by Kong, Aleron
Making peace with the fact that it was most likely not going to be fun running through a forest with no clothes, he decided to check his status.
Name: Richter
Age: 24
Level: 2, 0%
Health: 100 Mana: 100 Stamina: 100
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 10
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 10
Luck: 10
Abilities:
Limitless
Gift of Tongues
Skills:
Archery Lvl 2 0% to next level, 100% affinity
Small Blades Lvl 1; 0% to next level, 100% affinity
Marks:
None
Resistances:
Mental 15%
Spiritual 15%
Race: Human (Chaos Seed)
Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”
Alignment: Neutral
Language: All
He had expected the loss in experience, but the loss in skill progression was a bit of a shock. At his low level, it was not much of a setback. Skills were always harder to level at high levels though, and a loss at that point would truly hurt. If he remembered correctly, neither skill had been close to leveling when he died. Maybe if his percentage was greater, he wouldn’t always go back to zero. Either way, dying had real consequences.
The real question facing him now was where to place his unused points. He had no idea what he was going to need in this wide world. The lack of professions was a complete game changer. To be specific, Xuetrix had said that professions were just very different and hard to obtain. That information was next to useless at this point though, offering no guidance at all. Dismissing it from his mind, Richter focused on what he did know. He decided that he needed greater speed to run and dodge if he was going to hunt the wolves. He placed all six unused points in Agility. The last thing he did was decide to limit some of his prompts. The combat and individual experience notifications were a distraction he could live without.
Silently vowing to make up for his lost progression, he sipped from the Pool of Clarity, and then took off at a fast jog from the glen. As he made his way to the river, the small plants and stones hurt his feet, but not as much as he would have thought. Heartened, he increased his pace to a run, making his way upriver. He quickly learned what Athenian runners must have known thousands of years before; a man running with no clothes on was not exactly, secure, in a key area. He took back all of the times he wished sports bras had not been invented. Those poor girls must really hurt after a while! He amended his thought to, ‘Well, let’s be honest, almost all the times.’ The sight of Sophia doing hurdles was a treasured memory! Sigh.
Focusing on the task at hand, he continued running forward, his new body seemingly up to the task of moving at high speed for several miles before running out of steam. He pushed himself until his breath grew ragged, and sweat flowed in rivulets down his body, and then he pushed more. He ran until his stamina bar came perilously close to zero, and fainting seemed a real possibility. He would pause while it slowly built back up, but at 50%, would take off again. He had run many miles, and was nearing the end of his stamina for at least the tenth time, when he heard melodic voices above him.
“Quick! Shoot before he gets any closer!”
Throwing his hands up, he said, “Stop! I’m Richter, and have been seen by the Hearth Mother. I am approaching the Hearth Tree to fulfill the quest she posed to me. I will kill the wolves.”
There was a moment of silence until he heard a quiet, “Proceed.”
Though he couldn’t see them, he knew he was being shadowed by the sprites. Word of his approach would likely make its way ahead of him, but he still slowed to a jog so as not to alarm the wary sprites. Checking his status, he saw that his Agility had increased by +1 due to his hours of running. After proceeding for a ways through the forest, he was finally rewarded with the sight of the Hearth Tree. As he approached the tall gold grass, the forms of Hisako, Sion and four other bowmen greeted him
Hisako looked upon him with a wary glance upon her face, while Sion stared at him with open distaste.
“Why have you returned,” she asked. “I know that you had fallen.”
Walking forward, Richter did not answer, but instead moved until he stood directly in front of Sion. With the flat of his hand, Richter slapped him across the face. The sprite fell to the ground, and Richter fell on top of him preparing to strike him again. He heard the creaking of drawn bows, and then the sharp command of the Hearth Mother, “CEASE THIS NOW!”
Richter felt his body seize into immobility while Sion cursed beneath him, staring into his face with a fury that matched his own. Sion stood and drew a long needle like rapier from his sword belt, drawing his arm back to drive it into Richter’s eye, until Hisako spoke again, “I said cease! Now what is the meaning of this? What exactly do you remember?”
Richter found he could move and speak again, collapsing to the ground as she ended his paralysis. Quickly standing he pointed to Sion and spit out the words, “I remember everything. He let me be torn apart and eaten by the wolves while he just watched!”
Looking sharply at Sion, Hisako asked, “Is this true?”
“The quest was his not mine,” he grumbled not making eye contact with the Hearth Mother.
“Yet you knew that you were sent to help him, and thereby help our people by removing a dangerous threat! We will address this in a moment. My first question remains, Richter. Are you whole of mind? Do you feel any gaps in your memory?”
“I don’t know what you mean. I am alive and I know who I am,” he said. He had thought of what to tell the Hearth Mother during his run, but had not come to any clear conclusion. Upon seeing her, he decided to speak from strength. “I will always come back to finish my tasks, AND repay my debts,” he added looking over at Sion who glared back. “Why do you keep asking about my memory?”
Returning his gaze to Hisako, Richter saw her face had resolved into decision. “The Wood Sprites of Nadria honor their commitments. We entered into a pact with you when you agreed to the quest and my people have not aided you as they should have.” With a snap in her sweet voice she said, “Sion! Bring Richter his items! Now!” The male sprite was smart enough not to argue with the Hearth Mother after hearing the steel in her voice. He melded silently back into the grass, and was moving quickly if the part in the grass Richter could see was any indication.
“Your clothes were savaged and bloodied. Do not be concerned though. We will give you greater protection than those rags ever provided in recompense for Sion’s behavior. I apologize for his part in the pain that you have suffered, and yet still I ask that you do not judge him too harshly. He has no love for humans, it is true, but his heart is stalwart, and he will stay true to a friend through death. In the meantime, please accept these gifts.” As she finished speaking, she closed her eyes and folded her hands as if in prayer. A green glow once again surrounded her, but much more intense than when she summoned the arrows. It grew in strength until it flared brilliantly. When his vision cleared from sunspots, he found items in front of him.
You have received: Chest Plate of the Wood Sprite. Defense +7. Type: Light armor. Durability 40/40. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 5.8 kg. Increased Concealment in Woods +5.
You have received: Reinforced pants of the Wood Sprite. Defense +5. Type: Light armor. Durability 30/30. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 3.4 kg. Increased Concealment in Woods +4.
You have received: Shoes of the Wood Sprite. Defense +4. Durability 25/25. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Weight: 1.2 kg. Type: Light armor. Increased Silence while walking +10.
You have received: Bracers of the Wood Sprite. Defense +6. Weight: 3.4 kg. Durability 30/30. Item class: Uncommon. Quality: Above Average. Type: Light armor. Dexterity +3.
Blinking in surprise, he stared at the Hearth Mother. Losing the edge in her voice she simply smiled in understanding, “Please accept these gifts in the open spirit of reconciliation with which they were given. I must warn you of the danger to your mind I asked you about earlier, however. I am familiar with the immortal rebirth of higher level beings, though I have not heard of humans with this ability outside of the mightiest mages. While your rebirth will preserve you for the most part, it is still not without danger. You will be reborn in all but the most extreme conditions, but each time you die there is a chance you may lose your memories in addition to experience and skills. There is no specific rule as to when this happens. It does not happen frequently, but it is a serious reality which immortals must face. I have heard that the greater purpose you have in the life you live, the greater the chance you will come back to yourself. So live well, and may these gifts protect you and heal the damage between yourself and my people. ”
Hearing her words, Richter was indeed moved by her generosity, and felt much of his anger drain away. The discovery that he could lose his sense of self upon death however, was truly frightening.
As he started to equip his new armor, Sion came back with his old equipment in a brown sack, minus his clothing which Richter assumed was now only bloody strips and wolf scat. He dropped the items on the ground in front of Richter.
Looking at Richter, Hisako asked, “Will you finish the quest which you started? We will allow you to travel the forest either way, but this problem could well make the entire region unsafe before long.”
You have been offered the opportunity to cancel the Quest: Cleanse the Forest I. The Hearth Mother believes Sion has not acted honorably. As such, you will be allowed to hunt and travel on the lands of the Wood Sprites without aggression from them whether you finish you quest or not. Do you wish to cancel? Yes or No?
“I finish what I start,” Richter replied. “I will kill the wolves, but you need to know that I don’t think it will solve the problem. The wolves I fought were driven mad with disease. They were rabid. If we don’t stop the source of infection, these woods will be rampant with rabid wolves, bears and other predators.”
“Do you accept the responsibility to root out this evil at its source,” she asked.
You have unlocked the Quest: Cleanse the Forest II. It is clear now that some sickness has befallen the animals of the Forest of Nadria. Killing a few rabid animals will not correct this problem. You have been tasked by Hisako to figure out what is making the animals rabid. Reward: Increased regard from the Wood Sprites. Possible gifts from the Wood Sprites. Yes or No?
Richter had assumed that his quest was a chain when he saw the Roman numeral “I” after the initial quest. He wouldn’t stop now.
“I do,” Richter replied steadily.
Looking back to the newly returned sprite, Hisako’s eyes hardened again somewhat. “I cannot force acceptance into your heart, Sion. I know well why you might welcome the death of any human. This man is only responsible for the actions and drives of his own heart, however. I will not force you to accompany him again, but I encourage you to work towards clearing this dark mark from your life. Watching another in pain without offering aid is not our way. What will you do?”
A complex series of emotions worked its way across Sion’s face, but not much time elapsed before he answered, “I serve the Spirit of the Forest,” and he moved to stand beside Richter.
Sion the Wood Sprite has become your Companion. Companions will stay with you only as long your goals align.
Looking over the both of them the Hearth Mother said, “May the Forest shade you.”
CHAPTER 6
The two of them walked through the forest, both wrapped in silence as they dealt with their own personal demons. As they moved forward to the last place the wolves had been seen intending to pick up their trail, Richter noticed a small icon along the left side of his vision with Sion’s face. Focusing on it, a translucent window popped up.
Name: Sion
Age: 44
Level: 7, 47% to next level
Health: 160 Mana: 150 Stamina: 120
Strength: 17
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 44
Constitution: 16
Endurance: 12
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 9
Luck: 12
Abilities:
Wood Craft
Forest Concealment
Skills:
Herb lore Lvl 3, 3% to next level, 91% affinity
Potions Lvl 3, 14% to next level, 88% affinity
Archery Lvl 9 71% to next level, 88% affinity
Imbue Arrow Lvl 4, 45% to next level, 75% affinity
Tracking Lvl 5 37% to next level, 93% affinity
Swordsmanship Lvl 8, 56% to next level, 81% affinity
Light Armor Lvl 4, 64% to next to next level, 65% affinity
Marks:
None
Resistances:
Life 10%
Earth 10%
Light 10%
Race: Wood Sprite
Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”
Alignment: +2
Language: Sprite, Common Tongue
Interesting. Now that they were Companions, Richter could see Sion’s status page. He wasn’t sure what else being Companions meant, but he was sure the information would reveal itself in time. Most of the skills seemed self-explanatory. He had received the Light Armor skill himself after he had donned the wood sprite armor. Richter was extremely interested in the Imbue Arrow skill whatever that was. Focusing upon the skill brought up no further information. Resolving to ask the sprite about it later, Richter continued on.
They walked through the forest as the sun moved across the sky. When it began to approach the horizon, Sion stopped, examining an old spoor on the ground. Making eye contact briefly, he motioned and then led Richter deeper into the forest, leaving the river for the first time. After moving for only ten minutes they heard snuffling and growling noises up ahead. Slowly making their way through the trees, they climbed a hill and discovered what looked like a small cave opening. In front of it were three wolves. The largest was sleeping while the other two fought over a bone with a few scraps of meat upon it.
You have found: New Cave.
Reacting to some unknown stimulus, the larger wolf looked up and stared in their direction. Richter froze, his heart beating wildly as he prepared to fight, but the wolf simply continued to scan the woods before laying its head back down. The concealment properties of his new armor seemed to be coming in handy.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Stealth. Use your surroundings to avoid detection. Attacks made while stealthed cause extra damage.
Huh, Richter had been wondering when this skill would show up. Back to business though, the prompt had said it was a ‘New’ cave. In the game, dungeons had been divided by the age. New dungeons were less than a year old. The progression was New, Young, Seasoned, Mature, Timeworn, Ancient and Primordial. After Young, each stage was ten times as old: a year, ten years, a hundred years and so on. The age was how long the creatures had been there. It was usually a marker of the difficulty and loot that could be gained. It wasn’t exact though. A new cave inhabited by a grand lich would be more difficult than a seasoned cave filled with rats.
Sion motioned for Richter to shoot one of the smaller wolves while he drew an arrow and aimed at the larger one. The arrow seemed to develop a blue aura and vibrated perceptibly, almost as if it wanted to shoot off the string of its own accord. Nocking his own arrow, Richter took aim at the closer of the two wolves. Easing his breathing he waited for Sion, releasing his arrow only a moment after the sprite. The arrow streaked towards his target hitting it broadside. It collapsed to the ground. Hearing a faint boom he looked for the larger wolf, but saw only a red mist hanging in the air. Turning quickly back, he saw the uninjured wolf darting towards him. Richter dropped his bow, and drew hi
s dagger just as it jumped towards him. Shoving his left bracer crossways into its mouth, he stabbed his blade towards the wolf’s stomach. It sank its teeth into the bracer, closing its jaws with bruising force, but was unable to penetrate the armor.
Richter’s dagger sunk into the wolf’s underside. He withdrew his blade and stabbed once, twice, three more times before it stopped trying to bite into him and fell to the side. As he pried the dead wolf off of his arm, he saw Sion approach the first wolf he had shot which was struggling to get to its feet, bloody froth on its muzzle. The arrow must have punctured its lung. Sion came up behind it and, quick as thought, slid his sword into its side. The wolf gave a soft exhale and lay still.
Cleaning his sword on the wolf’s pelt, Sion motioned for Richter to follow him into the cave. The sprite kept his blade held out in front of him. Richter walked behind the small man his dagger at the ready. Just inside the mouth of the cave they found the larger wolf. They stepped over the carcass, a crater like hole in its side. This was clearly the result of Sion’s first arrow. That blue aura was most likely the sprite’s Imbue Arrow skill, Richter thought. Allowing a moment for their eyes to adjust, they saw the cave was shallow, and held nothing else besides the discarded bones of the wolves’ kills. Richter was turning to leave, but saw Sion walking up to a patch of black moss growing along the cave ceiling. Sion slowly ran his hand along the dark tendrils until it fell off in his hands.
“How did you do that,” Richter asked curiously. “I destroyed the plants that I tried to pick.”
“It is my Herb Lore skill. I doubt someone as large and clumsy as you could master it.”
“Try me,” Richter said with barely constrained irritation, “or are you still not going to give me your full support?”
“Fine,” the sprite said sharply. Moving to another patch of moss, he started again, speaking softer now, “You cannot simply take from nature, and expect a positive result. You must connect with the life and energy in the plant. With practice this become easier.” He was moving his hand along this second patch of moss while talking. “Once your energies are in sync, it is not you taking the herb from its place, but instead you moving a new part of yourself.” The moss fell away in his hand.
