You have the answer to your question. Act accordingly.
Reward: +200 xp
She watched Myra level up in front of everyone, only it wasn’t a time for celebration, as Hancock had fallen silent again. Nothing good ever came from Hancock being silent.
“Are we gonna talk about this?” Myra asked, repeating the process that had happened when Adrianna found out she was a seeker. It was becoming apparent that Hancock had a lot of feelings and none of them were being expressed. Adrianna typically avoided dwelling on feelings, but she wasn’t about to let it simmer like Hancock did. “Because, I don’t like it when you guys just ignore the elephant in the room.”
“Or we can figure out how we’re going to get off this Island,” Parrish murmured. “Cuz that boat isn’t gonna build itself.”
“Nothing good comes from not talking about things,” Myra said pointedly at Hancock.
The black-bearded warrior didn’t say anything, eyes staring at the shattered boat.
“What’s a Charmspeaker?” Adrianna finally asked.
Myra gave her a small, sad smile and sighed. “My trait I keep hidden from everyone. It’s a way to make people more suggestive.”
“Suggestive?”
“No,” Myra sighed. “Imagine it like a form of mind control. My words hold so much power that I can speak and people listen and act. I sort of bend them to my will.”
“Oh,” Adrianna suddenly felt uncomfortable and realized how this could have caused issues with her party. “So, do they know?”
“Know?”
“That they’ve been mind-controlled?”
Myra pursed her lips. “It depends.”
“On?” Hancock asked, turning towards her.
Myra frowned. “Oh, now you wanna talk.”
“Answer the question, Bard.” Hancock raised his hand, as if he was going to summon his sword.
“Alright, damn,” Myra crossed her arms. “It depends on what I ask them to do. If their wisdom score is high enough. Whether or not it aligns with something they’d do normally.”
“So, it’s manipulation.”
“If that makes you feel better about me feeling like shit,” Myra snapped. “Then yeah. It’s psychic manipulation. Happy?”
“No,” Hancock shook his head. “You should have come clean. You should have mentioned it. How do we know you haven’t been manipulating us from the moment we met you? How do I know every conversation with Adrianna wasn’t an attempt to lead her astray? How on earth am I supposed to trust you?”
Adrianna turned away and started kicking the boat pieces. “Do you know how to fix a boat?” She glanced at the Cleric.
Parrish shook his head. “I’m not a carpenter, but I know a bunch of good ones back home.”
“Why do you think I hid the trait? I didn’t want it to be a question!” Myra shouted, drowning out the conversation.
“It doesn’t matter.” Hancock growled.
“It does! Would you have let me anywhere near Ari if you knew I could charmspeak?”
“No,” Hancock admitted adamantly.
“You and your shitty snap judgements are gonna get you in a mountain of trouble, Hancock.” Myra was seething, eyes red from trying to hold back angry tears.
Adrianna felt she should do something, but all she could think about was getting off of the island and finding her uncle. The answer to her question wasn’t going to be on this Island. At least she didn’t think so. Maybe if she had been more specific with what she wanted, the Doctor would have given her more than some cryptic one-liner before vanishing without a trace.
She glanced over at Parish and Myra and frowned. If they would just let it go so they could start moving again, then maybe they could figure it all out. Just some alone time and maybe a climb to the top of a tree to clear their heads would help. It certainly helped when she tried it growing up.
“I don’t really care that she can charmspeak,” Adrianna whispered. “I think it’s kinda cool, really.”
“Yeah. I hate it when mom and dad fight,” Parrish whispered back, rolling his eyes.
Adrianna couldn’t stop herself. She laughed. The sound came out in a bubbly fit of tired giggles that erupted into an uncontrollable bout of laughter. Between the stress of the moment, the way Parrish said it, and the stress of the quest, something inside her snapped.
The three looked at her incredulously as the argument faltered.
“It wasn’t that funny,” Parrish murmured with an amused smile.
“I know...I’m just…” She tried to speak between her giggles. “It was just...I never heard some...thing like before....”
“You really didn’t get out much,” Parrish laughed with her and Adrianna shook her head as she finally calmed herself into slow breaths.
“Let’s make camp.” Hancock sighed. “We’ll figure everything out after we’ve rested. Regain mana and health.”
“Works for me,” Parrish nodded.
Myra clenched her fists and let out a long hissing sigh. “This conversation isn’t over. Not until--”
“Not until you guys trust one another,” Parrish said, picking up sticks.
“I don’t pay you to be a mediator,” Hanock placed his backpack down and pulled out his bedroll.
Adrianna followed suit and the words suddenly came to her. “He’s right though. We need to decide if we actually trust each other. I’m okay with traveling alone. Always have been. But this is my party. And if I’m gonna have one thing, it’s going to be people who trust one another.”
Myra crossed her arms and looked at Hancock.
“I already trust all of you,” Adrianna continued. “You've never done anything to hurt me...intentionally. If we’re going to move forward, you both have to accept some things.”
“Like?” Parrish prompted when Adrianna fell silent for a moment.
“Like...Hancock. I’m a Seeker she's a Bard, you have to decide if you’re going to keep traveling with us regardless of who we are.” Adrianna crossed her arms, feeling pretty good about herself.
“It won’t be that easy,” Hanock growled, taking out the firestarter and holding it over the pile of sticks.
“Why?” Myra snapped.
“Because it won’t!” Hancock struck the two parts together. “I have trust issues.”
“No shit!”
“People like you have ruined my life for as long as I can remember,” Hancock hissed, still trying to light the fire. “Bards who have broken bonds just to destroy trust. Hired hands who have stolen livelihoods and abandoned people without a second glance to leave them at the mercy of monsters. Seekers who constantly put people in danger without telling their partners and have the audacity to say sorry after someone dies.”
Adrianna frowned, her heart pierced by the last sentence. “You don’t mean…” Yeah, she had made mistakes. It was her fault that they went to Bair Island in the first place. It was her fault that Jo had died on that island. Maybe if they hadn’t been there, Jo would have been alive today.
“N-no.” Hancock stopped, his expression softening. “No. Not you. That wasn’t your fault. That wasn’t your fault at all.”
“You do know we don’t know anything about those other people, right?” Myra sniffed. “Just because we share a class, doesn’t mean we share personalities. I’m not some horny Bard trying to get into people’s pants. Ari’s not some treasure driven maniac that wants to utilize her team members to get what she wants. And, despite his demeanor, Parrish really cares and he’s really good at reading people.”
Parrish shrugged, but didn’t reply.
Finally, Hancock sighed, sitting on the ground. “Look. It’s been hard. It’s been hard not to look at you all and see my past parties and experiences. It’s been hard to act like I haven’t opened myself up and gotten hurt for it. I have...walls for a reason. But for the sake of the team and Adrianna, I am willing to look past these similarities and focus on the differences.”
“Will you?” Myra frowned, rubbing at her red eyes.
“Forgive my skepticism, but not a lot of people have a Word is Bond trait like me, so I’m used to a lot of liars.”
“Not a time to be petty,” Parrish pointed at her. “You can’t approach the situations you’re in at that angle. It doesn’t help.”
“Alright, look,” Myra sighed, understanding it was her turn to be honest. “I like you, Hancock. You’re a pain in the ass, but you really care about taking care of Ari, and I appreciate that. There aren’t too many people who care like that. Even if it is a part of some stupid promise. I just need you to shoot straight with me, so that I know what I’m getting myself into. I hate having to feel like I have to prove myself to you just so I can keep going on this quest with Ari.”
“You don’t have to prove…” Hancock sighed and paused a couple of heartbeats. “I can do that. Or at least I’ll try.” Hancock flatly stated as he lit the fire.
“Good,” Adrianna nodded, finally satisfied with the resolution. No more arguing. Just moving forward. There were too many challenges out there to be bogged down by fights. “Now, I want you both to hug.”
“What?” Hancock frowned.
“Hug.” Adrianna crossed her arms. “It’ll commemorate the agreement.”
“Can’t we just shake hands?” Hancock protested.
“Come on,” Myra grinned, opening her arms. “Bring it in, big boy.”
Hancock sighed and Myra wrapped her arms around his torso, leaning into the hug. He pulled his arms around her shoulders and they held each other for a moment.
“You’re warm.” Myra murmured with a small laugh. “Like a big bear.”
“Thanks,” he frowned. “I think.”
Adrianna smiled as they split apart and smiled even bigger as a notification popped up in shimmering light.
Party Bond Increased! Your campfire moment has increased your resolve as a party. As long as you all can see another party member, you gain a greater resistance to mental and magical effects.
Hanock started at the box as it disappeared. “I’ve never...had that before.”
Myra cocked an eyebrow at her. “You’ve never been with us before.”
“I think I get the point,” Hancock replied, but cracked a small grin.
“Great.” Parrish clasped his hands together. “Now that that’s out of the way, I would like to sleep. As much as I love the heart to heart, I’m exhausted from keeping everyone alive. So, let’s eat, sleep and live to face another day.”
Chapter 17: The Seeker’s Scroll
The next morning, the renewed party stared at the wreckage of their only transportation off the island.
“In hindsight,” Myra frowned. “Maybe we should have just fought them.”
“I would have one hundred percent died at the hands of that Berserker,” Parrish shook his head. “I think you made a good call.”
“Thanks,” Myra frowned. “I still don’t feel right about it. I don’t like charming people into doing shit. It’s so dishonest.”
“Hey, we were fighting a losing battle.”
“We could have taken them,” Hancock shrugged.
“I swear,” Myra sighed. “One day you’re gonna fight a battle you know you can’t win.”
Adrianna felt her thigh heat up and she looked down to find the scroll equipped to her belt laying across her leg. It had been the item she had ignored up until now. She stared at it for a moment and the item box popped up.
Seeker’s Scroll
Unknown. This Item can be upgraded.
She unlooped it from her belt. Two bronze rods were held together by a silver clasp that Adrianna popped open.
She unfurled the ends and let out a small gasp. There was a map of the entire countryside here. She could see the coasts and her hometown, the forests and Willow Creek, each spot with a marker on it. Placing the scroll on the ground, she knelt down, grazing her fingers over its surface. The map suddenly shifted. It moved with her touch! She saw a little island that had a blinking star on it. You are here.
She tapped on it and the island got bigger. She read the labels all around it.
Bair Island. The Doctor’s House. Maze of Horrors. Coasts of Boats. Infested Woods. Fog of War.
“Just give me a way off the Island,” she whispered and suddenly a box popped up.
Seeker’s Scroll
You have opened the scroll and are now looking for direction. As long as a Seeker has recorded it, you have access to all of its information. As a Seeker, you can set waypoints to find your way around the Quell. As long as you have this on your person, you will always know where your next destination lies. With this, you can also record your new findings and create a collective map that is shared with all other Seekers across the Quell. This Item can be upgraded.
“Hey guys,” Adrianna called as she tapped a part of the Island and a small golden diamond appeared in her vision at a distance, giving her a new path. “I think I know a way off this island.”
The other three looked over and Hancock furrowed his brow. “Where did you get that?”
“Came with the class,” Adrianna shrugged. “I'm just now trying to figure it out…” She stopped as she stared at the new information. Her waypoint was leading her in an...interesting direction.
“Is that a map of the Island,” Myra pointed. “You had this the whole time and didn’t say anything?”
Adrianna shrugged. “I was part of this scroll. I wasn’t too keen on really anything Seeker-like after what Hancock said about Seekers.”
Hancock sighed. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know you had a map.”
“Me neither,” Adrianna nodded. “But now we do.”
“It’s directing to a place called the Maze of Horrors.” Parrish pointed out. “Your map has a spot called Maze of Horrors.”
“Charming,” Myra muttered. “So, is that our way out?”
“According to the map,” Adrianna tapped on it and a box appeared in front. “Oh…”
Seeker’s Notes
Maze of Horrors
● The only other way off the island without a boat. I am not sure if you’ll be sane after you’re done and to be frank, I only survived because they got the others and not me.
● This is a worst case scenario: You don’t have a boat, you don’t have help, you don’t have food, and no one is within miles of where you are. Going through here is a bad option. But staying where you are maybe a worse option.
● This is one of many entrances of the Maze of Horrors. Equally good and bad things happen here. It covers the expanse of the whole west coast. It’s decades old, and it only keeps growing. It has a mind of its own. Strange things happen here. Use your discretion.
● It’s called the Maze of Horrors for a reason. It messes with your head. You don’t level up here. You can’t be resurrected here. Time doesn’t work the same here. If you happen to survive, you get that experience. I think. I hope.
● If you have any other options use it. Turn back. Oh god. Just turn back.
The four looked at each other and Adrianna slowly rolled up the scroll and looped it around her waist. “O Kaaay, so we’re not doing that.”
“Hey, Parrish, can’t you do a miracle or something?” Myra asked their dark-skinned Cleric. “Are you capable of that?”
“Miracle?” Adrianna had heard of these but had never experienced one for herself.
“It’s one of the first things Clerics get,” Parrish nodded. “I would, but I’ve tried before. The winds of fate don’t exactly heed my every beckoning call.”
“I mean, I’m all for trying if it gets us off the island.” Adrianna said eagerly.
“Can you try to channel your deity?”
“It doesn’t always work like that,” Parrish sighed. “But, yeah I can try.” He took out his coin and tossed it in the air. It sailed high, almost as if it was suspended free of gravity. He stared directly at Adrianna.“Call. Heads or tails?”
“Uh,” She looked up at the coin. “Heads?”
The coin dropped and he
caught it. “Forte sur ventis.” His hands sparked and a wind picked up for a moment as he uttered a quick prayer.
He lifted his hand and his expression faded. “Tails. It’s not happening.”
“Wait, what?”
Parrish put the coin in his pocket. “That’s it. The winds of fate and whims of chance don’t deem me lucky enough to have another means of escape.”
“Oh,” Adrianna frowned as her waypoint started to blink, gently beckoning her. “I still don’t get it.”
“Look at it this way,” Parrish sighed. “I believe in the strings of fate guiding our moves as well as the coincidences of chance and the providence of luck. They’re all roped together and bound by the same concepts of meaning and reasoning.”
“Wow,” Myra smirked, looking at him with renewed respect.
“Yeah,” Parrish shrugged. “It helps when you used to gamble your whole life away.”
“So, no escape,” Hancock concluded. “Except the Maze of Horrors.”
“We could try to hunker down here,” Myra frowned. “We’d have enough food to last us until someone else comes along.”
“We’d have to go hunting and monsters turn up in the black mist,” Hancock pondered.
“No,” Adrianna said and the other three looked at her. “We cannot stay here. I can’t stay here.”
“Adrianna--”
“No!” Adrianna snapped. She hadn’t realized how much she didn’t want to stay on this island until it came out. There was too much pain here. “I will not stay cooped up here, hoping someone will come. We’re going in.”
“Are you sure?” Myra put a hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Adrianna nodded, taking a deep breath. “Besides, I’m good at puzzles. I’m sure as long as we stay focused, we can make it through the Maze. Eye on the prize: sweet blissful freedom.”
Chapter 18: Enter the Maze
The gateway to the Maze of Horrors was tucked into the beachfront, sand scattered across its wooden face. Adrianna blinked as she saw a new warning pop up in her vision.
Destiny Rising Page 9
