Watcher’s Fate: A LitRPG Saga (Life in Exile Book 3)

by Sean Oswald

  The murmuring increased, but again, no one moved until Emily came to stand next to Dave. Together, they stood at the top of the stairs and waited. First, Morganthal came to renew his oath of fealty. There has been a great deal of discussion about who should go first and what it would mean for either a human or an elf to go first. Ultimately, it was decided that fate would determine it, and a simple coin choice had caused the distinction to fall to the human knight.

  “I, Sir Morganthal knight of the Murkwood, do hereby offer my eternal loyalty and fealty to the rulers of the Murkwood–the Nelson family line–and to any who may lawfully follow after them. I pledge to support the ideals of the Murkwood, to obey its rulers, and to hold in honor all my brothers and sisters of this land, be they elf, human, or otherwise. I do so freely and joyfully.”

  Emily accepted his oath as it was determined that they would accept the oaths of the opposite race and offered a quick blessing in return. Morganthal stood up smiling, and even as the words were spoken, the faintest of shimmering began to appear upon the leaves of the sacred ash. The knight descended and went to the back to distribute silver to any who wished to leave. Ozakai came to the head of a line which stretched on.

  It soon became obvious that it was going to take far too long for every individual adult to give the oath. The children were exempt, although each was expected to give their oath upon reaching adulthood. That, however, was measured differently for the elves and the humans, and each culture was to be respected. So, after the knights, paladins, forest wardens, druids, and other community leaders had given their oaths, the townsfolk were organized into groups of twenty or so, and the oath was given simultaneously by all.

  Minutes turned into hours, and Dave couldn’t help but occasionally glance at the back of the gathering which did not seem to be diminishing in size. He looked for any sign of families leaving, but there were none. Each time another group gave its oath, the air around the sacred ash became brighter. People were starting to notice it, but Dave and Emily had their backs to the tree and were so focused on the people who were pledging themselves, that they did not see the magic at work behind them.

  When the last group finished their pledge, Mira stepped around her parents and fell to her knee offering the same oath. As she did so, the aura around the sacred ash began to audibly crackle. Dave couldn’t miss that and looked at the tree but didn’t know what it meant. He didn’t want to risk breaking what was happening and so as Emily knelt before him on one knee and offered the exact same oath which the lowliest farmer had offered, he accepted it and felt a wave of force push out from the tree. A bell peal sounded softly.

  A moment later, Dave dropped down and returned the same oath back to Emily who received it with the same thankful blessing. The pulse from the tree grew stronger, and everyone instinctually fell to a knee. The elves felt the weight of their great heritage and ancient traditions upon them while the humans felt the call of a voice both older and still fresh.

  Then everyone present, man, woman, and child received the same notification in red. The only other time that Dave had seen that color for a notification had been when he and Emily had been made rulers of the Murkwood.

  Secret Quest Completed: Two peoples made one

  The leaders and people of the Murkwood alike have joined together under the branches of the sacred ash and in the sight of the Gods to declare their unity in purpose. This has satisfied the ideal of unity. Grow further in this and reap more rewards.

  Morale increased by 25. Further growth is possible as the people of Eris’ Rise find themselves less inclined to look at one another for their differences but more for their common bonds.

  Elves: all racial penalties are set to zero, no longer shall your Strength or Constitution be less than your human brothers.

  Humans: you shall share in some of the racial bonuses of the moon elves, no longer shall your Agility or Wisdom be less than your elven brothers.

  All around, the gathering people groaned as the changes in their body took place in an instant. The muscles of elves swelled, their fibers growing denser and their bodies hardier. Just as dramatically, the humans felt themselves become nimbler and their minds expand with greater understanding. The greatest distinctions remained in that the elves retained their long lives, and the humans retained their XP bonus, but anyone coming to the Murkwood would now find that the people there were much more similar in how they moved or understood the world around them. Still, it was not over as another notification popped up in red.

  Patron Choice: You have declared the ideals of your land. The ideal of unity has been met through a shared purpose and by the shared struggle in overcoming and defending this land. Eloria is conflict, and the strongest front is one made together.

  The ideal of freedom has been met as none were forced to stay, none forced to serve. All were given the choice. This is a rare and precious gift in Eloria. Eloria is conflict, and the irony of that conflict is that a shared freedom forms the strongest of bonds.

  The ideal of equality has been met as everyone from farmer to fisherman, knight to forest warden, baron to cook, man to woman, and elf to human have given the same oath. This is a first ever upon the continent of Talos. Eloria is conflict, and in its flame, all lives are the same, even if they never knew it. Better that you walk forward with eyes open.

  Now you must choose your next ideal to meet. With this choice will come a patron. The Gods do not seek slaves or even servants but seek to raise up all to a higher path of shared virtues. Each path has value, and in one’s life, the paths often cross. Today you must choose to put one virtue above the others. None of the virtues negate the need for each of the others.

  * * *

  Justice: Choosing this as your foremost value means that you will always seek truth while striving for fairness in how you deal with one another. You pledge yourself to deal strictly with those who threaten that justice.

  Reward: Military defenses may be built 10x as fast. Military units will instinctively have a higher level or coordination. Anyone appointed as a judge will gain a bonus of 10% to Intelligence. Anyone serving in the military will gain a 10% bonus to Strength. All future character point purchases made on martial skills will be 20% cheaper (may not exceed Tier max). You will be provided with a Tier 5 war golem.

  * * *

  Redemption: choosing this as your foremost value means that you will sheath the sword of truth in mercy and will err on the side of grace rather than judgment. This ideal need not make you a fool, but whenever possible, second chances will be given. The drive will be to redeem in all aspects of life: redeeming your fellow man from poor choices as well as evil plots and redeeming nature for corrupted use.

  Reward: The weight of past generations will be lessened. All oath bound citizens of the Murkwood shall have their maximum Tier increased by one.

  * * *

  Sacrifice: Choosing this as your foremost value means placing greater weight on the lives and needs of those around you. Sacrifice is most shown in how one lives rather than how one dies. Productivity of all non-military construction, research, food generation, and crafts is increased by 25%. The entire community gains a Constitution bonus of 30%. All future character point purchases made on defensive skills will be 40% cheaper.

  A choice must be made jointly within 24 hours or this option will be lost. This choice will open up a further community development tree in the Land Ruler Interface. The other patron trees will be forever sealed.

  Instantaneously, the crowd was abuzz. People were speaking with their neighbors, some even trying to get Dave or Emily’s attention to offer their suggestion for the choice to be made. Dave reread the text and already was forming an opinion but wasn’t sure if it would be the popular one. He took from the text that he and Emily would have to agree upon this decision.

  As more people tried to shout out advice to him, Dave felt that same urge to control swelling within himself. Before he could help it, he was speaking through the magical sound proje
ction spell again. “Thank you all for your suggestions, but you have just pledged to obey your leaders. We will consult with our advisors as we deem necessary and then make a decision. Just as we have placed our trust in all of you, so you too have to trust us to make the best decision.” He then turned and, beckoning for his family, started to leave the area.

  Just as they were headed for their home, Dave heard the trumpets sounding the warning of an impending attack. He wanted to scream in frustration. He had so many plans, but they couldn’t get a break. They were supposed to have a minimum of another week before the goblin army could reach them and from what they had been told, it appeared that it was more likely the enemy was going to dig in for the winter and wait to attack in the spring. This simply wasn’t fair, yet rather than feeling like complaining, Dave felt like smashing something.

  He started barking orders but was pleased to see that the military commanders were already forming up the joint units and sending them to each of the walls until it could be determined where the attack was coming from. Their new unity was truly paying off. In less than a minute, half the soldiers were headed for the walls while the other half were working to escort the civilians to shelter, such as it existed in the partially built town. This left Dave and family alone in the clearing in front of the church with Jaselm and a half dozen members of Emily’s Meiyo Eihei.

  “Take the kids to the house while I determine what the threat is …” Dave trailed off. He saw Emily bristle at his harsh tone and then saw her eyes widen as she looked up into the sky. He turned to follow her line of sight and saw a something most terrifying.

  The shape traveling rapidly towards their location could never be mistaken for a bird, even a few miles out. It was clearly something much larger. This had to be a drake or dragon or similar flying monstrosity. Dave started going through his options in his mind. Fighting a creature that could fly overhead and bombard them with death in the form of flame or acid was not something he was very well prepared for.

  He started calling to mind all of his ranged offensive spells and even reached into his bag of holding to pull out the enchanted bow he used so rarely. He could see the soldiers looking to their officers and knights for direction and those same leaders looking to him for what to do. Only Eisuke and the forest wardens seemed completely unfazed while all the paladins from every deity, having not left the meeting area yet, gathered around the Nelson’s with shields raised.

  Dave looked over at Emily again and realized that she had been casting a spell which was causing a glow all over her body that started to extend out and coalesce beside her. The effect was distracting enough that for a second he found himself staring at his wife rather than sorting out a defensive plan. Then, next to Emily appeared a copy of her image. Well, a copy if she was clad in shining silver armor rather than elven leathers … and if she had white feathered wings. The copy or clone or whatever it was practically glowed and held in its hands a rainbow filled sword and shield.

  Just as suddenly, the celestial duplicate leapt into the air propelled by magically created wings. It flew straight as an arrow to intercept the incoming monster. Dave was impressed by the spell. He wasn’t so much jealous as he thought a duplicate of Emily was far easier on the eyes than a duplicate of himself, but still, he was forced to evaluate what options he had that compared with this spell.

  “Mira, quick, trade me rings. I need your flight ring so I can fight that in the air before it gets a chance to destroy too much of the town. You should still be able to hit it from the air with magic, but I want to be able to take the fight to it.”

  Before Mira could answer, Sara, whose little face was wrinkled with concern, said, “Stop! It’s Altracia. She is coming to talk.”

  Shocked, but realizing that he had asked for a meeting, Dave said, “Are you certain?”

  “Yes, I can sense my friends, daddy. Altracia asked me if this is a trap. She feels angry.”

  “Emily, call back your angel. We need to make peace with the drake, not try to slay it,” Dave said as he began shouting for everyone to lower their bows and keep defenses ready but for no one to attack first.

  Clearly, Emily struggled with accepting the drake as anything but a dire threat. It had lured her little girl into a dungeon and then held her as hostage just a day ago. With a bitter sigh, she relented. Dave saw the angel quickly descend and head back to their location. It was telling that she didn’t dispel the duplicate, but it reminded Dave of a frequent adage he had heard over the years, ‘Trust but verify’.

  They waited for the drake to land. The draft created by its wings buffeted the girls and Jackson around, but Dave’s strength was great enough that he was able to stand unmoved by the gale force. He held up a hand to the creature and called out, “Greetings, Altracia. Do you come in peace?”

  “There is no need to yell. I assure you that my hearing is excellent.” The creature spoke very clearly but with a thick sibilant accent.

  “That doesn’t answer my question. I wish to welcome you to the town of Eris’ Rise but only if you come here in peace.”

  “Daddy, she is my friend. She won’t hurt us,” Sara said as she stepped forward. Dave however wasn’t so sure, and he stepped back in front of his daughter, shielding her with his body.

  “Sara, speaks the truth. I have only come because my friend asked. Do you wish to reach an accord with me?”

  “Very well. Normally we would hold such a discussion in private, but I don’t think we have any building large enough to hold you. So perhaps we should go into the forest,” Dave said. He could already hear the grumbling of the gathered soldiers, knights, and paladins. They were all itching to chop down the drake, but he couldn’t’ risk this chance going to waste.

  “If it is privacy that you wish, then I can take us where no one will hear our words. Accept an unprecedented honor, climb onto my back with Sara, and we will talk in the clouds,” the drake hissed.

  “No, no. Dave, you can’t go with her and Sara–absolutely can’t. This isn’t a good idea,” Emily protested.

  “Emily, I need you to trust me. Just like I trusted you about the sacred ash and the church. There is more to gain here than you are imagining. We need what she has to offer, so if taking a ride in the clouds gets us a chance at it, then it’s worth it. Besides, we have already learned that her monster friends can be trusted to look after her.” Dave pulled Emily a couple steps away, and the two had a heated conversation in low whispers while everyone else looked on. Dave could see the anger on Emily’s face change to fear and then resignation.

  “Fine, but I hold you responsible for this,” Emily said as she went to stand next to Mira and Jackson.

  “Mira, give your sister your wind ring so she can fly in an emergency,” Dave said. He then facilitated the transfer of the ring. After that, he picked up Sara and climbed onto the back of the drake, settling them in between the spikes running along its back. He cast a binding spell on both of them to hold them in place and pushed as much mana into the spell form as he could. He didn’t try to or need to increase the binding force since it was already metaphysically absolute. Instead, he simply worked to extend the duration and was able to bind both of them securely in place for the next few minutes.

  As the spell settled into place, the drake beat its wings and leapt into the air. She pushed, and the mana around her enhanced her muscles, demonstrating that her flight was a combination of both the physical and the mystical. As she flew, they began to hold a telepathic negotiation. The discussion went back and forth while each side slowly revealed what they wanted. Dave’s list of desires was long. He had only a limited idea of what Altracia or the dungeon might want. The points put into diplomacy were paying off in spades as he felt each round of the negotiations went his way. He gave up things but got more in return.

  It dawned on him near the end of the negotiation in the sky that the dungeon was very immature and thought much like a child. She had probably assumed that taking him into the air would disorien
t him or cause him to focus more on the beauty of the experience than the terms of the deal, but he closed his eyes to it all and simply focused on what Eris’ Rise needed. Not so for Sara, who squealed and laughed at every banking maneuver the drake made. She relished the experience of the air, and instead of being terrified as might have been logical, she felt completely at ease with her trusted friend flying and with her father behind her.

  Once they had finished and both sides were more or less satisfied with the terms, they descended to the ground. Dave now took the opportunity to see the beauty of the land. He could see the forest to the north for miles. Out to the east, he could see rolling hills which the Seinna River cut through on its trek to the ocean, and he could see the ocean extend till it was lost from his sight. South of Eris’ Rise, he could see many small villages and towns dotting the countryside for miles. Dave’s research recall came into play, and he remembered that from a height of well over 2000 feet on Earth, he could probably see fifty-five to sixty-five miles away.

  Then, all too soon, the spiraling decent was done, and once again, he was an earthbound creature. Sara practically jumped off, barely waiting for him to help her down despite the fact that they were ten feet off the ground, even with the drake crouched to allow them to dismount. She screamed out with glee, “That was so amazing! You guys totally have to try that. It was awesome! I could, like, see forever!”

  Dave began talking to Emily while Sara regaled her siblings with the sights from the clouds. The drake coughed loudly though and drew her attention back. “I will be going now, but don’t forget to honor your word.”