An Adventurer's Heart

by Tao Wong

  “Next?” Daniel points with his mace before letting it rest on his shoulder, eyes crinkling in humor as Asin finishes stretching and nods. She absently scratches at a bare spot; fur ripped off from the fight. Catching his gaze, she sends him a mild glare before giving up and sticking out her tongue at him before she scampers ahead. Even the loss of her fur would not make her sad today - they were back, doing what they should be doing.

  It is three days later when the pair finally finds the door to Maxwell’s workshop open. Inside, only a single tired apprentice sits at the counter, barely able to keep his head from drooping. Spotting the pair, he gestures them deeper into the shop to the actual smithy portion without getting up from his seat. It was painful being at the bottom of the ladder the apprentice thought to himself as he forced a smile for the next customer.

  Behind, Daniel is practically bouncing forwards. He stops when he spots Max who is holding a breastplate to his chest, stroking it gently and buffing the silver inlaid runes. Even to their untrained eyes, the pair can see the difference and care in craftsmanship between the work before them and their own gear. After a time in which Max continues to be oblivious to the pair, Daniel clears his throat.

  “Oh, it’s you, boy!” Max says as he looks up, eyes deep set and red rimmed. He sets the breastplate down reverently, waving Daniel to the side. “Right, let’s get you fitted.”

  A few minutes later, Daniel is fully outfitted in his armor and forced to do a series of calisthenics. Max asks questions, checking on fit throughout the process though occasionally Daniel has to clear his throat to bring the armorer’s attention back to him. After having dressed and undressed a number of times, Max is finally happy with the fit. “Good… good. That’s it.”

  Daniel nods slowly, rotating his hips and torso and then gently bouncing up and down. He grins, the armor barely making any noise, so well was it fitted. He nods firmly to Max, offering his hand. “Thank you!”

  “You’re welcome,” Max shakes his hand and then glances to the side where the enchanted bracers lie. “You know, I could buy those off you and resell them for you. I won’t even take a commission.”

  Daniel opens his mouth and then shuts it, staring at his first ever magical item. He reaches out, letting armored fingers glide across them before he slowly nods. That was the life of an Adventurer, wasn’t it? Taking what was useful, discarding what was not. He wanted, no, he needed to progress.

  Max calls out without hesitation to his apprentice, making the youngster take the bracers away for cleaning. Obviously, a little work needed to be done before he would dare show that work in his store!

  Turning to Asin, he grins at her. “I have a little something for you too.” Reaching behind, he pulls out a small, thin metal gorget with a separate plate piece that hangs down the front which he hands to her. It is not wide at all and curves slightly down in the front and back to allow greater movement. As Asin takes it, her eyes widen at how light the piece is. Seeing her reaction, Max smirks. “I had some extra steel.”

  Asin takes the piece, quickly buckling it on and adjusting the leather straps to ensure it sits properly. Max looks it over and nods after a moment, more than pleased with the fit. As Asin fingers the collar, wondering at the cost of getting such a piece enchanted by Tharuk, she can only add, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He smiles again, his hand unconsciously resting on the breastplate next to him. “Now, get out!”

  The pair quickly exits, understanding how mercurial Max could get, especially after spending the last few days with little rest. A shared glance is all the pair need before they begin to trot quickly to the Dungeon. Time to try out their new toys!

  “Let’s go, big boy!” Grinning, Daniel hefts his shield and mace as he runs forward. They had been extremely lucky, having literally stumbled upon the Ogre Champion a bare two hours after making their way down to the seventh level. Chest and Champion in their sight, the pair immediately charge the creature before them.

  Daniel skids to a stop just outside of the Ogre Champion’s range, dodging the blow that swings down in front of him and digs a divot into the ground. Behind, Asin throws a series of knives that multiply, cutting into the Champion and distracting it. Daniel darts in immediately to the left, swinging his mace into the creature’s side and feeling a bone crack as Perin’s Blow catches it. However, even as the monster is lifted off the ground, it backhands Daniel, the club smashing into the Adventurer’s side.

  The club cracks into his body hard, throwing him off his feet and forcing Daniel to work to recover his balance. He grins, elation running through him as he realizes that he is barely hurt - that blow itself should have seriously bruised, if not broken his ribs. More confident than ever now, Daniel darts back in as Asin throws another knife filled with blue energy, the Piercing Shot drilling into the Ogre’s eye.

  As the creature rears back in pain, clutching at its ruined orb, Daniel crashes into the monster with his shield, triggering a Shield Bash into its short ribs. The monster leans over, allowing Daniel to lash out with a pair of Skill enhanced blows even as Asin closes and hamstrings the Champion. Crashing to the ground, crippled and in pain, the monster is quickly dispatched.

  Asin and Daniel stare at the blue lights as they slowly dissipate, shaking their heads in amusement. It seemed strange that such a simple change would make such a difference, but with less concern about getting hurt, Daniel found himself being more aggressive. This took the pressure off Asin who was then able to focus on dealing damage and distracting the Champion. It was a knock-on effect that made it possible for what was a difficult fight before to become so much simpler.

  On retrieving her knives, Asin moves to pick up the mana stones before getting a confirming nod from Daniel. Time to head for the eighth floor then.

  Three hours later, Daniel pants as he stands above the pair of fallen Ogre corpses. The eighth floor had much the same geography as the seventh - wide open lands with glowing blue cavern walls. However, the Ogres came in pairs at least and sometimes as many as four at a time. Fights were more difficult as the Ogres often grouped up, attacking Daniel in a desperate attempt to overwhelm him. Often, Daniel would be forced to stay on the defensive, pulling the monsters with him while Asin finished one, relieving the pressure sufficiently for Daniel to fight back.

  Rotating his shoulder, he forces his breathing to slow down, trying to calm down his heart. This last group had managed to take his feet off him, and he had spent a good few minutes curled up, being beaten on by the enormous monsters. His new armor and careful positioning had allowed him to survive, though he ached all across his body. Rubbing at a bruise on his face, he focuses on casting a Minor Heal, his body stitching itself together, as Asin finishes collecting the stones. Healed, he finally pays attention to his new notification.

  Level Up!

  Adventurer Level 7

  You have gained 5 attribute points

  Finally! He had managed to get past the level he had lost and was finally climbing again. He might not reach Level 10 before the end of the Dungeon, but at the least, he was on the way. There was a lot of work left, and he certainly felt that they needed to spend more time working this level, but soon, soon, they’d be done!

  Name: Daniel Chai

  Class: Level 7 Adventurer (0%)

  Sub-classes: Level 7 (Miner) (14%)

  Human (Male)

  Statistics

  Life: 243

  Stamina: 243

  Mana: 177

  Attributes

  Strength: 23

  Agility: 21

  Constitution: 29

  Intelligence: 18

  Willpower: 18

  Luck: 14

  Skills

  Unarmed Combat: Level 3 (38/100)

  Clubs: Level 9 (74/100)

  Archery: Level 2 (48/100_

  Shield: Level 8 (24/100)

  Dodge: Level 6 (09/100)

  Combat Sense: Level 6 (17/100)

  Perception: Level 6 (27
/100)

  Mining: Level 7 (78/100)

  Healing: Level 8 (98/100)

  Herb Lore: Level 3 (31/100)

  Stealth: Level 2 (14/100)

  Cooking: Level 3 (29/100)

  Singing: Level 2 (14/100)

  Skill Proficiencies

  Double Strike

  Shield Bash

  Perin’s Blow

  Mapping (II)

  Spells

  Minor Healing (I)

  Gifts

  Martyr’s Touch - The caster may heal oneself or others by touch and concentration, sacrificing a portion of his life to do so. Cost varies depending on the extent of the injuries healed.

  Chapter 17

  Learning magic was strange, especially when one’s previous experience with learning magic was through a Skill Up mused Daniel. Seated across Khy’ra’s dining table this evening, the black-haired Adventurer watches as she weaves the spell slowly again, eyes squinted to catch each change in formula and mana flow. As she finishes the spell, she lets the magic disperse and slumps backward, rubbing her temples.

  There were three portions to learning any magical spell. First, came the knowledge of the subject matter - a requirement to understand how the magic interacted with the substance or individual it affected. It was why more Advanced Spells were locked till one gained a greater level of the underlying skill. Second, came the spell formula which was a combination of alchemical formula, a way of thinking and a method of mana weaving all combined. Lastly, came personal flair - the way a student learned to apply the first and second portions of knowledge in their own understanding of mana. Of course, as every teacher had their personal flair, the process of studying a spell required a student not only learn the spell but learn how their master cast it and how to strip out the portions that did not work with their particular understanding and ability with mana.

  A common saying was that magic users spent as many years searching for a teacher as they did learning magic itself and why teachers were particularly picky about students. A bad match between teacher and student could result in months if not years of wasted effort by both parties.

  Unfortunately, Daniel neither had the time nor money to find a suitable instructor. He only had one particularly generous, beautiful elf that was willing to spend date night at home, casting and recasting a spell again and again so that he could attempt to learn it. Focusing, Daniel tried again, slowly pushing the mana out as he recalled the arcane formula.

  “Yes… no, too much, just a little…” Khy’ra whispers encouragement along as they work together.

  An hour later, Daniel is done as his mana is drained. Khy’ra smiles, pushing him back in his seat and plopping onto his lap. “Good! Very good.”

  “Ughh… I barely got past the first sequence,” Daniel mutters as he wraps his arms around her body, squeezing it gently and nuzzling her neck.

  “It was our first lesson,” the Elf points out and then leans down, letting his breath tickle her ear. “You’ll do better the next time. Just keep practicing.”

  Daniel nods, already distracted by the squishy, pleasant presence on his lap. He takes her ear into his mouth, nibbling on the lobe as Khy’ra catches her breath, squirming slightly. There were certain advantages to this kind of lessons for sure.

  “Asin,” Khy’ra calls out in horror, rushing forward to grab the young Catkin’s arms. “What happened?”

  Asin begins to growl and purr, answering Khy’ra in Catkin while Daniel stands stupefied, wondering what the fuss is about. As Khy’ra strokes one of Asin’s arms and the patch of bare fur before pointing to another, realization slowly arrives. The pair continues to converse in Catkin, growling and purring at each other as they start walking off, leaving Daniel to follow after. His attempts at learning Catkin had been abject failures, his ear unable to locate the differences in words well enough for him to even begin learning thus far.

  Resolving to follow along without complaining, Daniel perks up slightly halfway through their walk, the group having left the city a while ago. Khy’ra’s not-so-covert glance and quick grin is enough to let him know that he is the object of conversation, though neither lady seems inclined to enlighten him further. Left alone, Daniel can only brood about what they might be discussing about him for the rest of their walk.

  “Tharuk!” Khy’ra calls out to her friend, waiting for the Dwarf to exit his workshop before waving to him. Hours of walking has the group finally arriving at the lonesome building that makes up the Dwarf’s workshop and home. “I brought visitors.”

  Tharuk laughs out loud and waves to the Elf, nodding in greeting to both Asin and Daniel. Asin bows slightly while Daniel waves, both sniffing the air as they smell lunch on the stove.

  “Aye, lass. I remember. Lunch is nearly ready,” Tharuk replies and waves them in, returning to his kitchen while the group takes seats around his cluttered kitchen cum workshop table. Asin’s nose twitches, mentally cataloging the spices that are being used – Bloor, cinnamon, cardamom, Hunik salt, duck fat.

  Seated together, Daniel whispers to Khy’ra, “What were you talking about?”

  “Girl stuff,” Khy’ra says.

  “You were laughing!”

  “We were,” Khy’ra replies and refuses to say more.

  “Right, lunch! Grab your plates, you lazy lot!” Tharuk cries out from the kitchen, drawing the attention of the group. Lunch is a pleasant, tasty and filling stew that is rapidly consumed with the freshly baked bread Tharuk pulls from the oven. It is only as they near the end does Tharuk bring the conversation back to the reason they came. “So, I hear one of you has a commission for me?”

  Asin nods, holding up the steel gorget for Tharuk. “Shield.”

  Tharuk raises an eyebrow, picking up the gorget and looking it over. He hums and haws as he tests the piece, squinting and brushing fingers across it before slowly nodding. “Good work. Master-level crafting and materials. I can work with this for sure. A Shield Enchantment is costly though, more than most.”

  Asin nods. “Have coin.”

  Tharuk raises a slight eyebrow before he gently places the gorget down and begins to stroke his beard, staring at Asin, “Well, since you’re a friend of Khy’ra, I can do it for fifteen Gold.”

  Daniel coughs, his eyes wide and Khy’ra sighs, grabbing his hand and standing up. “We’ll just leave you two then.”

  Asin just nods, continuing to stare at Tharuk as she hisses, “Four.”

  “Four! I’d have to sell my house at Four! Eleven,” Tharuk says and then in the silence as Asin stares at him, gestures to the side. “Pie?”

  As Daniel is dragged out by Khy’ra, Daniel plaintively cries, “I wanted some pie too.”

  “The Dungeon is closed!” a voice shouts into the Top where Daniel has finally managed to get a room again. Seated in the dining room with Asin and Khy’ra for dinner later that evening, the shout catches everyone’s attention.

  “What?”

  “No…”

  “That’s not possible!”

  “What did he say?”

  “QUIET!” shouts Elise as she strides over to the street youth who has brought the news. She prods him in the chest, getting him to repeat his message. When he is done, he is already running to the next inn after getting a tip from Elise. She turns to everyone who is waiting. “The Dungeon doors are closed. Adventurers can exit, but no one can enter. There is a lot of noise coming from the Dungeon too, grinding and screeching.”

  A hush falls over the inn, many Adventurers looking at one another in search for an answer. Eventually, all eyes fall on Khy’ra, waiting for the wise and long-lived Elf to speak. She smiles at everyone, waving slightly before she speaks, her mild voice carrying. “It’s changing its configuration. It sometimes happens with Dungeons, though it’s rare. It’ll re-open.”

  The Adventurers, guards, and other patrons relax slightly.

  Ken calls back with a question. “How long?”

  “I don’t know. It’s variable. Maybe a day
, maybe a week, maybe a few months.” Khy’ra shrugs before adding, “It depends on how much is changing. The longer it’s closed, the more it will have changed.”

  This statement makes a few Adventurers shift uncomfortably. Many made their daily living working the second sector of the floor, breaking down crawler walls and collecting crawler sacs for a living. It was good money that held little risk for these experienced Adventurers and a change in the Dungeon could mean a loss of their livelihood.

  Daniel and Asin exchange worried glances. Their journeys and the needs of the quest had driven them to rely on their savings more than they had liked. It was only in the last few weeks that they had begun to replace their spent coin. A long break could be difficult for both of them. Without a word, they both stand and head for the door, Daniel snatching a quick kiss with Khy’ra first as she gets crowded by other Adventurers.

  Best see what quests were available before they were all snatched up.

  “Omrak?” Daniel frowns, walking over to the big warrior who is standing disconsolately by the Quest board in the Adventurer’s Guild. A week after the closing of the Dungeon, the board was now bare as Adventurers scrambled to get what little jobs there were to fill their coin purse. Sadly, few Adventurers had much in savings - their lifestyles rarely predicated long-term plans.

  At his name, the young Adventurer turns, flashing a strained smile at Daniel and Asin, “Morning, heroes!”

  “Where’s your party?” Daniel asks as he looks around and Omrak’s face falls again.

  “Gone,” he mutters and then straightens his broad shoulders. “They have left for Peel.”

  “Split?” Asin clarifies and Omrak nods slightly, his face tired.

  At Daniel’s frown, Omrak adds, “My party, they felt I was fighting too recklessly. Using too many health potions.”

  A memory of the laughing warrior, standing and trading blows with Ogres flash through both Adventurer’s minds. “Why don’t you wear armor?”