by Aleron Kong
“Why would I have a problem with your alchemist? I have healed him before,” she responded.
Richter and Sion looked at each other before the chaos seed gazed at the village Healer again, “Because he’s a Death mage.”
Her face stiffened, “A Death mage?” The sprite took a deep breath and released it loudly. “That does not bother me. I love all forms of life… even the lowest forms of it.” She locked eyes on Richter, “I am completely fine and relaxed.”
Raising both eyebrows, Richter nodded slowly, “I can see and feel that.”
“Yeah,” Sion echoed. “You can cut the relaxation with a knife.”
Sumiko said some sharp words to the archer in sprite speak, not appreciating his attempt at humor. Sion suddenly found an urgent reason to be elsewhere. She had spoken so quickly that Richter had to replay the words to understand them, but he pieced together that it had something to do with telling Daniella a story about him and another female sprite named Palya. Before his friend could go too far, Richter asked him to go back to the crystal garden with some of the mist workers and put them to work. The sprite left with fourteen of the grey figures in tow.
Richter had lost count of the workers he had summoned, but there had been almost twenty working on the burial pit. It made him realize that his time might be better spent helping build his village rather than always adventuring around. Using his personal mana pool, he could summon hundreds of mist workers a day. He had been meaning to try his hand at constructing buildings anyway. What kind of man didn’t want to swing a hammer from time to time?
Richter joined the healers in trying to figure out how to match up the remains. After about twenty minutes, Beyan came trotting up. Richter sent Futen along with five more mist workers and told him to relieve Sion.
“You sent for me, Lord Richter?” the gnome asked.
Richter nodded and filled him in. He had remembered Beyan saying the first Death spell he had learned allowed him to commune with the dead. The mage had also said that the spell only worked on the recently departed, but Richter was hoping that Beyan had another trick up his sleeve.
Beyan listened with a serious look on his face, not speaking until Richter had finished. He nodded at the end and stepped back. The gnome’s left hand wove in a complex configuration and he spoke several words of Power. About a third of the remains started to glow with dark purple energy. Some only faintly, but a few adopted an intense aura. The effect faded several seconds later. Beyan turned to Richter and said, “Lady Sumiko is correct. There is a large amount of residual energy and a good deal of it is malevolent.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, “Some of these remains would actually be quite useful to me if you would allow me to take them away.”
“What?” came a screech from behind Richter. Sumiko came up from behind the chaos seed and barreled between them, “These people have suffered enough! They deserve to be put to rest!”
Beyan puffed his chest out and his face adopted an annoyed cast, “They are at rest! Whoever these people were has faded countless years ago. All that is left are bones. We could throw them away or I could put them to good-”
“Just like a Death mage,” she cut in scathingly. “All you see are components to be used when you look at people.”
Beyan’s expression relaxed and he gave the Life mage a smarmy expression, “I understand why me using these bones might make you uncomfortable. You are mostly bones yourself. They must look like family.”
Sumiko pulled herself up to her full three-and-a-half foot height, “If I wanted a lesson about life and death, I would speak to a full-fledged Death master, not a short, little novice like yourself.”
“I am an initiate, woman!” Beyan said indignantly. Looking down at her from his four-foot height, he finished with, “And who are you calling short?”
She slowly looked from his face to his groin then back up. “You,” she replied. Raising one hand, her fingers glowed gold for a second, “And to be clear, I called you short and little. I am a Life master. I can feel an abundance of life. I can also detect a lack of it… in certain places.” Her gaze drifted down for just a moment. Then without another word, she turned and stalked away.
Beyan’s face turned beet red and even the shiny bald pate on top of his head turned an angry scarlet. He took a loud, deep breath in, most likely preparing to flay the flesh from Sumiko’s bones with scathing comments, but Richter decided the exchange had probably gone far enough. He clapped a hand on Beyan’s shoulder and said, “Take a lap man. Don’t fight with old ladies. If you win, you’re a bully. If you lose, you’re a bitch. Just learn not to play.”
“But-”
“I know. That was fucked up, what she said. I’m sure you’re like a mighty oak with a crazy long branch in the middle of you. That’s not the point though, and honestly, even that one compliment just made me crazy uncomfortable. As to your request, I’m siding with her on this. These people deserve to be put to rest. Do whatever you can to help, because soon they are going to be buried. Please.”
Clearly still irritated, Beyan still followed Richter’s command. He walked over to the jumble of bones and started directing the young healers in regards to the best way to separate the remains. Sumiko immediately gave them other directions. Seeing a resurgence of hostilities coming, Richter ordered two of the mist workers to follow Beyan’s instructions and let the sprite govern her own people.
They all worked for the next few hours until most of the skeletons had been reassembled. Some were missing pieces and there were some pieces that did not match any others, but they had done what they could. Besides, there were always extra pieces when you put something together. What was important was that Sumiko could cast a mass spell now that the remains were reassembled. Each skeleton glowed golden for a moment, then the light faded and they looked the same as before. Richter shook his head. As happened so often in life, the conclusion was anticlimactic. He didn’t complain, though. After the spell was done, she supervised them all being placed into the ground and the mist workers filled in the hole. The Life mage looked tired, but satisfied.
A prompt filled Richter’s vision.
You have completed a Quest: Lay to Rest. The remains of the dark aberration’s victims have been purified and can now be safely buried.
Reward: 3,125 experience (base 5,000 x 1.25 x 0.5).
For his part, Beyan had found a loophole in Richter’s order. The chaos seed has said lay the “people” to rest. The gnome had kept a few animal and monster remains off to the side. Even Sumiko couldn’t mount a good argument against that, though she still protested. Richter was concerned about any ‘bad vibes’, as he called it, coming off of the bones, but Beyan assured him there was no danger. He just wanted the bones for research. The fact that there was a slightly manic look in his eye as he said it was something Richter decided to let go of.
Everyone was somewhat tired when they were done, but both Sumiko and Beyan assured him that the remains were safe now. The sprite healer took one last parting shot at the Death mage, “Have fun with your bones, Beyan. It should be a nice change for you to be able to hold something hard.” Before the gnome could respond, she beckoned with two fingers and all of her healers fell in step behind her like Turtle and Drama.
Beyan looked at Richter in offended disbelief, but the chaos seed just shook his head. “Don’t try to shout after someone with an entourage. It just makes you look desperate. Let’s go grab some dinner.”
Sion decided to stay at the Cauldron to prepare the blood crystal. Richter nodded in extreme appreciation, then he banished Tabia and Beyan from the Core building until morning. There was the predictable amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth from the elvish woman, but Richter stayed firm. He couldn’t let anyone else find out about the red crystal’s unique properties. He told his friend that he would send a mist worker up with some food and he also left three of the grey figures at his friend’s disposal.
Richter walked off with Alma circling above and a bare
ly-seen giant snake sliding through the calf-high grass beside them.
CHAPTER 11 -- Day 111 -- Kuborn 1, 15368 EBG
Richter ate a bit with his people, but his Belt of Sustenance greatly reduced the amount of food and rest he needed. After only a few bites, he was full. He was going to leave, but then he learned the truth that actions can often have unforeseen consequences.
“No! I will speak to him, and I will do it now!”
Richter looked to the side, just in time for him to see Jean grab a woman right before she slapped him. Her face was tear-streaked and her eyes were red. The guard looked back and forth between the woman and his lord, his face a picture of embarrassment and chagrin, “I am sorry, my lord!”
The chaos seed analyzed the distraught woman and found out that her name was Loisa. He was confused for a moment, until her remembered Jean mentioning that that was his wife’s name. Everything became clear.
“Do not apologize for me,” Loisa said to her husband. Her tone was a mix of anger and sorrow. “You were almost killed! And for what? Because your lord needed to kill a giant?” She turned her gaze back to Richter, “Was it worth it? Would it have been worth it if my husband had died?”
Richter just looked at her, at a loss for words. All other conversation had stopped in the feast area. Before he could reply, Jean spoke again, “My lord, I am sorry about this. I will accept any punishment you deem necessary, but please do not hold my wife’s words against her. She is motivated by her love for me. I-”
The chaos seed held up a hand, cutting his guardsman off. He stood slowly and faced the couple. The eyes of every villager were trained on the three of them. He chose his next words carefully, “Your husband’s life is precious to me, Loisa. Your life is precious to me. The lives of all you,” Richter said, addressing the crowd, “are precious to me.”
He looked back at Loisa, “I will not be callous with your husband’s safety, but he has chosen to stand for something. He decided to fight to protect you and the way of life we are creating here. I repeat, his life is precious to me and I will do what I can to safeguard it, but make no mistake. We are in danger. All of us are in danger. Our enemies are out there and we have to get stronger for the sake of the village. For the sake of all of us.”
“I don’t want to hear about ‘all of us,’” Louisa spat. She looked at Jean and her face crumpled, “I only want to keep your name off of that memorial wall.” Then she hurried away, weeping. Jean looked at his liege and started to speak again, but Richter stopped him.
“Go take care of her. Don’t worry about this,” he said. Jean nodded gratefully and ran off after his wife.
Richter stood there, uncertain how to feel. Conversation resumed among the tables of villagers. As he looked around, he felt better when many of his villagers lifted a mug in his direction and when his guards placed their fists over their hearts and nodded respectfully. What Loisa had said was valid. It just didn’t reflect the whole story. It was reassuring to know that his people still respected and supported him as a whole.
He saw Terrod walking into the feast area and waved him over. Isabel was with him.
“Good evening, my lord,” the captain said.
“Good eve, Lord Richter,” the herbalist echoed as she gave him a warm hug.
“I’m guessing you heard that?” Richter asked. They both nodded. “Do you think she was right?”
Terrod looked him squarely in the eye, and then said slowly, “We could have approached the fight with the giant in a better way, my lord.” Isabella just stood silently, but then she reached out a hand and squeezed Richter’s arm reassuringly. He nodded to her in thanks.
Richter reflected on everything that had just happened for a few more moments, before changing the subject. Both Terrod and Isabel were equally eager to move past the tense moment, “The garden seems to be coming along well,” he complemented the elfin woman.
“It is,” she replied excitedly, stepping back. “The nalan weeds are budding faster than we could have expected. The forest sage is almost growing faster than we can pick it, and the coral megeny, I am happy to say, is finally sprouting! We were also able to place some seeds for a corinth shrub in the cellar under the Dragon’s Cauldron, and I have seen the first tendril of growth! Do you know what that means, milord?”
Richter laughed out loud at the woman’s excitement, “I have no idea, but I’m sure it’s great. I have a question for you, though. Would you like to be the official herbalist for the Mist Village?”
Isabel’s mouth dropped opened in an “O” of excitement and she looked quickly back and forth between Terrod and Richter. Then she gave Richter another enormous hug and said, “Yes, yes, yes, yes!” Richter smiled and awaited the prompt saying he had discovered another Job, but nothing appeared. He didn’t let her see his disappointment though, and soon she had run off to see the other gardeners and share her good news.
“That was very kind, milord,” Terrod said, as he looked at his love, smiling.
“When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?” Richter asked, watching Isabel as well.
Terrod turned towards Richter with a frown, “I assure you that Isabel is an extremely honorable woman, Lord Richter!”
Richter chuckled, which only deepened Terrod’s frown until Richter explained, “I know Isabel is honorable. I was asking, when are you going to marry her?”
Terrod’s face made an “O” to mirror Isabel’s previous expression. The captain suddenly grew somewhat shy, “This is obviously something I want with my entire heart. When we lived in Law, it was not feasible under the new king’s laws. ‘Polluting the bloodline’ it was called. If the guards found out, the punishment was… severe.” Terrod looked off into the distance for a moment, “I lost good friends in the king’s dungeon because of this horrible law.”
Richter just stood next to his Companion. There wasn’t anything that he could say that would make up for the loss of a loved one. There was no reasoning with someone else’s bigotry. It was madness, pure and simple. Happily, Terrod shook off his melancholy mood and gave Richter a calm smile. “I have considered asking her to bond her life to mine, but there always seems to be so much to do.”
“As someone who will most likely never see his birthplace again, take my advice, Terrod. Don’t wait for the ‘right’ time. There are always reasons to wait, but there is not always a tomorrow. Carpe Diem, dude. Seize the day.”
Terrod nodded and thanked Richter for his advice. Richter started to walk off, but then the captain said, “Have you had a chance to look at the remains?”
Richter shook his head in confusion, “Remains?”
“Of the spiders and rock giant. Your familiar summoned enough mist workers to bring the giant back to the village. I had the bodies dragged over to the hunters’ cleaning site on the eastern edge of the village.”
Cha-ching! Richter literally heard a cash register noise in his head. Who knew what kind of great goodies those remains might have? It might even cheer Beyan up after Sumiko had made him her bitch. Saying goodbye to his captain, he jogged over to the gnome who did indeed perk up when Richter told him what was waiting for them not too far away. The two of them left the feast area.
Beyan was basically skipping by the time they got close to the hunter’s cleaning site. As Richter walked, he periodically summoned mist lights and threw them up along the path. Soon his village would be lit up day and night, all year long, he thought happily. When they arrived, none of the hunters were in the area, which was probably best. As Richter looked at the already foul-smelling carcasses of the dead spiders, he knew this was probably going to be super gross.
Raising his eyebrows and pursing his mouth for a moment, he looked at Beyan. The gnome already had a knife out. His head was darting back and forth while he looked at a spider’s carcass as if trying to figure out where to start first. Sounding as magnanimous as possible, Richter said, “I suppose I could let you work on the queen if you want. If you find anything good, I mi
ght be okay with you using it to make the potion you’re using to compete with Tabia.”
“Truly?” Beyan asked, excited. “You do not mind?”
“You will have to show me everything you find,” Richter said admonishingly. “If the ingredient is super valuable, I might need to keep it myself.”
“Of course, of course, my lord! I promise you will not regret this,” Beyan said with a bright smile.
Richter pretended to ponder the matter for another minute, but then told the gnome to get to work. Beyan immediately drove his blade into the queen’s body and started sawing upward. The dagger made a wet shlurping sound. Green jelly immediately poured out over the Death mage’s hand and a wretched scent filled the air, like opening a dumpster in July behind a strip club. Richter’s face wrinkled in disgust. That was not a memory that he had any desire to relive! He couldn’t keep an involuntary “Gawk” from escaping as he watched the alchemist work. When Beyan looked back though, he snapped a strained smile into place and gave the mage a thumbs up. The gnome grinned widely, totally okay with the bit of rotting bug juice that had already landed on his face. Beyan just kept sawing.
Richter turned his back on the gross tableau. He summoned a mist worker and placed it at Beyan’s command, and then walked towards the figure that had been occupying his thoughts since he had spoken to Terrod, his old foe, the rock giant. The fading light made it somewhat hard to see, so he cast Mist Light again. He was awarded with a clear view of the dead behemoth.
It lay on its back, all twenty feet of it. The top of its chest was a full four feet off of the ground. Richter hopped up onto its stomach and walked towards its head. He was so used to seeing an expression of anger on the monster’s face that viewing its lifeless visage was strange. This thing that he had so feared was now dead. A smile of satisfaction grew insidiously on Richter’s face without him even knowing it as he looked at his vanquished enemy. Richter drew his elementum short sword from the sheath on his back. The blade made a shing as it came free.
