Raiya_Starter Zone_A LitRPG Saga

by Russell Wilbinski

  Skree read the prompt furiously, nearly rejecting it outright when he read the last line. He was not looking for servants or slaves, and besides, what would he be able to do with a Kobold Priestess once he left the island? He re-read the last line, trying to determine any hidden meanings that he might have missed. Nope, he had not missed anything.

  "Kamilla, why would you give this gift to me? You hardly know me and pledging your life to my cause is not something I can possibly accept." He said to the small Kobold, trying not to offend her. Judging by the fact she sagged visibly at his words, he had failed in his effort.

  Sawbones nodded to his friend. "Wise words Lord Skree. Something for you to consider though. There are only two times a Priestess can be elevated. When a royal is born or created by decree, or when the former Priestess dies. Since you are the only other noble on this Island, she must make her vow to you now, in the hopes she can earn her profession." The king patted his friend on the back. "You would be doing her a great service, as she will be able to become a Priestess much earlier than her mother before her, officially making her the youngest Priestess in our history."

  Skree shook his head. "Bones, I can’t take her from this island, I do not want a slave or servant, or whatever. I just can’t do that to her." He looked at Kamilla, whose big eyes were watering with the hot tears of rejection.

  "What do you mean?" Sawbones asked. "You do not have to take her with you and I would really appreciate it if you didn't. She still has so much training to do as a priestess. No, you could accept her oath and request that she remain here with the Clan to finish her education."

  Skree looked confused, his brows furrowing. "I didn’t think I could just ask her to remain here. It's so... simple." He whacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "She continues her training, I get awesome new skills and spells, and everybody is happy!"

  "Except for me!" Kamilla interjected. Sawbones, Skree and Priestess all looked to Kamilla who was now standing with her arms crossed. "No one ever asks me what I want. I do want to be a priestess for my people, but I definitely do not want to sit here in the dark, listening to the same stories a hundred times." She stated indignantly.

  She stared at Skree with pleading eyes. "You have to accept my oath and you have to take me with you. I promise, I will serve you well and bring honor to my people!" Priestess' hand shot forward, boxing the young Kobold by the ear.

  "You will do no such thing." Mother Priestess squawked angrily. "That is not the role of a priestess!"

  "Times are changing Mother. I will be the first priestess in service to a human and I will be the first priestess to leave this island and see the world!" Kamilla answered, wrenching her ear free. "Lord Skree, please accept my vow or I will be forced to live with my mother until she dies in like... sixty years! Please let me travel the world with you!"

  Skree and Sawbones both took a step back from this squabble. They exchanged glances and Sawbones just shrugged. "This is your call, she has already bestowed the gift and it cannot be taken back."

  Mother Priestess hissed at the king. "High King, surely you wouldn't let our next priestess go running off into the wide world, and with a human no less!" She stated rhetorically, expecting his agreement.

  Sawbones snapped his gaze toward her, subdued anger quickly replacing his mirth. "Priestess. you go too far and insult your Lord and your King. A human no less? A HUMAN? This human has saved your people, our people, and sacrificed everything he could have rightfully claimed for himself so that we would not fade into oblivion." He stepped forward, his tiny form seeming much larger now as he channeled his anger. "If one of my people, my priestesses, wants to leave this island, then I can think of no better person for them to go with than Lord Skree. Do you wish to challenge my assumption?" He asked, letting anger creep into in his words.

  Mother Priestess immediately shrank back, her body language changing in an instant. She looked at Sawbones, then Skree. "Forgive me, I spoke... out of hand. Your will is my will, High King." Sawbones visibly calmed. "Thank you, Mother Priestess. Now, Lord Skree, please make your choice."

  Skree clenched his fists in irritation. "Well this is the proverbial, rock and a hard place." He thought. First, he didn’t want a servant. Second, he didn't want to offend the poor girl and stop her from becoming a priestess, that would just be a terrible twist of the knife. Third, he couldn’t believe Sawbones was putting him in this position. he just wanted to party it up, get a good night’s sleep then sail into the sunset in a few days with a super-hot pirate chick. Was that too much to ask?

  He reviewed the prompt again, concluding he stood to lose way more than he would gain by refusing her offer.

  "I hope you like ships Kamilla." He said with a smile, as he selected yes on her oath. Nothing happened. The prompt remained at the front of his vision. He selected yes, a few more times, all with the same result. "Oh right, I have to pick ONE of the skills. Dang, they are all super good.” Unfortunately, the one he really needed right now was Identify. It would be useful forever and not nearly as situational as Pickpocket or Scribe. Analyze Rank 2 looked extremely useful, but at the moment he really needed to be able to identify all the treasures he found, when he found them.

  Not being able to commit those spell books to memory really didn't sit well with him. What if he lost them when he had... fallen... from the waterfall? What if he had died and dropped them somewhere deep in the jungle. No, he knew that he needed to be able to identify items as soon as he found them for maximum survivability. He placed a check mark next to that skill, clicked yes to the Gift of the Priestess and the prompt vanished.

  Kamilla squealed happily, running over and hugging Skree, her tiny claws digging into the back of his leg. He winced a little, but the feeling the happiness radiating from her dulled the pain. She eventually realized she was being a silly girl and released her grip, putting on a serious demeanor. "Thank you, Lord Skree. I will serve you until the end of my days." She bowed deeply. When she stood up, she had a puzzled expression on her face. Skree asked her "What’s on your mind?"

  "What's a ship?"

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Priestess took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Lord Skree, I apologize for my earlier outburst. I meant no offense, you of all people deserve my trust. I must ask that you allow Kamilla to remain here, in the warren until she completes her training." Her tone even but tinged with nervousness.

  Skree shrugged, looking at Kamilla then Priestess. "My dad used to have a saying - If you’re going to screw everything up, do it while your young. I am aware that I don't know much... anything, really, about your culture, but I do know a thing or two about rebelling against the system." He placed a calming hand on Priestess' shoulder. "I know that this is how you have done things for generations, but today marks the start of new age for you and all of your people. Perhaps there is much more to be gained by letting Kamilla find out who she is on her own."

  Sawbones nodded thoughtfully. Priestess embraced Kamilla, her arms and tail wrapping her tightly. "Daughter, if this is what you truly desire, I will not stop you. Serve Lord Skree well and return to us with greater knowledge and wisdom than even I possess. Embrace the world and all it can offer you, like no Priestess before you." She lovingly stroked Kamila’s face, tears welling in her eyes.

  Kamilla too, was crying gently but behind the tears was a steady resolve. She had made her decision and was ready to make the most of it. "Mother, I will make you proud. I will see all there is to see and learn all there is to learn. I will bring back great wisdom for our people." She pulled her mother in for a long embrace, the scene touching a deep emotional well in Skree.

  He remembered when he had left for college, and how proud his parents were of him. His mother had cried and embraced him, trying to force the love she felt for him into that single embrace. He could still feel that hug, all these years later. Through the tougher times in his life, through the difficulties of his studies, he remembered that hug with clarity. He loved his moth
er, and a mother’s love would never fade.

  Kamilla pulled away, wiping the tears from her face. Priestess did the same. "Tomorrow, we perform the ritual of shedding, where you will cast off your name and become Priestess." Priestess explained. "We must be off Lord Skree. There are many things to prepare. I will be asking you to take part in the ritual, so do not celebrate too hard, lest you be unable to perform your duties." She gave him a very serious look, just like his mother used too. Every mom knows that look, regardless of what species they are, apparently.

  Skree nodded vigorously, not interested in having that fight. Besides, if Kobold booze was anything like Samolin, he would not be getting drunk anytime soon. "I will be there Priestess. You have my word." She nodded and together, Priestess and Kamilla strode from the chamber. Skree glanced at Sawbones, who was grinning deviously. "I hope you know what you have just gotten yourself into..." he said with genuine mirth. "Young females are notoriously headstrong, and prone to making trouble."

  He nodded to the King. "I have a younger sister, so trust me when I say; I am well aware of the difficulties of girls her age." He shook his head remembering how often his sister would get in trouble, then find a way to shift the blame his direction. Every time his mother would turn to yell at him instead of her, his sister would stick out her tongue in triumph, having framed him for another crime he hadn't committed. She was a devious brat, but still, she was his little sister and he loved her greatly.

  "Now," Sawbones said, interrupting his reminiscing "On to the good stuff!" He nearly bounced over to the chest excitedly. "This is something I found locked in a deep vault beneath our warren." The king lovingly caressed the chest. "I have to admit, having all of these memories has been a definite boon. I know of dozens of hidden vaults all over the island, which I will be recovering as soon as possible. For now, I want to give you this." He flipped open the latches and threw open the top without ceremony, letting the heavy lid thump heavily onto the floor.

  Skree's jaw fell open at the sight. In the chest were hundreds and hundreds of gold coins. He stepped forward tentatively, his knees wobbling with each step. He stopped just in front of the chest, the glittering coins filling him with a primal desire. What was it about stacks of cash that got men so excited. Judging by the expression on Sawbones face, that transcended species as well.

  "Bones there is so much gold here! There is no way you are seriously considering giving all of this to me?" He asked with more than a little skepticism. He wanted to have thousands of gold pieces, but this would be tantamount to robbery.

  The King turned to him, the sparkling coins reflecting in his large eyes. "Of course not!" Sawbones exclaimed with a chuckle. "This is the treasure of our people. I do not know the exact contents of the other vaults, but I like to imagine there are several more chests just like this. It turns out that centuries ago, our Island had one of the largest deposits of gold and Glittersteel in the entire known world. We had very little use for the gold, but it made for an extremely valuable resource as most kingdoms traded exclusively in yellow metal." He explained, recalling the memories of his ancestors.

  "I do, however, want you to know that this island contains a vast amount a wealth. Wealth we are willing to use to restore what we have lost. It will take us generations to recover using only what is available on this island. Instead, I would ask another favor of you." He looked up at his human friend, his eyes slightly less focused on the gold coins. "Find us some trading partners, who can provide resources, construction materials or spell books. Livestock, food, really anything at all. We are basically starting from nothing here and I believe that you, with Kamilla's help, can broker a good deal for us. Can you do that for us?" A prompt appeared in Skree's vision.

  Congratulations, you have been offered a quest - "There's Gold in Them Hills - Part 1." High King Sawbones has requested that in your travels, you seek out trading partners and opportunities to expand the wealth and influence of the Blue Stone Clan. Will you accept this quest YES or NO?

  Skree selected yes, dismissing the prompt. "Of course, I would be honored to help you with this, but honestly, I don't know the first thing about trade negotiations. Hell, I don’t even know what stuff is worth." He pulled a hatchet from his belt harness, shrugging exaggeratedly. "Like these hatchets. Are they worth 1 gold coin? Or 100? I seriously have no idea."

  He replaced the hatchet, waiting for Sawbones to respond. "Honestly Skree, neither do I. All the trade deals in my memory are from hundreds of years ago, so I doubt the conversions hold true. That is why I need you out there, in the world learning everything you can. I think that Kamilla will also prove very useful in this endeavor, as she has better understanding of what a Kobold Warren might need to grow." Sawbones stated plainly. "Just do what you can and help me bring prosperity to the Blue Stone Clan."

  Rubbing his temples, he replied. "I will try."

  Sawbones smiled and nodded. "That said, you will definitely need some funds to help you get started. I want you to take half of this..." he gestured to the nearly overflowing chest. Consider it your share of the loot. Use it to pay for your voyage, and perhaps grease the wheels of commerce as needed." He winked at Skree.

  Skree nearly choked on those words. "Seriously half? How many coins are even in this chest?" he asked, exasperation clear in his tone.

  Sawbones started to leave the chamber. He looked back, a toothy smile on his face. "I have no idea, so if you could start counting, that would be very helpful." The human’s eyes went wide, stunned by the king’s request. "You should probably hurry as well, wouldn't want you to miss the party, now would we?" He asked, equal parts sarcasm and humor.

  "You can be a real jerk sometimes you know that?" Skree retorted. "Leaving me alone with a mountain of treasure. Oh, woe is me." He spoke in overly dramatic tones, feigning offense.

  Sawbones laughed happily, turning to leave. "Humans are funny." He muttered to himself as he left the room.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Skree watched his friend disappear into the shadows, leaving him all alone with the massive hoard of gold. He was honestly shocked at the amount of coins sitting in front of him. He was definitely not going to count all of these coins, no matter what Sawbones wanted. He suddenly realized his second problem.

  "How am I going to carry this much coin?" he asked aloud, even though he was alone. He just stared at the glittering pile for several moments, considering his options. He could fill his satchel, but there was no way it would hold close to half of these coins. With everything else he kept in there, he doubted it would hold more than a few handfuls.

  "Wait!" He exclaimed, pulling his satchel strap over his head and placing it on the stone table. He dumped the contents onto the smooth surface and found what he was looking for.

  "I had nearly forgotten about you!" He said excitedly, clutching at the magic bag he had found in the temple vault. He focused on the pouch, willing it to reveal its secrets to him. He felt... something, like a trickle of mana flow into the bag as a prompt appeared.

  Do you wish to identify: Magic Bag? Yes or No. He selected yes and focused on the magically enchanted pouch. A few seconds passed, and a familiar description window appeared in his vision.

  Congratulations! You have found Nearly Bottomless Bag. Item type - Magical storage, Rarity: Precious, Quality: Legendary, Durability 450/450. Description: A Nearly Bottomless Bag is a powerfully enchanted container that is much bigger on the inside. This pouch is a dimensional gateway to a private pocket dimension that can hold many belongings. Items stored in the Nearly Bottomless Bag are immune to damage unless the bag is destroyed.

  While in the pocket dimension, items are unaffected by the passage of time, so any organic materials will remain in whatever condition they were in before being placed in the dimensional portal. Living creatures cannot be stored in the pocket dimension regardless of size or intelligence. All items stored in the bag also have their weight reduced by 72%, allowing you to carry hundreds of items with minimal ef
fort. To retrieve any item, all that you need do is think of the item and it will appear in your hand.

  He didn't hesitate, unable to click yes as fast as he would have liked. As a test, he stuffed a few of his gathered fruits and plants into the bag. They dropped into the pouch with no resistance. He hefted the bag, shaking it vigorously and was amazed that he couldn't feel anything inside the container.

  He slowly reached into the bag, his hand passing through the opening easily. He reached further and further, until he was elbow deep in the small bag. With a bit of hesitation, he reached as far as he could into the pouch until he was all the way to his shoulder. He felt nothing in the pouch. He thought about the contents of the pouch and a small window appeared, a classic inventory window, with rows and columns displaying the contents of his bag.

  Inventory:

  6 - Bananas

  4 - Blood herbs

  2 - Deep mushrooms

  "Now that’s nice!" He exclaimed. "No more struggling with a bulging satchel for this guy." He had grown tired of looking like one of those infomercial actors every time he needed to get something from his satchel, spilling its contents and struggling to get stuff to fit. Magic inventory space is just plain better.

  He happily started pushing everything from his satchel into the nearly bottomless bag. He watched with glee as each item vanished into the pouch and then appeared in the inventory list. He stuck his hand into the bag and thought banana, and instantly he felt the supple flesh of the peel in his palm. He pulled his hand free and sure enough, he was grasping a banana.

  "Oh man, this is so cool. Let’s try something a little different." Searching the room, he spotted the gear he had left with the Kobolds stacked neatly in the corner. He grabbed the Glittersteel short sword, and slowly placed it into the bag. It slid in easily, until the even the hilt had vanished. He released his grip on the sword and it slid into the pocket dimension, appearing on the inventory screen like anything else.