by Edward Brody
I’ll be fine, but where is your robe and your shoes?
They’re in a heap where I died, hopefully, and I need you to run there as quickly as your pretty little legs can take me.
Sora lowered herself. I’ll do my best, father.
I mounted Sora and urged her forward faster than I ever had.
If anyone saw me, they must have thought I looked like some sort of wild Tarzan, riding on the back of a speeding panther through the forest, holding a staff over my head, and wearing only my boxers. I felt wild that’s for sure. And even though I had just died, death wasn’t at the forefront of my mind—only getting Tymrial’s Blade back in my hands so that I could give it to the Magi by dawn.
I didn’t slow Sora when we entered the vicinity of Dragon’s Crest. She sped down the same route I had taken the previous time, running past Bartholomew’s cave and only slowing when we were in sight of the Hexapodra nests.
I dismounted Sora and I walked around slowly, trying to judge which nest I had fallen in as there were several of them spaced apart. I looked up towards the top of Dragon’s Crest, and I could barely make out the small platform below the dragon’s den. When I followed its trajectory down, there was only one nest that was directly below it.
Three Hexapodras were huddled around the nest—two pacing close by aimlessly, while another leaned its mushy mouth over the nest, releasing strands of silk over their pile of debris. It made me shudder a little bit as I had the sudden realization that they vaguely resembled spiders with their six pointy legs pointing out to the sides.
The Hexapodras were level 29, and with the three so close together, I knew it was going to be near impossible to pull one of them away at a time. Unless I was extremely lucky, I’d have to fight them all at once.
I looked to Sora, feeling that I wanted to protect her, but also knowing that I was going to need her help. I hated to put her in another dangerous situation, but she was strong, and I felt there was a good chance we could still run if we found ourselves outmatched. I wasn’t sure what the Hexapodras were capable of, but I was certain they weren’t going to insta-kill her like the Magi had.
I sighed and rubbed Sora on the top of the head. Do you think you can you fight them?
Sora didn’t hesitate. Of course, father.
Okay… I paused for one more moment to consider if I was making the right choice, but then said, Okay. Get ready…
I channeled a Firebomb in my hand, letting it grow larger and larger until I needed both hands to balance it safely. I didn’t let it grow quite to the size of a basketball, as I knew it would be more difficult to aim a throw if it got too big, but I wanted to pack as much punch with the bomb as I possibly could.
With the swirling ball of energy in my hands, I ran forward and lobbed it towards the Hexapodras like I was throwing a shotput.
The energy flew through the air, towards the unknowing monsters, and exploded when it hit one of their legs. All three of the Hexapodras were thrown aside, part of their nest was blown away, and they started to screech wildly.
The Hexapodra that had taken a direct hit writhed on the ground for a second. Its leg had been blown off, and green ooze was pouring out of the side of its body. Still, even oozing and without one of its legs, it managed to get to its feet pretty quickly and turned its head in my direction. The other two monsters had already regained their footing as well, and they all started charging my way.
I cast a Fire Curtain, which managed to hit two of them as it rose, while causing the third to back up and change its trajectory to get around.
The Hexapodras hissed and screeched as the fire burned them, and in their confusion, I sent an on-cast from Keysia’s staff, which exploded when it landed between them.
Sora crept forward then pounced for the Hexapodra that wasn’t burning.
It was a disturbing sight to see the Hexapodra rise onto its two back legs and use its other four to try to fight Sora. As the big black panther grabbed it and tumbled with it on the ground, the monster tried sticking its pointy legs into her while leaning its mushy mouth over her and attempting to bite her, suck her, or do something that looked unnatural.
Sora roared, bit into the monster, and whipped her head, tearing soft flesh from its caterpillar body and causing guts to ooze out everywhere.
I had never felt like more of a mage until that moment as I stood there naked. I released an Arcane Missile at one of the burning monsters, tearing off a piece of its flesh. I shot another on-cast which, on impact, threw both aside. I shot a Fireblast at one of the downed monsters, then turned and released another Arcane Missile at the Hexapodra that Sora was fighting.
When the Hexapodras weren’t fending off my onslaught, they’d lurch their heads forwards and shoot out strings of strange, yellow liquid in my direction, but without any armor weighing me down, I felt light and agile. I was able to easily duck and dodge them.
It was like a dance of magic, and I was the only weapon… Well, except for Keysia’s staff, which was surely going to be out of charges by the time I returned it to her.
But it was still pretty cool that I was taking out three strong monsters without any need of a sword, clothes or anything but a simple staff. Even as an upstart mage, I was starting to feel powerful, and I knew that one day I would be a real badass like Darion and Eanos wanted me to be.
You have gained You have gained 7500 XP!
When the battle was over, the three Hexapodras lay in pools of their own ooze and broken legs.
Sora slowly ambled back to me. Her fur was covered in tiny pieces of webbing and ooze that the monster had left on her, but other than a few scrapes and bruises, she didn’t seem too bad off.
Good job, I projected to her and threw my arms around her neck. Good fucking job. When I looked up, I started picking off some of the webbing that was stuck to her back.
Are you okay? she asked.
I’m fine. They didn’t even hit me.
I’m glad I could protect you, Gunnar.
And I’m glad I didn’t let you d… I paused and reassessed my words. I’m glad we made it through that okay. I looked over to the Hexapodra’s nest that had been partially blown away, then turned to make sure none of the monsters from the other nests had strayed nearby. Wait here, I said.
I rushed over the nest and started pushing away the debris and sticky webbing as I waded through the mess. Hundreds of tiny egg balls were under the silk, and they oozed green gunk onto my bare feet each time I stepped on them.
I used the staff to push things out of the way, and when I reached the center, a sense of triumph overcome me.
All of my lost items, including Tymrial’s Blade, were sitting there in a pile with some of my blood still pooled underneath. I quickly gathered all of them up—the blade, the deeds, the mushroom, the Sulfur’s Ash, and even the Liar’s Mask, which had miraculously survived the fall. I slid on my robe and shoes and dashed for Sora.
When I hopped on top of her, I didn’t waste any more time in Dragon’s Crest. I didn’t want to find out if there were other unseen beasts that might have been lurking around. I had the blade, and I needed to get out. And I knew that far above, in a den filled with gold, there was at least one terrifying dragon that could pretty much kill me at will.
I cast Recall Home and was swiftly transported away.
Chapter Fifty
2/12/0001
I rode into Edgewood atop Sora’s back, and when I arrived, everyone stood to their feet, confusion etched across their faces.
Aaron, who was working on repairing my door, turned and threw me the stink eye. “Where the hell did you go, man?!” He stormed closer to me. “What has gotten into you?! You scared the shit out of Trynzen! Literally! Who do you think has to clean all that doo-doo up?”
I clenched my teeth and took a deep breath as I rode closer to the campfire, ignoring Aaron’s scorn. When I was in view of everyone, I reached into my bag and pulled out Tymrial’s Blade, lifting it over my head for everyone to see.
“Whoa… that sword,” Sung said in awe.
“Sick weapon, man,” Jeremy muttered.
I licked my lips and spoke loudly so everyone could hear me. “I’ve asked a lot from all of you lately, and it hasn’t gone all so well, but I have one more favor to ask. In my hand is the ancient weapon that I’m going to give the Magi in exchange for Adeelee.”
“What?!” Ozzy asked. “How they hell did you get that?”
“I climbed Dragon’s Crest again. It’s Tymrial’s Blade.” I looked up the heavy sword, and the light from the campfire bounced off the symbols carved into its steel.
“Alone?!” Keysia asked. “How? I don’t understand.”
“Not alone,” I reiterated. “I would’ve never gotten there if it weren’t for all of you.” I looked down and patted my great panther on the head. “And Sora…” I looked up and stared at them all intently. “And I know that at dawn tomorrow, I won’t be able to free Adeelee without your help.”
“What do you need us to do?” Jax asked.
“Can you fetch Gerard?” I asked.
Jax nodded, stepped into the guild shop, and Gerard quickly came outside.
“What’s going on, Gunnar?” Gerard asked.
I lowered Tymrial’s Blade and shoved it back into my unburdening bag. “On the ride here from the mines, I realized that if I take an ancient weapon to these men—these Magi—that’ll they’ll just put me to sleep and take whatever they want. There’s no guarantee that they’ll really turn over Adeelee.”
“Wait what? That’s an ancient weapon?” Gerard questioned, his eyes growing wide.
I nodded to him.
“You want to fight them then?” Sung asked.
I shook my head. “No, but these men are strong. Three of them took us down with little effort, and I’m not even sure if all of us here would be enough.” I turned to Gerard. “I know you don’t like combat, but I need you… just this once.”
Gerard’s brow furrowed.
“I need not just the whole guild—excluding Aaron—but everyone who’s a part of this village. I need an army big enough to make them think twice about trying to fight.” I turned and looked towards Shal who was standing at a nearby tree, watching my speech. “Shal!”
Our head city guard perked up and scurried closer. “Yes, Gunnar?”
“Can you lend me your hand? Your men as well?”
Shal bobbed his head. “So long as we’re paid for the day, we’ll serve.”
I turned back toward the group. “If we all march together, they won’t be able to challenge us. And if they want the weapon they asked for, they’ll return Adeelee peacefully.” I paused and scanned over everyone. “Will you all join me again one more time—for Adeelee?”
“You know I will,” a voice said from the shadows. Out from behind a tree, Donovan stepped into the clearing. “I may not be party of Unity, but I’ll risk my life again for the Princess.”
“Hell yeah, I will,” Jax said with a nod.
Ozzy smiled and lifted his arms out to the side. “Do you even have to ask, Gunnar? Of course we will.”
The rest of the guild grunted and nodded in approval.
I looked up to the sky, and I knew that dawn would be coming soon. We only had a short amount of time to form a plan and, if lucky, get an hour or two of sleep before marching north to meet the Magi.
Chapter Fifty-One
2/13/0001
Eight members of my guild, Donovan, and fifteen additional dark elves—sullied through the valley near the coast, not too far south from Knuckle Bay. My guild mates sat atop mounts, while the other soldiers marched behind us on foot in a military-like formation.
When we arrived at the location where I had last met the Magi, we stopped and waited. The sun had already risen, and I again wondered if perhaps I had shown up at the wrong time.
But after several minutes of waiting, the three robed men appeared on the nearby hill and looked down at us, unmoving, for a while. After taking in the scene below, they cautiously walked closer, but just close enough that we could hear the one in the center speak.
“We told you to come alone!” he yelled.
“No,” I said firmly. “You said to come alone the first time. You said nothing of this time—only to arrive in three days.”
“Unacceptable!” the man growled.
“I have your ancient weapon. If you want it, bring me Adeelee now.”
The man in the center glanced at the two men to his sides then back to me. “Show me the weapon.”
I reached into my bag and whipped out the sword. “Tymrial’s Blade. I’m sure your master will be happy with its stats.”
“How can we be sure it’s real?” the man asked.
“I assure you, it’s real. Now give us Adeelee.”
The man in the middle took a couple steps forward as if he were about to attack, and everyone around me reached for their weapons.
“Don’t do it,” I cautioned. “It won’t end well for anyone.”
The man paused, and the two others fell in line with him.
“I brought my friends to ensure we have a fair exchange. When I see Adeelee is safe, you’ll have your sword.”
After a long moment of silence, the man in the middle angrily said, “You’ve made this complicated, Reborn.” He turned to one of the men beside him, nodded, and that man reached into his robe, pulling out a runebook.
In a blink, he was gone.
“We wait,” the man ordered.
After several minutes, the third robed man reappeared at the top of the mountain, scurried back down, and began whispering something to his friends.
“Follow us,” the robed man said and began marching closer to the sea.
We marched behind the men to the shore and then down the coast until we reached a section of land that rose into a hill and turned into steep cliff when it ended at the sea. Beneath the cliff, the water was relatively still, but small gentle waves continually crashed into it.
We waited even longer this time until a large, lumbering ship appeared on the horizon. I wasn’t sure if it was the same ship I had seen the last time, but as I grew closer, I saw it was the same brown color. The masts towed the ship along, and when it was close enough to us, I could hear wood bending and wrenching.
The massive ship pulled up dangerously near to the cliff and stopped so close that one could almost jump onto it. The man with the runebook recalled away again and a few seconds later, he was suddenly walking across the ship deck.
The man flipped up a thin plank on the side of the ship that boomed when the other end slammed down on the edge of the cliff, creating a narrow walkway from sea to land.
“Go now,” one of the robed men on land said.
“No,” I replied shaking my head. “Bring us Adeelee.”
“If you want the Princess, you’ll go now!” the man spat. “There will be no further negotiations!”
I turned to my small army, questioning what my next move should be.
“Go alone with the blade or the Princess will die,” the man on land reiterated.
I was scared as hell, but I tried not to appear weak in front of the men. I nodded to my men. “If I’m not back soon, kill them, and storm the ship.”
I heard one of the robed men snort.
I dismounted Sora, leaving her with the rest of my group and strode as confidently as I could muster down the wooden plank. The robed man on the ship turned, and I followed him until we reached several stairs that lead down inside the ship’s quarters.
Immediately after walking down the stairs, we reached an area with two doors. When he pulled open the one on the left, the cow-headed man was sitting behind his desk, and Adeelee was standing beside him.
The man chuckled devilishly as I walked inside and stood in front of him, and Adeelee exerted several noises behind her gag.
“What have you done, Reborn?” the man asked. “Brought a fucking army, huh?”
I ignored his question. “Release
Adeelee. I brought you your weapon.”
“Let’s see it,” the man said.
I pulled out Tymrial’s Blade again, and even behind the cow mask, I could see the man’s eyes grow wide.
“Give it to me,” the man ordered.
Adeelee grunted behind her gag, louder and louder.
The man whipped a dagger from somewhere under his robe and held it up in Adeelee’s direction. “Give it to me now!”
I let out a light sigh as I knew he had the upper hand. I reluctantly strode up to the desk and gently set down the blade.
Adeelee moaned and slumped her shoulders.
You have completed the quest: Adeelee’s Ransom!
You have gained 50,000 XP!
Advancement! You have reached level 28 and gained 3 ability points. To assign your ability points, open your status page. You can also increase any of your known skills by 1 level. Choose wisely, as your choices cannot be undone.
You have gained 10 MP!
The man lifted the sword and rubbed his finger down its blade. His breath grew heavy, and he muttered, “Reborns really are capable of marvelous things, aren’t they?”
“Release Adeelee,” I said firmly.
The man laughed as he waved the blade around in his hand. “Is that what you want?”
“That’s what you promised.”
He laughed again. “I did, didn’t I? Do you know what they used to call me when I was young?”
I wrinkled my brow and shook my head a little, not knowing what he was getting to. “No. I know nothing about you.”
He removed a plain-looking sword from a sheath beneath his robe, then quickly put Tymrial’s Blade in its place, sitting the plain sword beside his desk. When the ancient weapon was secure, he lifted his hands and slowly pulled the horned cow’s head off his face, revealing a long beard and familiar face.
“The Dark Hand!” I sputtered.
