“Um, Jern? We're waiting for lunch still, remember?” Eddie said.
“Oh, aye, probably having a full belly first is a good plan.”
~ ~ ~
Eddie stopped by and dropped off the ax before heading into the Forest of Fools. Tiana had gone up with him while Jern had opted to go into the basement and chat with the guards. Lucky, of course, took the opportunity to race over to the pond on the temple grounds for a few minutes.
“This is wonderful,” Justiciar Bodil said. “I'm glad you convinced me to go with more than just the bare bones of a tool.”
She stared at the etching on the blade of the ax and it lit up with a faint blue glow. Eddie's eyes went wide as the Justiciar smiled.
“It seems that the etching was done well enough that my weapon will also function as my symbol if needed,” she said.
“Well, we're glad you like it,” Tiana replied since Eddie's jaw was still hanging open slightly.
“Yes, thank you very much, Mayor Eddie.”
Then she turned.
“I've another task to take care of today as well, so if you'll excuse me mayor, priestess?”
Tiana grabbed Eddie's arm and pulled him along.
“Symbol? As in holy symbol?” Eddie asked.
“Yes,” Tiana said. “Priests or priestesses need to have one on them to use their spells.”
“You don't,” he said.
She grinned.
“Yes, actually I do. That little clasp at the neckline of my robes? That's my holy symbol. That's why I'm even wearing the robes when I've got armor on, that and it makes the armor pinch less,” she replied.
“Shows what I know,” Eddie said. “Let's go get Jern.”
Several hours later they returned from the Forest. Eddie had found two of Dominic's requested herbs and the group, along with Lucky, had also managed to defeat several of the massive snakes that appeared when you went off the path in the Forest of Fools.
“Aye, I wonder if the leather worker can do anything with snake skin?” Jern asked. “Does it need tanning or anything?”
“I don't know,” Eddie said. “I just used it as is to wrap sword handles when I got some before.”
“Huh, well let's go and ask him then, shall we?” Jern said.
“Let's get dinner first. Maybe bring that to the leather worker first thing tomorrow? I thought you wanted to talk to Paul anyhow, he might be there already,” Tiana interjected.
“Oh aye, that's probably more important than this,” Jern said.
“Are you feeling alright Jern?” Eddie asked. “You've been acting a little off today.”
Jern sighed heavily.
“You noticed. Aye lad, I'm almost to level fifteen. When I get there I should really return to the Hold, my family will be thinking I'm dead by now. Not that I'm too worried about what they think of me, but I feel bad that I'm doing so fine while they're probably mourning me.”
“Oh,” Eddie said. “Well, if you do have to go, you're always welcome back here. Didn't you say that at level fifteen they let you go out whenever you want?”
“I did, that I did. The city as a whole allows that, but my family....”
Jern shook his head.
“I being the firstborn son to them might provide me some additional pressure against leaving the Hold again.”
We never did really ask about his family at all, Eddie thought. I do remember when we first met him it sounded like he was nervous about even telling us his family name.
“Well, if there's anything we can do to help, just let us know,” Tiana said. “We'll be happy to help any way we can.”
Jern forced a smile.
“I don't know that there'll be anything ye can do,” he replied, the accent he'd mostly lost showing itself once more.
Eddie grinned a bit more naturally.
“I can think of one thing. It sounds like your family is well known, or powerful, or something like that in Hammer Hold?”
Jern nodded.
“So, just the type of family to supply an ambassador to a neighboring kingdom, perhaps?” Eddie said.
“Aye lad, that would be the type of thing my family would do.”
“So, if I were to request a specific dwarf, by name, as my ambassador?” Eddie asked.
“If that were the case, I'd say that we should get to work on that quest of yours and get it done even more quickly than you'd planned,” Jern replied.
“We'll see what we can do, but we've got the raid first, before doing anything else on that quest. Plus, you wanted to talk to Paul, right? There he is at his normal table.”
Eddie was glad he'd added on the pavilion and some outdoor tables. Not only was the smaller furniture now in use by several of the goblin characters that had finally come up out of Rotthorpe, but most of the rest of the tables and chairs out there were also in use due to the influx of new adventurers in the area.
The rest of their group was already at their normal table so Eddie and Tiana settled into their chairs while Jern went over to talk to Paul. Eddie handed across the two stacks of herbs they'd gathered and Dominic's cheerful looking face grew even happier.
“I know what I'm doing tonight,” Dominic said. “With any luck I can manage to successfully make both the mana potion and the healing potion. If I do, then I can spend a whole day making more potions before we head into the raid.”
“Speaking of preparing for the raid, there's something I need to try tonight,” Eddie said. “I kept meaning to do it, but it's got me a little nervous.”
“What's that?” Tiana asked.
“Well, if my calculation and assumptions are correct, I can now make Frostbite arrows. I think I keep forgetting because I'm scared to try it. If I'm not right, it might leave me mana burnt.”
“Like I said, you can borrow my Priests' ring,” Tiana said, “that'll give you some extra leeway.”
Dominic perked up.
“Worried about your max mana?” he asked.
Eddie nodded.
“I don't want to get mana burned right before the raid, so I've been putting it off. Probably should've done it as soon as I could've so if I did get burnt it would have a chance to pass before then.”
“Well, here then, wear this along with Tiana's ring,” Dominic said, pulling off a necklace. “That'll give you an extra thirty mana. If you put her ring and the necklace on now, you should have all your mana done by the time dinner is over. Then you try it and return our stuff. You said it got cheaper after the first Conjunction of any specific type, right?”
Eddie nodded.
“There you go then, that's an extra fifty or so mana in case you were wrong,” Tiana said.
Eddie shrugged, sliding on the ring and the necklace.
Mana, he thought.
Mana: 475/525
“Well, that bumps my max mana up to five hundred and twenty-five. If that doesn't do it, then I don't think Frostbite will ever be a regular on my arrows,” Eddie said. “Thanks Tiana, Dominic. I'll try right after dinner and get your gear back to you.”
Jern came back over, plopping himself down into a chair.
“Well, I've got it. He doesn't have any guaranteed contracts yet, but he's had three people asking. Two of them about full compounds, the other about a mansion or something like that,” Jern said. “He told me I'm welcome to do all the stonework and he'll determine pay by figuring out what percentage of the work is stone and giving me that percentage of the pay, minus a ten percent fee for him being the main contractor.”
“That works for you?” Eddie asked.
“Course it does, lad. I've got the chance to improve my masonry skill, plus I'm getting paid coin for it. I'll still help on other things if you need me to do so, but I may ask you and Tiana to assist me from time to time as well.”
“We'd be happy to do that,” Eddie said. “Wouldn't we, Tiana?”
She nodded agreement, then turned to the food that was arriving.
Eddie barely tasted his meal, looking forward
to trying to get Frostbite arrows after dinner. He was almost positive that he'd have enough mana now. If he was right, it would cost him only four hundred and fifty for the first arrow, less for any he made after that first one. If he was wrong, he was still pretty sure that the max mana cost would be five hundred, ten times the original casting cost of Frostbite. Now that he'd have over five hundred mana, at least until he returned the ring and necklace, he was sure it would work.
When he looked down, he'd cleaned his plate.
“Tiana? Would you come with me? Just in case,” he asked.
“Sure, let's go.”
The two of them slipped out of the back door of the inn, to be joined by Lucky a moment later. They settled in on the bench he liked to use for working on his arrows, then he pulled out an arrow shaft and an arrowhead.
As he did when he made his Arcing arrows, he focused on his Conjunction ability in order to infuse the arrow he was making with his Frostbite spell. He held the arrowhead in place, feeling the mana flood out of him in a torrent. He was lightheaded by the time the mana drain stopped and he quickly called up his mana to check.
Mana, he thought.
Mana: 75/525
Oh good, I didn't get mana burn, but my head is killing me, he thought.
The flashing of his notification light seemed to aggravate the headache so he quickly pulled it up, unsurprised at the resultant message.
You have upgraded the skill/spell Conjunction to (8). Cool idea there, Eddie. At least firing an arrow is a worthy purpose for a warrior, even if you do cheat by giving them spell affects.
~ ~ ~
Chapter Two
Justiciar Bodil had acquired the materials necessary for her next project, she'd also requested a carpenter and a stone mason to help her out. Griff, the town manager as far as she could tell, had happily offered her the assistance when she'd relayed her requests to him.
Almost as though he'd do whatever he needed to do to get me out of his office, she thought.
She resisted the heavy sigh that felt appropriate for the moment. With her station she feared that he might misread it as something negative as opposed to the simple discontent she felt.
I may have made an error in taking this position. I feel as though everyone treats me like a pariah now. Have I cast myself out of normal society by doing this? I would've thought that everyone would prefer having some sort of justice available to the town. Justiciar Torn was never treated this way in my old town, or was he and I just never noticed?
She spent a moment remembering the older Justiciar she'd known and considered a friend, then grimaced.
He never acted the way I've been acting, did he? No wonder everyone is treating me this way. It's only in response to how I'm acting. I think Tiana tried to warn me about that when she was talking to me and I dismissed it, thinking I knew better. So maybe Eddie and Tiana are actually really trying to get to know me as opposed to trying to ingratiate themselves to me? I've been so worried that someone would try something to gain my favoritism that I've ignored the possibility that it could be something else. Even before I was a Justiciar, neither of them did anything untoward, so why would I think they're trying to get in my good graces to avoid Justice now? Perhaps I need to rethink my outward persona?
Bodil exhaled, clearing her lungs of air, then inhaled again, trying to center herself. For now, she simply needed to accomplish her task for the morning, then she could spend more time thinking about everything else later on. She went to the back section of the land the Town Hall was on, bringing along the mason and carpenter. Pointing to the stacks of materials, she began to describe what she needed done.
~ ~ ~
Eddie had headed for bed after the first successful Conjunction of the Frostbite spell and his Bowyer/Fletcher skill. After returning the jewelry he'd had only twenty-five mana remaining and figured he might as well go to sleep and it would be full again in the morning. Now he was up again and eager to see what the cost of the same Conjunction would be now that he'd used it once.
Tiana was still out cold, softly snoring, so he headed out back of the inn. He pulled out an arrow shaft and broadhead, then began to put them together, focusing on the Frostbite spell as he did. Once it was completed he checked his mana.
Mana: 250/475
Okay, so it's five times spell cost after the first one, just like Arc is. So I can do two Frostbite arrows if I start with full mana. Hm, I don't like that name, I think I'll call them Biting arrows. Arc on an arrow now only costs me about thirty-five mana since I've been raising both the Arc spell and my Nature magic, so I can do two Biting arrows on a full load of mana. Then if I wait a little I can do an Arcing arrow also. Probably need to do a few sessions of just Arcing arrows also though if I want a decent number of them.
He stopped his thought process to examine the arrow he'd just made, like the Arcing arrows there was a symbol now inscribed right where the arrow shaft and broadhead came together, part of it on each piece. This one was simply a long straight line and he even pulled out the arrow he'd made the night before to make sure it wasn't just a scratch. Once he noted the identical marks on each arrow, he pulled up his browser and started searching.
Eventually he figured out it was the Isa rune, the one used for ice in Old Norse.
Which I suppose makes sense, he thought, but I would've thought it'd be fancier than just a straight line.
With that little bit of knowledge tucked away in his brain, he proceeded to burn out the rest of his mana by making another Biting arrow and an Arcing arrow since he'd regenned some mana in the meanwhile. Then he headed inside, slightly lightheaded from the heavy mana use, and made a tray to take up to Tiana for the two of them to have breakfast.
She woke as easily as she ever did, which is to say not easily at all, but she was significantly better company after her first cup of coffee.
“Any plans today?” she asked.
Eddie shook his head.
“Just kind of in a holding pattern until Charles calls the raid. I do need to get my new armor though, it might be done today or maybe tomorrow. I'll go check just before dinner and see if they finished it.”
“I'm glad you'll have a full set. I've got a couple of pieces I want to add also, but Delgar's been so busy I haven't approached him about it yet.”
“Well, I'm actually hoping to drum up some business for the leather worker by wearing mine. With all these adventurers here someone's bound to need some light armor, right? Especially if they can get it custom made?”
“Maybe some of the lower levels, the ones closer to thirty probably already have their full sets,” Tiana said. “It's nice of you to think of that though, and try to drive some business to him.”
“Nah, I'm hoping he gets more business because of the taxes. I mean, giving the guy some extra sales for the sake of his business is great, I want to the place to thrive, but... Well, for lack of a better way of putting it. Greed is good.”
“Yeah, I don't believe that's your only motivation there, not for a heartbeat.”
Eddie grimaced.
“Sorry, it's all these adventurers I haven't met before. The ones from the area know me and how I am with the NPCs. The new ones? I'm not sure why I care what they think, but apparently I do.”
Tiana shrugged.
“They'll only be around for a little while,” she said.
“I don't know about that, some of the groups and guilds are talking about building their own structures near here, what with the growing settlement and all the businesses we're setting up, they think it will be a nice place to train some of their lower level members.”
“That'd be nice, that would certainly drive some more profit to the area,” she replied.
Eddie nodded.
“I think that might be why I care what they think. They can help the place take off even more quickly than it currently has been.”
“Well, it won't matter in the long run. I'm sure you'll go back to yourself sooner or later, so you might as
well let them see it now. Let's go. I want to check on the temple. Some of the lower level adventurers have been trying out stuff in the Meadowlands. Not so bad for Rat Woods, but I've had a couple of groups come out of the dungeon needing healing and/or curse removal.”
“Alright, I'll walk you down and we'll bring Lucky. I don't think she's been to the temple pond for a day or two and I'm sure she misses it.”
Tiana nodded.
“She's still spooked by lots of people she doesn't know.”
“Yeah, I've been introducing her to the adventurers, but there are so many of them,” Eddie said.
“Well, let's go. If she stays on the temple grounds then none of them could hurt her anyhow.”
Eddie grinned.
“She'd probably like a nice long stretch at the pond.”
The two of them headed out back, assuming that Lucky was fishing in the pond. With a whistle, Eddie called her to them and the three started down towards the crossroads. The trip took longer than normal since they stopped twice for Eddie to introduce the bobcat to groups of adventurers he saw. He got the normal envious looks as he introduced her, but the groups seemed okay with Lucky, and the bobcat herself relaxed a bit more with each person she was introduced to and got to sniff.
When they reached the temple Eddie gestured towards the pond and Lucky darted off towards it. He followed Tiana into the temple and once she was situated there, he headed over to the Town Hall to check in with Griff.
As he approached the building he saw Bodil and a pair of men that weren't her assistants out back of the building. He cocked his head, curious as to what was going on, and approached them.
“Justiciar Bodil?” he asked.
She turned and he saw the the two men assisting her were building something.
“Mayor Eddie,” she replied, dipping her head slightly.
“Building something?” he asked.
“Yes, the courtroom is sufficient, but as you said we don't need to settle for just sufficient. So I decided to build a proper altar to Tyr here on the grounds of the building that contains the courtroom.”
Ruler Light Online five Page 2
