by Kong, Aleron
“No, my Lord.”
Richter glared at the orb again, waiting for it to say more. He stared at it until he realized the futility of having a staring contest with an eyeless orb. Meanwhile Sion had fallen to the floor rolling on his back laughing. Transferring his stare to the sprite, it seemed to have about as much effect as it had on the orb.
“Then how do I get in!” His voice was nearly a shout.
“Oh, simply hold your Mark in front of the clear circle on the door, my Lord.”
“Why didn’t you tell me at first?”
“I was going to cover it during the tour, my Lord.”
One eye starting to twitch, Richter said, “If I ever find out that you’re messing with me, I will find a way to turn you pink!”
“Of course, my Lord,” the remnant replied in his almost deadpan voice.
Walking up to the door, Richter raised his left arm and held his Mark up to the glass circle. A soft voice spoke inside of his mind, “Do you wish the door to open Master?”
“Yes.”
“As you wish.”
A sound came from behind the door like the withdrawing of bolts. It then swung open, and Richter was greeted by the sight of an octagonal room with shelves lining the walls. Empty shelves. Sighing heavily, he swallowed the greedy lump in his throat, and moved into the room. As he stepped in, he realized that shelves were not completely empty. Three small items were on shelves against the right side of the room, near the door. He hadn’t been able to see them until he was inside the room. Moving to the first item he opened it, and a mix of copper, silver and gold coins were greeted his gaze. Even though the chest was only the size of a loaf of bread, hundreds of coins inside. There had to be dozens of gold coins present which were worth a hundred dollars each by themselves! Doing a little internal jig, he moved to the second chest. It held a scattering of gems which might be worth more than even the coins. Yup! His mouth was definitely watering now. Almost unable to tear his eyes from the second chest he moved on. The third item was a book. Picking it up, he attempted to read it, but the words swam in his vision. Examining the prompt associated with it,
You have found: Magic book
Groaning in frustration, Richter said, “Futen, identify this.”
The orb flared, and Richter looked again.
You have found: Book of Charm. You can convince an enemy that they are your friend. In battle they will fight for you. Casting this upon a creature lowers they regard for you after the spell wears off. Requirements: Intelligence 16, Charisma 18
Definitely a useful spell! Plenty of melee battles in games that Richter had played had been won by taking control of enemy units and making them fight each other. Turn your enemy’s strengths against them! He was pretty sure he had heard that in a Tarantino movie. It was a shame that he hadn’t met the requirement level yet. It was certainly a priority though! It also showed that Charisma was more versatile than he initially thought.
Despite the somewhat threadbare status of the treasury, this was certainly a start! Putting the book in his pack, he then picked up both chests carrying them under his arms. Leaving the treasury, he walked back to the center of the chamber. As he walked away from the octagonal room, he heard the door closing again and the locks snapping back into place. Laying both chests down in the central chamber, Richter asked Futen, “What else should I know?”
“The armory is this way, my Lord.”
Following the orb, Richter and Sion made their way into another hallway. Again he was greeted by a door, though this door was only wood banded with iron. It also possessed a clear circle at head height. Raising his wrist he thought, Open. No voice chimed inside of his head this time, his intent was apparently clear. Moving into the room, lines of swords, axes and bows sat under massive amounts of cobwebs. Definitely the armory that time had forgotten. He closed the door and walked back.
“I am sure there are many things to explore, but is there anything crucial that I need to know?”
“I have followed your instructions my Lord, and have had the workers gathering raw materials and working on basic physical defenses. I would advise caution however, that you have not instituted any of the magical defenses.”
Richter looked blankly at the orb wanting clarification, until realizing that yet again, an eyeless orb might not be so good at picking up facial expressions.
“What defenses,” he asked.
“You have access to the village interface, my Lord. You simply need to focus upon the options which are available.”
Richter selected the icon for his village. A sprawling list of pull down menus filled Richter’s vision. Realizing how long this might take, he closed the menu in a fit of annoyance. “Can I get a chair?”
A short time later, both he and Sion were settled into the barracks. Really just a line of stone bed in a long room. There were no creature comforts, but it would serve. The ponies were tacked outside where they could graze. Sion settled down for the night, while Richter laid back and browsed through the interface. He first looked into defenses. It simply showed the status of current defenses. Next he checked Enchantments. This showed a host of options. Most were greyed out, but two at the top were available: Concealing Mist and Confusing Mist.
Concealing Mist: Cost 400 mana. Upkeep 200 mana per day. Generates a thick mist field at the borders of the village which extends to the boundaries of your domain. You may grant immunity to this effect to those of your choosing. Attacking or taking hostile action against a creature will negate the effects for a short period.
Confusing Mist: Cost 800 mana. Upkeep 400 mana per day. Generates a thick mist field at the borders of the village which extends to the boundaries of your domain. Causes disorientation that will lead affected creatures in random directions. You may grant immunity to this effect to beings of your choosing. Attacking or taking hostile action against a creature will negate the effects for a short period.
The enchantments were passive, but he could easily see the power of them.
“What does it mean by the boundaries of the domain, Futen,” Richter asked.
“You are Master of more than just the village my Lord. Your power also extends ten miles in all directions. The boundaries will extend as you increase the village level.”
“You have mentioned increasing the village level several times. Just how do we it?”
“There are multiple requirements my Lord. You can see them on your interface.”
Letting his eyes unfocus again he began searching. Ultimately, he found the tab, Settlement Level.
Level 1: Total Mana: 1000. Mana regenerates at (Total mana/24) per hour. Boundary of surrounding lands 10 miles from Great Seal. Requirements for level up: Increase population to at least 100. Build ten free standing buildings. Master three levels of the catacombs. Finish four quests of the Mist Village.
“Where do I get quests from?”
“I am tied to this Place of Power, my Lord,” Futen said. “As such I can read the needs of this land. There is one quest that is available now. As time goes on I will tell you of other needs of the village. You may also find information on quests in your Master’s interface.”
You have been offered a Quest: Unlock your Power I. Your village will increase your power, but you must care for it in turn. Currently there is a local dungeon that needs to be cleared out. Reward: Unlock one of the Powers. Yes or No?
As if there was a question! If Richter was right, this quest would increase his magic immensely! Choosing yes, he looked at Futen. “Any idea how I can find it?”
“I can move freely within the boundaries of the village. I will guide you.”
“How about it,” he asked Sion. “Ready to kick some monster butt?”
“That’s what I do,” his friend answered with a grin.
“In the morning then,” Richter responded with a grin of his own.
CHAPTER 14
Awakening early, Richter told Futen not to summon the workers today. This was somewhat of a sacrific
e though a short lived one. Futen had continued his report until Richter had fallen asleep. One of the items was that an iron mine had been found. Richter agreed with Futen’s assessment that defenses should be put in place to protect the village, however. Summoning the workers could wait until an enchantment was cast. They walked outside and stood near the earthwork wall. Richter opened his interface. Prior to casting the spell however, a thought occurred to him.
“The purpose of the Concealing Mist and Confusing Mist spells are to hide the village. If there is a well-defined border of magical mist though, won’t people be able to figure out the location of the village by just mapping the boundaries?”
“The mist slowly builds along the boundaries of our territory, my Lord. Have you ever been able to mark exactly when and where mist starts? I assure you the enchantment is quite effective, but it is not fool proof. Also to map the boundaries of the mist would mean walking for about one hundred miles. The enchantment is not fool proof. It is a possibility that a master mage, or someone with a strong item, could dispel the enchantment, at least temporarily. Or a being with high magical resistance might be able to ignore its effects. So while I advise that you not put all of your faith in the enchantment, my Lord, I assure you that it is very useful,” Futen replied.
Nodding assent, Richter activated his the interface bringing up the enchantments available. He had thought about it last night, and decided the longer his village remained secret the better. Even though using 400 mana was a steep upkeep it was worth it. It was also worth noting that that the village mana regenerated. At a rate of the total mana divided by the hours in the day (1000/24) the 400 would be replenished after ten hours. Also, he didn’t really have another use for the mana right now. He selected Confusing Mist and activated it.
Richter felt a pressure build within his body, feeling like he was being filled with cool wet wind. It reminded him of standing on the boardwalk watching a storm roll in from the ocean. The feeling built until it seemed to press against the thin boundaries of his skin. All of a sudden a roiling sea of grey mist exploded from his body in all directions. It flowed and flowed, building in speed, obscuring all sight. As suddenly as it started, the flow from his body stopped. The mist continued to rollback until it reached the edges of the village. There it hung like a grey curtain, making any visualization beyond five to ten feet from the edge near impossible.
What happened to my immunity to the mist, Richter thought. What good is this spell if I blind myself too? Just as he was thinking that the spell might be more trouble than it was worth, his vision suddenly sharpened and he could see just as well as before the spell was cast. Strangely he could also see the mist, though it in no way inhibited his vision. Now satisfied with the results of the spell, he nodded happily to himself and told Futen to the lead the way to the dungeon.
As the three of them moved west out of the village they crossed into the mist, pulling the ponies behind them, though they emptied the saddlebags first. After ten feet they were completely surrounded by a walls of grey. The mist posed no problem for Richter, or Futen apparently. It was only a few minutes more, however, when he heard Sion call out to him. “Richter, where are you?”
Looking back Richter saw him clearly only six or seven feet away. Taking a step closer, he saw Sion’s eyes orient on him sharply. “It is like you just appeared out of thin air,” the sprite said.
“That is so strange, I could see you clearly. Let’s test this for a moment. Try to follow me.”
Stepping away, he moved forward, but in less than a minute Sion called out for him to stop again. Looking back, the sprite once again seemed to be scanning his surroundings. Richter walked towards him and became visible once he was within a few feet. “What happened?”
“I was following you. First you became indistinct and then I could not see you at all. I would have sworn that to find you I would have gone well to the right of the direction that you just came back from. Did you move to the side after I lost you?”
“No,” Richter replied. “I came straight back. This new enchantment is more powerful than I thought! Wait a moment.” Opening the village interface, he worked through the options until reaching Confusing Mist. Focusing upon the tab he found the section for Immunity. Thinking of Sion, his name appeared under the drop down list. Glancing at his Companion, Richter saw the sprite’s eyes widen.
“With this magic, none will be able to stand against us. We will see them from a distance while they will constantly be confused and separated,” Sion exclaimed. Richter nodded happily.
They both followed Futen deeper into the forest.
They walked along the base of the mountain that the village was nestled against for half a day. Their pace was slow in light of the thick undergrowth of the untouched forest. The rocky prominence lowered in elevation until it turned into a series of wooded hills. They noticed a fair amount of wild life as they made their way forward, but despite the mist concealing them from sight, many bounded away as soon as they came in sight.
“Futen, why does it seem like the animals can see us,” Richter asked.
“Spells like Confusing Mist target a specific level of consciousness. Much like your Charm spell, the Concealing Mist will work on humaniods, but not lesser thought forms such as in animals or vastly different thought patterns as with certain monsters. Higher beings would also probably be immune.”
Definitely good to know, Richter thought. He wasn’t as safe as he had thought he was. “How much further?”
They were just cresting a small hill. At the trough between the hill they were on and the next, were two large slabs of stone leaning against one another. The dark entrance of a cave could be seen between them leading into the interior of the hill. Of greater importance were the two skeletons aiming arrows in his direction though.
Immediately dropping to the ground, both arrows flew well over his head and neither seemed particularly well aimed. Raising his head he saw each skeleton had knocked another arrow and was scanning the hill he and Sion were lying upon. Thankfully, the mist seemed to be concealing their position. It was only his talking that had given away their general position. They backed down from the top of the hill until the cave entrance was once again hidden from sight. They pulled the ponies back further tying the lead ropes to a tree a hundred yards further into the forest.
“Futen,” Richter said in a furious whisper.
“Yes, my Lord,” the orb said in its normal voice.
“Softer,” he hissed. “Speak softer when we are around enemies!”
“Yes, my Lord,” it responded in a more subdued tone.
“In the future,” Richter said in clipped tones, “let us know well in advance that enemies are close by. Specifically before we are shot by them!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Wait here a moment Sion. Futen turn invisible and come with me.” Richter walked back to the hill, and then circled to the left of his previous approach, making his way back to the top as silently as he could. Neither skeleton had moved far from its position in front of the cave. Looking down at the one on the right, he used his Analyze skill.
Skeleton: Lvl 6. Health 160. Mana 0. Stamina 120.
Moving his gaze to the one on left,
Skeleton: Lvl 5. Health 140. Mana 0. Stamina 110.
A bit disappointed about the lack of information, he shrugged. Analyze was only level one, and he assumed that as it leveled up, he would gain more information.
He backed the hill to Sion. “There are only two,” he whispered. The mist will hide us unless we get too close. Let’s make our way up, and use Imbued arrows to destroy them. You take the one on the left, I’ll take the one on the right.”
They crawled up to the top of the hill, and knocked arrows. Building power around his arrow it began to glow golden while Sion’s glowed blue. As the glow intensified however, the skeletons oriented on them and began to prepare arrows of them own. Knowing they were out of time he released his arrow, Sion’s streaking away r
ight after. Richter’s arrow struck the skeleton’s shoulder. It spun away to collapse against the hill.
Sion’s arrow struck his skeleton center mass causing it to be knocked down. The skeleton Richter had struck was back on its feet in an instant, minus its right arm. The first shot had knocked the entire appendage free. It had drawn a sword from a scabbard at its waist, and was running towards him. He took quick aim and shot again. In his hurry, he lacked the focus to properly imbue the arrow. The normal arrow only caused the skeleton to miss a step before it started charging up the hill again. A second imbued arrow from Sion struck it in the hip causing it to flop back onto its chest. It struggled to rise, its remaining arm bracing against the hill.
An arrow struck Richter in his chest. The simple arrowhead was not powerful enough to penetrate his Chest Plate of the Wood Sprite, thankfully, but it did knock him off balance and removed fourteen health. As he recovered he looked at the skeleton shooting at him, and saw it in already had drawn another arrow and was attempting to line up another shot. He dove to the side, an arrow whistling by only a foot to the right. He was immensely glad that his increased Agility granted him better dodge! Having no time to orient himself for a counter attack, Richter picked his head up to look at the skeleton and hopefully dodge the next attack. What he saw was the wonderful sight of Sion’s imbued arrow striking a critical blow to the skeleton’s head. The skull was not only removed, but it shattered the facial bones as well. The bones of the body collapsed into a pile.
The second skeleton was back on its feet, and was unsteadily moving towards them with its sword in hand. Drawing his short sword, Richter feinted causing it to slash at him, but he had already bent down to strike it in the knee. The skeleton’s blow missed entirely, but Richter’s did not. It’s already weakened magical bonds could not withstand Richter’s strike and its lower leg flew off causing it to fall on its face again. One more strike to the back of its neck caused its head to fly off and ended the fight.
