that moved around him, giving him a rough picture of where it was in relation to his position. Opening his eyes, he read over the ability again. According to the last line, there was a chance that as he increased his proficiency with the abilities they would grow. Wondering if all of his new abilities would be like that, he opened up his next ability.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Armor of the Earth

Firm like a rock, stable as a mountain, the Heart of Stone grants its bearer the traits of the earth. While wearing heavy armor, your defensive ability is increased.

Three times a day you can gain two seconds of invulnerability to physical attacks by dispersing the force of the blow into the earth under your feet.

To unlock full control of the Armor of the Earth, you must adapt to the Stone Heart completely.

Just like the [Earth Sense] ability, [Armor of the Earth] was a growth ability. Adding the six total seconds of invulnerability to his armor’s [Moon’s Reflection] ability doubled his survivability while the passive increases to the effectiveness of his armor would make him even tankier than he already was. In the fights earlier, the physical attacks of anything less than the juggernaut had barely harmed him, and now they would be even less effective.

He had not set out to be a tank, but increasingly the abilities he was gaining were pushing him in that direction. It was a trend that Thorn did not mind, truthfully. He quite enjoyed being in the thick of things and protecting others.

Heart of the Earth - [0%]

The heart beating in your chest has merged with the Stone Heart and has become the living spirit of the earth. As you familiarize yourself with that spirit, your control over the powers of the Stone Heart will naturally increase.

To adapt to the Stone Heart you must learn about and adopt the role of the Titan of Earth.

This was the ability that Thorn had the most questions about. Unlike the other abilities, this one seemed to be a tangible measurement of his proficiency with the Stone Heart. Unfortunately, it was not as simple as grinding out a series of actions or tests. Instead, the game gave him vague concepts and left him to figure out the rest. As Thorn was lamenting the lack of a clear step-by-step process, he got another notification.

*ding*

Quest: Missing Titans - [Update: Titan of Earth]

Before the Era of the Gods, Titans walked Angoril. Unmatched in both battle and arts, the Titans were masters of whatever they put their hands to, yet almost overnight they vanished, leaving nothing but giant ruins and dim records of their existence. According to the ancient myths of the Wolfkin, the Titans ruled over all creatures and were the gods’ contemporaries.

Discover what happened to the Titans and why they disappeared.

You have discovered the name and home of Zemtal’Feg, Titan of Life.

As a Titan, the [Bearer of the Stone Heart], and a [Friend of the Earth], you are on your way to unlocking the power of the ancient Titan race.

This quest cannot be turned down.

Requirements:

Unlock the power of the [Heart of the Earth]

Reward: Title - [Titan of Earth]

Seeing the update to his quest was encouraging and showed Thorn that he was on the right track. His next step was increasing his compatibility with the Stone Heart which would undoubtedly take some time. It seemed that every time he cleared a quest or gained something, his “to-do” list continued to grow longer and longer. Now, in addition to trying to master his class, solve the problems of the valley, survive the cutthroat world of Northern Angoril politics, and help free the slaves on Rasyn, he had to increase his proficiency with these new abilities.

Sighing to himself at the tasks that kept piling up, he opened up the last of the new abilities that the Stone Heart granted him.

Call the Stone Legion

The Stone King, Courdum, forged his underground empire with the power of his Stone Legion. Though only a shadow of their former self, what remains of the undying army possesses powerful might.

In his madness, Courdum bound the legion to the power of the Stone Heart, the same power that now courses through your veins. You have gained preliminary control over the remnants of the Stone Legion.

The first time you activate this ability, the remaining members of the Stone Legion will make their way to your side within twenty-four hours. It is recommended that you activate this ability somewhere safe.

To unlock full control of the Stone Legion, you must adapt to the Stone Heart completely.

‘And the to-do list just got longer.’ Letting out a sigh, Thorn dismissed the windows with a wave.

With the root of the World Tree purified by Velin’s ceremony, there was plenty of sap for them to collect, a task Alph took great care and pleasure in. Watching him fill up a near endless stream of vials made Thorn chuckle. Leaving him to that, he walked over to where Mina and Velin were standing.

The girls had their heads together, whispering about something. With the [Living Statue] curse cleared, Thorn’s senses were much sharper allowing him to pick out a few words. Even though he could not make out what they were talking about, the serious tone of their conversation made him pause. Stopping about ten feet away, he waited until Velin looked up and waved him over.

“Is something wrong?” Thorn asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

“No, everything is good.” Velin smiled as she shook her head.

“Not everything.” Mina’s tone was slightly grumpy.

“That is true. Not everything. But overall, this is a good thing, Mina.”

Feeling Thorn’s searching eyes fixed on her face, Velin tucked her hair behind her ear and took a deep breath.

“The reward for this quest requires that I stay here.” Lifting her hand to forestall the question that she knew was about to roll off Thorn’s tongue, Velin gave him a firm look. “By myself.”

“Explain please.”

“Originally, the quest reward for finding the World Tree was a class. A quad category Ancient Inheritance, World Tree’s Holy Emissary. Effectively, I would become the highest ranked priestess of the Elven race. With you giving up your reward, and due to a few other circumstances, I now have the chance to do something…greater. However, I must do it by myself, and it will take some time. Maybe a long time.”

“How long is a long time?” Thorn did not like the direction this was headed, and judging from the miserable look on Mina’s face, it was worse than he was thinking.

“I do not know. Possibly a couple months. I just know that it is an opportunity that I do not want to miss.”

For a moment they stood in silence as Thorn tried to wrap his mind around the sudden shift. The idea of Velin leaving the party was something he had never even considered. Since they had made up and formed a real team he had grown so used to having her nearby that his reliance on her was as familiar as breathing, so it was a struggle to imagine not having her around.

As if sensing the struggle in Thorn’s heart, Velin stepped forward and took one of his large hands in hers, smiling at him earnestly.

“It is only for a time, Thorn. After that I’ll be back and better than ever. Nova Luna is my home, I’m not leaving. I just need some time to pursue this.”

Flushing slightly, Thorn nodded. Nova Terra was so good at customizing the player experience, that sometimes he had trouble remembering that others had stories of their own to experience. Mentally kicking himself for his self-centered attitude, he smiled widely and pulled Velin into a hug.

“We’ll be waiting for you. And if you need anything, you just need to ask.” Holding her shoulders gently, Thorn moved her to an arms length and looked at her deeply. “We’ll move the world for you if you need it.”

“Mmuph! Uh oh, I think I’m going to vomit.” Mina covered her mouth as she pretended to gag. Rolling her eyes, she walked off, muttering, “it’s just a quest.”

Separating, both Thorn and Velin turned bright red when they realized that everyone was watching them. Coughing to cover his embarrassment, Thorn turned to Bluefire and the rest of the ladies from the Society of Roses who were all looking at him with shining eyes. Even Priss seemed quite interested in what was going on between him and Velin.

“Ehm. So, this completes our quest. Thank you all for your work.”

“Heh, yeah, I guess it does.” Bluefire craned her head around Thorn’s body to look at Velin who was looking down at the amulet she used to purify the World Tree heart. “So, has Athena met, uh, Lady Velin?”

“Ahem, yes, they’ve met. Alph, is there an easy way out of here or are we heading back the way we came in?” Anxious to change the subject, Thorn looked over at the alchemist, only to find him wiggling his eyebrows up and down with a sly smile on his face.

“Haha, yeah, there is a faster way out. Might have to fight some statues, but it’ll get us to an underground river that runs under the mountains. We can ride it to the mountains and climb out there. It's a one-way trip though, so make sure you’ve done everything you want to before you leave.”

Suppressing the urge to strangle the smirk off of Alph’s face, Thorn put his helmet on and asked everyone to finish up what they were doing. Once they made it out of the tomb they still had a lot to do. Between trying to recruit the Dwarves from Khen Davahl and helping the slaves revolt, he had to finish up quickly and make it back to the capital city for his hearing. With only a few days left, Thorn was not sure he was actually going to make it.

After saying goodbye to Velin, the team followed Alph’s directions out of a set of large double doors that led into the tomb. Thorn and Heidi made short work of the stone golems that they ran across, and they made good time as they headed toward the underground river.

After about forty minutes they left the tomb system again, passing through a hole in a tunnel wall and climbing down some rocks to a small sandy beach. The naturally-formed cavern was cool and wet thanks to the swiftly flowing river that disappeared into a hole in the wall.

“That’s it. That’ll take you right out from the tomb. There is air all the way along so just float your way down. It empties out into a lake. You’ll take the left side beach. There should be a set of stairs up to the top of the mountain.”

“Thanks, Alph. You have been a huge help.” Reaching out, Thorn shook the alchemist’s hand. “Are you interested in coming with us? We’ve got a great spot with a killer alchemy lab for you if you want it.”

“Nah, I’ll think I’ll stick around here.” Alph shook his head. “I’m not sure I’d handle all the people so well. I’ve been doing pretty well playing by myself, so I think I’ll stick with that.”

“Okay, but if you change your mind, you’re always welcome. And we’ll probably be back in this area pretty soon, so I’ll send you a message when I am. Maybe we can do some more exploring. Seriously though, it's been a blast getting to know you.”

“That sounds great.” Relieved that Thorn was not pushing it, Alph was quite happy to hear that Thorn was going to stay in touch. After he said his goodbyes, he climbed back up the rocks as Thorn and the rest of the team waded into the river.

The journey down the underground river was wet but uneventful. All of the girls held onto each other and Thorn anchored the whole group. The river was shallow enough that his feet could touch the bottom and he was so heavy that if he did not jump every now and again he just sank. Half leaping, half floating, he brought everyone to the small lake that Alph had mentioned, and they all climbed up onto the beach.

While Mina looked for the stairs that Alph had mentioned, Thorn opened up his messaging interface. As soon as his [Living Statue] curse had been cleared he had been inundated with unread messages and was dreading sorting through them so instead he dismissed the notifications and ignored them. Continuing to ignore the huge pile of unread messages he  opened up a message marked urgent that he had received from Corvo while they floated down the river.

Hey Thorn,

Glad to hear you are all cured. Real quick, you may want to change your plans. Velin filled me in on everything going down on the island, but things have changed pretty rapidly in the last two days. I’m guessing you are still down below in that tomb because the surface is going crazy. The ruler of Rasyn opened up the ports and a full Orc army landed, crushing any chance of a revolt. There are four legions holding the island now. The Elves retreated into the forest under Queen Rychell Naevyre’s guidance, and the slaves fled into the mountains. Most of them are trying to seek refuge in the Dwarven tunnels since Dwarves hate Orcs.

All that to say, any hope of rebellion without serious backup is toast. The good news is that the betrayal of Rasyn has really set off the nobles and Northern Angoril is beginning to mobilize for war. I would recommend you get back to the capital as soon as possible for your hearing. There will be lots of action soon, and we don’t want to miss it.

I asked Peregrine to send the Emperor your way, so be on the lookout.

When you have a moment, give me a call because we’ve got lots to catch up on. Also, if someone doesn’t come and take over things here soon I might go crazy. Please inform Velin that she needs to come back as soon as possible.

Exhaustedly,

Corvo

Frowning, Thorn called Mina and Bluefire over. The change in the situation on the surface was troubling, and spoke to some major changes in the game world.

“We might have a change of plans. Things seem to have gone south on the surface. Here, you can read this yourself.”

“Hm, hold on. Let me call Athena.” After reading the message, Bluefire rubbed the bridge of her nose. “If this checks out then we are in trouble since the Aether Gate is going to be blocked. Hopefully Athena can figure something out to get us back to the mainland. Chances are, those Orc slavers are now patrolling between the island and Northern Angoril. And as much as it would be fun to fight an entire Orc army by ourselves, that would be a death sentence.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, we’ve got a ride,” Mina chimed in.

“A ride?” Bluefire looked at Mina who had just finished reading over the message Thorn shared with them.

“Yeah, our own personal plane,” Mina said, patting Bluefire on the arm. She grinned as she imagined the look that Bluefire would show when she saw the Emperor. “You’ll see.”

“But first we’ve got to find him. Come on, we’ve got a ride to catch.”

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

The stairs leading up to the surface were tight, causing Thorn some trouble at the corners, but after nearly two hours of making himself as small as possible and a bit of digging, he edged out of the exit and found himself under the stars for the first time in a week. The exit was a small, nondescript cave on the top of a mountain that overlooked the Barrow Hills, and as the team gathered outside of it, Thorn sent a quick message to Corvo.

According to Corvo’s message, the Emperor of the Sky was on his way so Thorn directed everyone to gather some wood. Piling it up into a large bonfire, he got out his flint and steel and set it ablaze. While they waited for the Emperor to arrive, Thorn got out his remaining food. The last week and a half had nearly wiped out his reserves and Akira’s increased appetite from her bloodline advancement had almost finished what little he had left. Fortunately he still had enough for everyone to enjoy a final meal.

After she had eaten her fill, Bluefire leaned back and sighed contentedly. Looking over at Thorn who was scraping the last bits of tapioca from a pan, she asked casually.

“So, where do we go to catch this ride of yours?”

“We’ll stay here. He should arrive pretty soon. Probably within another hour or so.”

At that moment, Hollowgen, who was laying on her back, looking at the stars, suddenly sat up in shock, her finger pointing at the sky and her mouth wide open.

“What’s wrong with you?” Priss scrunched her eyes as she peered in the direction that Hollowgen was pointing.

“The stars...they’re vanishing!”

It took the others a moment to see it, but when they did it was frightening. All of the stars in the northwest seemed to be vanishing, as if a growing darkness was consuming them, one by one. Scrambling to her feet, Hollowgen peered up at the sky. The rest of the team beside Thorn joined her in staring at the strange phenomenon. Priss, noticing that Thorn was still trying to find some scraps of food, directed a glare at him.

“Hey fatso, there are more important things happening than food, you know.”

“Hm, debatable.” Thorn gave her a half smile and then stood up slowly.

As tall as she was, Priss was still a full two heads shorter than Thorn, causing her to have to look up when he stepped close. With his abilities restored, the pressure that Thorn exuded by his very presence was intense, and Priss found her hand drifting to the handle of her axe, her palms sweaty.

“Tell me though, now that we have time for it, what is your issue with me?”

“What are you talking about?”

It took a considerable amount of fortitude for Priss to not step back as Thorn stepped closer to her. Though she managed to stand her ground, the weight of Thorn’s presence was practically physical. Up until this point she had only seen Thorn’s mild side. Despite having seen him achieve unbelievable feats of strength in combat, she had never been on the receiving end of his focused aura. Even those who were not directly facing him were taken aback by the shift in his presence as he changed from a fun-loving, gentle giant into a serious, imperious presence.

“You’ve been critical and antagonistic since we met. Is there a specific problem you have with me?”

Thorn stepped forward again, his eyes looking down at the half-Orc dispassionately.

“No,” Priss sneered. Though she did not manage to take a step forward like she wanted to, she was able to keep her spot. “ I just don’t like having to drop everything to run to the beck and call of a snot-nosed kid who happens to be related to the boss.”

For a moment, Thorn and Priss matched stares. Her eyes showed fiery defiance while his carried an aloof detachment. Seeing the sparks that were flying between them, Vivi was about to speak up when Bluefire pulled on her arm, shaking her head. It was better to let them work out their issues by themselves. Trying to mediate would only muddy the waters.

Surprisingly, it was Thorn who broke off eye contact first, his gaze dropping to the ground for a moment. When he looked back up, his entire demeanor had turned back to the mild, humorous state that it had been before the clash. The shift was so abrupt that Priss nearly staggered as the pressure she was feeling disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place.

“That’s fair.” Flashing a slightly silly grin, Thorn rubbed the back of his head. “I can imagine that it isn’t fun to have the normal power structure upset like that. And I certainly appreciate the fact that you came to my aid. Per the agreement, you’ll be properly compensated for your excellent work. Maybe it would be helpful to think of me as a VIP client of the Society. I hire you and pay accordingly. I don’t have any desire to abuse my relationship with your leader, so I apologize if this situation gave you a different impression. Hopefully, through working together I’ll be able to demonstrate my sincerity in this matter.”

Thorn gave the still fuming half-Orc another friendly smile and walked back to the fire, adding a few more pieces of wood. Behind him, Priss was swearing under her breath as she watched his back.

“He’s something, huh?” Bluefire said in a quiet voice as she walked up next to her friend.

“He’s definitely related to Athena, that’s for sure.” Priss shook her head. “Same crushing presence, same silver tongue.”

“Hah, it's true. But seriously, you better get used to it. We both know what choice Athena would make if forced to choose between the Society and the kid. So do everyone a favor and don’t make her choose. Besides, do you really want to get into a fight with him?”

A moment passed as Priss thought about Bluefire’s words, but before she could gather the words to respond they heard a scream from Hollowgen.

“It's a bird!” Hollowgen was freaking out as she pointed to the black mass in the sky. “It’s an absolutely massive bird!”

“An Imperial Roc to be exact.” Mina took great delight in the dumbfounded expression on Hollowgen’s face.

The dark shadow rapidly got closer until everyone could see the shape of the Emperor of the Sky blotting out the light from the stars. Heidi and the ladies from the Society backed up as far as they could when the Emperor landed on the mountain top, his massive wingspan stirring up a small storm of snow as he touched down.

[Thorn, buddy! How's it going? You look much better than you did before. Did you get your curse solved? You certainly smell much better. Like the plants in my mom’s garden. Oh, did you meet up with the thief guy I sent over? He was pretty funny. He was so scared I don’t think he moved a centimeter the whole trip. But I heard you need a ride back to the capital. I can get you pretty close, but like I mentioned, the defenses on the floating city are pretty legit so I don’t want to get too close.]

Grasping the slight pause in Vento’s mental barrage, Thorn grinned and waved.

[Hey, Vento. Thanks for picking us up.]

[Oh sure, oh sure. No problem. I’ve had more fun in the last couple weeks than in the last twenty-five years. Haha, at this point I’ll turn into a regular taxi.]

As Vento spoke his head kept shifting as he kept his gaze on Akira, who was sitting on Thorn’s shoulder polishing off the last piece of fruit. Curious, Thorn glanced at her but did not see anything out of the ordinary.

[Let me introduce you to my companions.] Gesturing for the others to come out of the cave, Thorn introduced them one by one. [Bluefire, Heidi, Vivi, Hollowgen, BrokenBlade, and Priss. They’ll be riding with me back to the capital if that is okay. Oh, and you know Akira.]

[Akira? That’s the same pet you had before? Whoa! I was wondering when you got an ancient species as a pet, but to think that she upgraded? That’s crazy hard. Ancient species are hard to come by you know. There are only a few of us left in the world. At the last conference there were only three and none of them were Ailuridae, believe me, I would have noticed. Just me, the dumb griffon, and the stuck up unicorn. Can you believe that? Only three of us left. There used to be hundreds. Anyway, glad to see you found a fourth.]

Chewing up the last piece of fruit, Akira jumped from Thorn’s shoulder, expanding in size as she fell through the air. Taking her battle form, she was about half of the Emperor’s height when she sat up. Looking up at the Imperial Roc she lashed her tails in greeting.

[Hello! I am Akira, the best Ailuridae!]

[Hello, Akira, you certainly are the biggest Ailuridae I’ve ever seen. Anyway, nice to meet you. I’ll let you know when the next conference is if you’re interested. We just had the last one about thirty years ago so there should be one coming up some time in the next ten years or so.]

“Um, Thorn,” Heidi tugged at Thorn’s clothing, keeping a nervous eye on the Emperor’s gigantic form.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Um… My contract is completed.”

“Of course.”

Thorn smacked his forehead. He had been so focused on the next thing that he had completely forgotten that Heidi was currently on a mercenary contract. A contract that actually ended as soon as they had gotten out of the tomb.

“Here is the gold I owe you. I’m adding a bonus because you were legitimately awesome. You’re a great tank.” Transferring Heidi a stack of gold, Thorn scratched his jaw. “Have you considered joining a guild? If you are interested, there is a spot in Nova Luna for you. With your skill level getting a professional contract would not be a problem. I’d be happy to have someone reach out with details.”

“Hey, slow down there big guy.” Before Heidi could say anything, Priss’ tall body stepped in front of her, blocking Thorn’s sight. “You have to get in line if you want to offer a deal.”

“Oh?” Thorn’s eyebrows rose as he shot a glance at Bluefire who nodded.

“Yeah, we’ve invited Heidi to try out for our team.”

“Isn’t the Society capped at sixty people? I thought that was the maximum that Athena’s skill could support.”

“It is, but she thought it was time to start expanding. You’ll have to ask her for the details if you want more than that.”

“Will do.” Thorn turned back to Heidi with a friendly smile. “Regardless, you’re more than welcome in Nova Luna if you decide you want to.”

“Thank you.” Heidi’s gaze was expressive as she locked eyes with Thorn, causing Mina who was watching the exchange to instantly be on guard. There was something about the Elemental Warrior’s direct gaze that made Mina uncomfortable, so she quickly spoke up.

“Hey, we should probably be going, shouldn’t we?”

“Yes, let me see if the Emperor is ready.”

[Yeah, I’m good. We can go any time. Should only take a couple hours to get there. Though, like I said, I can only get you within about sixty miles or so. But if that is good then we can go now.]

[Great, thanks so much for your help, Vento.]

Turning to the side, Vento spread his wing out, lowering the end so that Thorn and the ladies could climb onto his back. Once they were settled, he expanded slightly and launched himself from the top of the mountain, quickly climbing in the air until they were well above the clouds.

“This is unbelievable.” The awe in Bluefire’s voice was plain as she looked at the world passing by under them.

“Hah, just wait until he speeds up.”

The trip to the capital went swiftly as the continent passed quickly beneath them. Seeing Northern Angoril from this height just reinforced for Thorn how much he still had left to explore. Besides the capital, he had only really seen his own little corner of the northern continent. Furthermore, there was another entire continent to the south that he had yet to set foot on. With a deep sigh, Thorn sat down and began trying to answer some of the messages he had gotten while he was cursed.

One of the first things he had done after getting cursed was hire a number of managers to assist in the development of Nova Luna, but with the [Living Statue] curse he had not been able to respond to their messages and, as a result, had just ignored his messaging application which made it impossible to keep track of how things were going. Still, the managers had been sending regular updates to keep him abreast of how things were going, so there was a lot to catch up on.

As much as Thorn had been enjoying his adventures, the breakneck pace had been quite intense, and he was secretly looking forward to settling down in the valley for a while and focusing on building it up. Though, the more he considered the growing list of tasks he had to handle, the less likely it seemed that he would get time to rest.

Vento dropped the group off about sixty miles away from the floating city, and they crossed the remaining distance on foot. After taking the floating pagoda up to the city, they met Athena in the Society’s headquarters. There was still a day until the hearing, but Thorn had passed a message through Athena to the Noble’s circle and set up a meeting with Lady Sere and her mother who were acting as the representatives of the Noble faction.

“Hey kid! You’re looking much better than the last time I saw you.”

Athena’s smile was radiant as she hugged Thorn tightly. Letting him go, she gave Mina a hug and scratched Akira under the chin before turning to Heidi and taking her hand.

“You must be Heidi. The girls have told me about you. I’m very excited to see what you can do. If they’re telling the truth, I think you’ll be a great addition to our team. We’re actually holding the trials today and tomorrow, so you came just in time. Why don’t you follow Priss, she’ll get you settled so you can rest properly before the test.”

Completely starstruck, Heidi could barely muster a response before Priss led her away. Just as she was about to leave she turned to say something to Thorn but, seeing that Athena was talking to him, held her words in and followed Priss out of the room. Her action was not lost on Athena, Bluefire, and Mina, who all shared a glance.

“Where is Velin? I thought she was with you?” Smoothly moving the conversation, Athena pulled Thorn toward one of the couches. Sitting, she patted the seat beside her. “Don’t worry, I had all the furniture reinforced.”

“She opted to stay on the island for a chain quest. She said she could only complete it solo and that it would take a while. Hopefully, by the time we’ve cleaned up everything here she’ll be done and will rejoin us.”

“I’m sure she’ll be back soon.” Athena smiled gently and patted Thorn’s knee. “Alright. Let’s focus on what’s in front of us. It is time for you to clear your name.”

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

“Greetings, Lady Sere, it is always nice to see you.”

“The pleasure is mine, Baron Greymane.” Esme matched Thorn’s bow with a small curtsy and invited him in.

The Sere family mansion was located in an upscale part of the capital city, though upscale was really a relative term considering that the entire floating city was incredibly nice. The mansion included two wings and a large central building and was easily the largest mansion on the street, a testament to the family’s power. Following Esme into the grand hallway, Thorn gave his hat and cane to the butler and was brought to a library on the second floor of the main building.

Large floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the room let in streams of light from the well-ordered garden. Inbuilt bookshelves covered the walls, filled with countless books and treasured objects, lending the room the air of an eclectic antiques collector, an air that was only furthered by the strange variety of furniture that sat in the center of the room.

A middle-aged woman in a pale pink empire-waisted dress rose to her feet from a green and purple chaise decorated with golden grape vines. Brown hair was piled on her head, expertly arranged into a messy updo that looked like it had just been casually put up. Perfect makeup complimented naturally beautiful features, revealing the smallest hint of maturity in the eyes that carefully examined Thorn. Used to being given the once over by all of his aunt’s friends, Thorn was not shaken by her scrutiny and simply smiled, taking the lady’s offered hand and giving her a bow.

“You must be Baron Greymane. My, you are big.” The woman’s eyes opened wide and she covered her mouth in an exaggerated manner. “I am Countess Sere, Esme’s mother. Please have a seat, Baron. Would you like anything to drink? Battercomb, be a dear and fetch something to drink for the Baron.”

“Yes, madam.” Giving a small bow, the butler who had led Thorn and Esme to the library stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“How are you enjoying your visit to the capital, Baron Greymane?”

“Please, call me Thorn.” Replying absently as he cast a side eye at the chair that Countess Sere had offered to him. “I hope you don’t find it impertinent, Countess, but I have a bit of a size problem and I think it would be a shame to destroy one of your lovely chairs. I happen to have brought my own, so with your permission I’ll use it instead.”

Summoning his chair from his inventory, Thorn moved the chair that Countess Sere had offered and replaced it with his, sitting down comfortably. Watching him switch out the chair with curiosity, the countess sat down and then stretched out, lounging casually on her chaise.

“What a curious problem to have. Still, I’m sure being so large comes with advantages.”

“It does. The capital is lovely as always. Though I have not had a chance to really explore it, I’ve enjoyed what I have seen so far.”

“How wonderful. Ah, thank you Battercomb.”

Though the countess gave off an indolent air, Thorn could see the sharpness behind her eyes. She continued to make small talk until the butler had finished putting out the refreshments he had brought. Once the elderly servant had left the room and carefully closed the door, the countess glanced at her daughter and then smiled at Thorn.

“Well, Baron, it is probably best that we get to the main topic at hand. Your hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. Are you ready?”

“I was hoping you could help me answer that question, countess.”

“Assuming that our agreement still stands, I certainly can. You currently have three different charges leveled against you. Insurrection, holding resources unlawfully, and conspiracy with devils. Truthfully, none of them will stand. The hearing is simply a formality. We’ve arranged for the Interior Minister to be under significant pressure should he continue to oppose your use of the token, so we should not face any challenges in this. The more important part will come after the hearing is done.

“You will, as part of your closing statement, ask that the judge sign off on your use of the [Nobility Upgrade Token]. In order to do that, the judge will ask if the Interior Minister has any objections. When there are none, you will get your upgrade in court. Apart from asking for the judge to verify your use of the token, there really isn’t anything else for you to do.”

“That sounds simple enough. What about meeting the Iron Duke?”

“We’ll handle that as well. The developments on Rasyn have provided a wonderful opportunity for us. The Duke will undoubtedly be issuing a call to arms soon, so you’ll not only have a chance to meet him, but you’ll have the chance to fight under him. It is a tragic situation, but one that comes with many benefits for us.”

“A tragic situation indeed.” Thorn’s voice was grave as he remembered the sight of the slave collar on Princess Rychell’s neck.

“Thank you for coming to visit me, Baron Greymane. I look forward to our cooperation.”

Having seen Thorn and said what she wanted to, the countess summarily dismissed him with a wave, gesturing for her daughter to lead him out before turning her attention to a stack of letters that were on a small table at the side of her chaise lounge.

“It has been my pleasure.” Having been dismissed, Thorn rose and put his chair away, giving the countess another small bow before following Esme out of the room.

Once they were downstairs, Esme turned to Thorn and gave him an apologetic smile, her hands grasping the folds of her blue dress.

“My apologies, Baron Greymane, I know my mother can be a bit, er, overbearing. I hope you don’t take offense.”

“Haha, don’t worry about it, Esme. I’m more than used to it with my aunt. But please, call me Thorn. I’m not used to all the titles.”

Giggling, Esme covered her mouth, peeking at him over her hand as she teased him.

“You should get used to it, Lord Baron Greymane, the Moon Wolf. Soon you’ll have even more titles to add to your name.”

“I guess it is the price one has to pay.” With a longsuffering sigh, Thorn put his hand to his head, eliciting even more giggles from Lady Sere.

As they joked in the hallway, the door opened and a well-dressed man in his fifties strode through it. Stopping, his eyes scanned up and down Thorn before he turned to give Esme a hug.

“Hello Esme, who is this?”

“Oh, father, you’re home early!” Smiling with delight, Esme introduced Thorn. “This is Baron Greymane.”

Well built, the earl hardly looked like someone in his late fifties, grey hair just starting to pepper his beard and sideburns. After hearing Esme’s answer, his gaze became sharper and he gave Thorn another careful appraisal.

“Hello, sir. My name is Thorn. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“So you’re the one that the hearing is about tomorrow? Nice to meet you.” Giving his daughter a peck on the cheek, he waved to Thorn and walked up the stairs. “Well, you kids have fun. I’m going to get changed for dinner.”

“Ah, that’s right! We’re about to have dinner, would you care to join us, Thorn?”

Seeing Esme’s hopeful gaze, Thorn nearly said yes, but just before the words escaped his lips he remembered that he had agreed to have dinner with his aunt.

“Thank you, but I already have obligations. I’ve agreed to have dinner with Lady Athena.”

“Oh,” disappointment was clear in Esme’s eyes.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Feeling slightly awkward, Thorn waved goodbye and strode away quickly. Once he was out of sight he let out a relieved sigh. He still was not quite sure how to face the other nobles in the game. As a player, a different set of rules applied to him, and he was not clear on how to resolve the incongruities.

That night Thorn and Athena had a lovely meal, catching up on everything that had been happening. It had been a long time since Thorn had spent any significant one-on-one time with his aunt and he thoroughly enjoyed their conversation. Talking late into the night, Thorn was able to completely unburden himself, sharing his thoughts and feelings on the last few crazy weeks.

The next morning found Thorn up bright and early, practicing his martial arts in the training yard. Various members of the Society gathered to begin practices of their own, though mostly they just stood around watching him. Doing his best to ignore them, Thorn was running through his forms when he got a welcome surprise.

*ding*

[Journeyman Weapons Mastery] - complete

You have gained a Journeyman level of proficiency with the six basic weapons used by the Temple of the Moon.

Speak to the Deacon in charge of your Court to take the test to complete your Form Mastery.

Now that you are familiar with all of the weapons, you may choose a specific weapon to focus on. To advance further along your mastery path, you will need to achieve Master level proficiency with at least one weapon.

[Unarmed] - Journeyman

[Axes] - Journeyman

[Maces] - Journeyman

[Swords] - Journeyman

[Polearms] - Journeyman

[Staves] - Journeyman

Over the last few weeks he had been polishing his abilities with axes, polearms, and staves, incorporating his martial arts experience with the practical fighting styles he had encountered. Polearms and staves had come quickly as both weapons suited his build, but axes had proved more difficult. Thankfully, after his fights against Heuron, he had gained some insight and was able to meld those realizations into his own style.

All his work had paid off, and the notification meant he was ready to take the test to become a Dawn Walker, advancing his class. Pleased, he was smiling widely when a practice sword clattered against the ground at his feet. Looking up, he found Priss staring at him darkly, her giant axe resting on her shoulder. Beyond her, BrokenBlade and Vivi were standing next to Heidi, watching.

“May I help you?”

Thorn did his best to keep his tone light as he picked up the dropped weapon. Priss was certainly starting to wear on his nerves, but that was not a good reason for him to lash out.

“Let’s fight. One on one, me and you.”

“Excuse me?” Thorn’s eyebrows rose in surprise and annoyance. Walking over to the rack where the practice weapons were kept, he put the practice sword back in its place. “Why? What is the point?”

“What’s the matter? Afraid that you’ll get beat by a girl?”

“Haha, that’s funny. Why on earth would I be afraid of that? I’m pretty sure there are quite a few ladies here that could give me a good thrashing. No, I’m asking you why you want to fight.”

Stepping forward, Priss slammed the end of her axe into the ground, sending a small cloud of dust up in the air.

“Why does it matter? Don’t be a coward and come and fight a few rounds with me.”

“No thanks, I try not to do anything that isn’t profitable.” With a casual wave Thorn turned to go, swapping out of his disciple training clothes into a fashionable nobleman’s attire.

Furious at being dismissed, Priss growled and lifted her axe, her knuckles white from the force of her grip. Standing at the edge of the training ground, Heidi started to follow Thorn, only to be stopped by BrokenBlade and Vivi. Priss saw this from the corner of her eye and her anger blazed up. Her growl turned into a roar and she charged forward, swinging her axe at the back of Thorn’s head.

Alerted by Priss’ roar, Thorn turned in time to see her coming, his body settling into his tàijí quán stance as he rotated. Stepping forward smoothly to intercept her attack, his hands lifted and shot forward,  curling around the handle of her axe and pulling her off balance. Another twist of his body and the half-Orc found herself flying through the air as the momentum of her attack was converted into force against her.

Slamming into the ground, Priss was stunned for half a second as she tried to process what had just happened. Once it clicked, she shot up from the ground and attacked again, her face burning with anger and shame. Thorn stepped back calmly, neatly dodging the axe swing before swiftly stepping back in, two palm strikes sending Priss staggering back.

Despite his size, Thorn seemed to float across the ground, moving with unhurried ease as he executed his defensive moves. Each time Priss attacked he slipped past the attack before transforming her aggression into a counterstrike. After four rounds it became obvious to everyone watching that Thorn was not taking the fight overly seriously. His counterattacks were enough to put Priss off balance but he never bothered to add force to his strikes. Growing increasingly furious, Priss stood across from him, glaring at his relaxed stance.

“Priss, stand down.”

Her shoulder’s hunching as if she had been struck, Priss froze in place as Athena walked into the training yard, Bluefire and Esmire following behind her. Her eyes were hard as she scanned the situation. Seeing BrokenBlade and Vivi blocking Heidi, a thoughtful expression bloomed in her eyes, but she carefully concealed it as she turned her gaze to Thorn.

“Morning.” Skipping over, Athena gave her nephew a tight hug. “How did you sleep? Were you able to find the kitchens? If you have not eaten breakfast I’ll tell the cooks to whip something up.”

“Morning. That sounds great. I ate a snack before I started my practice, but I am up for some more breakfast.”

After returning the hug, Thorn ignored Priss and followed Athena toward the dining hall, leaving Bluefire to deal with the half-Orc. Hearing the sounds of Bluefire yelling behind him, he lifted a hand to forestall any comments from Athena.

“Don’t worry about it. It was nothing I couldn’t handle. Plus she was not using her abilities so it is not as if it was a serious fight. Chances are it had something to do with Heidi. While I don’t get why Priss is so aggressive, there is no harm done. In fact, it has been a while since I brushed off my tàijí quán, so that was nice.”

“Yeah, I caught a couple of your moves. Ms. Chen would be happy with how well you’ve adapted to it.” Athena gave Thorn a thoughtful look. “Have you considered trying to meld it with your fighting style? I know you use a Japanese mace, a tetsubo, right? Have you considered something like a polearm? Or even a modified tetsubo with a blade? You seemed to have some interesting insights into axes as well.”

“I picked those up from a guy I fought on Rasyn. He used double axes and attacked from really tricky angles.”

“Heuron, right? According to the report I pulled he has a bit of a reputation on Rasyn but no connections worth worrying about.”

“You had a report run on him since we talked last night?” Thorn’s brow furrowed as he stopped and looked at Athena.

Facing Thorn squarely, Athena flashed her brilliant smile at him.

“Thorn, I’ve had reports run on everyone you’ve met. I wouldn’t be your loving aunt, Julia Lee, if I didn’t. Don’t think of me as overly sensitive, either. You would not believe the lengths that people have gone to in order to get close to us. In this new world it is even easier to casually arrange a coincidental meeting. It never hurts to be cautious, a practice that you should adopt, I might add.”

“Hmm. Is that why you separated me from Heidi as soon as I got here?” Thorn knew that his aunt loved him and wanted the best for him, but her level of paranoia still bothered him a little bit.

“You picked up on that? Yeah. I wanted to see if she was legit. Plus, she is actually really talented so it is worth trying to recruit her.”

“And? Is she legit?”

“As far as I can tell, she is. But I should be getting a more detailed report soon. Now, enough of this. Let's go eat, you have a big day today.”

CHAPTER FIFTY

Contrary to Thorn’s imagination, the building where his hearing took place was not grand at all. Instead it looked like a normal clerk’s office. After waiting close to forty-five minutes in a drab waiting room, Thorn was escorted into another plain room with a long table at one end and about twenty chairs arranged on the other. A single, large wooden chair was placed in front of the table, and the clerk that was escorting Thorn brought him to it.

After casting a dubious glance at the chair and then at Thorn’s bulk, the clerk invited him to sit down. Smiling, Thorn pulled his own chair out of his inventory and let the clerk take the wooden chair away. After another twenty minutes of waiting, a variety of individuals dressed in noble’s clothing filed in and took the seats behind Thorn.

Recognizing Countess Sere and her daughter, Esme, Thorn waved and got a head nod in return. Athena also came in, accompanied by Odette, the PR officer of the Society of Roses. After saying hi, Athena and Odette sat behind Thorn, waiting for the hearing to begin.

“All rise!”

Getting to his feet, Thorn was thankful that the buildings in the capital predated the human occupants. The ceilings of all of the buildings were at least fifteen feet tall, often even higher. Combined with the massive doorways, the city felt quite comfortable to him. The doors at the back of the room opened up and a group of well-dressed men entered, flanked by guards.

Walking to the front of the room, they took the seats behind the long table, facing Thorn. Apart from the Interior Minister who sat at the end of the table, a sour look on his face, Thorn did not know any of the other men. As they sat, one of the guards fetched an extra chair as there was one more person than available seats.

*ding*

I don’t know if it is good or bad, but the third prince is here. He is the pale-faced guy in the center of the table. He wasn’t supposed to be here.

Scanning the message from Athena, Thorn glanced at the men seated at the table. The pale-faced man that Athena was referencing clearly stood out from the rest of the group. The clothes he wore and the quality of his jewelry outshined those of anyone else at the table. Wearing a purplish brown colored coat decorated with glittering black gem buttons gave him an understated elegance that was ruined by the bright blue vest that drew every eye.

The prince’s face held a friendly smile that did not quite reach his eyes, causing a prickling sensation on the back of Thorn’s neck. Just looking at him gave Thorn a strange taste in his mouth, as if he was smelling something disgusting. The taste was somewhat familiar, nearly causing Thorn’s brow to furrow as he tried to recall it. Schooling his face into as unconcerned and friendly a look as possible, Thorn wracked his brain for where he had encountered that smell before.

“You may be seated.” The judge in charge of running the meeting was sitting next to the prince, his black attire making him look quite severe next to the prince’s flashes of color. “We will be commencing the hearing to determine if the charges laid against Baron Greymane are true. The purpose of this hearing is to seek the truth, not achieve a particular agenda, and as such, the court will only deal with facts. Let it be recorded that this is to be an unbiased and fair trial. Before we get started I want to recognize and welcome Prince Wells who has decided to join us. As a representative of the royal family, he will ensure the absolute fairness of the proceedings.”

From the tone of his voice, the judge was not overly excited that Prince Wells had decided to sit in on the hearing, making Thorn wonder if anything had changed. Glancing over his shoulder, Thorn saw that Athena and Countess Sere were speaking quietly together.

“Thank you, Lord Byre. It is my pleasure to be here, and I thank you for being willing to let me sit in on this meeting.”

The prince rose smoothly to his feet, giving a slight bow to the judge. Turning to scan the audience, his eyes lingered for a moment on Athena before coming to rest on Thorn.

“The charges laid against Baron Greymane are serious and must be dealt with thoroughly, so I am pleased to see that this case is under your purview, Lord Byre. Should Baron Greymane be absolved of these accusations, as I’m sure we all believe he will be, I have no doubt that he will prove to be an excellent asset to the Empire and its citizens.”

As he finished his statement, the prince’s gaze turned toward the Interior Minister, whose face hardened. Having delivered his subtle warning, Prince Wells nodded to Lord Byre and sat down. Murmurs broke out in the crowd behind Thorn as the various interested parties tried to process what had just happened.

*ding*

So this is strange. None of the princes should have been here. This is way too small an issue for them to get involved in. In fact, the Countess even actively suppressed it. Something pretty drastic must have changed for them to be making a move. For the prince to come must mean that he thinks you’re a big enough deal to meddle with.

And why on earth would he take such an obvious position right out of the gate? He is supported by the Dirgehold Duke and the Right Minister so the Interior Minister cannot directly ignore him. Maybe he is trying to deepen the rift between you and the Interior Minister?

Regardless, the good news is that he just crushed any chance the Interior Minister has of opposing your promotion once the charges are cleared. The bad news is that we don’t know why he is getting involved or what he wants. Keep your head clear and don’t agree to anything.

With the third prince’s arrival, the atmosphere of the hearing had grown increasingly tense, making Thorn even more appreciative to have his aunt, Athena, in the seats behind him. She was a veteran of high level political intrigue and had learned her craft in the cutthroat boardrooms of the energy industry, ultimately emerging as the undisputed champion.

Having Athena as his strategist gave Thorn full confidence that he would come out of this hearing smelling of roses, so he simply sat back and relaxed, waiting to see what would come of the charges being leveled against him.

“Ehem. The hearing is now in session. Please read the accusation.” Lord Byre gestured to a clerk who unrolled a small scroll.

“The total count of the accusations being brought against Baron Greymane is three. They are as follows. First, Baron Greymane is accused of insurrection by claiming the land of the Empire as his own before his title was approved. Second, the Baron is accused of rebellion for owning more resources than his title grants. Third, and finally, the Baron is accused of treason for consorting with a greater devil.”

Rolling up the scroll, the clerk handed it to Lord Byre who read over it again quietly. Shaking his head he put it down on the table and rubbed his temples.

“The accuser has declined to be here to provide a statement, despite the request of the court, citing concerns over retaliation and intimidation. Apparently, they are so scared of the Baron here that they could not trust themselves to speak in his presence. As this is the case, the best we can do is simply review the evidence that they provided to us. Before we review the evidence, does anyone have any evidence to add? Remember, if you do not present your evidence to the court now, it will be inadmissible once the charges are either upheld or denied.”

No one came forward with new material, and after waiting for a minute Lord Byre passed out some papers to the other men sitting at the table.

“Here you will find the evidence that has been presented. We’ve all reviewed it before, so we won’t spend any additional time on it. You also have Lady Sere’s report in front of you. I’ve asked her to be here to answer any questions that you have. Of course, the main objective of the day is to ask the Baron himself questions about this situation. Remember, we are here to assess if the accusations are accurate and nothing more. If no one has questions regarding the material in front of you, we will proceed to examining the defendant.”

Pausing again, Lord Byre waited for the others at the table to speak. After a few more minutes of silence, an older gentleman with a handlebar mustache rose to his feet and bowed toward where Esme sat with the Countess.

“Thank you for coming, Lady Esme. Countess, we appreciate your willingness to let your daughter serve the court as an investigator.”

“Our family is always happy to serve, General Potter.” Rising to her feet with her daughter, Countess Sere returned the bow with a curtsy before sitting back down.

“Lady Sere, your report says that the Baron did not fight the greater devil once, but twice. Our reports only mention a single time when the Baron single-handedly killed the greater devil in front of the valley. When was the other time that the Baron fought the greater devil?”

“General, esteemed lords, Prince Wells,” Esme greeted everyone before answering. “The greater devil was granted his power under Karrandras the Betrayer.”

“How could that be? Our records show that Karrandras was sealed countless generations ago.” A scholarly-looking lord sitting next to the general said, smacking his palm on the table in front of him as he interrupted.

“You are correct, Lord Elvrin. However, due to the actions of some travelers, the Betrayer was released from his seal not too long ago. This caused the Wolfkin’s blood curse to grow stronger, and resulted in the greater devil who was trying to gain control over them. Thorn fought Karrandras’ corrupting influence in the Wolfkin, cleansing them from Karrandras’ corruption, as well as fighting directly against the greater devil.”

“And how did you confirm this?”

“This was confirmed by Elder Havva, the temple master of the Temple of the Moon.”

“Very good, thank you, dear.”

The old general smiled fondly at Esme, looking more like a friendly old grandfather than a highly decorated general. After she sat down he turned to Lord Byre and nodded, confirming that he had no more questions.

“Anyone else? No? Okay, then we’re going to keep moving. We all have places to be and things to do after the hearing so I don’t want to hold this up. Everyone will get a chance to ask their questions to Baron Greymane so don’t worry. We’ll start at the end and work our way down. Sir Trishem, you are not technically on the hearing board, but do you have any questions? Remember, answers to these questions cannot be submitted as evidence for or against the accused, but I’m happy to let you question the Baron if you have any concerns.”

The Interior Minister’s frown deepened as everyone’s attention turned to him. This whole hearing was a farce as far as he was concerned, and he just wanted it to be over as soon as possible. Rolling his eyes he shook his head and waved for Lord Byre to skip him.

“Okay, next we have Lord Carey. Do you have any questions for Baron Greymane?”

Lord Carey was a thin-faced noble with a beaked nose and a sharp chin. Standing, he nodded to Lord Byre and then fixed his sharp gaze on Thorn.

“My dear Baron, you have been accused of three differnet things. While they are all equally bad, it is quite obvious that the first and third charges are absurd. The idea that you were claiming sovereignty over the Empire’s land by virtue of being the elected leader of the Wolfkin race is foolishness. I see that you registered the Wolfkin as a native race in the appropriate time frame, thereby establishing Fang Valley as their ancestral grounds. This more than takes care of the first point.

“As for the third charge, you were in fact a known companion of the greater devil before his transformation, but your actions after the transformation as well as your identity as a commissioned knight of the Order of the Flame is sufficient to clear you. Lady Sere’s testimony regarding your help fighting Karrandras on other fronts is further proof that you are not on the devil’s side.

“That leaves, however, the second charge. This is the only point that anyone could bring up to criticise you for. Though doing so would be mean-spirited and completely contrary to the generous spirit of the imperial law. Still, it could be done. My question is this. As a Baron, you are eligible to control five points in resources. Your military rank permits a sixth. However, there was a period of some time, before you joined the Order during which you had more resource points than were permissible. Could you help us understand this?”

“I’d be happy to.” Thorn considered getting to his feet to speak, but even sitting he was just about at Lord Carey’s eye level so he just straightened up in his seat. “As you know, the improvements to the valley were made to relocate and rebuild Greymane Keep. The new fortress, Moon Wolf Citadel, now resides at the valley entrance, in between the Twins. This provides a naturally defensible position, virtually guaranteeing that the Wolfkin can grow and flourish in peace.

“What you may not know is that Greymane Keep was not the only building in the valley. Many years ago, the valley also possessed a large complex that housed both the Temple of the Moon and the Wolfkin disciples who served there. Though Greymane Keep was relocated to the pass, the Temple of the Moon was as well. Moon Wolf Citadel now serves as the Temple of the Moon and is the primary religious center of the Wolfkin race. This has been the case from the moment it was built. As a religious center, it cannot be categorized as a resource by the Empire due to the Wolfkin being a protected indigenous race. As it cannot be categorized as a resource, I believe the imperial records are in error, and I would like to request that the court look into why this is the case.”

A smile tugged at Lord Carey’s lips, but he quickly repressed it as he looked down the table.

“Lord Byre, I think it is obvious that none of these accusations will stand, I motion that we dismiss all of the charges outright and begin the counter investigation process without wasting any more time on this farce.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Having expressed his position and made a motion to end the hearing early, Lord Carey sat down in his chair, folding his hands in front of him. Lord Byre stood up with a wry smile and looked up and down the table at the other nobles who were sitting with him.

“Lord Carey has made a motion to dismiss the accusations as groundless and draw the meeting to a close, do I have a second?”

“I’ll second the motion.” General Potter was so quick to second the motion that Thorn knew it was practiced.

“We have a second so the motion is on the floor. Are there any objections? No? In that case, the motion to dismiss all of the charges outright and, uh, begin the counter investigation process will be adopted. Let the record reflect this.”

Though the result was unsurprising, the method by which it had been carried out gave Thorn a new appreciation for the intricacies of politics. He watched the clerks making their records, their pens flying across the pages as they meticulously detailed everything that had happened, and was slightly overwhelmed by the strange mixture of adhesion to the rules and bending of them for personal profit.

*ding*

Remember, you need to ask for the court to recognize the token. The timing of this is important though, we need to make sure that you have actually been promoted. Don’t rush straight to the token. Also, be on your toes because it looks like the prince is gearing up to say something and we still don’t know if he is friend or foe.

Snapped out of his glazed state, Thorn sat up straight. Even without looking he could feel the eyes of the noblemen on him. Carefully controlling his face to show none of his discomfort, he looked at the men seated behind the table and waited for them to speak. Once the scratching of the clerk’s pens had died down, Lord Byre rose to his feet again and gave Thorn a small smile.

“With this, the part of the hearing that requires your presence is drawing to a close, Baron Greymane. Thank you very much for your time and patience as we dealt with this problem.”

“It is my pleasure,” Thorn said, giving Lord Byre a half-hearted smile. Rising to his feet he began to bow toward the men sitting behind the long table as if he was about to leave, eliciting a curious expression from the Interior Minister who was expecting Thorn to come after him like a rabid dog.

Having finished his bows, Thorn turned to leave, only to pause and turn back, his thoughtful expression impossible to miss. Lord Byre was in the middle of sitting down, but paused when he saw that Thorn had something to say.

“Yes, Baron? Is there something else?”

“In fact, I did have a few questions, Lord Byre, and it strikes me that this might be the most appropriate place to air them as they may pertain to your continued investigation.” Thorn’s warm smile and helpful look nearly made Lord Carey, who knew exactly what was about to come, break out into laughter.

“Ah, in that case, the floor is yours.” Lord Byre gestured for Thorn to ask his questions.

“Thank you. My lords, I must confess that over the last month the false accusations made against me have weighed heavily on my heart and mind. As you know, when I stepped into the capital city for the first time it was to claim the status and resources that are my ancestral right. However, due to the false accusations, Sir Trishem was unable to help me process them.”

Hearing himself mentioned, the interior minister’s gaze snapped up, locking onto Thorn. Though he was confident that no accusation that Thorn could bring would stick to him, he was wary of the giant. Their previous encounter had gone completely out of his control which made him naturally cautious.

“My hope today is that Sir Trishem will be able to help me understand if there are any other barriers that I’ll need to overcome before I can redeem my ancestral rights.”

Rolling his eyes at the way Thorn was referring to the [Nobility Upgrade Token] and legacy deeds as ‘ancestral rights’, Lord Byre looked down the table to the interior minister, who was fiddling with his pen.

“Sir Trishem, can you shed some light on this issue for Baron Greymane?”

Gritting his teeth and groaning inwardly, Sir Trishem sat up. He had been hoping to avoid this, but given that Thorn was being sponsored by Countess Sere who never seemed to miss a trick, he should have known it was going to come out. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down and took his glasses off to polish them.

“Ahem. Yes. Before we go any further, I should mention, my Lord Byre, that the court has been referring to Lord Greymane incorrectly this morning.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, yes, you see,” pausing to wipe his glasses, Sir Trishem’s lips twitched.

Though he really had no desire to continue, he knew that if he did not he would be creating an angle of attack for the noble faction which was quite displeased with him of late. Though it would not come to anything, the sheer annoyance of it was enough to push him into playing their game.

“Lord Greymane’s correct title is actually, Viscount Greymane.”

Instantly hubbub broke out in the crowd as the nobles in attendance began whispering to each other. Carefully keeping his face neutral, Lord Byre raised his hand and called for order, fixing the interior minister with a serious look.

“Please explain yourself clearly, Sir Trishem.”

“Hm. Of course. Viscount Greymane has been promoted due to meritorious service to the throne. Though the announcement has not yet been made, the final paperwork was filed last night while I was away. As you know, I only just got back and so I was as surprised as you are now to find this out. For his services to an ancient and honored race and their smooth acceptance of Imperial rule, or something along those lines.”

“Well, Viscount Greymane, you have my most sincere apologies.” Lord Byre rose and gave Thorn a half bow. “The court recognizes that it has been referring to you incorrectly. Let the record be amended to reflect Viscount Greymane’s correct title.”

“Ha, you may want to pause for a moment, Lord Byre.”

The third prince’s gentle voice instantly silenced the room. All eyes turned toward him, but he showed no sign of noticing as he stood.

“I think I might have some pertinent information for you, my lords. The reason I’m here today is to deliver some words from the lips of the Emperor himself. When I heard that both Sir Trishem and Lord Greymane were going to be here I thought, how convenient.”

Walking out from behind the table, the third prince stood in front of Thorn, a piece of paper with a golden hue appearing in his hands. Holding it up, he paused as if waiting for something to happen. As soon as the paper appeared, Thorn felt an intangible pressure pushing down on him and the desire to kneel flashed through his mind.

*ding*

Kingbreaker

Your title, Kingbreaker, has broken the influence of the Emperor’s aura.

As soon as the feeling appeared, it was gone, and Thorn took a small step forward, his heart beating so loudly in his chest that he wondered if other people could hear it. After his encounter with Courdum, the Stone King, his body had an instinctive dislike for people asserting authority over him, a feeling that was only magnified by the Stone Heart in his chest.

The third prince was rather tall for a human, standing at six feet two inches. Yet, as Thorn towered above him, the pleasant smile on his face showed a slight crack. The golden paper was from his father, the Emperor, given to him for his birthday when he turned sixteen. It carried the aura of the Emperor and had a natural suppressive effect on anyone who saw it. He had brought it out today to try and put pressure on Thorn, only to have it backfire when the giant completely ignored the suppressive aura it produced.

“Ahem, yes,” after pretending to read it, the prince put the paper away and looked up at Thorn uncomfortably. “The Emperor wants to commend Lord Greymane for the help he has granted to our close ally, Queen Naevyre. In fact, Queen Naevyre herself contacted the Emperor to explain what was going on and made a point of highlighting how incredibly helpful Lord Greymane was. In recognition of this, Lord Greymane’s rank is being advanced to First Rank. From this day forth, the title of Lord Greymane shall pass through your family.”

In the stunned silence that followed the third prince’s words, Thorn’s mind raced. Though he had earned the title of Greymane, and had even been appointed a Baron, those titles would end with him. It was an entirely other matter to hold a first rank title. The greatest advantage of a first rank title was that they could be passed down from one generation to the next, ensuring the long term growth of a family.

It was one thing to antagonize a Second Rank, or non-hereditary, noble. Any conflict generated with them would end upon their death. It was an entirely other thing to pick a fight with a noble who would be passing their title, rank, wealth, and political power to their legal heirs. Though there was no direct benefit to becoming a noble of the First Rank, the long-term impact was tremendous.

As he stood there processing what had just happened, Thorn could see Sir Trishem’s eye twitching. The interior minister had planted himself quite firmly on the side opposing Thorn, but even as he watched, Thorn felt like he could see Sir Trisham reconsidering his position. Turning his gaze back to the third prince, Thorn could tell that he was quite pleased with the impact his words had on the gathered lords.

“In addition, his majesty has granted Viscount Thorn an increased fief, including two mines. After all, mustering troops is an expensive thing for anyone.”

“Thank you, your highness.” Bowing his head the required amount, Thorn thanked the third prince. Addressing Lord Byre, he took advantage of the silenced crowds and Sir Trisham’s wavering. “Lord Byre, since both you and Sir Trisham are here, I wonder if I could ask a favor?”

“Hm? Oh, of course.”

Visibly blanching at Thorn’s question and Lord Byre’s response, Sir Trisham lowered his head. With the pressure that the noble faction had put on his office, he knew that he would not be able to stop what was about to come. They had planned it too meticulously. The third prince’s announcement was simply icing on the cake, giving Sir Trisham even less of a reason to continue struggling against Thorn.

“Thank you,” Thorn’s deep, warm voice rolled over the noblemen sitting behind the table. “I simply wanted the court to affirm that I would not have any additional delays or issues as I validate my [Nobility Upgrade Token] and my legacy deeds.”

“Sir Trisham?” Lord Byre looked down the row at the interior minister who was tracing the wood grain of the table with his finger.

Though it was only the briefest of moments, Sir Trisham’s mind ran over a thousand different scenarios. Lifting his head, he gave Thorn and then Lord Byre a dry smile.

“I don’t think there is any need for that. Why not simply register them now? After all, I’m here and the court can record that Viscount Greymane has applied them to his ranking. There is no need to make Viscount Greymane wait. After all, what he is gaining is his by right.”

After admitting defeat, Sir Trisham called one of the court clerks over and helped Thorn to apply the [Nobility Upgrade Token] to his rank, officially making him a First Rank Earl. While going from a second rank Baron to a first rank Earl was not the largest jump in status the empire had ever witnessed, it was a massive change, and there was a significant amount of paperwork to process.

The other lords who were attending the hearing were more than willing to be involved in the hopes that Thorn would remember their good will. Carefully picking a few territories for Thorn to gain control of, they focused on areas that centered on the two mines that Thorn’s Legacy Deeds granted him. One of the mines was conveniently located about a day’s ride from the entrance to Fang Valley, and the wilderness between the mine and the valley was included in Thorn’s expanded holdings with the neat stroke of Sir Trisham’s pen.

The other mine and the town that Thorn held deeds for were located outside Thorn’s territory in the holdings of another Baron, so Lord Carey called him over. After a brief wait a stout young man puffed his way into the room, red-faced and out of breath from hurrying. Completely overawed by the collection of high ranking nobles, the young man agreed to buy the mine and town from Thorn for a tidy sum that included a stretch of the beach on the northern side of the mountains that ringed the valley.

The last Legacy Deed was for a mansion in the capital city, and here the third prince stepped forward with a small smile. The mansion listed was currently occupied by one of the third prince’s supporters which made it slightly awkward for him. Allowing a quickly rising noble that was not part of his faction to take the mansion right in front of his nose would greatly damage his relationship with that follower.

“Ahem. Earl Greymane, I wonder if you would fancy a trade?”  Though the Prince tried to smile, Thorn could see the pained expression hidden in his eyes. “I have another house that is much better suited to the prestige of a first rank title and I wonder if you would do me the favor of swapping with me?”

Looking down at the map of the city, Thorn saw that the third prince’s finger rested on a street that was only a few blocks from the palace’s outer wall. The closer one was to the palace, the grander the house and the higher the social status it conferred. As Thorn was quickly thinking over the pros and cons of making a trade with the third prince, he got a message notification.

Accept it!

This was quickly followed by a second message from Athena.

I have been trying to get a house in that neighborhood for years, but no amount of money can buy them because they are all controlled by the royal factions. Plus the Society of Roses needs a better place to throw parties and fundraising events.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Suppressing a smile at his aunt’s excitement, Thorn gave the prince an even look.

“Your highness, the mansion you are offering is significantly more valuable than the one I hold the deed to. I’m afraid that such a trade would not benefit you at all.”

“Ahaha, consider it a favor in celebration of your new position, Earl Greymane.” Plastering a fake smile on his face, the third prince cursed Thorn in his mind. He really could not afford to let Thorn try and take possession of the mansion in question.

“Of course, your highness. It is my pleasure to do such a small favor for you.”

Completely twisting the matter, Thorn took advantage of the ambiguity in Prince Wells’ words to make it sound like he was doing the prince a favor. The abrupt shift took the wind out of Prince Wells’ sails and he could hardly stutter out a reply. Before he could recover, Thorn pressed his advantage by turning to Sir Trisham.

“Sir, the third prince has requested a favor from me and as a loyal servant of this empire it is my pleasure to be of service. I wonder, is there anything that prevents us from making the exchange right now? It would undoubtedly be convenient since the clerks are already here.”

Having been on the sharp end of Thorn’s maneuvering once before, Sir Trishem had no desire to repeat the experience and quickly shook his head. Thorn’s ability to seize the particularities of a situation and push them to his benefit was strong, and the last thing Sir Trishem wanted was to get bogged down again with the Titan. Giving the poor third prince a sympathetic look, Sir Trisham asked the clerk to note the transfer down.

Because everything they were doing was going to be recorded as part of Thorn’s hearing, the matter of Thorn doing the prince a favor would be written in ink and enshrined in the records of the empire. Doing so would undoubtedly irritate the third prince as it would forever prevent him from forgetting it, but it was better than having to get involved as Thorn kicked out a noble who supported the third prince from his home.

By the time the third prince was able to process the ramifications of Thorn’s action, he found the newly minted Earl bowing in front of him, causing him to choke on the words he was about to say as Thorn’s presence washed over him.

“Your highness, it is my pleasure to be of service to you in this matter. Though my land is far from the capital and my personal power is weak, I relish the chance to help the royal family.”

“Ah, em, yes, thank you.”

As long as he had been playing the game of politics against his brothers, the third prince had never encountered anyone who dealt with issues in such a straightforward manner. The truly infuriating thing was that he could do nothing about it, despite Thorn’s complete lack of subterfuge. Now that things had progressed to this point, Prince Wells could hardly announce that Thorn had made a mistake of his intentions so he could only let the misunderstanding be.

“With this I believe that we have handled everything. Is that correct Sir Trishm?” Asked Lord Byre. “We want to make sure that we have ample time to address the second portion of this hearing.”

“Yes, Earl Greymane is all set. Once everything is processed, one of my aides will bring the details to his new home and he can familiarize himself with his new holdings.”

“Excellent. My lords, shall we now move to discuss the consequence for falsely accusing a noble?”

“Excuse me, my lord.”

One of the clerks stepped forward and delivered a note to Lord Byre who frowned as he read it. Throwing it down on the table, he sneered and looked at Sir Trisham.

“It seems the rest of the trial will have to be put on hold as the accuser has fled the city and cannot be called as a witness. Do you have any knowledge of this, Sir Trishem?”

“What would I know about the accuser fleeing?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I just thought you might have some insight considering the accusation was made to your office and this hearing was held on a recommendation from your office.”

“Are you accusing me of hiding a witness?”

“Why would I accuse you of something like that? Are you hiding the witness?”

Growing tired of listening to the words flying back and forth after a few minutes, Thorn coughed.

“Ahem.”

The loud sound echoed around the room, drowning out a biting remark from the interior minister and causing the room to fall silent. As an Earl of the first rank, Thorn held a higher position than anyone else in the room apart from Lord Byre who was a Marquis. Sir Trisham did not even have a landed title, though trying to pull rank on him was practically a death sentence.

“Yes, Earl Greymane?” When Thorn did not speak, Lord Byre prompted him.

“Oh, nothing. I was just clearing my throat. So, are we done here? If the hearing has to be suspended, do you still need me?”

“Ehem, no, we can bring this hearing to a close for the time being. We will need you to return once the witness has been, uh, retrieved.”

“Even if I don’t want to worry the court by pressing charges?”

“What do you mean, you don’t want to press charges?” Taken aback by Thorn’s questions, Lord Byre’s eyes narrowed.

“Honestly, this whole event has been a positive experience for me.”

Thorn calmly scanned the room as he spoke, smiling at the gathered lords. Behind him Countess Sere’s brow furrowed until Athena whispered something in her ear. After listening to her words, Countess Sere’s expression relaxed and she looked at Thorn with a new level of appreciation in her eyes.

“After all, thanks to this hearing I have been able to demonstrate my value and allegiance to the empire. The person who accused me was simply worried about the empire and I think that we can all learn from their example. There is no need to push this event further than it needs to go.”

Collectively, the people at the table had nearly five hundred years of political experience and instantly understood what Thorn was saying. Unlike direct combat, political fights took time and going for the kill would, more often than not, harm both parties. The small noble who accused Thorn was merely a pawn, but even pawns had value, making Sir Trisham loathe to discard him. By taking a step back, Thorn was creating some space for Sir Trisham’s faction to retreat, and in turn, forcing the interior minister to acknowledge this favor.

“If that is the case, the court will respect your wishes, Earl Greymane.”

Standing up, Lord Byre brought the hearing to a close and dismissed everyone. After thanking the lords who had attended, Thorn left with his aunt and the ladies from the Society of Roses. Countess Sere and her daughter met them at the door and accompanied them back to the Society’s headquarters.

“Sir Trisham seems like an efficient guy, so no doubt your new house will be ready for you to move in soon. Should I send some staff to help the process along?” Athena asked as they rode  her heavily reinforced carriage through the streets.

“Sure,” Thorn waved, unconcerned. “Do what you’d like. I’ll be spending my time in the valley, so feel free to do whatever. So long as you leave space for us when we come to visit.”

“Oh, I will.” A wide smile lit up Athena’s face. “That was a nice move at the end there. You’ve obviously been learning well.”

“Haha, I guess my years spent watching you were not in vain.”

The conversation soon turned to how Athena was planning on decorating Thorn’s new mansion and he lost interest quickly, leaving it to Countess Sere and his aunt. Checking through his status, he saw that his new noble rank was listed in his noble title.

Name: [Thorn]

Race: [Titan]

Health: [100%]

Mana: [100%]

Titles: [Battle Mad], [Wolfsbane], [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf (First Rank)], [Friend of the Earth], [Inheritor], [Commissioned Knight (Order of the Flame)], [Kingbreaker], [Hero], [Bearer of the Stone Heart], [Gladiator]

Class: [Disciple]

Mastery: [None]

Allegiance: [Temple of the Moon]

Abilities: [Wolf Lord’s Howl], [Avatar of the Wolf], [Call the Pack], [Blessing of the Moon], [Presence of the Wolf Lord], [Martial Form: Dawn], [Basic Weapons Mastery], [Apprentice Orator], [Rallying Cry], [Pack Travel], [Earth Sense], [The Devil is in the Details], [Shadow Dash], [Language Proficiency: Abyssal], [Intercepting Strike (lvl 1)], [Armor of the Earth], [Heart of the Earth ], [Call the Stone Legion]

Title Amended: Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf [Earl] (First Rank)

As the ruler of Fang Valley, your position has been recognized by the Northern Empire. You have gained the landholding rank of Earl and the responsibilities associated. For a complete list of the privileges and responsibilities associated with your rank, please refer to the Imperial Codex of Law.

Your noble title has been upgraded to the first rank and is now hereditary.

While he was at it, he checked the quest that the noble faction had given him to see if he had made any progress.

Heir to the Ironhold

Advanced in age yet heirless, the Ironhold Duke is looking for someone to carry on his impressive legacy. After spending the prime years of his life fighting alongside the emperor, the Ironhold Duke was tasked with controlling the forges of the empire. Now ready to retire and live out his days in comfort, the duke wants an heir that can protect the empire from external and internal threats.

Requirements:

Meet the Ironhold Duke: 0/1

Impress the Ironhold Duke: 0/3

Become an Earl: 1/1

Prove your strength in battle: 0/1

Reward:

Title: Ironhold Duke

Area: Ironhold Duchy

Sure enough, he was one step closer to the Ironhold Duke. He and Athena had debated the benefits of trying to meet the Duke while he was in the capital, but after weighing the situation they had determined that he would make a better impression if he did not rush it. With the counter-invasion of Rasyn imminent, they were confident that the Duke would be summoning him to fight which would give Thorn plenty of time to interact with the Duke. Lost in thought, he stared out the window until they arrived at the Society’s headquarters where he was surprised to see one of the clerks from Sir Trisham’s office standing on the steps.

“Earl Greymane? I have the details of your new office. Additionally, Sir Trisham would like me to pass on the message that your house will be ready for you to move in tomorrow at noon. Someone will meet you there with a key.”

“How remarkably efficient. Please, come in.”

After they were settled in one of the conference rooms, the clerk gave Thorn a stack of papers and maps. Pointing to the top one, he began to outline the benefits that Thorn would receive from being an Earl. Starting with the maps, he pointed to the area north, east, and south of Fang valley.

“My lord, these areas are all part of your territory. While most of the land is mountainous, it is rich in minerals and fur. You have also traded for part of the coast to the north, and your land there includes a mid-sized fishery and a small town. The town was deemed suitable for a port but progress stalled when funding ran out. In addition to that land, you hold a mine located to the north west of the valley that produces gold. Sir Trisham has granted you the rights to the land in between the valley and the mine to make handling it easier. If you don’t have any questions about your land holdings, I’ll continue on to the other benefits of your rank.”

The most significant was the increase in military strength. Being an Earl allowed Thorn to have a standing army of 25,000 soldiers, with 10,000 specialist troops. This included cavalry, siege engineers, marines, archer corps, and heavy infantry. This was more than enough to secure his new lands and develop a formidable fighting force. His rank also allowed him to bring an army of 10,000 out of his holdings when called by another noble. The remaining 15,000 would stand guard on his land, waiting for the emperor’s call before they mobilized.

It took the clerk nearly three hours to finish going over everything so Thorn invited him to lunch as they were finishing up. Flattered by the offer, the clerk declined and, after giving Thorn a deep bow, took his leave. Watching him go, Thorn scratched his chin.

“Sort of anti-climactic, don’t you think?”

“Hm? What do you mean?” Athena looked up from where she was pouring a drink.

“I don’t know, it just feels like this is going really smoothly. Almost like I am being led somewhere. It seems strange that the natives would give so much power to a traveler. Do you think that the noble faction has ulterior motives?”

“Without a doubt.” Bringing a glass over to where Thorn was sitting, Athena clinked her glass against his and said with a small smile, “You are growing up Thorn, you’re starting to doubt other people’s goodness.”

“If cynicism is the price of growing up, I don’t know that I want to.”

“Oh dear,” putting her drink down on a small side table, Athena wrapped her arms around Thorn’s shoulders, hugging him as best she could. “The world is a complicated place. It is the natural result of putting complicated people together and asking them to get along. One of the marks of maturity is being able to recognize those complications without allowing them to shape the way you live your life. Other people’s actions are their own. We understand them and anticipate them, but we don't let them keep us from being good.”

Letting out a sigh, Thorn hugged his aunt back, and together they went to the dining room for lunch. The longer he played Nova Terra, the more he realized how unbelievably naive he had been when he started the game. Though that naivety was slowly being peeled away, he still found it somewhat shocking to think that other people might have less than stellar reasons for their actions.

There was still a lot to do, so after a hearty lunch Thorn and Athena sat down for a quick strategy session before he headed back to the valley. Rumors were flying that the official mobilization call would come within the next week, so Thorn was on a clock to raise his army. The Ironhold Duke was a no nonsense character, and Thorn was eager to make a good first impression so he was anxious to get started.

“Why don’t you ask Corvo to help the captain set up a recruitment drive? I’m sure that you’ll be able to get people to flock to your fighting force. It will take a few days for you to get back to the valley, and they can use that time to filter out the better players. We can also post a notice on the forums.”

“That’s true. But what I’m most concerned about is the structure of the units. I have no military experience and I’m not really sure how to go about putting something like that together. 10,000 players roaming the land without discipline would be a nightmare.”

“True. Tell you what, I’ll look for some players with a solid military record and see if we can put together something.” Athena’s eyes lit up as ideas began to form in her mind. “Just leave it to me!”

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

The next morning saw Thorn well on his way to the valley. Leaving his mansion in Athena’s excited and capable hands, Thorn, Akira, Mina, and Heidi had started on their way. Athena wanted to send a squad from the Society of Roses to escort them back, but Thorn turned her down firmly, saying that they could move faster by themselves. When Heidi had announced that she was going to come along, both Mina and Athena had flinched, but Thorn agreed before they could say anything.

As they traveled, Thorn ran next to Akira who had assumed her battle form. The two girls sat on Akira’s back as they sped along, chatting quietly. Akira’s new race seemed to have granted her the same boundless energy that Thorn possessed, so they raced on without stopping, cutting the four day trip down to less than two.

When the massive Moon Wolf Citadel came into sight, the girls got down and Akira shifted back into her pet form, climbing up on Thorn’s shoulder. Together they walked up to the bustling gate where Captain Del’har met them. Before Thorn could stop him, Captain Del’har hammered his chest in a warrior’s salute that was echoed by the guards at the gate.

“Welcome home, Earl Greymane!”

The ringing sound of metal as all of the Wolfkin guards’ fists hit their chest plates echoed through the pass, causing the players and natives who were queuing to enter the citadel to look over. Whispers broke out as they caught sight of the captain kneeling to greet Thorn.

“Thanks.” Hiding his grimace, Thorn hurried to pull the captain back to his feet. “No need to make a scene here, let’s talk in the fortress.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Gesturing for a squad of soldiers to gather quickly, Captain Del’har commanded them to move ahead, clearing a path for Thorn and his companions as they hurried into the fortress.

“How are things going?”

Based on the number of people that Thorn saw walking around the fortress, it seemed that the citadel was thriving. In fact, Thorn had a nagging feeling that it had been expanded again to deal with the influx of players. There were significantly more Wolfkin guards than he remembered, and many of them wore armor and carried spears rather than the staff common to the disciples of the Temple of the Moon. Noticing his gaze, the captain smiled proudly.

“My lord, everything is going smoothly. There has been a slight complication with the giant wolves, but we have blocked off that area of the valley and we are managing. Otherwise, we are growing nicely. The army is developing well, and many of the Wolfkin from the valley have opted to join the army rather than joining the Temple of the Moon.”

“Oh? Are we making a distinction between them?”

“For the specific details you will need to ask Elder Havva, my lord. He and Lord Corvo had a long talk that I did not really understand. After that, the Wolfkin travelers were moved into the Temple and the native Wolfkin were encouraged to join the military.”

“Got it. I’ll ask Corvo when I see him. Have we had any more troublemakers?”

“No, my lord, the merchants have largely kept in line. Of course there are a few thief groups that have been trying to weasel their way into the Citadel, but Lord Oberlin has established a small force to sniff them out. Though they are not quite as good without him around, they are still managing. Actually, Lady Silverhand has been a large help in that regard.”

“Jora Silverhand? That merchant? Haha, really? Interesting.”

As they climbed the stairs to the fortress’ throne room, Mina took Heidi away to rest. Though they had ridden Akira for the entire trip from the capital, they were both mentally exhausted. Thorn sent Akira to be with her family as well and she quickly disappeared into the valley’s forests. Following the captain, Thorn entered the throne room and waved to Corvo who was talking to two small figures.

Recognizing Jora Silverhand and Peregrine, the Avatar of Tyra, Thorn nodded to them and climbed up to his throne, settling into it with a sigh. Despite the fact that he felt no real physical discomfort after running for two days straight, the shadow of fatigue was clinging to him, and sitting gave him mental relief.

“My lord,” Jora Silverhand bowed her head slightly, her hand across her chest.

From the careful way she held herself and the slight tremor in her voice, Thorn could tell that the Dwarf was extremely nervous. He could not really blame her either. The last time they had interacted he had thrown her in jail. So far, since being released she had only dealt with Corvo and the others.

“Jora, I’ve been hearing great things about your work with Silver Moon. According to all reports you have been doing a stellar job with our merchant arm. Thank you for your efforts in this regard.” Thorn tried to keep his voice as relaxed as possible to take away the tension he could feel between them. He was gratified to see the nervous energy drain out of her stance as Jora listened to his words.

“Thank you, Earl Greymane. I look forward to continuing to build the Silver Moon Merchants and increasing our reach.”

Pleased with Thorn’s attitude toward her, Jora stepped back. Her initial worries that Thorn would still hold her previous actions against her had turned out to be unfounded, giving her even more confidence in Nova Luna. When she had been offered the chance to help run the guild’s merchant arm she had hesitated because she was worried that her past actions would haunt her. Eventually the idea of getting to build a merchant group with nearly unlimited backing had proven too tempting and she had joined up. Now, with just a few words, Thorn had laid her final worries to rest.

Ignoring the glare he was getting from Corvo, Thorn smiled at Peregrine.

“Hello, Peregrine. Please thank Roko for us, her help in contacting the Emperor of the Sky was incredibly helpful. From now on you are more than welcome to hunt in my lands as much as you want.”

“Thanks. Roko will be happy to hear that.”

“Have you given any more thought to joining up with us? With you, me, and Corvo we’ll have a really strong force.”

It took a moment for Peregrine to respond and Thorn could tell that she had been giving the matter considerable thought. Her companion, Roko, loved the tall mountains nearby and there was plenty to do in the mountains that surrounded the valley. Eventually, however, her love of freedom won out and she shook her head.

“No, I think I do better on my own.”

“Well, if you decide you want to join us you are always more than welcome. I’ll send you an invite just in case. Someday if you are interested you can just join.”

“Ahem.”

Corvo’s glare was getting frostier by the second so Thorn quickly ended his conversation with Peregrine and turned to Huginn’s avatar.

“Alright, I can see you’re about to explode, why don’t you fill me in on what I missed?”

“Nice to see you, Thorn. Or should I call you Earl Greymane?” Corvo’s words were slightly bitter as he stared at the Titan. “I see you have profited from galavanting all over the continent. While you’ve been doing that I’ve been stuck here dealing with a million tiny and super annoying details.”

“Hello, Corvo.” Thorn could not keep the smile off of his face as he looked at the avatar of Huginn. “You’ve been doing a great job as well. I can’t imagine a better person to leave in charge.”

“Oh, shut it.”

There was something about the soft goodwill that Thorn radiated that made Corvo tired. It was nearly impossible to stay mad at someone who was so obviously appreciative. With a sigh he got down to business.

“Due to the incredible information gathering skills and powerful mental capabilities that yours truly possesses, everything is going fine. The big wolves are contained. The merchants are being organized by Jora. Peregrine has been helping us secure the valley and spot smugglers. The guild’s production side is growing nicely, and the combat side is continuing to train. Jorge and Oberlin have been leading hit squads to target Ragnarok, and our teams in the Battlefield of Flame and Shadow have been fighting back and forth with their teams.

“What else? Oh, the connection to Rakkam has been finished and we’ve been running merchant caravans through the tunnels. It is a nice source of income for players who have not joined Nova Luna and has mostly cleared up the problems we have with them. We have been hiring them to act as mercenaries, guarding the caravans. Due to the contracts we’re signing, they are self organizing and most importantly, self-regulating. We have also been able to seed some of our own players into the groups, which has helped in giving them unified direction.”

Thorn tapped the armrest of the Wolf Throne as he thought through what he was hearing. In the real world, things like setting up a merchant group, or escort teams, or anything that required multiple people would take significant planning and time. In the game it happened in a matter of days. The rate at which things happened in the game was unbelievably accelerated.

“You are not afraid that they will try to disrupt us again?”

“No, they have no reason to. The last time was because we were limiting their way forward. However, now that they are organizing into mercenary teams they have significantly more negotiating power. People generally take the path of least resistance, so as long as we give them a way to go, they’ll walk that path.”

“It sounds so sinister when you say it that way.”

“The price of ruling, Thorn, the price of ruling,” Corvo said, sharing a status screen with Thorn. “As far as resources go we are developing as expected. I took the liberty of putting up a notice for some prospecting teams once I saw the updated map of your holdings. Again, we are using non-guild Wolfkin players to do the work. And so far we’ve had an overwhelming response. The idea of finding a rich ore vein and striking it rich is really enticing so there have been close to one hundred teams that have gone prospecting over the last couple days. More are signing up every day as well.

“On the military front we are in solid shape. We’ve prioritised recruiting players to our guild or pushing them toward the Temple of the Moon, so our entire military is currently native Wolfkin. The numbers of Wolfkin have exploded over the last two days which made it pretty easy to fill out a force of 15,000 soldiers. After talking with Elder Havva, I thought it would be best to stop there since I’m sure you’re going to want to fill the remaining 10,000 with players.”

“Do we have enough players in Nova Luna?” Thorn asked.

“Yes. The guild has grown significantly over the last few weeks. I know you were pretty tied up after the end of the World Quest, but that video that BurningCloud shared made you, and the guild, really popular. Remember how we were using the 15,000 spots in our casual guild to help lead and guide the Alliance? Well, we’re at nearly 45,000 players in the casual guild. We’ve simply had too many people applying. Oh, and nearly 10,000 in the professional guild. If you include the sub-guilds that we have been starting to manage the members of the Alliance, Nova Luna’s presence in the valley is nearly 600,000 players strong, with another eight million in the alliance.”

“What? No way.” Unable to process the number that Corvo had just thrown out, Thorn shook his head.

“Believe it. I don’t think you understand what you are sitting on, Earl Greymane.” Corvo’s eyes narrowed and his voice became deadly serious. “Wolfkin were a popular race when they landed and we saw a massive influx of players into the valley. Why do you think it has been expanding so much? Add to that an upstart guild that has near absolute control of the only source of racial advancement for the Wolfkin race and a deep tie-in with an easy source of dual category classes. Then, imagine that the incredibly eye-catching leader of that guild solos a World Quest level boss.”

“Don’t forget that he is the first landed noble player in the game.” Jora chimed in.

“Yes, thank you. He soloed a World Quest level boss, is the first landed noble in the game, and he controls an entire race of NPCs. Thorn, whether you realize it or not, you are at the center of this game. It doesn’t matter how you got here, you are here. And you need to understand that this is not just a game anymore. What might have started as a game to you has now become serious business.”

“I really had no idea.” Thorn rubbed his nose, still struggling to wrap his mind around the numbers that he was hearing.

The sound of the throne room door being opened caused everyone to turn toward the entrance where they saw Elder Havva stumbling forward with the help of a guard. Three huge gashes were opened in his side, and a metallic tang filled the air as he dripped blood on the floor.

“Elder!”

Thorn jumped from his chair, his feet leaving cracks in the throne room floor as he landed. Sprinting over to the guard, Thorn gently took the elderly Wolkin from him and sent him to fetch some healers. Quickly doing what he could to stop the bleeding, Thorn settled Elder Havva as comfortably as he could while activating [Call the Pack] to try and give the Elder some passive regeneration.

Thankfully, the healers arrived within a few moments and were able to begin healing Elder Havva, ensuring he did not die of blood loss. As the golden light shrouded Elder Havva and began to knit the flesh on his side back together, Thorn turned to the guard.

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure, my lord. Elder Havva stumbled out of the Temple of the Moon like this, and we brought him straight here. Many of the buildings in the Temple were on fire so the rest of my squad is trying to keep them contained.”

“Captain, get some teams together to put out the fires. Be careful when you are in the Temple in case there are enemies there.”

“Yes, sir.” Saluting, the captain vanished in a black blur.

“Peregrine, do you mind keeping an eye on what is going on from the air?” Thorn glanced at the short avatar before turning his attention back to Elder Havva.

“No problem.” Like Captain Del’har, Peregrine took off running, but rather than going down the stairs, she sprinted toward the balcony, a piercing whistle echoing from her lips. A quick hop put her on the balcony’s edge where she paused for a moment before leaping out into the air. With an answering whistle, Roko flashed down from the clouds, darting underneath the falling halfling and catching her neatly.

Inside the throne room, Thorn was about to speak to Corvo when Elder Havva shuddered and woke up. The gashes on his side were still open and festering, resisting the healer’s attempts.

“He’s stable, but without constant healing he will deteriorate again. I don’t know what hit him, but we can’t get rid of it.” Helpless, the healers looked at Thorn who was about to explode.

Reaching out a trembling hand, Elder Havva held onto Thorn’s arm with a surprising amount of strength as he gasped out his words through the pain in his side.

“It was Gelish. The corruption has returned and is stronger than ever.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

“Gelish? What did he do?” Thorn struggled to keep his aura in check as anger boiled in his chest.

“The corruption of Karrandras was wiped from his blood, but a new corruption has risen up in its place due to the honeyed words of Mayari the Cursed.” The words leaked from Elder Havva’s mouth in between spurts of gasping.

“You mean the fake high priestess in the forest?”

As Thorn spoke he was searching through his inventory for a vial of the World Tree’s sap. When they had emptied the pool of sap after Velin cleansed the World Tree’s corruption, he had stored a large number of vials for the alchemists in Nova Luna. Elder Havva’s body glowed with golden light as one of the healers cast another healing spell, temporarily easing the elder’s pain.

Giving the vial to the healer who was tending to the gashes, Thorn clenched his fist. He had let Gelish go because he thought that the former head disciple would be able to benefit the Wolfkin, but it seemed to have been a mistake. The healer carefully spread the sap of the World Tree on the gashes on Elder Havva’s side, making sure to cover the edges where a sickly red sheen lingered.

As the sap cleared the corruption that infected his wounds, Elder Havva’s pained expression eased. It took a total of three vials, but with the help of the sap the corruption was soon completely removed from his body and Elder Havva was able to sit up. His fur still matted with sweat, he took a few deep breaths and sat cross-legged, sinking into a deep meditation.

As impatient as he was, Thorn knew better than to rush a master who was meditating. Within two minutes the Elder’s frail aura had changed, deepening and strengthening as he breathed in and out. The effects of the sap of the World Tree went far beyond simply clearing corruption, and just as Akira experienced, Elder Havva was finding his body and bloodline enhanced after ingesting it.

*crack*

With a low snapping, Elder Havva’s eyes shot open, glowing with life. Surprise flashed across his eyes as he examined himself. Much of the grey fur that had covered his body had turned into a rich brown, and he felt vitality coursing through his veins. Jumping to his feet, he stretched and then, as if remembering where he was, suddenly bowed toward Thorn.

“Lord Greymane, my thanks for your favor.”

“Don’t mention it.” As happy as Thorn was to see Elder Havva’s advancement and recovery, he was still furious about the idea of Gelish’s betrayal. “Tell me, what happened with Gelish and Mayari?”

“It is a long story, my lord.” With a deep sigh, Elder Havva’s shoulders slumped.

“He probably has not gone far, so we can still catch him if we hurry.”

Elder Havva held up his hand, stopping Thorn from striding out of the throne room.

“A few more minutes will not matter, my lord. We know where he will go.” With another sigh, Elder Havva looked out past the balcony into the forest that stretched down the valley. “He has joined the Cursed in her quest to rewrite the fate of the Wolfkin in her own image.”

“It sounds like you have much to tell me, Elder. Come.” Gesturing for him to follow, Thorn led Elder Havva and Corvo into his office.

Once everyone was seated, Elder Havva squared his shoulders and began to speak.

“You are familiar with the story of Davyos, correct? Well, there was another player in that dark moment. There was a time when the Wolfkin and the Children of the Moon, those large wolves who have encroached on the valley, walked together under Hati’s light. Mayari was the high priestess of Hati, a beautiful, gentle young woman. Sadly, her heart was corrupted by the evil whispers of Karrandras and she in turn led Davyos astray, twisting him into the monster that he became.

“Having passed beyond a mortal state, Mayari sought to control the Wolfkin and the Children of the Moon. It was only through the courage and skill of the Greymane that Mayari was imprisoned and the Wolfkin were saved from her claws. But due to Davyos’ betrayal, the Greymane was killed and Davyos took his position. The Children of the Moon were able to hide Mayari’s prison from Davyos, and he eventually left the valley.

“Now, however, the Cursed has returned, and her deceitful whispers have spread among the disciples of the temple. I heard rumblings of it, but when I went to speak to those affected, Gelish ambushed me and fled with many of his brothers and sisters. It is my deepest shame that I was not able to see the truth sooner. I believed that the cleansing power of Hati had forever sealed the corruption in Gelish’s heart, but I was simply deluding myself.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Elder. A person’s decisions are their own. Gelish has chosen to embrace his ambition and selfishness rather than put it aside, and the consequences of that choice are his to bear.”

A small figure landed on the windowsill of the office and flipped into the room. Dusting off her hands, Peregrine stood up and walked over to Thorn’s desk, lifting herself up and sitting on it.

“Find something?” Thorn asked, her serious expression making his heart fall.

“Yeah, or rather, a lot of things. That Gelish guy has gathered a lot of disciples who are infected with corruption. They’ve made their camp around a broken temple that just appeared on the edge of the valley where the giant wolves used to be. The wolves have retreated into the mountains. Small bands of corrupted disciples have started to push out into the valley and attack players, killing without mercy.”

“Well, that isn’t good.” Grimacing, the furrows on Corvo’s forehead deepened.

“You think?” Peregrine rolled her eyes at Corvo’s words. “They are targeting the work camps and hunters nearby. Thankfully there are not many casualties so far, but it is about to get really bad. While we were up there we took a turn around the valley. It looks like there are groups of disciples getting ready to assault all the major resource points in the valley.”

Furious, Thorn slammed his hand on his desk, causing it to shatter under the force of his blow. Startled, Peregrine fluttered as if picked up by a breeze and landed lightly on one of the nearby chairs. Turning his eyes toward Corvo, Thorn was about to speak when a notification sounded, stealing the words from his mouth.

*ding*

Quest: An Ancient Priestess - Updated

Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.

Mayari has asked you to free her while Mani, the matron of the Children of the Moon, has asked you to slay Mayari after freeing her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.

While you were pondering over the best course to take, Mayari has silently enlisted the support of Gelish, former head disciple of the Temple of the Moon and a large number of Wolfkin disciples. After growing in secret, the corrupted disciples have finally rebelled, beginning to raid the valley and kill those who do not pledge their loyalty to Mayari.

Every day that Mayari remains alive, and for every player that is killed, the number of corrupted disciples will increase.

As a special reward, Mani, the matron of the Children of the Moon, has agreed to tell you what she knows about the Titan race.

Reward: Children of the Moon, High Priestess of Hati, Information about Titans

The anger in Thorn drained away as he read over the updated quest. Part of his anger had been toward Corvo for letting a situation like this develop under his nose, but based on the updated quest description, there was likely nothing that Corvo could have done to discover the malignancy. With a heavy sigh, Thorn shared the quest with Corvo and Peregrine.

“Oh, I was wrong.” Despite Corvo’s tone retaining some of its customary levity, Thorn could tell that the Elf was completely serious. “This isn’t bad, it's awful. Thorn, I don’t care what else you are planning, but it has to take a back seat. This is the new number one priority. If we don’t clean this up really fast we’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

“It looks like the best option for us is to go wipe out Mayari.” Tapping the armrest of his chair, Thorn’s mind spun as he considered options.

“I’m afraid that isn’t going to be enough. Yes, we need to take down Mayari, but the corrupted disciples are a bigger threat.”

“Explain yourself, please.”

“Sure. This wouldn’t matter as much if it was just a raid, or if the corrupted disciples were targeting you. But from what Peregrine said, they are targeting normal players and the valley’s resources. Most players are not going to survive roving bands of corrupted disciples, especially if Elder Havva’s wounds are anything to judge by.”

It took a moment for Thorn’s mind to catch up to what Corvo was referencing, but when he did, his face fell.

“You mean the corruption?”

“Yes. It is a curse that prevents healing. If it nearly killed Elder Havva, it will absolutely wreck normal players. And the situation will only snowball since every kill means another corrupted disciple. It’s a zombie outbreak.”

“It’s not that bad is it?” Thorn was sweating under the serious stares that were leveled at him.

“It’s worse.” This time it was Peregrine that spoke. “Thorn, do you know how many people who are playing Nova Terra are doing it just for fun? Less than ten percent. The rest are doing it to make a living. They quest or hunt or work for gold. Gold that becomes credits. Credits that feed and house them in the real world. Chaos in the valley is chaos in their lives. If they are getting hunted by corrupted disciples they will not be able to hunt or work or quest in the valley. Remove their ability to work and they start missing meals.

“Corvo is right, this should be treated like a zombie outbreak. And like a zombie outbreak, it has the potential to sweep through the valley at an ever quicker pace if not controlled. If we are not careful, it could snowball quickly. Even more importantly, most people’s spawn point is set to one of the towns in the valley. If they fall, then anyone who dies will be continuously respawned there, only to be surrounded by corrupted disciples.”

Standing up, Corvo began pacing as he took over the thread of conversation from Peregrine.

“Exactly. We’re talking about the potential for the better part of a million players all trapped in the valley. Not only would that completely destroy any sort of credibility that Nova Luna has, it would ruin the Wolfkin as well. The negative effects are tremendous, and the positives are nearly non-existent. There are a lot of people who are relying on us to keep this valley, this ecosystem, going.”

Seeing how rattled Thorn looked, Corvo ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Walking over to the ruined desk, he and Peregrine stood next to each other, looking at Thorn.

“Look, Thorn, I know it is a lot of pressure. But it is really important that you understand this. It isn’t just the professional players who are making a living through this game. Very few people can live a life that is not intricately tied to Nova Terra. Even those who don’t play Nova Terra are either plugged into Fantasia, or they work in an industry that serves the game. The vast majority of players, of people, are so interconnected with this world that it might as well be the real one.

“And because people treat this world as the real one, they are going to bet on the players and guilds who are going to be able to help them. You are one of those players, and Nova Luna is one of those guilds. Guess what I did not get a chance to mention in our conversation earlier? I think that the last time we talked we had almost six million applications to Nova Luna that we were waiting to process. That number has tripled in the three weeks you have been gone. Even if three quarters of them don’t meet our requirements that would make us the largest guild in the game. People are flocking to the valley in droves.

“While we probably will not take more than a few thousand of the people who applied to join the guild, we have also had almost a thousand guilds apply to become subordinate guilds so they can move into the valley. I know you have been having fun running around and doing quests, Thorn, but I think your mindset needs to change a bit. You set out to build something, and for whatever reason, it took off big. Way bigger than you probably realize.”

Silence fell over the room as Thorn tried to process what he had just heard. It had not been that long ago that he had walked into the valley, determined to carve out a place for himself in Nova Terra. The ripple from that had spread quickly and far beyond his control until he found himself plunging forward on a surging wave.

Taking a deep breath in, he held it as his eyes drifted across the valley to the ruins of the old Greymane Keep where all of this had started. Everything had been simple then, just beat the monster into the ground as soon as you saw it. Then everything started to grow and accelerate until he found himself unable to keep up.

So far he had managed by leaving the details to the guild’s managers while he did his best to deal with the quests that Nova Terra threw at him, but even then he felt like he was barely treading water. The idea that countless people were relying on him was a weight that was almost too much to bear.

Almost.

Breathing out, Thorn could feel the last bit of his childlike innocence vanishing into the air. There were only two paths that he could take. Either he continued to chase adventure, ignoring the valley and its inhabitants to focus on himself, or he committed to protecting them properly. While it would not be easy, the choice was simple. Standing, Thorn looked down at Corvo and the Peregrine, a grim smile on his lips.

“Come, we have a cult to crush.”

End

Afterword

I really appreciate the time you have spent with me in Nova Terra. I am working on Book Five right now and cannot wait to share it with you. Before I tell you how to get a peek at advanced chapters for Book Five, please spend a few moments and leave me a review. Reviews are so important to indie writers, like me. Knowing that you are out there, reading and thinking about Nova Terra, is what keeps me writing.

Now for the good stuff. After you leave a review, head on over to Facebook and join our Nova Terra page. That is the best place to keep track of what is coming up next for Nova Terra. If you are interested in a more intimate experience or being part of the world of Nova Terra, my Patreon to learn how you can see over 5,000 words per week of brand new material. There are lots of different levels of participation, all with various cool benefits, including being first to read new stuff, guiding the story line and character development, having a character named after you – lots of possibilities. There are a lot of really cool things coming this year and next in the world of Nova Terra and the best way to get involved is to join us on Patreon.

I’ve been fortunate to participate in panels at various conferences, so please sign up for my Patreon and/or follow me on Facebook to get announcements of new material and where I am speaking. I’d love to meet you and hear your thoughts about Nova Terra, writing, and world building in general.

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If you are interested in reading more GameLit or learning more about this or related genres like LitRPG, there is a really cool community on Facebook where you can find new books and get recommendations for old books.

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Acknowledgments

A huge thank you to my friends and family who encouraged and supported me on this wonderful journey.

Thank you to my Patrons, who make my writing possible.

A special thank you to the following Patrons who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in helping to create this story:

Aaron Chartier

Kayden High

adam

Kyle Gravelle

Allen burger

Kyle J Smith

Alyssa

Landon Sears

Barry Rucker

Matthew Bennett

Ben Roin

Matthew Robinson Jr

Berzerker

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Brandon Johnson

Milly Diaz

Daniel Alexander Womack

Monkeyking331

David printy

Quintin

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Robert Zelensky

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Rylon

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Zachary Bender

Table of Contents

- Nova Terra: Guardian
- CHAPTER ONE
- CHAPTER TWO
- CHAPTER THREE
- CHAPTER FOUR
- CHAPTER FIVE
- CHAPTER SIX
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- CHAPTER EIGHT
- CHAPTER NINE
- CHAPTER TEN
- CHAPTER ELEVEN
- CHAPTER TWELVE
- CHAPTER THIRTEEN
- CHAPTER FOURTEEN
- CHAPTER FIFTEEN
- CHAPTER SIXTEEN
- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
- CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
- CHAPTER NINETEEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY
- CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
- CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
- CHAPTER THIRTY
- CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
- CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
- CHAPTER FORTY
- CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
- CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
- CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
- CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
- CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
- CHAPTER FIFTY
- CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
- CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
- CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
- CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
- Afterword
- Acknowledgments