Nascent (The Stork Tower Book 1)

by Tony Corden

  Leah completely ignored the comment as she thought through her situation. She headed over to the seat and after testing the moss to make sure it didn’t attack her she sat down. She quickly stood as something sharp was hidden under the moss. Using her knife, Leah pried the moss to reveal a silver tiara. Quickly checking nothing else was hidden, she sat down, looking thoughtfully at the tiara. It hardly weighed anything, but it was not fragile. The arms that went around the head were semi-circular with strange runes inscribed on them, and at the front, they curved downward to a point where a small green emerald hung. She assumed the tiara would sit high and the gem hang in the centre of the forehead.

  “Gèng, I bet this goes with those earrings. They both are silver with green gemstones. Please show me the two descriptions.”

  The Tears of Göksel-Orman - Pierce the Darkness (1/2)

  These Mithryl earrings were made by the first King of Göksel-Orman on the death of his beloved. He made them for their daughter that she might always remember her mother. They and the accompanying Tiara “The Sorrow” were passed from mother to daughter until lost when Princess Guzeltuya fled her homeland with Mage Orumeck.

  Pierce the Darkness 1: Every child needs discernment. These earrings contain the wisdom of queens both fair and foul.

  Level: All

  Activation: The wearer must have full MP. When unsure of the next step the bearer can invoke the wisdom of the queens by holding onto the emerald on either earring between thumb and forefinger.

  Cost: All MP. (Such wisdom always has a cost)

  Effect: While holding the earring the wearer can hear the thoughts of those around them.

  Duration: (Player Level) seconds. This effect is doubled when The Sorrow is also worn.

  Note: The current rulers of Göksel-Orman would give, or even do, anything to get these earrings back.

  The Sorrow of Göksel-Orman - Pierce the Darkness (2/2)

  This Mithryl tiara was made by the first King of Göksel-Orman on the death of his beloved. He made it for their daughter that she might always remember her mother. They and the accompanying earrings “The Tears” were passed from mother to daughter until lost when Princess Guzeltuya fled her homeland with Mage Orumeck.

  Pierce the Darkness 2: Every child needs direction. This tiara contains the wisdom of queens both fair and foul.

  Level: All

  Activation: The wearer must have full MP. When unsure of the next step the bearer can invoke the wisdom of the by touching the emerald with the forefinger of either hand.

  Cost: All MP. (Such wisdom always has a cost)

  Effect: Arrows will appear giving possible directions and options.

  Duration: (Player Level) seconds. This effect is doubled when The Tears are also worn.

  Note: The current rulers of Göksel-Orman would give, or even do, anything to get this tiara back.

  “Gèng, I don’t have pierced ears, will that matter.”

  “You will need to pierce them. I suggest a Trapdoor needle.”

  “I’ll wait. Maybe Falsi will help. I can try the tiara at least.”

  She put the earrings away and settled the tiara on her head. She would have seven-seconds to look around and get advice. She reached up and touched the emerald. Suddenly several arrows were overlaid in her vision. One pointed to the pond, one to the wall covered in water, and another was pointing at the rings on her hand. She turned around and saw a final arrow pointing down the way she had come before it winked out of existence. So the wisdom of the queens was to swim or wade across, to climb around, to use the rings or to head back.

  Could she distract the fish, she wondered. Maybe if she dripped a little blood or dropped a piece of bread in the water, she might get across while they were distracted. She knew she would be able to climb around, but Leah wasn’t convinced she would survive a fall into the pond. Going back was no real option. Looking at the rings, she pondered their use. Finally, she aimed the Webspinner ring at the ceiling above her head and held it down. The web attached itself to the ceiling. She grabbed on and tried to climb. It held her weight. She smiled and waited for the ring to recharge. Charging the rings took almost half an hour as first the MP had to renew before she could charge the ring. Finally, she double checked everything then fired the ring at the roof of the small alcove and swung across the pond. A bit smugly she moved up the trail and started climbing again.

  Leah had stopped counting steps around 200 and so was not sure how many it was when a doorway appeared at the top of the steps. She asked Gèng, and he informed her it was 2,869 steps. If this was anything like her apartment building, then she was now more than 140 stories above the cavern, almost half a kilometre. She must be near the top of the mountain. The door wasn’t locked and opened into a room, carved out of the rock, and designed as a living area. There were chairs, sofas, and a few tables in the room as well as three other doorways. One doorway opened into a kitchen area; it had a stone oven carved in the side with a metal door. The oven was cold and empty. A storehouse had shelves on either side covered with barrels, tins and boxes. She opened a few but was never going to try the goods she found inside. They were dry but who would eat centuries old oats.

  The final door gave entry to a study, with books lining the shelves; this was Orumeck’s library. She took a book off the shelf, but it crumbled to dust. She moved to the desk which had several drawers and a single sheet of parchment. Before reading the parchment she tried the drawers, they were mainly empty, though in one she found five copper and seven silver coins, all minted by Orumeck. They had his profile on one side and a spider on the other. She hadn’t studied the coins closely before, but now she noticed that Orumeck had a long face, with hair, pulled back, and showing long tapered ears, and a slender nose.

  “Let’s keep these coins separate. If we auction them off soon, we’ll be way ahead of the competition. You know, it feels spooky, getting all this stuff on my first day. It feels like I’m cheating or something.”

  “Leah, I am aware of all rules of the game. Your experience so soon is unusual; however, if you looked at the forums you would be aware that the developers suggest there are over 8,000 areas not yet discovered and this number climbs every day as they expand the game. Each area potentially intersects with a major storyline in some way. The unusual thing is discovering such an area in the starter area. The developers are already commenting on your find. They say that Orumeck’s Cavern was expected to be found almost five years ago and since it wasn’t they developed alternate pathways into the story. He was a minor character five years ago. Now, he is big news.”

  “So they rewrote the storyline expecting this never to be found?”

  “Correct.”

  Leah turned to the parchment. It was in a language she didn’t know but as she stared at it the script reformed into words she could read.

  Brave Traveller,

  For one day, Someone will find my Hidden quietness.

  Take what you will as I no longer have Need of It.

  Every Thing I Loved I have done away with.

  And I am Greater for Its loss not poorer.

  It persuaded from Temptations Edge.

  But It is completed, my Inquiry.

  Blood once warm, Is cold.

  Both, Her’s and mine.

  But not as one.

  Now alone,

  Am I.

  O.

  Leah read the message a few times and then turned and looked at the wall behind the desk. There was a bookcase. She touched all the books, but they crumbled. She touched all the surfaces, but nothing. She went and examined the letter again.

  “Gèng, overlay these letters in my sight I need to rearrange them. T, S, H, N, I, T, L, G, I, T, E, I, I, H.”

  She muttered to herself, “Something hidden! Now, where is it hidden?”

  It was several minutes before Leah stood and looked around the room. She finally gave up and reached into her bag where she grabbed one of the trap-door covers. She wrapped this around the
last bit of surviving branch and set it on fire. She brought the torch over to the wall behind the desk, and a grid appeared, with numbers, each outlined in a square.

  0 1 2 3 4 5

  0 1 2 3 4 5

  0 1 2 3 4 5

  0 1 2 3 4 5

  0 1 2 3 4 5

  She rushed back to the parchment and read it through quickly once more, then she rushed back and depressed five of the squares. The wall faded, and she saw a chest in the hidden cavity. She pulled it out and laid it on the table. The letters she rearranged had spelt ‘IT IS IN THE LIGHT’. The underlined words could read as Four One Four One Zero. She opened the chest and inside was a scroll, some coins and a pair of black leather gloves with the tips missing from each finger and thumb. Leah glanced at the coins and was excited to see there was one each of platinum, gold, silver and copper, all minted by Orumeck.

  “Gèng, just the messages on the scroll and gloves please.”

  Orumeck's Spell of Hidden Quietness - Novice Level 1

  This is an air spell of silent evocation. The spell allows the caster to move in silence, unseen by those around.

  Do you wish to use this scroll?

  [Yes] [No]

  “Yes.”

  Leah read the scroll which disappeared after a white mist had formed and flowed into her. She checked the spell was in her Spell Book and then looked at the message about the gloves.

  Orumeck’s Hands of the Spider - Level 1 (Max. Level 20)

  These gloves were made by Mage Orumeck. They allow the wearer to climb like a spider. They are used to climb walls or even overhangs and ceilings.

  For information on its use, please visit the Dunyanin Official Manual.

  She slid the gloves on, put the empty chest in her bag and moved toward the final door but stopped and said, “Gèng, what’s the time and how long do I have?”

  “You have been in Dunyanin for almost six hours this time. It is now nearly 6 AM local time and 6 PM in real time. You have three hours before you need at least another break. There are also two more scrolls for you to examine.”

  Leah decided the scrolls could wait and stepped into the tunnel.

  As soon as she stepped out of the room a message appeared:

  Level 3 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (2, Ruby)

  Atherleah (Level 7), you have completed a hidden Level 3 Area: Orumeck's Cavern

  You are the first player to access this area. This is your second, 'First 1 (Ruby)' achievement.

  Reward 1: 1000 x 7 = 7175 (+2.5%) Experience Points (7000/7000)(2690/8000)

  Reward 2: + 2% to all future Experience

  Reward 3: 2 x 1 Platinum = 2 Platinum

  Fame: 500 Fame Points (1025)

  A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

  Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. Do you wish to retain your privacy?

  [Yes] [No]

  “Yes.”

  Smiling brightly, with one hand holding the staff and the other holding one of her knives Leah carefully made her way into the tunnel. It slowly transformed into a natural rock formation, whatever changes Orumeck had made became fewer and fewer. The tunnel, or more accurately, the fissure, narrowed until it was touching both her shoulders and although Leah expected the staff to hit the lowering roof it didn’t. She was puzzled until she realised the staff had shrunk to be just the right height for her. Its width had also changed; to suit her hand. Its previous owner must have been at least a foot and a half taller than she and must have had huge hands.

  There was a flash of light, and a distinguished looking elf was standing several meters in front of her, the knife she had thrown, without conscious thought, passed through the body just above his heart.

  “Oh, what wonderful reflexes,” he said, “now if you will pardon this interruption I’m afraid a mistake has been.”

  “A mistake, what mistake? And who are you?”

  “My name is Emil Riverton, and I am one of the developers for Dunyanin. I was the person initially responsible for the coding of Orumeck's Cavern. Since then I have been promoted, but I have been called back to deal with this issue. The problem is this, you have uncovered a glitch: initially, the whole hidden area concludes with the queen being killed, but this was after fighting your way through the entire nest. Five years ago, when this section of Dunyanin came online, we had not developed the ability for the ‘Boss’ of an area to wager on outcomes. This ability is fairly new; only within the last year. This, and several other areas received the patch allowing the wagers, but it did not limit those wagers. Those limits are pre-set in newer areas. So, you have finished the area, but, ah, also you haven’t, not really.”

  “So what happens now?”

  “Well, nothing changes really, we would just like you to keep this quiet. Everything stands, but no mention anywhere of the glitch. Everyone will think you finished the whole Cavern and the Nest and we don’t want you to set them straight. Don’t lie, just never talk about it. We have already fixed the problem and are working on similar situations, so hopefully, it won’t happen here again. What do you say?”

  “How much loot have I missed out on?”

  “Hardly anything, mainly spider parts, money and experience. In fact, you almost certainly would have only got one weapon, if that. To get three named weapons is extraordinary. Now, can we agree that this is all finished.”

  “Sure, I never planned on talking about it anyway.”

  “Good! Good! Well, we thank you, and we’ll send you a small gift of appreciation for your understanding and compliance.” He faded out of sight.

  Leah was thoughtful as she walked. She was certain there had been a big stick, ready to be used, if she had not agreed: she’d had enough of spiders anyway. She picked up her knife and continued along the tunnel.

  Leah could see a brighter light ahead, sunlight dappling through thick foliage. One wall of the fissure continued and the other just ended. A mountain shrub covered the entrance with thick, scraggly branches and slender prickly leaves. Leah had to cut some of the lower branches and crawl through the gap. Outside, she turned and couldn’t even see the tunnel; it looked like any other fold in the rock. She had Gèng mark the place in her map and then took a good look around. She was high up the mountain. Far below, she caught a glimpse of the meadow she’d been aiming for when she found the entrance to Orumeck’s Cavern. She was almost at the area Falsi had suggested she look to find the Iblis’ Clover.

  Leah was on a small shelf jutting out from the side of a high escarpment. Looking up, all she could see was rock face. Below there was a ledge which wound its way slowly along the face and looked like it made its way to the top of the escarpment. The ledge was thirty metres below her. Putting the knife back in her belt, she placed the staff in her bag and targeting a small outcrop about a third of the way down she depressed the switch on her Webspinner ring and held it down. As soon as the web went tight, she anchored her end on the side of the shelf and slithered down. As soon as she reached the outcrop, she said, “Hands of a Spider” and scuttled the rest of the way down. She was soon moving along the ledge, staff and knife, back in hand.

  When she reached the top of the escarpment, she was able to get her bearings. She was about half an hour from the base of the crags that Old Falsi had pointed out from the valley. She moved quickly but hadn’t forgotten the lesson of the Scorpion. The section she was on was mostly rock though there were small patches where soil had built up, and vegetation had taken root. It was in these patches that she searched for the clover: looking to see if she could find the distinctive red leaves with spikes. She was still ten minutes from the area that Falsi mentioned when she noticed a hint of red in a small patch of green growing in a tiny hollow, barely hidden from the wind by a small rockfall. She moved closer and saw a small plant with three little leaves.

  Iblis' Clover

  She looked around and seeing nothing dangerous, she knelt. Opening the pack, she took out a small pot for the plant and
a bottle for the spiders. Using her knife, she gently loosened the soil around the plant and eased it out of the ground. She could see the small nodules and was careful not to go near them; for she saw a couple of spiders.

  Iblis' Death (Level 300/1) 10HP 5EP

  “Gèng, any messages on the Spiders?”

  Iblis' Death (Level 300/1) 10HP 5EP

  These spiders are found only on the nodules of the Iblis’ Clover. They are easy to kill and capture. If however, you are not wary their venom will kill within moments anything under Level 300.

  Note: Their venom is highly prized by healers and assassins.

  Very carefully Leah coaxed the spiders into the bottle. Soon she was on her way, only four more to get, but even one would save Farnel. She found two more before encountering any difficulty. She was just setting off to look for the fourth plant when she heard a small rattle and then a clink as small pebbles dropped from the rock face angled above her. She slowly turned her head and looked up. There was a large cat-like creature crouched watching her. It was slate grey and well over a metre high at the shoulders. From nose to tail it was well over three metres.

  Grey Mountain Wildercat (Level 10) 1200HP 900EP

  She slowly turned to face it straight on. It had mesmerising green eyes, eyes that watched her hungrily. The face was broader than a cat. The muzzle and ears outlined in black, the whiskers, straight. As the mouth slowly opened Leah could see the twin canine teeth, one on either side. She very slowly slid the knife back into her belt and waited. If she backed away, she would be in the perfect place for the Wildercat to pounce. If Leah moved closer, she would be getting her body out of position to respond. She slowly bent her knees and balanced her weight on the tips of her toes while rehearsing the use of the Worker ring and Webspinner Ring in her mind. The Wildercat pounced, but instead of straight at her, as expected, it landed off to her left. The mana-spike missed. Again they faced each other, but this time on level ground. Leah found herself staring into its eyes, its beautiful eyes, it wasn’t right for something so dangerous to have such lovely eyes, and she wondered where she had seen them before. The Wildercat slowly crouched, getting ready to pounce but only staring. Leah’s hold on the staff began to weaken, and her left hand started to drop. Then she remembered, and the memory ended the spell. The eyes were like Jackson’s eyes. Why would a predator have Jackson’s eyes?