Eden's Gate: The Ascent: A LitRPG Adventure

by Edward Brody

  Stand back, I warned Sora. You’re hurt, so don’t get involved.

  Liam turned, scanning the area. “Where are the others?!”

  “I don’t know,” I replied, “but maybe we can take him if he’s alone!”

  The still figure stuck his hand deep inside his robe, and pulled out a small, wooden pipe. He placed the end of the pipe up to his lips and gave it a hard, sharp blow. A tiny dart sped in our direction.

  “Look out!” I yelled.

  We all scattered, perhaps more fearful of the subtle attack than we should’ve been. Oddly, the dart flew at least a good foot out of the way from hitting me, even if I hadn’t tried to dodge, and slammed into the trunk of a tree nearby.

  As soon as the dart landed, the robed figure turned and hurried away.

  I looked around me, checking to make sure everyone was okay, then turned in all directions, waiting for another surprise attack.

  Nothing happened.

  “What the fuck was that?” I asked.

  Liam shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe he isn’t as confident without his friends.”

  “Weird…” I said low.

  “Look over there,” Rina said. “There’s something on the tree.”

  I turned to the tree where the dart had landed, and hanging from the dart was a tiny thread with a small parchment dangling from it. I carefully approached the dart, plucked the parchment from the string, and unfolded the paper.

  “Arrive at the location below, tomorrow at dawn.

  Alone.

  Arrive with an entourage, and the Princess dies.

  Gunnar only.”

  At the bottom of the message was a set of scribbled coordinates.

  You’ve received a quest offer: Anonymous Demands

  The robed men require you to arrive alone at the location listed on the anonymous letter.

  Reward: 5000 XP

  Do you accept this quest? Accept/Decline

  My ears burned, and I felt tingles spread all over my body. “What the fuck is this?” I said slowly.

  How the hell did they know my name? And what kind of situation were they trying to set me up for?

  “Looks like a ransom setup,” Liam said.

  “It’s almost time!” Rina yelled.

  I turned my head towards Rina and shook my head to lessen the dread that was consuming me. There were more pressing matters than the note—Tsarra.

  We all moved back to where Tsarra was, and I rubbed Sora gently on the head as Rina raised her staff to start casting her resurrection spell.

  It’ll all work out, I thought to myself, still worrying about the note that we received and feeling a bit paranoid that we might still have someone watching us from behind. I had gotten Liam and Sora back, and now we were going to resurrect Tsarra. Soon, we’d get Adeelee back, and according to the note, she was alive.

  It’ll all work out, I thought again.

  Rina rose a little onto her tiptoes as her resurrection spell was cast, and Tsarra’s body began to glow. Sora took a step forward, anxious to see her friend again, and I smiled in anticipation.

  Rina’s heels dropped back to the ground, and the glow around Tsarra’s body faded. There was no twitch of her limbs, no opening of the eyes, and no indication that anything had changed.

  My body tensed, and I turned to Rina. “What happened?”

  Rina swallowed. “Maybe… ugh…”

  “What?” I asked harshly.

  “Maybe the spell didn’t take.” She blinked a couple times, turned back towards Tsarra, and started casting the spell again.

  Once more, Tsarra’s body glowed, but just like the last attempt, nothing happened as the energy around her faded.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Why isn’t she…”

  Rina blinked, lowered her eyes, and shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  “No…” I said low.

  Sora sauntered up to her dead elder and rubbed her head against her bloody corpse. She made an audible purring sound then started pawing lightly again as if trying to wake her up.

  “No…” I repeated.

  Sora turned to me with an odd expression, as if she still didn’t quite understand that the spell wasn’t going to work, that I hadn’t made it back in time for more than one resurrection spell. It was only luck that Liam had a revival potion.

  My whole body felt weak, and a sense of sadness overwhelmed me. Tsarra wasn’t my pet, but I had ridden on her with Adeelee. We had fought together multiple times, and everyone, including me, had adored her.

  I couldn’t believe she was gone.

  I fell to my knees near the bloodied Great Beast’s body and lowered my face into my hands, fighting back sadness. I shook head slowly and whispered, “I’m sorry…”

  I was sorry to Sora, sorry to Adeelee, but most of all, sorry to Tsarra.

  It was the first time I had lost someone familiar to me in Eden’s Gate and it was a harsh reminder that anyone I met—outside of Reborns—could be taken from me just as quickly as they had entered my life.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  2/10/0001

  Give me at least a day in the Otherworld. Sora said. Even though she was speaking with her thoughts, I could tell that she was hurting—physically and emotionally.

  I was too.

  I’m sorry, I projected to her, not feeling like I could say it enough.

  Sora nodded.

  You’re free to go, I said silently. I hope to see you again too.

  You as well, father. Her voice in my head was soft but monotonous. She turned and paced slowly down the hill and out of our view.

  “We should all get going before the men return,” Liam said.

  “And where will you go?” I asked.

  “I’ll go stash my loot and sell a few things, I suppose. After today, I don’t have the stomach for much else.” Liam showed little interest in asking me about my plans.

  Though I was devastated about the loss of Tsarra, I didn’t change the fact that Adeelee was still out there somewhere and needed to be found. I had a strange note telling me arrive at some unknown location the next day, but I wasn’t sure how to handle it. I figured the best course of action would be to go to the Vale and consult with the other High Elves. Adeelee was their Princess after all, and if she had been kidnapped, the King and Queen needed to know as soon as possible.

  “Are you going to Highcastle?” I asked Liam.

  Liam nodded and sighed. “My horse is still tied up nearby. Surprisingly, they left him untouched.”

  “Would you mind Rina riding along with you?” I asked.

  “What?” Rina asked. “You didn’t bring a rune for us to recall back?”

  I reached up and scratched the side of my head. “I have a Recall Home spell to take me back to Edgewood, but I don’t have any other runes on me. I could’ve brought my rune to the Mages Guild for you, but I was in such a rush that I didn’t really think about it at the time.” I let out an apologetic, anxious groan. “Sorry…”

  Rina huffed.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” I said.

  Rina marched over to me and pulled me to the side. “You shouldn’t leave me alone with him. He keeps giving me these looks… I’m afraid he might try something.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “He’s harmless.”

  “I’m not so sure…”

  I took a deep breath and said, “He kissed me, okay? Nothing to worry about.”

  Rina jerked her head back and her face twisted in confusion. She glanced back and forth to Liam and me. “He kissed you?”

  I nodded.

  She suddenly seemed relieved, yet still a bit confused. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “Well, okay.” She looked over to Liam. “Can you drop me off near the border of Edgewood? Or Thorpes would be fine as well. I can walk the rest of the way.”

  Liam smiled and sauntered over to Rina. He grabbed her hand and lifted it up to his lips without receiving any protests. “It would be my pleasure.”
r />   Rina creased her brows and seemed unamused. She turned to me and wrinkled her nose as he led her off to the horse.

  I still hadn’t figured Liam out, but letting Rina think that he wasn’t into girls was fine with me if it made her feel better. I was confident he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.

  “Take care of her, please!” I shouted as they walked off.

  “No worries, Gunnar!” Liam said back. “We’ll see each other soon at the Mages Guild. Thank you again for your generosity.”

  I sighed when they were out of sight and turned to the carnage around me. I took a moment to drag Tsarra’s body to an out-of-sight location and covered it with various leaves and branches. Though I had no way of giving her a proper burial, I wanted to avoid her getting violated any more than she had already. I even considered lighting the foliage on fire, but a part of me still wasn’t accepting the death. In the back of my mind I was still conjuring up thoughts of how I might bring her back. Maybe there was a better spell than resurrection? A higher-level potion I hadn’t learned about yet? Necromancy maybe? I still didn’t know everything about the world.

  When I was done, I pulled my rune out from my bag and channeled until I dematerialized and reappeared in the Vale.

  “Back again...?” one of the elves said from above. This time, he sounded much less welcoming.

  I kneeled in front of the elf and lowered my head. “Apologies for my lack of manners last time. I was in a time-sensitive situation.”

  “You may rise, Ambassador,” the elf said. “Enjoy your stay.”

  I rose to my feet and conjured up a weak smile before I started walking towards the center of Mist Vale village. I unraveled the message that had been left by the robed man and read it again. I was so confused as to how they knew me name.

  Had they overheard me talking with my friends?

  And even if they did hear us talking, why would they single me out? Was it because I was the only one they didn’t manage to kill?

  And they didn’t loot or steal anything from Liam or me, so what was the point of attacking us in the first place? None of it made sense.

  I passed the elven pie vender, and for the first time ever, I didn’t feel like having a bite. Even with the sweet aroma filling my nostrils, I was too upset about the loss of Tsarra and the disappearance of Adeelee to care.

  “Ambassador,” one of the two guards in front of the path leading to the palace said as I approached. He looked behind me in confusion. “Where is the Princess?”

  “When will the King and Queen be back?” I asked, ignoring the question.

  “I believe we told you already that they’re busy in Galien. I can’t say for sure when they’re to return.”

  “Who’s in charge while they’re away?” I asked.

  The elf raised an eyebrow. “That would be the Princess. Again, where is she?”

  I licked my lips and swallowed, feeling anxious about telling basic guards about the situation. “The Princess has been kidnapped. I need to speak to someone.”

  The eyes of the guards narrowed. “Kidnapped? Someone kidnapped the Princess?”

  I nodded.

  The guard glanced at each other. One of them gritted his teeth and clenched his hand around his spear. “She shouldn’t have gone with you!”

  I lowered my chin and nodded lightly. Though I knew it wasn’t really my fault that Adeelee was kidnapped, I felt partially responsible. I was the one who ran. I was the one who couldn’t protect her.

  “Is this some sort of human joke?” the other guard asked.

  I shook my head no. “Why would I joke about something like this? I need to speak with the King and Queen to figure out what I need to do. Or… someone… whoever is in charge now.”

  The guards looked at each other again.

  “What do we do? Send a rider to the Queen?” one of them asked.

  “Perhaps,” the other said. “Or maybe we rally a search party.” He looked over his friend’s shoulder to me. “Do you have any leads as to where she’s been taken?”

  The other elf raised his hand to halt the idea. “We can’t make those types of decisions on our own. With the King and Queen gone, Councilor Elloryn will give us direction.”

  The other guard touched his chin and nodded. “Agreed.” He waved his hand and turned towards the palace. “Come with me, Ambassador.”

  The elven guard marched me up the path leading to the palace, and once we were inside, down the long, pristine hall. He stopped and asked another guard if he had seen Elloryn, and once he got confirmation, we headed to a room I had seen before.

  Weapons of various shapes and sizes hung on the walls, and shelves housing armor and other gear were scattered about the room. It had been rearranged since the last time I saw it, but if I wasn’t mistaken, it was the same room where Adeelee had given me my unburdening bag.

  A tall grey-haired elf in a loose-fitting, cream-colored robe was facing one of the shelves. He was rubbing his finger down the page of a book, as if taking inventory, and casually turned when he heard us enter.

  “Councilor,” the guard said with a slight bow.

  “Yes?” the councilor asked as he swiveled his body towards us. “Can I help you?”

  “The Princess is in trouble, and we need your guidance.”

  Councilor Elloryn perked up and snapped his book closed. He sat the book on a small marble table nearby and began slowly walking towards us. The bags under his wrinkled face swelled as he homed in on us. “What do you mean the Princess is in trouble?”

  The guard looked to me, nodded, and took a step back, silently giving me the floor to speak.

  “She was kidnapped while we were out on a hunt,” I said.

  The councilor’s eyes seemed to darken as he looked at me. “You’re the ambassador between the Vale and Edgewood. Am I correct?”

  “Yes,” I said with a nod.

  “So then why were you...” the Councilor started to ask, then waved his hand as if wiping his words away. “No matter. How was the Princess kidnapped?”

  “We had just finished a dive in some sort of gnoll’s den. When we emerged, there were three black-robed men who attacked. They were a lot stronger than us.”

  “Black-robed?” Elloryn asked, looking down towards my belt. “What kind of robes?”

  “Mage robes. At least, I think they were mage robes. But they didn’t wear colored belts to indicate that they were part of the Mages Guild. All black robes with black belts. Their hoods were pulled over their heads, so I couldn’t get a good look at their faces.”

  Elloryn huffed and his brow wrinkled. “The Magi perhaps?”

  I perked up, remembering a mention of the word. “Who are the Magi?”

  “A faction similar to the Mages Guild, but not as noble, I suppose.” He reached up and stroked his smooth chin. “But I’ve never heard of any Magi doing something as reckless as kidnapping a Princess. That’s completely out of character and could cause them great harm.”

  “Perhaps they’re getting bolder,” the guard said. “The Magi operate unchecked.”

  “Perhaps,” Elloryn agreed with a nod. “It’s not unheard of for them to rob and kill, but usually they go after members of the Mages Guild and treasure hunters’ loot. Kidnapping is not their forte.”

  “They go after mages?” I asked shaking my head. No one had told me about a group who robbed and killed Mage Guild members. That hadn’t been in the job description when I joined.

  “It’s true,” Elloryn said. “The Magi will often follow mages as they hunt. They attack when they’ve finished a big hunt, so they can claim the spoils as their own.”

  “A friend of mine…” Was that the right word? Was Liam really my friend? “Um… another mage was with me and killed, but they didn’t loot him. I’m not sure they were after our spoils.”

  Elloryn shrugged, and his face wrinkled in perplexion. “I can’t explain that unless your items just didn’t appeal to them. You said they were a lot stronger than you, right
?”

  “Wait…” I said as I started to pull the note I received out of my pocket. I unraveled the parchment and showed it Elloryn. “This is how I know Adeelee was kidnapped.”

  As soon as he read the note, he snarled. “And you were with another mage?”

  “Yes,” I affirmed.

  “So, then they were looking to attack you and the other mage to get your items, and once they realized they had a Princess on their hands, they figured they would ransom her instead. She’s more valuable than your low-level magic items. Now it’s starting to make sense.”

  I bit the side of my lip. Though I still didn’t fully understand the Magi or how they worked, it did sort of add up. If the Magi hunted members of the Mages Guild, it would explain why they’d attack Liam and me. Perhaps the Princess really was just an unexpected casualty of the situation.

  “But,” Elloryn continued. “They’ve named someone on the parchment. Who is Gunnar?”

  “I’m Gunnar,” I replied.

  Elloryn raised his chin. “How would they know your name?”

  I looked down a bit, hoping that a good reason would come to me, but then shook my head, still unsure of the answer. “I don’t know. Only thing I can guess is they overheard us talking.”

  “Could the Princess have told them your name?” the guard asked.

  I let out a sigh and nodded. Of course that’s how they knew my name. It was so simple! “That’s probably it.”

  Elloryn stepped forward. “Or perhaps you’re deceiving us. Perhaps you’re involved in this ransom attempt.”

  “He is a human,” the guard noted.

  “What?” I shook my head. “I wouldn’t do something like that. I lov—” I caught myself as the wrong word almost slipped out of my mouth. “I care a lot about Adeelee. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”

  Elloryn frowned, looked down at me, and after several seconds of awkward silence, he finally said, “Fine.”

  “What’s fine?” I asked. “What do we do?”