“Yous funny, Chods,” says Limery, a fireball crackling in his palm.
An aura of white light surrounds the paladin and his HP slowly replenishes.
“Now!” I take off into battle as fireballs, arrows, and daggers find their mark. They do little damage against the paladin’s stout defenses, but his defenses won’t last forever. I’m several yards away from the paladin when I use my staff to pole vault over his body, leaving him swiping at air as I land behind him. Ismora arrives beside me just as I land. She punches him with one of her gauntlets, leaving a dent in his armor at the same time as I kick him like I’m breaking down a door.
His legs curl under as his body flies forward. Yashi’s poisoned arrows stack their damage and deplete his health faster than he can regenerate. A holy beam descends from the sky, burning my skin, killing my horrors, and dropping my health by ten percent.
The paladin rises to his feet, his sword and shield bathed in divine enchantments. He tosses his shield aside and runs at me, sword held over his shoulder with both hands.
A massive force smashes into him from the side. Steam rises off Gord’s emerald skin, his wounds healing before my eyes. Berserker Rage. Gord hacks at the paladin with otherworldly force, and I’m taken aback by the beauty in the destruction. The paladin raises his hand as if to say something, but with one final chop, Gord separates head from shoulders.
Notifications fill my vision, but I push them away. Ismora and Gord are already gathering weapons and armor and placing them in a pile. The paladin’s body has already vanished, but the two foot soldiers remain. They drag the bodies over, and I notice the one with the crossbow has an arrow lodged in his eye.
“You all fought bravely. It was a good fight, but our teamwork could use a little work. It’s nothing that fighting side by side won’t fix. Yashi, next time you get singled off like that, I want you to retreat to the group. You’re more useful fighting alongside us than pulling away a single opponent.” She nods. “Gord, what took you so long to go into a rage?”
He tosses the fighter’s shield on top of the pile. “For us, we do not choose when the rage happens. It is in our blood,” he thunders, but for once, his answer isn’t contemptuous.
Once we strip the men of their armor, we have a pretty sizable pile of loot. I pass the rings from the fighter off to Ismora and Tormara. They are an assortment of Strength and Dexterity buffs. I offer Gord the paladin’s armor, but he refuses, saying that his skin is the only armor he needs. It’s a bit foolish, but movement speed is key for his battle style. Ismora takes the crossbow, and Tormara adds a few more daggers to her collection.
When we have what we want, we wrap the rest of the items up in the looted clothing, forming makeshift bags. If we happen to come across a boar, then maybe I can fashion another leather satchel to help carry the extra items. The paladin’s shield is too massive of a burden, so we leave it behind, even though I’m sure it would fetch a good amount if we ever had the opportunity to sell it.
With everything sorted, I pull open my notifications.
Congratulations! You have reached level 13. +1 stat point to distribute. +1 Strength and Constitution racial bonus. +1 ability point to distribute.
Warning! You have killed a human NPC. If word of this reaches a human settlement, your reputation among humans will be decreased by 100. Stop your enemies from reaching town before it is too late. Current reputation with humans: -1399. (-1000 Racial Penalty)
Warning! You have killed a human NPC. If word of this reaches a human settlement, your reputation among humans will be decreased by 100. Stop your enemies from reaching town before it is too late. Current reputation with humans: -1399. (-1000 Racial Penalty)
Warning! You have killed another player. Your reputation among humans has been decreased by 100. Current reputation with humans: -1499. (-1000 Racial Penalty)
Warning! You have killed another player. Your reputation among humans has been decreased by 100. Current reputation with humans: -1599. (-1000 Racial Penalty)
Alert! You have failed to stop your enemies from reaching town. Your reputation has decreased by 200. Current reputation with humans: -1799. (-1000 Racial Penalty)
Not that I expected anything less. As soon as the players respawned, our reputation was bound to take a hit. It might as well be negative one million at this point. But the good news is that I have another ability point and I can finally unlock my final summoner ability.
Horror of Power. Summon a horror with 20% of your Strength. Cost: 100 mana. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Bonus: Your next attack deals double damage.
I summon my new horror and it appears in a puff of smoke. It looks completely different than the other two. While Horror of Finesse is lean and quick, and Horror of Vitality is fuzzy and tanky, Horror of Power is solid muscle. It walks on all fours, wide-stanced like a pit bull with a massive head, sharp teeth, angry red eyes, and tusks that shoot out of its jaw like a warthog. Its fur is golden with a black mane around its head. A barbed tail with four spikes swishes through the air like a mace.
It paces like a lion on the prowl, ready to battle whatever comes its way.
Everyone stares at the horror in admiration. I’m pretty sure I see a fleeting smile cross Gord’s face. Our army just got a hell of a lot stronger. As I look around, I notice everyone else leveled up from the battle as well.
I still have three stat points to use from the last few times I leveled up. I elect to put them in Intelligence in the off chance that it helps me with my casting and am surprised when I receive another notification.
New Class Ability (Summoner). Each ability requires one ability point.
Sacrifice. Sacrifice X amount of horrors to receive a temporary buff. Horror of Power: +1 Strength. Horror of Vitality: +1 Constitution. Horror of Finesse: +1 Dexterity
Kamikaze. Sacrifice a horror to deal a burst of damage.
Holy shit! I don’t know why I just assumed that there were only three abilities for being a summoner. It’s a magical class, so of course, there are perks to increasing my Intelligence. Probably some for increasing Wisdom too. I can’t wait for another ability point so that I can unlock one of these new abilities. All the more reason for us to get a move on.
“Is everyone ready? We are officially in a race to Paltras Ruins.”
28. No One Said There Would Be So Much Walking
Congratulations! You are now a level 2 Leatherworker (Novice).
I finish the last stitch using the technique Gord taught me and neatly place the clothing and weapons we looted inside, along with the mana stone the wyrm dropped. Maybe Jira will be able to use it once we return. Mine is much more powerful so there is no need to equip it to my staff.
We have made great progress throughout the day, managing to go the entire day without seeing any humans, so now we can finally settle down for the evening and enjoy the great boar that Ismora shot with her new crossbow. It’s twice the size of a normal boar, plenty big enough to feed all six of us.
Gord roasts several giant slabs of meat over a spit that Limery built, his natural aptitude for building machines benefiting us all. Yashi is off picking herbs for potions. After the battle today, it’s more important than ever that we manufacture our own health potions.
“How are you feeling?” I ask Tormara, who is leaning against a tree and sharpening her daggers.
She moves aside her red braid and rubs at a sage-colored scar just above her chest, the only remnant of the brutal wound she suffered earlier.
“I’ll be fine. A little sore. My pride was hurt more than anything.”
I know that’s not true. The fighter would have killed them both if not for my intervention. She and I both know it. The fact that heroes have these special abilities makes such a big difference in battle. The NPCs with magical abilities are the only ones in the same ballpark. It’s like taking a knife to a gun-fight for most of them. Sheer numbers can do a lot, but one on one, there’s no comparing. Which is all the more reason we need to make it to Paltras Ruins before Jude and
Michael have a chance to regroup. If we manage to bond with these wyrms, they will even the playing field for our side more than anything. Well, those and my horrors.
The whole thing seems a little unfair, how I and the other heroes come into this world and level up in days what it takes these people years to do. We unlock abilities most of them can only dream of. I can’t imagine what it would be like to witness something like that in the real world.
Real world, ha.
Aside from the mythical creatures and magic, this honestly doesn’t feel that different.
By the time Yashi returns, the rest of us have already finished our portions of the boar. The gamey texture of wild meat is something I’ve grown accustomed to. She carries an armful of thorny brambles and sets them down in front of me.
“Tonight, you are going to learn one of our most ancient potions. It’s hell tracking down this particular ingredient, because it grows high in trees and is not often visible from the ground. But with the perception potion we made yesterday combined with my high herbalism skill, I was able to find some. While we are natural healers compared to most, I’d rather not leave our fortune to chance if we find ourselves in a grave battle once again.”
“What is this?” I pick up the plant to inspect it.
It resembles a brier, with a long, thick stem covered in thorns. Pink berries the size of grapes blossom from its fuzzy leaves. Each stem is about a foot long.
“It’s Horned Thimbleberry. Both the stem and berries have properties that aid in healing. We are going to mix it with the bloodfennel and powdered crow’s feet for an even more potent product. When we add the final ingredient, we’ll have a rapid healing potion that might just save your life one day.”
Or yours, more likely.
Her knowledge of herbalism is astounding. “Yashi, what did you do back in the village? With all the excitement, I never thought to ask.” I already know about the others. Ismora trains the children in combat, Tormara holds a seat on the council, and Gord is a guardian, but Yashi is a mystery.
She gives me a smile. “You couldn’t guess? I make potions. Not that we have a particular need for them, but every now and then, someone has need of my skills. In the old days, it was said that our potions were widely regarded among both men and dwarves, but times have changed. I know potions to help with sleep, to heighten senses, even to conceal one’s scent from animals. It’s best to have someone knowledgeable in the art of potion-making and not need them than to be lacking when the time comes. Now, grab your mortar and pestle and get to work.”
I do as she says, taking the horned thimbleberry and mashing it until it forms a paste before adding in the bloodfennel, a bright red stalk, and doing the same. Once they are mashed, Yashi pours a little of the powdered crow’s feet into the mix. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Limery and Gord having a conversation. Did today’s battle actually soften his hard exterior?
“What’s the final ingredient?” I ask.
Tormara pulls one of her daggers from her belt and tosses it towards me, the blade landing in the earth.
“Blood,” says Yashi.
“Wait, what?” Nobody said anything about blood magic.
“Blood activates the bloodfennel, which combined with the horned thimbleberry and crow’s feet will form the health potion.”
“Does every race use blood in their health potions?” I know it’s always been red for health potions and blue for mana, but have gamers secretly been drinking blood all these years?
“No, there are other ways, but we are lucky that our blood has such power. It cuts out a lot of ingredients, and the horned thimbleberry is the only one difficult to find. Now, if you are done being squeamish, I’d like to finish these up before the sun rises.”
To be so small, Yashi has a lot of sass. She takes the knife and pricks my finger, squeezing several drops of blood into the mortar. The paste steams and bubbles for a moment before turning into a semitransparent liquid.
You have created Health Potion. Restores 10% health over the course of 20 seconds.
That’s not bad at all. Then a thought dawns on me.
“Whoa, wait a minute. Whose blood was in the potions I took with me to fight the wyrm?” I ask, but Yashi just rolls her eyes at me.
I level up my potion-making skill as we fill up several clay jars with the potion.
“Why do you keep pricking my fingers?” I ask. “There’s five of us. Couldn’t someone else help out?” Even with my tough skin and regeneration, the force it takes to draw blood stings just like a real doctor would.
“Because you’re the student,” she laughs, revealing her small tusks.
When I wake the next morning, a notification crosses my vision.
Regional Event Alert! Kevin Harris has slain a mana-infused wyrm. 14/20 remaining. 13 days remaining.
Someone had a late night. Not counting the chief’s wyrm, that means thirteen wyrms still remain out in the wild. I’m feeling less confident about finding three wyrms by the day and it’s becoming even more important that we reach Paltras Ruins before anyone else. There are plenty of options for leveling up in the countryside, but I aim to reach the ruins by nightfall.
Tormara falls in line beside me as we walk. Far ahead, Ismora is but a small dot on the landscape as she scouts for anything out of the ordinary. Gord pulls up the rear, and Limery flies high overhead.
“What is it that you hope to accomplish with all of this?” she asks.
“What do you mean?” I thought my intentions have been pretty clear.
“Once we have the wyrms, once we are back in the village. What then? What happens to our people?” Her face radiates concern. I’ve only ever seen Tormara as strong and powerful, spitting fire and challenging others with an iron tongue, but deep down, she cares for her people above all, just like Gord. These trolls are just as complex as any real person.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve only been here a short while, but you all have accepted me as one of your own. Some of you took longer than others. I feel a great connection with this community, and I don’t like the way you’re constantly shit on by the other races. If everyone wants to stay in the forest and hide out, then that’s fine, I won’t push the issue. But I’m sure you feel the same as I do, that there is something in our blood that begs for greatness. The greatness the trolls once had.”
She gives me a half-smile. “Many will die to attain greatness and our numbers are already low. You know there will be retribution for our attack on the undying ones, right?”
“Yes, but if we get a wyrm before it is killed, then I believe it will be worth it. Once we have them, we can lay low until they are grown.”
“They will come looking for us,” she counters.
“Will the magic from the forest not keep us hidden?” I ask.
“From most, but you have already seen the power of potions. Those who know where to look can always find us.”
“Then we will just have to make sure we are ready.”
We carry on in silence for a while. Yashi identifies several new plants as we walk and eventually, my herbalism skill increases again, allowing me to spot the plants I have identified from further away.
At one point, I hear a loud caw and look up to see a falcon diving for Limery. A shimmer appears around his pointy little fingers and there is a sizzle before the bird falls with a thunk to the ground. Gord picks it up and bites off the head.
“What?” he asks as the bones crunch in his mouth.
By late evening, Ismora comes to a stop, and we catch up to her on the top of a high hill. From atop the hill, the coastline is visible and near its edge, Paltras Ruins.
The castle is indeed in ruins, the exterior walls are crumbling in places and vines and other plants have overtaken the castle. Moss covers the stone walls, and trees grow above them in places, evidence no one has been there in years. Several large black birds perch along the parapet. The castle hugs the coastline, only walled on three sides, the keep sitting far b
ack against the rocky cliffside that serves as its own form of defense.
It is still several miles from where we are, but with a little luck, we will make it by nightfall.
“Let’s speed it up, team. We can rest once we make it.”
By the time darkness falls and the moon casts its silver glow over the ocean, we are within a mile of the castle. The salty air of the coast fills our lungs. Limery perches on my shoulder, and there is a look I haven’t seen before in his bulbous yellow eyes.
“This place no goods, Chods. Limmy no likes it one bit.”
My eyes fall on the castle and I know what he means. There is something unsettling about the abandoned structure. Deep within its walls, I swear there is a green glow coming from the keep.
“I agree with the little one,” Gord thunders. “Something is very wrong with this place.”
I’m reminded of our encounter yesterday. The human soldiers were adamant about this place being haunted. Looking at the map, this location is a hotbed for magical activity. Maybe it’s more than the average dungeon.
Sounds of the night come alive as we approach. Crickets chirp, owls hoot, and something a little more haunting seems to linger in the chilly air. The hairs on my neck rise the closer we get until finally, we arrive at the entrance to the castle. The portcullis that once kept out intruders lies rusted and broken.
When we step beneath the gateway, we are greeted with a notification.
Paltras Ruins. Would you like to enter?
I accept and we walk through the gateway. Limery’s claws dig a little deeper into my skin.
There’s a loud clank, and I turn to see the portcullis moving of its own accord. It rises from the ground and flies into the gateway, hinging itself in place and blocking our exit.
29. Paltras Ruins
The portcullis secures itself in the outer gateway, blocking our escape. Our only way out is to go forward. Before us stands a second wall with another gatehouse that bars our way to the courtyard. Everyone holds their weapons at the ready, and Limery clings ever tighter to my shoulder. High above, clouds frame the moon, lighting the sky with eerie shadows.
Sentenced to Troll Page 19
