Fluff stood up, switching places with Karen. “Okay. I know my fears aren’t rational, but they are hard to ignore.”
Alburet waited until Stacia had begun to scrub his back before he continued. “Most fears are. We will remind you as often as needed that each of us loves you. Tonight I was thinking of asking you to make dinner for us. You haven’t had a chance to make the family dish yet.”
Stacia spoke up, “Aye, we be havin’ the ingredients for it. Ma’ has been most generous with keeping us supplied. I will walk ya through it, iffin ya want.”
“I would like that,” Fluff replied as she applied soap across Karen’s torso. “I’ll do my best.”
“Which is always better than most others’ attempts,” Karen added as she enjoyed Fluff’s attentions.
They finished showering and skipped the bath to get ready for the day. Stacia whipped up a quick breakfast of eggs and toast for them along with coffee while they dressed, since all she had to do was will her items to her and they would appear on her person. That meant she was the last one dressed, but her leathers appeared on her as they all sat down to eat. The meal was silent as they all wondered what zone they should clear for the day.
As the dishes were run through the cleaning tub, Alburet’s Message icon began to blink.
Message from Gerald:
Alburet, we’re ready to go. We’ll meet you at the portal guild in twenty minutes if you’re ready.
Message to Gerald:
We are getting our gear on now, so we’ll see you there. Did you have a preference for the zone in our level range?
Message from Gerald:
I was thinking the Forest of Laments. It’s undead based, which might hamper Stacia a little but will let Marysue feel a little more useful, besides just healing.
Message to Gerald:
That’s fine, Stacia can use her blades on whatever you’re fighting while we deal with the adds. We’ll see you there as soon as we can walk there.
Alburet put his Mindstone away, filling the ladies in on the plan. “You’re okay with the Forest of Laments?” he asked Stacia, just to clarify.
“Aye. I be knowin’ me gifts nay always be useful where we be huntin’. I will just use me blades on whatever Gerald is fightin’ while ya be killin off the ones on Tiny and TJ.”
“We summoning them now?” Karen asked as they filed out the door.
Alburet summoned Tiny and Bob to his side, Copying them as they appeared. “We’re hunting undead today. You guys ready?”
Bob scoffed as he puffed out his chest. “I am always ready to light some fires.”
“I will protect you and your wives, master,” Tiny rumbled in unison with his Copy, TJ.
“Well then, we’re off to meet Gerald and Marysue at the Portal Guild,” Alburet said, motioning to the road.
As they started walking, both Bobs took to the air above them and fluttered from roof to roof. Tiny took the lead, walking a few paces ahead of the group, while TJ took a similar position behind them. Karen nodded as she watched the minions take up their positions. “They do that, and all without any instructions at all. I wonder if they would if reputation with minions was still a thing?”
“Master has always treated us well,” Tiny rumbled from before them. “If we still had to rate our masters, like we used to, I am sure he would have been able to achieve the highest rank with all of us by now.”
Fluff looked at Tiny with amazement to hear such a well-articulated speech from him. “You’ve been becoming more vocal over the last month, Tiny,” she pointed out.
“As I grow in power, I grow in mind,” Tiny agreed.
“I grow in strength as I grow in power. I bet I could even best master in an arm wrestling competition, if he didn’t have his gear,” Bob commented from a few feet above them, where he was gliding from roof to roof.
“That wouldn’t be hard,” Alburet chuckled, since his strength was a measly five without his gear.
As they walked along, Alburet noticed the city folk giving his group worried looks, and stepping well wide of them. The law might have changed, but people were still skittish around the Infernals. Alburet sighed internally, knowing it would be the case, but he had hoped it wouldn’t be. He just smiled at the few people who looked his way, projecting peaceful intentions as they went.
Fluffball touched Alburet’s arm, “You feel a little sad, that everyone looks at us with fear.”
“Pretty much,” Alburet admitted. “I had hoped last night that maybe the city would accept the change. It seems like with any change, though, that it will take time.”
“Just like on our world,” Karen agreed. “It might be accepted faster here, but hoping for an overnight shift was probably a bit much.”
Snorting, Alburet had to agree, “Fair enough.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Getting to the Portal Guild, they found Gerald and Marysue in the waiting area. The two of them were sitting close to each other and speaking softly. They both looked to the door as the group entered. Gerald was on his feet before the four of them all got through the door. He offered his hand to Marysue, helping her to her feet as the group walked towards them. “The party last night was a success,” Gerald said.
“Way more people than I had guessed would show,” Alburet commented. “The guild is a little over three hundred strong now. It was good to see them all making groups, last night. Some of our older members also reworked their groups, I noticed.”
“It was nice that Leggylass was able to come back,” Marysue mused. “Ironhand was fairly excited to see her.”
“Yea, the kiss he gave her while dipping her wasn’t a clue,” Karen snickered.
“It was sweet,” Fluffball added as her hand squeezed Karen’s arm. She could feel the happy warmth Karen had felt last night during that moment and again now. Fluff was aware of the mask Karen used to hide her feelings.
“Al,” Marysue began, “about you needing to level quickly. Is there anything you can tell us as to why, that you haven’t already?”
He avoided her gaze, “We should get going. Maybe we can talk while we’re in the forest.”
“That’s not a bad idea, considering the NDA he has to deal with,” Gerald reminded Marysue gently as he started them towards the stairs.
Marysue hung her head with a sigh, “Sorry, I just don’t want to stop grouping with you. It’s been nice to have friends who don’t want something because of who my family is.”
Stacia nodded, “Aye. We still be ya friends even iffin we do nay get as many chances to go huntin’ with ya. We mayhap nay love ya as Gerald does, but we will be ya friends.”
Marysue glanced at Stacia, seeing only honesty, “Okay. It’s just…”
She trailed off into an awkward silence. In that silence Alburet took a quick step up to touch Marysue’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to cause you any issues. I’ll say as much as I can once we’re out of the city.”
Nodding, Marysue didn’t look back, “Okay.”
They found the portal they wanted and stepped onto the glyph. Appearing before a Keep that was in a clearing surrounded by a thick dark wood, they were hailed by three guards next to the open gate. “Adventurers, welcome to the Forest of Laments. It’s been a while since we last saw any of you Two-souled.” The guard who had been addressing them caught sight of their guild emblem. Standing a little straighter, he smiled, “To think that Alpha Company would be the first to come and help us push back the undead. We thank you for your aid. The Sergeant would likely wish to speak with you.”
“We’ll speak with the Sergeant directly. We also want to pick up the quests for this area,” Gerald replied. “May we pass?” The last question was asked with a touch of humor, as the trio of guards were currently blocking the gateway.
“Of course, Sir Gerald,” the guard said as he and his compatriots stepped clear of the gateway and saluted.
“Our thanks,” Gerald returned the salute as he led the group through the gateway and i
nto the courtyard.
Inside the walls four buildings stood around the central Keep. One was obviously the inn, another a smithy of some kind, the third building was a general store and the fourth appeared to be an apothecary. All of the buildings were built of an off-white stone that seemed to hold flecks of gold that shimmered in the light.
“The stone is pretty,” Fluffball murmured as the group advanced towards the Keep.
“It’s like the opposite of the Infernal Stone,” Karen opined.
As they approached the door of the Keep, two guards saluted them. Gerald returned the salute as he led the others inside. The interior of the Keep was identical to all the other Keeps they had seen, just a bit larger in scale. The main room held three desks, one of which was empty. The other two held Sergeants, one a Human female with reddish hair that eyed them speculatively. An Elven male was seated at the other, watching them with a single raised brow.
Coming to a stop before the Elf the group gave the Sergeant a salute, getting one in return. “Sergeant, Alpha Company would like the quests to assist the Keep.”
At the name of the guild the Sergeant sat more upright. “Alpha Company, it is a pleasure to meet you. We’ve been hearing of your exploits.” His eyes tracked over to the redhead, his lips curling into a smirk. “It is good that you chose the responsible Sergeant to speak with. I have four quests for you. Lay to rest twenty of each: the Broken Dead and Furious Dead. Banish five of the Spiritual Takers. For the last quest, Cleanse the Ruins of Lament.”
Quest: Kill twenty Broken Dead
Reward: Two hundred gold and increased rep with Stormguard guards
Quest: Kill twenty Furious Dead
Reward: Two hundred gold and increased rep with Stormguard guards
Quest: Banish five Spiritual Takers
Reward: Two hundred gold and increased rep with Stormguard guards
Quest: Cleanse the Ruins of Lament
Reward: Five hundred gold and an item from the Quartermaster stores.
“We’ll be glad to take care of these quests. We will return as soon as we finish,” Gerald snapped another salute, followed by the others. The six of them headed back out of the Keep.
Everyone exchanged glances as they reentered the courtyard. Fluff was the first one to speak. “Did it seem like maybe those two don’t get along?”
“A little one-upmanship between them it seemed like maybe,” Alburet agreed.
“Maybe we can turn the quests in to her when we return,” Karen grinned.
Gerald laughed, “We’ll see when we get back here. Everyone ready to go?” Everyone was, so they headed through the gate. Pausing before the guards, Gerald turned to the one they had spoken to before, and asked which direction the ruins were in.
Leaving the clearing with the Keep behind, the group followed the path the guard had pointed out to them. A minute after starting down the path, the branches overhead thickened and entangled, cutting off most of the ambient light. The forest was dimly lit with a combination of the few small sunbeams that slipped through the branches overhead and the moss growing on the trunks of the trees that that gave off a feeble light.
“Well, this place must be a barrel of fun after sunset,” Gerald remarked drolly as they walked.
“Spooky forest, late at night, with an undead infestation. Sounds like the place to be,” Alburet agreed.
“At least we’re with friends, not random classmates,” Karen commented.
“Yeah, this place does have that slasher flick vibe,” Marysue shuddered.
“It has an unholy feel to it,” Stacia murmured.
“What kind of undead do you think the mobs will be?” Fluffball asked.
“The Spiritual Takers are probably the spirits that take over people,” Alburet said.
“Sounds likely,” Gerald agreed. “Marysue can handle them, though. I’m more curious what the Broken are going to be.”
“Probably skeletons,” Karen commented. “It’s not like the names have hidden meanings. I bet the last one is zombies.”
Right on cue, two creatures came lurching out onto the path. One was a Broken Dead and the other a Furious Dead. Tiny, Gerald, and TJ all stepped in front of the others as the two Undead appeared. The zombie was dragging a two-handed sword behind it, while the skeleton had a shield and hammer in its hands.
“Skeleton and zombie, you nailed it,” Alburet laughed as he conjured a Fire Blast to his hand. “Tiny, TJ take the Furious Dead. Bob, BJ focus fire on the same mob.”
Gerald taunted the Broken Dead off to the left side of the path while Tiny taunted the Furious Dead to the right. Fluff and Karen followed Tiny in to focus the Furious Dead down first, while Bob began to barrage it with his Fire Blasts, alternating between his two selves. Stacia pulled her blades and rushed to attack the one Gerald was fighting. Marysue decided to get a little damage in by casting one of her heals onto the Furious Dead.
The first surprise for the group was the Whirlwind ability the Furious Dead used. It spun in a tight circle, damaging everyone within melee range. Karen, Fluff, Tiny and TJ all took considerable damage before they could get out of range. It surprised them again, letting out an unearthly screech that stunned those close to it, locking them in place. While they were stunned, it leapt over them and charged Marysue. Alarmed, Gerald moved to taunt the Furious Dead to him, only to be Shield Bashed by the Broken Dead, leaving him stunned as well.
Alburet, who had been standing back with Marysue, pulled his weapon and interposed himself between her and the charging Furious Dead. Flames sprang up around the head of his maul as he swung it at the mob that was trying to angle past him. The Furious Dead swung its own weapon, batting aside Alburet’s attempted strike without seeming to even register the attack. Luckily, his weapon grazed the zombie’s arm, which was enough for the fire damage on the weapon to strike the Furious Dead.
That damage was enough to bring the Berserker undead around on Alburet instead of its original target. Alburet did his best to parry the onslaught of blows that came much faster than anything he had faced before, outside of Gwain. Stumbling back as the last slash of the massive sword cut into his left arm, Alburet hoped his friends would be there soon. A split second later Tiny slammed into the monster with his shield, stunning the undead, much to Alburet’s relief.
“Sorry, master,” Tiny rumbled as he made sure he had aggro on the mob.
“Glad you made it,” Alburet said as he and Marysue stepped back, giving the others room around the monster.
Fluff and Karen moved in, slamming their weapons into the Furious Dead. Bob and BJ flitted to branches that had good angles but were further away, as they’d gotten caught by the first stun also.
“Sorry,” Bob muttered, angry and embarrassed that he’d gotten stunned and not been able to help.
Alburet grinned as he summoned a Fire Blast in his right hand. “We all make mistakes, Bob.”
Gerald had done enough to keep the Broken Dead fixated on him even with Marysue healing him through the stun. Seeing the others already there to help Marysue, Gerald turned back to his task with a grimace on his face. He hacked at the chainmail wearing skeleton with a vengeance. Stacia had backed off while Gerald had been stunned, not wanting to draw aggro. Now that he was back to work, she stepped forward and applied her own damage to the mob.
Those were all the surprises that particular set of Undead had for them, and the Furious Undead dropped before either of its abilities were used again. Tiny, TJ, Fluff and Karen turned to the Broken Undead Gerald was holding. Stacia backed off to give them all room, sheathing her blades. They all sighed in relief when the skeleton fell into a pile of bones without revealing any other unexpected abilities.
“That was a bit more exciting than we expected,” Marysue commented. That got a chuckle from everyone except Gerald, who was staring into the forest with angry eyes. Marysue touched his shoulder, “We made it through fine and I didn’t get touched.”
“I wasn’t able to get there in time.
Al had to save you,” Gerald grimaced.
“We’re a team, we all help each other,” Karen said from the side. “You were fighting the tank of the pair, it was bound to have a stun. And next time you won’t be surprised.”
Fractured Spirit (Alpha World Book 5) Page 28
