by Jeff Sproul
It was around that fallen soul crystal that they were all gathered.
Chaxin slowly rose from the ground, and the woman with the crossbow turned her weapon on him.
"He woke up, now they have one more fighter!" the woman said, as she looked to the bald man. "I told you we should've taken them on when it was just the three of them!"
Chaxin watched the three new arrivals for several long seconds, before he realized that he’d lost the crossbow Bavol had given him. He looked down and spotted the short sword still in its sheath on his belt. In doing so, he also spotted Tiris and Vol, just to the right of them. Vol was lying across one of their two horses, and Tiris stood beside it with her bow drawn and aimed at the three cloaked figures.
"Is Vol alright?" Chaxin asked, his eyes wide.
Tiris nodded. "He's fine, but unconscious, like you were."
Chaxin blinked and turned back to Kaiz. "What's going on? The cyclops is dead then?"
"Yeah, it's dead," said Kaiz. "These three rogues came in, fireballs blazing, and we managed to kill it soon after.
"I was the one who killed it!" said the man with the staff, who then took a step forward. "It's bad enough that its soul energy had to be distributed amongst you lot as well!"
Chaxin took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Then… what the hell is going on?" he asked. "What are you all fighting over? Isn't the battle over?" He glanced to Bavol, then back to the three arrivals. Their three horses were standing idle behind them. "What are we still doing here if the fight's over? Vol is hurt, we should get back to Kamber!"
"They want to take the cyclops's soul crystal for themselves," said Bavol. "It's worth quite a bit, and in the state Kamber is in, it could do a lot of good for us."
"We lost one of our own in our fight with the cyclops!" said the man in full armor. His shield was up, his sword low. "We earned that crystal! There's no question that we are more deserving of the spoils!"
Chaxin returned his attention to the dead cyclops's soul crystal. Then, he looked up to Kaiz.
"We're still here because of that?" asked Chaxin, pointing over to the crystal.
"Aye," said Kaiz.
"We can't possibly have time to be screwing around with this," said Chaxin, as he began walking towards the crystal.
"No closer!" said the woman with the crossbow, which was now trained on him.
"You do it, and you'll have a bolt in your throat!" said Bavol, who raised his crossbow higher and aimed it at the woman.
Chaxin's gaze remained on the crystal. He walked over to it, taking each step after the other.
"We're not going to let you take it!" said the man with the rune-scrawled staff. He held it up, pointed in Chaxin's direction.
Kaiz shifted his position, his spear held, with the cylinder aimed at the bald man. "That'll be the last action you ever take if you even think about casting!"
Chaxin reached the crystal. He stooped down and picked it up, holding it between his grime-covered hands. It was significantly lighter than he thought it'd be. It seemed practically… fragile. The ones in his pocket were all white, and roughly the size of his finger. But this one was a soft blue. He looked up to the three fighters, who all had their weapons pointed at him.
"Give us one of your horses, and I'll hand this over," said Chaxin.
"What are you doing?" Bavol gasped. "That crystal is worth more than all three of their horses!"
"What sort of game are you playing at?" the armored man asked. "You can't seriously be offering that for a horse?"
"We need a horse," said Chaxin. "We only have two, there's five of us. You have three horses, and there's only three of you. Give us just one of your horses, and you can have this. We have more important things to do than risk killing each other over this." He turned his head and looked to Kaiz. "Don't we?"
Kaiz's lips parted. He grit his teeth. "Aye, we do," he said begrudgingly.
"Do not hand that crystal over!" said Bavol.
Chaxin glanced to Bavol, then looked back over to the armored warrior. He held the crystal out. "A horse for this crystal. Or, we all fight and end up dying."
The red-haired woman looked to the armored man. She gestured with her head, back to their horses.
The armored man nodded and backpedaled over to their horses, keeping his shield at the ready, in case it was a ruse. He sheathed his sword and led one of their three horses over to Chaxin. He held the reins out. "The crystal for a horse, we accept," he said.
Chaxin held out the crystal, and placed it on the man's palm. Then, he accepted the offered reins. The man nodded, and Chaxin replied in kind.
The armored man pulled the crystal in close to his chest and turned around to return to the two horses. "Come on! Let's get back to camp," he said.
The bald man and the woman both cautiously headed back to their other horse. All three of them mounted, and within seconds, they were galloping away.
"That was fucking stupid!" said Bavol. "We could've taken some half-rate mage and the other two."
Chaxin turned around, still holding the horse's reins.
"Up close, I could see that man's armor was enchanted," Chaxin said, a hasty lie. "Who knows what they were capable of? Is your armor enchanted?"
Bavol's eyes narrowed, not saying a word.
Kaiz lowered his spear, and the corner of his lips curled up. "A one-sided trade, that's for sure," he said. "But there's no telling how strong the three of them were. That crystal wasn't worth one of our lives. I guess I got a bit frustrated at their arrival and our situation. But this was probably the best outcome."
"Then let's get back to Kamber," said Tiris, who mounted the horse that Vol was lying on. "Vol's in bad shape, and the town needs us back. All of us."
"Bavol, take my horse," said Kaiz.
Bavol shook his head and started walking. Kaiz stepped up to Chaxin and checked the horse over. "Guess you got yourself a horse. Not that you even know how to properly ride one," he chuckled.
Chaxin managed a half smile. "It just didn't make a lot of sense to kill each other over a crystal. Figured that the town might need it for patrols… or whatever, and it'll help us get back faster."
"Aye, that it will," said Kaiz. He quickly mounted the horse and lowered his hand down to Chaxin. "So let's get back to town."
Chaxin grabbed Kaiz's larger hand and got behind him on the horse. "I uh… dropped Bavol's crossbow," he suddenly spoke up.
"Oh, don't worry," Kaiz chuckled. "He noticed, and found it. He's got it with him on the other horse."
Chaxin glanced over and watched as Tiris and Bavol's horses began trotting back towards Kamber.
"I didn't want to die," Chaxin said quietly.
Kaiz turned his head back to Chaxin. "Hmm?"
"That's… mainly why I did what I did," said Chaxin. "I didn't want to die."
Kaiz turned forward and sat there for several long seconds, the horse unmoving. "That crystal had a lot of power in it. In the right hands, I'm sure it's worth ten horses," he said. "But truth be told… I didn't like the prospect of dying either." With that, he kicked his feet and sent their horse trotting back through the mire to return to Kamber.
Chapter 9: Assignment
During the ride back to Kamber, Chaxin felt as though he could finally take a breath. From waking up on the beach, to waking in the clinic and then fighting a cyclops almost immediately after, he felt as though he was always rushing around. He hoped this wasn't the norm.
Hopefully, once they got back to Kamber, he could learn how to properly ride a horse, and maybe glean some more information about the world around him. This was a strange world, that was certain. It was also a dangerous one, full of monsters that Chaxin could hardly fathom. If he was going to survive, he needed every edge he could get, as long as it didn't come at too great a cost.
It wasn't long before their three horses came into view of the town's walls. The fog had lifted. Whatever malevolent force had kept it stable seemed to have alleviated its will upon the
foreboding mist.
They made their way to the now-useless front gate. Wooden splinters littered the ground. The gate itself had only been able to 'lock' due to a heavy wooden beam being slotted behind it. That beam now lay idle in the dirt, broken in two.
Standing in the threshold of the gate was a familiar armored figure. With her helmet off, Deloris was a welcomed sight.
Bavol and Tiris's horses headed straight on in, but Kaiz's slowed to a stop near the armored woman.
"So you're all not dead then?" asked Deloris, her sword resting upon her shoulder. "I figured you'd be able to hold your own against a giant. I see our new face has also survived."
"Yeah, he did good," said Kaiz, which brought a smile to Chaxin's dirty face. "Especially considering that it wasn't a giant, but a cyclops."
"Cyclops?" asked Deloris, lowering her sword. "Wait… did you run, or kill it?"
"It's dead," said Kaiz. "Sad to say it, but some other adventurers came out of nowhere and helped us bring it down. We might've managed without them, but they also implied that they'd weakened it before we engaged it. No way of knowing the truth of the matter, but… well, they ended up taking the cyclops's crystal, which our new face, Chaxin here, decided to trade for one of their horses."
Deloris's heavy eyebrows lifted, which only seemed to accentuate the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes. "Well, I'm sure you did what you had to do," she said, glancing to Chaxin, then back to Kaiz. "Just glad you all made it back. Tiris rushed past… was Vol hurt?"
Kaiz nodded. "Yeah, he and Tiris got roughed up a bit. They'll be fine though, they always are. So is the town more secure, if they got you watching the gate now?"
Deloris turned and looked back into town. "More or less. They've got several teams scouring the town for merfolk remnants. I don't think there are any more left, now that the fog has lifted. I can only imagine their shaman dispersed the fog once they were all fully retreated, or dead. Who can say?"
Kaiz breathed in and let out a heavy sigh. "Well, I better get back up there. I'm sure someone already has a new job for me."
"Make sure you don't let them forget about tasking Chaxin," said Deloris. Her gaze met Chaxin's as she smirked. "You're gonna need whatever currency you can muster," she pointed out. "Best way to do that is to have the council send you on tasks, or quests, or… well, even patrol missions. If they give you something to do, they end up having to pay you for it, in some way or another. But at a time like this, we all sorta just let the details slide, for the good of the town. But you'll get it figured out. Now off with ya."
"Thanks," said Chaxin. "I'll see what I can find."
"Catch you later, Deloris," said Kaiz. "Don't let anything nasty into the town while we're slacking off." He grinned at her, and with that, he directed the horse into the town.
The horse trotted through the dirt streets, seemingly in no rush. This gave Chaxin the opportunity to check out his surroundings and see the town without fog, or through the fevered haze of poison running through his veins.
At that thought, he pulled his hand up and tugged his tunic down. The runic scrawl was still on his chest, as were the dark lines of the poison. He released his garment and looked ahead.
Within just a few short minutes, they arrived at the town hall, which seemed grander than when he'd viewed it with the mist surrounding it. It was situated perfectly at the center of Kamber, with all the main streets leading to it.
"Home again," said Kaiz. "Off you go."
Chaxin took a few moments to orient himself and dismount the horse. He stumbled once he got to the ground, but quickly found his footing. Kaiz hopped off next and attached the horse's reins to a post. There were already several other horses at the post, but Tiris's horse was nowhere in sight.
"Where's Vol and Tiris?" asked Chaxin.
"She probably took him to the clinic," said Kaiz. "Dunno if they ever found Huril, but the old man probably had some healing remedies around, which should fix Vol right up."
"I see," said Chaxin, as he lingered around. "So, what are we doing now? Deloris said something about checking with the council?"
"Let's get inside," said Kaiz. "I'm sure Bavol's already explaining things to the council. Before they think of something for you to do, why don't you consult the grimoire. See if a fight with a cyclops did anything for your properties. That monster should've taken about eight or ten of us to bring down. You got a bunch of hits on it and used that crossbow the entire time. I bet your dexterity… or well, hmm… a crossbow is a strength and dexterity weapon," he murmured. "Ah well, just go check out the grimoire. That's the exciting part of being an adventurer, seeing how strong you become, bit by bit, day by day."
It hadn't occurred to Chaxin that he'd been in a situation where his stats would be highly affected, but upon hearing Kaiz describe it like that, the excitement grew in him like a budding fire, waiting to burst out.
He ascended the steps and remembered how Deloris had knocked on the hall door when they were there earlier. He reached the door and went to rap upon it, as Deloris had.
Before he could even touch it, the door creaked open. Chaxin found himself standing there with his arm out for several seconds before he lowered it.
Standing inside the hall, walking between the tables, was a man in a semi-closed black cloak. Magenta feathers adorned the shoulders and a dark gray collar formed around his neck. His body was mostly obscured by the encompassing cloak, his brown boots almost silent as he walked. He had short brown hair and a solemn expression. He appeared older, if the lines on his face were any indication.
Behind him were two guards in full plate armor which glimmered from the torches nearby and looked as though it hadn't seen as much use as the armor Deloris wore. Their armor was chrome and bulkier than what Deloris had. If anything, it appeared stronger, and certainly more expensive.
Chaxin couldn't help but remember what Deloris had told him about enchantment. For all he knew, Deloris's armor could've been enchanted, whereas these two armored individuals might just have strong-looking armor. How could a person know if they were going up against someone with enchanted weapons or armor, if they couldn't inspect it beforehand? It would certainly put anyone at a disadvantage.
The man walked out of the hall with the two armored soldiers in tow. His head turned, and his gaze met Chaxin's. He stared for several long seconds, making Chaxin feel as though he was being measured, but they both remained silent.
The man and his entourage descended the steps, as they didn't seem interested in waiting.
Their armor clanged and jingled with each movement, as they passed Chaxin and reached the foot of the steps. They mounted three different horses, the only other horses Chaxin had seen.
Kaiz stepped up to Chaxin. "Wonder who the hell that was. Those guards were from Grittin, by the looks of the symbols on their pauldrons."
"Pauldrons?" Chaxin asked.
Kaiz turned and tilted his head in their direction. He lifted his hand and patted his own shoulder. "The armor there on their shoulders," he said. "The red circle on the black background?"
"Oh, yeah," said Chaxin, now noticing the symbol for the first time. He'd been so awestruck with their armor that he hadn't taken notice of the details. "Grittin… I've heard that before."
"Aye, it's the city to the north. It's actually the city that's supposed to protect this entire region. Kamber is just one town in the region, but due to the size of Grittin, it's supposed to send adventurers or soldiers to help quell monsters… you know, things like what just destroyed Kamber," Kaiz murmured with a grumble.
"Grittin sent them to help us?" asked Chaxin, still watching the three figures as they mounted and immediately rode off towards the gate.
"No, it doesn't feel like that's why they were here. That man wasn't dressed like any sort of guard captain, and even the guards from Grittin aren't wearing armor that nice. Those two are some sort of elite escorts, but I dunno who that guy was. I'll go chat up the council members and see what's going
on. Go check the grimoire and then come find me."
"Alright," said Chaxin, finally tearing his gaze away from the three men, before turning and heading into the now-open town hall.
The hall was filled with more individuals than it had been before. The overall mood was nothing jovial, but people weren't silent either. People sat at the various tables, some eating cooked meats and breads. The aroma of the food easily wafted through the air, but Chaxin didn't see any actual place that the food was being cooked. It was likely that there was a room in the back, or off to the side.
As Chaxin made his way to the side of the room, and to the back where the grimoire was, he noticed that the council members, Jeneth and Sandor, were both seated at the far side of the table towards the back of the room. There were various people standing around, in all sorts of attire. Some wore pieces of armor, others just cloths and leathers. Chaxin recognized Bavol, as Kaiz headed straight for the assembly. He couldn't hear anything being talked about, but occasionally a loud voice would carry over.
Chaxin reached the grimoire. It had been closed, but otherwise was the same as he'd left it earlier. He turned his head and glanced around. It didn't seem as though there was any issue with him consulting the book. He doubted he needed anyone's permission. He reached out and opened it, setting his hands on the pages just as he'd done before. He pulled them off, and watched the ink shift and warp.
-
Chaxin
Human
Level: 5
Health: 63%
Mana: 0%
Stamina: 60%
-
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 2
Mind: 0
Toughness: 1
Resistances: None
-
His eyes scanned the readout, noticing that his level had increased to five and that he'd gained a point in strength, with two now in dexterity. He stared at it for a few long moments.
His health read sixty-three percent, but he felt relatively fine. Was he truly that injured?
