Lion's Quest: Trinity: A LitRPG Saga

by Michael-Scott Earle

  “Will I get some time to learn and practice the game? I have never heard of it before,” I asked. The game she described sounded really damn cool, and I wondered if the Arnacript team had come up with it, or if the AI had made it.

  “Yes! I will ensure that you get plenty of time to practice. We will need to be careful, though, or our enemies will see your strategies.”

  “Understood. What of the other two contests? You said there were five in total?” I asked.

  “Yes, the fourth is a summary of my poise and grace during this process. The council will vote on that. The last one is a bit tricky. The other potential queens will be asked to vote on who they want to be queen. They cannot choose themselves. So I must defeat the other girls, but still have their blessings to take the throne.”

  “I understand, but let me summarize. You are getting a point or more for each of these. You get one from each of the challenges I do, one from the council, and then one from the other girls?” I asked.

  “That is almost correct. There is a bit of a change of weight depending on where you place in the challenges, or how many votes you get. I’ll give you more details on that later.” The young woman pointed behind me, and I turned to see a group of servants enter with trays of food. “Let us eat now, then you can see to your strange friend. I can explain the rest to you over dinner tonight.” Chrysa wrapped her other arm around my bicep.

  “That sounds good,” I said as I escorted the beautiful woman toward one of the dining tables that the servants set up.

  Chapter 9

  Later that day, Chrysa was able to get a squad of palace guards to escort Bolverk and me to the Sanduport’s most experienced Mind healer. She’d even procured a letter from Sharles with hopes it would let me get service without making an appointment.

  The group of guards and the letter got us through the front door of the healer, and we were soon sitting in a lounge room.

  “Leo Lennox. My muscles beg to rip out of this shirt,” the gnome said as he fingered the green tunic Allurie found for him. She’d also given the gnome a bath, and his hair was no longer a tangled weave of dreadlocks. Allurie had tied it in a ponytail that fell down his back. It actually looked healthy, and I was a bit surprised Allurie was able to sort the mess. Jax once tried dreadlocks and he had to shave off all his hair because he couldn’t get it untangled.

  “Just wait a bit. I think this person will be able to help you,” I said to him.

  “Like your pet elf helped me? She will be the first I feed to my orc-women harem,” the man growled.

  “Ha.” I laughed at the man. “Allurie said you liked the bath. She told me you tried to punch the bubbles.”

  “They outnumbered me at first, but I vanquished them all with the unbridled strength of my fists. None shall stand before our ascension to the Throne of War.”

  “Greetings!” Called a voice from a doorway to the lounge. I looked over at a good looking young man with tan skin and dark brown hair. He wore an easy smile on his face and was dressed in a long cream-colored robe. “How might I help you two this fine afternoon?”

  “We spoke to the women at the front and gave them a letter from Sharles Kailifar. I encountered this man during my travels,” I said as I gestured to Bolverk. “He was a prisoner of pirates, and he may have some injury his--”

  “I am invincible, Leo Lennox. None can damage me. I am the God of Battle. His Avatar of War. When I ascend the Throne of Skulls, I will look over my domain and vanquish the unjust with a wave of my war hammer and a smash from my three-headed axe of malice,” Bolverk growled as he pointed his finger at me.

  “I see,” said the tan young man.

  “Are you the healer?” I asked him. I didn’t want to imply he wasn’t skilled, but he looked young.

  “Yes, I am Taran. I’ve read the letter from our city’s beloved Royal Herald.” The young man turned to Bolverk and nodded his head. “You have magnificent hair. I see tattoos on your skull. Might I ask what they symbolize?”

  “They are the markings of the gods. Put there to ensure I am their avatar on this world,” the gnome answered plainly.

  “May I study them closer? Would you mind if I shaved your head so I can see them? You have long hair that might hamper you during your great battles.”

  “Yes! You make a valid claim, healer. I will be able to kill easier without this mane. I shall let you shave my skull. Then you will behold the glory of my power.”

  “Smart,” I whispered under my breath, and Taran gave me a quick wink.

  “If you both will come this way, I have a comfortable chair you may sit on.”

  Taran led us out of the lobby and into a back hallway of polished stone. We passed a set of closed doors, and he directed us to a room with a few comfortable leather chairs and what looked like a chiropractor’s bed. A tall wooden cabinet sat against one of the walls, and the healer pulled out some soap, a pair of shears, and a straight razor.

  The crazy gnome seemed happy enough to climb onto one of the chairs, and Taran immediately set to work cutting the man’s massive mane.

  “You seem skilled with those scissors,” I said after he made a few cuts.

  “You might be surprised to know how much of my job entails grooming people,” the man laughed.

  “Do you sell healing or protection books? Or do training?” I asked.

  “I do both actually. You seem more like a warrior than a healer.”

  “I know Breath of Life and Guardian of Fortune. I’d like to learn a few others.”

  “I have some for you to look at. They are expensive, but you come from Sharles Kailifar, so I will guess that you have the coin.”

  “I have some, and might have more in the next few weeks. I’ve diverted our conversation, though,” I said as the man reached for his razor. “I see the tattoos on his skull.”

  “Yes. There is a strip in the center that is bare, but there are markings on each side,” the handsome healer said.

  “Can you leave the center? Maybe trim it down a bit.” I thought about the British punk rockers and their mohawks. Bolverk would look totally awesome with one. Then I realized I was giving one of my NPC party members a makeover, and I almost laughed out loud. This game was great.

  “Sure. I’ll just shave the sides. Yes. See?” the young man finished shaving the gnomes head, and I saw dark blue tattoos woven across his scalp.

  “Over both hemispheres. Interesting,” Taran commented. “They are magical runes. I’ve not seen this before. Give me a moment.” Taran set the palms of his hands on Bolverk’s head and closed his eyes. The gnome didn’t seem to mind the man’s touch on his head, but he did sniff his nose.

  I waited for what felt like ten minutes. There was no sign that the healer was using any ability. There was no glow or hum of magic, but he didn’t open his eyes during the time he had his hands on the tattoos.

  “Ahhh,” the handsome man finally said as he let his hands fall from the gnome’s scalp.

  “Did you figure it out?” I asked.

  “Yes and no,” the healer said. “Would you two like some tea?”

  “Sure. I have a feeling this is going to take a while.” I laughed, but the healer just gave me a ghost of a smile.

  The expression made me a little worried.

  “I would like the blood of my enemies in my tea. Then I would like the tea to be served to me in the skull of a dragon. If you fail to fulfill my requests, I will destroy you.” Bolverk pointed at the healer.

  “No, but I have some honey, and I’ll serve it in a nice pewter mug with dragons on the side of the handle. It is my favorite set,” Taran said with a short laugh. I was surprised he could ignore the gnome’s threat so easily.

  “That will do, healer, but I am watching you with my eyes. When I ascend to the throne, I will not be giving you a harem filled with half-orc warrior women.”

  “I think I’ll be just fine with the tea.” The healer laughed again. “Come with me.”

  We walked out of the
operation room and back to the lounge area. Taran gestured for us to sit on a couch there and then he walked behind one of his medicine counters. A few minutes later he brought us a tray of cups and poured us a cup of fragrant tea.

  “From what I can tell, it is a Mindlock. His brain might be damaged, but I can’t tell for sure because my magic is sealed from accessing it.”

  “I’m not sure I understand,” I said.

  “I will try to clarify,” the healer said. “When most healers look at, let’s say an arm, they can see if the limb is functioning properly. They can observe how it moves to see if it has proper muscle structure. They can easily see if the limb is broken.”

  “I’m with you so far,” I said as I sipped my tea.

  “I can do the same with someone’s mind. Most people have internal injuries caused by head trauma, poor diet, or aging.”

  “Like memory issues?” I thought about my parents.

  “Of course! I can see them easily, and then I can heal them with various skills I have. Just as you use Breath of Life, I have specific abilities I have mastered. First, I must identify the problem, though. This is the issue with your muscular friend here.” Taran gestured at the gnome. “I can’t see into his mind because someone has put a magical barrier there. Since I can’t see an injury, I don’t know what to heal.”

  “Can you try a bunch of different abilities to see what works?” I asked with a shrug.

  “Ha! Spoken like an adventurer. Unfortunately, I cannot use my abilities that way. I will need someone else to remove these runes if you want me to look into your friend’s mind.”

  “Is there anyone who knows that magic in Sanduport?” I asked.

  “I do know of one, shall I write you a referral letter?” Taran set down his tea.

  “Yeah. That would be great.”

  New Quest: Discover why Bolverk is Mindlocked.

  “Something to consider is that he might not be injured,” Taran said as he stood from the couch.

  “What do you mean? He says things that show he is not rational, and he could be, in fact he has been, a danger to himself and others,” I said.

  “He didn’t attack me,” the healer shrugged. “As I said, I am not an expert on rune magic, but I do feel traces of a calming enchantment.” Taran looked to the gnome and made a sly smile “Good sir, would you attack me?”

  “You? I only crush warriors or villains. Not healers. It is not befitting of the God of Battle,” Bolverk growled as he clenched his fist.

  “You attacked me on the ship,” I said to the small man.

  “The gods demanded that we battle for dominance. You won, now I serve and you will lead me to the Throne of Ascension. The gods have told me this.” The gnome’s facial expression made me think I was an idiot for pointing out that he attacked me.

  “Here is my guess: His mind is damaged, and they couldn’t heal it, so they did the best that they could and put the runes over it so no one else would accidentally try again. It was probably a community that lacked a Mind Healer but had rune magic. Might be a deep gnome or dwarf society. I don’t think your friend will become aggressive unless he is provoked. He does seem fierce, but unless someone attacks him, he won’t do anything but growl at them.” Taran shrugged.

  “But I need a second opinion?” I asked him.

  “Yes. Go see this Rune Mage. He is old, dwarven, and grouchy, but he might be able to tell you more. Here is the note.” The healer passed me a folded envelope after he applied his wax seal.

  “Great. Thank you for your help. How much do I?--”

  “No charge. It was a favor for Sharles. He sends plenty of business from the castle my way. Would you like to see some of my ability books?” The young man gestured to the counter at the far end of the room. There were dozens of books neatly stacked there.

  “Yes, if you don’t mind,” I said as my mouth began to water.

  “What is your budget?” He asked.

  “Uhhh.” Allurie told me that she’d pulled three hundred gold pieces from the assassins. There were also a few small gems Cornalic thought we could sell for a few hundred. I might also get payment from Chrysa at the end of this job, but at the moment, I was broke and window shopping. “I’m looking for something better than Breath of Life in healing and Guardian of Fortune in protection. Just a little better, maybe under six thousand for each one, if you have something.

  “I’ve got two that might work for you.” Taran pulled a book down and set it in front of me. “This is a basic healing spell that will work faster than Breath of Life, and this,” he said as he reached for another book, “will make your targets immune to damage from non magical weapons.”

  “Ohh,” I said as I held up the first book. As I pivoted it in my hand, my UI popped up. The orange text read off the description of the ability. It hadn’t done that when I was in Arnicoal, so I guessed the developers must have made a tweak to my UI. I hadn’t asked for it, but it was a splendid idea since I worried about having enough Light ability to learn my previous skills.

  Minor Heal Light 30, Body 10. Spell. Target is healed for 15% of their total health.

  “Seems really straightforward. I notice it says, Minor Heal. Is that different from Light Heal?” I asked.

  “You saw its name? I didn’t tell you what it was named. How did you read it?” Taran asked with evident confusion.

  “Oh, I, uhhh, just guessed it was a Minor Heal. Is there a difference?”

  “Yes. The Light will heal more. Then it is Major, Greater, Full, and Superior.”

  “Superior? That sounds interesting. Does that heal someone back to full and then some?” I laughed.

  “Yes, it does!” Taran laughed with me. “I’ve only heard of it. Most non-adventuring healers like myself don’t need abilities that powerful. Apparently, Superior Heal will heal someone to full and then give them another half of their life for an hour or so. I once spoke to an adventurer who said he had it cast on him once. He claimed it was the most wonderful sensation he ever experienced.”

  “Wow.” I liked the idea of being able to heal my party past their full health. “Let me look at this next book.” I picked up the other ability tome and turned it in my hands.

  Spirit of Stone Light 65, Mind 30. Enchantment Spell. Intended target is enchanted with Spirit of Stone. While enchantment is active, non-magical attacks against target will do 0 damage. Enchantment lasts caster’s Light attribute divided by 10 in seconds. (5.6 seconds). Once Spirit of Stone has ended, target cannot be enchanted by another Spirit of Stone spell for 180 seconds - caster’s Light attribute. (124 seconds).

  I immediately saw the advantage to the ability. This enchantment would last a lot longer than Guardian of Fortune, and if I got my Light attribute up high enough, I’d be able to ignore the cooldown. Still, there was a lot of overlap between Spirit of Stone and Guardian of Fortune. I wouldn’t mind having this ability, but I really needed an instant heal that wasn’t on a ten-minute cooldown. Breath of Life just wasn’t good enough for serious combat.

  “What is the price for each?” I asked Taran.

  “I will do 5,000 gold for Minor Heal and 6,000 for Spirit of Stone. It is a good deal on the latter one. I’ve somehow got three of them so I’m giving you a discount.”

  “Great. Thanks. I’ll need to go check my finances,” I said as I forced a smile to my lips. Damn, abilities in this game were crazy expensive. I could understand why Zarra wanted to make it that way, though. She wanted Ohlavar Quest to feel as if it was real life and flipping through a book to instantly learn an ability was not how real life was. I imagined a lot of players would take the time to come to a class every day so that they could learn new abilities without spending a ton of coin.

  “I understand. They will be here for you when you are ready. I also have other abilities, if you have more money or a high Light attribute.” Taran waved to the other books behind him. There must have been over 800,000 gold worth of magical tomes on the wall there. The sight made me wonder if ste
aling and selling ability books was a profession. Perhaps Cornalic would know.

  “Thank you again. I’ll take my friend to visit the rune magician. You ready, Bolverk?” I asked the gnome berserker.

  He was still sitting on the couch behind me, and I saw that he figured out how to make his mohawk stand at attention. For a second, I wondered what kind of goop he would have used to mold his hair, but then I saw the small container of honey next to the tea was empty.

  “Great meeting you, Leo. Come back if you need anything,” Taran said with a wave when we exited his healing shop.

  “We will,” I said as I returned his wave.

  Chapter 10

  “The Rune Mage said the markings were ancient. He had no idea what they meant, or who would have the skill to put them there,” I said to Cornalic when we returned to the palace later that day. It was about an hour before dinner time, and we were both changing into new sets of clothes that Sharles Kailifar gifted to us.

  “What are you thinking of doing with the stout man?” the half-orc asked as he tied the laces on the front of his shirt.

  Both of our outfits were a teal color and had white embroidery of waves decorating the shoulders, sleeves, and cuffs. The color was the national hue of Chrysa’s land. Each of the contestants and their entourage were supposed to wear their selected color for the rest of the proceedings. The Herald had already delivered us each a chest full of clothes. The two outfits I was switching between were a bit threadbare, so I was delighted to receive the gift from the big man.

  “We can’t take him to dinner. He’ll have to stay here,” I said as I glanced to the corner of our suite. Bolverk sat on a rug there with his too large axe and sword on the ground. His eyes were closed, but I could see his mouth moving as if he was having a conversation with himself.

  “What of after dinner?” the green-skinned man finished tying the front of his shirt and then lifted one of his five weapon straps.